2nd gen issues

Hey guys,

New to the forum, and having some odd issues I was curious if anyone has experienced anything similar.

I purchased a 2015, access cab, manual, 4 banger from a Toyota Dealer, certified pre owned. Had 27k on it, and I was abolusely psyched. First adult purchase.

Flash forward a few months, and I am now going on maintenance trip to the dealer #3. Which is not an easy task and I live in Frisco, and the closest dealer in an hour to Denver. I first started having electrical problems. My left turn signal wouldn't blink, then when it would it would make my entire dashboard & flick with the turn signal. Now just recently, my rear view camera quit working. Toyota blamed both of these an aftermarket parts, claiming the rear view camera was aftermarket, and the wire going back to it caused the turn signal issues as well. This unit being "aftermarket" was not disclosed to me at the time of the purchase.

I have also been having some more alerting issues. I recently upgraded tire & wheel sizes to the 265/70/r17 trd pros & duratrecs. As soon as I put those on, I have been having issues. The emergency brake light stays on while not engaged, the traction control light is on, and the abs brake light is on. The first time I took it to Toyota, the also blamed it on this aftermarket wire to the camera, claiming it blew a some fuse. After about 3 weeks, these lights turned back on, and flick on for about 4 hours, then flick back off for another 4 hours. Off and on, off and on.

Now I don't know a ton about vehicles or maintenance but I am doing my best to learn and troubleshoot. Anyone have any ideas?

 

First of all, welcome to the forum!

Initial posts like this one tend to make me ill. So don't get me started on the certified pre-owned thing....

Do you know any of the history or receive a carfax for the truck? It would be nice to know if a flood car has possibly made it your way. Have you looked around or underneath for excessive rust that might affect electrical grounds?

I think I would advise you to not do any further mods to the truck until you can get a better handle on things. Sometimes one problem generates others. It is not unusual to have the traction control, abs, and brake light illuminate together. There is a reason for that and it may be unrelated to the brakes. The purpose is to get your attention.

One thing I learned a long time ago is if I did something and a problem soon showed up, perhaps even not directly related, undoing what was done last often helped

If this were mine I would start by trying to figure out if the purchase was an "as is, where is" type of transaction or whether the selling dealer may still be on the hook.

Also, what do they mean specifically about the rear camera and display mirror being aftermarket and causing problems? An assumption or do they know something? My '09 stock truck came with the camera factory installed. If it needs to be undone to help troubleshoot I have a stock mirror.

I would also get a decent scan tool to determine if there are any pending codes. If so, post them.

If someone was indeed doing some electrical mods it would be helpful to know if there is any obvious evidence, such as an aftermarket alarm. Hack jobs can create a real nightmare.

I would also get a VOM meter and test, not just visually inspect, every last fuse in the two fuse boxes: the one behind the pull open tray to the left of the steering wheel and the one underneath the hood on the diver's fender. Match with the specs on the cover and there should be some listed in the owner's manual. Never know what you may find. Is the radio the original?

 

It sounds like you are going to need to do some digging around with the camera and its wiring. This can be a tedious process. If you find out what fuse blew. That would help narrow down the path to start searching.

 

So this Dealer sold you a certified pre-owned. I'm assuming that entails some type of warranty? This happening cat takes the position that any warranty covers the truck as it existed on the lot when you bought it. If the vehicle had aftermarket equipment at the time of sale, they are likely still on the hook for warranty repairs related to such. Not unless they informed you of the aftermarket equipment and specifically excluded repairs connected to it, which they didn't. I get that if you take it off the lot and thereafter alter the truck it may well limit certain warranty claims related to those parts you install and damage that results from it. But not for equipment that existed when it was on their lot. Be a good idea to obtain a copy of the warranty and read it carefully. Most car buyers never read the fine print in sales contracts as well as warranty documentation. It is unlikely any warranty contract would envision this type of fact pattern and have language that addresses it. If it doesn't exclude claims of this variety then they should pony up coverage. If not you take them to Small Claims Court. Don't know what State you are in so don't know the appropriate court and cause of action. But If the law and facts are with you, I'd pursue legal action for sure.

