2003 4RUNNER. trip to car wash causes brake failure, alarms and all lights going craz

[gentlejax]

Friend took her 03 4 runner to car wash where they run it through on rails. She said the car got slightly lifted before it started and she had her foot on brake when waiting for the "green light signal" .

after leaving the brakes stopped functioning and then all the warning lights went off in dash and the buzzer inside cabin also.

VSC and TRAC OFF lights on.

I am not local to her so trying to figure out what happened.

brake fluid is not low at all. she very slowly took car home using emergency brake and virtually no gas.

 

[Ralph Blake]

Looks like they got water into the control sensors,this might be a major fix problem. When left to dry if it does not get better,you will need someone who knows about the 4runners electoral control system. A Dealer will try to rob you so be careful as to what is offered at what price. I also would think about asking the car wash if their insurance would cover fixing it,as they caused this problem. At a last resort I would think of getting an Attorney to recover the expense of any repair. I had a friend who's Auto got a little flooded, the repair ran around $1600 dollars just the idle control motor was $600. So parts can be costly. Having the brake control not working sounds like it will need replacing if it does not dry out and self repair. Good Luck.

 

[gentlejax]

Looks like they got water into the control sensors,this might be a major fix problem. When left to dry if it does not get better,you will need someone who knows about the 4runners electoral control system. A Dealer will try to rob you so be careful as to what is offered at what price. I also would think about asking the car wash if their insurance would cover fixing it,as they caused this problem. At a last resort I would think of getting an Attorney to recover the expense of any repair. I had a friend who's Auto got a little flooded, the repair ran around $1600 dollars just the idle control motor was $600. So parts can be costly. Having the brake control not working sounds like it will need replacing if it does not dry out and self repair. Good Luck.

I hope its not something major. where are the control sensors ?

 

[Ralph Blake]

I hope its not something major. where are the control sensors ?

I am not really sure but since it has caused the ABS brake system to keep the brakes from being applied,it seems that it's near the wheels.
But I don't know just where all the car wash water was directed.
Don't understand this the truck being lifted. Was this a wash to remove winter road salt from under the truck?

 

[gentlejax]

I am not really sure but since it has caused the ABS brake system to keep the brakes from being applied,it seems that it's near the wheels.
But I don't know just where all the car wash water was directed.
Don't understand this the truck being lifted. Was this a wash to remove winter road salt from under the truck?

just a regular automatic car wash. she said she had foot on brake waiting on them to signal with the green light and the rail system that guides the car engaged her car and they felt a slight lift at first until she let off brake.

she was watching the light system and not the employee and apparently it was not in syn. the green light she was watching didnt come on

 

[Ralph Blake]

just a regular automatic car wash. she said she had foot on brake waiting on them to signal with the green light and the rail system that guides the car engaged her car and they felt a slight lift at first until she let off brake.

she was watching the light system and not the employee and apparently it was not in syn. the green light she was watching didnt come on

Do you think something on the wash machine might have contacted something under her truck? I don't see a Reg. Auto wash being able to get water under the truck,and surly the sensors are protected for water as just rain could cause a problem if they were not protected.

Something else must have happened, your friend was lucky to get it home as you said using the E-brake and little gas. Should have had it towed, it caused a wreck and who know what would have happened and what the cops would have done.

 

[gentlejax]

Do you think something on the wash machine might have contacted something under her truck? I don't see a Reg. Auto wash being able to get water under the truck,and surly the sensors are protected for water as just rain could cause a problem if they were not protected.

Something else must have happened, your friend was lucky to get it home as you said using the E-brake and little gas. Should have had it towed, it caused a wreck and who know what would have happened and what the cops would have done.

your right. I was thinking how could it be any different than rain getting under.

I asked if she thought they hit something under car. its raining today so she cant get under it.

she lives about an hour from me so I may have to go over myself

 

[Ralph Blake]

your right. I was thinking how could it be any different than rain getting under.

I asked if she thought they hit something under car. its raining today so she cant get under it.

she lives about an hour from me so I may have to go over myself

I sent you a PM asking for your phone # so we could discuss this quicker.

 

[Bossman]

I'd suggest checking out this thread ... many causes for what was experienced.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/122045-complete-brake-failure-thanks-toyota.html

Could be that the extended pressure on the brake pedal through the car wash did blow a brake line somewhere. I'd be checking for leaks.

Master cylinder? Maybe.

But all those warning indicators happened to me when I blew a brake line (twice!) - the brake fluid reservoir looked fine at the time, but i was able to quickly spot the leaks. 4Runner was towed both times.

