Rock in pulley in brand new truck

I am curious if it was a salesman who was saying this, or a service writer, versus a tech who actually knows the intricate parts of a vehicle. If something is making contact on the pavement, then there is a problem, plain and simple.

I guess I should buy some lotto tickets then because I have seen more than once a rock getting into the belt area and pulley area and causing damage to both. If you read all of the posts, the tech/adviser offered to show her the rock AND the damaged pulleys. If they are offering to cover the repair, then what would be the reason for them to lie? As for the first tech who mentioned a seized pulley, it wouldn't be the first time someone looked at something and made an incorrect diagnosis. It happens. And why in the WORLD would she want to send in the rock and pulley to Toyota? No reason behind that. Don't get it.

 

From the OP's posts, it sounds like the rock got lodged behind a pulley, stopping it from rotating (hence the seized pulley diagnosis at dealer #1) and then the other pulley was damaged due to friction with the (now stationary) belt. At least that's how I read it.

Either way, it's a win because the dealer stepped up and ate the cost of repairs.

As far as the plastic flap in FRONT of the front tires, they should not come in contact with the tires if you're on stock suspension and tires, even if you're at full lock. I've heard of doing damage to power steering pumps (in general) if you hold the steering wheel at full lock for extended periods of time. I've never had a problem and all my cars have had power steering.

 

100% behind BamaToy on this one.

 

Here is another question? Should any panel lights come on? Check engine? something? temperature climb towards hot?? because nothing changed on instrument panel until after we stopped and pulled over and the only light that came on was the battery?
Honestly, I am suspicious of the rock claim. I was super emotional after being left on the highway on a truck that should not have failed me. I did say if nothing is done for me than social media will hear all about this (friend who works for ford told me to say this because if anything that will get them to react). Instantly, they said please don't do that, let us take the necessary steps and make it better. Sounded fair enough to me. I do WONDER if the rock in the pulley and paying for the fix was their way of trying to calm my nerves and emotions. Make me feel like they are doing me a favor so that I don't raise hell. I don't know... just sharing thoughts. Not making accusations.

 

the belt was completely off and laying on the skid plate

 

Yes, Homertaco is a respected member/vendor here and sells grills and mesh http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/homertaco/

many other companies do as well.. out of them I like Grillcraft. They sell a stainless steel mesh that is coated in rubber. Ive had one on my truck for 6 years and had zero issues.


As you can see below I have blocked access for all foreign materials that want to hit my engine bay after noticing many rock strikes on my lower radiator from before I got a Relentless bumper. Now the only way in is between my bumper & grill. My bumper has powder coated mesh I got from a friend and double sticky taped to the back of the bumper vent holes/winch acces holes.


Again I think it's possible it was a rock, but I doubt it soley based ont he fact I don't trust dealers.

If it was you telling me it happened I would believe it. Ive found rocks all over my engine bay, but one has yet to foul a pulley up. Most of my OE pulleys got toasted by mud, but never rocks, and never did a belt get thrown.

 

If the belt was completely off, then warning lights should have come on...

 

Thank you for the grill link. Really like some of them a lot. I will need to see if anyone look would do the install because I would not feel comfortable doing it (nor do I have the tools). Thank you for all the comments and posts. I feel a little more knowledgeable already. Love this site!

 

Hi Guys, I was the other girl that was with her! Talk about a horrible experience. I have some additional questions that I am concerned about. I am by no means bashing the dealership, however I truly feel that there is something odd about this entire ordeal. I know that they are "taking care of us" however, my gut tells me me that more questions need to be asked. I know Stokes addressed the issue of no warning lights ever coming on. The entire time we were driving, I was looking for some kind of indication that something was wrong. If not one warning light came on, is it possible that this my be a malfunction with the computer system? If it were one of your guys trucks, what are some of the questions that we should be asking? I am uncomfortable with even taking that truck back off the lot and its not even mine.

 

Nearly anything is possible but I'm somewhat skeptical of the dealer's story.

I can't claim to be King of the Rockcrawlers, but I have a couple years working quarries and mines and the dealer's story sounds weak.

Another variation of
"You didn't drive it, did you?"

 

I feel the need to jump in here for a second.

Now I too hate almost every dealership I have encountered.. I have had only one pleasant experience from start to finish at a dealership.. (maybe I am the common denominator but I don't believe that ha!)

