VSC/ABS Lights On - No CEL

[loarmistead]

VSC/ABS/TRAC Lights On - No CEL

The traction lights have been turning on while driving. At crank, no lights. Sometimes they will turn on after driving for 30 seconds, sometimes after 30 minutes. Once they turn on, they don't turn off until I turn off the vehicle.

No CEL accompanies them, only the traction lights are on.

Otherwise truck runs fine, no noises, no signs that anything is wrong. I've tried tightening the fuel cap several times, but always get the lights. I've hooked up an OBDII reader to the vehicle and it didn't pull any stored of prior fault codes.

2006, V8 4WD.

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[loarmistead]

Did some searching of course, found some threads that had similar issues but didn't seem to find one that posted the solution. A lot of trial and error, expensive fixes that didn't make the lights go out, and various pontification, but no confirmed solution.

 

[Tapp]

I had a similar issue for a while minus the trac light being on. I did have a code for the front right sensor being out though. Anyways after investigating I had gunk surrounding the sensor that was interrupting the signal. Hope your diagnosis is just as easy.

 

[lightfreak]

Possibly a dying brake light switch , located near the brake pedal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Sja-CXlfBo

It will trigger those lights if the switch is faulty.

 

[fayewong]

Did some searching of course, found some threads that had similar issues but didn't seem to find one that posted the solution. A lot of trial and error, expensive fixes that didn't make the lights go out, and various pontification, but no confirmed solution.

probably one of the wheel sensor wires is damaged. try doing zero calibration first. youtube it or search it on this forum

 

[catfishbirddog]

Possibly a dying brake light switch , located near the brake pedal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Sja-CXlfBo

It will trigger those lights if the switch is faulty.

I had this issue after installing secondary air bypass. It was very intermittent, but then all of a sudden I had trouble putting car into reverse or drive out of park without using the screwdriver in the override slot.

This is a very serious deal - my brake lights were not working for like a day before I had any idea. Installed an aftermarket switch ($20 or $30 on eBay) and fixed it but I was pissed off when I realized my brake lights weren't working and the engineers decided to use the same stupid VSC/TRAC lights (yet no CEL) that go off or a million freakin things. Lucky I didn't get rear ended. /end rant

 

[loarmistead]

I had this issue after installing secondary air bypass. It was very intermittent, but then all of a sudden I had trouble putting car into reverse or drive out of park without using the screwdriver in the override slot.

This is a very serious deal - my brake lights were not working for like a day before I had any idea. Installed an aftermarket switch ($20 or $30 on eBay) and fixed it but I was pissed off when I realized my brake lights weren't working and the engineers decided to use the same stupid VSC/TRAC lights (yet no CEL) that go off or a million freakin things. Lucky I didn't get rear ended. /end rant

So you encountered my same issue after installing a secondary air bypass? Installing a new brake switch fixed your problem?

I also installed a secondary air bypass about two months ago, and these lights just came on for the first time a little over a week ago. I have not encountered any issues shifting gears. Will check to see if my brake lights are working today and report back.

Did the secondary air bypass have anything to do with the failing brake switch, or was this just a coincidental occurrence?

 

[catfishbirddog]

So you encountered my same issue after installing a secondary air bypass? Installing a new brake switch fixed your problem?



I also installed a secondary air bypass about two months ago, and these lights just came on for the first time a little over a week ago. I have not encountered any issues shifting gears. Will check to see if my brake lights are working today and report back.



Did the secondary air bypass have anything to do with the failing brake switch, or was this just a coincidental occurrence?

Just coincidence, when those lights lit up I was pissed off though since I had just done the bypass. But 2 separate issues completely, again I just hate that so many issues show themselves with the same VSC and TRAC lights.

I installed a new brake switch and it fixed my brake lights, shifter lock and the lights went away.

Secondary air bypass still working fine. I haven't installed the plates, just the sensor bypass wiring.

I'd check your brake lights ASAP. Very cheap part, very dangerous condition. Here's what I bought, so far so good (I said ebay, meant Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H3R9FTK/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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[loarmistead]

Brake lights appear to be OK, but I took it out for another drive and monitored to see when the dash would light up again. Drove in stop and go urban traffic for about 15 minutes, and on the last turn coming into my street the dash lit up as soon as I hit the brake pedal. Huzzah! Brake lights still seem to be working, as well, so perhaps it is tripping the lights as an indicator that the switch is *failing* as opposed to failed?

