2013 LX 570 is a Brick! Possible Smart Key Module Issue? (1 Viewer)

[adventurefam]

Hi Everyone,

Our beloved LX is a brick! I'm hoping the community here can help me diagnose a frustrating issue with my 2013 LX 570. The vehicle has been with a reputable Toyota-focused mechanic for almost a month, but they've largely run out of ideas. Here's a quick timeline and description of the issue:

• The vehicle drove perfectly fine until I parked it one evening. The very next morning, it wouldn't start.
• It had rained heavily the previous days.
• Upon pressing the start button, internal lights illuminated normally, but the engine wouldn't start.
• I ruled out the battery: It's relatively new, and jump-start attempts were unsuccessful.
• Had it towed to the mechanic, who identified a sunroof leak causing water intrusion on the passenger side and subsequent electrical issues.
• They ruled out any engine-related issues.
• The shop dried everything thoroughly, replaced fuses, and checked all wiring.
• They confirmed all pins and connections between the ECM and the Smart Key Module appear good.
• A locksmith attempted to reprogram the keyfobs, but it didn't resolve the issue.
• Currently, both the locksmith and mechanic suspect the Smart Key Module (part #89990-60184), though they can't confirm it's faulty. Replacing it is an expensive gamble ($700-$1200) as there's no guarantee it'll fix the issue. The locksmith has never seen one fail.

Questions:

• Has anyone experienced something similar with their LX 570 or Land Cruiser?
• Does it sound plausible that the Smart Key Module could cause this?
• What could be other causes for this issue?
• Is there a reliable way to verify this part's failure without blindly replacing it?

I would greatly appreciate any insights or suggestions. Thanks very much for any help you can provide!

 

[Sandroad]

Couple quick questions. Does it crank and not start or not crank at all? Did the mechanic check all connectors that might have been wet for corrosion, particularly those in the door sills? Is everything completely dry now? The electrical flow in these is complex and just confirming the ECU-SKM connection is not enough to confirm everything is ok for corrosion. Given the sequence of events and symptoms, it seems really likely to be an electrical water-corrosion issue.

 

[BROMO95]

If only you live in WA, I’d suggest you to take it to @torfab in Everett.
I had the same problem as you back in 2018 took it to local Toyota dealer, they replaced the smart key ECU and the fuse block under the dash. They said it was corroded from leaky windshield gasket.
Stayed in the dealer for a month without any progress, their final diagnosis was I need to replace the dash wiring harness which was around $15k .
I asked them if they can guarantee that it will fix the problem and they said no they can’t guarantee it. They told me that they file a case with the Toyota engineering and recommend to replace the wiring harness.
After $3500 spent for nothing at the dealer, I took the truck back home. Searched the web, found out that on 200series, Toyota put an independent Immobilizer behind the HVAC unit
You need to remove the whole dashboard and the HVAC unit to get to it, it was f’ing PITA!!!
Install new Immobilizer ECU, this time I mounted under the glove box for easy access.
Put the new smart key ECU, immobilizer ECU , fuse block back together and cleaned all the wires connector on the driver and passenger foot well. Turn the key everything was on but no start, it still said key is not detected!!!!
Called @torfab, he told me to bring it over
They are freaking awesome, smart and know what they’re doing!!!
I explained to them the problem and what I had done to try to resolve it.
They took the smart key ECU, the Immobilizer ECU and the Engine ECU out and reprogrammed it so they can talk to each other again. And it worked!!!
What the dealer missed was that if you replace one of the ECU you need to reprogram all three of them since each of them has Immobilizer in it!!!
I’m so grateful that I have @torfab in my neighborhood!!!

 

[BROMO95]

Dash removal

 

[BROMO95]

Immobilizer ECU

 

[BROMO95]

The new Immobilizer ECU and water leaked from the sunroof

 

[adventurefam]

Thank you so much, @BROMO95 and @Sandroad !!!

My mechanic came to a similar conclusion as your experience @BROMO95 . They believe they won't need to replace any parts but just reprogram the ECUs. Thank you for validating! I also sent him your comments so he had max context.

Any idea how many labor hours I should expect? Mechanic estimates 8-10 hours.

Will let you all know how it goes. Thank you!

 

[BROMO95]

It took me all day to remove the whole dashboard since I’ve never done it before.
The hard part is getting the Immobilizer ECU out. It is wedged behind the HVAC unit and firewall. I would suggest that you mounting it somewhere under the glove box, it has enough wire length to do so. Putting it back together only took me an hour. Tell your mechanic to clean every wire connector and ground wire under the dash and apply dielectric grease. Same goes with main wire connectors located on the driver and passenger side foot well.