Electric Short due to penny falling into ciggy lighter

[tpfkatt]

I dropped a penny into the cigarette lighter and it proceeded to make my stereo and side mirrors stop functioning. How do I fix this?

[csaxon]

Check the fuses.

[tpfkatt]

I see two small fuses boxes in the front right of the engine bay to
which these fuses are poorly marked and the map-guide doesn't
provide much more information than a few letters.

[csaxon]

Check in the drivers side footwell above the pedals.

[vandrakes]

I don't think I dropped anything in the lighter, but here's what we've experienced since buying our 95 Avalon a year ago. Within a week, the motor that powers the antenna went out. Our "fix" was to put it in the "up" position then disconnect the motor. A week or so after that, the driver's door electronics for the car's electric windows stopped working. The motor in the door needs replacing. A couple of months later, horrible grinding noise in the steering and a fluid leak; replaced rack-and-pinion steering (apparently at least the second replacement on this car, and we now know it's a common malady). Then a few months ago, the fan became intermittent. Lost the radio, then the fan is off more often than it's on. This morning I got in the car; no clock/temperature/AC/fan/mirrors. Unbelievable. I've owned Toyotas my whole life (9 so far, new and used) and have NEVER had a lemon like this. I've checked all the fuses, so do I have some pervasive electrical short that's going to disable the car completely any minute? Someone please help; otherwise it's going to cost thousands to repair! Thanks!

Kathy

[csaxon]

Vandrakes, has someone added aftermarket electronic equipment to your vehicle? If it's a used car maybe it was removed, but I suspect a possible hack job in the wiring that may be coming apart or shorting out. Have you already been fixed?