Any TSS/PCS sensor experts out there?

Well I may have royally f'd myself over here. I have a 20 offroad with a Honeybadger front bumper & Rigid Industries grill. I had a shop fabricate a custom mount (red arrow) for the TSS sensor, and they calibrated it and it actually worked fine with my setup (pic below)



However I got tired of it getting dirty and seeing the error message, and having to manually turn it off. I had the same problem when it was stock as well. I go out in the desert all the time and its quite dusty.

At the 10k mile service, I had the dealership disable the sensor. I no longer had to futz around with it, and the only downside was the light was constantly illuminated on the dash saying that it was off. I was fine with that. They did tell me that I would have to replace the sensor with a new one if I ever wanted to turn it back on. I confirmed that on this board in another thread.

Here's the problem - I just took a long road trip and did not realize it also disables cruise control. Yes my bad for not researching this more. I really hated not having it, and am now regretting my decision. Called dealership and they want $800 to replace/install/calibrate new sensor.

Here's my question for the experts - is there a standard cruise control option that I can use and not the radar cruise control guided by the TSS sensor? When I try to select cruise control, it just says see dealer.

Second question - Assuming I am required to have a functioning sensor to use cruise control. Is there any option via aftermarket tuners or any other source to turn my current one back on? Or any other options besides the $800 dealership rape?

Thanks in advance!

 

When you go to engage the cruise control hold the button in for a couple seconds. That will give you normal cruise control. You should see a message pop up.

 

Appreciate the response. I literally just took my truck for a spin to try this. When I press the cruise button, I get this message.



If I hold it in after pressing once, nothing happens - message remains. If I press it, release, then press again, it turns cruise (and this message with it) off. So I guess you can't access normal cruise control if radar cruise control is disabled. Bummer

 

Hold it to turn it on. So first press should be the long hold. I've had to do it before when my sensor was covered by snow. It worked but I'd get a message saying to clean sensor not the one you got.

They had a tsb about this and had people sign waivers to turn the sensor off. I don't recall them losing cruise totally.

 

I hate the TSS on these trucks. I learned to live with the error message. I get it with heavy rain or road spray. In the winter heavy frost and snow/ice covers it.

 

Normal cruise should still work.

7. Confirm the constant speed cruise control operation.

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2020/MC-10173968-9999.pdf#page7

 

Yep that is exactly what I did. One press, hold it in. I held it in for 20-30 seconds, and nothing. Tried multiple times.

I had to sign a waiver as well. Hopefully someone will chime in that had it done to get their input re cruise control.

 

I guess I need to print that out and take to the dealer?

 

I'd love to see an explanation of why the sensor has to be replaced in order to enable the system again?

 

something about the sensors are a one and done thing, other people on here that had there tss deactivated were told that the only way to get it going again is to install a new tss.

 

I’m not disagreeing that the TSS is a one and done item (because I don’t know) but that has to be one of the dumbest things I’ve heard about vehicle parts. Electronics are on/off by nature, so you should inherently be able to shut it off and turn it on at your discretion. That would be like having a lamp that you can never turn off otherwise you need a new lamp. I’m really scratching my head on this one. Hope you figure out a way OP.

 

Buy one yourself and install it. They’ll need to calibrate it but it might save you a few hundred dollars. A body shop might even be able to do it.

 

I have a hard time believing the one and done tss sensor too. From memory the only thing they do to “turn off” the system is to change the setting to keep it from automatically turning on at the next restart. Instead the setting change remembers your previous off on the next restart. So have you tried turning on tss or PCs?

 

im right there with you but its just what i have seen on multiple posts
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2020/MC-10173968-9999.pdf

 

Very interesting. So it appears they didn’t disable it correctly. What a bunch of hacks!

 

Yes I have tried turning on PCS, can confirm there is nothing you can do on the user end to get it working again.

They disable the entire system, not just change the memory setting as you describe.

 

The question is, where would you buy it from, besides the dealer? I suppose I could shop around different dealers and get the best price, but then I'd still have to pay to have it calibrated.

Hoping I can take that printout and at least get them to have the standard cruise control up and running. If I can accomplish that, I'm good. Will post the outcome

 

Don’t even go back to that dealer. Make the painful phone call to Toyota and explain the situation and ask them to facilitate the correction through a different dealer. They may even call one while you are on the phone with them.