 

[Ralph Blake]

I'd suggest checking out this thread ... many causes for what was experienced.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/122045-complete-brake-failure-thanks-toyota.html

Could be that the extended pressure on the brake pedal through the car wash did blow a brake line somewhere. I'd be checking for leaks.

Master cylinder? Maybe.

But all those warning indicators happened to me when I blew a brake line (twice!) - the brake fluid reservoir looked fine at the time, but i was able to quickly spot the leaks. 4Runner was towed both times.

That is a good idea it's worth checking,I hope it's something simple like this and not water damage to the ABS brake system sensor.

 

[gentlejax]

I'd suggest checking out this thread ... many causes for what was experienced.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/122045-complete-brake-failure-thanks-toyota.html

Could be that the extended pressure on the brake pedal through the car wash did blow a brake line somewhere. I'd be checking for leaks.

Master cylinder? Maybe.

But all those warning indicators happened to me when I blew a brake line (twice!) - the brake fluid reservoir looked fine at the time, but i was able to quickly spot the leaks. 4Runner was towed both times.

she says fluid level is fine but due to weather she hasnt been able to get under car to check.

 

[gentlejax]

I'd suggest checking out this thread ... many causes for what was experienced.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/122045-complete-brake-failure-thanks-toyota.html

Could be that the extended pressure on the brake pedal through the car wash did blow a brake line somewhere. I'd be checking for leaks.

Master cylinder? Maybe.

But all those warning indicators happened to me when I blew a brake line (twice!) - the brake fluid reservoir looked fine at the time, but i was able to quickly spot the leaks. 4Runner was towed both times.

ok, I read the entire thread

Post #69 #75 #85 sound exactly like what she told me she had happen.


So it sound like master cylinder failure or brake line has blown. ...from what I can read.

 

[gentlejax]

can someone tell me what I need ? ive looked up brake master cylinder and its basically the fluid resevoir and the unit..

since I am not at the location of car I dont exactly know what I am looking for. I plan to go to the yard and looking for a used one..long shot..

 

[fdbyrne]

The master cylinder would be a worse case scenario. These trucks don't have normal master cylinders. You have to replace the whole unit. It would be about $1600 to get a used one off of car-parts.com. I think it would be around $2500 new, with no non-oem replacements available.

 

[earthrealm]

nope, its a lot cheaper...used units on ebay start around $400, bought a used unit from a forum member for a lil under $300. new unit on rockauto is about $1300 or so.
before the MC unit fails..it would give some warning signs....mine did for about 2 years, before it failed, and the day it failed -- car drove fine, went out for lunch came back parked car, twas ok....close of work come out to go home...zero brakes...dash lit, alarms making a racket [so if i wasnt 4runner savvy, it would have been a suprise to me - but thanks to this forum, it wasnt]....ask her if she observed as wheezing/rattling/pulsing when ever she braked prior to this?

 

[fdbyrne]

Glad to hear it's not as expensive as I remember. Those numbers were from memory and may have been inaccurate although I was pretty confident when I posted them.

 

[Ralph Blake]

nope, its a lot cheaper...used units on ebay start around $400, bought a used unit from a forum member for a lil under $300. new unit on rockauto is about $1300 or so.
before the MC unit fails..it would give some warning signs....mine did for about 2 years, before it failed, and the day it failed -- car drove fine, went out for lunch came back parked car, twas ok....close of work come out to go home...zero brakes...dash lit, alarms making a racket [so if i wasnt 4runner savvy, it would have been a suprise to me - but thanks to this forum, it wasnt]....ask her if she observed as wheezing/rattling/pulsing when ever she braked prior to this?

Back in the days before all this safety ABS traction control stuff,your master brake Cyl. failed you got a dropping brake pedal and you bought a new master Cyl. cost around from $30 to $50 dollars.
Them were the good old days maybe not as safe as today, but WoW!! $1,300 to $1,500 for a super great wonderful SAFE safer then being....UNSAFE master braking system.
I have to post I am not impressed by the cost of all this so called extra great wonderful safety that has been pushed on us today.

 

[earthrealm]

Lemme still ask this again..
Is there a way to check a used Mc unit before installing it in the truck?

 

[gentlejax]

There is now a new possible culprit

I didnt realize it but she has the Progressive Insurance "snapshot device" installed in the car which logs driving habits in order to provide a discount.

well its also in a lawsuit now because it has messed up many peoples cars and caused all kind of damage to the electical from lights to computers.

she pulled it but the car is still going crazy.


is there a way to reset the computer without a scanner? I Have a scanner but I am almost afraid to use it and make things worse reading that some scanners erase data

 

[earthrealm]

unplugging the battery for 10 to 15 minutes should do the trick