Tacoma Could Not Handle the Cold Resolution

After bringing my 2017 TRD Off Road in for not starting and the E brake freezing in the on position during the last below 0F cold snap here is what the dealer found.

The battery and electrical system passed the initial testes showing the battery being good and it started just fine in the warm shop. I was told since I showed them a video of it not starting they dug a littler deeper and ran another Toyota test where they fully charge the battery and test it as it discharges.

Turns out it failed and they believe it had a cell going bad or something. They replaced the battery under warranty.

It will be below 0F tonight so I will know in the AM if the new battery can handle the cold.

For the E brake sticking on they found moisture inside the drum causing the freeze up of the E brake. They took it apart and cleaned it up. No root cause on how it got in there but I will keep an eye on it.

The service staff was great and they kept me up to date, no charge, no fighting to get it covered under warranty and they gave me a free car to drive.

I can't say anything negative, very happy with Toyota service this time around.

 

Hope they got everything resolved

 

You live in Northern Canada and use your E brake in the winter time? Brave, we have had many a work truck have the e brakes frozen solid and you cannot get them to move unless you take a torch to the drum for a long time to get it to melt. Major pain in the butt and it can take a long long time to thaw, depending the temps, not to mention the costs associated with it, we have made it a blanket policy in out company that you are not to use the E brake/parking brake at anytime in the winter, we have had them freeze that often.

Now with my Tacoma, I have had the regular drum brakes freeze up on me from sitting in the truck talking to someone with the brakes on and the truck in gear for maybe 30s in -30degrees Celisus, and not allow me to move my truck, without a bit of gas to break the bond, they seem to allow moisture in fairly easily, normally not an issue, but have that happen in cold temps, and well they stick.

Anyways, glad you got it sorted, just don't use the e-brake/parking brake in the winter time. It's a really bad idea.

 

Do you have a battery blanket/block heater set up??

 

I dont think OP lives in Northern Canada at 0 .
Northern Canada is fairly chilly this morning
Clear


-34°C

FEELS LIKE -34

 

What did you guys use for parking brake then? I don't trust just leaving a trans in gear. I've had pretty much every car I've done that to run away at some point or another, fortunately never had any accidents.

Parking chocks?

 

-29.2 F? Brrrrrrrrr

 

That's actually what the manual recommends in the "Winter Driving Tips" section:

 

I park on a steep hill that's why I use it.

Not going to use it anymore on sub freezing days.

 

I don't even trust the parking brake. I always turn my front wheels into the curbing. But good advice on use of the E-brake in sub freezing weather.

 

I don't use them. Last time I used a E-brake was on a M520 Goer back in 1980 at Ft. Riley, KS.

 

We use chocks yes, they do jack shit in the winter anyways as they just slide. Personally i never use the parking brake unless i’m offroad and on hills and need to start up again. Or when driving a manual tranny. Oh the joys of passing my drivers test in the UK and Africa. You better know how to use it. You cannot ride the clutch like so many do here in north america. Instant fail.

Battery blanket and block heater i do not have. No issues with the tacoma starting up in minus 40-45 degrees celsius. It certainly doesn't like it but it quickly warms up and stops whining within 20s. That being said i am debating installing a block heater, just looking for an alternative to the Toyota one where you need to carry the extra darn cable beaides an extension cable with you. Bad idea if you ask me. Can easily see people forgetting it or the plug being iced over.

Battery blankets should not be needed if the battery has proper charge to it. It should never freeze. That being said it does happen. If your battery freezes it is toast anyways and was on its last legs.

The best setup i saw was my buddies 4 runner. He had a battery blanket, trickle charger, in cab heater and block heater all wited into one plug. His car sometimes would sit for months without being used. Was teally slick. For 99% of us this is not needed he was living in Inuvik at the time.

Steve

 

I always use mine as habit on my MT, in Canada too when it's cold.

Years ago I didn't, came outside and my car was across the parking lot, oops. Just extra safety and peace of mind that it's not going anywhere.

 

We use a short 2' extension with three receptacles on one end a single plug on the other. Plug the block heater, oil pan heater and battery blanket into it in the engine bay and run the single plug end out the grille to power them all.

 

I also use my ebrake it is a 5mt with a remote start.
Brake has to be set in order to set the remote start.
We had -12 with a wind chill of -24 this am.
Yes I have had them hang up but usually reverse would break them free.
The boots were torn and let moisture in, new cables this summer and all is good now!

 

Wind chill has no effect on the actual temperature.

 

I think I trust leaving it in gear more than I trust the parking brake lol. It's not gonna bump start itself and I'm pretty sure it would have to be on a near vertical slope before the weight could overcome the compression.

 

I used ice chocks like these:

IC-10 Ice Wheel Chock, 9-1/4" Height x 8" Width x 10-1/2" Length

https://www.amazon.com/IRONguard-60-7284-IC-10-Height-Length/dp/B004V5FFDM

 

Oh thise are nice. Do you have to stomp them into the ground before you use them to set them In place? We had something very simialr that on paper was amazing but found that if they were not hit into the ground they would slide before the weight of the car dug them into the ice. We have the same issue with car ramps and trying to get vehicles on them In the winter, they tent to slide u less you can wedge them under the tyre or spike them to the ground.

How on earth did your car get across the parking lot while in park? Or was this a manual and bumped out of gear? Manual i always use the parking brake and put it in gear thats a different story. Also never knew tou could get auto starts for manual tranmissions legally. They use to bot be allowed in some Provinces as people would leave the car in gear start them and the car would drive away.

Steve

 

I never new thats risky in winter. Been driving 20 years and manuals almost every vehicle and never had a sticky E brake.