Car ?'s

Dandai said:

Anybody got a recommendation for a ratcheting wrench set? I had a cheap metric set from harbor freight and it came in real handy while working in the tight areas around my truck suspension. Unfortunately I torqued harder than the ratcheting mechanism could take and need to get a new set. I figured I might as well get a set that will last (and treat it more gently!).

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If all you broke is the ratchet handle and you’re happy with the sockets, go back to harbor freight and by a new one. Their composite handles are actually very nice. They feel good in your hand and they’re not cold in the winter.

Just make sure you don't use ratcheting wrenches trying to break shit loose and they'll last forever.

Deathwing said:

Wife is stranded 6 hours away, so apologies on asking for diagnostic help via second hand information.

She was driving the car, Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, when the check engine light came on and the system strongly suggested pulling over. She did so and turned the car off because it was beeping at her incessantly. When she turns it back on, check engine light, still beeping, and it's now complaining about an error in the pre-collision system(PCS). The PCS is a bunch of sensors that yell(and forcibly brake the car I think?) if it thinks you're going to hit something.

Shifting the car into drive does nothing. It can be shifted into neutral and pushed. She said the brakes felt a bit weak.

Towed it to a dealership and they want the PCS fixed before considering any other work. The front right sensor was damaged in a collision four years ago and sometimes gets finnicky if there's a bunch of snow on it, but otherwise never had this kind of problem. I asked the dealership to read out the diagnostic code anyway, but that's mid afternoon according to them because prioritizing is for idiots. I would like to make plans getting the wife and kid home in the meantime.

What kind of problems or questions can I point the dealership towards? As I said, they weren't even going to consider reading out the diagnostic code until I mentioned it. So, what can I ask them to look at?

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Personally, I'd demand they disable that system so she can drive home and you can get it looked at locally, on your time. Its not necessary to the operation of the vehicle (like brakes, alternators, fuel pumps, etc.). If its' just that one sensor that was damaged, you can follow the trail from the bumper to the computer and its likely a piece of hardware you need to replace. $$$ if you got it on your own from RockAuto or even direct from Toyota, or $$$$$$ if you let the dealer order it.

Deathwing said:

Fair enough point on the sensor itself, but I suspect it's a red herring. We've had issues with it before, and while annoying and flashy, it didn't prevent actual operation of the car. I did ask her to turn the system off and it made no difference. Whether that meant "stop yelling at me when the PCS detects imminent danger" or "disable the sensor", I don't know.

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I'd say have the entire pre-collision system turned off for the time being, whether that's through coding or pulling a fuse, or unplugging the sensor, I'm not sure. If that then allows the car to be driven properly, get it home and diagnose then. Its possible the dealer won't (or doesn't want to) do that for liability reasons, I'm not sure.

Deathwing said:

Wife is stranded 6 hours away, so apologies on asking for diagnostic help via second hand information.

She was driving the car, Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, when the check engine light came on and the system strongly suggested pulling over. She did so and turned the car off because it was beeping at her incessantly. When she turns it back on, check engine light, still beeping, and it's now complaining about an error in the pre-collision system(PCS). The PCS is a bunch of sensors that yell(and forcibly brake the car I think?) if it thinks you're going to hit something.

Shifting the car into drive does nothing. It can be shifted into neutral and pushed. She said the brakes felt a bit weak.

Towed it to a dealership and they want the PCS fixed before considering any other work. The front right sensor was damaged in a collision four years ago and sometimes gets finnicky if there's a bunch of snow on it, but otherwise never had this kind of problem. I asked the dealership to read out the diagnostic code anyway, but that's mid afternoon according to them because prioritizing is for idiots. I would like to make plans getting the wife and kid home in the meantime.

What kind of problems or questions can I point the dealership towards? As I said, they weren't even going to consider reading out the diagnostic code until I mentioned it. So, what can I ask them to look at?

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I hate that these systems are all named by each OEM's marketing department rather than an industry standard. Based on the location of the damaged sensor you're talking about, I don't think that's the pre-collision sensor, it's likely one of the parking SONAR sensors. I looked it up to be sure and Pre-collision on a Toyota is typically the RADAR and depending on the vehicle's vintage, forward facing camera like I was assuming. They usually like to locate the RADAR behind the nameplate nowadays - you can tell if your nameplate looks like it's embedded in a bigger piece of plastic. Typically you can disable the system via the instrument cluster if you don't have a hardkey in the dash somewhere. It'll also usually turn off if you disable vehicle dynamic control (slip indicator).

*edit* forgot to add, in no way should it be considered unsafe to drive with that system in a faulted state (it might have even been an option for that model year), so, if they continue to refuse I'd be looking elsewhere.

Anyway, I would agree that this is likely a red herring - I've never seen that system cause a no-start. First thing I would be checking is the battery voltage and the charging system. Hybrids usually have a pretty half-assed 12V battery and use a dc-dc converter instead of an alternator, if that converter faults out for some reason it can flake out the vehicle quickly.

I'd check 12v battery and would also run diagnostics on the whole vehicle, not just the pre collision system.

Assuming the battery is healthy, you could try disconnecting the 12V battery negative terminal for about a minute, reconnecting, and attempting to start. Could at least afford you to drive to a better dealership if it works.

Deathwing said:

Amazing what talking to a manager can accomplish. Afterwards, problems were found and ultimately diagnosed. I want to say this is what they were doing all along, but the guy I was talking to originally slurred his words so much that it made me question his intelligence. Also, he sounded stressed the fuck out and we were one question away from causing him to mentally break down.

Anyway, they said no fuel was getting to the engine. After further diagnosis, he said, I THINK, that a clamp was loose. Or something. Remember that this guy is pretty mealy mouthed. The quote for fixing it wasn't unreasonable and we've been riding the guy pretty hard, so I figured it wasn't worth it as long they ended up fixing it. Which they did, this morning.

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Wow, that's about as unrelated an issue as it could be, from where this started.

Also, a "loose clamp" is about $1.49 in parts and 5 minutes of labor unless it was for the fuel pump INSIDE the tank. Better have been a good price.