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paulz
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# Posted: 10 Apr 2025 07:48pm
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Someone donated a car to my auto shop class. It’s a 2003 Toyota RAV4 electric. Doesn’t run they say, needs new battery(s), NIMH. They said I can have it. Immediately I thought hey, I have a bunch of new 100ah LFPs!
Obviously different architecture…but..
TMT, ever play with these?
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 10 Apr 2025 10:32pm
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If you get your hands on that vehicle be careful. The Toyota Rav4 hybrids use a 245 volt battery pack. There might still be enough energy in the battery pack to kill you. 100 MILLIamps can kill; even less depending on assorted factors like general health of the individual, how or where the current enters and leaves the body and so on. Perhaps the school did all the right things to disable or disconnect the high voltage battery. Perhaps the battery is stone cold dead. Or not?
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DRP
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# Posted: 11 Apr 2025 07:17am - Edited by: DRP
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That would be fun. I've skimmed some of these videos;
https://continue.weber.edu/professional/programs/evtraining/phasei/
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 11 Apr 2025 07:35am - Edited by: paulz
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Thanks guys, no wonder the shop class doesn’t want to mess with it. My brief online checking tells me this is a ‘stage 1’ RAV4 EV, a few made until early 2000s, then reintroduced a decade later. It may not have the battery power of the stage 2s. TMT is a Toyota tech member on here, he’ll know more if he sees this.
Furthermore these early ones were 2wd only, which sours me as I need AWD for the cabin. I did see ads for complete battery jobs for about a grand. Wouldn’t be a bad deal to have a ‘new’ used car for a grand, if only it were awd. I’ll keep checking on it.. I did get a quick look at it, apparently a doctor donated it to the school and it looked very good.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 11 Apr 2025 08:02am - Edited by: toyota_mdt_tech
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No, they were a California only deal. You had to have a charging station installed at your residence before you could even buy one.
We had one in our trade in row a few weeks ago. But the all electric RAV4 was unique to your state.
I can access all repair manual info for it, wiring diagrams etc.
We have of course, hybrids, plug in hybrids and the only all electric we have is the BZ4X which is based on the current RAV4.
We did see a Miria, this is a hydrogen powered Prius. We have no way of fueling them here. They have
them in Canada and California.
Get it, there is a way of disabling the high voltage via a service plug so you can safely work on it.
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paulz
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# Posted: 11 Apr 2025 08:44am
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Thanks Tmt. I’ll check with the college again, I’m in town for the weekend. My teacher, who kind of runs the whole auto dept and told me he wanted it gone, said to check with another teacher who is forming an EV class I guess. There are also two electric golf carts in the way I’ve been wishing for but no dice there.
My cabin neighbor kid I gave my dozer to brought it back over last week and smoothed my driveway, it’s probably doable in 2wd at least until the rains come back.
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 11 Apr 2025 10:13am
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Not too long ago I'd have snapped it up just to learn stuff. Cant do it now but I can encourage you to spend your time and money on it; call me an enabler 
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 12 Apr 2025 11:14am
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Quoting: gcrank1 call me an enabler
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 12 Apr 2025 11:47am - Edited by: paulz
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Well I emailed the other teacher yesterday, never heard back. I will go over to the college today, only two miles away.
Went by, still sitting there, no teacher.
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 12 Apr 2025 02:04pm
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I'd grab it. I can email you any info you need on it as far as wiring, repair manual stuff etc.
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 12 Apr 2025 05:27pm
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Would it come with a title?
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 12 Apr 2025 06:11pm
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My teacher told me there would be paperwork with the college. Assuming the other teacher agrees to let it go.
Mean time, I got my Bantam running while killing time at the grid. Ya know, it’s only 10 ft long and very light. I could probably fill the bed with my LFPs, take the plugs out and drive around just on the starter! Or yank the flathead and put in a big electric motor.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 12 Apr 2025 07:58pm
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That Bantam is SO Cool
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 12 Apr 2025 08:28pm
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Yeah just peeling the tarp off got me going to work on it. Too bad it’s just rotting away there. No inside parking. I could build a covered area there, or move it to the cabin shop..
Went by the college again on our way to Once a week dinner away from my crappy cooking. The mechanical auto teacher was there, who I know pretty well (does my smogs) and tried to turn me off to the RAV4. He felt the college would be responsible if they gave it to me and I electrocuted myself. He knew about the bypass plug deal but said the batteries would still have all that voltage. I’ll stop by again Monday and talk to my teacher again.
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 12 Apr 2025 08:38pm
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Paulz, the service plug interrupts the battery series, splits it right down the middle. The only voltage potential is now inside the sealed (but serviceable) metal battery compartment and only half of the voltage.
Dont let him scare you. He must want it. Its just like anything, once you own it, its your responsibility. When they sign the release on the title, they are released.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 13 Apr 2025 07:59am
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I guess its time I add a caution.....
We aint spring chickens any more buddy, just a couple of tough old birds who still think we can take on major 'projects' like we used to. Problem is we have a bunch of unfinished ones already around that aren't getting done 
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 13 Apr 2025 08:39am
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Isn’t there a saying, ‘He who dies with the most junk wins’? Lol. I’m in the running, 2 old Corvettes, Blazer, Bantam and old motorcycles. All valuable stuff at one time, on their way to being worthless now most likely.
