Sand in the tank, headlights, or electrical issues, the saga continues for the 4th time? (10/9/18)

Are the folks at your base open and accepting of your Japanese truck?

 

I'd say so... the amount of Toyotas in the Parking lot of my work (including several 3rd gens) is actually impressive.

@Danactive How would you say our base is towards Toyotas?

Also, the gate guards have stopped me 4 times for "random" inspections and end up checking out my truck and asking me about it.. I'm not sure they even inspected it last time.

Contrary to belief, we're not all raging psycho's that hate things not made in America lol... however, my truck was so there's that.

 

OP, You have to stop pressure washing that truck. I know you think it should tolerate your idea of low water pressure, but obviously it doesn't . You can predict that this mess will continue to repeat itself if you insist on using water pressure on this rig.
I have had new 4x4 s since 1983 and have NEVER pressure washed a vehicle like you describe. I also have never driven one in salt water...a bad plan in my thinking.

You are going to be lucky if Toyota pays for this repeat problem...

 

I have pressure washed it multiple times in between these episodes, it is only after a trip. ?

The salt water was not intentional. it was a rescue mission. Stranded family, small kids, encroaching surf. I had to play hero, and it cost me.

 

Add me to the list of folks who think you should stop washing the truck so thoroughly. Like a cat, it doesn't seem to like the special attention and claws the $hit out of you occasionally.

 

I've been following this thread from day 1, and I truly feel bad for the OP. I put on my mechanic's hat, and I still cannot figure out why Toyota can't figure out the root cause. The sediments found in the tank is an obviously clue, but the failure sounds more electrical than anything else. If sand had gone through the fuel system, to the throttle body, injectors, etc.. The truck would run poorly _all_the_time_ and not just this non-start condition after a wash.

Also, don't all gas tanks have some sort of dirt or sediment inside? Like if were were able to pull another tank from a third gen Tacoma with some miles -- wouldn't there be some gunk inside the tank as well?

 

Wow after reading through most of this thread all I can say is sorry! Damn that sucks and I hope you get it figured out. Thank you for your service!

 

People of Tacoma World,

Sorry if I stepped on some peoples toes, came off harsh,abrasive, or argumentative. That was not my intent. I only keep this updated as there were many who wanted updates, and there are several local people following this, interested in the outcomes/dealer. I assure you it is not for any attention, and I have nothing to gain from being accused of being a liar, incompetent, stupid, or abusive, and any other word I got called.

I acknowledge that the salt water from the first occurrence wasn't ideal; however, I am not the only person to ever drive though it and I didn't do it on purpose. The first time, sure, there may of been a possibility that someone dumped sand in my tank, I turned it over to insurance and it got fixed. The second time there is not a chance someone did that, I was quite literally the only one for miles(I hope... I didn't hear banjo's.) and I never left the vicinity of my truck/eyesight range. I was so remote, I had zero cell service, and even GPS was unobtainable at times. This third time, well.. I'm just not buying that sand magically ends up in the tank or that I have someone following me around town pouring sand in my tank, only after I return from a trip and wash it. I waited a week, if the sand was present before the wash, it would of been sucked up and run through. Especially because the first time I filled it up- post trip the fuel light was on. It's just precarious that what ever terrain I drive through, ends up IN my tank.


Obviously, I cannot drive my tacoma to places like I intended, or wash it thoroughly. However, others, Toyota included in SEMA shows, can submerge their trucks in water, ford rivers, do massive burnouts and carve dunes/jump and go mudding. They can leave their trucks sit in mud pits overnight to be rescued, and pressure wash them with gas pressure washers without fault. I have washed all my families vehicles this way for years due to the relentless grime in Alaska, and the N.E salt and brine solutions, and the salt spray of Florida.

I just want to enjoy my Tacoma. I bought it to join to Toyota Family, and it's great when it works, and I've met some fantastic people. I wont be washing under the hood again, however, I don't think that is the problem- under the hood washing doesn't put sand in the fuel tank. Also, it seems, that the lights were never the issue to begin with. I think when they dropped the tank on the second occurrence it either drained the lines, or freed something, as the Technician from the first time around said the truck ran fine with no codes after he disconnected the high pressure fuel lines and drained them. Toyota recommended a complete replacement, and that's when insurance came in.

Perhaps I should have the dealer/myself look into external filtration, something that will agree with the high pressure system.

I'm just not the mall-crawler type, so I'm looking for a fix.

When Toy. Corp. replies back with their answer on my case, that will determine what route I go down.... Lease termination vs a trade vs ???

