FrazzledHunter
SILVER Star
We were out camping this past weekend and I managed to run my starter battery flat.
Anyway, we were packing up to leave camp Sunday night and I noticed the dome light was dark.
Hmmm...so putting the foot on the brake and pressing start...nothing; not even a clicking sound.
No problem! I jumper to the 2nd battery and the LC starts up fine.
After the nav screen reboots I get a warning on the dash:
"Brake Override Malfunction" "Reduced Engine Power" "Visit the Dealer" or something like that.
So I stopped & started it a few more times.
Same outcome.
I floored the accelerator, all it would do is go to about 1800 RPM and the engine sounded rough, very rough.
I put into D and heard a "thunk" and rolled a bit forward.
Put it into R and heard a "thunk" and rolled a bit backward.
Did that a few times.
My wife asks: "So is something wrong with the truck?"
Me: "Ummm we're not going anywhere I don't think"
Discussion ensued...
So I get on the web (luckily we had internet) and found this website which ultimately saved the day:
How To Reset Brake Override Malfunction Toyota - CarInfoGuide - https://www.carinfoguide.com/how-to-reset-brake-override-malfunction-toyota/
The engine would rev to 5000 rpm and it sounded great.
While that seemed to cure the problem there was still a check engine light on.
I carry the Blue Driver dongle & app and connected the dongle, scanned for codes, and found Confirmed, Pending and 1 Permanent code.
The codes were P0121 "Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor/Switch "A" Circuit Range/Performance"
I cleared all the codes, the Check Engine Light went out, re-scanned and all was clear.
We drove home with no problems. The truck appears fine now.
I'll keep an eye on this as there may be something wrong.
I am assuming that the dead battery was the root cause of all this because the truck has been running fine.
It seems to me that if you lose your battery these vehicles can get seriously jacked up.
I hope this helps someone.
EDIT here's the diagnostic codes from Blue Driver:
Anyway, we were packing up to leave camp Sunday night and I noticed the dome light was dark.
Hmmm...so putting the foot on the brake and pressing start...nothing; not even a clicking sound.
No problem! I jumper to the 2nd battery and the LC starts up fine.
After the nav screen reboots I get a warning on the dash:
"Brake Override Malfunction" "Reduced Engine Power" "Visit the Dealer" or something like that.
So I stopped & started it a few more times.
Same outcome.
I floored the accelerator, all it would do is go to about 1800 RPM and the engine sounded rough, very rough.
I put into D and heard a "thunk" and rolled a bit forward.
Put it into R and heard a "thunk" and rolled a bit backward.
Did that a few times.
My wife asks: "So is something wrong with the truck?"
Me: "Ummm we're not going anywhere I don't think"
Discussion ensued...
So I get on the web (luckily we had internet) and found this website which ultimately saved the day:
How To Reset Brake Override Malfunction Toyota - CarInfoGuide - https://www.carinfoguide.com/how-to-reset-brake-override-malfunction-toyota/
- Step 1: Turn off the Engine
- The first step is to turn off the engine. This will ensure that the system is completely reset and ready to be restarted.
- Step 2: Press and Hold the Brake Pedal
- Next, press and hold the brake pedal for at least 5 seconds. This will help to discharge any residual energy in the system.
- Step 3: Start the Engine
- After holding the brake pedal for 5 seconds, start the engine. This will reset the brake override system and should resolve any malfunctions.
The engine would rev to 5000 rpm and it sounded great.
While that seemed to cure the problem there was still a check engine light on.
I carry the Blue Driver dongle & app and connected the dongle, scanned for codes, and found Confirmed, Pending and 1 Permanent code.
The codes were P0121 "Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor/Switch "A" Circuit Range/Performance"
I cleared all the codes, the Check Engine Light went out, re-scanned and all was clear.
We drove home with no problems. The truck appears fine now.
I'll keep an eye on this as there may be something wrong.
I am assuming that the dead battery was the root cause of all this because the truck has been running fine.
It seems to me that if you lose your battery these vehicles can get seriously jacked up.
I hope this helps someone.
EDIT here's the diagnostic codes from Blue Driver:
Last edited: