Few things:

-the 5 mm plastic goes inside the switch, take it apart, you will seee where it HAS to go
-the provincial inspection is mandatory for new imported cars
-there is no drain on battery after the vehicle is truned off
CT techs are, well, Ct techs...

 

ahh ok.. inside the switch. I'll remember to ask you when the time comes.

depends on the province or are you referring to BC?

 

It could be province dependent. Provincial inspection is not required for new cars in Ontario.
Myself and other family members just bought 4 new cars from US, so know it for sure.

 

BC, dont know about others

 

oye..

 

voodoo and crasher — My 2007 TCH Owner's Manual (AU-1, Pub #OM33678U) says:

1. USA headlights: (1) p. 121, col. 1: "If you are going to park for over one week, make sure the **** is in the "DRL OFF" position." (2) p. 121, col. 2: "NOTICE: To prevent the 12-volt battery from being discharged, do not leave the lights on for a long period when the hybrid system is turned off."
2. Canadian headlights: (3) p. 123, col. 3: "If you are going to park for over one week, make sure the **** is in the "OFF" position." (4) p. 124, col. 1: The same NOTICE as (2). (5) p. 125, col. 3: "NOTICE: To prevent the 12-volt battery from being discharged, do not leave the switch on longer than necessary when the hybrid system is turned off."

[The italics are mine. The non-hybrid Owner's Manual is identical.] I interpret this to mean that there is a current drain even when the car is "off." The Wiring Diagram does not allow one to verify this either way.

Stan

 

I'm guessing (admittedly), but I think the only reason that they say that is so there is no ambiguity about what switch positions might be Ok or not. ie. auto might be fine, but on is not. If they just say "turn it OFF", then there is no question and no room for error.

 

rmorrow — For my previous 1993 Camry LE, the Owner's Manual also had a message not to leave the headlight switch in the AUTO position for prolonged periods, and I'm pretty sure it also said that the reason was that its small current drain would eventually run down the (12-V) battery. Now, the headlight switch is powered all the time, since you can turn the headlights "on" even while the car is "off." It is connected to the Main Body ECU, which is also powered all the time (but presumably powers most of itself "down" after a while). Beyond that, one would have to actually measure the current drain difference between headlight OFF and AUTO positions, since the Wiring Diagram doesn't enable one to answer this question. I myself wouldn't go on holiday leaving the switch in the AUTO position.

Stan

 

I take your point.

 

Just bought a new TCH from California and tried to pass the inspection at CT (in BC). Followed advice by leaving DRL in auto position, but CT failed it because switch can be turned off (CT techs seem to be smarter in BC). Saw Steinbock's advice about opening switch and putting 5mm plastic piece inside.
I can't figure out how to open the switch. Can the rotating cap be pried off? I've also read posts on reprograming the ECU. That's probably also complicated. My canadian Toyota dealer wants me to buy a new canadian switch ($600 parts and labour) and CT wants to put in a $35 relay plus 2 hours labour. Any advice from Steinbock or anybody else would be appreciated. I must find a solution quickly as my short term insurance on the car runs out in a week and I need to get it licensed before then.