Stability Control Function
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Whiplash Willy
New member
I have only had VSC kick in once for me, and that was last winter. I was driving home, and crossed a small, 2 lane bridge. Unknown to me the entire bridge was covered with black ice. The instant I got on that bridge, the whole 4runner started rotating counter clockwise. While crapping my pants, I started counter-steering to correct. As I was doing this VSC kicked in with that lovely ABS clicking noise, and instantly pointed me back in the right direction, just as a large F350 Flatbed passed me going the other way.
I consider myself to be a good driver, and know how to control a RWD vehicle when it is sliding (Used to drift and track my old 240sx), but I do believe that without the VSC, I would have crossed over to the oncoming lane and gotten plowed into by that F350, considering I had no space, nowhere to go, and no traction (Black Ice).
I consider myself to be a good driver, and know how to control a RWD vehicle when it is sliding (Used to drift and track my old 240sx), but I do believe that without the VSC, I would have crossed over to the oncoming lane and gotten plowed into by that F350, considering I had no space, nowhere to go, and no traction (Black Ice).
Hawaiian4runner
New member
Well said! I too was not so thrilled with my ride trying to take command but also had a similar experience (not black ice of course here in Hawaii) and now truly appreciate it and have toned down my driving a bit. It works!
intense1776
New member
We had our first decent rain in a few weeks here this morning... I was on a slick off ramp this morning and my front end started pushing. I was surprised that the VSC didn't kick in, so I kept turning the wheel farther (it just kept plowing ahead), until I had turned almost 1/2 turn past where I began to lose traction. No VSC intervention at all. Most people seem to say VSC kicks in way too early, but I can't remember it ever kicking on at all (though, I could be forgetting).
I was going about 20 mph on the ramp today, so does VSC only kick in over a certain speed? I rarely drive near the limit, but when I do (or the wife) get in a sticky situation (hitting an off ramp too fast), I want it to work.
What's your experience? Do you know of a safe way to test the system to ensure it activates?
(for the record, no one was around, I had 2 more lanes, a full shoulder, and a grass field on the outside of the turn. I wasn't Ken Blocking :cowboy: )
3wbdriver
New member
My few experiences have normally been self induced sliding on dirt roads. I'll just start sawing the wheel to get it going and I can rarely get more than 3 oscillations before I can feel it kick in. I think maybe your understeering condition won't kick it in because that won't tell the ECU you are in danger of a rollover, which is what I believe it is truly intended to prevent. Stabilization of the vehicle to prevent a spinout and possible rollover. Understeer or push won't be read by accelerometers as readily as lateral force specifically because the front wheels are plowing and preventing the additional g force needed to be read by the ECU.
The easiest way to test it is in an open dirt field or lot. While standing still, turn the wheel fully one direction or the other and just dump the gas. The truck should try to do a donut but you'll feel the VSC kick in before you can make a full circle. Then press and hold the VSC button for a full 10 seconds to disengage it and try again. Donuts for days!
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intense1776
New member
Ok. I thought there would be a sensor for front wheel position and a calculation against inside rear wheel speed to determine the drivers intended trajectory.. Maybe I'm over thinking..? I've tried doing donuts twice in deep snow and the center diff really spoils the fun. I don't think I've ever tried it with the VSC on.. I turned it off out of habit.
I know Ford advertises that their VSC has rollover stability control (AdvanceTrac with RSC), which tries to prevent or correct situations that lead to rollover. I've had it kick in while pushing a 12 passenger van a bit too fast on some fun mountain roads (as much fun as you can have in a 12 passenger van). I don't know if Toyota's system has similar logic built in? They don't advertise it for roll stability, but they don't provide much info about how it works, anyway.
I have a 4th gen, but I imagine the 5th gen has very similar VSC. I've only had VSC come on unintentionally twice that I can think of. One time I was going too fast down a snowy mountain pass, and it kept me from sliding into the guardrail. If I didn't have VSC, I would have been driving more cautiously there. The other time I tried to take a turn way too fast into a parking lot driveway that I nearly missed. I was braking hard, so it might have been ABS, too. It might have been trying to prevent a rollover in that case, but I don't really understand the dynamics of the vehicle in that situation. I bet even most people who are "good" drivers don't understand vehicle dynamics in emergency (or stupid) maneuver situations because they happen so rarely. That's why VSC is helpful. It would also be helpful to have better driver education where people can get a feel for handling their vehicles at the limits.
I've played around with it a lot in snowy parking lots, so it definitely works at low speed. I have noticed that it doesn't always correct understeer very well. And if you are in 4WD in most 5th gens (front and rear axles locked together) you'll tend to get more understeer than in 2WD or Limited 4WD with the center diff.
