Fink

Badass dude!!



Fink

michael1963

Glad to hear your still up and running. You know it's funny, my mechanic always says the grounding of anything is always the first thing to check. I think in your case it would have even had his head shaking.

MaK92-4RnR

yeah... un fricking believable...

I guess it makes sense more now though. Now the question is, who should I have repair the grounds on the stereo? the place that screwed it up in the first place, or the stereo experts? haha Or should I just do it myself and make sure its done right?

Fink

^^^ ^^^

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MaK92-4RnR

exactly... haha Im gonna check all the auxiliary fuses as well and make sure nothing has burned up.

I still cant believe its the stereo... how ridiculous.

dark_fairytales

Wow Mike, what a head ache. Its good to see that your issue may have a solution finally. This is surely the first time I have ever heard of a stereo causing such an issue. I definitely learned something new today.

RMA

X2 same here never seen or heard of that .. like you say kieth learn something everyday .. glad you got it fixed though ..

Bassinfool

Wow I can't believe that! I had the same 'surging' with my old '92 3VZ-E, but it came down to the TPS not being adjusted properly. I had to fiddle with it several times to get it right, but obviously that's not the problem you're having. That's just unreal to me that a stereo ground could fry something like a TPS. I can't imagine your frustration!

MaK92-4RnR

Haha yeah. its pretty strange...

The TPS problem is fixed, yeah... But the stereo issue now needs to be resolved. haha Im not sure if its a bad ground, or even a fried fuse, or maybe even a set of wires that have shorted/gone bad.

MaK92-4RnR

Well yeah... a few people know how much amperage i have pushing out of my truck... I mean its nothing "competition/show car status" but it can seriously rock a neighborhood...

The voltage is easily enough to fry just about any electrical source if its not grounded correctly, im sure.

MaK92-4RnR

So here's the scoop ( I kind of expected this to happen )

The owner called me yesterday and told me to bring the truck in tomorrow morning ( this morning ) So I did. Vito ( the guy that works on my truck from now on ) basically asked me how the rig is doing, etc etc, and asking me if any issues have surfaced. and I told him the truth. and that is that there is zero issues.

This is where things get a little... shady.

And after I told him that its perfect, he basically told me that he can no longer do anything further. His job is to make the truck run fine, and it runs great. He basically told me that I now need to take my truck to a stereo shop. They want me to take the truck over to the shop that originally did my stereo and have them check the wiring, and amps for shorts. ( im sure this is free ) But The stereo was perfectly fine before I even took it to the shop to get the head gasket replaced in the first place... I feel as if they're just shrugging it off and now trying to make it someone elses problem.

I then brought up financials. because for example, what if they say the stereo is fine, plug it all back in and then fries the TPS again? Who's fault is it at that point? Honest engine's or Audio Express'? Honest engine basically told me that they aren't going to replace or warranty any part that is damaged by another shop. So if they plug in the stereo after they check it and it damages a part. Im basically screwed right? because Audio express isn't going to accept responsibility and nor is Honest engine, So im going to be at a stale mate.

Also, Honest engine didn't unplug the stereo. They simply pulled the fuses from the amps. and left the stereo off. and the TPS was perfectly fine for the 10-11 days.

So what now?

MaK92-4RnR

Just refreshing the thread...

highonpottery

iTrader: (1)

man, electrical gremlins are the worst - at least now you know what the issue is and there's something to focus on. i don't blame the guy for releasing liability - he does run a business and is losing money each time he has to mess with a "boomerang job" on your 4runner. sounds like you're on your own from now on.

looks like it's time to get in there and check all the wiring for your stereo and possibly re-do some of it. how long ago did you get the stereo work done? if it's been a while, you sure they're going to mess with it for free?

BMcEL

How may watts are those two amps pushing?

MaK92-4RnR

I'll just do a whole run down on the stereo in my truck...

This stereo was originally in my previous car ( 1995 integra GSR ) and because that vehicle was totaled, I took it out. kept it in my room until I found the 4Runner. I then had it installed professionally ( i wasn't handy in my younger days ). Basically what the stereo consists of:

1 Kenwood 2 channel 1,000w amp
1 Pioneer 4 channel 450w amp
1 Pioneer premier deck
2 Pioneer Type R Subwoofers
all speakers are Type S pioneers

And there's obviously auxiliary wiring noodling around my entire truck. There's a visible inline fuse in the engine bay, and there's also some sort of surge/power inverter underneath my center console to protect from shortages/surges

I'm pretty knowledgeable about stereos and as i have even done a few in friend's cars. I do not get how this is frying the TPS... The only thing I can think to check is the grounds. ( i'll do it over the weekend ) But i've called around to multiple stereo stores and they've never heard of it happening. Only 1 company has told me that it COULD happen, but never dealt with it personally. A few companies told me they'd do a full check on everything for around 40 bucks, but I dont see it as worth it as I can easily but out a multimeter and do it myself. But what am I to expect? I can almost guarantee that this stereo is gonna come back perfect/functional on the multimeter because it was working perfectly prior to me having my top end rebuilt.

