What Have You Done To Your 2nd Gen Tacoma Today?

Yes sir! Thanks man. I do like the sound of the spec U but wish it was a little bit louder. I feel like eventually I may swap the muffler for a valvetronic

 

Hi there - I just posted this in the second gen forum. It looks like you might have had an ECM and blower resistor issue too. Might you be able to elucidate if yours is still holding? Did it turn into the nightmare scenario my mechanic friends got me worried about?

Greetings fellow Tacophiles and 2nd gen owners -
I have a 2011 long bed extended cab I purchased used. This year, my horn went out and I decided I'd better fix it so while I considered DIY I didn't want to risk the airbag issue and took it to a local auto electric fellow with a good rep and found an OEM one for half of what my local stealership was charging new. Fixed, and horn is working beautifully.

But also this fall the blower motor resistor failed which I had the same fellow who is reasonable honest and has a great reputation found and replaced, but it barely lasted a month.

I have two friends who are superb mechanics who I asked and they explained something is burning out my blower motor resistor and with it only lasting a month my resistor is being fried by too much or little voltage (excuse me as I am not a mechanic or electronics technician although I've done some basic stuff in the past and have some generation, as a little could be lost in translation). They supposed that one of three cases is likely the case.

The best case is that the blower fan itself is frying the card and that's an easy straightforward fix.

The next best case is my alternator is failing and is blowing it out.

The next best case is that it's the ECM and its replacement with an $800 part and $250 to the stealership to flash the ECM (plus labor) fixes it for good.

The worst case scenario and this is what I wanted to ask folks here about is that it's the ECM and after replacing it and spending a brand it burns out an ECM every year or two, and those electrical issues cause failures of all the systems due to them.

I'm really worried it's the worst case scenario because although I bought it used certified in Cincinnati, I've never gotten close to published fuel economy even with properly inflated tires at sea level on a straightaway. I'd also noticed my first winter that my vehicle did seem to produce more steam than other vehicles on the road, and when I went to top off oil (it's always been well maintained by me, a single car owner whose ex I accidentally tracked down and told me it was under warranty and serviced every time I had it so the only issue was that it did come from the rust belt), it was frothy.

I paid $300 to look at rust and ECM at the dealership who told me both were non-issues [as I had seen recalls]), and a friend of a friend who has one of the most reputable body shop to look at the rust as well and they all said the floor would rust through before the drive train fails, so I figured I was ok.

But I had that frothy white stuff when I opend the oil cap which my mechanic friends say can be incomplete combustion also explaining the more steam, but between not getting the proper fuel economy or anything close which I was told the vehicle calculates for elevation automatically, and its probably just elevation (by the dealership) as everything functions perfectly to spec. So between mpg, froth, and now this, I'm afraid it's the worst case scenario so thus looking to turn into a money pit after replacing an ECM and it starts destroying the vehicle.

Thus, I'm here to ask 2nd Gen taco owners have any of you had similar issues? 113210 miles at last fill-up. Any class actions you're aware of if so? Recourse advice as the stealership told me it's golden when I still had time under lemon laws to do something, and that's documented? And also had a used car inspection done by a reputable mechanic in Cincinnati before I flew out to purchase and drive back?

Advice Tacophiles?

Signed,
Casper, WY

 

@oldcircusbread

Welcome to TW.

For the blower resistor, there is a service bulletin (T-SB-0062-21) with the updated part numbers you will need. If the wires keep melting I would say the motor is drawing too much current (bad motor).
I followed the instructions in the TSB and haven't had any issues.

As far as the rust issue. You can enter your VIN on Toyota's website and see if the recall was ever done or even applies to your truck.

Why do you think there's an issue with the ECM?

 

I'm a week late, but: I haven't tried (or had to try yet) on the Tacoma, but on other cars I usually press the brake pedal about half way down and put a stick against the seat to hold it there. I closes off the master cylinder so you get minimal (if any) dripping.

 

I modified my windshield wiper reservoir by cutting three and a half inches out of it and then gluing it back together. This is because my 35-in tire when fully stuffed would hit the upper fender wells so I beat the hell out of it with a sledgehammer. Result is more travel when flexed out but Reservoir no longer fit. I didn't have the reservoir in for many months but recently I've been playing in the mud and this is a must have for that.

