Check Engine Light - BACK AGAIN x3!

Isn't it great when you RTFM? Talking about the techs at the shop here.

 

Yeah for sure Tony..

I mean, as an electronics tech, that's what I do. RTFM and use logic. Chase shit down and don't assume anything.

I don't know the time pressure these guys are under, but damn.

 

Given the hustle that I see at shops? Not much. That said, I have been very happy with the work that our Subaru and Toyota dealers have done. It has been our first for each of them, but it has been a big step up over most of our past experiences.

Also, my old office used to be just above a Ford / Mazda tech training center. The folks running the place were great, and I used to talk to them often. I know they coached the techs to follow the process. I'm not sure what goes missing after they get out of class. Bad habits?

 

Sometimes, when confronted by a fault that you KNOW is going to cause you headaches, ppl tend to look for the easy way out. Instead of following procedure, they jump straight to the "obvious" suspect. It's all great if you nail it, but if the problem persists, NOW you have to start pulling harnesses apart and fiddling with probe leads and the DMM... all after you've wasted time swapping out a module/assy that didn't fix the problem. I've been there, believe me. In OP's case, they just reset the code the first time and sent him on his way! And now it seems, they want to blame the issue on his aftermarket audio equipment??!!
I sure hope they chased this problem from one end to the other before concluding that.... but methinks they didn't. IMHO.

 

I've been guilty of that when diagnosing my own stuff, often with the same lesson learned. But, that is not what a shop is there for and not what I do for our work clients. They have definitely backed themselves into a corner with the first diagnosis. You can't go blaming A/F stuff for a subsequent fix. What a headache.

 

You do realize if they diagnosed it as a speed sensor they probably removed the wheel. Meaning they more than likely were responsible for the scuffing of the wheel. Very hard for a tow truck driver to do that without causing damage to the tire or another part of the vehicle.

As for the amp being the cause. Highly unlikely. Unless you have a really high powered amp and a very bad ground. I’ve hooked up a few systems that used so much power that the truck almost stalls because it’s sucking everything the battery’s and alternator can handle, and very rarely have they ever lit up a dashboard. Usually you’d get a battery light first before it would cause any type of malfunction with the ECU or anything else.

Sounds to me like you have a lousy dealership. If you have no choice but to deal with them. Simply disconnect the power wire from the battery, and maybe even remove the amp too. Drive around with it and wait for it to happen again. Then tell them to fucking properly diagnose the vehicle

 

I also want to say that experiences with my dealership have been great. Although the ppl out front can be dickheads at times, the techs have been very good to me. I also treat them with respect and try to understand their side of things.
Hell, while trying to figure out the drivetrain whine (pre-TSB), they swapped out both my transfer case AND manual transmission. It's too bad they had to do all that work for nothing, but they did it nonetheless. That's why stories like OP's make me SMH.

 

They only issue I have with actual speed displayed is its incorrect since I am riding on bigger tires than stock. But I have an Escort radar detector that i utilize to display my actual speed.

 

Here's some pictures from my custom audio install. A friend and I did the work.

 

Went to get my truck, they brought it around for me and I noticed before I even got in it that the CEL and trac off lights were back on again. Didn't get to talk to my service advisor (gone for the day) or a tech. They said all the techs were gone for the day. So left my truck behind and left in the same 2018 Camry loaner they gave me last Monday.

 

Dude you gotta disconnect all your audio shit. You are making it too easy for them to not do their job. Remove it and tell them to go fucking fetch.

It sucks, my dealer tried to blame my doorsill rust on my prinsu...

 

As a former tech, here is what happened. The techs were too busy doing gravy work and didn’t bother to even road test it or put it on the lift after clearing the code. The second time, they didn’t want to even pull it in the shop, so when they saw your mods, they had an easy out.

Suggestion: take it to another dealer.

 

I'm going to call my service advisor tomorrow that wasn't there today when I went to pick it up and talk to him and see what he says. I'll give them until Thursday but after that I will pick it up and take it to another dealership.

Could this even be considered a lemon law issue? This will be their 3rd attempt to fix it. If I take it to another dealer that will be 4 attempts.

 

I think for the lemon law to apply the vehicle also has to have been in the shop for 30 days as well. But that may depend on the state. I mean, I’m just guessing here but they really haven’t attempted to fix it. I’ve worked at a few dealers, some actually tried to do a good job, some just tried to get the warranty stuff in and out as fast as possible. That’s why I would try another dealer. I mean if I were the tech looking at it, I would put it on the lift, make sure the tone ring wasn’t cracked (the toothed ring the speed sensor looks at, not sure it’s even exposed on a Toyota, if not remove the sensor and look in the hub). Check the connector, maybe it got whacked by a rock. One little piece of grit, or a small stone can screw it up and cause an intermittent problem. All this would have taken maybe 15 minutes.

 

This an ABS sensor or the actual speed sensor? I had to read back a page and the code is the speed sensor, the diagnosis would be different from me, this would be before even bothering with techstream (I last worked on Toyota’s in 2006 so I’m sure a lot has changed)

The speed sensor should be in the transmission, similar style 5o an ABS sensor, but it also has an exposed harness, and connector underneath the truck. Just a quick check to see if everything is ok under there.

 

I had these lights after I had unplugged my MAF. Theres probabaly a lose connector and they're just clearing the code.

 

Unfortunately that's the way I read it. Clearing an ABS code without even putting it on a lift and spinning the wheel or just doing a quick test drive looking at the wheel speeds PIDs is pretty rediculous.

This is what the flat rate system has created though. Who wants to diagnose something when you could be stacking gravy tickets.

 

Well hope your truck gets fixed faster that mine has taken so far.....working on 7 weeks now and they still have no ans......

 

As a tech of another Japanese auto maker this is exactly what happens. Being smart pays less then playing dumb. In the end it effects customers negatively. I'm in my 12th year and currently looking for a way out because of this very reason. I did my training, took my tests, hell I jumped at the chance to be our top tier sports car specialist, all for nothing. I loved fixing cars but flat rate has ruined it.

As for the OP you need to swap dealers, or ask for the manager. Make sure you have him give it to the best guy in the shop. If I read right it said RF sensor. I doubt that runs into the cabin. More then likely straight to the abs modulator under the hood. Saying it is aftermarket is a scapegoat tactic.

 

It’s a real shame. The skill set required has expanded significantly but the pay has not kept up. Most people respond rationally to incentives and in this case there is no incentive to increase skills in the dealership environment. Even most independent shops seem to like to contract out the diagnostics and keep their techs busy with gravy.

Maybe you could go to work for Autologic doing phone support? That or mobile seems to be where the truely skilled diagnostic guys end up.