Electrical Reboot issue - ever seen this? ScanGuage II

[tb-av]

About a week ago I went out to start the 2011 Limited.

My ScanguageII which stays plugged in was blank after starting.

The weather had just changed and it was a cold morning.

I drove away and within a mile or so I was driving slowly through a townhouse complex. My radio started rebooting adn my dash lights started lighting up. The 4Runner actually cut off. It started right back up and I did not experience that any more.

A couple of days later again with drop in temps and this time with snow I roll out and within about a mile or so the radio/NAV reboots. This time I notice that it happens when I hit the brake pedal. It did not cut off this time.

Fast forward to today. Still cold and snow. Within a mile I hit the brakes and reboot. Sometimes the dash lights would show to various degrees, Speedo needle drops and rises, it did not cut off. The steering did not get heavy and I was making turns.

So it's brakes and reboot like the car is just starting but it's simply running normal other than the gauges flashing. So now I brake, reboot, then hit gas and --I think-- it did a little quick reboot with the lunge of acceleration as well... can't be positive about that.

So I was about out of gas and I go fill up. Just like the first time thins happened once I restarted the issue went away. Oh, and the first day with the ScanguageII.. once I unplugged it and replugged it has worked as normal.

I don't even know where to start trying to figure this out. I -thought- it must be electrical and tied to the brake switch but then when I accelerated and maybe got a reboot, I wonder is it a body angle movement thing.

Has anyone ever heard of this? Each day I have been able to repeat this issue multiple times simply by tapping the brake. After a restart it goes away.

I guess the first thing I will do is disconnect the ScanguageII to be sure it's not feeding something back to the ECU. Beyond that, I'm not sure where to start.

Anyone ever seen this or have any suggestions? This is not like the NAV random reboots. Every time it has been right after driving away and going slow and definitely the braking will trigger it.

======================================================================================

UPDATE1: Due to weather conditions, my schedule, etc... I had to go with the easiest trouble shooting first.
1. Unplug Scanguage II
----- Result: All symptoms are gone
-------------- Test Conditions: Same weather, rain, snow, temp, driving style, driving duration, speed, same tank of gas. Basically the conditions are are nearly similar as could possibly be hoped for.

I will now try to re-create the issue. There are only two components to the ScanGuage II. The head unit and the cable. If it fails I will replace the cable. After that I will see if the ScanGuage people can verify that perhaps the firmware got scrambled. I have not researched it to the point of knowing if I can re-flash the firmware myself or what. But so far things are pointing to it being the issue.

Will update as I test and verify further. Probably no one will ever have this exact problem but at least the info will be out there.

 

[samwhich]

Check battery terminals for corrosion or possibly a bad ground.

 

[tb-av]

Thanks, will do.

They should be good as it hasn't been all that long that I have connected different things this past summer but I need to start somewhere.

 

[FLYNAVY53]

Interesting you mention this....my 2016 TRD Pro did this today as I was pulling out of work to head home. Not as severe as your symptoms, but the radio/NAV definitely froze on the "Toyota" logo, and then eventually rebooted....a little frustrating with a 3 year old car....

 

[tb-av]

Do you know if you touched the brakes?

BTW, when I say reboot. it's more like an electrical restart. The radio stays on the same station, volume same level and all that. No settings lost.

Also I do not notice any rough idle or power loss. It's as though the thing is running mechanically but the electrical is recycling.

 

[FLYNAVY53]

Mine was kind of the opposite. Everything was working perfectly, with the exception of the radio stuck on the initialization screen. It eventually recycled. While it was frozen, there was no sound at all.

 

[elnip]

About a week ago I went out to start the 2011 Limited.

My ScanguageII which stays plugged in was blank after starting.

The weather had just changed and it was a cold morning.

I drove away and within a mile or so I was driving slowly through a townhouse complex. My radio started rebooting adn my dash lights started lighting up. The 4Runner actually cut off. It started right back up and I did not experience that any more.

A couple of days later again with drop in temps and this time with snow I roll out and within about a mile or so the radio/NAV reboots. This time I notice that it happens when I hit the brake pedal. It did not cut off this time.

Fast forward to today. Still cold and snow. Within a mile I hit the brakes and reboot. Sometimes the dash lights would show to various degrees, Speedo needle drops and rises, it did not cut off. The steering did not get heavy and I was making turns.

So it's brakes and reboot like the car is just starting but it's simply running normal other than the gauges flashing. So now I brake, reboot, then hit gas and --I think-- it did a little quick reboot with the lunge of acceleration as well... can't be positive about that.

So I was about out of gas and I go fill up. Just like the first time thins happened once I restarted the issue went away. Oh, and the first day with the ScanguageII.. once I unplugged it and replugged it has worked as normal.

I don't even know where to start trying to figure this out. I -thought- it must be electrical and tied to the brake switch but then when I accelerated and maybe got a reboot, I wonder is it a body angle movement thing.

Has anyone ever heard of this? Each day I have been able to repeat this issue multiple times simply by tapping the brake. After a restart it goes away.

I guess the first thing I will do is disconnect the ScanguageII to be sure it's not feeding something back to the ECU. Beyond that, I'm not sure where to start.

Anyone ever seen this or have any suggestions? This is not like the NAV random reboots. Every time it has been right after driving away and going slow and definitely the braking will trigger it.

Found thishttp://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/210638-electrical-issue-help.html

I recall reading here that there is a harness at the firewall that will sometimes collect water if you spray under the hood and will do what you are saying when you apply the brakes but I tried with no luck finding the thread.