 

My TC bed stiffeners have rusted away too and I’m not even close to the salt water. Nice work on DIY!

 

Replaced my reverse lights with these Osram HIR's after finding this thread. (https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/gy6-35-hir-921-reverse-light-upgrade-vs-high-power-leds.474996/)
Had to do a little bending of the contacts in the light socket but nothing really over the top.

 

Cartrimhome steering wheel upgrade. Still need to paint the trim black but I like it so far.

 

Did a quick one day trip up to Sacramento last Wednesday to pick up an 4x4 conversion for my bros 1st gen and the old girl crossed over to 200k on the odometer. She rode perfect, no squeaks or squeals or any issues there and back.



Then drove to Arizona Friday. I love this truck but the backseat space has been an issue with having passengers. Might be time for adding bigger truck to the family in the near future.

 

Got all my center console parts in yesterday. Gonna be doing the install here in a little bit. I'm going to do the cab floor in sound deadening and adding the 2nd gen tundra console accent light so the cup holders will be lit up. Pics to come. Been waiting to do this since September.

 

Plastic welder would have done the job. $15 Harbor Freight.

 

$1.50 worth of Gorilla Glue got the job done first.

 

Finally "finished" the rear bearings, brakes, and 3G leaf swap (+ TE 1/2" spacer). Got a bit more of a boost from the leafs than expected, went ahead with the spacer after reading some guys actually seeing some sag after the 3G leafs were put in, this might be a touch more rake than I wanted..but we'll see, other stuff to do before fussing with those again. Looking forward to driving this again, been off the road since...wow, September!

 

Stripped the center stud on the rear drive when putting the center nut back on.

Not my finest moment. Definitely a costly mistake.

 

how was it replacing the rear bearings? I have that on my to do list, but not confident in doing it.

 

so... for anyone that wants to know how to break back into their 2006 engine compartment after their well-meaning-but-short-sighted son dropped the hood on a locked truck with no battery, here's how to get back in:

that stamped metal shield that's keeping you from popping the hood?
it's held in with two 10mm (of course) bolts. undo those and the shield drops out.

now you have access to the engine bay again, so you can replace the alternator, on the side of a road, in the gravel, frozen mud, and snow coming down sideways.

 

It kind of depends on what your experience level is, best I can advise is watch some videos and be realistic with your comfort zone. It wasn't as bad as I was bracing myself for, but I did get a 20T press and the special press tools, and made a 3D printed seal driver to get it driven in squarely and at the proper depth. I'd plan on a full weekend, one day to do the first one, and once you've got the process down, the 2nd should be something you can knock out in a few hours I would say; and then plan on the drum brakes to be a really fun bonus job, haha.

One side came off easy; the other made such a loud bang when it finally let go I literally had a headache for a couple hours afterwards (and it kind of freaked out the dog). Both of the press-on spacer/retainers were pretty badly galled, I know some guys seem to be able to salvage them but it's not something I'd plan on. I didn't want to get stuck waiting on parts, so I basically just bought everything but the axle itself. I primed myself for the job with these two videos (the press tools I got are shown in the 2nd one by 'Timmy the Toolman' but he's doing a Lexus or something in that video which seemed a little different; the first by KFlo is a direct how-to for 2G/3G Tacoma but he uses a slightly different set of tools on the press).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcrlDQL8NIg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRkedFQkrqs

 

Well, I got carried away and didn't get a pic of the sound deadening. The console is installed, much more comfortable to drive now.

 

Lol..... oh wow!

Reminds me of this scene.

https://youtu.be/C_Nl8NZjhmg?si=iho8WAgfAoE2T3sg

 

LOL, I hadn't thought of that.
make the boy seventeen and put him in a slightly torn and grease-covered carhartt and that's pretty much it
his rules for swearing: you don't get to use a word until you know what it means, no cursing around ladies or children.

so yeah, I just scratched my head and asked him what was going through his head. his answer, verbatim, "Well dad, obviously nothin' or I wouldn't have done that"
It's already a joke in the house. we're all cleaned off, towed the truck home, he'll finish it in the driveway. lesson learned, life goes on.

he just got the old alternator out and brought it into my office on a piece of 550 cord and announced "father, I have brought you the head of my enemy"

I gave him a sincere nod of approval.