Discovered an advantage to not having an auto-loking tailgate.

I actually ordered a kit to tie in the bed look with the rest of the door locks, but decided not to since in California doing so actually voids the warranty for the electrical system supposedly. I learned this when talking to a SnugTp rep when asking them if they could wire the camper shell lock to my OEM key FOB. Was told they could but it would subsequently void the warranty. At first I was bummed.

I surf and paddle and had been racking my brain about how I could take a hey with me while out in the water, since the tiny pocket on a wetsuit is just big enough for a small key, and no way that FOB would survive getting wet. So I came up with this plan. I'd lock the car, then take the car and place it in a metal container, like an Altoids tin and place that in one of the small storage compartments in the truck bed (I have the OEM Tonneau cover) then take the trunk lock key with me in the ocean since it's just a regular key with no chip to get damaged. Placing the for in the metal tin will block the RF frequency and thus keep someone from walking up to my car and opening it. Once I finish surfing, I would simply unlock the tailgate, get my FOB out of the Altoids tin and then be able to open the doors.

 

http://www.hitchsafe.com/

 

i did this.............

$70 HitchSafe HS7000 Key Vault, Black | Hidden Storage Box For Car Trailer Hitch | Includes Hitch Cover and Bolts, Drawer with Lock | Outdoor, Hiking, Surfing Accessories & Truck Accessories

http://www.amazon.com/HitchSafe-HS7000T-HS7000-Key-Vault/dp/B000I66JEM

 

That's pretty sweet, but I actually use the hitch for a Kuat bike rack and or a Extend-A-Bed bed extender. and when those things aren't on there I have a WeatherTech bumper step on there.

 

If im not mistaken, the fob will only unlock the doors within like 2 inches of the drivers door. you should be able to just throw the fob in the bed (maybe the storage compartments) and lock the tailgate and be fine

 

Isn't that what I stated? And the FOB's range is a little more than two inches, but exactly how much I'm not sure. I said I place the FOB in an Altoid tin lined with foil to block the RF. easy insurance to make sure someone can can't come by and just unlock the car if say, the FOB ends up for whatever reason more toward the front of the bed putting it way closer to the doors. Whats it gong to take, maybe an extra 2 seconds to open the lined Altoid tin left in the bed as opposed to just leaving the FOB in the bed and not in the tin? I'd rather just take that one simple extra step and be more safe than sorry instead of finding out the hard way!

 

no problem with what you said, just stating that you shouldn't absolutley need the tin (for others who read this)

 

Fair enough, and you make a valid point. I would just have to come out from the water and have my truck gone! Granted, if someone really wanted to steal it, I'm sure they'd find a way.

 

Your warranty will not be voided. They could put up a fight over it, but legally they would have to prove that the modification you made was the cause of the failure being repaired. The law is called the Magnuson Moss Act.

For snorkling with a rental car, I've just used a ziploc bag for the remote, inside another ziploc bag for extra insurance. No problems so far.

 

I hear what you're saying, but I'm most worried about the electrical system. I understand if theres, say a warranty issue with the engine, there's no way Toyota can say it's not covered because I tapped into the electrical system and installed a tailgate lock. But lets say I did install a rear tailgate lock and tapped into the electrical system and down the line had an issue with interior lights, or auto windows not working, etc., couldn't they come back and say they won't cover it because the tailgate lock modified the electrical system from it's original form? And the electrical system is my biggest concern when it comes to warranty claims, since many of us know an electrical gremlin can take up a lot of time to diagnose and fix, costing big $$$.

 

They can't void your warranty for modifications, per se. They can void your warranty if the modifications caused the failure.
So...let's say you install a lift with bigger tires and wheels. Your transmission fails. They can say the additional weight of the tires and wheels caused a premature failure of the transmission. They can't void the warranty for your air conditioning, radio, etc because of this. They might be able to argue that it caused the brake rotors to warp so they're not covered, but the ABS unit would still be covered.

 

They have to PROVE your modification caused the problem.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnuson–Moss_Warranty_Act

 

So essentially you're saying the same thing. If I tap into the electrical system for the tailgate lock, and smoother part of the car's electrical system fails down the line, even years later, they can still try and say it's not covered because I modded the electrical system with the tailgate lock, since that involves the electrical system!

Maybe I will send an email to Toyota Customer Service to see what they have to say so we have it in writing and there's no assuming or confusing! It really would be nice to have an auto-locking tailgate.

EDIT: I just sent an email to Toyota Customer Service and will post back once I get a response.

 

UPDATE: Called Toyota Customer Service and was told that if I installed the tailgate lock myself and ANY problem sore down the line with the electrical system, even if it was part of the electrical system that had nothing to do with the door locks, the warranty for the electrical system would be void and repairs would not be covered. They told me if I took the kit to the dealer and had a Toyota technician install it, the warranty would not be voided. Sucks since I'm sure they'd charge me a full hour to install the kit, and I think the dealer around here is something like $142/hr. Would just be a shame to void a 7/100k warranty that I already paid for if I installed it myself.

 

Technically, if you tied into the door lock circuit, and the door lock circuit failed - they have a case.
If the electrical failure was, say, the headlights - completely unrelated. Legally, you'd win.

In reality, it would be cheaper to pay the dealer to install the lock than hire a lawyer later on to fight a warranty dispute. It's up to you. Personally, I would remove evidence of the lock wiring before I took it to the dealer if I was worried about it. They'd never know or think to look.

 

Yep, I agree with you 100%, but know that if a situation arose with any part of the electrical system and they knew about the tailgate install they'd do everything they could to not warranty the claim. And as far as "removing the evidence" before taking the truck in, that's more of a hassle than I'm willing to deal with. Sucks because I'm more than capable of doing the install myself, but in this case I will most likely shell out the $$ to have them do it for peace of mind and to avoid any future problems.

With that said I will be installing the OEM roof rack myself within the neck few days, and did install the bed extender myself. I bought the bed extender from a dealership that price matched a quote I got off the internet, but then they wanted to charge me an hour's worth of shop labor ($142/hr) to install it! I said heck no, and went home and installed it in less than 30 minutes. Most of that time was taken measuring for the brackets so I didn't screw those up, and after drilling the oles sprayed them with an undercoating spray to prevent corrosion later on. I can't really see any issue that would arise down the line where a part of the warranty would be voided that involved me installing the OEM bed extender. Same with the OEM roof rack. I just get a little worried about the electrical system. Not installing it myself, just having an issue later on where they'd deny a claim that could potentially cost me crazy money, so it's probably worth it having them install the lock kit in this case.

 

Be careful with that hitch lock. Mine rusted shut and I had to destroy it to get it out of my hitch.

 

Spoke to a technician at the local Toyota dealership and he basically told me the same thing Toyota Customer Service did. If I install the tailgate lock myself I automatically void the warranty for anything related to the electrical system. They said they would gladly install it for me for a fee, but since it's not an OEM Toyota park or kit, the warranty would still be voided! So I guess I'll just have to live with it and return the kit to Amazon.

 

They are both lying to you or are (likely) just normal people who are ignorant of the specifics and are trained to say the company line. The Magnuson Moss Act requires proof that the modification caused the problem. The burden of proof is on them. Otherwise nothing is voided, not even the portion you modded. Of course anything on the circuit you are tinkering with is going to be and easy target.

 

You can put the FOB to sleep by holding down it's lock button and pressing the unlock twice and lock it in the cab, Keep the removable door key with you.