UPDATE - TSS sensors going off! Dealer blamed 2" leveling kit. Not so!

I had my new '23 Toyota dealer install a 2 inch leveling kit from Rough Country. Pretty simple and standard, right? Well, 15 minutes later after leaving the dealer, these warnings showed up. Took it back to the dealer and they stated they had to re-calibrate, the computer, sensors and everything. Should be good to go.

SAME thing happen once you drove around 5 - 10 miles AFTER I left.

Anybody know of this and how to fix it? My local Toyota dealer service guys are puzzled. Thanks

 

I would just let your dealer sort it out, at their expense.

 

Check the ABS sensor cables on both sides. The wire is coated with a plastic cover and it is very difficult to identify any internal damage. If the wires show signs of stress where they are held (clamped) near the UCA, and the plastic coating is thinned out, consider replacing.

Also check front-facing radar. It might be pointed to the sky. If that's the case, then start with recalibrating the zero-point for the ECU. And then you might try to figure out how to shim the angle of the sensor in the grill.

The install of lift kits have been known to cause these problems in 4Runner, sometimes.

 

It seems malfunctions like this after a lift are always related to damage to the abs wires. I wouldn’t touch it, it’s the dealer that needs to fix this. If they can’t, tell them to uninstall the spacers. You’ll probably still have the warnings if it’s due to damage, which again makes it the dealer’s problem to fix.

Unfortunately, a dealer appearing “puzzled” sounds like they are getting ready to shrug their shoulders and give up. Get ready to fight this one out.

 

It’s the front radar sensor because it’s position has been changed. Also junk country.

 

2.5 inches of lift didn’t cause a problem with mine. I don’t think the angle change commonly leads to problems like these.

However, they supposedly installed a 2” lift. There is the possibility it was lifted more than that. No way to know unless we see pics and get measurement from the center of hub to bottom of fender.

 

Also was a whole lift installed or just the front? Every Runner will be slightly different though.

 

I've also done a 2.5" front and 1" rear on mine. No issues whatsoever. Like others have stated, look to the ABS sensors and collision sensor. I also agree the dealer should sort this out but if you inclined, there is one easy thing you could try. Disconnect your positive battery terminal for 30 minutes and see if it clears.

 

Sensors out of line.

 

Your misfortune illustrates the importance of having a competent technician install the lift.

 

I believe you’ll get a TSS malfunction message automatically when the Abs system is faulty. So hopefully the dealer will check for that before they go “recalibrating” the front sensor.

 

Unfortunately, you can’t pick them when you go to a dealer. It’s like a box of chocolates…

 

Great tips everybody! I’ll let you know what happens. Thank you again.

 

(Sigh)...still the same problem after taking it back to the dealer for the 3rd time! Per this chat, my Toyota dealer checked the ABS sensors and presented me with a report that showed they are all "good".

Everything is fine after I leave the dealer then about 10-15 minutes later into the drive, the warning lights all pop up! Rendering my TSS useless! Same thing happens after I shut off the vehicle...about 10-15 minutes into the drive later, they warning lights ring and pop on.

Only other thing I can think of is if a washer/spacer is to be inserted into the front grill sensor thereby angling it back down to the stock angle/direction.

Anything else I am missing? I mean, can a simple 2 inch lift cause this much havoc with the TSS?

Thanks for everybody's input!

 

Seems to me like a 2" lift would cause less issues than a 2" level since a lift would leave the factory rake but I really do not know how the system works, possible that lifting it while maintaining rake could have some effect as well.

 

Either way, lifts havent really led to TSS problems unless related to damage. Very odd

 

UPDATE! After taking my new 2023 ORP 4Runner back to the dealer FOUR times with NO resolution, this "kid" who worked at the dealer approached me at told me about an auto glass replacement company that he knows that understands, tests, installs and re-calibrates the TSS sensor on the windshield (in the event the windshield has to be replaced). He told me they can come out to my house and fix it!

I was desperate. The dealer was avoiding me. I was ready to demand a meeting with their GM. My Toyota dealer didn't have a clue which really caught me off guard. I thought I was paying a premium for parts and labor to AVOID these issues! So this Auto Glass replacement company came out to my house and "plugged" my 4runner into their diagnostic unit (something the dealer did NOT show or share with me) and found a host of issues! See the attachment.

