4runner Doesn't know it's in Gear, Gear Selector in Dash Not Lit, VSC goes off

[the_josh]

I have a gremlin in the Toyota I was wondering if anyone might have an idea what it may be. Can find any info about it when googling.

Basically, the shift indication light in the dash doesn't show what gear I'm in, it's not just a bulb because the truck actually doesn't know what gear the transmission is in as well, so if I shift into reverse, and start backing up, the vsc and traction control go off because they truck actually thinks I'm rolling backwards and not actually in reverse. When I shift in reverse, the reverse lights don't come on so I know that the truck doesn't even know what gear I'm in. Have you ever heard of this issue?

It happened when I had a trailer hooked up to the 7 way connector and I was backing up and then all of a sudden the vsc started going off

 

[MikeinNH67]

The first thing I'd check is the neutral safety switch seeing you have no reverse lights or PNR lights. There's also an issue with the 5-speed tranny's plug getting corroded but you don't mention which model you have so not sure that is relevant.

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&sxsrf=ALeKk03DAy3D8ROfEuxd2cje11hf0_hMSA%3A1611348676269&ei=xDoLYMvlD4G05gLE3JhA&q=gen4+4runner+neutral+safety+switch&oq=gen4+4runner+neutral+safety+switch&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQAzIFCAAQzQI6BAgAEEc6CAgAEAcQBRAeOgYIABAFEB5QnjJYmzhgrD5oAHACeACAAasBiAHYBJIBAzAuNJgBAKABAaoBB2d3cy13aXrIAQjAAQE&sclient=psy-ab&ved=0ahUKEwjL19TLtbDuAhUBmlkKHUQuBggQ4dUDCAw&uact=5

 

[Smokeshow69]

I had this exact thing happen when i popped a fuse. I was doing something underhood and then when i got in the car to move it, it was doing this exact thing. To me it sounds pretty coincidental especially since you said it happened as soon as you hooked up to a trailer. I forget what fuse it was but i seem to remember a you tube video tipping me off to check my fuses.