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Toyota Tundra Owner Experiences

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Comments

  • arkie6arkie6 Member Posts: 198
    Regarding the daytime running lights question: Seems like I remember someone posting something about pressing the parking brake down a click or two will turn them off. I'm not sure and my memory may be a little fuzzy on this since I wasn't too concerned with it (I don't have the daytime running lights). The other option would be to deenergize the relay the turns on the daytime running lights, which operate the main headlights at about 50% intensity. There may be a fuse you can pull or a wire that can be disconnected. You might also checkout www.tundrasolutions.com message board for this same question.
  • egbakeregbaker Member Posts: 13
    These lights are required by law now, I believe.

    I have a T100 and bought all factory service manuals($137.00 for all - Toyota ripped me off).
    These things pay for themselves and I have bought some for each car I have ever owned.

    Anyway, I believe my manual indicates a special relay is used for this daytime light function(for Canada models at the time). Look for a relay panel(usually either the drivers left foot wall or the engine compartment - there are more than one panel in Toyotas). The relay may be labeled, or its socket when unplugged. Unplug it and see if anything else associated with the lighting system is effected.

    Good luck and let us know if you find one that works.
  • austlar123austlar123 Member Posts: 3
    Got all excited and went out and fired up the Tundra. The parking break solution is a dud. As for relay switched, I'll check it out, but I think I'll let somebody else that might know what they are doing go out and pull plugs. Is it possible that the relay is buried in some computer chip? Just a thought. Anyway, I appreciate all the suggestions, and I'll let you know what I figure out.
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    Start snippin wires haha.

    parking brake method is used i know for a fact on blazers.

    Ryan
  • ratboy3ratboy3 Member Posts: 324
    Parking brakes used on Blazers to cut off the Daytime Running Lights? I have to tell my friend they skipped his '98 Blazer.
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    This is on a 2000 blazer i know for sure the 99 and 2000 uses this. You push the parking brake in till you hear a little noise (cant describe it) you do not activate the parking brake. Only annoying thing is on the dash one of the warning lights comes on no biggy though.

    Ryan
  • quadrunner500quadrunner500 Member Posts: 2,721
    On my Silverado, you can just pull the fuse for daytime running lights. I like having 'em on, so fuse stays in. I would like to be able to turn the headlamps off at night. Not that I need to, but I just don't like it that GM doesn't trust me to turn them on. Big brother. On the 2000 and newer models, you have the option. But on '99s like mine, you're stuck.
  • ratboy3ratboy3 Member Posts: 324
    Wish my Tundra had that option. Running light go off after the engine is shut off.

    My friend's Blazer's turn signal blinkers are bugged out though, the clicking when you turn them on the signals comes from under the glove box! haha!
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    Dads blazer turn signal noise is loud and comes from the passenger side up by the window and speaker. I hate the noise.

    Also on my silverado when i put it in park like at a RR xing (this morning when i got stopped for example) the DRL's go off so they dont blind anyone.

    Ryan
  • z71billz71bill Member Posts: 1,986
    The 99 Silverado head lights can be shut off at night, but it is a pain. You need to turn the truck off, put the parking brake on, then restart the truck. The lights stay off until you release the brake or put truck into gear.

    I have only used this system once (4th of July fireworks display) so 99.9999% of the time I just let the auto-light feature do its job.
  • ivans1ivans1 Member Posts: 3
    And to return the favor here's a link that might get you laughing:

    http://www.lightsout.org/

    austlar123 - Just like the Sienna, turn the headlight switch off, put it in park, set the brake, turn off the engine, then restart. No headlights should come on until you put it in gear and/or release the brake. Just like z71bill suggested in post #60. Probably the same 3rd-party system. The same part in a Toyota and a Cheverolet? Commonality? Maybe. You guys should check it out.

    Oh, and here's a good Tundra vs Silverado link I got from another board:

    http://members.aol.com/sturbridg1/utahtrek.html


    Enjoy!
  • cliffy1cliffy1 Member Posts: 3,581
    I used to hate these things but I have learned to actually like them. I did try unpluging the fuse marked "DRL" to no effect.
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    Fortunate for you that you don't have to enter a military installation at night. Coming in with headlights on really pisses off the MP's. Your explanation of "I have no control over them" will not hold any weight with them...unless one of them is Rwell pulling guard duty... ;)
  • austlar123austlar123 Member Posts: 3
    Got this from tundrasolutions.com (cool site): Turn engine OFF, depress parking brake, turn engine back on, and running lights are OFF. Take it out of Park and the lights go back on. Why couldn't they remember to put this info in the owner's manual?
  • cliffy1cliffy1 Member Posts: 3,581
    That argument never made any sense to me. Since '94, all GM and Volvo products have had DRLs so why are they having such a hard time with Toyota drivers? You would think that the military would have figured this out by now. I have even heard that it is customary to flash ones lights to gain entry to certain bases. If the flashing of lights from a familiar car is all that is needed to gain entry, somebody needs to think a bit harder about security.
  • cliffy1cliffy1 Member Posts: 3,581
    We just got our brochures for the 2001 Tundra. I can't see any difference in the vehicle except for a bed rail. This explains why we were told the bed liners for 2000 will not fit on the 2001.

