99 Tacoma ABS and SRS lights

Hi all. I have a 99 Tacoma 4x4 Limited V6 and have had the SRS light on for over 10 years. Now the ABS light is on as well intermittently. I finally took it to the dealer who amazingly tried to read the codes for free. He did get a code on the SRS though I have it written down at work and not with me. The ABS however just would not communicate with his computer. The ABS will work on and off intermittently, or rather, the ABS light is on and off intermittently. When starting the truck it will be off and the ABS works fine, then at some random point the ABS light comes on and the ABS no longer works. The dealer wants minimum $165 for diagnoses and I thought maybe I would just buy a Toyota scanner instead. I'm thinking the SRS may just reset, possibly something I did installing a radio. The ABS I'm pretty sure has something wrong if the ABS computer is not communicating. Any recommendations on a scanner that would read Toyota ABS and SRS codes? I was looking at a Toyota T605 such as this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310230815273

Any help is appreciated.

Sean

 

Not feeling the love...

 

That scan tool should work with the specs i see. Its a Can bus so it should work and get the info you need.

I cant comment on it the one you posted( never used one like that).

i have only used the snap on ones in the like 4000 buck range.

 

Any suggestions on the ABS computer? If the dealers computer could not communicate with it, would that suggest a bad ABS computer?

 

My ABS system has been acting up for a while now and currently the ABS light is always on. The dealer wants about $250 per sensor which is crazy to me. I will be disconnecting the ABS system in the near future.

 

Want to sell me your ABS computer then?

 

I'm really surprised that no one has much to comment on this as I find this problem a lot elsewhere on the net. Here is one guy's reply:

I'm new to the forum and got an account specifically so I could post my findings. I was recently faced with the same ABS light issue and found a solution! I, probably like most of you, scoured the Web looking for a fix and found lots of others in the same boat but no solution so I vowed to post my fix here. I have a 99 Tacoma Pre-Runner V6 TRD, and about a week ago, had a funny banging and grinding noise under the passenger firewall when I stopped followed by the ABS light. I googled the issue and found how to short the diagnosis plug to have the ABS light flash the stored codes. For me, like most folks I think, I got 32 and 44. I cleaned the wheel sensors which were really not that bad, re-installed, cleared the codes, test drove, and no joy. Before I spent big money replacing the deceleration sensor or wheel sensor, I decided to look into the electrical side of the ABS system. Thanks to this Web site: , I was able to use the guides posted to troubleshoot the ABS electrical circuits with my digital multimeter. I checked resistance and continuity at each circuit and all was good. The key finding using this testing was when checking voltage at each wheel sensor connector from the ECU. Do the following to test this:

1) Unplug all 4 of the wheel sensors at the electrical connector
2) Turn the key in the ignition to the "ON" position
3) Select DC voltage on the multimeter
4) Connect the hot lead from the multimeter to one pin of the unplugged connector (the circuit that leads to the ECU)
5) Connect the other lead of the multimeter to body ground (find a nice, clean, unpainted chassis ground)
6) Read the DC voltage

* Be careful when the key is on not to short the hot side of the connector to ground!

Depending on which side of the two-pin connector you are reading, you will get a small (mV range) reading or a 2.8XX Volt reading (that was my truck anyway.) If you get the mV range, try the other pin on the connector. Try all 4 connectors for each wheel. You should see a pattern... (2.8XX V on all but the front left sensor connector for me, which read intermittent and I assume why I was getting code 32.)

When you find an anomalous connector (front left for me) check the wiring all the way back to the ECU. In my case, I found when I pressed the wiring harness (the big connector with the orange key to keep it seated) into the ECU with my left hand while reading voltage on the meter connected to the front left sensor connector, my intermittent reading would stabilize at a nice 2.8XX volts like the other wheel sensor circuits. HINT: alligator clips can be used to hold the chassis ground lead on your multimeter so you have a free hand to wiggle the connector. Translation: Bad connection in the wiring harness at the ECU!

Be careful that you turn off the ignition for anything other than the voltage test at the wheel sensor as shorting out the ECU will more than likely cost you a replacement! I removed the connector and found no visible signs of a bad connection - no corrosion, or bent pins, etc. I mated/re-mated it several times checking the voltage each time. Every time I checked it after re-mating the plug, it was still intermittent. (WITH THE KEY OFF,) I finally decided to SLIGHTLY bend the two male pins inside of the connector in the ECU plug so they would fit tightly (on my truck it was the top two pins in the connector towards the front that were the hot/ground for the front left wheel sensor) then re-mated the connector. SUCCESS!!! 2.8XX Volts constant at the left front wheel sensor without me holding it in! I cleared the codes and have been driving for a week now with no more issues.

COST FOR THIS REPAIR: $0!!!!

I guess after time, the harness (with lots of wires bundled in it) gets fatigued by gravity and perhaps the rough ride with these trucks and the connections in the plug start to wiggle their way loose. In my opinion, it's a bit goofy the way the wires are led into this harnesss then bent over at a 90 degree angle. Seems that it is a failure waiting to happen on older trucks.

Well I hope this helps someone fix their problem. Like I said, this was MY truck's issue - no guarantees it will fix yours.

Best of luck to you!

 

The only problem with the above issue not relating to me is that my ABS computer does not respond or give any codes at all. And I have checked the ECU connection and cleaned it.

 

Could someone point me to a forum where people provide real information on Toyota Tacomas? I would actually like to get this fixed.

 

Stop being a dochebag and it might help

We aren't here to just help you and do so instantly.

 

Well put.

 

Is anyone even on this forum?

 

Question for the OP. Why on Earth would you drive around with an indicator light on for ten years? Seems kind of derp to me. Mine come on, I fix that shit pronto. Good luck with your issue, but I'd say you lost all hope getting a response from this forum, because nobody is on it.

 

He can wait 10 years, but it's inconceivable to wait 2.5 months for the answer he wants to hear.

 

2.5 months? He barely waited a day before getting all pissy that nobody replied...

 

I believe it was 6 days before I became frustrated to be exact. I waited 10 years on the airbag because I was 99% sure it was the airbag switch, (which it is). The ABS light was more of an issue because it presented an immediate problem braking, as in, sometimes I can't. The ABS light has been on for almost a year now with noone being able to provide any solutions, including the dealer. I'm not willing to throw $600 parts at it in hopes it may or may not fix the problem. From others' experiences its a good thing I didn't spend any money on sensors or actuators. Was hoping that someone here would have had same experience.

And I have no clue what derp is. First time on dozens of forums I've heard that one.

 

I did have the dealer diagnose both issues. According to them the SRS issue is the keyswitch (which I already assumed it was). The ABS light is code 32 and 44, same as everybody else with a 98-00 Tacoma with the ABS light on. The light is not always on, only intermittently. I've cleaned the sensor, reseated the actuator harness several times and cleaned the wheel sensor connector as was suggested by many elsewhere. Light still pops on here and there and the ABS activates randomly as well. It's pretty irritating. Some have yanked the fuse but being that we have snow occasionally ABS is pretty useful here.

 

Obviously those dozens of other forums have been just as helpful, or maybe nobody is on those either, because you still have the problem.