Upon further examination of the TSS sensor on the windshield, the TSS sensor literally fell out when they removed the plastic cover! Apparently when I had the dealer (they said they could do it) install my FITCAMX front end security camera, they never replaced the ORANGE tabs from the original cover to secure the freakin TSS sensor! It was literally bouncing around! The Auto Glass company was able to secure it, test it, re-calibrate it (with pretty cool measuring devices) and get it to work as it SHOULD!

I am out an additional $250 for this service call, but now I can drive my 4Runner without the sensors flashing "visit your dealer"! I am taking this up with the dealer. 4 times back to the dealer with NO resolution? Plus the cost of their labor to install this modification because they said, "...no problem, we install these all of the time"? NOT HAPPY!

And no...my TSS issues had NOTHING to do with the freakin lift kit! That was just an excuse from the dealer.

Lesson learned. Make sure your dealer plugs in your 4Runner to show before and after results. Gonna have to take my 4Runner into another dealer for future servicing.

 

Wait, so those clips in the FitCamx actually serve a purpose? Wow. When I got my FitCamx I installed it, because the YouTube videos made it look so damn simple (and it was). The guy in the video said "make sure that you transfer these clips", but never said why. I did and it worked. Now I'm curious if I removed them, will I get a TSS error message?

I should test this, for science!

 

Ain't no shame posting the name of the dealer so the rest of us can avoid that clown show

 

Surprised the dealership is not more familiar with lifted vehicles considering it is a Toyota. When the service advisor saw I had lifted my 2020 Tacoma he asked if I had experienced any issues with the TSS, which I had not. He said if I do just to bring it in and they can re-calibrate it for me.

 

Sounds like you learned a valuable lesson in not having the dealer do any work. Shame this is all over a spacer lift though. Those are complete garbage

 

I didn't see in the 1st post about the camera install,only about the lift kit. Either way it's fixed.

 

It seems the OP left out a valuable bit of info in that first post. It sounded like this was only due to the spacer lift.

 

Initially, and for the record, (so others don't make the same mistake I did), all hell broke loose about 15 minutes right after my local Toyota dealer installed the 2" leveling kit. Now keep in mind I had the same dealer install my FITCAMX front end camera about 3 weeks prior. And the TSS was "working" at the time. At least that is what I thought...as a novice 4Runner owner!

It is the reason why I started this post to see if others experienced what I was experiencing...to ask for help!

I simply wanted any modifications added to my 4Runner to be done right! Paying a premium for parts and labor. Using the Toyota service department where I purchased the vehicle while confirming with that very service department that they CAN do it. "Sure they said! No problem, we do this kind of stuff ALL of the time

So...when the TSS sensor failures started going off about 15 minutes after I drove away with the 2" inch lift, the dealership concluded it HAD to be because of the leveling kit they installed?!? That is what I thought as well. The 2 inch lift was simply the "straw that broke the back" because I had another company determine just this week (after 4 return trips BACK to the dealer) that the dealer never used nor replaced the ORANGE CLIPS found in the TSS cover! Thus, the TSS camera sensor was bouncing around and never secured. The 2" lift that everybody thought was the culprit was NOT!. It was simply this small modification that "broke the back".

Conclusion: If your TSS warning lights come on, the dealer at the very minimum should plug in diagnostic tools (to generate the Autel report that I attached above) BEFORE and AFTER they work on your 4Runner. Lessons learned.

 

I totally get why you had the dealership install it. I do. You could blame them (and you did) when things went wrong. They couldn't blame you because you installed it or had it installed by someone else.

I'd be willing to pay a premium for that also, and I have (not a lift, but other stuff in the past). Now that I know they couldn't even install a fucking DASH CAM correctly makes me really worry about the setup of your lift. Installing the dash cam was one of the easiest mods/add-on's I've done to my truck. It took me longer to get it out of the box, than it did to install it. Plug-n-play.

I would go over your lift very carefully and examine every single component they touched. Have a shop that specializes in lifts do it for you, if you can.

Edit: Now that I think about it some more, I wouldn't even let that dealership rotate my tires. They may fuck up the TPMS or leave off a lug nut. That is some gross incompetence.

 

There is nothing worse than finding loose or stripped lugs two weeks later.

 

Maybe removing a lug nut down the road and having half the stud come with it...