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Toyota Tacoma: Problems & Solutions
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Comments
When I called the dealer they stated they needed a stock # from Toyota to order another tray. When I called Toyota they stated they don't sell the cup-holder tray as a seperate item. Thank you so much for your help. I would like to eventually ride in the front again, without having to buy a new truck! Jen
Thanks so much
missy
Thanks Again
Missy
Cleaning the sensor is cheap, and you only seem to find out about it online.
05 Tacoma Paint Chip Mobile
JUST A PILOT?...NO:
"...Integrated closed-box frame with unibody construction is extremely rigid and 93 percent unique to any Honda vehicle..."
NOT A TRUCK?...YEEE... NO!:
"2006 Honda Ridgeline Is First Ever Four-Door Truck to Earn Top Government Crash Test Rating"
"2006 Honda Ridgeline Earns Best-Ever Rollover Rating for a Pickup"
Not bad truck ratings for "a SUT". Besides, what do you suppose the "T" stands for in SUT?
I believe you're referring to TSBs - Technical Service Bulletins. These are bulletins sent from a manufacturer to dealerships identifying a problem among a common group of vehicles and how to repair them. The best place to find applicable TSBs for any given vehicle is http://www.alldata.com
kcram - Pickups Host
(I guess you'll have to change your signin..)
Seriously, I know firsthand how frustrating it can be to go thru what you did.
After waiting/saving/etc. for 15 yrs, I finally bought my wife her first mini-van (1999). Unfortunately, that minivan model was fraught with transmission problems - thru 3 new tranny designs in fact. However, thru prayer and perserverence (obstinance?) the problem was eventually resolved. The key was to document everything, and approach the discussions calmly -in spite of my desire to choke something out of someone. She now has 70K miles on her 2002 minivan (yes, we went thru 3 before we got it right).
The mfr? - Honda. Why did we not switch? Gosh I wanted to. But the wife loved the features of the Ody. (OTOH, I wanted to switch to the Toyota Sienna - this, of course, before their engine sludge issues came up, which Toyota eventually handled if you properly documented the prblms.) The point is, I could have bit the bullet and switched to the Yota van, losing a bit in the process, but then would have unfortunately ended in similar circumstances with a drivetrain issue.
The point is- With one exception, it doesn't seem to matter which mfr, you can always end up with a prblm. If jumping to the Honda brings you peace of mind and a vehicle that serves your needs then that's what you needed to do. But for those that can grit their teeth and bear the burden of calmly pushing the case forward, abandoning the orig model you wanted so badly may not be the proper course.
The one exception (for me)- Ford motor company. In spite of handling the prblms I had w/ a brand new 1984 Ranger (which spent 3 months of the first year in the dealership), Ford treated me badly. The regional rep went so far as to promise repairs at an out of town dealership (since the orig seller obviously wasn't capable), Then, after my vehicle sat for a week because he never gave the dealership authorization, I called and the clown tells me that he has changed his mind, that if I feel like I should sue, to do so. He went out of his way to abuse a customer -something that I still don't understand, absent a brain tumor. He could have just told me that they wouldn't fix it without a lawsuit in the beginning, but instead, he had me drive the vehicle out of town and leave it there for a week (my wife very pregnant at the time).
So, you can understand why I say that Ford is an exception. Not that I'll say I'll NEVER buy another Ford -I just can't right now figure out how that will ever happen.
OTOH, Honda handled the problems w/ my wife's van extremely professionally, although it did take a lot of time and patience, and was a situation that could easily have blown up into something ugly.
Hoping that Xguy has a great ownership experience w/ his Honda, because nobody deserves to have it go bad twice.
-m
My other issue is with the trucks ride. It rides very "bumpy" at freeway speed. The tech said he would check it out.
I just wondered if any of you have had similar problems. Rick
does that sound like a lot? i'm so bummed
Also, I am experiencing a funny little shake and squirm from the tires (dunlops). It isn't severe but it annoying! Has anyone had a resolution to this issue?
About your noise at high speeds:
A couple of other posts have addressed the same issue (check out the 2005 + forum) but in the meantime, from what I read from those who experienced the same problem, all seems to be from early on in the build year with a 1/2" gap in the bottom of the windshield... it "buzzed" above certain speeds and if the wind was blowing just right... same thing.
