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The tank had a bad night.

3K views 16 replies 11 participants last post by  algonaman 
#1 ·
My 2011 AG got hit in the antenna by lightning last night. Went out to go to work and nothing. Flipped the DP dual to emergency and the starter cranked but nothing. I went to open the hood and noticed something funny. The antenna was missing and the cover it mounts to was popped up. Found the antenna 15' away and when I picked it up the outer jacket was burnt off and the wire that goes around the core was loose and the shaft was bent and heat blued. The cover is bent and where the antenna was mounted is ripped off. Got her on a wrecker and sent her to the Toyota Dealer for repair. I'll give you the solution when I get it. Sux as I'm going on my Western road trip on the 1st Saturday of September for 17 days. Hope she's good to go !
 
#2 ·
I hate to be "that" guy. But I know of two vehicles (one belonged to a family member and the other was a company vehicle) that was hit by lightning. Repair bills (both paid for by insurance) were insanely high and doubled before either vehicle was semi-reliable. The family members truck was eventually totaled out by the insurance company after over a half dozen trips to the dealer after the initial repair. The company vehicle we had eventually got parked when another guy quit so the guy that had the lightning truck switched his out for the guy that left. he had been left on the side of the road too many times to count. The truck sat for a few years before it was turned back into the leasing company. Super low miles too. I'm sure whoever purchased it from ARI thought they got a screaming deal at auction.
 
#3 ·
I'm going to hazard a quick guess that you have a bunch of blown fuses, and your radio is toast at a minimum.
I'd also put money on your ECU being toast as well...
 
#4 ·
Wow that suks...you must not have trees nearby? I hadn’t thought of what a great lightning rod the 4’ CB antennae makes - and will remove it when parked while camping out west in the future. I live in the northeast surrounded by trees that could easily blow/fall over and crush my FJ, but I never thought about the possibility of a direct hit by lightning. Very bizarre. Hope you get lucky somehow....
 
#10 ·
Well, it's not going so well. There were several other items needed and they told my wife today that a part (?) that they need won't be in until October 2nd. I'm going to have a little talk with the guy at the dealership tomorrow. It has been 5 weeks this Saturday and my long awaited and needed Vacation may end up being a darn cold time out in the Northern Rockies.
 
#13 ·
I finally will be getting it back this Friday and I asked the service manager if he'd drive it 2K miles beginning Saturday and he said yes. They had to get a Toyota program guru (their version of a geek squad) and he spent 3 days going through the entire system and all programs . The body shop will be done around noon and I'll drive it back and forth to work the long way and then take off on my road trip. It will be almost 10 weeks since it happened , I'm just worn slick over the wait.
 
#16 ·
I really hope it is great. Hope you don't have to chase gremlins. If so, you should be good to go for another 200,000 with all the fresh electrical. In the cars that I have run into the ground it has been electrical problems that have made me "put them down." God speed and enjoy the time back behind the wheel.
 
#17 ·
And now I hear thunder outside......neighbors house got hit and all he lost was his TV set. Time to clean my garage so the FJ can go in the box.
 
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