Error or Fault Warnings

As of yesterday with 1450 miles on it I got a notice on my instrument cluster saying... [12V Battery Charging System Malfunction. Visit your dealer.] I checked the battery with engine off and it showed 12.25 volts and with engine running it showed 13.55Volts.
I checked on it today to see if the fault had magically cleared itself only to find 3 more messages... [Check Engine, Visit Your Dealer] [Drive-Start Control Malfunction] and [Grille Shutter Malfunction]. I'm thinking I've got some growing pains in my future. Not to mention time wasted setting at a Dealership Service Lobby]. I have it scheduled to be looked at next Monday 4/29 so I guess it'll have to set for a week.

 

I replied in the other thread you posted. You should just drive it. I drove mine for over 3 weeks with those errors. You won't hurt the truck. My dealer is the one who suggested driving it. A grill shutter replacement will clear all those error messages.

 

i also replied in the other thread....
in your situation do you feel the moisture intrusion at the AGS system is more driving in rainy conditions or washing the truck?
Just another piece of the puzzle, curious....

Ive been servicing AGS's for a long time as theyre know to fail but the water intrusion is either a poorly made connector or an ags actuator / motor that is cheaply sourced & just not sealed...
Toyota didnt know until now....
We can only hope for a recall.

 

Wow, quick replies and advice! Thanks!
But now I have 2 more questions.
1. What is a Grille Shutter and AGS? (Automatic Grille Shutter???)
2. Do you also feel the 12V Charging System Malfunction is related?

As to your question Slater, I washed the truck last Thursday and probably sprayed some water into the Grille openings but I didn't drive it until Saturday & Sunday. The Malfunction Alerts came in on Sunday. There wasn't any rain or wet roads on any of those days.

 

ags is active grill shutters, similar to blinds on your house windows, motorized...
theyre mounted behind your grill & infront of the ac condenser & obviously front of radiator.
theyre closed at times to help warm engine to temp faster....
then theyre closed at times when computer sees all indications, to have airflow go around the vehicle, instead of into the engine bay, to help with fuel efficiency by making it more aero dynamic per-say.....
nascar technology...

You didnt do anything wrong by washing it, was just curious what the pattern is at this point, if water seaping into the motor & connector is truly an issue...

I have no idea of the voltage deal, as stated may all be related to the ags failure causing the voltage warning...
not the other way around.
I know nothing about toyotas really, just general automotive, as been an engine tech for ford for 35 years, ive replaced thousands of shutters, but mostly due to customers ramming stuff, bottoming out on dips at high speed, slamming curb stops, etc

 

All good information Slater, thanks!

 

You were correct Slater.. I took my 24 Tacoma in today to look into all of the "Malfunction" faults that came up on my instrument panel.. They called and said it needed a new Grille Shutter Assembly. I get to take it back in next Tuesday to have it installed.
Good call with that diagnosis!

 

I feel like these shutters are going to be a long term issue. Hopefully they don't hang up on a hot day in the closed position

 

These modern vehicles will display several error messages for just one actual fault. The reason is that the actual fault may offline or modify other vehicle systems. If the ECU needs to modify it's engine management behavior due to a possible cooling system component failure, then it also affects the driving assist, traction control and charging systems (modern vehicles the alternator is controlled by the ECU)

When the electronic water pump on my wife's Corolla faulted, her car displayed similar messages. If the ECU thinks the vehicle may overheat, driver assist won't be available and battery charging may be suspended.

It does create quite an alarming display though, having several systems reporting errors at the same time....

 

I agree 81shark, these could be a real pita on a hot day if they were to fail in the closed position. Slater stated above that they're meant to increase fuel efficiency by moving airflow around the vehicle and making it more aerodynamic. He mentions that this little gem was born out of Nascar technology. It may work wonders on a race car that's flying around a track at 150-200mph but not being an automotive engineer or race track guru I just can't imagine it's all that beneficial on a Tacoma. Either way, It can put your new 24 Tacoma in the shop for repairs simply because "it's failing to initiate on start up!" And it's evidently so important and talented that it can make your vehicle report that it has 2-3 other malfunctions at the same time! It's a darn technological ventriloquist!! Not to mention it's just another unnecessary addition to break and cause future headaches!

 

TurboDA6, I'm learning just how wonderful technology can be! Actually I think that automotive technology has reached a point that it can't get out of it's own way!
It seems to me that nonessential systems like Grille Shutters could be engineerd as 'stand-alone' so that their failure doesn't affect anything else, they would just quit working. If you've read any of my other posts you'll gather that I am not a fan of all the "technology " that they cram into a vehicle. All of the different screens you can select to 'enhance' your driving experience are a waste on me. Why do I need 3 different designs of tachometer and speedometer gauges ? One is plenty and I'll get use to it! Why would I want to know at what angle my truck is tilting ?? I'm driving this this thing on city streets and highways and if it's tilted enough to need that information then I hope someone has called 911 because something bad has happened! I'd gladly trade all of the useless information for something basic like grip handles on the drivers side to make it easier to get in and out of the truck. That should be standard equipment on all models.

 

So these grill shutters are operating with electric motor and not vacuum assist?

 

You'd need an auxiliary vacuum pump because of the turbo boost.
My brother's a mechanic and he said that grill shutter problems are not unique to Toyota. There's a model out there (don't recall what) that takes 8 hours of labor to replace the shutter motor.
Normal fix is to grab it with a hook and jerk real hard, then not worry about it.

 

That was my concern. New vehicle repairs are getting too expensive.

 

All the trucks have vacuum pumps for the brakes, and the waste gates on the 2.4L are vacuum actuated.

That said, pretty sure the shutters are electric. Not sure why there are so many problems with them though. Seems like every other post is another grille shutter failure. How were all of these not also problematic on the test trucks? No clue. It is frustrating when they are something vehicles in the past never had nor needed. We don’t need an added failure point just to make the vehicle 0.001% more aerodynamic. The worst part is we pay for that crap in the price of the vehicle, and we don’t actually benefit from it.

 

I wonder how many times these little buggers open and close during a normal commute? Did they drive a test tacoma through FL during love bug season? i bet I can coat that whole shutter in guts in one road trip.

 

My understanding is that the problem with the 2024s was that the electrical connector was not moisture tight. Some here reported that their dealer fixed it by using marine sealant on the connector. That's probably not the "approved" fix, but it didn't need a 4-week delay for parts.

 

I'll let you know how long this fix takes. It was diagnosed on Monday 4/29 and was told that the part had been ordered and to bring the truck back in next Tuesday 5/7/24.
They said that "It's fine to drive it until then, I would just have these three "Malfunctions" showing up on the instrument panel and on the 14" Infotainment screen".
Our 2023 Tundra is still "waiting for parts" for the recall issued last August 2023 on ("The subject vehicles are equipped with a plastic fuel tube which could move and rub against a brake line and develop a fuel leak. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source could increase the risk of fire"). We were contacted and given a date to bring it in October. I called the day before to verify the time and was told "Don't bother, we don't have the parts yet. We'll contact you when they are available". Here it is May 1st 2024 and we still have not heard from them about it.