Toyota Announces Voluntary Special Service

Thanks. If I remember correctly, the manufacture date that is listed on the same label as the recommeneded tire pressure, was May 2005. I'll doublecheck.

 

Vincent, thanks for the VIN number range. Much obliged!

As I thought, this is dealing with the well-known, much-discussed (and rare) SW glitch that they fixed in the software last year.

For reference, I got my Prius in mid-November of 2004, and I'm in the claear; my VIN number is after the last range of VINs that Vincent posted.

Re: the media, I expect a headline in The Stranger, New York Post or The Daily Sun very soon saying "Prius bursts into flame! News at 11!"

 

Jeff:

:lol:

I expect a headline like this "Prius owner attempts to give jump start to other motorist, Detroit feared vaporized."

jay

 

vincent1449p

What's with your link to a Japanese language link? I can read several languages, but Japanese is not among them. If you click on "English" at the bottom right, you get a promo on other Toyota products.

Second question: My '04 Prius had the SSC-40D done 7/2/04. Is this a regurgitation of that SSC?

 

Mike,

I'd love to be able to develop a relationship with my local Toyota master tech. The problem is how I do it when the dealership service manager and asst. svc. mgr. keeps the techs all hidden away and makes it very difficult to talk with them? My local dealer's shop is a very busy place, so busy I usually feel left out in the crowd, and I think everyone else feels left out in the crowd also. If the place is as busy as it seems, I have this feeling that aside from lunch and breaks, the tech I want to talk to is probably always busy. How am I going to be able to get some face time, and quality time with the Prius tech?

I'm not totally out of contact. A guy I went to high school with is a tech there, but he is a couple years younger than me, and I doubt he is a master tech yet. I did see him the last time I was at the dealer and he and I talked for a while. I do know he is not the Prius tech. I suppose I could use him to get in touch with the dealer's MT or PT, however I'm not sure if that will accomplish my goal.

Trust me, I don't see dealer mechanics as how you described them above, however the management of a service department and how a service writer and department manager handle customers has a lot to do with how well I'm able to get in contact with and consult with the individual that is working on my car.

Any ideas on how to break through the artificial barrier created by department management without being a nuisance customer?

 

DanMan:

My nav software is version 4.2. When you get your update, let us know what version it is and if it is stable and more complete.

By the way, the service dept. at my dealer said that there would be a charge to load upgrades but I could do it myself as the DVD player is under the dash board. What???

 

To note, you can view this article from Toyota:
http://pressroom.toyota.com/Releases/View?...YT2005101389230

 

There's a reason that I posted the translation as taken from http://babelfish.altavista.com/ of that very toyota.jp page...

Anyhow, I suspect that this new SSC is going to replace US TSB EG047-04. That TSB requires SSC 40D to be done first, then do more programming. (SSC 40D replaced a previous TSB, which required the SSC 40A reprogramming first. SSC 40A replaced a previous TSB which did some ECU reprogramming...) TSBs are only done if a person complains to the dealer (or the dealer happens to find the codes while troubleshooting). SSCs are essentially a voluntary recall, where all vehicles are to come in and have preventative repairs made, or reimbursements are made if you've previously paid to have that work done.

 

First thing today as I get into work " you know your car has been recalled"
It's like they take pleasure from telling you that. I just look at them and
tell them Bull**** I've known about this for quit some time and how come they didn't tell me about all the other car recalls during the year. I get so PO'd when the media blows this thing out of proportion. :angry:

 

Thank you for the link.

 

Yeah I'm getting that too. People are nice about it thought. I respond with the facts. It is a software update. It might include the greasing of an electrical contact. Not a big deal. Then I point out that their cars don't have much or any ability to have their control software updated.

 

I believe it's under the driver's seat.

 

Sounds good to me, but what if the dealer doesn't allow customers in the work area? Does it do any good to cultivate a relationship with a service writer?

 

Does fuel economy drop when this fix is applied?

 

:lol: :lol:

Or, "Prius owner donates $10 to Delphi victims... Detroit auto executives transformed into pillars of salt."

 

:lol:

I wish!

 

Okay, I've got three questions.
.
1> Exactly which transaxle connector get the dielectric grease?
.
2> Why is fixing the other potentially drivetrain-stopping problem
detailed in http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/starthole/ not
also part of this campaign, especially since it's such an easy fix?
.
3> [for Mike...] How do I convince local dealerships to relax their
supposed stated POLICY that customers can't go anywhere near the
repair bays, and are discouraged from talking directly with the
techs at all? I find that aspect INCREDIBLY annoying, although I
did at least get to discuss my brake problem with the guy who was
taking upwards of a week to chase it down. If I had had the chance
to help him debug it [because I wound up knowing more about the
braking system than he did by the end of it all...] it would have
gone much faster.
.
_H*

 

looks like i'm affected. but now what do i do?

 

Okay, at this point there are like 5 parallel threads on this same topic...
.
http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=11470
http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=11419
http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=11435
http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=11450
http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=11480
.
and I've already confused myself as to which one I'd posted in previously,
and fired a followup into a different one. I suggest we pick ONE of
the above to continue discussion, and let the others terminate here.
How about the first of these, entitled "The Official Prius SSC50P
Campaign Doc", which seems to have the most hard info about it?
That's http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=11470
.
_H*

 

Mike:

THANK YOU for the perspective from the tech's point of view. Obviously being married to one, as in my case, I hear how irritating it is to be talked down to by jerk customers. Every other night or so he comes home griping about that. I just can't write something like that myself since I don't go through it every day.

Everyone:

Take Mike's advice. Just ask to talk to the guy who's working on your car. Most techs are happy to come up and discuss what they're doing and why. They especially understand with Prius owners since we tend to be a different kind of car owner. It's also good for them to be able to explain to lay people some complex mechanical stuff.

And while it's always good to get to know a MDT, might I humbly mention that not all the talented mechanics have obtained MDT status yet (ahem ) and that if you find someone who does a good, thorough job and does it in a reasonable amount of time he deserves your repeat business. It will support the building-up of his career.

So please, give the mechanics a break if they don't know anything about this yet. Toyota's kinda slow to tell them (as evidenced by Rick57's and Mike's posts) but it doesn't mean they're dumb.