VSC significantly reduces accidents:
Real World Crash Evaluation of Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) Technology
I have a 4th gen, but I imagine the 5th gen has very similar VSC. I've only had VSC come on unintentionally twice that I can think of. One time I was going too fast down a snowy mountain pass, and it kept me from sliding into the guardrail. If I didn't have VSC, I would have been driving more cautiously there. The other time I tried to take a turn way too fast into a parking lot driveway that I nearly missed. I was braking hard, so it might have been ABS, too. It might have been trying to prevent a rollover in that case, but I don't really understand the dynamics of the vehicle in that situation. I bet even most people who are "good" drivers don't understand vehicle dynamics in emergency (or stupid) maneuver situations because they happen so rarely. That's why VSC is helpful. It would also be helpful to have better driver education where people can get a feel for handling their vehicles at the limits.
I've played around with it a lot in snowy parking lots, so it definitely works at low speed. I have noticed that it doesn't always correct understeer very well. And if you are in 4WD in most 5th gens (front and rear axles locked together) you'll tend to get more understeer than in 2WD or Limited 4WD with the center diff.
VSC significantly reduces accidents:
Real World Crash Evaluation of Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) Technology
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2014 Warthog
New member
I get it to kick in a lot when offroading. Always in sandy washes and dunes when WANTING to slide around a corner. NOPE!
I can turn it off (5th gen) but it auto turns back on when you cross 30 MPH which takes a lot of fun out of sandy washes
I can also attest that it is actually dangerous on sandy trails. As you are turning, about to slide around a corner, perfectly controlled, it halts the tail slide and "straightens" you out to the point that you are now heading off the road/trail! If there is a big rock there, cactus, tree, ledge, you are going to hit it because the vehicle is not going where you wanted it too, expected it too and would have gone, but where the VSC wanted it to go. Every time it happens the only thing to do then is stomp on the brakes and hope you stop before hitting something or driving completely off road/trail.
Now it may be that in "out of control" situations of all kinds, the VSC might statistically save you more often than if you didn't have it at all and had to drive out of a crazy situation yourself, say a wide highway with big rain puddles or icy conditions. But still, I've yet to have it "save me" from anything but it has screwed me dozens of times when trying to have a little fun with it :/
One day I will really look into a switch to turn it off when I'm offroading and back on for the highway where it really probably does do it's job better.
I can turn it off (5th gen) but it auto turns back on when you cross 30 MPH which takes a lot of fun out of sandy washes
I can also attest that it is actually dangerous on sandy trails. As you are turning, about to slide around a corner, perfectly controlled, it halts the tail slide and "straightens" you out to the point that you are now heading off the road/trail! If there is a big rock there, cactus, tree, ledge, you are going to hit it because the vehicle is not going where you wanted it too, expected it too and would have gone, but where the VSC wanted it to go. Every time it happens the only thing to do then is stomp on the brakes and hope you stop before hitting something or driving completely off road/trail.
Now it may be that in "out of control" situations of all kinds, the VSC might statistically save you more often than if you didn't have it at all and had to drive out of a crazy situation yourself, say a wide highway with big rain puddles or icy conditions. But still, I've yet to have it "save me" from anything but it has screwed me dozens of times when trying to have a little fun with it :/
One day I will really look into a switch to turn it off when I'm offroading and back on for the highway where it really probably does do it's job better.
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J-Rock
New member
On dry pavement it has never really kicked in for me, if I am not on a good line I will stop pushing it before it's too late... I know I can't dive in, late braking for apex but if I get the good gear in first while braking and gradually turning it on a not too sharp line I will transfer the mass nicely by mid corner I will be on gas. Most of the cars behind are far gone on a 50/70 mph S turn.
:wtf:
Btw : I am still forgetting I'm driving a 5000 lbs truck now, but a good line is a good line...:cowboy:
:wtf:
Btw : I am still forgetting I'm driving a 5000 lbs truck now, but a good line is a good line...:cowboy:
Jeremy556
New member
That is the one thing I use MTS for - in 4hi you can engage the first setting and it dials way back on the ABS, TRAC, and VSC, so you can lock up your brakes and dig into the dirt to stop, slide sideways around turns, and not kill the throttle and hit the brakes whenever there is a tiny bit of wheel spin.I get it to kick in a lot when offroading. Always in sandy washes and dunes when WANTING to slide around a corner. NOPE!
I can turn it off (5th gen) but it auto turns back on when you cross 30 MPH which takes a lot of fun out of sandy washes
2014 Warthog
New member
I know some people have asked about the possibility of putting in the MTS switch into an SR5. The common reply is that you would have to swap computers and "not worth it" but I wonder... Maintaining different inventory between models and especially different firmware builds when not really necessary is usually to be avoided. There would be no real reason TO have different programming between the trail and sr5. The computer could just default to "normal" MTS mode in the absence of a switch telling it to use a different one (embedded software engineer here, at least that's the way I'd do it)
I should spend some time going through the electrical diagrams and look for a switch socket/wiring, though given the 8x10 page layout, boy is that a chore!
