I just bought a 2013 Tacoma with a Toyota installed 3" lift kit. The second day driving the car started breaking unexpectly in sharp corners at 35-40 MPH. It scared the crap out of me and I took it in. I was able to demonstrate the same loss of steering control to a Toyota technician. Afterwards I was told that the lift installation requires a zero point calibration and that the one performed must not have worked. They redid it and this time test drove the truck to verify success. Needless to say the sale of the vehicle to me in its condition put my and other drivers at risk. Very scary experience that could have and should have been avoided.
Lift Kit causes safety issue with new Toyota
- Thread starter PoquePro
- Start date
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I'm a little curious here. I have installed a few different lift kits and have never heard of a Zero Point Calibration. Can you elaborate for me as to what that is? the only thing that really should need to be done with most lift kits is an alignment. Even if that alignment isn't done then you'll still have full control of your vehicle. I'm not trying to call you out, I'm just curious what the deal was.
aha2988
New member
It's a Yaw and Decent control system similar to what an aircraft uses. It sense what angle the vehicle is at going up hill, down hill, weather a tire is off the ground. In a roll over situation it can have the air bags deploy before the vehicle impacts on it's side or roof pending speed during the time in which the wheels come off the ground. I've never had issues with mine personally other than cutting my throttle during icy conditions if my back end kicked out over 10 degrees. I erased the zero points and never reset them so the computer doesn't have the knowledge to allow it to make corrections.
when you set the zero points your setting them on level ground zero mph steering wheel pointed straight.
This is what happens when you spend all your time working on vehicles from the late 80's and early 90's... you have no idea what goes on in new vehicles 
I do have a 2010 Tundra but that truck stays stock so I don't really learn much about it.
It sounds like a really cool system, how does it effect the off road ability of it? I'm assuming you can turn it on and off while wheeling?
I do have a 2010 Tundra but that truck stays stock so I don't really learn much about it.It sounds like a really cool system, how does it effect the off road ability of it? I'm assuming you can turn it on and off while wheeling?
1engineer
Moderator
This is what happens when you spend all your time working on vehicles from the late 80's and early 90's... you have no idea what goes on in new vehicles
It sounds like a really cool system, how does it effect the off road ability of it? I'm assuming you can turn it on and off while wheeling?
This is why you set the zero point calibration: Vehicle Stability Control – SUV Safety
If there is no known, measurable baseline then these systems (VSC, ATrac,, Decent control, ABS and others) cannot and will not function properly. We have the ability to turn off VSC and side air bag initation. VSC, especially in the sand or snow, can cause problems unto themselves hence the ability to switch on and off. As a matter of fact I turned the VSC off for a few moments this morning. I was going up a hill when I came to a bunch of vehicles that were stopped due to a tractor-trailer stuck on the slick road. If I would have left the VSC on in that situation then whenever I started forward any wheel slip would have been detected and the remedy of the VSC is to apply brake to spinning wheel and ret a r d throttle if necessary. That is only a good idea if you never want to reach the top of the hill. So I pushed the button, spun a little and went on my way. Going through the next curve I felt the truck start to slide and remembered the VSC was disabled so I just pushed the button again and *magic happens* no more slide.
aha2988
New member
This is what happens when you spend all your time working on vehicles from the late 80's and early 90's... you have no idea what goes on in new vehicles
It sounds like a really cool system, how does it effect the off road ability of it? I'm assuming you can turn it on and off while wheeling?
no it sucks for off-roading it's design purpose was to
A.) adjust shift points when going up or down hill you kind of need high rpm shift points pulling a trailer up hill; however, when on flat ground lower rpms save gas... and then having the computer know your going down hill allows it to use the tranny to slow you down with engine compression instead of eating up brakes.
B.) for drivers that arn't experienced enough to control a vehicle if it were to loose traction the computer steps in and takes away throttle and or applies brakes to individual wheels to control a skid or slide.
It becomes dangerous off-road imagine climbing some steep terrain have a wheel pick up for two seconds and loose all forward momentum because your computer decides you shouldn't use your throttle any more.
It sounds like a cool system, just another more advanced traction control system really. I guess it would be good for the slippery roads as you guys have said already. I wouldn't mind having a new 4runner because they are really cool with an awesome interior. I don't see myself getting one anytime soon though. I do not want a second car payment nor will I get rid of my Tundra unless the new 4runners can pull 11,000+ pounds on a trailer (which they won't ). I will give the new 4runners a lot of credit though. They're cool looking with a ton of sweet features. When they first came out I didn't like them but they're definitely growing on me.
). I will give the new 4runners a lot of credit though. They're cool looking with a ton of sweet features. When they first came out I didn't like them but they're definitely growing on me.