All of you (except those saying I can't off road the truck ) are correct. I should stop dumping money into it, and need to look into other action. I've asked my friends if they know any lawyers/family connections before I move on my own with this route. I do doubt that a case would stand up in court, just because Toyo has been very choosey with their words. "outside influence " "no manufacture defect" "unwarrantable repairs" etc... Nothing sets it up for lemon law due to the lack of warranty involvement.


In the meantime, I need to try to recover my finances, and try to send some love to my poor mother for Christmas. I was unable to get leave, and my dads still deployed, so she's alone. I'm deploying to a not-so-nice- area here soon, so there's a possibility that this could be my last holiday season... hell a bomb just killed 5 people 2 weeks ago where I'm going. It's very frustrating devoting time, resources and energy to Toyota, when family, friends, and preparedness should be my focus.



end of novel post.

 

Sigh.

 

Everything else aside, as soon as it's able to run smoothly, drive it straight to a dealer that does not know about your issues, and trade it. Either you keep getting sand or whatever in the tank, or it was never fixed from the first time. Either way, it's time to stop going nuts in sand dunes, power-washing the engine, and trade that truck off. Better yet, sink it in a lake, so it gets totaled, and no one else inherits that truck. No matter what SEMA, or anyone else says, no mass produced vehicle is designed to get into salt water and do roosts in sand dunes. Next time, find the guy doing roosts in the dunes, and ride with him, and leave your truck by the tent.

 

100% correct here!
I replaced a fuel pump on a POS s-10 I had a short while, was at least a 10 year old vehicle. Don't remember exactly because Chevy and I knew it wasn't a forever vehicle. At any rate, there was all kinds of 'shit' in the bottom of that tank! Rust scale, dirt, sand, maybe even a few screws and bolts lol. I put in the new pump, buttoned it all back up and never had a problem for 6 months later. Sold it to a guy for a parts truck...

I feel the washing procedure is an issue and it's affecting the electrical system. Why do you think people avoid flood vehicles like the plague?! Yes, they're cheap, but you'll diagnose electrical issues for weeks and months, if not longer.

OP: Build a purpose-built vehicle, don't buy a $40k truck and wreck the shit out of it and blame the manufacturer. Which is essentially how I've read this. My 2 pennies.

 

You missed where I rented ATVs for that,
But yes, I agree. This trucks got a curse.

 

Not sure what is going on with OP truck, but some of us still have fun with ours. Even with dust and sand around our gas caps. And, horrors, trail refueling from jerry cans.

 

Could this be a munchausen by proxy syndrome but only it's the Tacoma suffering......lol

 

I wouldn't exactly call driving it on Pismo twice, and on logging/fire roads once for 200 miles wrecking the shit out of it, compared to what some of these guys do. A prime example was the guy jumping a factory trd off Comp Hill at Pismo, multiple times. Not even a broken shock! I'd probably snap my frame lol...

I've been harder on it than your average DD that never sees dirt, but no where near as aggressive or abusive as I have been with previous vehicles. It hasn't seen any REAL trails, mud, deep water crossings, large rocks, ravines, etc. Everything's been fairly mild, the worst was that one time exposure to some salt water, in which the truck fixed its self in 4 hrs, only to die 2 days later with a wash, at a quarter squirt, as I didn't have my power washer yet.

 

Or the guy who got his engine warranted after submerging it in a pond.

Or the guy who used to go off-road in the sand all the time, submerging it in some nasty waters in NJ, and somehow was able to get warrantied work done on it for his own actions.

I could keep going on, but you get it. I would ask to see the receipts from the FIRST repair they did for you under your insurance. Are we even sure they actually changed all the components out instead of just rinsing things out really well?

 

I enjoy the medical humor, but sadly, nah. I had vids of the surging. Not sure if I ever posted them in this or not. but there was proof!

this is too costly and expensive to be making up, and I have nothing to gain by faking symptoms. I have money invested in decals, vinyl and a 500 dollar grille for this truck, I didn't want to swap/trade/get rid of if I didn't have to.

 

They are posted somewhere in here. But Yes, they did everything. I have the pile of old parts to prove, including the rails and injectors. The only thing I didn't take were the fuel lines as they were too long to store. I have everything from the original cap and filler neck to the injectors... them be expensive parts! I figured I could flow bench em, clean it all out and have spares or resell to someone who needs.

 

Yea sorry just was reading and thought I'd throw some humor out there. Anyway good luck with your truck sounds like a real mystery and maybe they'll figure it out for you.

 

Sand in the tank, for the 3rd time?


The list from the first repair