[Anton]

I think I'd politely let Safeco (decent company, btw) know in no uncertain terms that your van had NONE of these problems with the MIL or this actuator before the collision, regardless of whether your wife backed into somebody, lightning struck the car, or whatever. The point is, the vehicle has not worked properly since the collision, and "I'm paying you my hard earned $$ in premiums. This is one of the reasons we carry insurance" is pretty much how I'd word it to them, calmly of course.

Reading his initial timeline, the vehicle DID work properly after the collision. I get what you're saying, but there's no causality shown here. It could be water damage but no one has shown any kind of likelihood for that. It could be that the windshield installer screwed something up under the hood. It could be a rodent. It could be just random deterioration of something. If I were the insurance company I would want to establish that this was covered damage before I paid.

I repair motorcycles. If I flush someone's brakes and an ABS sensor fails while the bike is in my shop it's awkward but it's not anything I did. Even if I flush the brakes and a hose goes bad or debris clogs the ABS module it's not on me; it's a pre-existing fault rooted in lack of previous maintenance. And if I flush those brakes and a fork seal starts leaking on the test ride, it's completely unrelated.

If I saw communication issues between many different modules, I wouldn't be assuming that replacing a certain module would fix the issue unless the issues all went away when that one module was removed.

1) Skid control actuator won't function. A new one is 1 thousand.
2) Can’t run tests.

Does that mean he can't run tests on the skid module? If the skid control module isn't working because (for instance) it's not receiving steering angle info from the BCM, then it's not a bad skid module. I don't know these particular systems so I can't say.

 

[daynick456]

Reading his initial timeline, the vehicle DID work properly after the collision. I get what you're saying, but there's no causality shown here. It could be water damage but no one has shown any kind of likelihood for that. It could be that the windshield installer screwed something up under the hood. It could be a rodent. It could be just random deterioration of something. If I were the insurance company I would want to establish that this was covered damage before I paid.

I repair motorcycles. If I flush someone's brakes and an ABS sensor fails while the bike is in my shop it's awkward but it's not anything I did. Even if I flush the brakes and a hose goes bad or debris clogs the ABS module it's not on me; it's a pre-existing fault rooted in lack of previous maintenance. And if I flush those brakes and a fork seal starts leaking on the test ride, it's completely unrelated.

If I saw communication issues between many different modules, I wouldn't be assuming that replacing a certain module would fix the issue unless the issues all went away when that one module was removed.



Does that mean he can't run tests on the skid module? If the skid control module isn't working because (for instance) it's not receiving steering angle info from the BCM, then it's not a bad skid module. I don't know these particular systems so I can't say.

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I don't know what is going to happen. The issues followed the collision not immediately but very soon. Water did have a place to enter where the collision occurred. And yes the windshield replacement was just before the issues arose. The adjuster said they have seen these issues be related but would need to see a cause. And another service manager said his master technician has seen it before too. Something happened at Toyota. They don't know what to do or can't get a part of something. I have not pushed them for an answer but they have not let me know what the problem was either. The last thing they told me when they first took the van was that they could not run any tests due to a lack of communication.

 

[Anton]

Yesterday a customer brought a motorcycle in for some brake work. Lever was very soft and he had an ABS light on the dash. I went for a spin, sure enough there's the light, bled the brakes (which resolved the soft lever) and codes showed a bad ABS pump motor. I can fix that in the future for him but not before a trip he's making, so he takes it back. Just called me wondering what the ABS light was about. I explained. He said he'd never seen that before; the light he saw was a pad wear indicator.

So, between him dropping it off and me going for a pre-service test ride, this new problem (which is not unusual for this year) popped up. Nothing I did, nothing he did, nothing anyone can either cause or prevent. But his experience is undeniably that he brought it to me and it developed this new problem.

