70k truck defeated by a butterfly

Wish I would have took a photo, but on a long trip I just took I hit a lot of bugs on the road as one does. Parked the truck for the night and got up the next morning to head out and the truck started beeping like mad and when put in gear to move it slammed on the breaks like I was getting ready to hit something.
I screwed around for awhile thinking the truck was just acting up. Shut off then back on and same thing. Brake slam. Got out to see what the deal was and nothing around the truck till I finally noticed a dead butterfly smashed on the grill with one of its wings covering one of the front sensors.
Peeled off and all is well again.
Man I love this truck but I do miss the days you could just get in a truck and take off without worrying about a butterfly taking you out.

 

Is this the sensor on the Toyota logo?

 

One of the first computers failed due to a moth being stuck in the housing. Hence it being called a bug

 

Front passenger side.

 

My 2010 Tacoma predates all of the TSS stuff, but a couple months ago I nailed a goliath-sized moth while driving from my home in Pennsylvania to a car show in New Jersey. I parked at my destination and saw what I thought was several Spotted Lanternflies but turned out to be the aforementioned moth plastered to my grille mesh. The moth was gravely wounded, but amazingly still alive; I pulled it off the grille and administered a coup de grâce with my foot. It had no effect on the safe operation of my old truck, but your story reminded me of that...

 

Here are some pictures of the moth shortly after I found it; I have a Raptor-style grille on my Tacoma (with "TOYOTA" in big block letters), and I somehow managed to get a bullseye without even trying...

 

Great example of the butterfly effect!

 

I like tech as much as the next person but it’s getting crazy. I have had mine go off if it rains to much and when the car in front is slinging wet road grime at me. The lane assist is to sensitive, so I just keep it off. I do like the adaptive cruise control though. I would hate to see the repair/calibration bill for some of these sensors.

 

can't you just turn all that shit off ?

 

I believe you can. Some of the features reset after you turn of the vehicle. At least that’s how it is in my wife’s 20 Lexus which is basically the same system on the new tundra.

 

I was behind a Mercedes at a drive through yesterday. They had to open their door & try to drive 3x to get the E parking brake to release the rear wheels. Reminded me how much I hate that sh!t and how glad I am I don't have it.

 

The wife’s Lexus has electric e-brakes. Not that is much harder but changing the rear brakes now requires you to activate the motor to do a brake job. They took a simple mechanical cable that worked 99% of the time to replace it with an electrical part that could fail more.

 

It's a solution in search of a problem. I'm all for technology that serves a purpose but this is just silly.

 

You still can. Just getchya one that looks like this on the inside.

 

Hey! I have one of those! Same color, same interior. Mine's a 1991. No moth or butterfly that exists on the planet is going to have much success against it!

 

Had a wet leaf nail the TSS sensor last fall when I was doing about 50mph. Got the red dash of death screaming ‘BRAKE’ at me and I just about wet my pants. Watched what I assumed was the culprit fly over the hood the same moment everything went back to normal.

 

Yes with Techstream

 

About the electronic brake. I wish my 21 had it. I had them in my last two trucks. It's nice to just get in and take off and it releases the parking brake for you. I always use my parking brake.

 

The things you learn! I love random facts!

 

Even nature is against the new toyota pickup.

 

I tend to agree with most of this, but I do like the blind spot monitor, I glance at that see if the light is on and then do the shoulder check so I check twice that way. If the light is on then I wont even bother looking and stay put. I really really like the cross traffic alert, it really helps when you cant see in parking lots, etc.

 

I too make it a habit to still glance over my shoulder, which definitely saved my from a side swipe a few days back... Apparently (and maybe it was a one time fluke) the BSM doesn't fair well when its raining heavily... Checked mirror and saw nothing, but a shoulder check showed a car whose nose was just behind the driver's door...

 

Most people never use their parking brake. Most major manufacturers have had recalls for the trans not holding the vehicle in park. It will save lives/injuries/ damages. And I still think it's better aa electronic. You don't have to release it you just drive away it will release itself.

 

I just got mine. 22 Platinum Cdn Version which means basically fully loaded. I love the adaptive cruise and I let it steer through all the corners. I am not sure how long I will do that but its novel for right now. The adap cruise is amazing. I had it slow me down to 15km coming up to stopped cars at a light when they moved it continued on to the set speed when it could.

Bloody Amazing it is!!!

 

1. E parking brake released in over 150,000 miles of driving a f150. And I used it tens of thousands of times. I work in construction. It also realesesd fine in a chevy in 30k miles same thing I used it 20 to 50 times a day. I. Would think toyota would build a better one.

But still I like cars that improve safety for everyone. You more like people just need to drive safe. Might as well remove airbags, seatbelts, stability control, ABS ext ect then you can depend on everyone being responsible. I on the other hand know most people don't give a shit about anyone other than themselves. So I like mandatory safety features on all vehicles. To protect me from the majority of people who don't care. I rather see a few people with broken parking brakes than see a vehicle rolling down a hill towards me, or God forbid children.

 

This drove me NUTS! I live in a place where we gets tons of snow, and this goofy sensor is the first thing to ice over. It has nearly caused me to wreck before
I've disabled all of it.

 

I got a rock chip on my windshield on day 7. I took it to the windshield shoo for rock chip repair and he also gave me a quote for r & r on new Toyota windshield. $1700 parts & labor! $400 of it was to re-calibrate the lane assist camera.

 

Recently before I traded in my Tacoma for the new tundra I had the tacoMa windshield replaced one shop wanted $1600 for original windshield which $400 was for recalibration of the sensors/cameras lane Assist I called a different shop and got it replace for $600 he said no need for recalibration since the new windshield has a housing for the sensors and everything goes right back in the same way it just has to be install the right way first time, drove the truck for 2000 more miles and never once had issues with the sensors everything worked perfectly.

not saying you shouldn’t do the recalibration just what I was told by the shop and they are well know shop in my city.

 

I have a buddy here with a similar issue. He was driving his truck on his property thru a field and the grass was just tall enough for his light to keep screaming and braking for him. So far mine has thrown me forward from pulling into my garage. I read somewhere on the forum about the Carista obd2 plug and app. Guys were able to disable the seat belt chime and other things, wander if there's a way to permanently disable that too.