What seems to differentiate my issue from the gas cap and the g-force sensor crowd is: the gas cap crowd gets a CEL, whereas I do not. The zero point calibration crowd gets the VSC and TRAC lights, but no ABS, whereas I do get an ABS.

Since the chances of different TRAC/VSC and ABS issues occurring simultaneously and only recurring at the exact same time are pretty slim, and the only other crowd I've been able to find on the internet having my same light pattern under the same set of circumstances have been brake light switch people, I am thinking about replacing the brake light switch to see if that remedies the issue. A quick and cheap swap that can't hurt and at this juncture is most likely to help.

Thoughts?

 

[EdmundGTP]

Get (or get access to) a scanner that will read ABS fault codes. That will tell you exactly what the problem is.

 

[loarmistead]

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-g...f-vsc-trac-traction-control-abs-lights-2.html

Posting link to this older thread wherein same issue existed. Not a lot of feedback but the only confirmed feedback for his issue was confirmation that replacing/"cleaning" the brake light switch corrected the problem.
Once I resolve this issue I will update that thread as well for future searches.

 

[loarmistead]

Preliminary update - purchased an inexpensive aftermarket brake light switch from Amazon and installed it. Took all of 15 seconds.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009B3WE0Q

Side note: If you use Youtube videos for your tutorial, they tell you to twist counter-clockwise. This is a little deceiving. It is a counter clockwise rotation from perpendicular to the direction the plug is facing, but from your perspective (drivers seat) the plug rotates "clockwise" (right) a quarter turn. It does not require much force so if it is being stubborn, you're probably rotating the wrong direction.

Anyway, popped the new plug in and took the truck for a drive, same light-tripping route as the other day. Successful drive - no lights! I am going on a 200 mile trip this weekend, so if it does not come on then it likely will not come at all, which would mean the brake light switch was probably the cause of the fault.

As for the old switch - the only difference I could tell between it and the new one was slightly more resistance in the spring of the old switch, and the old switch was a little gunkier on the outside, but upon disassembly the internals and relay surfaces all appeared clean. It's possible the switch might have been sticking or something. At this point not certain why the switch would have been tripping the lights.

Will update again after the road trip this weekend.

 

[wc11]

Look up "zero point calibration".

 

[blackoutt]

[MENTION=132188]gaara46[/MENTION] per our chat yesterday, checking wheel speed sensors and doing zero point calibration may help you out, some other suggestions in this thread.

 

[lightfreak]

If the zero point values need calibration those dash lights will come on the moment the car is started and moves in any direction . OP has an intermittent issue with those lights which means an entirely different problem. Looks to be the brake light switch so far.

 

[loarmistead]

If the zero point values need calibration those dash lights will come on the moment the car is started and moves in any direction . OP has an intermittent issue with those lights which means an entirely different problem. Looks to be the brake light switch so far.

Indeed I have experienced the zero point calibration issue with another 4runner, and in that experience it would trip the lights as soon as the vehicle was in motion. Since my issue occurred randomly and only when the brake pedal was depressed, it led me to deduce that the brake light switch was the culprit.

Drove 150 miles over the last two days and no lights for the first time in two weeks. I think we can safely chalk this one up to the brake light switch. For posterity's sake, if anyone is experiencing the issues as described above, the brake light switch is a quick, cheap, and easy place to start troubleshooting.

 

[loarmistead]

However-many-thousand mile update. Still no lights. The brake light switch was the culprit. $15, 15 seconds replacing it, problem solved.

 

[Supersonic]

Thank you, noticed mine in the morning twice, both times high humidity. Same lights on a 2005, went out after 15 minute drive across town and those are the only times they've been on but now I'll have a quick fix on the way.

 

[phqduphead]

I've had this exact issue for years. Sometimes good for weeks other times good for 5-20 min. I'm Going to try replacing that switch. Ive tried the zero point and checked and cleaned the wheel speed sensors. Neither made a difference.


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[CrimsonCountry]

Finally...I just replaced my switch yesterday after driving around with a fully lit dash for the last 3.5 years. Add me to the list of successful switch replacement. Happy to say the $6 switch from China (Ebay) cured my problem. Will keep an eye on it but think all is good for now.