2010 Tundra – Quieter, Less Fuel, Still Great Power

Count me in for a test spin to, but only in the 4.10 and not the 3.90 gear ratio.
I think the 4.10 will get the same, if not better, mpg than the 3.90 the way I drive.

Sweet, power and practicality.

I think its cool that toyota is building and engine that is more efficient and more powerful. I hope they make more sales and i wonder what toyota is going to bring out next.

my 08 5.7 will not get better than 14 no matter what, onlu thign i do not like about this truck really

Yes in Florida the land is flat and if they let me place a photo shot I would show you my sticker off the truck which has 16 city and 20 hwy. Doing 55 on the interstate does help alot. I would get up into 23 mpg. So I don’t quite stay there because sometimes I drive at 60 to 70mph. Now when I drive to work which is 28 miles of that at least 18 miles are interstate and 9 miles are 4 lane hwy at 55mph and the last mile has 2 red lights at 45mph in a 4 lane road. I use the cruise control all the time except when raining/snowing. The only hills in Florida are in Tallahassee. So this is where I get max mpg’s. The weather can play a big part if you have winds over 10 mph. MK where you’re at you may not get the mileage because of the roads. Most of my travel has been on the hwy so that’s the reason for good mpg’s. I have over 56,300 miles on mine so I do use the truck alot.

Mario – Nothing yet. I’m not sure there ever will be one frankly, but if Toyota does develop one it’s at least a year away.

Bill – Thanks for posting – looking forward to hearing if the computer and your figure jive. Considering that’s a brand new truck, your mileage will probably only get better. Good to hear.

Lienster – Congrats!

Bill – Very impressive indeed – thanks for sharing.

Well I need to, now, temper my enthusiasm as I had to take the Tundra into the dealer yesterday with a check engine light on the dash. Initial thought was the VVTP (variable valve timing ?) “gear”. Replaced to no avail and as of last night they had the top end of the motor apart waiting on Toyota Engineeing to tell them what to do next………………sigh………..

Well it turns out that they were trying to cross-reference the code from my 2010 with a 2008 list of codes…….needless to say it didn’t match! My “fault” was caused by the engine RPM dropping below 400 and they have seen that on new motors when there was something in the fuel line that got onto an injector. The pulled them all and cleaned them out. I got it back Thursday night and it’s been fine since.

Gunk in the fuel is one of my concern about the non-locking gas cap. I parked my CrewMax on the driveway (with a foot and a half hanging into the sidewalk) and I worry about GUNK being put into my gas tank as a prank. I was looking into a keyed gas cap but my Toyota service guy did not recommend it because Toyota does not make one and off the shelf part may not provide proper seal and cause engine light to come on. Have anyone try or using a locking gas cap?

Stant makes one. I use it all last year when gas prices were ridiculous. I bought it at O’rielly’s for $12. The only reason I don’t have it on was I forgot to tightened the cap after a fill up and guess what. Check engine light came on and the next day the wife wanted to take it to the shop. Since it was a saturday and I had to work. So before I went to work I put on the original cap back on. The service adviser told her since we were loyal customers (I take both vehicles to do maintenace at the Toyota Dealership) they gave us a no charge for diagnostics and replaced the cap. I just never put it back on. It’s still on my toolbox waiting……

Bill in that case it’s 3 times for the same issue and you have to give them a 4th and final try at it. I know. I went through arbitration on my 06 Silverado LT3 with the headliner being replaced 11x. Tell me about it. Now I don’t have it and left GM from that and vowed never to go back. Wish you luck. Can’t say I haven’t had that issue on mine. I have 64,700 miles on my 07.

This time they swapped the VVT cam sensors from bank 1 to bank 2 and vice versa. The theory being that if (I say when) it fails again that if the code has changed sides they’ve narrowed it down. Seems like sound troubleshooting but I’m somewhat disillusioned that they can’t nail this down.

The one constant I’ve seen is that both times this has happened it’s been raining like an SOB. Both times it’s been on at engine start. It’s never come on while the truck has been running. Has to be related somehow in my mind.

I’ll keep y’all posted………

Bill- I bought a 2010 Tundra Double Cab in September. Check engine light came on after about 500 miles. Code was that the Timing was “Retarded” for a split second. It had only registered the code a few times. First time in, which was when I brought it in for the bed liner anyways, they just cleared it.

I brought it home and it came on on the way home. I went back up and the checked it to make sure it was the same code, which it was, made an appointment for the following Monday. Over the weekend the light went out, so I cancelled my appointment.