I guess I need to explain things further though. The tps WASN'T MALFUNCTIONING prior to them fixing a vacuum leak. The stereo was functioning. EVERYTHING was functioning. There was no shortage, no throwing out of adjustment, no anything. the only thing it had was power loss. Now they fix that and this surfaces? a machine would not do that UNLESS something had been fiddled with to fix the vacuum leak. Does any of this make sense? ( I was not there for any of the repairs, so Im working with what I know and have been told )

Highonpottery is right. I agree with you completely that when a rig keeps showing up at a mechanic shop due to it not running right, its gets old quick. But honestly? When I spend the amount of money I spent, I expect the rig to motor to be glittering in gold and ready to go for another 200k miles EASILY. And when Im not getting that, and I get some half assed PoS service from a company not only myself but my entire family has been going to for years. I get slightly irritated when im thrown excuse after excuse. Especially when i've been told by over 20 people that its not possible for it to be a stereo, yet the stop that i had the work done at believes 100% that it is the stereo and they're trying to shrug the issue off onto someone else?

I understand that the stereo is in fact 6 years old. But it works fine. lol I can plug in that fuse and it'll rock out no problem. But after a couple days the TPS goes bad? how does any of that makes sense.

BMcEL

With the setup you have, a ground problem would NOT cause electrical issues (except maybe with your stereo). Why would Toyota engineer many circuits on the vehicle to be 12vdc constant, meaning they are activated by providing ground to constant voltage rather than supplying voltage to constant ground? I think the shop saw an opportunity to ditch their liability and blame it on another company since they 'found' the problem. Based on the info you've provided, and that the truck was running fine before they went messing with it again to fix their vacuum screw-up, I (still) believe they are yanking you around. There's a reason so many people don't trust shops, regardless of their reputation. They're in it for the money, and when they're losing the money, their attitude changes.

MaK92-4RnR

I thought about it more today while doing the flooring in the house. I'll mention what my plan is here in a sec.

I already came to the agreement with the stereo store that installed the stereo that they would check the grounds, voltage, and check for shorts in the system. ( But the system works fine, i can plug the fuse back in and that sucker turns on and rocks ) And I also asked if I could get a written statement saying that the stereo was professionally checked, cleared and passed their tests. and they have no problem with it. The only problem I have with it is that their store relocated to Arden ( which is like 40 minutes from where I live )

So heres my plan, since i've been thinking about it all day. I'll bite the bullet in gas, go get what I need to get done. If it fails and it turns out theres a short/surge/whatever and its messing with the TPS. then I'll admit to Jessie i was wrong and apologize for doubting him. But if it passes, I'm going to take that printed/signed statement and tell him that this is still his issue, and demand that the motor be disassembled by either Vito ( the guy that has worked on my rig since 2006 ) or a tech at the Toyota dealership on HIS DIME. and have it all reassembled by someone who knows what they're doing. ( Vito was busy on another vehicle for 2 months and my truck was disassembled/assembled by an older gentleman in the shop that had never worked on my car before. He's the same guy that installed my vacuum hoses wrong and vito corrected them )

Does that seem fair?

Im just completely dumbfounded about why they're pushing me when im the son of their biggest customer. Its completely foolish and not good business, what so ever.

I really appreciate you guys being patient with me, by the way.

MKtaco_98

I think you should do that as well this weekend have them run a simple ground check and a letter passing it to rule that out, we can check out rack and road while were there waiting lol, but in there defense even if you are the son of there biggest customer business is business and there going to do what they can to make money dads there biggest customer only because the work trucks get taken there for standard stuff oil changes and tune ups and because there Chevys fuel pumps and transmissions lol but I mean they are losing alot of money on your truck and are down to blaming it on any little thing I'm almost positive it's not your stereo your truck idles all over the place think in a minute I've seen it adjust from 200 Rpms to almost 3k without even touch the skinny pedal

BMcEL

Getting a written statement from the shop that installed your stereo is probably the best thing you can do at this point. At least that way 'Honest' Engine will then have no means to blame it on the stereo. Good luck and keep us posted.

MaK92-4RnR

K so heres my plan for the weekend.

I called audio express. They're going to check from the battery connector, to the deck, to amps, speakers and the woofers for 55 dollars. They'll check for shorts, blown fuses, and clean up the wiring if anything is touching.

But again, Zack at audio express seems to have a pretty good argument. and he said "why would the stereo be frying the TPS when it has OTHER things that it could fry, such as the power windows, or interior lights?" And I totally agree with him... He told me that the people that set up my motor are totally trying to screw me right now.

But regardless... this is the plan for the weekend.