    Sadly, it doesn't look like the back seat is improved. I have been staring at the pictures for the last 20 minutes. At first, it looked like there was a slight recline to it but now I think this is an illusion of a tilted camera.

    There are two new colors. We now have desert sand and silver sky. These replace the gold and platinum colors. The desert sand looks very nice without the shocking gold of last year and the silver doesn't have the baby blue hue that platinum did.

    There are also a couple of new accessories coming including tubular running boards (they had this in the Southeast region last year), electric mirror with compass and temp, color keyed bumpers on the Limited and a note pad holder.
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    the flashing headlights was an old signal used by drug dealers, mafioso types, and CIA. I wouldn't do that when approaching a base entrance.

    I wasn't referring to the DRLs since they wouldn't impact the guards during the day. I was actually thinking more of the auto headlights that the GM trucks have (that are activated at dusk by sensors)and cannot be disabled by the driver on the '99 models. Does the Tundra have a similar feature which can't be deactivated by the driver?

    The entrance to every military installation that I have entered has a sign posted to reduce to parking lights when approaching the entrance at night. The flashing of headlights when approaching a military installation at night may not get you shot but certainly pulled over to answer a couple of questions....
  • ratboy3ratboy3 Member Posts: 324
    drove to CA over the weekend. Dropped the tailgate to get more mileage. The bedliner came undone. Good thing it didn't fly off. This is weak.
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    1 hyphend (sp?) word. Spray-In. haha

    Ryan
  • ratboy3ratboy3 Member Posts: 324
    yeah I have been online looking for that Inyati spray-in liner. thanks for the advice.
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    I have the rhino its very nice. Also the line-x is nice too. That was my second choice. The rhino for my truck cost me $399 - $25 coupon. Its better than the plastic drop in for me because of 2 reasons:

    1. My truck sits outside and if the bed gets scratched up that leads to rust. Rust protection was #1 for me in the long run

    2. Stuff doenst slide around at all unless you drive like a maniac like when i almost lost some stair stringers coming home from menards and i took a corner to fast.

    Ryan
  • jbowelljbowell Member Posts: 15
    I am currently awaiting a Toyota Sequoia for Fall delivery. However I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with Toyota doing a dealer/factory order? I have always in the past ordered my vehicles to my exact specifications/color. However, I haven't found a
    Toyota dealer willing to do this. They say get
    what comes or wait it out for what you want. I've checked other boards and this seems to be the same with Honda also.

    I just wanted to know if anyone has been able to
    order with Toyota (any model) like the big three?
  • cliffy1cliffy1 Member Posts: 3,581
    The Tundra doe not have the auto on headlights although our Camry, Corolla and Celica do. The Tundra DRLs are at 60% or regular low beam power and you must make a deliberate effort to turn on the regular lights.
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    I can now consider the Tundra should my buyback work out with GM...
  • cliffy1cliffy1 Member Posts: 3,581
    Toyota is not an easy company to factory order from, especially on new products. Each region has a distributor who orders the vehicles in the colors and options they think will sell the best. If we want something beyond this, we can factory order to your specifications but it is a long and difficult process for us. We can even be turned down if the order is too far out of the planned build.

    In nearly 7 years with Toyota, I have only done a small handful of true factory orders. It is very common to divert a vehicle destined for another dealership that closely matches a customers request and this is the best way to get something the dealer does not have on his lot. You can't always get exactly what you want but if you are a little flexible, you can get close.
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    "You can't always
    get exactly what you want but if you are a little
    flexible, you can get close."

    But you pay $30,000 +

    Ill be damned if im taking something that is not exactly what i want. Thank god chevy accepts orders. Thats flexible for ya

    Ryan
  • cliffy1cliffy1 Member Posts: 3,581
    So enjoy the Chevy.
  • cliffy1cliffy1 Member Posts: 3,581
    i'll go into a bit more detail about why Toyota does what they do with orders. Toyota pioneered the concept of "just in time" manufacturing. This is a process where the factory tells its suppliers exactly what they will need on the assembly at any given time. The supplier is expected to have those exact parts in the bins on the line within minutes of it being needed. This means that the factory does not need to warehouse spare parts for vehicles that may or may not ever be needed.

