BSM error dealer trying to charge me

I've got a WARN rear bumper (was on the truck when I bought it) that IS BSM compatible. It has NEVER worked since I have had it. I brought it into the dealer not too long ago and they told me they couldn't touch it because of the aftermarket bumper. They also told me that it wouldnt work with my lift, said BSM does not work with lifted vehicles. I argued but got nowhere.

Now I am wondering.... Is it possible to calibrate these things ourselves? Anything I can do myself outside of the dealer I am 100% game for.

 

I think the BSM creates a canondrum. The system is set up to monitor a particular area at the corner of the truck. If you start manipulating the height and conditions it has to see from then how can you ever be sure it’s functioning as the designers intended? If you are accepting this as a safety feature then I would suggest not messing with it.

People seem to rely on the BSM when backing up. This dependence is particularly alarming given how finicky the system seems to be.

 

I see that C4Fabrication does not sell the BSM bumper anymore.

 

Had same error, didnt take 6 hours. Fixed hassle free

 

It kind of a double-edged sword with me, in that, I love the safety features with modern vehicles, on the other hand with all the electronics in them it makes working/diagnosing them more difficult, time-consuming, and costly. The way you talk about your 1st gen. is my feeling about the 1988 Nissan King Cab 4x4 that I owned for 18 years and was such high quality and maintenance free.

 

Not exactly correct, per “Owner’s Warranty Rights Notification” booklet (included with the vehicle manuals), the following steps should be pursued:

Step 1: Contact the Dealership
Step 2: Call the Toyota Customer Experience Center
Step 3: Arbitration (Toyota MUST abide by the NCDS decision, however the customer doesn’t).

If you are dissatisfied with the arbitrator’s decision, you may then pursue legal options (small claims court in this case)... the judge will have the “final say”.

 

My parking sensors work fine... I don't get it.

But to my previous question, does anyone know if there is a way to calibrate these ourselves with techstream or some other method?

 

It’s a blemish, not “damage” mr dangles

 

If there is a blemish on the bumper and now the sensors don't work, I can see how the dealer would draw that conclusion. You said there was no damage, then said it was a scuff, now it's a blemish...

Keep in mind I'm not saying the dealer is right by the way, just your story keeps changing. Got any pics of it?

 

There are calibration procedures in TIS. I have seen body shops build boxes that they use when calibrating toyota BSMs. Looked like they were made of plywood sitting on height adjustable stands.

TIS also has measurements on how far your sensors can be from vehicle mid point, and how to adjust them.

 

It’s a complete waste of time for you guys to rig a bumper for it versus the sales. If folks are worried about their steel bumpers while wheeling or can’t head check on the road because of a steel bumper.. they’re in the wrong focus group. Get RAV4 mirrors or the little attachments.

My BSM stopped working... well after it should have (crunched my bumper wheeling).. because I hit a small pot hole. It’s a calibration issue because the truck freaks out when I unplug it. No way I’m paying to get it fixed for that price when it’s likely just a software kit that does the electronic equivalent of aiming headlights. I bought RAV4 mirrors and called it a day.

 

I am one of the folks that actually LIKE the BSM. I do not rely on it, I also do not rely on my mirrors. I turn my head and look. I do however like it because it is "an additional tool in the box" for me when driving.

Christmas Eve the wife and I hopped in the truck to run to the store for some overlooked ingredients for Christmas dinner. Started to back out of the driveway AFTER looking around, immediately the BSM/cross traffic alert went off. I had moved no more than 2 or 3 inches, so stopped I now looked around again. Now there was a woman standing with her dog at the end of my driveway no less than 10 foot from my bumper patiently waiting for me to back out. The wife asked if I had even seen her to which I responded "I looked an saw nothing, I don't know where she came from". As I back out, I rolled down the window and apologized telling her I did not see her at all. She said they had been running up the street and were behind my neighbors truck, so I could not have seen them, not to worry and Merry Christmas.

I was very thankful that I had the alert and that the woman was watching as well. This could have been a bad situation. It made me thankful that the sensors were there and the alert can actually be heard as the wife's Rav has alerts so freaking soft even she has trouble hearing them and she can "hear a fly fart at 50 yards".

 

Yea I'm not suggesting it doesn't work. I'm just saying that it's finicky and I wouldn't go messing with it by lifting my truck and putting on aftermarket bumpers cause it's probably not going to work as well.

 

Gimmicks mean $$$$ for the dealers,lots of gimmicks on newer vehicles,but wait till they start going bad and you pay out of your pocket,wont be so desirable then.

 

You're right. But the corporate reps are paid a lot of money to make sure that only warranty work that should get paid off actually gets paid off, and vice-versa. A rep making a mistake that results in Toyota losing a court case is really bad for the company, so the reps are very thorough. (And 99% of the time correct in their assessment)

 

So that's a maybe on the BSM bumper then.

 

I’m simply informing the OP that there are addition options over what Toyota says/does if not satisfied, and should thus pursue should he/she decide to so do. The claim form which leads to arbitration is found in the middle of the stated booklet... no need to settle for Toyota’s decision.

 

For sure. Fight it as for as long and go as far as you have to until you're out of options

 

So you took a running and driving covered in horse shit truck in for warranty work?
Would be one thing if it didnt run/drive had to get towed in. Then you have an excuse for not blasting it clean for the poor guy thats working under it...
Pops taught me long ago to never bring a dirty messy car in for service. Waiting for pic of gouge across sensor face.

 

I would not pay $1000 for a realignment. I would just get a new killer aftermarket ARB bumper (or whatever) and screw the BSM function and sell the old bumper.