Ol'Blue

Hey everyone,

It is not often I come around but I check in from time to time to catch up and see what is going on. Latley I have been working so much I have not hard time for much of anything at all let alone 4Runner Issues. So lets start this off so we are all on the same page. I have a 99 Limited with the 3.4 in it. Not long ago I starting having fuel gauge tracking issues and I was lucky and caught it quick this time around and didn't get stuck on I-70 at 2:30 in the morning at first. So I ordered up parts from Toyota in Topeka and had the parts sent to a reputable shop that did good work for me in the past. First Repair- New OE Sending Unit and Fuel pump. I was hopeful this would fix the issue. Tech said things seemed to be tracking normal on gauge and let them know if anything else comes up. Well same issue gauge not tracking correct. It would get to half and stay there mean while I have put about 225 miles on a full tank of fuel so I know it is not half full. I keep driving it for a bit and the gauge starts acting all Fed up. I would fill it up, 5 miles down the road it would drop to E and start blinking the fuel light. So I did some looking around and was going to send it out and have the cluster rebuilt. Good thing I did my home work. Toyota sells the fuel gauge seprate so I ordered one and called around and found a Master Tech that would take it one and had no issues doing so. It was 4x4 Land in Topeka KS. He tested the gauge and side it was working when he did a Ohm Test. The gauge swing Full to Empty as it should, but I'm still having the same issue's. I will fill the tank up, a few miles down the road it drops to E again and flashes out of fuel light. Also this last time around that left me on the side of the road the guage tracked to 3/4 but it's like it hung up there. I was at 218 mile on the tank and it ran out of fuel and left me on the side of the road. When I turned off the truck and hit the ignition it went right to what I would call the normal E reading on the gauge and the light came on right away so I knew I was out of fuel (because I have ran a 3rd ten dry before). So now that you have an idea of what is going on lets have a meeting of the minds and see if I can get an idea of the fuel system wiring etc.

Also note- The Tech that did the first repair said something about doing the TSB update because it is a new part from Toyota. Can some one fill me in on this. He said the sending unit is shorter now??? Also, other than this issue the truck run great. Just rebuilt the Engine less than 25,000 miles ago and it Tits. Other recent repairs, new cats and tires. Not that it should matter but its my daily driver.

Can someone post the schematic so I can see it also.
Parts Replaced-

OE Sending Unit
OE Fuel Pump
OE Fuel Gauge

Brian

Malcolm99

This should have been a recall on a group of 1999 model years, in my Mfg Date: Nov 1998, 1999 4runner limited I had to have a different fuel sending unit, suction tube & circuit board replaced on my dime for known faulty parts that could lead to a dangerous situation(s) especially way up North in freezing temps., hopefully this is of some help, check your VIN. https://www.toyotaparts.metro-toyota...T-EL010-00.pdf

Mine actually would read 1/4 tank, when I had nothing on a few occasions, it worked perfectly fine besides the last 1/4 tank.

habanero

Agree with Malcolm based on the number of times this problem pops up in the forums.

Also good to see you're still around.

Ol'Blue

Malcolm,

Thanks for posting the TSB. So shop number one stated they did the update but in the end the first unit that I got from Toyota was bad. There has since been a second sending unit put in this truck and it's still not tracking correct. It was at half full when I filled up and thank God I did because it took 15.6 gallons of fuel when I filled her. So its still not correct.

Again the parts listed and replace are

OE Sending Unit with TSB update
Fuel Pump
OE Fuel Gauge

I'm really starting to get angry at this point. The shop load testes the electrical system and states it was working correct and tracking as it should. Well guess what it's not again! This is the first time that I have read about the Circuit Plate Number 3 before. I'm going to have Toyota run the Vin and see if the recall's were done on this 4Runner or not Monday. I'm also going to give the shop this TSB and let them read it. Either way they if they have to I'm making them pull the tank again and check this ˟˟˟˟. I have about had it with this stupid issue that has costed me WAY to much already.

Thanks again

Malcolm99

You mentioned they changed the fuel gauge, 99+ have electronic fuel gauge as you know being the problem, If they did change the combination plate/circuit board (fuel gauge) in the instrument cluster then your milage would be ZERO after the R & R, unless they specifically requested the exact Milage on the old Combination plate/circuit board to be inserted into the replacement Combination plate/circuit board,.. I have never heard of this to be the case, usually they document the Milage noting that it has been changed at the Dealership due to replacement parts.. There is also a Calibration that must take place after the parts are replaced.

Ol'Blue

So I looked through the TSB with a fine tooth comb. This is not a issue in my 99 per the VIN number. I understand what you are saying but my gauge is part number 83882-3D270 for reference. The Comb Plate should not be the issue. The Milage is the same as it was. The last repair shop noted they did the Calibration and for ˟˟˟˟s I just did it in the drive way also. I'm going to run it out of fuel tomorrow and see what the gauge dose and if it tracks to empty after the Calibration tonight maybe they screwed it up. Hell who knows at this point. I ran all the part numbers on everything and it looks like all the correct things were done according to the TSB. So I really do not know what the hell the deal could be.

