Bad Turbo (Bank 1) Check Engine, Low Power

For informational purposes....for the past couple of months I would occasionally get "Parking Assist", "Brake override malfunction", "Parking brake malfunction", "Pre-collision system malfunction", "Secondary collision system malfunction" warning lights/messages. Usually, they appeared during cooler mornings...but they always reset themselves after a short period of time.

Two (2) weeks ago, I got all of those warnings but they didn't reset themselves after 48 hours, so I made an appointment, the day of the service appointment I got into the truck to drive to the dealership and they reset themselves (OK, I thought)....then 4 days later they reappeared, this time I got the dreaded "Reduced engine power" warning. That I took notice of and immediately took the truck to the dealer.

After analysis by the mechanics, it was determined that I had a Bad Turbo (Bank 1)....I asked if there was anything in the oil pan/metal shavings, etc? The dealer indicated that there wasn't, this WAS NOT an engine issue, just a turbo failure.

A Turbo is available in Portland, OR, and is being shipped to my dealer. Down time for my truck is 5-7 days. Covered under warranty, even got a loaner Tundra for the period that my truck is in the "shop".

Hopefully this is not a precursor of things to come....Of note, I have a Banks throttle controller and the dealership said that it was a "tuner" and could have contributed to the turbo failure. I told them that you can pull the logs on the computer, I rarely, if ever, engage the turbos on the truck. Banks is NOT the reason the turbo failed. Then the associate told me that I should "use it or lose it" regarding the turbos so that they don't remain "idle". LOL Mixed messages as to what I should or shouldn't do with my truck (and the Banks system). Regardless it is all covered under warranty.

Just an "informational" tale.

 

My turbo runs frequently. I have to be really gentle on the gas to NOT engage it.

 

I can't pull out of the driveway without engaging the turbos, I wonder if keeping off the throttle affected them enough to cause a failure.

 

Year & mileage???? Regular or hybrid?

 

39K miles. Baby it, rarely if ever launch on the turbos. When I come back I just shut down, treat it like a normal vehicle.

 

2022, regular

 

Potentially...

 

Oil! The brand and grade of oil is crucial. This cannot be overstated.

 

I'd like to know what goes bad on the Toyota turbos. I came from Ford diesels which have the variable vane turbos that get sooted up & stuck. I know these are different, just curious.

 

I long believe that you have to allow the turbos to cool off . Unfortunately the hybrid does not allow this. I pay atention to the Tundra and the Sequoia, both been hybrid. Unless the a/c is running at full blast or the battery is low ,, the engine shuts down within 30 seconds most of the time after parking.

 

If there’s any exhaust pressure, the turbos are spinning. They may not be creating boost, but they are spinning. There’s no “engaging” the turbos.

 

Never tried but I will now that you sugested.
Thank you

 

Thanks for that. Probably just me but, the usage of the term engaging the turbos has always tweaked my inner grammar nazi. It always make me think of the electric solenoid engagement of the supercharger in Mad Max.
That's not how it, or they, work. (Except in the movies.) You're either in boost, or you're not.

Hopefully OP's turbo replacement goes well and there's nothing more to it.

 

No turbos have a zero failure rate.

I personally prefer no turbo engines just for that reason but getting harder to dodge them. I just bought the wife a CUV and wanted a non turbo V6 with no CVT which eliminated a lot of the usual suspects

 

for me I get off the highway and pull into my work’s campus which is a 5 minute ride across the parking lot in all electric mode. Would be silly for me to try and manipulate it to turn it back on to idle it for a minute once I park after the ICE had already been off for 5 minutes.

 

No expert here but I thought Toyota's 3.4 turbo design ran the turbo cooling system for a minute or so after engine shutdown - not true?

 

The only way you can avoid engaging a turbo is to take it off and store in a cool place away from truck. Otherwise exhaust gases still flow through it, rotate the impeller, heat it up, create demand for proper oil pressure, even with wastegate fully open. Speaking about intake manifold vacuum, your engine has it only in two conditions: idling and coasting. Otherwise even a slightest power demand creates excessive pressure in the manifold.

 

Tried on Sequoia today.
In drive or parked ,,, it was the same. I’ll shut down the engine within 30 seconds as long the heater or ac is not blasting
My guess is that Toyota thinks that is not needed in normal driving.

 

That’s only if you exceed a set temperature threshold. You gotta be hauling to engage that system and it only flows coolant but no oil. It’s always better to let the truck idle for a min or two to stabilize the turbo temps. I’ve only heard that cooling stay on after a pulling into a gas station once ever since I’ve been mindful about the situation.