VSC-off indicator on

[dmccarthy]

have an 08' 4runner limited with 117,000 miles and VSC-off indicator light just went on along with check engine light. I thought my wife may have hit the button by accident with her knee, but when I got and made sure the button was not engaged it did not seem to do anything. Is that a sensor or is there an issue with the transmission or transfer case? Any help would be most appreciated, the truck still drives but I am nervous and want to take care of it.

Thanks

 

[mrpurplepenguin]

VSC-off indicator light just went on along with check engine light.

First step: hook up an OBD scanner and read the engine code(s). They'll point you in the right direction for further diagnosis/repair.

Have you recently done any work on the truck, changed anything, disconnected the battery, etc.?

 

[Velas]

i had this same issue when i first got my truck, just double check to make sure the gas cap is on correctly and snug, mine turned out to be bad, 30 bucks at the dealership and got a brand new cap and no more check engine/vsc off light. Thats just something real quick to check but definitely do the OBD scanner in case the gas cap doesn't work.

 

[RonJR]

Definitely find out what CEL code is being thrown. The VSC turns off whenever you have a CEL code, because the VSC software can't reliable manage vehicle stability when the engine is in some kind of "limp" mode. All of the programming parameters change, and Toyota elected just to disable VSC rather than figure out how to keep it enabled under those circumstances.

Likely has nothing to do with VSC, just some standard engine/emissions diag code.

 

[bigdp55]

my vsc has been off for over a year and its not because of my gas cap

 

[dmccarthy]

Thanks for the advice. I have not had any work done recently or disconnected the battery. I will take it to an autozone and see if they can do a free scan and see what code is being thrown. I will also try and tighten the gas cap or get a new one if necessary as I seem to have read that has thrown it. I was hoping it was not something major.

Thanks!

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Thanks for the advice. I have not had any work done recently or disconnected the battery. I will take it to an autozone and see if they can do a free scan and see what code is being thrown. I will also try and tighten the gas cap or get a new one if necessary as I seem to have read that has thrown it. I was hoping it was not something major.

Thanks!

Make sure to specify that the scantool can read ABS DTCs, most are just plain OBDII scantools.

 

[dmccarthy]

ok will do, thank you

 

[dmccarthy]

ok, so I went to autozone and they did the free scan, however I am not sure the code reader they had could do ABS DTC's as you recommended. I believe it was just a OBDII. However, the codes that came up were:

P0455 Evaporative Emission Control System Leak Detected (gross leak)
P0441 Evaporative Emission Control System Incorrect Purge Flow
P0456 Evaporative Emission Control System Leak Detected (very small leak)

tightening the gas cap did nothing and I paid $15 for a replacement gas cap, but it did not seem to fit right anyway and I think I will bring back. Needless to say the same MIL is ON (solid, not blinking) the Trac is ON and the VSC is ON.

In the link someone shared it said this:

"MIL On, TRAC On, and VSC ON- An OBDII failure has occurred in the vehicle that affects Engine Performance and/or Emission Control Systems and does not need a factory-capable scantool to pull codes (this means you can use a code reader from an autoparts store and get accurate codes) An example of this type of failure would be a Misfire, transmission issue, EVAP issue, etc."

Any suggestions on the next step? Could it still be the gas cap and should I just go to toyota and get an OEM and try that? Do I need a better scan tool that has ABS DTC first?

Thanks

 

[mrpurplepenguin]

P0455 Evaporative Emission Control System Leak Detected (gross leak)
P0441 Evaporative Emission Control System Incorrect Purge Flow
P0456 Evaporative Emission Control System Leak Detected (very small leak)

tightening the gas cap did nothing and I paid $15 for a replacement gas cap, but it did not seem to fit right anyway and I think I will bring back. Needless to say the same MIL is ON (solid, not blinking) the Trac is ON and the VSC is ON.
Thanks

That series of codes yields a few possible causes:

Improper gas cap seal/malfunctioning cap
Leak or clog in EVAP system (hoses, canister, valve)

First, I'd inspect your gas cap for any signs that it's not working properly (is the gasket still there? Is it squishy or hard and cracked? Is the internal valve still working? Is the filler neck rusted or clean?). If it's suspect, replace it with one that works well. (sounds like you tried this, but the replacement didn't fit.)