It came back on during the following week. Brought it in last week and they had it for a few hours. Swapped a control valve with another to see if the code would switch to that position. They could not get the code to come back after a few test drives. The tech. was not in a good mood as he was getting nowhere on the phone with Toyota. He said they are aware of the issue, but had not narrowed it down. He thinks it is a computer issue as he could not get the code to completely clear off the computer. He disconnected the battery for 15 minutes, contected back up and the code had not cleared off the computer, but the code was still there. It did not trip again, but would not completely clear.

Had the truck all week and no light…until tonight. Figures, Saturday night. I will call Monday morning and see when I can get it in.

If it helps, my code does not seem to come on at any particular time, nor do I see any change in performance. I have had it come on right at start up, while driving on the freeway and around town.

Will let you know more when I do.

Kristy – No idea why this is happening, but I would encourage you to keep an open mind about this truck. Brand new vehicles sometimes need adjustments, and an intermittently defective sensor could cause this problem as well. The thing about your story that bothers me is that the dealer needed 4 days to diagnose…sounds like they have no idea what’s wrong. Is there another dealer nearby? If they can’t get it done next time, I’d suggest you try another dealership next.

There is no fix. Toyota is advising technicians to change oil and reset the light. My professional opinion is that a change to the valvetrain and ocv (oil control valve) is the result of dtcs p0022 and p0011. Toyota says they are investigating the issue.

We just bought a 2010 Toyota Tundra Rock Warrior. Had the truck a week with approx. 400 miles on it when we took it out on the highway, my husband horsed it, and the check engine light came on. He thought it may be the gas cap so he topped off the tank and tightened the cap. The light went off a while later that evening when he took it out a second time. Three days later, he horsed it again, and the check engine light popped on a second time. Unfortunately, we traded in our perfectly good 2006 Tacoma and now I’m afraid we have a lemon.

I am a little panicky after reading the above comments. I have had the misfortune of owning a lemon in the past (Ford) and the prospects of going thru that again doesn’t leave me with a warm, fuzzy feeling.

We bought the truck out-of-state at a really large dealership, as our local dealership had only one truck on the lot (very small volume dealer that changed ownership just in the past few weeks). I really think they’ll be oblivious to the problem and I’m concerned with how we’ll be treated since we didn’t buy the truck locally! I’ve read on other websites (may have been mentioned on this one also) that Toyota is recommending an oil/filter change, and that this has corrected the problem in many cases. Not sure how this could make any difference….What’s your take on it?

Thanks so much Kristy for the great info. We are due for an appointment on Monday (11/16) so I’ll keep you posted:)

Our error code was P0012. I guess that’s the one to look out for. Good luck and don’t get too stressed out because it will all work out once they fix everything.

Kristy – Thanks a bunch for sharing the info – really appreciate it.

Mickey – I think so, but I doubt it’s all brought in one big barrel. It could also have been contaminated somehow. It seems odd to be sure, but a bad batch of oil would explain why an oil change is the recommended fix.

I bought a 2010 Tundra w/4.6L 2 weeks ago . . . Just turned 500 miles on it earlier today and while pulling in my driveway, got the check engine light. Went immediately over to the dealer and caught a service tech on the way out the door at 3pm who was good enough to head back for a PC to connect and diagnose. Well, turns out it had the P0022 error code and had him download info to send a report on to Toyota (which he reset when done). Since the shop was basically closed, I was told to bring it back monday morning @ 7am and they would check it out further. Problem being that I was “supposed” to be leaving for a 600 mile trip down to TMMK in Georgetown KY (where my son is finishing up an internship, so I need the truck to move him home so he can head back to college) about 5am on monday . . . guess my plans will be changing. I already told the dealer that I either need my truck fixed or a loaner on the spot (and they understand the situation and are trying to work with me on it). Glad I found this info and will probably tell them to simply get me a loaner and keep mine for a few days while they work on it. Thanks for all the info . . . .

Will do . . to actually cover all options, I went ahead and called TOYOTA customer service directly yesterday and opened a case with them. The person took all the info and said it would be escalated up to the engineers and that someone would contact me directly wtihin 1 business day (sometime monday). I then emailed my dealer back to let them know the case number so hopefully that will help them since the case is opened before they get the truck to work on. Really hoping they have some ideas that I can still hit the road early, otherwise I hope they have a loaner avaialble.