 

[tb-av]

Mine was kind of the opposite.

Do a search for 5th Gen NAV Reboot. A couple of threads. I think one has post about taking out a fuse for 4 hours and it forces a complete reboot. that NAV reboot is a known issue. I read some of the threads but mine is different.

 

[tb-av]

Found thishttp://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/210638-electrical-issue-help.html

I recall reading here that there is a harness at the firewall that will sometimes collect water if you spray under the hood and will do what you are saying when you apply the brakes but I tried with no luck finding the thread.

Thanks I will try to do some more searching with those terms. Going to read the link you posted now.

ETA: Just read that thread. It was his ignition switch. Today as I was driving I kept reasoning that it seems almost like the car it trying to restart even though it's running. I've never pushed the switch after it's running. I wonder if it grinds the starter like a key does in an older car or if it just cycles. Also I expect the brake has to be tied to the ignition switch since you have to press brake and switch to get a start.

 

[tb-av]

UPDATE in FIRST POST

 

[JerseyMike]

Do you know if you touched the brakes?

BTW, when I say reboot. it's more like an electrical restart. The radio stays on the same station, volume same level and all that. No settings lost.

Also I do not notice any rough idle or power loss. It's as though the thing is running mechanically but the electrical is recycling.

Mine did exactly the same thing the entire way from Mammoth to LA last Sunday. I didn't shut it off and start again because I wanted to figure out what the issue was. All electric would cut out - including all exterior lights, radar detector, (aftermarket) head unit, instrument cluster, etc. - for just a millisecond after tapping the brakes. It didn't happen on every brake tap, but I'd say at least 25% of the times I used the brakes, I'd get a brown-out/reboot of anything electric. No scangauge. Year old 31M battery.

This happened a few years ago and hasn't happened since. Totally weird. The truck isn't my DD so next time I have it out I'll update.

 

[jhguth]

one time my scan gauge was showing voltage jumping a bit then it shutoff (the scangauge, not the vehicle) and i got some dashboard lights. i pulled over and checked wires and fuses and couldn't see anything wrong, i restarted the vehicle and everything was back to normal and it's never happened again.

i didn't think of it at the time, but typing it out now i wish i had checked the alternator ripple, i'll probably do that now even though it's been a couple months

 

[JerseyMike]

Just to update things, it was the neutral safety switch (or "transmission range selector" 'yotaspeak). The thing was so corroded that it took the shop 3 hours just to cut it off without damaging the shaft.

Backstory: I'd had issues last winter with some weird electrical ghost (CEL and TRAC lights) and sticky shifting when I'd start the truck, but I'd shift thru the cycle a few times to loosen things up and it would be fine after that. It threw the P0705 code indicating that it was the NSS, but the issue went away once the spring came, and with the move to SoCal over the summer I hadn't thought of it til this brown-out issue started. Figures it was the first time the truck saw cold and snow that it came back. This time the issue manifested with a bit of a different electrical ghost (and no sticky shfting). Did some googling around and it seemed like the NSS could still be the issue, so before I drove myself nuts I figured I'd just have the shop down the street swap it out. Sure enough, no more brown-outs.

 

[Lester Lugnut]

Google the following. May seem repetitious...just covering the bases:

scangauge causes causing electrical electronic issues problems

 

[tb-av]

Update... if it may help anyone or help me actually.


Removed Scanguage II for several months. No issues at all. So basically all Winter long.

Reconnected Scanguage II about two weeks ago and all was good until this weekend. I got the reboot issue again. So I disconnect the device and restart. It requires a restart or even after disconnecting it sitll would reboot on brake tap.

Everything back to normal..... until yesterday afternoon. It happened again without the Scanguage II connected. Restart,,, all is ok.

So now I am back to square one starting today to see what happens from here. Will read back through the posts.

No codes being registered BTW.

If anyone has any new ideas I'm listening.

 

[Muzzle of Bees]

The radio in my 2016 TP rebooted when I had my phone plugged into the USB near the radio. It has worked fine since I updated the Entune software.

 

[tb-av]

Just another update....

So aside from that one time at the end of March I have left the ScanGuage II disconnected and no more issues.

I have heard that our computers actually 'remember' certain situations and I'm now wondering if that last issue was a 'remembered scanguage connection' because all is back to normal and no changes in anything else.

Really frustrating because I like the ScanGuage especially for tire pressure monitor.

 

[catrains]

the scan gauge taps into the PCM sensors so the cable or the electronics are messing up the vehicles electronic system.

buy new or send the unit complete to the company .

they are very helpful ..

 

[ANDY_FTLC]

This is EXACTLY what has been happening to me for the past two days after the weather dipped into the 20s at night.

4Runner had to be jump started as well in the morning.

I thought maybe my battery needed to be charged/replaced (currently trickle charging as we speak)

I am going to disconnect my Scangauge II as well if the issue still arises.

Thanks OP.

 

[tb-av]

This is EXACTLY what has been happening to me for the past two days after the weather dipped into the 20s at night.

4Runner had to be jump started as well in the morning.

I thought maybe my battery needed to be charged/replaced (currently trickle charging as we speak)

I am going to disconnect my Scangauge II as well if the issue still arises.

Thanks OP.

Aside from that one issue on my post #15 previous page I have since never had this issue re-occur. I also have not used the Scanguage II again though. So that's 4 years, no gauge no issues. My biggest concern was what if I pull out in traffic and it shuts off. It can still function as a diagnostic scanner just not a full time plugged in monitor device.