But, I was in my old SVT focus (I know its a car that rides low, blah, blah, blah) on a gravel road where I kicked up a rock into my radiator fan and burned the motor up, overheated and nearly destroyed my engine.. So it is possible.. How does one kick a rock up in front of the tires and avoid all the other obstacles and land into the radiator fan beats me.. but it happened and I was the one that found the rock that caused it..

Sometimes shit happens is the moral of the story.. But as far as them not covering it under warranty, I say bullshit. Its a truck.. its not an SS Silverado meant for the street... its a truck meant to drive on gravel roads, through a field, etc.. so warranty should cover that shit

okay im done

 

Same scenario using something else instead of a rock.

You have an off road truck and are running up and down the gravel and dirt roads and paths through the woods etc. Then a huge limb from a mighty oak tree decides to break and fall onto your truck. You didn't cause it. You were just using it off road as intended. The fuckin dealer should cover it right?

No. They shouldn't.

If I was the dealer "In this case" I would have fixed it up no charge as a good will (which they did). But my warranty says nothing about Road Hazards or Off-road Hazards. Does yours? Bet it doesn't.

No offense, but that is by far the weakest argument I have ever heard.

 

Random stuff happens, bad luck, but to cover it under warranty, hah
I drive gravel roads a lot, and rocks constantly are pinging off my truck, and following someone at 50 in the dust is fun. I have broken fog lights, cracked my grill, rad dings, my hood looks like the surface of the moon, so far all cosmetic, though I find rocks on my skid all the time.
F150's have abs sensors on the rear that constantly get hit and fail on our work trucks. Like every week, the dealer fixes free the first time, usually in the first 500 km.
Thankfully the dealer is covering it for you, now go drive it like you want, and enjoy the truck. Get it dirty and scratch it up, it does make you feel better.

 

Well what I was getting at was that it is a truck designed to be off road (at least mildly in the eyes of Toyota) and if a rock kicking up into the engine bay caused such a significant amount of damage then obviously the truck is not meeting expectations that are set by Toyota when they advertise for the vehicle.

If a tree limb fell on my truck as you stated then obviously Toyota doesn't advertise that they are impervious to that type of situation..

make sense?

 

How the hell does the dealer have "The Rock" that caused the damage. That is a bit hard for me to believe.

Sorry if this has been covered, I can admit I didn't read all 4 pages.

 

It happens but being in the business I wouldn't rule out a improperly installed belt from the factory.A service manager that wants the job done as fast and correct as possible.The conversation went like this

Tech-Boss the belt is off and the thing only has 300 miles ??????
Boss-Order a belt,tensioner and idler pulley and be done with it
Tech-Yes sir you are the boss that is why you make the big bucks
Boss-We will say a rock did it to cover our bad PDI.Go get me a rock.

Most stealerships don't diagnose failures they only throw parts at problems.I don't work at a dealership or for flat rate.I know tons that have and still do.I ask them about diagnostics and they laugh.If your door doesn't open they order a handle.When the handle doesn't work they order a latch if the latch doesn't work they replace the opposite handle until they fix it.All the time explaining to the owner that one problem caused the other to fail and convincing them they needed it anyway.If the parts are cheap you can save $$$ with less labor.If the parts are expensive sometimes you save on labor with a proper diagnosis.A good tech won't even get a chance to look at a problem until a repair has failed multiple times for other techs.

 

I took my truck in earlier this week for a weird grinding noise and the service person booking my truck warned me that a rock in the pulley system is not under warranty right when they were going to take the truck away. This seems like a problem Toyota knows about but doesn't want to cover?

 

They went out in the yard, found one, scratched it up on the pavement and brought it in the shop for the service adviser.


Yeah, I hope that is a joke too.

 

Coincidence

 

Weird things happen. I had a rock stuck between the front disc splash guard and the disc itself once. The only time with many vehicles with front disc brakes. It was just the perfect shaped rock at the perfect time with the perfect bounce and landing.

Btw, check the C channels on your frames, you'll probably find a helluva lot of dirt and rocks in them, particularly where the frame goes from boxed to C channel.

And hang some aluminum windowscreen in front of the radiator, that keeps a lot of crap out of the engine bay and radiator. I bet the OP's rock came in through the grill not from underneath. It came off of someone's tire, hit something just right and bounced right into where the serpentine meets a pulley.