Christmas Tree Dash

Hey TW. I’m stumped. 2019 Tacoma with 98k. Was in a parking lot fender bender (under 10mph) and most damage was done to my front left wheel. Immediately, out of alignment, and warnings for PCS, Cruise Control, Traction Control System, take to dealer etc. I saw where these are typically present when the wheel is out of whack. Straight was at about 10 o’clock. Body shop fixed it and reset messages, and it sat for about a week until the wheel came in. When I cranked it, it hesitated and the dash lit up. ABS, BRAKE, traction control, PCS, Cruise, you name it. Body shop reset it and asked if the battery had died and said their scanner read low battery. Took the long way home, radio read 13.5v, shut off at home and it read 10.3v. Cranked again, hesitation, but no lights. Went to Oreillys and again…hesitation, lit up dash, etc, and they said their scanner read battery was at 12.5v, but the alternator had only one part working. (They couldn’t tell me which.). Got home and it sat a while…cranked again and it hesitated but no lights flashed. It’s been on a trickle charge most of the night/today. I’m puzzled.

I ordered an alternator, but my question is…has anyone seen an issue like this with regards to a failing alternator? No battery light while driving…I wouldve put my money on a bad battery, but I’m sort of torn.

thanks!

 

Was there any damage to the battery area? Just asking as it is close to the left front wheel, with a lot of harnesses in that area.


If the truck sat, it could have caused an older battery to give up the ghost. Honestly, that should be part of the claim. Given the cost, I would try that, esp if the battery was older. Clearing codes and sending you on your way seems like a cop out?

If a battery does not work, then I would again question it as part of the claim as you did not have this problem before and there might be damage hidden somewhere or caused by the repairs.

 

No damage to anything outside of my front left wheel, and a scrub on the bumper which was repainted. The only other battery issue I had was a couple weeks before the accident, my son was at a friends house and listening to music and it died, but they jumped it off and it ran fine u til now.

 

When a lead-acid battery goes dead, its life is shortened. Then it sat unused for a while, possibly with a cable grounded to the body that made a vampire-load. If the repair shop had to jump the vehicle at least once that would add to the case of dying battery. Just my opinion, though.

 

I appreciate all the replies. I’ve had it on a trickle all night and when I turn the ignition to acc, my radio reads 11v which to me says the battery is bad. I know ppl say those battery testers aren’t very accurate, but it’s just not jiving. To me, as I’m driving, if it reads 13.5, the alternator is working. Maybe time for both…(eye roll)

 

What @RichochetRabbit said. The deep cycle plus the sit with the standard parasitic drain likely did it in. If it was the stock battery, it had a good run comparatively.

Anything measured beyond the battery terminals is going to be a toss up. My USB outlet even reads high. Haha! Check the terminals to know what the actual difference is, if any. Also, it is good to measure when cranking. Anything lower than 10v is going to hit the lower limit for the ECU and such. The easiest way to see this is if your dash rests after cranking.

 

Thanks so much! Kind of what I’m thinking too.

 

There are sensors in the damaged area that can confuse the truck and cause codes if they don't initialize properly. I had something similar with a 1st gen Tacoma. I had to do a zero point calibration to get the computer to reset some of the default values.

Not sure if that's still a thing or not but the entire point was to get the truck on level ground and re-teach the truck what level was. It had lost it's reference points.

 

My Nissan Murano lit up everything when my battery died due to a bad alternator just like your Tacoma.

 

I think the low-voltage surge from trying to start the engine with a weak battery often causes all the electronics to go haywire also (and is probably why the dash lit up after you tried to start it after it sat the week it did)

Agreed. New battery, then go from there.

 

Sounds good! That’s the direction I’m headed. I took it and had another test done and they said the alternator showed good and the battery was low. This was at idle in my garage and immediately after I shut off, so I’ll start at the battery first. Thanks everyone!

 

That low would lead me to a battery, but static should be checked without a load. Key Off. Still, you should be in the 12s.

 

I am used to an Alternator reading closer to 14V (13.8-14.1) on the battery contacts, with the engine running. I used a multimeter to measure . They are cheap.
I will check on my Taco tonight.

Replaced the alternator in my van this summer when it showed 12.5V on the contacts. Mechanic confirmed it with his smart tester. Alternator was bad.