Open fuse slot labeled "Short Pin".

I don't post often, but this issue has me baffled. I started the Tacoma 2015 4.0L in the morning and the CEL and the Trac Off error message appeared on the dash. I didn't read the codes because I was in a public parking lot at the time. Vehicle went into "limp" mode and was limited to about 25 mph top speed. Had it towed directly to the dealer. Technician at Toyota said that it needed a "ST" fuse put into the vacant slot labeled "Short Pin" in the under the hood fuse box. For $180 he put an ST fuse into the vacant Short Pin slot and everything went back to normal. Truck's running fine again. My question is: If that Short Pin slot was empty before the problem, why does it now need an ST fuse in that slot to run? Seems like he just put a Bandaid on what may be a larger problem. Any thoughts?

 

The short pin has to be there for everything to work properly, it's main pupose I believe is it is removed when the trucks are shipped from the factory to prevent battery drain and installed at the dealer during the predelivery inspection.

 

Very expensive "short pin".

 

Where did it go to start with?

You gotta buddy that’s play a prank on you?

 

See page 2:
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2014/MC-10061326-2273.pdf

 

Before I would pay 180 dollars for a short pin I would get a couple of spade connectors, a piece of wire and some solder and make my own.

It's not a fuse only a connection point.

 

Like I mentioned I was not at home when the truck went into limp mode. CEL and Trac Off warning lights on. I had it towed to the dealer for the diagnostic procedure. The diagnostic was $180. The tech told me that he discovered a fuse "missing" from the under the hood fuse block. I asked if the fuse could have possibly fell out, because no one has messed with the fuses lately. He said he checked around the engine bay and didn't see any loose fuses laying around. He said that he replaced the missing fuse and everything was back to normal. Later when I checked the fuse box, I noticed that there was a ST fuse in slot number 24. According to the shop manual is supposed to be a vacant slot. So, I assumed that was the "missing" fuse he replaced. I may be wrong here?

 

If they replaced the short pin then yea that's where it goes, not sure why it went missing or where you saw in the service manual that it's not supposed to be there?
It is not a fuse, it is just a jumper that is shaped like a fuse but it does have to be in place for all the modules on the truck to work properly.

 

Put this missing-pin-how-was-the-Taco-running-before situation into the X files.

 

All I can say is the service writer called me and said that they had to replace a missing fuse. I'm lost as to where the fuse went or what fuse it was.