My TSB EL010-04 Update Thread

Thank you, Victor, for posting that here and elsewhere. I'm sorry that you decided to shut down your web site. I thought it was very good. It contained information found nowhere else on the internet and I had it bookmarked as an excellent resource for that information.

I would applaud an effort to either resserct the site itself or to create an area here under the Knowledge Base section with a lot of the information you had on your site which you could oversee and update as necessary.

 

Mini-Update:

6th bar dropped off today at 246 miles. 5th had been at ~214miles. I'm averaging 57.3mpg currently.

Sure hope the bar loss thing slows soon. At this rate I'll be the same or worse off than I was prior to the TSB.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ekc\";p=\"41859)</div>

Technical Service Bulletin--a memo to the service dept.s about various problems and how to fix them. Not really recalls, only to be fixed if a customer reports a problem falling under the TSB.

 

[align=center:8c09f15267]UPDATE #3 [/align:8c09f15267]

Went in to have the new SKS (Smart Key System aka SS/SE) computer put in. They warned me it might take all day since they'd never done one before and I got a shuttle van ride to my wife's car to spend the day with.

I went back at about the appointed time to find my Prius Tech, Mark, on the phone, head hung down. When he saw me just shook his head no. I knew it was bad, but briefly latched on to the hope that "No" just meant he wasn't quite done yet.

When he got off the phone he said they got the computer installed with no problem at all, but that the computer and fobs would not communicate. He'd gotten a recommendation from KC to use a TSB, but it required a functioning/registered smart key so was, of course, no use at all. The folks in California told him that he needed to be using version 11.0 of the software in the scanner instead of the latest version 12.0!! That didn't seem to make any sense at all and going backward to an old version might cause all kinds of problems.

My old key still starts the car when placed in the fob slot, the new keys do not do anything at all.

I have a silver Corolla parked in the garage for the night. Supposed the the "Toyota People" are in Springfield right now and they hope to get them on the project tomorrow. Frankly, I'm dejected. I just did not think this would be a problem at all and clearly this is far far beyond any technical knowledge I have to even offer suggestions.

I pray to hear good news tomorrow and will update soon.

BTW, I haven't updated my guage function or fuel fill info post TSB for a while. So far the guage seems to be functioning exactly as it did prior to the TSB service. IOW, it is down to one bar 413 miles into the current tank when I've been getting 54.5mpg...should have only used 7.5gallons and I expect the thing to flash any moment.

I filled the tank before the current with 7 miles on the last bar and only got 8 gallons in. I think I'm going to have to run this car 100 miles past the start of the last bar flashing to squeeze over 10 gallons in her.

Now, that said, when I went on longer drives the guage seemed to drop more slowly (? more accurately?) and it may be more accurate under those conditions where it plays it safe (so to speak) when there are more frequent starts and stops since the efficiency is lower with the short trips....that is pure speculation.

At this point I suggest that if you're on the fence about this that you not have the TSB done. That advice may change after a couple more tanks...we'll see.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Frank Hudon\";p=\"43815)</div>

Ok, maybe let down and disappointed is more like it. I've not complained (not too much anyway) about being SKS-less for the past 2 weeks, but secretly have really been anticipating getting it fixed and having my Prius back up to full operation mode.

So it was pretty disappointing that it didn't happen, and then I get a Corolla. It's comfortable, about as roomy as the Prius (though less rear seat room), but jerky and handles poorly...and just ain't a Prius...

 

OMG!!!

Service Mgr. just called, 3 days into my drop off to have the SKS fixed. Turns out that when I brought my Prius in for the Fuel Guage TSB and filler tube that the Service tech thought I needed new oscillators (the gizmos that sense for the smart key) put in....guess there's a TSB out there for that too. I have no idea why he thought that. I didn't know there was a TSB, I didn't have any problem with my SKS, and didn't ask that they fix it.

So, apparently THAT's when the trouble started. Now, what's weird, is that they didn't tell me that the oscillator replacement failed when I came to pick up the car...they said it was ready...but clearly it was not.

