What Have You Done To Your 3rd Gen Today?

That was really thoughtful, buying Clazzios for your neighbor.
Are you going get a set for yourself as well?

 

Zero incentive for them if people believe they can just aim their lights down as a solution with an existing product rather than them developing a new product.

 

I had mixed feelings about this mod well before I did it... I'm not a huge believer in the benefit of cell boosters; often people mistake them for a magic wand that will get them epic download speeds in the middle of nowhere... really they just help add some consistency, and can help bridge some gaps in rural areas where towers are spaced just far enough apart to cause a break in usable coverage in between. They can also help in fringe areas where you have an almost usable signal... but the gap between an almost usable signal and an unusable signal is usually fairly small.

Many of our road trips fall into that gap bridging scenario... and we're about to drive halfway across the country and back, and thought this might help out some. So yesterday I installed a weboost 4g-x, and today I installed a cobbled together modified trucker antenna.

Now in some scenarios, cell boosts can work exceptionally well. But that requires a tall antenna mounted well above the roof line (good for RV's, not so much for an off road vehicle) or a good directional antenna (not very feasible for mobile use)... I'm hoping this will fall somewhere in between.

The kit I ordered came with the 24" trucker antenna - while this would work well, it wouldn't survive long down a trail, and I think it looks quite goofy (I believe in function over form, but I do have some limits). They also sell a 19" version, but it seemed to be backordered everywhere... I found one on Amazon that was an open box, but what I got was a trashed broken used antenna with a cable that looks like it was used for a chew toy (someone in returns had one job to do, and they didn't do it). With our trip only a week away, I went to plan B... I shortened the 24" one into a stubby , then used a replacement spring that I had to drill out to run the cable through (the big can thing is the actual antenna, the rest is just a fiberglass pole that the cable runs through). It still looks goofy, but I can tolerate it, and it should survive offroad.

Testing in my driveway, I was surprised to see it hover between a 7 to 15db gain (around -118 to -122db with it off, around -105 to -111db with it on); and that was with the front of the truck pointing away from the direction of the nearest serving site. May have been a little better yet if it was facing it. So it is doing it's job (-120db is nearly an unusable signal, -105db isn't stellar, but usable, and my speed test hit 10mbps download 4 upload, I'll take it!). Doing a day trip across state tomorrow, so should be able to see if it will genuinely help hold on to LTE on the highways.

Funny, I used to love long road trips to get away from technology... and here I am now trying to make sure it comes with me.

 

@kpb810 - Looks stealthy like an antenna you would see on one of those blacked out Suburbans the Secret Service drives around in when the Prez comes to town.

 

3M scratch remover.

 

I removed mine a few months ago and haven’t really noticed a difference.

 

Awesome!

 

Just got my the Pro taillights today! But my truck is at the dealer getting a new 3rd brake light and new headliner installed. Factory over torqued the 3rd brake like causing water to leak into cab.

 

Awesome mod! Thank you!

 

I’m gonna have to get one of those skid plates. Thank you!

 

"All game some......Some gave all"

I just want to take a minute to thank all of the great men and women on Tacoma World that have served in our military and made sacrifices to protect all of us in the great USA. I would hate to think where we would be without them. THANK YOU!!!

 

This

 

Well put!

 

I'll send him a picture of what happens when someone installed the Clazzio seat covers themselves. Maybe that will deter him from taking them.

 

Note that the ends of the 1.5” pvc are notched 2” deep to accept the reel stems and keep the rods from rotating. I also drilled them for a small bungee cord to keep them from sliding out. I have had a six pole vertical rig like this that mounts in the receiver hitch that has served me well for several years.

 

I built one with a wide wheel off of an old pallet jack fork mounted in it for my FJ60 years ago. Worked like a champ. Good work.

 

I drove about 5 hours today. Starting to learn how this thing likes to drive. It is definitely breaking in and I'm starting to maximize the mpg.

I was getting tired of 15-16 mpg with my trips to work and back. Only 9 miles, mostly city with a quick jump on the interstate. I know I've got a lead foot, but damn. I'm starting to just enjoy the drive and coast as much as I can before applying the brakes.

