Ask the Toyota mechanic!

Jace, My front drivers side parking sensor acts like it's sensing a close object (low speeds it beeps solid). I visually checked it out last night and everything seems OK - sensor is clean, mounted in position, nothing loose. Is there a way to test for a faulty sensor? Can I check resistance across the wires and what value am I looking for? Thanks!

 

I know you are a busy man Jace, but did you ever get a chance to find these torque specs ? Thanks in advance.

 

Somewhere there's a thread with all the torque specs. Csuviper started it, I think.

 

I don't think I'd mess with the thermostat if it were me. It was designed that way for a reason...

I can look but I normally just plug a new one and see if it stops beeping. They go bad all the time.

 

Is 50k miles typical for them to go bad? Just trying to make sure it def needs replaced as they are $175 each! Thanks!!

 

Sorry if this has been covered and i just can't find it...i have a 2017 double cab TRD and when sitting at a stop light sometimes if i'm not really pressing hard on my brake pedal i start to slowly move forward. I really have to concentrate or it'll start creeping toward the car in front of me. Is this a known issue or do i just need to get my brakes inspected at my 5000 service?

 

You're simply not pressing the brake pedal hard enough. I noticed that this was happening to me initially having come from a manual transmission where you're just holding the vehicle in place, whereas with an automatic, you're fighting the engine being engaged. Were you to slip it into neutral while at a light like a manual trans, it wouldn't happen. I would consider this normal.

 

Which is what I thought, yet the pedal is almost at the floor already. I can also release the pedal just a bit and re-engage it and it corrects itself. It's almost like the pedal from initial stop slowly continues to compress but it continues to roll. As much as I wanted it to be a user error I'm not sure that's the case. I've had manuals and automatics for 25 years and have never experienced this before in any vehicle. I'm gonna have Toyota look at it before I commit to it being normal.

 

Seems like taking it to the dealer is a reasonable thing to do, it does seem pretty odd. My brakes are pretty touchy. I wonder if you have a vacuum leak for the brake booster. Not sure where the nearest dealer for you is, Salida or Denver, but maybe have a look under the hood and gingerly poke or lightly push on some of the hoses. If that's not for you, I know that there must be some handy mechanical folk there near you. Isn't there a pretty good Subaru mechanic that lives out toward Mosquito Gulch? Pete or something like that?

 

There's a good subaru guy that has a shop in town and he lives closer to Fairplay but I never see him open so I'm not sold on reliability. I'm gonna head to Denver to get a lift installed Thursday and will have Toyota look at it while I'm down there. My knowledge on anything vehicle related is pretty limited, although this community has already taught me a ton. Thanks to everyone else for continuing to answer my questions.

 

Sounds good, if something awry is discovered, let us know so it's out there to keep an eye on.

 

Not sure mileage has anything to do with I at all... I've replaced those a good amount of times under warranty and not.

This^ I would go for a ride with a shop foreman or service manager. Show them in person what ur talking about. Then, hop out and have them try.

 

Will do. It's making me a wee bit nervous but I'm hoping to get it in on Monday to check it out. Knowing me...it's probably user error

 

LOTSOFTOYS, I have a 2011 Tundra Limited Crew Max 4x4 with about 120,000 miles on it. About 10,000 miles ago, while towing our camper trailer (about 5,000 pounds), when going up hills and the engine downshifts and is at about 2500 RPM, wife and I both noticed that the engine would start a very regularly timed surging up and down in RPM. The RPM will vary about 100 or so RPM on about a 2 second cycle time: i.e.: 2 seconds at 2500 RPM, 2 seconds at about 2600 RPM, 2 seconds at 2500 RPM, and so on. The engine does NOT downshift, nor are any dash lights indicating any problem. As I accelerate, the cycle time doesn't change but when I reach around 3000 or so RPM, the surging stops.

At first the problem was only when we towed, however, this winter when the temp gets below around 40 degrees it started surging even when not towing, and the colder it gets, the surging gets MUCH worse. And the cycle time is around one second or less now. At outside temperatures below 20 degrees F, the surging starts between 2000 and 2500 RPM and is so severe it really jerks you around. Once you've gone around a mile or so, the engine warms up and the surging stops.

However, one of the things we've noticed is that since this has started, the gas mileage has gone down. From 11 or 12 to 8 or 9 mpg while towing, and from around 16 highway, not towing to around 12 or 13.

