Expert: Cleggsan - 7/28/2009

Question
I have a 2001 toyota sienna with factory vcr player that used to work fine, but now has no power at all.  The battery did die at one time, and my wife says it has not worked since then.  

Is there a fuse I should be finding, or a reset protocol?

I have looked in manuals, etc. for location of the fuses but haven't been able to tell which goes to the entertainment system.  I have looked in the fuse boxes under the hood, and dash, but none say anything about vcr or video screen.  

There is no power to the vcr or overhead screen.  

Any suggestions would be great.

Answer
The fuse box usually does not identify so specifically which fuses are for the entertainment circuits.  Just look carefully with a strong flashlight for any fuses that don't look good.  Or, you can pull them out one by one and examine them for open metal bar inside the fuse.

With no power you must first find out why: Could be the car wiring or could be the unit failing inside.  If you know how to use a voltmeter you can easily check for the voltage at the vcr.  That will tell you if voltage is getting to the unit or not.  If it is, then the problem may well be internal to the vcr.  You can purchase a suitable voltmeter at Walmart or Home Depot for under $10 and it is very useful for car and around the house..... if you are so inclined.

But, my suspicion is the unit has given up the ghost.  VCRs are not good for long term reliability and especially when subjected to the very hostile mobile environment of an automobile.  It is not surprising that at this age, nearly 8 or 9 years, that it is just worn out.

Finding a replacement vcr for any vehicle is a tough assignment now days because everything is switching over to new technology, especially dvd players.  You might want to do that in your Sienna.

But, back to the beginning, since you have no power to the overhead screen either, it points to a fuse problem or something much more sinister than just the vcr.  If the fuse turns out ok and still now power to the system, better take it into a repair station and have them look at it.  It is the cost of owning a fine vehicle -  that eventually needs some maintenance and fixing up.  The Sienna is a fine automobile and I suspect you have had many thousands of miles with little upkeep thus far.

c