Warning Lights

I'm concerned that some of the warning lights on my '00 SR5 AC 4x4 that I purchased about six months ago are not functional as they've never lit up when I start it up.

I pulled the dash cluster and replaced the main T-10 and T-5 lights with LEDs (avoiding the ones that need to stay incandescent). I've tested the various lights that do not come on (ABS for example) with known good incandescent bulbs, but... nothing in any key position.

I've searched and searched for images of a 1st gen dash cluster with all of the appropriate lights on, either in accessory or start/run mode and cannot find one that seems to consistently show the "correct" lights illuminated. I do see many with the ABS light on and although the brakes work fine, that concerns me.

Does anyone have a list or preferably a photo of all of the warning lights that should be on when your Tundra starts up?

I've replaced dash lights with both incandescent and LED in many vehicles so I'm comfortable with the process... just want to be sure everything on my Tundra is working correctly. Welcome any advice as well.

Here are three photos showing what I'm seeing currently with the key in various positions and right after it starts up.

TIA!

 

Looks good from my house man.

 

Thanks for that.

So based on the chart from the owner's manual, the ones highlighted (the lights that I'm seeing) are the only ones I should see at any point... unless of course something is wrong?

I guess I'm used to seeing most or all warning lights come on when any (modern) car or truck starts up and then go out after a few moments... kind of a "test" to be sure they're all working.

Thanks again!

 

Yeah, I could never get the windshield fluid low light to turn on in the 20+ years I've owned my Tundra.

 

I couldn't get it to turn on on my V6 tundra either, and then I pulled the washer fluid reservoir. I didn't even have a low level float switch to begin with...

 

Wasn't it you that posted a picture of a gauge cluster totally lit up? Like, I thought there was some series of weird key turns or something that, like, made every available light in the cluster turn on, for diagnostic purposes.

 

Just found this thread with a similar question by another 2000 Tundra owner:

https://www.tundras.com/threads/what-dash-lights-should-be-on-before-starting.54813/

@Aerindel said "Battery, ABS, Check engine, AT/Temp." I'm seeing all but the ABS light. Although I know the bulb is good, the ABS light never illuminates. The OP in the other thread also said his ABS light was not lighting up. His last post said that he had figured out what was wrong but he never said what it was (I really hate that!) and he hasn't been back since.

That would be excellent.

 

Yeah that was me, but that was on my V6 which does not have a transmission temp warning light best I can figure. I'll see if I can dig it out of my files.

2002, V6, 2WD, Non-ABS

 

@richsadams have you read this thread yet?

https://www.tundras.com/threads/instrument-panel-led-conversion.94162/#post-2378307

 

Oh, and @shifty` the "weird key turns" sequence is just the key on before starting. All the lights your truck is equipped with should come on, but they all go out after 1-5 seconds.

 

I did... excellent thread.

It looks like what I'm seeing is normal, with the possible exception of the ABS light which, at least for some, apparently illuminates for a few moments after the key is turned to accessory or start and then goes out. As mentioned, the ABS light never lights up on mine. I have a known good incandescent bulb in the ABS position. (Swapped out the air bag light to be sure).

 

Do you have ABS? My truck doesn't have ABS it has the slot and the light bulb is installed but the light never comes on. If it does have ABS someone could have pulled the fuses because they were having issues with it.

The AT/P light has something to do with v6 4wd I believe.

The low oil pressure light is a weird one to me. I know for sure some 2000 model year trucks have the socket and the physical indicator printed on the face of the cluster (you can see it if you shine a flashlight through the hole below the brake warning light) but 2001 up has a hole but nothing on the cluster face.
I've never seen my low fuel light but I always fill up around a quarter tank. Washer fluid about the same. I always keep it filled up.

 

Well, bingo... I think. It never occurred to me that it might not have ABS. I just looked at the window sticker (in pretty good shape) and the online build specs and nowhere does it list anti-lock brakes!

I haven't owned a vehicle in the past two or three decades that didn't have ABS (plus there was a bulb in the ABS warning light socket like yours), so I just assumed. And we all know what that means.

I haven't actually looked at the braking system closely. If/when it stops raining for a bit I'll have a closer look.

For now, I think the ABS light mystery is solved at least.

Based on responses here and elsewhere it looks like I'm seeing the correct warning lights - Battery, Check Engine, Seat Belt, SRS/Air Bag and AT Oil Temp) - when I fire it up.

I'm open to any other input of course, but thanks for the great and fast feedback!

 

Good point.

According to the EWD and 2000 Owners Manual, if there is ABS, there should be 2-40 amp fuses in the appropriate Engine Bay J/B.

 

Maybe saying something you already know and/or thought of here, but ... Anywhere a manufacturer can use the same part across multiple units versus making two separate parts, they'll do it. That's true not only with the cluster's gauge insert sheet that has the colored punch-outs to light up the words/icons, but also with that spare bulb in the cluster. The cost of creating an extra part, or even changing the assembly line to install/remove that extra bulb could potentially cost more than the bulb itself.

Genericization of parts is critical to an effecient and cost-effective manufacture. I'm grateful for it, too ... sometimes that's the reason that, for example, fog lights are a plug-and-play upgrade. It would've cost more to remove the fog light harness from the vehicle than to leave it in.

