What I love, what I hate: My 21 platinum build thread (Now supercharged)

It was great meeting you too. That DeeZee solution is pretty interesting, you would need to make sure the dynamic load could hold a tent or something. Your truck can move for sure. Wait till you get that supercharger on it. I get my Ironman put on next week, looking forward to that.

 

Wow, I feel like quite a slouch for letting nearly two full weeks go past since I have been able to do more on the truck, but this weekend finally afforded me some extra time and I got back out there. Installations/upgrades completed this weekend were

- lower light bar (30" Rough Country Black Series single row spot config)
- bed step
- britebox fogster
- misc re-assembly (I was waiting to replace some of the interior trim until I was certain I wasn't going to have to take it back off for anything)
- console organizer
- Timbren bump stops
- replacement powerstep motor cover (I broke one taking it off the old truck)

All the goodies laid out on the table waiting for me



Amazon brackets didn't do too badly. Took a little bit of fiddling and re-bending to get them just right.




I was hoping the lower bar would be a little less visible than it is, but the light output is fantastic. Will be interesting driving it at night for the first time.


I have the fogster installed and high beams on for this pic. The Fogster is supposed to leave the fogs running too but it is not for some reason. Going to have to contact them.


I think I swore more at this bed step than any other single modification I've done so far. Not only was it a major PITA to get everything apart, but the instructions sucked both in regard to how to do it ("easy, 1/2 hour job" they called it) and in the tools that would be necessary.


Below are all the tools it REALLY takes to do one of these.

 

After driving the truck more regularly now vs working on it, I am noticing some unusual behavior from the electronics. Has anybody else experienced any of these symptoms?

- I leave the center display on average fuel economy almost 100% of the time. Sometimes, the fuel economy readout will change by 2MPG or more upon restart. It is like the computer is not remembering the economy it last displayed and resets.

- Range from first unlock press is great. I cannot, however, get a second unlock pulse until I am right next to the truck.

- Locking the truck using the touch door handle frequently requires taking the key out of my pocket and touching the handle with the key.

- every one out of 18-20 starts, the stereo will not output any sound. I have to turn the truck off and back on. DSR1, amp, etc are all powered up as they should be.

- Touch screen display seems extremely sluggish and unresponsive

- Volume knob is practically useless for the first 10-12 seconds after the truck starts. The HU will not respond to any volume input, or at best the volume knob takes several spins to result in only a slight reduction in sound. Once the system has fully booted, the volume knob works fine.

Troubleshooting steps I have tried so far:

- Disconnecting the aftermarket stereo components. No change.
- Disconnecting the battery for 30 minutes. No change.

Any ideas on what might be going on? Is there a single module that might affect all of these systems?

 

I had some similar head unit behavior to you. The volume knob would not work for me for like 7-8 seconds I thought it was a function of my Bluetooth trying to handoff/connect but maybe its a "feature" , I have also had the no sound problem and without fail I don't notice it till I'm on the road and I have to try and troubleshoot at a stoplight (I have an aftermarket stereo now so these don't happen to me now). I know there were a few big threads floating around on here as well with the new trucks and LED cargo lights interfering with the remote antena. I think VLED might have a bulb designed to not interfere but I can't remember off the top but a quick search should be able to find those. I can't explain the MPG screen since I try not to look at it and I did not have a factory touch screen or touch door handles so I'm no help there.

EDIT: Key fob thread - https://www.tundras.com/threads/vled-cargo-lights-key-fob-issue.37006/

 

@APalmTree You've just saved my life. that's exactly what it was. Turned off my VLED-infused cargo lights and now the locks work perfectly. Guess I'll have to experiment with some different bulbs. or maybe VLED has the update now. These are the bulbs I bought with my 2017.

Thank you for posting! Next time you're heading up to Vancouver I owe you a beer.

 

Just out here doing my part for the community

 

@APalmTree

One more question if you don't mind please, how long did you run your stock HU and how frequently would you estimate you observed the issue with no sound? Did you ever find a way around it besides restarting the truck? Did you do any troubleshooting besides finally just throwing the factory HU in the dumpster? lol

I have my 5k service coming up soon and I'm more or less just trying to get my ducks in a row so I can have this troubleshot as best I can by the time I'm talking with the service attendant.