 

[daynick456]

Yesterday a customer brought a motorcycle in for some brake work. Lever was very soft and he had an ABS light on the dash. I went for a spin, sure enough there's the light, bled the brakes (which resolved the soft lever) and codes showed a bad ABS pump motor. I can fix that in the future for him but not before a trip he's making, so he takes it back. Just called me wondering what the ABS light was about. I explained. He said he'd never seen that before; the light he saw was a pad wear indicator.

So, between him dropping it off and me going for a pre-service test ride, this new problem (which is not unusual for this year) popped up. Nothing I did, nothing he did, nothing anyone can either cause or prevent. But his experience is undeniably that he brought it to me and it developed this new problem.

Thank you for sharing this experience. It raises good points. We have been on vacation so I have been forcing myself not to worry. However, the one real change was that water was allowed to enter the van at the site of collision. And where we live in Port Angeles it rains like crazy in the spring months. And, I did find one almost identical situation where a water issue was the only cause. Not at the rear end and not a collision but water entry from a window being left down. We fly home today. The van is due the following day at the body shop for the rear end repair. I don't even think Toyota has resolved the issue because if they did surely they would have called me. I have to just hope that something works out and I truly hope it ties back to the collision but right now that is uncertain.

 

[shoult]

Okay, I only skimmed through the thread, but I didn't see anywhere where it said anyone reset the computer? Once you have the codes resetting is the next step. It has set a few vehicles I've worked on right. It' cheap and easy to do as well.

 

[daynick456]

After 4 months Toyota found corrosion on a wire under the dash. We had a crack in our windshield in December 2021 but glass companies were out of stock. So we had the windshield replaced shortly after the fender bender and very soon after that we had the code problems. I just read that windshield replacement can lead to leaks. Would anyone care to make a guess on what was more likely the crack (about 2 feet long) or a leak as a result of an improperly installed windshield? How long does corrosion take can it happen in a few days? I just read how to test for leaks so I plan to do that when I get the van back but now I got a bill to look forward to when I collect the van.

 

[shoult]

Windshield glass is laminated so a crack won't go all the way through and wouldn't make much of a leak unless the crack had widened somehow. I'm thinking the fender bender has caused a small misalignment, but enough to create a leak.

 

[Ed's00Sienna]

I suppose it COULD be a combination of both (collision/screen replacement)? Did water leak directly on the wire and trickle to a connection or ground? Was there chafed or cracked wiring beforehand? I know, I'm the Question King, but a diagnostician and mechanic by trade.

 

[daynick456]

I honestly don't know. I found out today that it is DA4 on this diagram.

 

[Ed's00Sienna]

I know this thread's getting old, but did you ever get this resolved, Nick? Sorry it took so long to get back, I've been laid up for a bit

 

[daynick456]

Hi Ed, thank you for checking back with me. Toyota finally figured it out. They pulled the dash and found a corroded connector. It was DA4 on this wiring instrument panel. They did an overlay as opposed to replacing the entire harness. It cost me $800. Water had to get in there but it sat for 3 months at the dealership in the sun so any water trails were would have been gone. Toyota told me that they don't believe it was due to the crack in the windshield. Thank you for asking Ed.

 

[Ed's00Sienna]

Well I'm glad they figured it out, albeit 3 months and $800 later! At least you didn't have to spring for an entire harness. Sounds like you have a reputable dealership where you're at. Thanks for getting back to me and letting me know so we'll all have the answer when it happens again, 'cuz you know it will!

 

[Therbi]

Be very careful. You're right, most likely not water from a crack but a bad install of the front glass. This is a notorious spot for water to get in and leak down the A pillar. If they already fixed it great, but if they just repaired the connector and did not address why it happened, it will come back again.

 

[daynick456]

Be very careful. You're right, most likely not water from a crack but a bad install of the front glass. This is a notorious spot for water to get in and leak down the A pillar. If they already fixed it great, but if they just repaired the connector and did not address why it happened, it will come back again.