Got my Tundra into the dealer yesterday morning with a printout of the info on this post. Luckily, got to work with the same tech that I worked with on Saturday. He started making calls and got hold of 2 different engineers contacts he had a Toyota and was told by both that the fix at this point is to change oil & filter. One engineer said that would solve it while the other said it “should” solve it but he has heard of it coming back in a couple instances. They brought me back into the shop while changing the oil to show me that there was “metal particles” trapped in the filter pleats (enough that we were able to fan through the filter and easily see them while shinning a flashlight on it). The thought is that there were a couple large enough that they might have blocked oil flow at a cam sensor for an instant which caused it to through the code. I was told that after the fix, it was OK to take off on a trip and if the code returned, just continue driving and have the dealer check when I get back home. So, with 575 miles on the truck (and a new oil change), I took off yesterday morning and drove 600 miles down to TMMK (Georgetown KY). Truck did great and no “check engine light”. Will be returning home tomorrow after driving another 600 miles so we’ll keep our fingers crossed. I asked the dealer if we should change oil again when I get back to see if there are any more metal shavings in the filter after another 1500 miles, but he said that that probably wouldn’t unless it tosses another code. I also have to call back “Toyota Corporate Headquarters” today since they contacted me last night and left a message with a case number and wanted to follow up on the situation. It definitely sounds like they know there are some issues with the manufacturing process and are checking things out to keep customers happy. Maybe they will need to go back to the old days of changing “break-in” oil after 1000 miles to be sure these engines last for the owners. Will keep you posted on anything new.

Just got over 190 miles and my check engine light is on. Salesman man told me to open the gas cap, retighten, and restart the truck several times. Light is still on. Going to the dealership after only three days having my new Tundra. I hope that you guys are right about the oil / filter change.

update . . . just returned from putting 1300 additional miles on my Tundra in 3 days after getting the oil/filter change on monday morning (truck now has 1875 miles on it).
Truck did great on the trip and “no new check engine lights” so far. Sure hope that is the end of the problem. Will let you all know if anything shows up again in the future.

Identical “check engine” light problem on a 6 day old, 2010 4.6 L Tundra at a 300 mile odometer reading. Error code P0012.

Dealer changed the oil, installed a new oil filter and gasket, and road tested. Only 8 miles driven since the service, but all is well at the moment.

Jason,

Terrific web site, having just found it, thanks. Was puzzled at the engine light, truck has been running just fine. Our 7th Toyota, was not expecting any trouble so early on.

The posts here were very helpful. Mentioned to the service rep the above posted and stated problems, expected error codes, and past solutions. Still, it was a 3 hr. wait for a basic oil change. The service manager or technician had to contact Toyota for guidance. Guess corporate is getting the message, relayed back to the dealer that an oil and filter change was advisable.

This is a very large dealership. My salesman, his manager, the service counter, the service manager, and apparently the mechanic were a bit puzzled on this “check engine” on a brand new Tundra.

Hopefully, word will get out on a relatively fast and inexpensive solution to many who experience the same.

Oh, and James, thanks for this great website! Will look you up on Facebook:)

Wow glad that THQ has had so much info on this issue and even more amazing dealerships do not. I’ve been considering getting a 2nd Tundra to leave at home in TX and was reading this thinking OMG what now? But glad it appears to be a very simple fix for them.

Bad news:( Our check engine light just came on again…looks like it’s back to the dealership! Will keep you updated.

Thanks Jill for the info….. Will be waiting for your response on what’s going on….

Update….Contacted our local dealership who indicated that Toyota is recommending that should the check engine light reappear, then they are to clear out the code and this should fix the problem. Not satisfied with this answer, my husband contacted the HUGE out-of-state dealership we bought the truck from and spoke to an extremely helpful individual in the Service Dept. He indicated that, yes, they have replaced the oil/filter in several of these trucks to repair the P0012 and P0022 problems. He stated that only once did someone return with a recurrence of the check engine light. When this happened, he said they decided to take out the solenoids and, using the same ones, switched their positions. He said the check engine light came on again, so they replaced the solenoids, and this person has had no problems since. He assured us that there would be no damage to the engine and indicated that with normal break-in there may have been another metal shaving that broke free, causing the check engine light to return. He did mention that the computers in these new trucks are extremely sensitive, which may be part of the problem.

Back to my dealership….My husband dropped by and they cleared out the code (same as before P0022). Our dealership indicated that they have had three trucks return with a recurrence of the P0012 and P0022 check engine light code, three times they cleared the code, and all three times it has fixed the problem. Keeping our fingers crossed!!

Still absolutely love our Tundra Rock Warrior, even if it does have the hiccups:)

Odd. Dealer service manager just called. Opposed to the original P0012 error code 30 miles ago, this new “check engine” error is code P0022.

Toyota corporate is advising to pull the cam sensor(?), check, throughly clean, and reinstall. If it fails again, order a new sensor. Only problem is, these are backordered until late Dec. or early Jan.!

Oh well, in 9 days of taking delivery, the truck has been in the shop for 2 days. Good thing we didn’t sell the old ‘94 Celica GT yet!

Jill,

Thank you for your post, very helpful as I am a bit mechanically impaired. The two separate error codes being related to the same problem now makes sense.

On the telephone yesterday, thought the service tech stated that Toyota advised checking and cleaning the “sensor”, not the “solenoids”. Is it possible that these are the same thing?