This last gas tank, i changed my style from leaf foot to relaxed as much as I could. Went from 15-16 up to 19.5. Works for me. Today I had 24 on the interstate from Tampa to Fort Meyers. And that was loaded down with some gear .

I know I shouldn't expect it always, but it makes me smile again.

 

why bother, we can just slap on more pod lights and bars right?

 

Kenwood Excelon 7705s

 

What have I done today....argue with my Toyota Dealership! I absolutely miss my Toyota Dealership in Hackensack, NJ where I purchased my truck. I never had any issues with them whatsoever. I remember taking my truck in for all the TSBs that came out when I first purchased my truck and they didn’t even ask any questions. Took my key and updated my truck. Anything I had questions or concerns about, they took care of it. By far the best Toyota Dealership I have ever dealt with. I miss them.

Since I moved back home to Oregon, I take my truck now to the Dick Hannah Toyota Dealership in Kelso, WA. By far the worst experience I’ve had so far. If you don’t want to read a long write up, skip to the next. However, looking for some advice so please bare with me and my current situation.

On Wednesday, May 9th I went to take my truck to work in the morning. Started it up and went to pull it out of the driveway. Felt the gear shift/transmission make this clunk sound or whatever it was. It’s hard to describe but really felt like the gear shifter just dropped out. It was extremely weird. Immediately put it back in park. Noticed at that point that my Entune System shut off and wouldn’t come on, my gear shifter LED Light that lights up the letters (ie P, R, N, D, etc) wasn’t working, and most importantly when I tried to put it back into gear whether it be R or D, it wasn’t registering the gear. There would be absolutely nothing and then after a bit it would jerk into gear making a horrible sound. I ended up putting it back in park and leaving it in my driveway. Got off work and called my cousin who has been a mechanic himself for like 20+ years to come take a look at it. Didn’t take him long before he stated there is something really wrong and since it is under warranty to call Toyota and get it over there for them to look at it so they can fix it.

Called Toyota on Thursday, May 10th and informed them about the situation with my transmission. They got me hooked up without Toyota Care and had it towed over to them the next morning.

Friday, May 11th, my Truck got picked up





I’ve been going back and forth with them for the past two weeks. Toyota is really reaching for a reason why my warranty won’t cover whatever is going on with my transmission.

First they tried to tell me that the tech test drove my truck and he didn’t find anything wrong with the transmission. I laughed and told him to drive it again. The gears aren’t even registering. You already told me that when the tow truck guy dropped it off he mentioned to you guys about the shifting issues he had as well with it. There is something wrong so have your guy look at it again.

Received a call a little later, this time they tried to blame it on my SwitchPro/BlueSea System I have for all of my accessories in my Engine Bay. Although, when they called me the first time they asked me what shop did I use to get all of my wiring done for my accessories. I said I did all of the wiring, which shocked the hell out of them. The guy was like wow. Well then that totally changes everything. We were going to say that because it’s aftermarket, whoever did your wiring would be responsible and warranty will not cover it bc they probably hardwired it to the wrong location and that’s why you are having issues. Then they would be responsible. However, since you wired it that changes that. I was like seriously. The guy continued to praise me for my wiring and stated multiple times how impressed they were bc it looks like such a professional job. I was like, thank you, I think.

Toyota is really reaching for a reason as to why my warranty won’t cover whatever is going on with my transmission. Then they tried to blame it on my SwitchPro/BlueSea System I have for all of my accessories in my Engine Bay. So I reached out to SwitchPro (@switch-pros) and they sent me documentation that their system does not harm the computer because it doesn’t even interface with any of the factory electrical system. They also mentioned that the warranty is not voided through toyota because again you don’t alter any factory equipment. That the SwitchPro System is a stand-alone System that is intended to work with aftermarket accessories. Which is exactly what I told Toyota right when they started to blame it on my electric system.