I think you are right. We had the windshield replaced in May. However, it was literally a few days after the install that codes went nuts. Then the van sat at Toyota for 3 months during summer. They finally pull the dash and service manager tells me he sees no signs of leakage. After sitting in the heat for three months. I have not felt ok about this since it happened. However. the service manager says there was corrosion. Could it have corroded in a few days? And NO they did not fix or provide a reason why the water got in there. I only paid them 1/2 and asked for a 30 day plan for second half because my gut said something would not work out. I need to sit down tomorrow and write out a specific timeline to double check. Thank you so much.

 

[daynick456]

Be very careful. You're right, most likely not water from a crack but a bad install of the front glass. This is a notorious spot for water to get in and leak down the A pillar. If they already fixed it great, but if they just repaired the connector and did not address why it happened, it will come back again.

Is there a way to test it? If they would have pulled the dash right away they might have seen water trails. I feel really screwed on this.

 

[daynick456]

Be very careful. You're right, most likely not water from a crack but a bad install of the front glass. This is a notorious spot for water to get in and leak down the A pillar. If they already fixed it great, but if they just repaired the connector and did not address why it happened, it will come back again.

Wait! Toyota didn’t pull dash until 3 months after install so maybe water got in a few days after install and then over the three months of sitting corroded.

 

[daynick456]

Be very careful. You're right, most likely not water from a crack but a bad install of the front glass. This is a notorious spot for water to get in and leak down the A pillar. If they already fixed it great, but if they just repaired the connector and did not address why it happened, it will come back again.

I just checked and I had the windhsield replaced on 6.2.22 and 5 days later the codes on the van went crazy. The only thing is that I just pulled up the precipitation for that time period and it looks like it was not raining much.

 

[Therbi]

Water leaks are usually not huge and take time to get into those JB boxes and do damage. No, corrosion does not usually happen overnight. But if you had one night of heavy rain, water could get in and cause those problems, then continue to corrode over the next few months.
Its usually pretty easy to check for leaks if you dont mind doing a bit of work yourself. And I prefer to find the issue myself rather than trusting whoever did it in the first place. Of course they're going to tell you they didnt find anything right.
Pull off the A pillar garnish and get someone to stand outside the vehicle with a garden hose and run it full blast on the glass from the outside. You dont need so much high pressure but high volume so its just pouring down. Get inside the vehicle with a very bright light and be patient. Sometimes the drip can be very slow to start, or difficult to see.
Usually the cause is the bead of urethane sealant that was applied to the glass before it was installed was damaged in some way. So rather than being a nice consistent thick bead of sealant its wiped flat, not applied at all etc.
Its just odd that you had it once, fairly soon after your issue, and you havent had it again, so maybe it was fixed, but it sure doesnt sound like it.
Good luck and post back if you find any issues.

 

[daynick456]

Water leaks are usually not huge and take time to get into those JB boxes and do damage. No, corrosion does not usually happen overnight. But if you had one night of heavy rain, water could get in and cause those problems, then continue to corrode over the next few months.
Its usually pretty easy to check for leaks if you dont mind doing a bit of work yourself. And I prefer to find the issue myself rather than trusting whoever did it in the first place. Of course they're going to tell you they didnt find anything right.
Pull off the A pillar garnish and get someone to stand outside the vehicle with a garden hose and run it full blast on the glass from the outside. You dont need so much high pressure but high volume so its just pouring down. Get inside the vehicle with a very bright light and be patient. Sometimes the drip can be very slow to start, or difficult to see.
Usually the cause is the bead of urethane sealant that was applied to the glass before it was installed was damaged in some way. So rather than being a nice consistent thick bead of sealant its wiped flat, not applied at all etc.
Its just odd that you had it once, fairly soon after your issue, and you havent had it again, so maybe it was fixed, but it sure doesnt sound like it.
Good luck and post back if you find any issues.

Thank you very much I really appreciate your help.

 

[daynick456]

Thank you very much I really appreciate your help.

I posted on Facebook about the glass company and several folks have stated that their windshields leaked after replacement. Thanks to you Therbi.