I guess one guy happened to have a conversation with a windshield installer while he replace the windshield on his truck. The installer showed him a gap in the window gasket... (think it was making the windshield leak too.)
I'm not sure if you already got the answer that you're looking for, but thought I'd pass along what I read. Maybe that's the same problem that you're having?
Good Luck to you on your truck,
Thistle
Bad ground (cheapest to check)-
check all ground cables to battery and chasis, engine to chasis, generator to chasis, starter to chasis. A dirty/loose ground at high amperages used to start will easily drop 1/3 or more of your voltage.
Bad battery-
Battery voltage before starting should be no less than 12V
Bad generator-
Check cables/connections first, but voltage at battery when engine is running and generator charging should be between 13.5V and 15V.
I would check and confirm the above WAY before I would check the starter.
Next, bad starter solenoid. Check voltage going to starter from solenoid (if you can access it) when the engine cranks. -WARNING/DANGER - don't get anywhere that moving parts can injure you or catch on clothing, tools, instrument leads.
Lastly, bad starter.
of intermittent power steering problem. The problem has gotten worse but it is not completely out yet. It is like it is struggling to respond. And occasionally I need to really to use muscle to make the turn happen.
Has anyone gotten this fixed yet?
I have found that after I've driven for a while on a hot day, and I turn the engine off it will sometimes start back up, but only immedialy after I turn it off... if I let it sit for about 5-10 minutes then the only way for me to start it again is to wait for about 30 min, or roll it a bit then pop the clutch....
I have taken it to my mechanic a couple of times now and he has been unable to fix it thus far (probably because he couldn't reproduce the problem).. He says after the all the changes stuff he has tried he has come to the conclusion that it is the igniter.... and told me it will be EXPENSIVE to replace....
I dont think it's a fuel problem because I do not get any hesitation during acceleration or normal idle... has anyone tested the vapor lock solution?
I will probably end up replacing the igniter and will let you all know if this fixes it. Now if I can just find one for cheep.
Steven Allen (dybrn)
Performance Toyota in Fairfield, Ohio has to be the best new car dealer I have ever heard of!
You mentioned you checked the converter. In addition to making sure the converter allows full flow, check for damaged/crushed pipes, damage to muffler, etc. (Converters have been known to loose ceramic substrate which gets blown back to obstruct the muffler.)
Next, check air intake. No foreign matter blocking the air intake (all the way to the outside opening /entrance of the intake duct to the air filter, and on to the engine intake). Air filter?
Next, fuel system. When was the fuel filter last changed? If you can't flow full rating of fuel, you can't get full hp. Check for damaged/crimped lines from fuel tank all the way to the injectors.
Then fuel pump. Now things get pricey.
While there could be ignition issues, the fact that you're not reporting rough running would make me look at exhaust and intake first, restricted fuel delivery second.
You could also have a number of sensor errors, but you don't report a MIL lamp lit, so I'm starting w/o that assumption. But if you have a lighted MIL, you need to plug in an OBD II reader and get the code(s). (Have you checked to see that the MIL lamp is working? It should light when you first turn the key to on, but before the engine starts.)
thanks.!
I own a 1996 2.4 litre (4 cylinder) Toyota Tacoma. Manual 5 speed transmission. 2 wheel (rear) drive.
We recently started to take a trip and stopped at a rest stop. I decided to check the fluids and when I pulled the dipstick for the oil I nearly passed out. Bone dry ! not one quart ! The oil light had NOT come on. The oil light does light as it should before starting engine.
I put in a quart of oil I had left from my last oil change (about a week ago) and got off at the next exit and added 3 more. We drove about another half hour and checked oil again. Nearly empty again ! Speaking of the oil change I was concearned when only about 1 quart of oil came from the engine & oil filter.
To make a long story short we went through about 8 quarts of oil in about 300 miles.
There are no signs of oil leakage on the exterior of the engine or on the frame or on the oil filter or the drain plug. There are no oil spots under the parked vehicle. I am guessing the oil is comming out while at speed but there should be some evidence somewhere of 2 gallons of leaked oil !! :confuse:
It does not appear to be burning the oil a plug check showed dry and grey. At that rate of loss oil should be dripping out the tail pipe and the plugs fouled to the point of no spark.
Any clues I am totally stumped not to mention a ruined vacation.
UM
However, the most common cause of what you describe is a bad ground.
The dash and instruments are likely to have a number of grounds to chasis.