Sorry you gotta go through this crap, Brady. You seem like a good bloke and I hope you don't take this crap lying down. Stand up and be counted, buddy. Given the super low mileage of your new truck this will be the start of a long, great relationship with it. You'll iron things out and develop deep love for your sweet little four cylinder.

 

Go here and you can find some history on the truck:

https://www.toyota.com/owners/register/

I'm wondering if the truck was a flood victim.

If not, start looking for bad/loose grounds. Make sure they're all tight and are metal to metal connections. No using any nut or bolt holding plastic.

You'll be amazed at what you can take apart with a 10& 12mm wrenches, sockets, and a couple of screwdrivers. Everything pretty much snaps together.

Good luck

 

Post some pics of the mirror and camera the dealer is calling aftermarket. The guys will be able to tell you the truth.

Dealerships have a reputation of being dishonest for a reason. The majority of the public doesn’t know enough to know when they’re blowing smoke. They’ll tell you your problem isn’t warranted because any excuse they can belch out, fool you into believing it, get you to pay to fix it or leave without fixing it. I’m sure there’s a few honest ones, I haven’t seen one yet.

Your aftermarket tint caused rubber static which caused your seats doors and dash to get covered with greasy hand prints.

 

Welcome to TW Brady......lots of experienced guys on here, so take their advice......
I’ve had several Toyota and Lexus vehicles , and usually buy Certified Pre Owned, not only for the cost savings but also the “backup”, plus I travel, and if anything is going to happen it’s going to be when I’m away and when my wife is driving the car......so real nice to just drop the car at dealer, get a loaner and they take care of problem.

so first, let’s make sure, you indeed bought a Certified Pre Owned truck from Toyota........they had to use those specific words with you, and there’s all kind of paperwork you had to sign and be given......Toyota booklet showing you what was covered, paperwork showing for how many years and mileage limit. plus, part of the required paperwork included a certified Car Fax....

CPO designation raises the price of a car/truck about $2500, costs the dealer about $1500. not any car/truck can be “certified”, there’s actual official criteria.......no accidents, no major repairs, mileage limits, 3 of your 4 tires had to be new etc.....

now, having said all that, the dealer can’t tell if the previous owner put aftermarket parts, but then again, his problem, not yours, because CPO covers repair. Not really happy the dealer is using that excuse, and you need to elevate this to GM to agree on some rules of engagement, in other words, your not accepting this BS excuse every time there’s an issue with your truck, no matter how old you are.

I agree with everything guys have written so far, and it comes down to this.....you’re going to have to do some research.....use the link to Toyota, look at your CarFax, contact CarFax.....electrical issues like your having points to flood car, or maybe it was driven in water off roading.......

don’t give up, don’t lose your cool with dealer, they’re expecting that.

good luck, post pics.

 

Dealers have a very hard time seeing past aftermarket this or that. Their techs and advisors are trained to work on a stock vehicle and unless they have someone there with actual troubleshooting experience beyond what the factory service manual says, they’re likely to try to get you to go somewhere else. If you’re able to get a knowledgeable independent shop to do a little digging on your electrical issues, it can help. The dealer doesn’t want to, “open a case,” if they don’t have to. They’d much rather do the jobs that they’re familiar with, can sell you parts for and make a quick buck doing. Determining whether or not your rear camera has anything to do with the electrical issue is the most logical first step. Unfortunately, that likely means tearing the dash apart and spending a lot of time with a multi meter.

As for your brake issues, those lights can all be generated by a low brake fluid reservoir level, including the “emergency brake light” That’s the first thing I would check. Does your abs still work? That could also be another good thing to figure out if your fluid level is up.

 

That dealer seems lazy and shady. If they suspect that the camera is the source of the issues, how hard is it to disconnect the camera wiring at the tailgate to prove this theory? OP, I would remove the tailgate cover and disconnect the connector to the camera and see if some of your issues resolve. I don't know how the turn signal issue is related to the camera. The power source locations should be separate.

