2nd gen fuel pump 4.0 2015 taco

I'm new here, so forgive me if this has been covered. I looked through several related threads for this and haven't seen it covered, so I'm making a new thread seeking experienced advice.

My fuel pump just went out and my trusted local mechanic told me a tale of a time he replaced a 2nd gen fuel pump with an aftermarket fuel pump and the truck didn't take it well. Guy said he ended up having to get a factory fuel pump, and said that the dealership told him that upon replacing the fuel pump on these trucks, you have to get it programmed to the truck at the dealership...

Mechanic shop was back-logged a whole month, so I found a good video on YouTube, ordered the pump from Toyota, and did the job yesterday... and I have to say, I cannot understand why I should need to bring my truck to Toyota for programming. My taco is running perfectly, and is even a little smoother than before the old pump crapped out.

So, can anyone here confirm or deny with adequate detail the necessity of programming a new fuel pump to the truck's computer or the truck's computer to the new fuel pump?

 

I have worked on high performance, expensive, exotic cars that are technologically advanced

that did not need electrical work to replace a fuel pump

the theory of Toyota trucks, or at least it used to be, is that they should be able to be fixed by smacking with a rock in the middle of nowhere

so I don't see why a Tacoma whose gen came out in '05 would.

I'd say as an owner of one, get the FSM and read it to check if there's mention of it.
Or ask an actual Toyota tech with the experience and repair manual access.
Because advisors tend to not know shit, and will happily charge you an hour labor to say they're doing something but simply bring the car in the shop and maybe use that time to just idle it under observation make sure it runs good, verify no faults, test drive make sure it drives good, and spend the rest of the time doing an inspection to quote more shit that
a) you already know bout
b) you're not gonna approve/buy dealer prices for

A fuel pump plugs in. And works. Voltage operates the pump. You just have to deal with air pockets and making sure there's enough gas. People usually change pumps when the tank is low to avoid dunking your hand in a bunch of gas.

Here is my interpretation. Your mechanic is some random dude running around trying to work on anything and everything in a yard, instead of obtaining steady decent pay employment at a dealer and specializing.
Which for that kinda person a fuel pump (customer pay) is a very easy good paying job that doesn't require much diagnosis. Having no separate filter to replace for maintenance, it's easy to just assume that with miles and an issue, that it's bad.
And he fell for the trick of putting in an aftermarket pump that didn't work. Which can make a mechanic question if he even diagnosed it right to start; one of many reasons to use good parts.
I may be wrong here maybe he used the same OEM supplier which is preferred with non-dealer, which even then sometimes parts can still be bad out of the box.
And it went to the dealer for a genuine part because they are high quality, that's what dealers do, and they have warranty on it
And the dealer tacked on another hour for diagnosis to start, to even verify the original concern, because ANY car that comes in for work out of warranty is typically supposed to have at least one hour for diagnosis to start

and Shade Tree Bob "thinks this is what's wrong" does not fly to weasel out of that diag
There is no "repair is 7hr, you pay 7. It's at least 8. Because there is diagnosis. Looking at the car. Scanning it. Finding it and getting to pull in. Checking any applicable TSB's. That takes time, not 0 minutes.
If the SA who doesn't know the difference between a water bottle and a TV remote worded that hour off as "programming", they can call it whatever they want to call it.
That is not a dig at SA's. There are definitely good ones out there.

If you go to a dealer, you'll have to ask a tech, as they're trained on the vehicle. The guy in the shop they don't let you go into.
An SA sitting at the front they do let you go into, is not often trained on it's operation

 

I am surprised they did not tell you you had to prime the fuel pump with Toyota gas and then make sure your blinker fluid was full prior to installing
Thank goodness you did not go there, they were taking you for a long ride with your wallet

 

He may be referring to some needing the fuel sending unit programmed

 

You don’t have to do any programming for a new pump. It was probably an aftermarket POS.

 

Someone doesn't know what they are talking about, there is no programming required when changing a fuel pump on a Tacoma.

 

I don't know if the pump has a module, never replaced it
Or if the module is separate, already existing on the vehicle
Yes, on many vehicles if you replace a computer module, it has to be updated, programmed, and unlocked
Live online, dealer password login, etc. (unless finding a workaround)
But that is more if you replace an ECM on a modern car or something

 

Drop in the new one. Get the locking ring mark within proper spec and you are good to go.

 

Thanks everyone for the quick responses! I'm already feeling much better about choosing to forgo taking my truck to the dealership for "programming."

 

There is very little on 2nd gens that requires programming, essentially the only programming there really is is programming keys to the Immobilizer when a new key is needed. Pretty much everything else is plug and play aside from some things needing a relearn such as pairing the PCM to the Immobilizer when one or the other is replaced.

 

If you were able to successfully able to replace your fuel pump and avoid creating any evap issues, then you did a great job. Pat yourself on the back and start driving your truck.

 

So uuuuuhh... if I had created an "evap issue," my truck would have either not started or ran poorly?

 

Sorry, no. I should have clarified. I don't want to start confusion. You did good. I unknowingly messed up an o-ring in the main vent tube that connects to the top of the fuel tank and runs to the canister. This caused a leak in the evap system which caused a check engine light. The evap system runs a test on the truck when it is off and meets specific conditions. Aside from the two fuel lines that connect to the fuel tank, the others are part of the evap system.

 

Thanks for the clarification. I made sure all of the "quick connections" were fully inserted and "snapped" into place, and made sure the filler neck connection was as deep as it was previously before tightening the hose clamp. No check engine light. I'm actually kind of proud of myself. I had 15gal of gas in the tank throughout the process, and I used a lift to raise the truck off the tank and lower it back down onto the tank. My dad is still annoyed that I didn't siphon the gas out, but dammit... my plan was visualized and executed flawlessly. I took my sweet time and took every precaution I could think of, and it was still only a 4.5hr job.

 

Long as it isnt upside down your ok...you would notice it would be full when empty and vise versa

 

There is no way I could have done it on the ground with that much gas still left. I got it down to about 4.5 gallons before I attempted to drop my tank. Once I got it out, I powered the fuel pump with a battery and pumped all of the fuel out of the tank so I could install it empty.

 

kudos sir

 

I’m just surprised your fuel pump failed already.

 

I know. I just hit 115k miles last week. Seems like most people get at least double that. I, however, did not. I'm notorious about running it down to the last drop before refilling. I do always fill up when I get gas though.