Blue

Thommo Thompson

by ur deacription it sound like it is temprementally overreading.
this would be either a dash to chassis earth connection issue or an engine to chassis connection issue.
the gauge gets 12 v, sends it to earth for refference and to the sender for reading. if the refference has resistance, it will temprementally overread.
tgat resistance can be between dash to chassis, or from the chassis to the battery negative, through the engine earth straps.

Malcolm99

That is interesting yours did not fall into the combination plate replacement for your VIN, as it appears to be your problem now, perhaps your 19 year old combination plate is defective, or it doesn't like the replacement sending unit, but since it didn't like the TSB sending unit my guess is the combination plate, I had mine changed @ 200,000 Km about 2 years ago so I could remember my milage easily.

EDIT *You mentioned a Tech changed the fuel gauge, unfortunately is wasn't the combination plate, the combination plate adjusts your fuel level according to the position of the vehicle, your combination plate thinks your vehicle is in a different position than it is and adjusts fuel gauge accordingly, or in your case not so.. Some wine ass decided the mech fuel gauge was inaccurate on hills, well duh, so Toyota's solution was to add the combination plate to adjust fuel gauge according to vehicle position.. The combination plate also holds your milage, when its changed you will have Zero milage and hopefully a working gauge..

When Toyota Made this change in 99' to defective parts, then made customers deal with the breakdown and pay for the Tow, labour and parts to replace known defective parts, they should have just included a Gerry can attachment so we all had fuel to get home. I wrote Toyota and Transportation Canada and complained that this was unsafe and should be recalled not TSB'd,.. guess they aren't to concerned either like toyota,,.. after all, who really needs power brakes, power steering in high traffic areas, and a running vehicle in remote locations in cold temps!

Toyota completely ignored the fact that this was a major safety problem installing defective parts in 1999-00, (they even attempted to replace some of the KNOWN DEFECTIVE PARTS on the assembly line) and then let customers affected by this to find out on there own by running out of fuel in who knows what situation by labelling it as a TSB when it should have been a RECALL obviously, leading to what could be a serious safety issue in 4-5 different scenario's, I suggest everyone write to the DOT or Toyota but unfortunately we are a little late being 19 years old., but in our defence the KNOWN defective problem parts didn't arise until well after the Warranty of 36 Months or 36,000mi, and they obviously knew that few would be covered under warranty, sneaky sneaky Toyota

Please note there is a huge difference and legal remifications between TSB and RECALL, the TSB is only that, it is technical information on how to repair a known issue, the major difference between a recall and a TSB in the automotive industry is that a recall usually evolves out of safety issues at the behest of an organization like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The ensuing recall maintenance/repair work is usually done at no charge to the car owner, regardless of the car's warranty status. Dealers are usually under no mandate to call in cars for which there are TSBs to do the related repairs. Nor is there an obligation to do the TSB repairs for free or at reduced charges to the owner, since the manufacture does not require the repair to be performed and does not reimburse the dealership for repairs. When the vehicle's manufacturer releases a recall, they not only require the dealership to perform the repair, but will reimburse them the recall's repair.

Again I believe this to be a major safety issue on many levels.., and if you phoned the dealer to ask if this recall was done, well, it's not a recall for some unknown reason I cannot determine..

This safety issue should be a sticky and everyone that had this TSB performed should be requesting that this be called a RECALL.

Take it to a Toyota Dealer, complain bitterly, pay them to switch the defective parts right off the bat if this issues arises, you don't want to be chasing this issue dropping the fuel tank or pulling the instrument cluster more than once, its a huge hassle and I appreciate your frustration, I've never been back to Toyota since, except to pick up oil filters. I've also had BS TSB's on my 2016 Highlander and Faded Paint, A/C, Power steering, and seatbelt issues on a White 2011 Tacoma, all fixes came out of my pocket, Toyota no longer gives me that warm fuzzy feeling, so I do all my own work whenever possible using OEM parts from anywhere else I can buy them.

Malcolm99

deleted.

stewartesq

stewartesq

Malcolm99

Please include all of the effected 4Runners. The only reason they got away with it is because the defective parts fail well after warranty, and the dealership isn't responsible, so all the complaining in the world at the dealership is pointless, embarrassing and cost me over $800 Canadian, plus 4 hours of my time, a breakdown, a tow, a long walk and unnecessary frustration, I guess it is considered "safe" to drive around with a fuel gauge that is giving false readings, makes you wonder why they bother at all with a fuel gauge then since it isn't required. The dealer actually cut 2 hours of the Labour out of the bill because I was so frustrated, they went over what the TSB deemed the necessary time to perform repairs.

stewartesq

I can advise of what progress I make with respect to the claim. If I'm successful, then everyone should be successful. Consumer protection laws have been adopted by every state.