Warning lights ablaze!!!!

[RamThis]

Hello, LONG LONG time since I've been here, (2 1/2 years!) but my 4Runner's been so trouble free I havent had to touch it since we bought it in 07 so I havent had any questions really lol. Plus no mod money so its still bone stock, amazingly!

Anyway, here about two weeks ago, our 06 SR5 4.0L came up with some warning lights. The Check Engine light, the VSC light, and the Traction Control light are all lit up on my guage cluster. I assume I knew what it was, and I was aware that the front brake pads were getting pretty thin and ready to go. So, I checked them and sure enough, they were shot, and the brake fluid was very low from the pistons being so extended. This was what I though was the reason for all the lights, the low fluid. So, I had the front rotors surfaced, put on some Wagner Thermo-Quiet pads, and pressure washed the whole suspension up while I had the wheels off the car. I took it out and bedded in the brakes and drove it a while, and all the lights stayed on. Hmm. I disconnected the neg side of the battery for about 10 minutes and wiped out the PCM's memory. Reconnected the battery, voila, lights went of and stayed off, brakes worked great, figured I had the problem licked.

Week went by with no problems, and today, the Check Engine light, the VSC, and the Traction Control light all came back on again. Damn.

Any ideas what this could be? I have 7 year 100K warranty so Im going to take it in but I'd like to have an idea of what it is before I take it in, so they dont try to BS me.

 

[Colemanfu]

Perhaps it's a bad cat? When my went bad my dash lit up like a x-mass tree.

 

[webby]

I have what sounds like it might be a similar problem on an 09 SR5 4WD. I don't have the Check Engine light though. Below are the lights that I get. It is intermittent, but getting a bit more frequent, so I need to locate the problem. I am off factory warranty and have no extended, so hope to find the problem myself to save some $.

Awhile back, I started a thread asking for advice, got one response, but it was pretty general, so I haven't tackled it yet. That short thread is here:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-g...hing-dash-warning-lights-how-investigate.html


These are the lights I'm getting, one above the other in the dash, top to bottom:

VSC OFF -- It flashes
The pic of a car skidding in a square -- It is a solid light
ABS -- It is a solid light

Are these the same as yours, other than you also get the Check Engine light?

Can anyone advice both the OP and myself as to how to find the problems causing our dash lights to light up, and fix it?

 

[08T4R]

check your gas cap?

 

[Daron-t4r]

gas cap -- i had the exact same problem, gas cap just hadn't been screwed on correctly after refueling... went back to the dealer ( i had just bought the car) and they reset the CEL and gave me a new gas cap free,

 

[jimithing]

You could always take it to an auto parts store and see what codes come up.

 

[webby]

gas cap -- i had the exact same problem, gas cap just hadn't been screwed on correctly after refueling... went back to the dealer ( i had just bought the car) and they reset the CEL and gave me a new gas cap free,

Thanks, I'll check the gas cap, but if it is the problem, then the gas cap is bad, because the problem has been popping up for awhile, with many refuelings, and I know the gas cap is screwed on correctly.

What is the "CEL"?

 

[martini]

What is the "CEL"?

Check Engine Light

 

[RamThis]

Here's my codes from my borrowed Ethos. Looks like a large Evap leak somewhere. I'll get a new gas cap but I doubt that's it. It passed inspection just a couple months ago, but I know, **** happens right? lol.

Anything you guys can make of the readings? I dont know enough about what the values are "supposed" to be to know if anything's wrong?

 

[RamThis]

Nobody?

 

[snhrph]

My money is on the gas cap.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Note the codes down, reset them and make sure the gas cap is on tight. You'll need to drive it for a while or use the scantool to manually run the emissions monitors.

Its mostly the codes that get set for Gas Cap being loose. If after you tighten the gas cap and run the monitors you're still getting a gross leak code, have the cap pressure tested at a smog shop to verify the issue. That's where I would start, as for the data? It looks nominal and makes me think the cap is loose or failing.

 

[gm350reratliff]

My 4runner just threw a PO456 code today. That is a evap. (small leak) code. Checked the gas cap and it was loose. However, it will not get tight no matter what. Anyone know if the aftermarket gas caps are any better or should I stick with OEM.

 

[snhrph]

My 4runner just threw a PO456 code today. That is a evap. (small leak) code. Checked the gas cap and it was loose. However, it will not get tight no matter what. Anyone know if the aftermarket gas caps are any better or should I stick with OEM.

Stick with OEM. A new gas cap at the dealer will cost around $30-$35.