    This is a very efficient way to build things. The down side is, if you ask for something that Toyota has not asked its suppliers to have handy, the must place a special order with the supplier. This is certainly something that can be done, but it greatly extends the time required.

    I'll give you a "for instance" to help clarify this. Lets say you want a bench seat on a Limited. This is supposedly the standard seat but lets say Toyota only ordered buckets for the next two months worth of production. When your order arrives, they put it in the stack to be ordered the next time the upholstery company gets an order. This may not be a big issue but if the upholstery company has an order for one seat cover in the Limited pattern, and 2000 in the bucket configuration, they may just wait until they have more orders to justify it.

    Another example would be on ABS. Believe it or not, there are certain numbers of vehicles we can build with this option (don't ask me why but there is). Normally, this wouldn't be a big issue unless within the month you asked for it, all the ABS systems were committed to other distributors. It does happen.

    Toyota is not a custom truck manufacturer. If they were, the truck would cost a lot more than it does. Unfortunately, some people's tastes do not conform to what Toyota thinks is the most desirable option configurations. Those people can either be very patient, compromise a little on equipment or buy a Chevy.
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    Or they can buy a ford or dodge also which accepts "custom" orders from their customers not just chevy.

    Toyota still way behind all the others. Maybe why they dont sell as many cars as ford,gm, dodge????? Just a thought

    Ryan
  • floridasquish1floridasquish1 Member Posts: 6
    Yesterday I went out to test drive both a 2000 Tundra 4x2 Limited and a 2000 Ford F150 4x2 Lariat with 5.4L V8. Both trucks were quite similar and awesome. For this test-drive they both handled equally well. I think the Tundra’s ponies were a little livelier off a stop than the F150. Did I miss something or does the Tundra sound system indeed have only a volume control and NO bass, treble or balance controls? I noticed that the Ford’s bed seemed to be deeper than the Tundra’s. But the Tundra did have fog lamps whereas the F150 did not in the 4x2 version. I liked the Ford’s gimmicky overhead console with compass and outside temperature. I live in hot and humid central Florida (where summers are 6-months long) and both trucks’ A/C’s nearly put icicles on my eyebrows. Ford offered me invoice + 100 dollars on any in-stock F150 at any time. Toyota offered $1000 under invoice only if I drove the truck off the lot NOW. I guess I blew that one but I hadn’t driven the Ford yet. I believe I can still get a Tundra for invoice + 100. So help me out. What do I do? Flip a coin? They’re both great trucks.
  • tundra_guytundra_guy Member Posts: 49
    Your right they are both nice trucks as for the sound system I have a Tundra Limited 4x4 and you can play with the bass,treble,balance ect.It also has a six disc in dash CD changer. As for the Ford I just bet that deal will still be good! good luck
  • floridasquish1floridasquish1 Member Posts: 6
    Thanks for the info. I guess my test-drive truck didn't have the upgraded sound system, which I will definitely get if buy the Tundra.
  • rs_pettyrs_petty Member Posts: 423
    The 3-in-1 has the controls embedded in the right side knob. Check the owners manual or ask salesman. Check warranties or dealer incentives (other than price). Its a tough decision. Good luck.
  • rushfan2112rushfan2112 Member Posts: 27
    I evaluated all 4 full-size trucks before buying. Like you, my final 2 choices were the Tundra and the F150. I ultimately chose the Tundra and I'm really glad I did. What a great truck!

    I have the single-CD stereo and you can adjust bass, treble, balance, etc. by pressing in on the right knob. The CD does skip a lot more than the one in my previous car, but I'm counting on the dealership to take care of this for me. Oh, I'm also definitely replacing the horn on my Tundra. IMO, that is one category in which the F150 was clearly superior (though not a big enough deal to convice me to buy the Ford).
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    narrowed down to 2 choices? Maybe cause they are pretty much the same truck because of one company which copied for lack of a better word anothers design i wont mention who this was but im sure you all know.
  • rushfan2112rushfan2112 Member Posts: 27
    Cliffy (or anyone else that can help),

    Is there any way to "beat the system" with regard to the CD skip problem? I called the dealership and was told I have to first come in (and spend who-knows how much time waiting) while they inspect the system to determine if there is a problem. With my luck, they'll tell me the system is fine and I will have wasted my time.

    I thought this was a legitimate problem that Toyota had acknowledged with the Tundra's single-CD unit. I read this on tundrasolutions I think. If this is true, then Toyota should step up to the plate and just replace the unit for me.

