My Customer Is Getting Shafted By The Local Toyota Dealer

A customer of mine asked me to look at his 2020 Toyota Tundra that has an issue starting and stalling after the engine has been running for more than a few minutes. The truck will start and run fine all day long, until you shut it off. After that you either need to spray it with starting fluid or wait until it cools off to restart. After a few tests the problem was obvious so he took it to the local Toyota dealer to have it fixed under warranty. However they informed him my diagnosis is wrong and he needs to pay for the part because it is not under warranty. This is the exact issue he was trying to avoid. Let's see how this ends up for my customer.
-Enjoy!

1/7/25 UPDATE - SEE PINNED COMMENT IN VIDEO

CHECK OUT OUR "SMA SWAG" STORE! Go on Teespring and get your very own SMA merch!

The South Main Auto Amazon Store:

Thank you for all the continuing support!
--Eric & Vanessa O.

Feel like sending some swag to SMA because you love the videos but don't know where to send it?

Just ship it here:

South Main Auto Repair
47 S. Main St
PO Box 471
Avoca, NY 14809

Disclaimer:
Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. South Main Auto Repair assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. South Main Auto Repair recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained.

[SouthMainAuto]

Before we get hundreds of comments on it. I am well aware of the "Toyota Fuel Pump Recall." *THIS VIN DOES NOT FALL UNDER THE RECALL.* I checked with NASTF as well as calling two different Toyota dealers. This truck has no open recalls by the VIN and the customer has owned it since new.

*NOTICE* - As of 1/6/25 The local Toyota deal has told my customer that my diagnosis is incorrect because Toyota does not even have a published specs on fuel pump current and then they proceeded to tell him it needs a "Fuel Pump ECU" because the bracket that holds it to the frame has corrosion on it. Not the connector or the pins but the bracket. WTFudgesicle does that have to do with anything haha. They told him that is not covered under warranty, and he would have to pay for it. Let's wait and see how this turns out.... stand by

*UPDATE* - As of 1/7/25 the customer had some back and forth with the dealer and finally they agreed to replace his pump and that they were wrong, and I was right. They admitted to not even diagnosing it the first time and they were just guessing based off pattern failures and throwing parts at it. The customer told me they installed not only a used fuel pump ecu but a new one as well and guess what? *IT DIDN'T WORK!* The time they spent guessing could have been spent testing. Oh well, at least the truck is fixed now, and he didn't have to pay for their guess work. They even offered to deliver his truck to him after all of the apologies 👍🏼

*UPDATE* - As of 1/8/25 Customer got his fuel pump replaced free of charge by Toyota, then they delivered it and put ten bucks of gas in it. And apologized some more. I guess we guessed right then 🙂

[feron]

I have been wrenching for 23 years. And man is it refreshing to watch videos of someone that really knows how to do this kind of work properly. Your clients are very lucky to have you sir.

[nullrout]

Eric says he's "not a big electronics guy" but yet is one of the few techs who knows what an oscilloscope is and can actually use one. Y'all are my favorite automotive repair on YouTube.

[mr]

What is amazing to me is you are actually SPEAKING to your client/customer. I was actually told by my local Ford dealer that “we usually don’t want technicians speaking directly with customers.” when I asked to speak to the technician directly. How in the WORLD am I supposed to explain my issue when I have to translate it through a service advisor that usually has absolutely no idea as to what they’re even talking about…

[thomask]

Dear Eric,
You are truly brilliant; I was a "go-to" guy in the railroad industry for troubleshooting both analog electronic and microprocessor controlled diesel locomotives for almost 40 years and ten years after I retired, I am truly humbled by your abilities and charm! Don't ever change!
Best Wishes to you, your family and your viewers for Health and Happiness in 2025!
Take Care,
Tom

[auto]

Whats sad is, that the customer had to go through this just to get the dang truck fixed! SMA to the rescue!! Killer video.

[jamesnasium]

My 13-year-old son of all people said to me the other day "all of America is a scam." It often seems that way; we have to assume that every interaction we have with government or business is either incompetent or malfeasant. Except for small businesses, where there is an actual human being who cares about other human beings. Thank God for skilled caring independent mechanics like you Eric, a rare breed in 2025!

[FortunateJuice]

I do like the idea of these dealership technicians watching your videos so they can properly do their jobs.

[mtebaldi]

I watched this video for a second time. This was really a great video on how a dealership tries to fraudulently state that you didn't know how to diagnose a failure. This really demonstrates that not all, but most, dealerships only fire the parts cannon instead of diagnosing the actual cause of failures. Is it due to time on the clock, or is it due to lack of intelligence, or ease of parts replacement? If the customer is paying then they'll fire the parts cannon. Then lie about diagnosing the actual failure when they did not perform any diagnostic action at all. It is Technicians like you, Eric O, who keep some dealerships honest. Not all dealerships are honest. Again, great job on your diagnosis.

[Northernsledr]

I always like your balance of hands on with tech to assist your diagnostic path.
Too many techs think they can fix everything with a scope and doing as little in the hands on as possible.

[AlAmantea]

They should also PAY HIM for having to PAY YOU to diagnose the problem correctly! Kudos to him for taking steps to hold them accountable.

[waynechristie]

Eric, setting aside your education, knowledge base and experience in the field of auto mechanics, my primary take-away from each and every video you produce is your commonsense, logical, systematic approach to facilitating ANY repair. This alone, I believe, endears you to the majority of your viewers, myself included. Waitin' on your next vid.

[gj]

Ive worked on cars from points and condensor. To unbelievable electronics..
Watching eric work is a treat.
After 40 yrs in business..i still can learn from his videos.
Thanks Eric.🧑🏽‍🔧

[rubinbinder]

Hey Eric. Electronics guy here. There is a component that is called a PTC fuse that is essentially a self-resetting thermal fuse. That’s likely what they used in the fuel pump module. They also could have had the micro-controller measure the current drop across a load sense resistor, which would actually be cheaper. Both could behave in the same way, pulsing when overloaded. Awesome find!

[ericw]

0:34 I just love that “Cosby sauce” is becoming a common description of starting fluid 😂 Thanks Peg

[tuberNunya]

Thank God. My tundra has been sitting 6 months with this issue.

[FreddyLangley]

I just had a friend have an HVAC "technician" recommend a new $1000 control board for his intermittently failing furnace. He got someone else to look at it, and it was a plugged condensate drain that had backed water up into a pressure sensor. The sensor needed to be replaced, along with unplugging the drain.

Few people properly understand electricity - even "highly trained and certified master factory trained technicians".

For all that Eric says he doesn't understand electronics, that is the biggest thing he is consistently wrong about. He does understand! Far, far more than most people that need to understand to do their jobs.

After 50+ years as a mechanic who LOVES the work, I was the best I knew until I saw this guy. My late-model diagnostic game isn't anywhere near his, but man, it sure is great to see somebody who uses logic and induced cause-and-effect to pinpoint a problem. Unlike the VAST majority of today's "technicians" he UNDERSTANDS how things work and why, which is WAY too rare in the field. He should be an inspiration to EVERYONE working on cars. THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT RIGHT.

[T-MillProductions]

Excellent diagnostic work Eric. Very disappointing that the dealer couldn’t even correctly diagnose their own vehicle

[goodcitizen]

I'm a retired mechanic and when I last worked for a dealership, the dealership had one master technician but told everyone that their master tech couldn't find anything wrong! What a joke! I didn't work there very long because I wouldn't play their games! Thanks Mr. O!