Do you have instrument panel lights when you turn on the parking or head lamps?
If so, when you flip on the lights, do you see any flicker or movement in the gages?
Bad grounds are the number one cause of DC maladies, especially those that come and go. Unfortunately, under the dash they can be very difficult, and lead to dramatic expansion of your vulgar vocabulary...
You can try establishing a separate ground btwn the metal of the dash and the chasis, but more often than not the ground has to be established to a conductor in a harness or to the circuit board ground plane by a "instrument cluster ground".
Good luck
The instructions for turning off the light (actually resetting) are in the owner's manual.
As for greed- it's not Toyota, since it's in the manual. It's the dealer if they were going to charge him to do that instead of just telling him to look in the manual. I've got one better. My wife actually had the oil changed at the Honda dealer. However, she did not accept their 30+ point service pkg. (Half of which were bogus items like "lubricate propeller shaft u-joints" -first, it's front wheel drive so it has no propeller shaft or u-joints, 2nd, it's been about 25 yrs or so since passenger vehicles had u-joints capable of accepting lube fittings.) She told them, truthfully, that I would perform the balance of the mfr's recommended maint. (Which at that time/mileage was to rotate the tires, check fluids.) When she picked up the vehicle and the light was still illuminated, she asked them if they'd forgotten. The svc writer told her that since she didn't accept the complete svc pkg, it would cost $35 for them to reset the svc indicator light. Wisely she waited to ask me about it.
OTOH, this guy is an atypical jerk. Several others there are fine to deal with. I finally had to call the svc director and tell him if they wanted my biz, they needed to ensure that I never had to spk with this guy again.
I'm so glad I found this site. I also have a new 05' Tacoma, dbl cab 6 speed trd.
I noticed this morning that my maintenance light came on. I'm @ 5k right now. What do I have to do? I didn't get a chance to look at the manual. If it says I should change the oil, I can do that. Is there a certain oil filter or oil that I should use? I didn't want to take it in to Toyota, only because I can do it myself and I don't really them doing things I can't see. What do you suggest? Should I just take my truck to them?
In the time it took to type in your post, you could have found the answers to all your questions in the owner's manual. I'll never understand why so many people don't look in their owner's manual before asking questions.
(It's also in the svc manual, but no need to go that far.)
Actually, my 1994 Suzuki Sidekick had a similar system, though it was OBD I.
The newer systems (as in the taco) are much simpler. On the 94 Sidekick, you had to go under the dash and flip a switch. That would leave the light off for the next interval, after which you'd have to flip the switch back the other way.
W/ the newer ones, the combination of holding the button down while turning the key on is much simpler and really no difficulty.
As for filters, select a good quality aftermarket or the OEM Toyota filter.
I personally like Purolator, but there are plenty of other good quality filters.
Drain the old oil, put in the plug. Then add the filter.
Many will disagree, but I suggest prefilling the filter w/ fresh oil before installing. Fill thru the center hole, then with the filter slightly tilted, rotate it to allow the oil to go into the canister, wetting the filter media. You've got it right when there's just a little oil in the center hole. Spin it on till the gasket touches, then about 3/4 turn.
Use the dipstick to tell when it's full, not just counting quarts. Fill the crankcase and when full, replace the cap. Start the engine observing the oil press light which should go out in a couple of seconds (particularly if you prefilled the filter). Shut down the engine. While you're gathering up tools and waste to dispose of, let the engine sit to drain back. Recheck the oil level and add as necessary. It 's important to be in the full zone, but do NOT overfill. Better to be 1/4 qt low than overfull, though the closer to full, the cooler the oil. (A 1/4 qt will have no measurable effect.)
With the filter right out front like it is, I decided to write mileage and date on the filter (Purolator is white, so black indelible marker works great).
Just make sure that you use a brand name motor oil, of the grade and viscosity recommended. (I haven't looked recently, but I think its 5W30, API SL.)
Some will recommend synthetics, and while they are better in theory, any good name brand oil of the proper grade and viscosity, maintained properly, will give you great service. (More to be lost by accumulating moisture, acids and contaminants by not servicing it at the proper intervals than the difference between regular motor oil and spending big bucks on fancy synthetics or blends.)
In regards to some other posts here, I too have had the whistling sound from my windshield at 120km/hr on a very warm day. I also feel that the brakes on this truck are rather spongy.