    Do I really need to "play the game" and take (at least) two leaves of absence from work to solve the skipping CD issue? They want me to have it examined first, then I would have to come back another time to have it replaced. I might be better of just buying a new CD player, but feel that I shouldn't have to since I already paid for the one that skips too much. IMO it should simply be replaced without all of the inspection, etc.

    Sorry for the long post/rant. Thanks in advance for your help!
  • rushfan2112rushfan2112 Member Posts: 27
    IMO, the Tundra front-end somewhat resembles the F150. However, it can hardly be said that the two are "pretty much the same truck". Not even close!
  • cliffy1cliffy1 Member Posts: 3,581
    Unfortunately, you are going to have to have the dealer eyeball the unti. They will end up replacing it but in order to process the warranty claim, somebody at the dealership does need to see it before ordering the new unit. I know this sucks but maybe you should see if the service department is open on Saturday so you don't have to take the time off work.
  • floridasquish1floridasquish1 Member Posts: 6
    Thanks Tundra Guy, RS Petty, and Rushfan for the info on the sound system. And Rushfan, I agree, the horn is a good candidate for replacement!
  • alexpm3alexpm3 Member Posts: 1
    I RECOMMEND TO GET TUNDRA THEY ARE MORE POWERFUL AND WILL LAST LONGER THAN THE FORD.
    I AM PROUD OWNER OF NEW TUNDRA V8 SR5
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    Tonka trucks dont count. Are you even old enough to drive?
  • dogsterdogster Member Posts: 94
    I too looked long and hard at the F150 and the Tundra before I bought the Tundra. Four things in particular made me pick the Tundra. 1. The Ford, at least in 99, only had a 3 year 36K powertrain warranty but the Toyota still has a 5 yr. 60K warranty. How much extra would it cost for another 2 yrs, 24 month factory warranty from Ford? 2. I've never been able to get a Ford dealer to fix anything under warranty correctly. My last 96 T100 was virtually problem free. My only minor complaints were fixed with no problem. 3. Toyota gives a free loaner if your Tundra is down more than 24 hours. 4. Ford had major problems with some of the 5.4 short blocks last year. In addition, Ford recently ranked dead last (30 or 31st I believe) in taking care of problem vehicles in a recent consumer survey. For me, the only shortcomings of the Tundra vs. the F150 were that the Tundra towed 600 lbs. less and that the bed was shallower than the F150. The four considerations above far outweighed bed depth and 600 lbs. difference towing capacity. I still like the F150 too - but I feel it's more of a crap shoot when you buy a Ford vs. a Toyota. Just MHO.
  • dogsterdogster Member Posts: 94
    I basically torture tested my T100 4x4 by towing its max (5,000 lbs), sometimes over its GVCW with people and gear through the CA, AZ and NV desert in 110-135 degree summer heat, AC on all the time. It was bulletproof and never as much as hiccuped.
  • bamatundrabamatundra Member Posts: 1,583
    The F150 looks amazingly similar to the Toyota Tacoma which was out before the Ford. Toyota copied the Tacoma for the Tundra (family resemblance). Anyone who looks at a Tacoma can see what I am talking about.
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    TACOMA F-150 TACOMA F-150 TACOMA F-150 TACOMA F-150 TACOMA F-150 TACOMA F-150

    HMMMM

    Mini size - Full size hmmm still cant see any resemblance. Anyone else?
  • bamatundrabamatundra Member Posts: 1,583
    You have to use your eyes on this one. I am talking about styling - not size. You just don't want to admit the truth - you are driving a truck with Toyota Tacoma styling. The truth hurts.
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    I am? Never knew a silverado looked like a tacoma. News to me. Hey Tim and Dean your driving a tacoma.

    No but seriously BAMA i am driving a truck that has its own unique styling and kept it like the origional C/K plus some curves. Chevy didnt copy anyone they were origional just like dodge and ford. Who was out first hmmm let me think F-150 was out first.

    Ryan
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    Answer this question. (i am a chevy owner) But WHY would the number one manufacturer in truck sales Ford have to copy toyota? Why? This wil be good.

    Ryan
  • tundra_guytundra_guy Member Posts: 49
    sorry Ryan but a Tundra looks like a Tundra not a Ford or a Tacoma. It's kind of like saying A Ford Courier looks like a F150 or a Chevy Love looks like a Silverado.Get REAL!
  • ratboy3ratboy3 Member Posts: 324
    I'm a Toyota buyer. I've had great experience with the Toyotas I've owned. But I have no idea from what angle you guys are looking at to say that the looks of the F150 was copied from the Tacoma?!
    Funny I have to agree that the Tundra has very strong resemblance to the F150. Good or bad I don't care. I bought a good truck, from my own opinion.

    Now talk about the Subaru Outback! There's a car that looks like the Tundra! The front anyway.
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