Intermittent lost communication with instrument panel cluster codes

Immediately after my last trip to the dealer, I started getting intermittent ABS failure/brake system malfunction messages. It shuts off the speedo/tac/etc. on the dash, with ABS and check engine light on, and tells me to see dealer immediately. Sometimes it will go 2 weeks without happening, sometimes it'll come on twice in one trip. It always disappears within maybe 30 seconds to a minute.

Long story short, I'm 2.5 hours from the dealer, I brought it in once and they cleared all codes, test drove, and told me nothing came up, it was probably water getting into my "fancy electronics", and come back if the light stays on. So now I'm trying to diagnose myself.

Any help would be very welcome.

UPDATE 2/10: Pulled the history codes through techstream. Nothing is coming from the ABS system, but several u-codes stored in history.



U0155 Lost communication with instrument panel cluster control module
U0100 Lost communication with ECM/PCM "A"
U0129 Lost communication with brake system control module
U0142 Lost communication with body control module "B"
U0151 Lost communication with restraints control module
U0163 Lost communication with navigation control module

This seems like an connectivity issue between the instrument panel/combination meter and the rest of the truck. My hunch is either they crimped this wire and it is causing the issue, or my hypertech was either loose or bad. The hypertech has been in for a very long time so isn't a recent change.

 

Bump for any help or advice!

My understanding is that the rear sensors control the speedometer, so since the speedo goes out when this happens I am going to start there.

Will try:

1) remove the sensors and cleaning them as well as the plugs
2) check that the rear harness is connecting to the wire that runs through the vehicle
3) check voltages at vehicle plug and at the two harness plugs to see if anything is amiss

I'm still hoping something just isn't seated right at a plug, but could be wiring pulled partially loose inside the wire somewhere.

 

Dont have any of the manuals in front of me, but it will probably be worth it to get a copy of techstream set up. Can pull detail codes as to which is sensor is causing the code. Can also use it to record real time data to look for odd wheel speeds, etc.

Dongle is in the 30 dollar range (unless you have ovtune dongle already) and link to free techstream is floating around the forum (manual transmission upgrade thread I think)

 

I've got a dongle and VM with techstream somewhere, thanks for the tip. The OBD2 reader I have is supposed to be able to pull ABS codes and I was surprised there weren't any stored. I'll fire up techstream and see what it says as soon as the snowpocalypse lets off...

 

There should be freezeframe data and historical codes in techstream, even if there are no current codes.

 

Awesome, I'll start with that then so I'm not just guessing.

 

Well this is disconcerting. No actual ABS codes, but a bunch of different "Lost communication with XXX module" codes from different components.

Could this be something acting up with the hypertech connection? I'll check that just in case, since these seem like they're all dash systems.

 

Sounds like from the service manual I should check all connections to control units when multiple U-codes are thrown simultaneously. Are they all under the passenger dash?

 

Ughh
That looks icky
Just off the top of my head, it could be hypertech if it goes in between the CAN lines. Will post some schematics that might help

 

My feelings exactly. Sure escalated quickly

Really appreciate the help.

 

I THINK the hypertech goes on the 40 pin connector on the back of the combo meter.
So MAYBE it could short out the CAN data.

 

Interesting! I'll definitely check it out and either make sure it's connected or remove it all together and see how things play.

 

I haven't looked at the list of failed ECU comms codes to see if it points to a specific location that may be opening, or anything like that. That MIGHT help.

Sorry, I can't think of much else that might be helpful.

Good Luck, good nite

 

These might help. Particularly interesting is U0155 which is instrument panel cluster module. It threw on four different systems. The other batch of 5 all threw on the combination meter. That's what originally made me call out the hypertech as the potential culprit.

Thanks again, I'll report back as I poke around the connections and remove the hypertech.

 

Ok well it's cold and snowy so I didn't want to tear the whole right side dash apart to check connections. Being an avid debugger I like to check what's changed first, so I went into the air filter space behind the glove box and did find a crimped cable. @BigWhiteTRD I'm not an electronics expert at all so maybe you can suggest whether this amount of damage could result in the issues I'm seeing?

I also went into the dash and reseated all the connections on the hypertech but have not yet removed it since I like to change one thing at a time

 

Definitely not an expert either on electricals, but I would guess not significant enough... probably. An electrical guy might help

 

I have seen a Hypertech cause U0155 errors on a Tundra. And it happened after a few months of install. Not sure if it was a bad unit or a bad install.

 

Great thank you! That is reassuring to hear.

 

I had a very similar issue with my 2016 SR a year and half ago or so. It took the dealer several tries to fix it, but it turned out they had to replace the whole instrument cluster due to a short. But they couldn't replace it with any cluster, it had to have a manufacture date after a certain date (I don't remember what that date was). But many lights would come on, the tac and speedo would go to zero while driving etc.

 

Thanks dude, and it would be intermittent?