If not, it would seem to make sense that the dealer go ahead and install new solenoids. I would assume they are located in the same general area of the engine.

Thanks for the tele. #’s and advise. I do have the original case #. Guess maybe I’ll call the dealer when the sun comes up. Appreciate the help.

Jill,

Thanks so much for your timely response. Saves me the embarrassment of making an “idiot customer” call to my local dealer!

I guess the check/clean/reinstall is shot at a fix, but more likely a stop gap until new replacement solenoids are available. Hope I do not have to drive around with that check engine light bugging me for the next month or two!

Again, thanks for your help.

Great comments from everyone – please keep posting so we can see how it turned out. I’m not sure if you all noticed, but I did post this article:
http://www.tundraheadquarters......ine-light/
In most cases, the oil change is getting it done. Sorry to hear that it’s not quite the answer here for a couple of you.

Hehe Jill is our resident expert on these issues now…..thanks, Jill.

Jill has been instrumental in this – many thanks Jill!

Ryan – Thanks for checking in. The 3 hour wait sucks, but unfortunately the dealer has to follow the standard procedure until Toyota releases a TSB that says otherwise. It’s the only way the dealer can cover their rear just in case that’s not the problem.

Nj good to hear everything is okay. I’m always on the road with mine. Have 72,600 miles on my 07 Crewmax. Took it twice on the road for a 13 hour drive. The first was a disaster but got good mpg in the mountains of WV. I avg 17.3mpg doing 70 in WV until I hit the 6 point buck about 120lbs. Did $11,000 in damage on the truck. The second trip got me 17.7mpg doing 75mph. The truck rode great. Will be making that trip shortly but the wife wants to try the 07 Prius. She hasn’t taken it out on a long road trip yet. Not as comfortable as the Tundra.

Jason,

Received the service invoice in the mail yesterday. As printed, “P0022
. Active test control valves. Removed all valves and cleaned. Reinstalled and performed oil and filter change. Road test and rechecked for codes. None present.”

Your guess sounds dead on. Toyota has now done two separate oil and filter changes from the 300 – 400 mile odometer reading, as well as a sensor cleaning. All is well. I really like this truck.

Jason,

One thing I noted on the service invoices yesterday.

At the 300 mile odometer reading, when the 1st of 2 “check engine” light errors came on, the dealer replaced the oil and filter. The oil used was ” FP-NUMBER: 00289-1QT0W-10, DESCRIPTION: 0W20 M OIL-MIN 10″.

This, I would assume, is synthetic oil, 0-20 weight. Within 90 miles after this service, the “check engine” light error reoccurred.

At the 390 odometer reading, the dealer again serviced the truck as described in previous posts. This time, the oil used was “FP-NUMBER: 00279-1QT5W-01, DESCRIPTION: OIL, MOTOR 5W30 QT”.

Have no clue as to whether this is synthetic or petroleum based oil. What is apparent is that the weight used increased to 5W-30 from the previous 0W-20.

No further problem has occurred in the 900 miles + that the truck has been driven since this 2nd oil change.

Pure speculation, but possibly the sensors are not compatible to lighter weight or possibly synthetic oil.

Jason, Great site!

NJ, not sure what type of oil that is, but I was told when I bought my Tundra that I HAD to use synthetic oil. I bought the maint. package also, as I do not trust the run of the mill oil change place to put in synthetic if I ask for it.

After the second time in, less than 1500 miles, I have not had the code come on again (They swapped the solenoids around the second time in). I had the oil changed at 4200 miles last month, and they put the wrong oil in at the dealership…was still synthetic, but because of the maint. package I paid upfront for a different type of synthetic oil, not sure what the difference is but they brought it back in the shop and changed it again.

Makes me happy I bought the truck fron this dealer, as I know they are honest. They cought it before I even left the office and asked if I would wait while they changed it out. Only bad part was I had been there for 2 hours already. Another 20 minutes and I was on the road.

Oh, they scratched my truck while it was in the shop, on the cab roof, and were upfront about that as well. To be honest, I still can’t find the scratches and have not had it back in yet to have them fix it.

I also brought in a print out of this post to give the techies some info.

Thanks again for all the info and have a safe Holiday!!

Jeremy and Jill:

I also purchased the Toyota maintenance package when I bought the truck. At 1.9% financing, it seemed to be a decent deal.

No further problems, “check engine” light or otherwise. Very happy with the truck.

Stopped by the dealership to pickup the license plates the other day and spoke for a moment with my service writer. He was unsure of the change in viscosity of engine oil, but did mention that the oil used was a “blend” of petroleum and synthetic oils.

