Expert: Cleggsan - 8/16/2009

Question
Did you ever find out what was wrong with the VCR? The exact same thing happened to our van. The battery died because one of our daughters left the light on inside all night. The next day the VCR would work as far as it sounded but the screen wouldn't show anything and we can't turn the screen off. When we shut it the screen is still on. So we know something is up. Can you please help?

Answer
Is this a Toyota factory system or an aftermarket system?

And which model and year Sienna do you have?  They are all different entertainment systems, unfortunately.  With this additional information I will know which electronic system you have and can give you an intelligent reply.

Mostly, when the power goes off you must reset everything and bring them back to life through a setup procedure.  This is done on new cars by the dealer who knows how to do it.

You can reset the entertainment products by intentionally removing power for, say 1/2 hour, which will return the internal electronics and memory codes to their native settings.  Then apply the power again and read the manual for starting the system up again.  If the set is a relatively new model it may have anti-theft coding - which means when power is removed the set requires a secret code to be entered before the head unit will function.  This code is given when the car is new and should be kept in a safe place so that when you need to reboot the head end unit you know where the code is.  It will not fire up without it.   And, if you have lost the code you can only get it from Toyota or their representative distributor.  Of course, you must provide proof of ownership in order to get the code.

During the reboot it should bring up all the automatic features and provide the remote power ON and OFF to the display and dvd or vcr system. Since you are talking about a vcr rather than a dvd player this must be an older Sienna and it may not have the anti-theft security feature.  But, I am certain the remote ON/OFF signal from the head end or power switch is not getting its signal to the video display screen to turn it off.

If you can't do the reset or if the reset does not cure it you may need to take it to a car install/repair shop.  Most car dealers do not have entertainment system experts on staff so oit will be a waste of time to go to a Toyota dealer (unless you know for sure your dealer has an electronics expert on staff.)

Best regards,
C