New 2nd gen owner

Just purchased a used 2011 TRD with 224k miles and hace a few issues. First issue is the brakes feel like they are from a 40s Ford abd hard to press. Granted I can drive the truck fine but need this addressed. I have a basic code scanner and there are no codes at all. Second issue, 4x4 won’t engage. I turn the switch and the lights blink. Third issue, AC compresor won’t engage. Fourth issue, air bag light is on. 5th issue, no low beam head lights, fifth issue, rear diff won’t lock.
Granted, there are lots of fixes on this site, and I have tried several of them, but if someone could address each one individually, I would greatly appreciate it. I have tried unplugging the airbag under the seats and disconnecting the battery, but the light is still on, I have tried changing the fuses and relays for the low beams, I’m afraid to even think about the Hydro boost for the brakes, and I haven’t researched the rear diff yet.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Welcome to the forums

1 Brakes: I'm not too well versed on the hydraulic brake booster operation but do you have any warning lights on related to the brake system (Brake, ABS, VSC, etc)?

2 4wd: You usually have to be moving slightly for it to engage, if it still doesn't then you will need to check the limit switch voltages at the 4wd ECU and post your results so we know what part of the system to inspect. See This thread for details.

3 A/C: Is the A/C light flashing? If not then the first step is going to be to check if there is refrigerant in the system, if it is flashing then there is a list of things to check.

4 Airbag Light: You will need to get the codes from the Airbag module to proceed, since you don't have a scan tool that can talk to it you can flash them out on the light with a jumper wire (see the attached file below).

5 Headlights: Have you checked the bulbs? It's not uncommon to see 2 blown bulbs, I'm assuming the high beams work?. If those are good then your gona have to get a test light and start checking for power starting at the HEAD (LO RH) and HEAD (LO LH) fuses, headlight wiring diagram attached below.

6 Diff Lock: The diff lock will only operate in 4Low so you will need to get the 4wd system operational before you will know if the diff lock is gona work or not.

 

Just wondering why you purchased the truck with this many things wrong? Or why you wouldn't get a pre-inspection or anything?

 

It was a great deal, $9k, and I also got an extended warranty. Nothing is written up on the vehicle so it will all be covered but I’m trying to figure out if the fixes are small enough for me to do or wait for a warranty repair.

 

Welcome to TW!

 

Gotcha. Very fair then. Good luck and welcome to the club.

 

So, the 4wd engaged when driving at a slow speed so hopefully there isn’t anything else wrong with it. The airbag code was 51 which has about 4 different possibilities. Could it be the clock spring? The headlights are aftermarket so I had to order different bulbs to try They will be here in a bit. There are no lights flashing for the AC. The compressor just won’t engage. I’ll try to add some refrigerant in a bit abd get back with you.

 

And no lights for the Brakes, just really hard to press down but I can manage until I get it fixed. The replacement part is like $1500 if it’s the complete assembly.

 

Another update, added refrigerant and the AC blows super cold now. Must have a small leak, way better than a bad compressor. The new bulbs were the only problem and the lights work fine now. Last 2 issues are the airbag light and the brakes. I ordered a new click spring for $40 to see if they will fix the issue since the cruise control also doesn’t work but I appreciate all the comments and help! I’m guessing whoever looked at it at the dealership had no idea what they were doing so their loss is my gain!

 

If you have no cruise, an airbag light and no horn then the clock spring is likely bad.

 

Did you charge your AC yourself - if so how did you do it ? Any answer or links appreciated.

 

Yes, I recharged it myself. I went to AutoZone and bought one of the cans of refrigerant with a digital meter and just follow the directions on the can

 

Weelcome home

 

That's for the reply - I saw Scotty doing this - good 2 C it works.

 

Be cautious. Mine was blowing cool, not cold. Being ac ignorant, I added a can and apparently overfilled it. The compressor semi seized, smelled like burnt clutch, throwing sparks, chewed the belt.

 

I’ve done that before also. I installed a whole new AC system in our van and overcharged it and blew the compressor on the way to California. I won’t make that mistake twice. The AC blowing super cold in the truck now, I even have to turn it down. I’m sure it has a small leak somewhere, but I’ll get that fixed before we hit 100° here in Arizona.

 

Thanks for the reply - some of the guys say they over charged and blew the compressor - I guess you avoided that with the digital meter - correct ?

 

Welcome to TW.

 

@mark_metheny ”I have a 2011 TRD”… TRD what model?

The TRD Sport has a different brake booster setup than the TRD OffRoad, which will help us internet diagnose your brake issues.

 

Also, formatting will help a lot. Like this:
Here are the current issues I am diagnosing:
1) The brakes feel like they are from a 40s Ford and hard to press. Granted I can drive the truck fine but need this addressed. I have a basic code scanner and there are no codes at all.
2) 4x4 won’t engage. I turn the switch and the lights blink.
3) AC compresor won’t engage
4) The air bag light is on
5) No low beam head lights
6) Rear diff won’t lock