Oh you like to talk about Toyota advantages over Ford. Sure the Tundra is a second faster 0-60 but the Ford’s check engine light doesn’t come on within a week of owning it. Ford has Sync, Toyota sticking accelerators, Ford has a proven frame that will last over 9 years, Toyota has a recall to replace cross members and give you a 15 year warranty on it(Thanks to the US government stepping in). The F-150 is the truck of Texas for over 7 I belive years, Toyota is just made there (Texas seems to know somthing others don’t). Toyota makes prerunners and Off road package TRD’s that are 2wd, Ford makes a true race ready Baja truck the Raptor. Toyota has bed bounce, Ford has tailgate steep, Toyota want to raise the tow capacity of 1/2 tons, Ford says look we also make 3/4 and 1 tons so why? Toyota has to have the chassis bolts retorqued every oil change, Ford magically figured how to ensure they stay tight (torque stabilization) maybe the bed bounces weak frame has somthing to do with Toyota. Toyota has endless options of models starting with the “kamikaze edition” accelerator issue, Ford has a much higher NHTSA crash rating and accelerator does NOT stick there fore there is not Government issued SAFETY RECALL. So I can do this all day long, why is Toyota always picking on Ford? Ford puts the facts out in reference to Toyota and challenges them to prove them wrong, so why don’t you do it. O that’s right you can’t. You should call this the Ford haters site, no wonder Toyota would not let you test drive the 2010 Tundra, you do not even have any credit with them!

What’s your beef Anonymous? You constantly come here to trash the Tundra. If you don’t like it move on. Now do you want us to mention the issues with GM and Ford? As Justin mentioned to me before Ford tried to do Recalls on the flaming cruise control but it’s up to the people to bring it in. Same as the mats it’s up to the people to use common sense so that’s why Toyota took the advantage and did this so called recall because people don’t use common sense. What about your debacle of the heated winshield wiper fluid? Did you see Jason mentioned that? No. Yes apparently Ford’s frames as well as the other competitor’s frames are holding better offf than Toyota is. Baja truck let’s see how many people will buy a baja truck for around the house or to towork with…hmmm…. Well I don’t have to go there. It’s called you have to have a market and this will not help Ford at all. They will sell a few and after the new sensation wears off then they will see I can’t afford the gas and I hardly go offroad. Bed bounce is old news why not bring up the camshafts while you’re at it. Ford has a tailgate step…. Oh how cute…. I don’t have an issue getting in and out of my truck and to tell you the Tundra sits higher than the F-150 I had. Also you might want to mention how many of those poles that come up to help you up that step that broke on the individuals. Yes I smell lawsuit. Yes I give you have 3/4 and 1 ton trucks but when you don’t need to have that much to do a job why would I pay extra for a 3/4 and up truck? You totally missed the point there. If that’s your reasoning then why did Ford up the towing on their F-150? Yes, speechless, I don’t hear you…. The torque issue. Well it’s call covering your butt because, personally are you going to rely on everything you’re told? That’s the same as Mcd’s coffee having a label stating it’s hot for the few without common sense that want’s to sue anybody for their own actions. As far as your kamikaze remark you’re just a plain idiot no poin in going further with you on that. Maybe Jason can refresh me on what manufacturer had to go back and redesign the foot pedals because they were too close together having the so call issue Toyota’s having now. A good one for you there Anonymous since you’re the all knowing why did Ford wait till the 2009 edition to put out a 6 speed tranny? Toyota had that out and running in 2007. Yes Ford tested it in the Expedition in 2007 on it’s customers to get a dismal start. Since they didn’t have to make as many as their number 1 product less repairs and trying not to lose faith in it’s customer base. Bottom line Ford used it’s big SUV as a guinea pig to try out. If you think for one minute and I know that’s hard for you but go to the Ford, GM, and Dodge websites and see if they don’t do the same. You’re crying again over spilt milk. Get over it.

Anonymous comments are like mice barking and should not be taken seriously.

Whether you want to admit it there Anonymous the Tundra brought more towing and having a 6 speed tranny in a truck not an SUV or car for that matter. Toyota didn’t wait to see if the tranny would fly. Yet Ford tried it in another vehicle first to make sure it works. That really shows confidence in your product.

Scott,
Its not you. I have felt that as well. Its only when I’m turning into our neighborhood. Its seems to lag a bit, then its kicks into 2nd. I have mentioned this to my dealership who will check it out when I go in for the 5,000 mile oil change.
I also had my engine light go on after 200 miles, but after 2700 miles, no more issues. The dealership was great, gave me a new car to drive while they changed the oil/filter.

My 07 didn’t come with tint on the front windows. Just the rear doors and back glass are tinted. The check engine light has nothing to do with what type of fuel grade you use. It’s the sensor going off on the contaminated oil. That’s why they do the oil change and if it happens again they clean the sensors. Sorry not a gator fan but I do live in Jacksonville, Florida. Before you guess I’m not a semiole fan either. LSU…..