 

I got the truck from my dad about 3 years ago now and I never asked him if he had the same problems. For me, it was maybe once or twice a month so it never really bothered me much considering my routine meant that was like 1 in every 40 or 50 starts. The truck was at 139K 4 months ago when I swapped the head unit and I have not had that problem again with the aftermarket setup so... I always just restarted the truck, as I said normally in traffic at a stoplight (once or twice in neutral coasting), but I think if you hold the power button on the new factory units you can hard power cycle them maybe that would work too? I have never brought this up at service because it was so minor (to me) and the truck has been bulletproof otherwise. Your problem is going to be if you can get the problem to replicate for a tech otherwise there is only so much they can do. If anything comes out of it from Toyota I would be interested to hear what issue they can diagnose though.

 

A few more little odds & ends getting finished up as time allows. Yesterday it was the front camera install. Thanks to @Trdracer87 for the camera recommendation. It took a little bit of shaving the black mesh insert to get the camera back far enough but I'm happy with the finished product. I'm a little confused as to why it isn't working though. Thinking perhaps I didn't get the extension cord plugged in properly into the box behind the HU. A little more exploratory surgery will be needed I guess.






This "wire worm" from Crutchfield has quickly become one of my favorite tools.





I also ordered a JLT Performance catch can setup and G-Tek airbox mod. These are the last pre-SC mods I expect to make at this point. My stereo refused to start up for me again yesterday until I pulled over and cycled the ignition off/back on. Saving that bellyache for my first service appointment. I also want to thank @PNWTundra2021 for the LED cargo lights from GTR Lighting. No more interference with the keyless entry system.

 

Nice work man, I agree that bed step is so simple but yet so hard to install.

 

Question i just got my trd replacement muffler from dirty deeds, did you put rtv on the gaskets that go between the tail pipes and the muffler, or did you just placed the gaskets and tighten the bolts to hold it in place?

 

@Gfgneo no RTV, they are one-time-use crush gaskets. Good choice on the muffler! I like my DD much better than I did my TRD. It's a lot better when towing, too. Far less drone than the factory TRD.

 

Okay. I bought two new gaskets but keith had mentioned using RTV but he said to use that with the old gaskets. I'll reach out to keith for clarification. Thanks. Yeah ive been holding on to this muffler for about 3 weeks, unfortunately the next day after i bought my brand new truck it was leaking coolant, turns out the heater core was bad so i havent had it since (3 weeks this week).

 

Wow, a leaking heater core. What a brutal thing to have to replace on a brand new truck.

If I recall, the gaskets were a bit on the expensive side so I'm sure some people probably do re-use them just fine.

 

Tell me about it. My door ended up getting damaged in the process so now that has to get fixed as well. I have to check the dash really well when i get the truck back to see if something else got damaged hopefully i dont miss anything before i leave otherwise they will just blane it on me

 

What camera did you go with? I couldn't find it in any previous posts from @Trdracer87

 

Where did you get a box that opens across the whole back seat? The ones I'm seeing have 3 bins, but yours looks like it has 1 long hinged door (and 2 locks?)

 

They sell that box at sparks parts i believe.

 

There must be something in the water out there... neither of you are afraid to rip the truck apart

awesome work op!

 

$40 NATIKA Backup/Front View Camera,IP69K Waterproof Great Night Vision HD and Super Wide Angle Metal OEM Style Reverse Rear View Backup Camera for Cars Pickup Trucks SUVs RVs Vans (Black)

https://www.amazon.com/NATIKA-Backu...t+camera&qid=1620791750&sprefix=nakita&sr=8-3

 

Man, what a mess! So sorry to hear about that. Definitely hope it gets straightened out for you in short order.

@Trdracer87 thanks for jumping in, yep that was the one!

right here, https://www.esptruck.com/product-page/2014-2018-toyota-tundra-crewmax-long-box-under-seat-storage Not cheap, but very sweet.

 

The refinement continues...I'm still not ready to give up the factory HU yet but I came across this mount setup from ICS Fab that solves a lot of problems for me. I'm only 5 days into it so far but loving it. For now I am tethering the tablet to my phone's wifi hot spot but eventually I will add the tablet as its own device. The mount itself is absolutely incredible. The phone, the tablet, they're all rock-solid. No movement whatsoever. I also combined it with the RAM wireless charging holder. The downside: the mount is extremely difficult to get right. I spent a good 30 minutes monkeying around trying to get the four allen bolts to go through the mount, the holes I drilled in the dash, and the backing plate that gives it its strength. That was a true and total b*tch. I also had to notch out the backing plate slightly so that my USB charge port wires could go through the dash without getting pinched.

