I think THarvey posted a very helpful, possible solution. My TCH is the only vehicle I've ever owned that I haven't modified, and posts like this make me glad I made that choice. Good luck getting it fixed.

Robb

 

Based on what this customer has presented, I can tell you that Toyota should NOT pay for this repair. The vehicle comes PRE-WIRED for a TOYOTA Remote starter for a good reason. The wiring systems are SO complicated on today's vehicles (especially the Hybrid), that cutting wires and resoldering can disrupt the communication capabilities of these wires and often times, modules, wiring harnesses, etc. can longer perform their functions. I have had to have these conversations several times with various manufacturer vehicles and they are not pleasant. This is an obvious case of a vehicle having a wiring harness cut and multiple problems will come from this. If the vehicle is in our shop, it is either leaving with a complete harness at the customer's expense or it is being towed to a hack shop to try to repair it the incorrect way. We live and we learn and then we come to these websites and try to give the Toyota dealer and/or Toyota a black mark. If it was a FACTORY DEFECT, it would be covered and like others have said, these modules/harnesses would be failing on other Hybrids. Module/harness failure on just this one hacked-up Hybrid a defect? I think not. Unfortunately, life's lessons are sometimes hard.... and expensive.... but please do not blame the dealer or Toyota...... this one is on you. I would definitely try to go after the shop that tried the initial remote start install. They were obviously over their head and that is what insurance is for..... mistakes. If Toyota pays one dime on this repair (and they might just offer some goodwill, believe it or not, but HUGE mistake and only continue to have folks try hack-shop accessories when a factory piece is available. PLEASE have this vehicle repaired the CORRECT way at a TOYOTA dealer. You already had one hack job that did not work out so well. Sorry to sound so harsh, but I live this stuff every day and continue to shake my head. Why not have your local butcher perform your spleen removal?

 

Best post on this as to date!!!!!!!!!!

 

None of your friggan business what I do with my car, who pays the bills surely not you %^^$%$#$%^^! Go someplace else not this site. MHO!

 

actually, this kind of sounds a bit weird. I would lean more toward a possibly damaged or misrepaired wire from the original attempt at installing the remote start. It could have gotten moved or stretched when you put the ipod adapter in. I put one of those in, and I can see how it could happen.

The appearance of all the codes then does raise questions, though.

I would be over the shoulder of the guy doing the current repair to see exactly what, if anything, they find. But I'm that kind of guy; a technician in a _weird_ field of electronics. I've seen too many bad techs fix by changing out everything in the hope that something fixes the trouble.

If they find anything that they can point to from the remote start install as the cause of your problem, you could go after those installers. Their insurance should cover you. After all, if their failed attempt caused the trouble, they should compensate you. Any installation shop worth its' salt should have insurance against these types of incidents.

Installing an ipod adapter is a fairly trivial undertaking, and the only way you could have caused any problem would have been by moving an already damaged wire or wires. I've installed one of those in two separate cars, myself. It's just a plug and play device.

I just hope that this has added some useful information to this thread, with no finger pointing or invective.

 

Well........having worked on F-16 fighter avionics for 15 years, i would tell you that you never mess with wiring unless you are absolultely certain you know what you are doing. What the shop that installed the remote start did may have damaged something. When you are dealing with signals.....it doesn't take much. In this age of digital electronics, anything could have happened. When soldering........you have to make absolutley certain it was done right. I never have messed with any of the wiring on my TCH. I leave that to an "authorized" technician. That way there should be no warranty issues if something goes wrong.

 

Plan A: The folks who screwed it up in the first place pay.
Plan B: You pay
Plan C: See "Plan B." There aint no way that Toyota is repsonsible.

 

god why couldn't you just have the installation done at a toyota dealership? serves you right for cheaping out and going for someone you trust rather than the company that built the product themselves.

If you have warranty, go to those who honor the warrenty and that includes service. Too expensive? You have to get your head in gear here, because I have customers that compliment how competitive we are compared to local garages and other import dealers.

You have to look at it from Toyota perspective as well, why should they pay for someone else's **** up?

 

Cool off please or this thread will have to be closed.

 

UPDATE: To all that were helpful, Thank you! Everyone else, I hope it happens to you

It was a bad crimp on a factory ground, that's right, no boards need, no modules fried... :headbang: It took me a full day to track down the faulty ground.

Now I'm trying to get the dealer to replace the parts THEY scratched and they also broke my fusebox. The side has a huge chunk of plastic missing and exposing live bars. Seats are indented from parts being rested on the leather.

So once again, like I stated before, HOW CAN A REMOTE START INSTALL ATTEMPTED MONTHS PRIOR CAUSE THIS? IT DIDN'T!

BTW Lesson learned, I won't buy another Toyota Yeah, yeah, you all can say it's not Toyotas fault but in my book it is.