Scott and SC look at the first post on “12 most popular posts of 2009″. Terry had something going about the corners.

Jason/Josh/Terry- Good points. I have a friend that just purchased a new Tundra also. I am going to drive it sometime in the next few days, will report back. Two things brought up- 1. shifting patterns…my brother drives a new full size Ram, which I drove over the weekend. He also drove mine. There is a big difference from my old truck in regards to the shifting patterns. The bigger trucks seem to be real “touchy” when first accelarating, and then “lag” from first to second gear. After driving my bro’s truck, it eased my mind a bit bc they shifted very similarly. But my bro did also think there was an problem more evident in my truck as apposed to his. He also felt that when cruising in 1st gear, the truck sticks or almost backshifts to get to second gear. Didnt have the same issues in his truck. 2. Cutting the wheel sharp…hadnt really noticed if this is the case, will report back if it is. Also wanted to say, I love my truck. I can get over the few issues it has bc I love it so much. Im bringing into dealership on Wed, so I will let you guys know. Currently have three issues- shifting, tint and alignment (pulling to the right, didnt notice till I got on the highway)

2010 tundra 4.6L DC. My check engine light just came on too. 569 miles. Gas tank was near empty and gas cap was tight. Refilled gas tank and secured gas cap. Check engine light won’t go away. Maybe everyone’s comments will be useful if the code turns out to be the same.

Terry read what was written by Scott. He states some has stated that using mid grade gas to check engine light. Was it not or you see something written different? Now when someone mentions backshift, I don’t know about anyone else but backshift is the same as downshift. Going from 2nd to 1st not 1st to 2nd.

James – Thank you.
Jim – Interesting…with such a recent build date I would agree – this shouldn’t be happening anymore.

If I’m not right the dealer can’t change the oil for two reasons. One not being authorized by Toyota so they won’t get paid for the service. 2nd I think then they will have that issue of being not new by doing some work on the truck before delivery. Now if Toyota corp would give the go ahead and then they can change the oil and check it out.

I took my Tundra back to the dealer for the oil change and engine light reset on 1/7. They indicated that there was no Service Bulletin but they had been directed by Toyota to perform the oil change. They gave me no paperwork and were not very talkative. My impression is that they did not appreciate that I knew that this was a recurring problem by reading the above postings.

As to the comments about why the dealers don’t just change the oil: as I see it changing the oil on a new vehicle would accomplish nothing. It needs to be driven a couple hundred miles to produce the debris that causes the problem and then have an oil change to clean it out. I do not believe that Toyota is still putting in the wrong oil at the factory.

I have driven a total of 800 miles and the light has not come back on.

Great site!!! I have a 2010 Rock Warrior.. Same issue, chk eng light after 400 miles… One oil change and no light as of 1500 miles. They say to change the oil when its hot and have had no further returns. Anyone here know when the factory back up cam in the mirror is going to be available???

Brian – Thanks! No idea on the back-up cam, but I’ll try and keep an eye open.

Scott – Cool! The gas mileage should improve over time, but if it doesn’t improve after 1500 miles or so, you might want to have the dealer reset the ECM.

Jim – You bet. I agree that this is odd…hopefully Toyota will issue a TSB soon so we can find out what’s going wrong.

I just got my CrewMax Tundra on Monday…Thursday at 295 miles the light came on. I’m off to Toyota at 7 am (yea) and I’ll let you know what happens.

I got my 5.7L Crewmax on the 19th and on the 22nd (at 150 miles) the check engine light came on. Have an appointment for Tuesday at 7AM – thanks for all of the advise. I also notice a bit of what seams like a transmission slip when starting to accelerate around 1500-2000RPM’s – any connection?

DJ – It’s probably the fact that the VVTi is off because of the check engine light. I’m not certain, but I believe there’s a cam shift right around those RPMs. In any case, once the check engine light is fixed and the cam position sensors are working correctly, I doubt you’ll note the hesitation again.

Jason,

Any luck on getting a copy of the TSB? I wonder if they will change these parts for those of us who only got the oil change previously??

Jim

Andrew;

My previous truck was a GMC Sierra 1500 4WD 5.3 V8 that I ordered new in 2000. GMC offered me incredible incentives to purchase another but after all the brake problems I had I could not do it. My GMC had 4 wheel discs and the inboard rear pads wore out and ruined the rotors at 24K miles. The front brakes did the same thing at 48K miles. My driving is almost all highway and I normally get 80K plus on brakes. The brake lines rusted out during the 6th winter (60K miles) and the fuel lines rusted through at 8 years spraying 60psi fuel out the bottom of the truck. I live in Connecticut and we do have snow but I have never had brake lines or these brake issues with another vehicle at such an early age. It seems the pads would cock and sieze in their holders due to rust. In warm climates these brakes worked fine but did not work here. GM finally abandoned the rear discs around 2005 and went back to rear drums (admitting failure). Beside the brake issues both front hubs (bearings) went bad, power window regulators, fuel pressure regulator, etc. Nothing was covered by warranty. The frame was looking pretty rusty, the bottom of the rockers were almost rusted through, so I bailed. The drive train was solid and I got 18-19 mpg most of the time.