No telling what all is F'd up now!! :cussing: :cussing: :cussing:

So this time around they put in a whole new SKS computer, I have, apparently, 2 new oscillators (inside and trunk), 2 old oscillators (the ones in the doors, 4 keys....I think the 2 newest keys start the car with the new SKS.

Anyway, I'm going in at 5pm to pick up the car (returning the Corolla TRAC). Hopefully will get to talk to everyone and figure out what the hell happened. Supposedly sometime next week someone from KC will be able to come down and try to fix it, but the service mgr. can't get ahold of anyone at the moment to find out when. So, I'll have my SKS-less Prius back (better than the Corolla anyway), but still no solution and now even more questions than I started with.

Has ANYONE heard about an Oscillator TSB???

 

TSB EL 010-04 = Fuel Combination meter &/or Fuel Filler Tube

TSB EL 001-04 = Mobil 1 SpeedPass interference/ replacement of Inside and Trunk Oscillator and 2 transmitters (smart key fobs).

My service tech, somehow, ordered both of these TSBs ( I can only assume that happened accidentally b/c the numbers are so close). I didn't need the second one and didn't know about it and hadn't asked to have it done.

Still, my VIN fell within the range and it happened and SHOULD have worked...right?! When I picked up my car after the original warranty work I had no idea the second TSB had been performed. I was also given back only my old key... NOT the 2 new transmitters.

NOW I think the problem may be that the only real problem "May" have been that they didn't give me the new transmitters. They hadn't thought of that until I pointed out the discrepancy on the TSB paperwork.

I have my car back. I have 4 transmitters. All 4 will start the car with the key in the slot. Only 1 will remotely lock/unlock the car. None work as smart keys.

They're going to call me Monday IF they can find the transmitters that they were supposed to give me with the new oscillators.

A comedy of errors.

 

Yea, that's all I did, just the one...somehow that got screwed up too.

I'd still say "a little risky"...for the most part the reports have been good.

You said it bro'

But....why??

 

I may be an idiot.... :bootyshake:
:stupid:

Ok, so it's raining today and I was fumbling with my keys and umbrella since my SKS has been broken (as above)...right!

Well, after using the remote to unlock my car I accidently touched the black button on the handle and the doors locked. I said to me..."me, isn't that black button only supposed to work if the SKS is working?" I responded, "I think you're right, me, why not try unlocking with the SKS?" Me said, "OK"

And what do you know, the door unlocked just like it should with the SKS!! Did it just start working on it's own after all the BS I've gone through and frustration the service tech went through trying to get this thing going?? The big test was to try to start with the SKS....no dice. Ok, just dumb luck on the door, right?

But WAIT!!! That's not all....On the way home I thought, Ok, they did that TSB EL 100-04 that replaced the inside and trunk oscillators for the SKS that I didn't ask them to do. What if it's just those oscillators that aren't connected or something. So, when I got home I tried the trunk...sure enough, it worked!!!

So I know the following:
1)SKS computer is working
2)Driver, Passenger (I presume, should check to be sure), and trunk oscillators are working with the SKS.

THUS;
The Inside oscillator must be the only real problem!!! I best it is either not connected properly OR it is malfunctioning. Once I get that fixed I should be able to get the other 3 keys to work (none of which do anything but allow me to start the car when put in the slot...they won't even work as remote door lock/unlocks at the moment).

I have an appt. to go in tomorrow at 10am, but obviously it'll be for a bit of a different purpose and with a HIGH probability of a satisfactory result.

Update: Gene (the Service Mgr.) called while I was typing this...he says they knew that it was just the inside oscillator but that the ouside ones worked fine (weird they didn't share that with me), but the tech people have "already checked that" and don't think it's a problem with the oscillator itself, that it's the programming....I do not know what to think now. Logic tells me it's the inside oscillator that's f'd up, but this system is complicated and there may be more to the algorhythm that I don't understand.

I'll post an update tomorrow after that effort.