DIY - Check/Replace your CPS Sensor

Interesting reading .... my truck is an early build (Oct 15 or so) and my VIN is on the CPS recall list though I haven't been notified of anything yet by Toyota. I have almost 35K on my truck and was quite happy with mpg and drivability, especially after the trans shift point TSB, but I feel like I've had a few more glitches lately, especially low speed surging, and mpg slightly worse. Now y'all have me convinced my CPS may be going south ... I'll be sure to update when I get it replaced. Or may do it myself and charge Toyota. The recall website says they're waiting for parts; I wonder if I can just get one at the parts counter

 

Ok - Now I feel like I have an adequate break-in/learning period (~1500-1600 miles post CPS replacement). Commute this morning I clocked 21 MPGs - my best ever for my commute, prior to CPS replacement this same trip was generally in the 15-17 range...

 

I good results on my morning commute today. I have never gotten higher than 18mpg on this particular trip before. I commute to different places all the time. When I immediately got of the highway this morning my trip mpg was 22+, the EPA rating is 20mpg for my trim model. This is the expectation I had when I purchased this car.

 

It will take you far less time to order the part online, install it yourself than it will to drive your truck to the dealer and they have to re-imburse the part cost by law as I recall. Mine started as minor intermittent glitches as well that I continued to this was just shitty design and engineering of the truck, but as they got worse and worse I did all kinds of things to try and fix it. I'm NOT on the recall list, but should be... if you ARE on the recall list I'd certainly get it replaced. There are at least a few people that went from "running fine" to stalled on the highway due to this.

But take this from the guy who wanted to drive his truck off a bridge until he swapped the CPS and things magically started "working" again... ha

 

Hey! I used to have a silver 88' GVX Yugo 5 speed. I loved that car ❤ But finding parts became impossible...

 

4/16 production date and not on the recall list.

highly considering making the switch to a new sensor based on the fact that it cant do any worse, except for $100 out of pocket..

when i first bought the truck, i was getting 21-24 hwy consistently, but havent seen that number in a while

i get about 17 -19 in city and hwy now.

now i do have 265 BFG AT's , but did not expect that kind of drop after puttong on these tires.

anyways- just my two cents and great write up!

 

Just asking. Anyone replaced the CPS themselves then had a dealership service done and gotten grief from the dealership that doing it yourself doesn't count on the recall? I replaced my CPS a couple weeks ago and going in tomorrow for 20k service. I don't want them pulling any crap about trying to seize my truck. I am also taking in the old CPS to find out how I get reimbursed for doing the work myself.

 

since I'm not on the recall list (should be) I can't comment on actual experience, but I'd just make sure you take the hold one in along with the box and receipt of the new one you replaced it with to make it clear you used the correct / new part. Also interested to see what they say. The "we're waiting on parts" thing doesn't make sense to me as online retailers have them. Perhaps they just don't have enough OEM to replace 10s of thousands yet.

 

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0138-auto-warranties-routine-maintenance

 

I just got 19mpg all city (upshifting) whereas I usually got 15-16!

But Tacoma World said I got bad MPG because I was a dumb driver?

 

I should change mine just to see. If it doesn't change anything at least I'll have a spare one

 

Congrats! I'm staying in the 19-21 range around town now for the last several trips and had similar MPGs as you before.

 

Do any of you have the fuely app? I'd like to see the results over time. This could be a bunch of confirmation bias.

If you guys are right you should be able to see a marked improvement, consistently from the point it was replaced onward and it would show up on your fuely chart.

 

Too late for me to do this for you, but I can tell you with certainty that this is not confirmation bias in my case (esp. since my entry point was highly skeptical). Minimum 10-15% improvement. but I wasn't tracking in fuely pre/post replacement so perhaps others can help with the data points...

 

At the dealership to get my 20K service. Spoke to them about getting reimbursed for the cost of the sensor I installed. I was given this number to call and was told they will walk you through it. The number is 888-270-9371. After speaking to them I was told if possible you need a letter from your dealership with reference to "cause, condition, and remedy. Then you are supposed to mail the letter along with a copy of your receipt for the CPS to:
Toyota Motor Sales USA
Toyota reimbursements
PO Box 259001
Plano, TX 75025.
Since I am at the dealership I asked for the letter, the service manager said he didn't know why I would need the letter it was a recall, but he would see what he could do while I waited for the service to be done. Hope this helps you out.

 

I would imagine that for those of us that did it as a preventive measure that was not on the recall will have to wait until ours would be added and ONLY if they are added. Mine had the hash mark, but not knowing if that was truly the differentiation changed it anyway. As much as I would like Toyota to pay for it, if I just swapped a part that was fine they shouldn't have to pay so I won't expect them to.

 

If mine doesn't get added to the recall list at some point, big miss on Toyota's part. But I'm not going fight a senseless battle w/ them over $100 either. If mine does get added, I'll follow the process above to get reimbursed. Guarantee you toyota would put me in the category of someone who replaced it preventatively. Which I guess if you consider that my truck was just running like crap but still got from point A to B, it WAS preventative...

 

I bought a OBD2 censor that has been also tracking my trips. I started tracking my trips immediately after I received the censor in the mail. I tracked a week and half before the CPS replacement. I will gather all the data maybe this weekend and see what the data indicates.

Still relying on the onboard computer, so I don't know how much better that is.

 

So has anyone received the recall letter? I am due for a service soon but would hate to schedule time and then have to bring it back again after I receive the recall? My VIN is on the list. If I had to bring it in again I would certainly do the CPS myself ... even "free" work is an incredible hassle, and I'm retired so my time isn't worth much!

 

I do not believe you need the actual recall letter. Your dealership should be able to look when they do your service. I have done this before with other recalls. They will send info to Toyota that they did the fix and Toyota won't send you a letter.