The Tundra has 4 piston calipers up front which do not emply the holders and slides that GM used. The Tundra has coated brake lines (epoxy, I think) and has an additional plastic or rubber coating where they might be exposed to abrasion. The Tundra has plastic fuel lines which should not rust either. The GMC frame was dipped in wax which was not effective as a rust preventive in my experience. I looked under a 2010 GMC and it had the same steel brake lines and same wax frame coating.

The GMC (both my old one and the current) has a better ride and the new GMC is probably better on gas than the Tundra.

Only time will tell if the Tundra is better for me, but I think it will be.

Good luck with your decision on a new truck.

Jim

Sure enough, I took my truck in this morning (now with only 440 miles) and the dealer agreed that that TSB of 01/20/10 would need to be performed. Including the Intake VVTI Gears, pulley assembly, Gasket in Spark Plug Tube, Camshaft gaskets, Air tube, Timing gear/cahin cover, Water inlet housing and various o-rings. They said it was 10 hours worth of labor. This scares the heck out of me, but hopefully this will solve my strange shifting pattern.

Adam-
I would also like a copy of the TSB. Thanks

well i traded in a 2008 tundra dc 5.7 2wd for a 2010 tundra dc 4.6 4×4. So far i am very happy with the switch but i’ve only put 120 miles on her in 10 days. Main differences and items of intrest follow.
-The 2010 is much quieter inside the cab. But my bed seems to have a strange sound at low sppeds over rough roads. Sounds like the bed floor is flexing.
-The 2008 5.7L had too much power and it’s throttle was toooooo sensitive.
-the 2010 4.6L has plenty of power for most of the masses.
-the 2010 4×4 is geared lower and feels just like my 95 Z-71 which was a great mudder and crawler for my needs. Weird down shift at 15mph that makes the vehicle feel like its dragging gears but i’ll get use to it.
-the 4.6L should be great for the average to above average driver for work or leasure.
-the 5.7L…. well it’s just bad to the bone but i don’t have the bones to fill the gas tank.
-both were comfortable and fun to drive but the 2008 felt like it was more work to drive it.
- i haven’t pulled a trailer with the 2010 yet, but the 2008 5.7L would make me forget that a trailer was attached. Couldn’t feel it. Out of sight out of mind?? I’m sure that the 4.6 is quite adaquate for my needs. I don’t even have a trailer that could possibly weight 10,000 pound when loaded.
I hope this info is useful to someone.

Well, 3 weeks into a 2010 Dbl Cab 5.7 and just think it is biggest mistake of my life thus far. Six speed trans is a joke – thumps into 2nd from 1st after lots of hesitation. When braking trans downshift is also bumpy. Seat is so uncomfortable driving about 10 miles is a chore and adjustments are a joke. If you are over 5′10″ good luck in seeing out window or the gauges. No runaway acceleration, but just regular acceleration is quirky and hard to get accustomed to. Going to dealer for recall fix next week – we’ll see if that helps. Too much play in brake pedal and really poor stopping power considering the size of those rotors. Poor engineering all around. Thought regular opening back doors would be great after Ford suicide doors, but only children and small pets can get into the back seat without trouble. Putting a box or small dog on front seat is not possible – it shuts air bag off – but seat belt chime rings incessantly and no way to stop it. Anyone figure out why the giant oversized shift lever which makes finding reverse to drive shifting always a guessing game. Cruise control – let’s stick it in worst possible spot, especially in dark, and give you a dash light to tell you the button is on, not that you are actually in cruise. Those of you who say it is quieter, wow! What was it before? Acceleration noise I can understand, but traveling at 50 or 60 I have to turn up radio about 6 notches to cancel the engine roar. I’ve driven a Peterbilt with less noise. Thank god none of the engine light problems – Had an F-150 and drive a Ram at work – no comparison in any way, shape or form.