 

Another thought too would be that since the vehicle was second hand, there could have been other accessories or upgrades done to the truck that the previous owner removed. It would be worthwhile looking for anything under the dash that looks like it isn’t factory.

 

This 100% ^

 

Hey guys, thanks for all the replies and useful information.

The truck is for sure a Toyota Certified Pre-Owned, no doubts about it. My first trip to the dealer I had to pay $150 as the parts needing fixed were "after-market". I didn't even think to argue as it made sense to me at the time. The second trip in was when I was having camera issues, and they told me it was after market and nothing they could do about it. They did not charge me.

I do have a pretty comprehensive warranty, but obviously isn't covering any after market parts unfortunately. I'm not super worried about the camera, and the previous electrical issues have seem to be fixed.

I am mostly concerned about the engine lights coming on. The ABS light is on, the traction control light is on, and the emergency brake light stays on even when the E brake is not engaged. I can also swear I feel a slight "thud thud thud" when I stop sometimes like something down there is messed up. I personally don't know a ton about vehicles, and this is the first vehicle I have ever purchased. I take care of my stuff though, and had a hammy down tundra with 400k that was still running when I got rid out of. Just a shame all of this is going on with only 40k. Love the truck too, I spent 10 years dreaming about buying a black 2nd gen.

 

The lights you are seeing indicate codes have been set in the ECU. You could get a code reader, plug it into your OBD2 port, read the codes, and that would tell you why the lights are on.

However, if you have a warranty, you should just make an appointment and have them fix it. Chasing codes down can be pretty hit and miss. A toyota dealership will know by the codes what the likely culprits are and how to diagnose them.

On my 2nd gen, when a CEL is set, the traction control is automatically disabled (at least for some codes) so it's not unusual to see the check engine light and the traction control light on at the same time. The parking brake light? I'm not sure about that one.

Phil

 

The thing that is super weird about all of this, is the lights will turn on sometimes for 2-3 hours, then shut off.

Just yesterday, I went to the grocery store, 2 mile drive. Lights popped on when I drove there, came back out, turned the truck on and no lights. I was reading through some other threads, and I guess I will check the wheel speed sensors first & possibly the harness?

Still don't get why my e - brake light comes on though..

 

Right after I took this picture the lights shut off

 

I only skimmed through the thread quickly.. But have you looking into VSC calibration? There are a few threads on here detailing the procedure to take for 2nd Gens to reset or re-calibrate that.. I *think that would explain all the ABS related lights after new tires, but might be wrong.

I suspect the blinker and mirror issue(s) are not related

 

I quickly read through the VSC calibration. Seems a bit over my ability, but I will definitely need to look into it more throughly.

 

Now having some more issues. My slip indicator light, abs lgiht, and e-brake light come on & off at stated above. Now, when coming to a stop, I can feel a "pop" or "lurch" in the brake followed by a super quiet high pitched like "squee;" sort of sound? Idk how else to describe it. Kinda sounds like a little motor high pitch noise lol.

My trucks a manaul and usually only does this when slowing to a stop around 10 mph in gear. When I slow to a stop in neutral, I usually cant feel this. Anyone have any ideas?

I bought this as a certified pre-owned in PA with 27k miles. Had 2 previous owners which I think is a bit weird for only 27k, but a clean car fax none the less. I have since moved to a remote spot in the rockies in Colorado. The closest dealership is 2 hours away. I have been to the dealership 4 times since moving here with issues ranging from electrical to traction control. None of which have been covered under my supposed "warranty", due to these issues coming from aftermarket trailer light hookups and an aftermarket rear view camera which no longer works. Lets also let it be known that none of these parts were listed as "aftermarket" when I purchased the vehicle, and I was under the assumption they were OEM toyota.

Anyone have any thoughts on what to do next? I have a maintenance service scheduled at Stevinson Toyota West on June 8th. I just called and left a voicemail at the dealership I purchased from letting them know of the issues. I told them that every inch of this truck is going to get inspected and anything that needs replaced is getting replaced, and if it's not covered under warranty then they are paying for it. So we will see how that goes lol