I don’t really need the Toyota but I do need something to commute to the cabin. My 99 ford Ranger is still going but it’s a gas hog and approaching 200k miles.
That teacher yesterday wasn’t too encouraging. Don’t think he wants it, more like junk to him. He said “hey it’s a 25 year old vehicle”. We’ll see Monday, hopefully I’ll know more before I head back to the cabin.
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 13 Apr 2025 09:28am - Edited by: MtnDon
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Sell some of the oldie stuff and use the money for
a used Tacoma?
My 06 is about to turn 200K and has many more in it. A friend has 250K or so on his. Damn near bulletproof.
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 13 Apr 2025 11:57am
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Quoting: MtnDon My 06 is about to turn 200K
Don, is yours the 4 cylinder or V6? As you get closer to the 250K mark, exhaust valves grow tighter and will require a shim change. The intakes have always been fine. This is the normal wear pattern. Will start off as a slight miss as it gets warm. Fine when cold.
Otherwise, many more miles left.
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 13 Apr 2025 11:58am
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Paulz, get it, plug it in, get it charging. We will get it going.
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 13 Apr 2025 12:10pm
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Pal, as far as EV, first one was 98 in the repair manual.
Here is the component location. I suspect the service plug is under the rear seat. With that open, wait 10 minutes. Should be good. But we are required to still measure for voltage and have on out leather covered 1000V rubber gloves.
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 13 Apr 2025 01:30pm - Edited by: MtnDon
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Quoting: toyota_mdt_tech Don, is yours the 4 cylinder or V6
Thanks for the reminder. I have heard of that; my friend did his 4 cyl a short time ago.
Mine is a V6, auto, 4x4. I just did front CV axles and lower control arms. Rear brakes are still original and okay for a while long. Not much city driving.
Any other things to watch for, to do or not to do?
I got a new battery last month too. 6th year for the last one and it never failed, but I do carry a portable jump starter all the time.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 13 Apr 2025 05:14pm - Edited by: toyota_mdt_tech
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Don, the V6 is a breeze to adjsut valves. You can remove just the exhaust camshaft and leave intake behind, Intake is driven by the timing belt (which is due at the 90K mark, we do water pump, thermostat and idlers at the same time and all fresh coolant, good news, its not an interference engine)
ICC, alternator sis getting low on brushes, slip rings get grooved, you could slide in a brush holder assy and go a long ways again, super easy, just under outside metal cover.
Starter contacts in the solenoid. Will click, but no crank at first sign of excess wear. You can keep clicking it and will go, better than being stranded, then install new contacts. Once they start failing, the starter can stick from the arcing welding the plunger down and but out the starter by holding it engaged.
Plug wires, only 3 and that is about it.
Measure clearances cold, write it all down, them pull cam out (little trick to load the spring loaded scissor gear, easy task) and you pop out cam, them remove shims, measure and them get the size needed. Usually 2 sizes up, we go one size up (thinner) but we only stock every other size) and that usually put you right back into the sweet spot.
Adjusting valves
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 13 Apr 2025 10:02pm
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Quoting: toyota_mdt_tech Intake is driven by the timing belt (which is due at the 90K mark
Hmm. I thought the 4.0 V6 had cam chains? One long; 2 short??
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 14 Apr 2025 04:08pm - Edited by: toyota_mdt_tech
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ICC, what year? You may have newer than I thought. 4.0 is a chain.
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 14 Apr 2025 10:53pm - Edited by: MtnDon
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Quoting: toyota_mdt_tech ICC, what year?
My Tacoma is a 2006, a 2nd gen V6.
ICC is another Tacoma owner; Izzy and I know each other. He has had both a first and a second gen Tacoma, a 4 cyl and a V6 respectively. We met by chance. He is the grandfather of two of the kids who attended my wife's preschool. He & his wife used to be in town here once a month and picked the girls up when preschool let out. We found we shared some common interests; cars, cabins, 4x4wheeling.
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 15 Apr 2025 09:47am
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Quoting: MtnDon ICC is another Tacoma owner
That is exactly what I was thinking. OK, you wont have valve clearance issues ever assuming oil changes done regularly.
We see front timing cover oil weepage around the power steering mount area, not a leak, just a weep is all.
Sometimes a headgasket, middle cylinder drivers or pass side, but not common at all. The part about starter and alternator applies.
Exercise your 4WD from time to time, keep the oxidation off the commutator of the electric shift motor.
Small world ie you and ICC, what are the chances. :D
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 15 Apr 2025 02:55pm - Edited by: MtnDon
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Quoting: toyota_mdt_tech front timing cover oil weepage
Ever so slight. This is the cleanest engine I have ever had, even considering its age. It does get covered in dust from gravel and dirt roads that are usually dry, but it is not covered in thick oily mud because the oil is all inside the engine. What a contrast to the British motorcycles of my youth.
Doing the alt and starter stuff might be a good idea. Thanks.
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 16 Apr 2025 08:52am - Edited by: MtnDon
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Quoting: toyota_mdt_tech Small world ie you and ICC, what are the chances.
It happens. On another forum, 15 years ago, there were 3 other members who lived within a 12 mile radius of me all with cabins in northern NM. We got together several times in town for lunch and at our cabins. Two have moved away, one I still see every so often. I also visited 6 other members of that forum in other states; VA, WV, WA & 3 in CA, two now deceased. Three I am still in occasional contact with.
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