Well Jason Sir. Maybe you had the opportunity to drive the Tundra for several weeks before you bought it. I wanted to take a two week test drive, but no dealer felt that was appropriate. So when you take a test drive most things seem fine. Like I said, if you had read it, the seat discomfort and visibility are not apparent until you have driven it for a while. When you take a test drive you don’t use the cruise control a few times, nor do you listen for what the truck sounds like after driving it for a half hour. If you had read just a few comments on this site you would see that many are concerned about a transmission/braking issue. Caled it “back shifting”. Your comment are somewhat strange, e.g., “was the truck forced upon you?” Did you ever buy anything that when you start using it, it wasn’t what you thought it would be? Is this a forum for sharing comments or does everyone have to agree with your narrow opinions or be blasted for not meeting your shallow view? Despite the “wonderful” reviews, there are a substantial number of complaints on this site about the vvt problems, about poor repairs, and about lack of customer service, poor responses, etc. I am an old dude and have had many many vehicles, including 3 previous Toyotas. Recently owned an F150 (my 3rd). So comfortable and quiet and well handling I would rather drive it than my wife’s lexus. I drive a new Ram 1500 at work and while loud and cumbersome, it is a great truck. Like you I read all the “expert” reviews and bought the Tundra based on those comments. Like I said, I would have like to have test driven the truck for about two weeks, but no one would let me. Since buying the beast I have talked with 11 Tundra owners, all of whom have similar feelings – highly rated reviews, but may not so great performance, comfort, etc. Every review of Toyota up until last month talks about their quality, performance, customer service, etc. and what are we finding out now? So rather than sittin? there reading the “reviews”, why don’t you drive a few? And, once you stop being flabbergasted, scroll up a few comments and look at the concerns about the “atypical” shifting problems. Like I said, thought this was a forum to share experiences (good or bad). Not a forum to join hands and sing kumbaya around the Tundra.

To Parker Davis,
I owned a 08 Tundra dc 2wd 5.7 for 3 months and traded it back to the dealer for a 2010 tundra dc 4×4 4.6L. I can understand some of your issues. I had driven a 1995 gmc z-71 extended cab for 15 years and find the Tundra a totally different beast. The tranny is hard to get use to since it has braking assist. Mine will down shift and creat drag at 15mph (when slowing for stop lights and stuff) and if you try to accelerate it will rev high because its in a lower gear than it needs to be in. this is natural for this type of transmission. it is doing what it’s designed to do. I dislike the bucket seats. They are huge and i find myself sitting on the left, the right and then in the middle. When i jump in, i end up sitting in a different location everytime. the 2010 tundra was ordered with the split bench seats which are more narrow and to me, more comfortable. As for the ride, well it too is a different design from which i am accostomed. My z-71 would take a big bump as a serious thump! but the tundra seems to “jiggle” to me. Again, kinda understandable since the frames are 2 totally different animals. One stays ridged while the other flexes. Again, doing what it was designed to do.
“play in the brake pedal”, i havent noticed that one.
“window visibility”, well i’m not as tall as you but the visibility is much better than my z-71 except those huge mirrors create huge blindspots for us short people. (toyota, pleeeeese lower them, the short people would greatly appreciate it)
“cant see gauges”, i havent had that issue yet either.
“cruise control location”, i think it’s ergonomically well place. The radio on the other hand is too far away.
“noisy or road noise”, quiet to me.
“seatbelt chime and weight sensor in seat” VERY ANNOYING.
“oversized shifter and not being able to find reverse”, well my 08 was a console shifter and my 2010 is a column shift, i cant say that i even look at the shifter when shifting gears. I’m sure once you get familiar with your tundra it will become second nature. Kinda like going from a 3speed manual to a 5speed manual. Small learning curve required.
“poor access through back doors”, no issue to me.
“poor braking”, no problem on that one either.
When i first bought the used 2008 tundra, i felt the same way as you. I was expecting it to be just like my old faithful gmc. then i realized it was a different beast all together. I’m still not a diehard tundra enthusiest but i seem to be getting their everyday. There are a lot of great trucks out there but each are a little different than the other. The tundra is a lot different than the others.
My dislikes would be, poor visibility due to the bis mirrors, the jiggle, the high rev on start-up, cant turn off the running lights and radio being too far away for my short arms.
i hope this helps.

Jason, again my appologies, i didn’t realize i posted that as “anonymous”. I guess i forgot to fill in the top of the form.
A few other things i don’t like are;
-my ignition switch is not illuminated and the front upper cab lights are tooooo bright. I end up switching them off and then i cant find the keyhole. My gmc had, like, wings around where the key goes in and you could easliy guide the key in while it was dark. (no dirty jokes please)
-the factory rear bumper’s top deck is too narrow. If you have to stand on it for any reason while the gate is up, you are prone to scuffing the tailgate with your boots.
-and most of all, the gas pedal is too sensitive.
all of these issues are minor and i’m sure every truck out there has some quirks. Furthermore, everybody has their preferences. As an example, everyone knows i loved my old gmc z-71 but my girlfriend hated everything about it except that she couldnt get her stuck in the mud. Btw, she’s a lifelong bmw owner and ironically, she loves driving my lil HHR. Go figure.