Toyota’s Jim Lentz explains the sticky pedal situation – Click above to watch the video after the break
Toyota President and COO Jim Lentz decided to go ahead and visit one of the automaker’s own dealerships to see one of its recalled gas pedals go through the shim-fix for himself, and he helpfully brought a video crew along for the ride. After giving a brief rundown of what’s happened thus far – a much more thorough version of which can be found here – Lentz turns the duties over to one of the dealership’s service technicians, who runs through the actual process of fixing a defective pedal.
Now, for a few observations: First, we wouldn’t want to take his place behind the camera, but all Lentz needs is a basketball for that left hand of his and he’d be a veritable Harlem Globetrotter. Second, the fix doesn’t look all that difficult, and it takes the technician just a few minutes to add the shim after the affected pedal has been removed from the vehicle. Lastly, for another take on the pedal-shim operation, see our previous video on the subject here.
Check out Lentz’s video after the break, and check out our high-res image gallery of the process below.
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LaFontaine Toyota in Dearborn, MI
LaFontaine Toyota service department
LaFontaine Toyota fixed operations director Todd McCallum
A row of new Corollas in the shop ready to be updated.
The brake pedal in a 2010 Toyota Corolla. The connector for the pedal position sensor is visible at the top
Boxes of various sized shims.
A bag of the reinforcing bars (aka shims) that are being used to adjust the gas pedal
“Precision machined reinforcing bars”
Doug Kropp checks the date chart to determine which pedal assemblies need to be updated.
Reaching up under the dashboard of a Corolla to unbolt the gas pedal.
Removing the gas pedal.
Checking the manufacturing date code on the pedal assembly. This unit does require an update.
This is the slot in the housing where the shim will be installed. The return spring stop is visible under Doug’s thumb.
A set of feeler gauges, strips of metal of calibrated thickness.
The pedal assembly on the work bench.
Doug Kropp checks the gap in the pedal assembly with the feeler gauge.
A digital caliper is used to check the thickness of the feeler gauge.
Toyota provides an instruction chart that specifies the shim thickness to use based on the measured gap.
Doug Kropp uses a screwdriver to help insert the shim into the pedal assembly.
Kropp pushes the shim into the pedal assembly with a screwdriver.
Kropp pries up the friction shoe to allow the shim to be fully seated.
Kropp does a visual check to verify that the shim is properly seated.
Kropp pumps the pedal several times to make sure it doesn’t stick.
Kropp re-installs the accelerator pedal and connects the diagnostic computer.
The diagnostic computer runs a series of tests to make sure none of the on-board computers in the car have been damaged.
Another Toyota supplied instruction chart lists the voltages that the pedal position sensor should be outputting.
The diagnostic computer displays the voltage from the pedal position sensor.
Master Toyota technician Doug Kropp explains the recall procedure.
The template that will be used for reshaping the pedal on Toyota Camrys.
[Source: Toyota via YouTube]
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