Protocol for installation of Supercharger

If you have proof you could reach out to a cop that you know to get the dealership a ticket which they desire to pay for. If nothing else it can give you piece of mind. I think there is a device known as a dyno to test vehicle upgrades that they could have used which would not have put your vehicle at risk of damage. Just saying there are different wAys to test the vehicle without putting others at risk. The highest posted speed limit I know of is 70 mph. That's 14 mph under what you have proof that they drove the car at. I think that could definitely be a candidate for wreckless driving as well.

 

I would be pissed.. yes i run my truck sometimes more than i should..but its mine and if i mess it up its on me.. Not the dealer.. If i was paying them to do it id be super pissed.. especially after reading the how to install (which was written to make it look like anyone with mechanical knowledge could do it) and it saying 2000-2500RPM id be even more pissed off that they did that crap.. if they want to Joy ride..tell em to get their own...

 

Not to be contrary to most people's opinions here, but you don't just bolt on a supercharger and validate the work by making sure the truck starts. You have to run it through the RPM range under load to make sure it is working properly. 85 mph is not a crazy speed. How many miles did they put on the truck? Maybe they did a little more than they needed to.

What if they never did that, and you stomped on it and things went flying apart? Would you be pissed that they never properly validated their work?

 

I've had issues with this before as well. I took my truck in because my rear diff was leaking. They investigated it, told me they wouldn't warranty it so I said i'll pick it up and re-seal it myself. When I picked it up it had 22 more miles on it than when I brought it in. WTF is that I asked, they said "oh we had it on the lift running it in the air to watch the diff" Oh for 22 miles? "we had to test drive it too" oh cuz the fluid coming out of the diff didnt give away the problem... Bunch of tards man, keep pressing them!

 

This is nonsense. Show me the documentation from Toyota that specifies dogging the truck through redline in all the gears to "validate" the supercharger install.

David

 

I agree with this as well. If they only did one hard run, I don't see an issue. Like TenBeers said, they need to make sure it's working properly before they give it back. It's not like they took it to a drag strip for fun.

 

I have to chime in on this issue cause I too have had my share of dealership mishaps. From a technical stand point, procedures are written to ensure proper removal/installations are done to specs that are required by Toyota Engineers.

No where in these procedures does it state to perform a test drive of the vehicle at XX MPH for an extended period of time. If Toyota wanted specifics, they would have written that in the procedures. Most of us understand when adding forced induction to a motor it is a "good rule of thumb" to break it in prior to "use". Toyota wrote there break in the way they did.

In my opinion, the procedures are a bit vague with the test drive and can be justified in any direction. Changes to the procedures could be added/changed to be specific within engineering guidelines.
Bottom line, the procedures are written in black & white and there is no dancing around that. If the dealership decides to deviate from them then its on them to explain why they did so.

 

Infractions are only enforceable when witnessed by a peace officer.

 

I think a normal road test with probably one or two blasts to redline would be acceptable testing. Two days of joyriding is infunking justifiable, unless they experienced some kind of initial problem that had to be worked out.

 

I wonder what else could be justified w/ this line of logic?

What if they never did that, and you stomped on it and things went flying apart? Would you be pissed that they never properly validated their work?

Mr Johnson, we've stitched your wife up good as new after the delivery of your new baby. Of course I know how pissed you would be if things weren't properly "validated" before you started "driving" again, so I uh, well .....

Opinions vary, me not so much.



David

 

LOL, that's pretty funny, David.

I just think that if I personally performed the work, I would take the truck out and do a test drive. And I would probably run it through all of the gears and RPM ranges. Maybe what they did was a little excessive, but again, how many miles did they put on the truck? If just a few, or at least less than 20, that's not what I would consider joyriding.

 

Need more info from the OP.

How many miles, how many times was it driven hard?

A tech needs to make sure the lengthy indepth install was done correctly and it is a performance part that needs tested.

(I can imagine the post on here if the tech gave it back without in real world testing it and there was a issue. Dropped of my truck for 4-5K worth of parts and labor and now it is making a noise or breaks up under WOT)

As stated a tech gets look upon poorly if the install has issues even if it is a part failure that is not his fault. The tech is supposed to find issues before it is given back the customer.

I understand a few WOT passes to make sure all is well but beyond that it is not really needed. The OP does not really address the details.

OP states redline, yeah so what, where is the concern? Anytime you a auto trans at WOT it will hit near or at redline that is the shift point. Same goes for a manual if you actually testing it so you know it has no issues.

I would be glad personally if the tech took the time to verify it does not have issues. I would not want to come back to a dealer and spend more of my time.

Now if they did drive it for a absurd amount of miles and ripped on it time after time for those days I would be a little pissed unless they stated it was having a problem and were trying to diagnose the concern.

Most on here know that when you install an aftermarket or performance part that tweaking or adjustment of some form is needed after you take it for a spin if it is some what advanced install.

It is not like the tech just put in a new air filter and spark plugs he worked on the truck for 6-7 hours book time which does not give time to piss typically.

 

I am simply stating the procedures do not have a checklist for the test drive i.e. 30-80 MPH drive and could be changed. Toyota should have some sort of dyno in place for this kind of an upgrade to possibly prevent any buffoonery from happening and ensuring proper functionality. But what do I know, just my opinion.


Mr. Johnson, your car was smashed up and rear ended another vehicle driving over the speed limit while test driving your new upgrade. If you paid for this installation and found out your vehicle was used as a joy ride, I know you would be pissed.



Vinny

 

Just having a little fun with it...

David

 

That only works for a criminal charge.
Infractions (traffic violations) require the offense to be personally witnessed by an officer.

The Scangauge is not legal proof of a violation unless combined with GPS data... and even then it is not without fault. Simply having a high speed logged doesn't prove that they did not run the truck on a dyno. It also does not prove that they did not run the truck on a closed track. Even combined with GPS data, it does not, by itself, prove that they did not run the truck on a temporarily closed section of highway like they do for TV shows and movies.

85 is not reckless even in California if it is ONLY speed and not combined with lane changes or racing.

The mountain states all have limits of 75, Utah is 80, a stretch of I-10 in western Texas is 80, and there's a short toll road segment in Texas that is posted 85.

 

The factory installation procedures were posted.
Testing includes starting, running, and a road test to verify that driveability is smooth.
Nowhere in the documentation does it say to run the engine to redline in every gear.

 

Redlined in every gear? They just might have done that.
Up to 85mph? What does an SC Tacoma roll on the 1/4 mile?

 

I know that stretch of I-10 in Texas. Absolutely nothing to look at. Get it over with quickly.

I think just having a supercharger would make me overlook the potential buffoonery (I like your word). I might even high-five the guy.

 

My two cents:

Having the dealer mechanic test the installation at WOT seems logical to me. The supercharger is a performance upgrade. Testing it like a granny provides zero meaningful feedback. Romping on it is expected. If not, then why install it in the first place? If there is an installation problem that only appears under heavy load, I'd rather have the dealer grenade the engine so they can't blame it all on me. The rev limiter is there to protect the engine from damage, and there's nothing wrong with using it. Change the oil, and move on.

Mike

 

Yeah after thinking about this probably not a big deal. I would not waste my time with the dealer on this.