Also, I should mention that I put in new Denso Iridium sparkplugs at 100K miles and made sure they were gapped right. At the same time I cleaned the MAF using the proper CRC MAF cleaner, and put in a new Wix air filter. I run Royal Purple 5W-20 oil and change filter every oilchange, which is done at least twice a year (or every 7500 miles. It uses no oil between changes. At the same time, because I didn't have time to do it myself, I had the dealer drain and flush the radiator and refill with Toyota antifreeze, flush and replace all the transmission fluid with Toyota fluid (nearly 20 quarts), drain and replace oil in front and rear differentials and transfer case. I keep U-joints and all else greased myself. The truck is up to date on all maintenance and has shown no Check Engine lights. When this started, I put a couple of the red bottles of HEET in the tank. About once a year, I put a large bottle of Chevron Techron fuel system cleaner in the tank and top it up.

Also, the O2 sensors are the original ones, as are all other engine sensors, although the Check Engine light has never come on.

I know my way around an engine and engine compartment having built many of them: everything from outboard motors, to lawn mowers, chainsaws, jet-skis, motorcycle engines, small block Chevy's and Fords, marine racing engines, and some big blocks, my favorites being big block Mopars.

I appreciate any help or advice you can give me on this problem.

Tim

 

I feel the same way with my truck since new. Any other automatics don't require so much pedal force to keep them stopped. Is the idle speed on tundras just really high?

 

Ya gotta have a strong footing to hold back a torque monster!

 

When I had my 2008 Tacoma idle was a good 5-10 MPH with foot off the pedal and I found myself constantly riding the brakes when crawling down the driveway/parking lot etc. My 2013 Tundra is no where near this - in fact, I think I can take my foot off the brake and not move until I hit the gas.

 

This is the first I've heard of surging with a 5.7... u say u put heet into the tank when this started. While reading I was thinking it may be fuel related.... might lay off the additives for a bit and let it do its thing. Also winter fuel has more alcohol in it and other additives, that generally lead to worse gas mileage. Food for thought

 

Someone say food?

 

Thanks for the reply. I only put HEET in the tank that one time. And I haven't put any Techron or other additive/cleaner in the tank for at least around 5000 miles. I did burn a couple tanks of alcohol-free gas through it to see if that made any difference, and it did not. I've tried different octane ratings and that made no difference, so I'm just running 87 octane Top Tier brands, like I normally do.

Today I ordered all new fuel/air ratio sensors and O2 sensors for it. I'm getting the OEM Denso sensors, but ordered them through Amazon for half the price of what the dealers charge. If this doesn't fix the problem, I'll put it on the scanner and see what that shows. There's one good garage here that's got the Snap-On scanner that does a good job with the Tundras, I've been told.

 

I have a problem with my tail light. Everything works fine until I turn on my lights. Then the right side tail light and brake light stay on. The left side and center brake light work fine. I have replaced the bulb and it did not resolve the problem. Please help. Thanks

 

Hey Jace!

I have a 2 wd 4.6L 12 tundra with BOSS shocks up front and 33" toyo AT's with stock steelies.

When I turn to the left as I'm coming from a stop or going super slow, I can hear and feel a grinding noise coming from the front wheel. It doesn't happen when I'm going slightly faster. I do need to change my rotors because I have a shake when I put on brakes from relatively high speeds, think it might be a rotor rubbing on the dust shield? Any idea what this could be would help as I'm bringing in my truck to be serviced this month. Thanks bud!

 

I'm going to put this one in here one more time. I bought a 2010 SR5 5.7 and I am having a light issue. Everything works fine until I turn on my lights. Then the right rear brake light stays on with the tail light. The center and left brake light work fine. I have changed the bulb and that is not the problem. Can someone clue me in as to what might be wrong? I have turned the bulb both ways and it still does the same. Not blowing fuses. I'm at a loss to fix the issue. Thanks for any help with my issue

 

My work truck is a 98 Dakota, all the parking lights stay on. Disconnect the battery for a second then hook it back up and they stay off till I turn them on again. My boss thinks it's the body control module. Could be something like that, maybe?

 

I will try it but it is only one light. Thanks for the response

 

Maybe the wires are bare and touching. Somehow the brake light is getting power when it shouldn't. Have you traced the harness and checked for damage?

 

I have not. they are not touching in the tail light assembly. If they were touching wouldn't the tail light be coming on when I hit the brake?

 

Yeah, guess the tail probably would come on. Weird, I hate electrical gremlins. Our 99 Lexus has window gremlins. Sometimes they open by themselves, mostly the drivers and the sunroof.

 

that would be bad in a car wash lol. i think you have a grounding problem and I may have too. looking around the internet and texting one my mechanic buddies he thinks my tail light is grounding through the brake light. his words are your tail light is hunting a ground and finding through the brake light. beats me. I guess I am going to ground the tail light and see what happens or start blowing fuses. I was hoping for a definitive answer here.