 

That's funny, because mine's never turned off. I've had a new sensor sitting in my garage for years, just haven't ever replaced it. Maybe I'll work on that this weekend. Probably won't, though.

 

A break in the rain so I went out and snapped a photo of the engine compartment fuse box and sure enough, it's missing those two 40 amp fuses. I guess someone could have pulled them, but from the dust in those two slots, it looks like it would have been long ago... or never.

I forgot to mention that when I bought it I connected my OBD II scanner and it showed no current codes. I don't have any of those types of fuses lying around to test it either, so for now I'm going to have to remember to pump the brakes in the event of an emergency stop I guess. Haven't done that in I dunno how many years! Let's hope there aren't any emergencies.

Thanks very much for the help, it's truly appreciated.

 

Actually, it's the other way around. If you remove the fuses when you have ABS, the light comes on and never goes off.

I know, because I had only owned my truck for about a week before the ABS system tried to crash me into a tree.

Each tire has a traction 'budget', that it can spend on braking, or steering If all the budget is spent on braking, you have none left for steering, and vice versa.

All that ABS does, is selectively reduce braking force, to keep all your wheels turning at the the same speed, so that on slick surfaces, you can keep steering even while pressing the pedal to the floor.

The problem is, this REDUCES your braking ability. And when going downhill in the snow, it may reduce your braking so much that you can't stop the truck at all and you will find yourself going faster and faster while standing on the brake, fighting the ABS and using every cuss word in the book.

In soft surfaces like snow and gravel, or when using tire chains, ABS can up to double your stopping distance, as if, any one of your tires is getting worse traction than the others (say, being a smart driver, you have steered so that a pair of your tires is out of the icy ruts and into the snow in the center line), your brakes will reduce the braking power of the tires with traction, to match that of the tires WITHOUT traction, meaning your brakes only can work as well as the tire with the LEAST amount of traction. Thats right, if ONE tire is slipping, your ABS system makes sure that your truck drives as if all the tires are slipping.

Not surprisingly, its even shown that ABS increases run-off fatalities over non-ABS

You don't want to pump your brakes in an emergency stop....what you do is selectively decide if you want to stop as fast as possible, or steer, or both. If you just want to stop, just push your brake pedal to the floor and hold it there until things stop moving. You won't be able to steer while doing this, and the truck may not be going straight, but you stop as fast as possible.

If you are trying to keep steering, you do what us old timers (40, lol) where taught to do, which is feather your brakes so that you are almost locking up, but not quite.

You can even slam on your brakes, crank your wheel to get the truck slewing to the side, let the truck skid until the last instant, then pop off the brakes when the truck is pointing the direction you want it to go, to doge obstacles.

 

So why is ABS even legal you may ask yourself?

Its a good question and an odd subject, in 2012 the NTSB figured out ABS was killing people but the TOTAL death rate, was nearly unchanged because ABS vehicles where less likely to kill PEDESTRIANS, and to my knowledge they never re-visited the study, which seems kinda shocking given that ABS is required on all new vehicles but statistically kills more drivers than cars without it in some kinds of wrecks.

My theory is, that its part of the shift by 'safety people' from crash avoidance, to crash survival. For their books, it doesn't matter that you destroy your truck, they just care that you can walk away...(to die slowly as a homeless bum because you don't have a truck anymore, but that is someone else's problem)

Modern cars and driving techniques all emphasis crashing straight into things so the airbags, crumple zones etc can work as effectively as possible, rather than trying to avoid the crash, hitting off center, rolling, etc. ABS is REALLY good at sending you straight into something at high speed rather than risking a skid.

And there is a certain logic to this, I must admit, since most people are terrible drivers and their efforts to avoid a crash would be worse than useless and few people actually know how to control a skid anyway, so lets just make crashes as 'predictable' as possible and build cars for occupant survival rather than for crash avoidance.

Either that, or they are just afraid that going back on ABS, would mean admitting a mistake.

 

Makes perfect sense.

 

Old timer? Apparently I was hot rodding around before you were born. Soooo...

 

Yeah, it's a joke...but even at just over 40, 'we' know things about cars that it seems all the kids have no idea ever existed. I find I have to keep explaining things like that or half the audience these days has no idea what your talking about.

 

So now I feel old. Thanks... thanks a lot!

 

You won't have fuses if you don't have ABS either.
Look here
If you don't have ABS you'll have nothing here like the pic. If you do have ABS you'll know. I'd assume with no light on and no fuses you have a big empty area there.

 

Here’s a shot of my 2000 with key on. While cranking the brake light also illuminates. I don’t have ABS and I never use the parking brake.

 

Exactly what mine looks like.

 

Almost the same but mine has the air bag and AT Temp lights too. Thanks!

 

I was always wondering if a nice air compressor will fit in that spot. Toyota is always the last to make ABS standard on vehicles.

 

So it looks like I'm good to go then. All of the lights that are supposed to illuminate are working as they should.

I should have noted the other lights like turn signals, gear locations, cruise control and what-not are working as expected too. I was just concerned about the warning lights and if they're not all suppose to be on when I crank it up, I'm a happy camper.

Thanks to everyone that chimed in. Your time and efforts are truly appreciated!

 

One day I hope to run an air horn on my truck and I'm hoping I can find a compressor that will fit right there.