In one of my smarter moves, I actually have not completely re-assembled my truck since the original build in Dec-Feb. I left several key pieces loose, disconnected, or otherwise easy to remove. The switch panel under the AC controls for example. this panel is pretty tough to get off so instead of fighting it every time I have had to get back into the dash I left two of the yellow retention clips in my toolbox instead of putting them back on. The result is it takes me one tool and two minutes to get the entire center of my dash out. Eventually I will put it all back together for good of course but for now I just want to make sure everything plays well together.


All holes are covered up again if I pull the mount and put the OE dash pad back in there. Four holes are necessary for the mount. Not pictured here is the fifth hole I had to drill in order to run the optional USB ports.





Here's where I had to grind out my backing plate a little, so I had room to run my USB ports. The backing plate is optional but makes the setup extremely rigid. Otherwise, you're just counting on bolts and washers to keep your setup from flexing and moving.




Yes, difference in background...I forgot to take a picture in the garage after I got the arms mounted lol


Eventually I will re-route my wireless charger cable but for now this works. I just wanted to get it going to try it out.


Next up: hard-mounting the V1.

 

In other news and events, I now have an appointment scheduled for 7/21 to R&R my valve body & send it to IPT for rework. The Tundra will be down for between 2-3 weeks due to shipping times between the PNW and NJ but when I go pick it up again it will be shifting more like a Porsche instead of a Tundra. The concept is as consumers we are used to our soft, supple shifts so we don't spill our drinks or drop our snacks. The way manufacturers accomplish this is by forcing the trans to slow-shift between gears, hence the "clutchy" feeling (and sound) right before your truck moves up a gear when you're accelerating. this adds between a second and a second and a half to all of your shifts and about 3/4 second to your 0-60 time. It is also harder on the transmission because there's so much compensating being done to make that shift feel seamless to the occupants. By contrast, if you've ever driven a true performance car such as a Porsche or M-series BMW you'll notice a distinct difference in how snappy that shift happens. I'm prepping this truck for supercharger serial # 0001 so I want it totally ready to go when Magnuson finally releases the kit for 21's. Between gears, valve body, and 150 extra HP, the drivetrain will be about as performance-oriented as it can get. Even without the supercharger I'm expecting a world of difference in the "fun" factor.

 

Got my JLT catch can installed last night. I was surprised at how quick and easy of an install it was. Took maybe 20 minutes is all.

Right at the front of the engine, directly beneath the cover










All done. Literally, 20 minutes.

 

Valve body en route to IPT, arrives tomorrow! I will add that there is no end to how much fluid can continue to drain out of this thing...I triple bagged and double boxed it for the journey.

 

what type of benefit one can expect to gain with the valve body work?

 

Snappier shifts, less trans wear, and about .2 seconds faster 0-60. It will reduce all that slipping you get when shifting between gears. what's going on during that process is the trans is regulating hydraulic pressure to the clutches and forcing them to maintain a 1-2 second buffer where the TCU is intentionally allowing them to slip. That is what wears them out prematurely, particularly under high torque applications such as when you're doing a lot of towing or adding an SC. You want the clutches fully engaged for as much of the shift as possible. The only downside is you might notice a firmer feeling in your butt when the truck pops up into the next gear but if you've ever driven a high performance car with paddle style shifters that is the type of shift you'll experience.

 

Had a manual valve body car a long time ago, be kinda hilarious to have that on this truck.

firming up the pressure is not going to drive the TCU nuts?

 

No. I did piles of research and talked all that over with the owner too. I am convinced that few people know Toyota/Lexus transmissions better than IPT. The only part I'm upset about is I will be out of town next week when it's ready to pick up, so my neighbor gets to go pick it up instead of me. I won't get to drive it until next Saturday when I fly back in.

 

I see you tow often as well, please report back when you driven it more, I may do this too to deal with the towing.

Can you just order one and then send the core in? Or you must send the valve body off your own vehicle?