TOD Display on dashboard issue

[nhvxman]

Hey, what's up everyone??

I had some work done on the TOD system last summer. I had to replace all four TOD sensors, there is one sensor associated with each wheel. This ended up costing me about $1200. Before I got this work done, my TOD display and TOD system seemed to work the way it is designed to. For example, if I press on the gas pedal hard, all three sections for the front wheels sequentially illuminate. If I were driving in the snow and my rear wheels started spinning, my front wheels would get more power to them and the TOD display would show that. Now here's the problem. When I got my VX back, those three sections for the front wheels would never illuminate, only if I shifted the VX into 4WD low. I never thought much of it, until now. There is a lot of snow in New Hampshire and I've noticed its performance in the snow is not at all what it used to be. When driving slowly in the snow, I suddenly press the gas pedal and it seems there is no power going to the front tires because the VX fishtail's like a 2WD pickup. A couple times I've been stuck in the snow in 4WD high, I keep the gas pedal pressed down, open the door to see if the front wheels are spinning and they aren't even moving. Of course, as soon as I shift her into 4WD low, I'm able to get unstuck. So basically, my front tires don't seem to get power and/or show power going to them in 4WD high.
I'm sure I need to take it back to the dealership but I was just curious if any of you have ever dealt with a situation like this before.
I appreciate your help.

Thanks,
Ben

[Y33TREKker]

Greetings New Hampshire! And welcome to VX.info.

I'd be interested to know the cause of the problem too if I were you, but personal curiousity aside, both of your problems would be solved if you did just take your VX back to the dealer who did your TOD work. If it was working properly before you took it in, but now it's not, the work was obviously not completed correctly so the dealership should be obligated to further diagnose and repair the problem. Problem one solved. If they are able to fix the current problem to get your TOD working properly and are willing to tell you what they had to do, your curiousity is resolved (problem two solved).

I'm just saying, if you start poking around on your own trying to get the problem fixed, and something happens resulting in the dealership being able to tell that their work has been "reworked" in some way, they would be well within their rights to tell you they are under no further obligation and you're back to square one....less $1.2k.

[pbkid]

very true....if you touch it after the dealer did then they are going to say its been tampered with and the warranty(sp) is void...

but to me it sounds like everything wasnt finished being plugged/reconnected...

[mdwyer]

I had some work done on the TOD system last summer. I had to replace all four TOD sensors, there is one sensor associated with each wheel.

You were lied to. There's a speed sensor at each wheel that feeds the anti-lock braking system. The sensors that feed the TOD system are located closer to the centerline of the vehicle on the prop shafts.

[kodiak]

You were lied to. There's a speed sensor at each wheel that feeds the anti-lock braking system. The sensors that feed the TOD system are located closer to the centerline of the vehicle on the prop shafts.

Ya, the TOD sensors are near the T_Case.

[nhvxman]

Ya, the TOD sensors are near the T_Case.

I remember when I had them do the work, they had to call Isuzu to get more information on all that stuff, so I'm guessing maybe they weren't exactly experts on the issue. They aren't really an Isuzu dealership, they bought out a Lincoln, Mercury, Isuzu dealership so now they're stuck with doing the work on them.

Anyway, I bring it in tomorrow. Lets hope they fix it!! I thank everyone who wrote in with help.

Ben

[crotchrocket]

Does your dash TOD readout say 'Auto' ??? or just have the two rear wheels illuminated

[Greasemonkey]

Does your dash TOD readout say 'Auto' ??? or just have the two rear wheels illuminated

James - the US VX doesn't have a 2wd option - so the TOD will be in auto all the time unlike ours which can be either 2 or 4wd
cheers
Steve

[crotchrocket]

Ah....you found me, lol !!!!

[nhvxman]

Just found out the throttle position sensor needs to be replaced. By the way, mdwyer, you were right, it was the speed sensors that were replaced last summer. Is it possible the TP sensor could have been damaged while replacing the speed sensors? Are they located near each other? They haven't told me how much I will be charged, even though the TP sensor all of a sudden stopped working when they were replacing the speed sensors I'm sure I'll get charged something for all of this. By the way, they charged me about $400 for each speed sensor. Does anyone know if this is a reasonable price? Thanks!!

[mdwyer]

Is it possible the TP sensor could have been damaged while replacing the speed sensors? Are they located near each other?

Not physically. They are on opposite sides of the engine. The TPS is attached to the drivers-side of the throttle body, opposite of those cable/pulley assemblies that peek out of the plastic cover on the engine.

However, the TPS is close electrically. That is, the TPS sensor is also used as input into the TOD system.

Personally, I'm beginning to suspect there's a problem withe the TPS sensor in a central place. That is, near the controller under the passenger seat. If you're lucky, we're talking a loose cable. A frayed wire would be fixable. If you're unlucky, the controller itself is gone. I haven't heard of anyone else having problems with the TOD controller, though... Still, it must be frustrating to be replacing ever sensor they can find.

[nhvxman]

I used to live in Fort Collins......too bad I still wasn't there.....I would have just paid you to do the work it needs!!
These guys were on the phone with and had diagnostic computers linked up with Isuzu headquarters in California for two days trying to figure out the problem. Its going in on Wednesday to get fixed.....hopefully for the last time.

[nhvxman]

Here is what happened....now I'm totally confused. The mechanic said the 3 lights for the front wheels only illuminate when the tires are slipping/spinning. Is this how all of your VX's work?? When I bought mine in 2005, the lower square of the front tires was always illuminated. The top two squares would illuminate depending on how hard I pressed the gas pedal, and of course, if the tires were spinning. All along I thought this is how the TOD was supposed to work. Now I'm being told the squares light up only when the tires spin and that the TOD didn't work right the whole time I had the vehicle, I just never knew it and figured it was the way it was supposed to be.

Any thoughts????

Anyone want to buy a white 2001 Ironman with 81,000 miles??? I love the car but need something with better gas mileage....

[etlsport]

no, your VX was working properly before

TOD works like this in 4Hi (normal driving)

at rest only rear tires should be illuminated

up to 5mph only rear tires illuminated

at 5mph 1st bar of front tires should illuminate, indicating 15% power to front wheels, 85% to the rear, this is normal driving conditions

if the rear wheels slip mildly or you give 100% throttle, 2nd light should illuminate indicating 35% power to the front wheels 65% to the rear

if the rear wheels are on ice or something, all three front bars should illuminate indicating 50% power to the front and 50% to the rear

cruising at highway speeds on dry pavement you should always have 15% power to the front

[nhvxman]

Yeah....that makes much more sense to me. Now I have to tell the guys at the dealership. Where did you get that information? They need to see that formally written in a manual of some kind I'm sure. The bigger question is why didn't they know that??????