Next step is to inspect the rest of the evap system for any lines that have popped off / cracked / corroded. Here's a thread with a diagram of the V6 system; I'm not sure if you have the V6 or the 8 but the systems should be very similar.

Disconnect the battery to reset the check engine light, and you'll have to drive a bit (including idling, accelerating, constant speed, etc) to see if the light comes back on.

If that still doesn't fix it, it could be an electrical problem, stuck valve, blocked line, or faulty canister. Hopefully the solution is easier, but the next level of diagnosis would be to test the various components of the system until you locate the problem. Not difficult, just a decent amount of time blowing out hoses and probing switches.

Anyway, that's how I would go about troubleshooting it. Hope that helps, and let us know how it goes.

PS - no need (at the moment) to get a reader to scan ABS codes. You know you have evap troubles, so solve those and then see if the light comes back on.
@BlackWorksInc correct me if wrong, but I think those evap codes would disable VSC on their own, without another ABS fault?

 

[asdfman7]

tightening the gas cap did nothing and I paid $15 for a replacement gas cap, but it did not seem to fit right anyway and I think I will bring back. Needless to say the same MIL is ON (solid, not blinking) the Trac is ON and the VSC is ON.

When I needed a new gas cap, I first bought one from O'rilleys and it didn't seal quite right and after resetting the light, it came back on a couple hundred miles later. I found the OEM part number and bought one off of Amazon and haven't had any problems since. Always buy OEM if you can when it comes to electrical, fuel, or evap parts. Sometimes you can find and replace just the o-ring if it has flattened and is the cause of your leak.

Also, did they reset/clear the codes after you put a new cap on? If not it will take a few drive cycles to reset itself...

 

[BlackWorksInc]

[MENTION=112757]mrpurplepenguin[/MENTION]

Yup, I wouldn't worry about the ABS system if you have an MIL on. I thought you only had the VSC on, not the MIL on as well.


It may take a while to clear the DTCs without a scantool. So the new gas cap might be fine, you just need the DTCs erased.

 

[dmccarthy]

ok, I will start with your suggestions and see what I come up with.
Thanks!

 

[dmccarthy]

can I erase them by disconnecting the battery to reset? I bought a OEM gas cap and disconnected the negative battery cable and the MIL, VSC, Trac lights are off now. Do I still need to have someone reset the DTC's or did I do that by disconnecting the battery? Sorry, probably a stupid question.

Thanks

 

[dmccarthy]

can I erase them by disconnecting the battery to reset? I bought a OEM gas cap and disconnected the negative battery cable and the MIL, VSC, Trac lights are off now. Do I still need to have someone reset the DTC's or did I do that by disconnecting the battery? Sorry, probably a stupid question.

Thanks

 

[asdfman7]

can I erase them by disconnecting the battery to reset? I bought a OEM gas cap and disconnected the negative battery cable and the MIL, VSC, Trac lights are off now. Do I still need to have someone reset the DTC's or did I do that by disconnecting the battery? Sorry, probably a stupid question.

Thanks

As long as you left the battery disconnected for a little while you should be ok. It's called the poor man's reset.

 

[dmccarthy]

Ok, so it has been a few weeks now and I replaced the gas cap with and OEM from the toyota dealership and so far no more lights coming on. One thing I noticed is for the past few years my truck ave MPG has been around 17.5 on my V8 4Runner and since I changed the gas cap it has been registering around 19.5 MPG! Is that coincidence or can that really happen? I wonder now if the gas cap has been not functioning well for a few years and finally hit a threshold to cause the VSC and MIL lights?