Check Engine Light,VSC Off Blinking and Slippery Road Lights

[4runnerjl]

I know that this discussion has been talked about before but I just wanted to add my thoughts. A couple of days ago I started my car in the morning and these lights were illuminated on my dashboard. After searching this forum I saw that there were a number of things that could've contributed to this problem. I also saw that the first thing I should check was gas cap. I was wondering to myself, how the heck does a gas cap have anything to do with a check engine light and vehicle stability control system? Sure enough I opened up my gas tank panel and read the print on the gas cap which said something to the effect of making sure it was on tight after a couple clicks clockwise or else I may get a check engine light. The gas cap seemed loose after a couple of clicks and I thought that it might be the problem. I went to my local Autozone, which does free diagnostic testing and sure enough the gentleman ran a test with a couple of results. The first result on the list was faulty gas cap, the second was faulty gas pump I think. So, after narrowing down the problem, I drove stright to my local stealership and applied my military 10% discount towards a new OEM Toyota gas cap($18 and change). Don't but the cheap Autozone,Pep Boys and Checker/Oreilly Auto Parts brands. After installing the new cap, I noticed that the lights still did not go away. I walked straight to the service area and spoke to a Toyota technician who told me that it tkes roughly 12 ignition cycles/startups for the lights to reset itself and the ECU to recalibrate in order for the lights to go away. He took out his diagnostic tool and simply reset the lights for me at no cost.

To make a long story short, if you have these lights creep up on you one day, the first thing I advise you to do is check your gas cap, which is a VERY common problem with our 4Runners. Then go to your local Autozone for a free diagnostic test. Hopefully from there, you can narrow down the culprit and kick the problem in the ass before it drives you crazy.

Good Luck and don't give up on your 4Runner. It will last a lifetime with
regular maintenance, regular detailing and a little bit of TLC!

 

[Nm Nicho]

It is a bit of a strange signal for sure, this happened to me the day after I picked up mine and thanks to this forum i googled the situation and I saved myself time and money diagnosing the problem.

I discovered and fixed the problem in 10 minutes from my car after work.

 

[marellano]

I'm currently experiencing the same thing. I just replaced the cap today and the lights are still on.

Do you suggest waiting for the lights to go away or should I take it somewhere? I'd rather not pay to have them reset it.

Thank you,

 

[MightyP]

I'm currently experiencing the same thing. I just replaced the cap today and the lights are still on.

Do you suggest waiting for the lights to go away or should I take it somewhere? I'd rather not pay to have them reset it.

Thank you,

Autozone/OReilly's/Advanced will reset the code for free.

Be aware, their caps aren't great. I replaced my old gas cap with one of theirs and it only worked for about 6 months before the problem came back. Bought an OEM cap and haven't had the issue since.

 

[CookieRoe]

I'm currently experiencing the same thing. I just replaced the cap today and the lights are still on.

Do you suggest waiting for the lights to go away or should I take it somewhere? I'd rather not pay to have them reset it.

Thank you,

If it is the fuel cap, then the ECU needs to recycle (10-20 times, I can't remember) for the lights to go out. No need to head to Toyota or AutoZone, IF indeed it is a fuel cap issue.

 

[RonJR]

Any emissions system failure will set the CEL light and the VSC lights. The gas cap is just one of many possible sources of a problem. Could be O2 sensors, EGR circuit, cat converter, EVAP canister, coolant temp sensor, you name it. The first step should always be to read the diagnostic code(s) and go from there. Dedicated OBDII code readers go for $20 or so on Amazon, and you can get the bluetooth ones that will interface to the Torque app on your phone for about the same. There's just no real excuse for not having a reader in your tool kit. Any of these readers will display codes, allow reset of codes, and display emission monitor readiness.

The reason the VSC light comes on is that, when the CEL light is on, the engine is possibly running in a "limp" mode. Rather than recompute all of the dynamic variables involved in managing engine power for stability control when the engine isn't running normally, Toyota has just elected to shut down stability control until you get the problem fixed. If the CEL light is on, the accompanying VSC light likely has nothing to do with a failure in the VSC system.

 

[marellano]

If it is the fuel cap, then the ECU needs to recycle (10-20 times, I can't remember) for the lights to go out. No need to head to Toyota or AutoZone, IF indeed it is a fuel cap issue.

Thank you for the advice! Just to add additional insight to anyone experiencing the same issue, I ended up replacing the cap with an OEM cap from my dealer ($30). To clear the lights, I unhooked the battery for a few minutes and everything reset. It's been running great for several months now since then.

Just keep in mind, if you unhook the battery you will have to reset your power windows. (It's very easy to do)

 

[CookieRoe]

Thank you for the advice! Just to add additional insight to anyone experiencing the same issue, I ended up replacing the cap with an OEM cap from my dealer ($30). To clear the lights, I unhooked the battery for a few minutes and everything reset. It's been running great for several months now since then.

Just keep in mind, if you unhook the battery you will have to reset your power windows. (It's very easy to do)

YEP, this is why I just let the car cycle (can't remember how many) until the lights go out.

 

[RonJR]

Best way to clear codes is with an OBD II code reader - they're only $20, so just get one! 2nd best way is to pull the EFI fuse in the fuse block under the hood. It's labeled, so it's easy to find. Much easier than disconnecting the battery, and no radio or window presets to worry about.

 

[TowMeOut]

I've had codes pop up twice since owning my truck, both times while on long road trips far from home (and most of my tools). So....I just picked up one of the bluetooth OBD interface boxes and a copy of Torque Pro for my phone. The last few days I've been tinkering.

I'm not sure about the really cheap readers but with the phone and software you can run a lot of diagnostic tests, realtime monitor a boatload of sensors, and log tons of data plus reading/resetting trouble codes. There's even an inclinometer plus a bunch of performance monitoring gadgets (0-60mph, horsepower estimation, etc.).

One of my friends FJs just kicked a couple of codes this week. Hopefully I'll be able to give her a hand with her truck next time I'm over and at least figure out if it's a "no big deal" or a "Holy Crap" kind of issue.