Help ID what this is, an alarm?
 

I just got a used Rav4, was trying to figure out why the front speakers weren't working, when I found a loose wire coming from the dash and routing down the passenger side to the rear of the car.

I didn't trace it to where it ends in the back, but tracing the other end brought me to inside the center console, where I found this jammed inside:

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...f8&oe=56748EAA

There's no markings at all on the black box, with a push-button switch wired to it. Perhaps a valet-mode button?

Some of the wires were also spliced into the mirror controls:

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...6b&oe=56749643

Any idea what it is? Is it safe to remove or should I just leave it? I don't wanna trip it up and have it immobilize the car if it is indeed some sort of alarm/immobilizer.

Thanks!

Is that how you operate the flame throwers? Use the mirror switch to pick what side to throw the flame out of?!

Berz out.

Do you have a in screen display?
If so this could be the so you can play DVD's with the vehicle in motion. The button would be to disable the park feature.

No I don't, but some models did come with a DVD player, just not mine.

Could it be for a rear view camera/monitor? There is that single wire that went to the back of the car, but its pretty high gauge and a single wire, I figured a video cable would be thicker...

Which wires are connected to the mirror controls? My guess would be that it's just pulling power from there, I'd doubt it's an immobilizer but the best way to be sure is to follow the wiring and see where everything goes because it could be nearly anything. You can also try to open up that box and see if there are any markings or indicators inside of what it does.

Controller for a hidden stash/lock box in the car?

Check all the door panels, there might be a million dollars hidden somewhere.

Does it have a hitch on the vehicle?
It looks a lot like a brake controller.

No hitch. Would a brake controller need a switch, though?

Possibly, I have seen them before, simply to turn them on and off but never seen one like that.

It looks like a Marksman X9 vallet switch but the brain is not a Marksman brain. Perhaps its just a after market alarm system.

Can't see that being an aftermarket alarm unless there are more wires.
The heat shrink definitely looks aftermarket. OEM would have been a plastic loom with lots of electrical tape.
The color coding on the wires is also odd. I see a white wire and a white with black stripe next too it.

Odd...

It may not be an actual alarm, just the immobilizer unit by itself. The switch my disable the ignition circuit from working. I have seen a few of these systems, not used a fob style piece on the key chain to pick up a signal and work, i have also seen a few that have manual switch.

^ now that you mention it this box looks a lot like the one I used to bypass the factory immobilizer in the Prelude so I could get the remote start to work, you program it to store a copy of the code and then send it to the ECU when the remote start was triggered. Someone may have put something in the vehicle previously (remote start, brake controller, whatever) and left this part behind when it was removed.

What year and model is the rav4? Hmm might be my old car

2007 Sport V6

Previous owner bought it used from Richmond Chrysler about a year ago

Did it have red painted calipers? If so i was the original owner when i traded that to vancouver honda.

The switch ur asking is when you put the car in reverse. Ur passanger side mirror will tilt down. Helps for parallel parking. Its a switch to turn on and off. U might have to have the mirror switch on the right position. Had the switch close by to the mirror switch was on double sided tape. Didnt want to drill a hole for the switch. Forgot to pull it out before i traded the car.

LOL what a coincidence. Yes it has red callipers. Yes I did notice the mirror tilt in reverse. Mystery solved! :thumbs:

Yes lol... I bought the module in asia. So keep it.. helps with parking. Just had the switch come out thru the ebrake.

Not sure about speakers not working tho.

I traded that to honda back in nov. 2010. So weird gap there if the previous owner bought it last year. I bought that brand new.

Does the switch just enable and disable the mirror?

Any service or mechanical issues I should be aware of?

Well the water pump was leaking. Got that fixed under warranty. Its a known defect for the rav4. I know the alternator bearing was making sounds before i traded that in. But probably fixed now. Only reason i traded that is cuz wanted a civic si and go back to driving manual. My wife actually ended up buying a 2011 rav4 v6 limited. So no point of 2 rav4's. Hehe. My wifes rav4 water pump leaked as well. We recently got it fixed a year ago. Other than that. It was mainly oil change with synthetic and brakes.

this thread just became a reunion thread :)

the feels!

This thread is awesome. That device sounds like it could be pretty handy if you parallel park fairly often.

Mystery #2 solved as to why the front speakers don't work...

Somebody took the tweeters out of the door, but speakers are stock :seriously:

That wouldn't have been you, would it Mr. JDM? Haha.

That parking device was all plug and play. No wire cutting needed ... anyways. Nop when i traded that in i put back all the stock speakers and they were working fine.

That thing had
Pioneer avic d3 navi, hertz 6.5 component speakers. 2-11" focal polyglass subs in the trunk floor. Also had u-dimension tube amp and a zapco 500.1 amp.

Also had 19s. So ur probably still on the oem yokohama geolander g91 stock tires hah. The color matched spare tire cove . I got that from the states as they dont sell color matched covers for the sport model in canada.

Nah they are on Yokohama Avids now, but the spare tire is the stock geolander.