Crankshaft Position Sensor

Yes parts can fail. BUT they shouldn't! Not brand new parts. You gotta show some sympathy here. You'd be mad too if your brand new $36,000 truck was in the shop for 10 days having multiple parts on order.

 

It's a machine composed of parts, parts can fail, even brand new ones. I wouldn't be mad at the machine, I'd be frustrated with the people trying to diagnose the problem. But I also understand that some problems can be an ass kicker to diagnose correctly if it's on a new machine and replacement parts are not readily available. For that I would be patient and hope they get the diagnosis right.

I troubleshoot electrical and mechanical problems for a living on machines costing much more than $36,000.00 so I can relate to what your dealership and the engineers are going through trying to fix it. It can be tough to find the source.

 

While possible I suppose, I think it'd be a real stretch for the sensor the factory put in originally and the one the dealership put in were from the same batch unless by batch you mean all of them that were made for this motor kinda like a bad "batch" of Takata airbags that only affected millions of vehicles. I'm sure this problem will define itself eventually and DESIGN FLAW may have to be accepted as the reason. Won't be the first time inadequate parts have been used on Tacomas for years and years, not just first new model year oopsies either.

 

Could be the bad sensor is the result of something else being bad. If you have a short in an electrical circuit, you'll blow fuse. You can replace the fuse and it will blow again and again due to the short. It's not a fuse problem or a circuit design problem, it's new unique condition in an established design that needs to be corrected first before installing another fuse.

That condition can be hard to isolate at times.

 

From what I read in your specific case, you had a single part fail (CPS) and that condition took out another part (catalytic converter). This is commonly referred to as a cascading casualty and your delay is likely due to replacement parts not be readily available. It sucks when it happens but sometimes it does and you have to deal with it.

 

Electronic parts sometimes experience what is called infant mortality. It's kind of the nature of electronic parts. I used to work for a company that would build control cabinets for industrial applications (like auto manufacturing plants) and we would set up a program to cycle all of the components every second in order to catch any contactor or relay that failed. After 24 hours or so, we'd test to find any that failed.

 

My brother's neighbour's uncle had his fail on his new 2016 Taco at 2300 kms.... The Toyota Rep. was at the dealer when they towed it in... The Toyota Rep. said that they have have putting in the same identical sensors that are used for the Helix, which is a diesel engine. It seems diesels run way cooler that gasoline motors and Toyota's engineers had not counted on that. That's why these are failing (burning out).... The Rep. basically said someone in the "Admin" Dept. was trying to reduce costs...(Helix sensors are cheaper)

Seems like ALL 2016's will have this issue (matter of time). The closer you are to the Equator, the more failures are going to happen... He said Canadians "may not ever have this problem".. I hope he is right.

 

That's a contradiction. Unless you converted miles to kms. Where does this said uncle live?

 

He lives in Conception Bay, Newfoundland....

Don't understand your confusion. What "contradiction"... We use Kilometers up here ...

He said Canadians might not have this problem cuz it's colder up here.... Presently snowing like a Mother.

 

Pointing out that this is the 3rd I've read in TW, 2 in the U.S. and now 1 in Canada. That's 33%, sounds like the Toyota Rep is wrong.

Of course not everyone who has a problem post about it in TW (or do they??? cause I see a lot of bitchin' in here )

 

Of course we are "dealing" with it. Just asking for some sympathy. Yes, it does suck. You were just acting like, "oh well, parts break, live with it". We are, but it's also nice to vent and complain.

 

Interesting, thanks. I knew there was a good reason. Mine failed in 50 degree weather. The only thing I did different in the past 4 months, is tow a trailer and hook up the trailer lights the day prior to it breaking down. That might have loaded the electrical circuits different, I don't know....

 

This is what we call in the business letting the magic out! Poof....smoke....gone! It happens, to new electronic parts and to old and sometimes you can isolate what caused the fault and some time..... well that nature of dealing with electronics over mechanical. Most of the times its much easier to diagnosis a mechanical fault then a electrical fault. Technology isn't wonderful!

 

It happens, yes. But it sounds like if they don't replace the crankshaft sensor with a different brand/style, then we will all have ours go out yet again in a few months! This is not acceptable.

 

Most likely the crank sensor is a Halls Effect device and they maybe able to replace the manufacture they are sourcing from but as far as "style goes" its kind of generic engineering used in all cars and motorcycles since the day that points in your distributor became a thing of the past. What I don't understand is why it would take so long to get a replacement part if one sadly died considering at the factory they must have bins full of these sensors.

 

Toyota uses a single crank sensor P/N across most of its models, from the 2nd gen Tacoma to the Scion FR-S to the RX450H. Think the 2016 Taco uses a different one?

 

They must of went with a different sensor since its taking so long to get one I suppose? If I'm not wrong isn't the V6 motor the same one used in the Lexus? If that's so why didn't they use the same crank sensor part? Ah the mystery of Toyota.....

 

^We'll know for sure once the 2016 parts catalog goings online at the popular websites (ToyotaPartSales, VillageToyotaParts, etc.). The 2GR-FKS is slightly different than the RX450h's engine in having integral exhaust manifolds cast into the head. There may be other changes in the block.

 

I still have a hunch the exhaust is the cause of the crank sensor failures. Tight clearance and minimal heat shielding on the left hand down pipe. Crank sensor is in the center of the block right behind the down pipe. Little heavy acceleration like hitting the on ramp on the interstate and the heat generated is possibly more than the sensor can take.

 

You've stated this a couple times on this thread but you are wrong. My CPS died, and the engine died. Yes, on the highway. Yes, at 70 mph.