Toyota then came back with saying well there are taps everywhere under the dash connected to the BCM and I tapped into my reverse lights/highbeams/dome. I said yes they are all add-a-fuses which again is not the reason the transmission is acting out. I asked him if he even knew what the add-a-Fuses run connect to. He was silent. I said they connect to my CH4x4 Switches. One lights the switch up with my Dash Lights, One provides constant power, one is to my Seat Heaters so that they are not able to turn on unless the truck is on, and my last one is for my dome light and it’s harness for protection so there’s no backfeed. So I reached out to SwitchPro again regarding the trigger wires and tapping into the reverse lights/highbeams/dome being the issue like Toyota was claiming. They sent me documentation again that there is no issues with my vehicles computers. Their system doesn’t interface with them and simply tapping onto a wire for a signal will not void your warrant. Which again, is exactly what I said to Toyota at the beginning. SwitchPro has been absolutely amazing with their customer service.

Following that, I received a call from Toyota saying how the tech spent three hours on my truck unplugging the add-a-Fuses (which mind you is the only thing I have authorized so far) which couldn’t take more than a minutes or two. That the bill is already up to $400 and something. I was like there is absolutely no way and I am not paying for that. The only thing I have authorized is the tech pulling out the Add-a-Fuses which I offered to do myself when I was there in person. He continued to tell me well he spent 3 hours taking apart the dash and checking the fuses (which I am the one that even had to ask him if he’s checked fuses/relays in the first place), and doing some tests. I immediately stopped him and said well then that is not on me. That is on Toyota and the warranty that is covering this. He stated how there are Seat Heaters he had to disconnect as well. I asked why because they are not connected to any factory wiring whatsoever. He again told me that is not true and he has pictures. I told him if you are talking about the main power supply it is connected directly to the Battery positive and negative terminal. The only thing connected to anything else is again for the switch to come on with the dash lights and for the switch to not be able to be turned on unless the truck is on for safety. So again, nothing needed to be disconnected there. He didn’t know what to say after that and so I did not receive a response.

So yesterday, Toyota came back and said there is something that is causing a fuse to blow that the shift sensor needs. That is why my trans is acting like it is. It’s something up under the dash area. They continued to say that there were two engineers that looked over my truck and there are a lot more wires tapped than what I originally stated and that they need it to go back to OEM so they can continue. The Director of Service at Toyota then mentioned to me that they need 10 hours authorized by me for them to continue. I said well the problem isn’t from me so the warranty should pay for all of this. He came back to me and said that both their engineers disagree. I asked what all needs to be disconnected and stated that I will disconnect everything that I personally installed. Just tell me when I can do that and that will get disconnected. The Director ignored that statement and still hasn’t told me when I can come by to disconnect my accessories. Probably because he knows it has nothing to do with it and I already disconnected it the very first day. There’s not much that has to be disconnected since I have most of my accessories connected to my SwitchPro/BlueSea System. I continued to tell him that the only things I tapped into we have already discussed. He tried telling me that simply wasn’t true again. That they found a aftermarket remote starter that was installed and tapped into wires under the dash. I laughed and said the remote start was installed by Toyota at the dealership when I purchased it as part of my purchase from the dealership. I informed them that they could contact the Toyota dealership that is located in Hackensack, NJ and they will verify that it was part of when I purchased it and they installed it at the dealership. The automatic starter was done 100% by them. It should be under warranty with Toyota as part of my purchase. That it wasn’t aftermarket at all.

Today, Friday May 25th, Toyota messaged me this morning and told me that the remote start is actually not factory. They installed an aftermarket unit so no Toyota warranty applies. I replied back to him and said, “well like I said, I don’t know what they did. That was part of my purchase when I purchased my truck from Toyota. By any means, there is nothing wrong with my automatic starter so nothing should need to be done to it. However, it was purchased, installed, and done within my purchase of the truck from the factory so everything that was done for that install is covered by Toyota. I had nothing to do with any of that other than purchasing my truck from Toyota”. I haven’t received a response back since I sent that last message to the Director of Toyota.

So again, I apologize for such a long post, but it’s been hell and a bunch of bullshit if you ask me!!!! They are searching extremely hard for something they can blame it on so that the warranty doesn’t have to cover whatever is going on with my transmission. I’m getting beyond pissed off. I’m not really sure what the next step is. I kind of want to call headquarters but I don’t know if that will do anything.