VSC Trac Off Problem

[TomGil]

VSC light on, CEL Off - whats' the problem

Vsc Trac Trac Off
I took my 2003 SR5 to get a flat plugged and oil changed. On my way home from the shop I noticed the VAC TRAC and TRACK OFF lights were on. Called the shop and they said they should recylce and go off but they never did. I didn't take the time to go back to the shop (private) for 6-months, at which time they denied being the cause of the problem.

The VAC is definitley dissabled because I haven't heard the warning beeps since the lights came on - they used to scream at me all the time.

The CEL is off, so I don't think it's an air flow sensor, purge valve hose, exhaust fittings, etc... that are often diagnosed when all three lights come on - it's only the VAC TRAC and Track OFF lights.

Could a sensor -wheel speed sensor perhaps- be disconnected? Any other ideas?

 

[PaulSula]

I've had those go on before, although it was after draining the battery a little with the engine off. They did recycle once the alternator charge the battery. Hope you find what you are looking for.

 

[sharp4runr]

You could go to autozone/pep boys etc. and get them to run the codes for you for free. that'll give you a better idea. It's possible that if they removed the wheel to plug the tire, that they could have knocked the abs plug off.

 

[TomGil]

VSC Trac Off Problem

I took my 2003 SR5 to get a flat plugged and oil changed. On my way home from the shop I noticed the VAC TRAC and TRACK OFF lights were on. Called the shop and they said they should recylce and go off but they never did. I didn't take the time to go back to the shop (private) for 6-months, at which time they denied being the cause of the problem.

The VAC is definitley dissabled because I haven't heard the warning beeps since the lights came on - they used to scream at me all the time.

The CEL is off, so I don't think it's an air flow sensor, purge valve hose, exhaust fittings, etc... that are often diagnosed when all three lights come on - it's only the VAC TRAC and Track OFF lights.

Could a sensor -wheel speed sensor perhaps- be disconnected? Any other ideas?

 

[sharp4runr]

Please stop making multiple threads. I've merged this to the thread in the Problems and Warranty area.

 

[TomGil]

Had the codes run at Autozone and nothing came up. Any suggestions anyone?

Had the codes run at Autozone and nothing came up. Any suggestions anyone?

 

[sharp4runr]

You can try to pull the negative terminal. Leave it off for 15 minutes and reconnect. This should erase the codes. If the problem persists though, the lights will come up again.

Note - you'll have to reprogram your radio and re-initialize the windows after pulling the battery.

 

[TomGil]

Just about ready to give up

Pulled the plug on the battery but this didn't work either. Any last suggestions?

 

[MicaBlue03]

May have an answer

TomGil, I am dealing with a similar problem, though with a likely different cause. I have some things to try, and hope to know more in the next week or so.

I think you may have lost the "zero point calibration" of the yaw/deceleration sensor in your traction/stability control system. See TSB #BR001-04 for details; you can do a general Web search on the TSB number or the term "zero point calibraton."

It's not clear how the flat repair and oil change could have caused this, but if the mechanic plugged in an OBDII scanner, that may have caused the problem. I'll explain more about this when I confirm what I'm finding so far.

If there was a problem with a wheel sensor I think you'd have the ABS light on in addition to the lights you see. So I think the most consistent cause for the lights you see is the loss of zero point calibration.

For now, I suggest you take a close look at BR001-04, and in particular the procedure on page 4 to perform the zero point calibration. It appears that you can do this yourself or could take it to a dealer. Obviously, though, you'd want to be very careful in deciding whether to attempt any of this yourself.

Good luck! Let us know if you learn more.

 

[TomGil]

Thanks

Thanks for the input. Let me know how you make out and I'll be sure to do the same. Thanks again!

 

[MicaBlue03]

Success with zero point calibration

I performed the zero point clear/recalibration procedure and it appears to have fixed my problem. I'll do some more test driving but everything seems right now.

The procedure is pretty easy to do, but one needs to be careful when shorting pins of the OBDII connector together. I used a couple of 24" lengths of wire and soldered small pins on the end, to insert in the appropriate sockets of the OBDII connector under the dash. Then it's a matter of doing the little dance correctly. I had a helper in the passenger seat to read the instructions to me in sequence.

This procedure likely applies to 4Runners before they switched their OBDII to CAN protocol. I think that was 2005 or 2006. A similar procedure may still be possible, perhaps using different pins.

TomGil, I wonder if the place that did your oil change and flat repair also plugged your 4runner into a diagnostic tester to see if anything else was wrong, or maybe if there was any other service they could sell you while you were there!

I need to write up what I've found in a more thorough form in the next few days. Maybe I should create a separate thread for it.

 

[sharp4runr]

Nice find Mica! Here is the TSB in case anyone looks for it, I'll attach it for posterity...