 

[RamThis]

Well, feeling a little red but it was the simplest answer. Gas Cap. Dropped my runner off today for warranty work to fix the Ck Eng light problem and they called back and said it was a faulty gas cap. Said it tightened fine (like I already knew, it clicked like normal...) but when they tested it for pressure it held none. I told him to whack me with a pvc pipe for not replacing that earlier lol.

So I get to pay about 90 bucks for a gas cap now. FML.

I did have them check for the sulfur/rotten egg smell coming in the cabin when the back window is open, found the TSB number here and they said that was not the TSB number but found another one on the car, and are going ahead and replacing both catalysts for free, said it was almost 3,000 worth of parts!

I also found out my warranty wont cover my fading headlamp lenses, it wont cover the grille thats falling apart, it wont cover the light thats gone out in my AC control panel, and it wont cover the sunvisor clip that wont stay in the headliner! I asked him WTF was that 800 dollar 100K 7 year policy good for then, I could fix everything out of pocket for less than a quarter of what that stupid warranty cost. He said it doesnt cover anything on the body or trim or lights. I can see not covering brakes, exterior bulbs, dome light, the regular maintenance stuff. But the AC Control Panel lights going out? From what I understand thats not really a serviceable bulb by the dealer dont they put a whole control panel in? The wanted like 160 bucks to fix that one light. I said F that.

Think Im going to call up that warranty number and have them cut me a check for the prorated amount left and tell em to stick it, and use that money to buy some parts that the policy wouldnt pay for lol.

 

[empty403]

Well, feeling a little red but it was the simplest answer. Gas Cap. Dropped my runner off today for warranty work to fix the Ck Eng light problem and they called back and said it was a faulty gas cap. Said it tightened fine (like I already knew, it clicked like normal...) but when they tested it for pressure it held none. I told him to whack me with a pvc pipe for not replacing that earlier lol.

Could the gasket of the gas cap have been bad or was it cracked?

 

[ryanbt]

I started up my 08 V6 (with 40,750 miles) yesterday morning and had the same lights come on. It was fine the day previous. It was running OK (to me) so I drove to work. When I got to my office I checked the gas cap which seemed to be OK. I took the negative cable off of the battery for 10 minutes, re-connected and all of the warnings lights reset. I went ahead and filled up with gas yesterday, and have driven 50 miles since and the lights haven't come back on. I will post back if the lights come back on.

 

[Dunk50]

I also just went through this gas cap thing. It can be intermittent. If you try it, you turn the gas cap clockwise until it clicks. there is a spring within the cap that keep a little pressure on the cap. you can try this, turn it clockwise till it clicks. Turn loose of it and then very gently turn in counter clockwise. When touched mine would fall back, turn counterclockwise with just a touch or a BUMP in the road. A new cap will have spring resistance when you try to turn it counterclockwise!!
There was a thread on here where the owner spent $600 on emissions items like charcoal canister as that is the code that is thrown. It was his gas cap also.
Mine cost me $22 and five minutes of battery disconnect. Lights reset themselves.

 

[JackOSU]

But the AC Control Panel lights going out? From what I understand thats not really a serviceable bulb by the dealer dont they put a whole control panel in? The wanted like 160 bucks to fix that one light. I said F that.

It's really easy to change the bulbs in your display that go out. I'm no mechanic at all and it took me 10 minutes to buy the bulbs from the service department (make sure you have them show you the diagram on their computer so you don't have to make a second trip back to the guy in service giving you the wrong number of each. Believe me it is not fun) and do a search here or go over to the 120 forums etc and you will find many pics to show you how to pop out the dash and replace. Took me all of 5 minutes of work once I had the bulbs. Sure beat the $250 or something they wanted to charge me at the dealer the night or two before when I went in to get my oil changed.

 

[RamThis]

It's really easy to change the bulbs in your display that go out. I'm no mechanic at all and it took me 10 minutes to buy the bulbs from the service department (make sure you have them show you the diagram on their computer so you don't have to make a second trip back to the guy in service giving you the wrong number of each. Believe me it is not fun) and do a search here or go over to the 120 forums etc and you will find many pics to show you how to pop out the dash and replace. Took me all of 5 minutes of work once I had the bulbs. Sure beat the $250 or something they wanted to charge me at the dealer the night or two before when I went in to get my oil changed.

Well this is encouraging, thanks I'll give it a go then. I assumed since they wanted so much it was because they were going to replace that control panel or something.

Do you happen to have those bulb numbers handy? Are they something I can get at a parts store or is it a Toyota only type bulb?