2019 200 LC Check Engine and Limp Mode this morning (1 Viewer)

[Red Bull]

I’m about to enter the second month of ownership of my LC. Loved it up unit about 630 this morning.

I started my car normally and without issue. I try to let it warm up enough to get the coolant tempneedle off the low peg, if it was not a particularly cold night (for Maine). I made it about 1/4 mile from my house when the TRAC OFF, MALFUNCTION, and CHECK ENGINE lights came on. The accompanying message stated to “Check Engine, Reduced Engine Power, Visit your dealer.” I restarted the car a couple times and the faults immediately returned. I will try later today to see if there’s any change.

I am on duty today here at work so I continued the 13 miles to work at a max speed of about 35-40 mph. It seemed that the transmission was not going in to anything past 3rd gear. No dealers open anyway, so I will try to hit the closest one tomorrow morning when I’m relieved. I don’t have a CEL Reader, so I know there’s not much I can research.

Car has the following:
2070 miles at the time the fault occured
285/65R18 BFG KO2’s on stock wheels
Fluid Film applied professionally (same time as tired, mid-December)

Nothing visually obvious under the hood or engine cover (signs of rodent activity, etc). No new or strange noises.

Has anyone seen anything similar? Any risk of damage driving in Limp Mode? I’ll update after I can get a code pulled or to the dealer tomorrow.

 

[Lou Gill]

In a pinch, disconnect the battery, wait 5 min and see what happens????

 

[Weedhopper]

That’s what I was thinking. Then take it in for service.

 

[bloc]

Personally I’d rather deliver it to the dealer exactly as it is acting now. It should store any relevant codes through a battery disconnect but I’m not sure what other conditions might change.

Driving in limp home mode shouldn’t hurt anything as long as you have oil pressure and the transmission is acting ok other than the limited gear range. Either way they need to tow it in for the repair.

 

[TeCKis300]

Before resetting the ECU, pull the codes so you have insight as to what might be going on. Perhaps a friend or coworker has one to lend?

She's in limp mode as the ECU detects a severe enough condition that it needs to protect the engine. My preference would not be to blindly reset, as again it's to protect itself from more serious damage.

Do you have rodents where you park your car? (Chewed wires?)

For such a new vehicle, I would guess a sensor was faulty or died. Or perhaps was not fully seated on assembly and backed it's way out. Simplest critical sensor is the MAF that is right on top on the intake after the airbox.

 

[Madtiger]

PLEASE Do NOT do any reset or pull battery. Leave it as is. Do NOT try to diagnose it yourself at this time.

You have factory warranty!! You have roadside assistance. Call Toyota to pick it up if not convenient for you.

In fact, if i were you, then i would call tow truck and tow it to dealer AS IS...MUST be flatbed tow!! Do NOT try to drive it more. Whatever is wrong could make things worst on other systems/mechanical parts! And you never know if Toyota will try to weasel itself out of repairing other parts broken and blame you for not towing it sooner.

And call Uber or Lyft and get yourself home. Bill that to Toyota with the warranty. Or get rental car...and bill that to Toyota.

 

[Red Bull]

So, there's really nothing more I can do at this time. No dealership is open on New Years Day, and I am at work until tomorrow morning. Getting a tow truck on base in the morning is not an option.

My current plan is to drive (in Limp Mode) to the nearest dealer, 3.6 miles away, and let them figure it out/pull the codes. If that can't be done in a timely manner, then I'll need a loaner or rental car. I don't have tools to disconnect the battery, and I don't want to just solve the symptom by a reset.

I do park in an area that has rodent activity (semi-rural, wooded), but there's no evidence of it under the hood or engine cover. I guess I will just wait for tomorrow and sees what happens. Thanks for the advice so far.

 

[bjowett]

It didn't happen until you were rolling along, so my guess is some sensor in the driveline... pure speculation w/o pulling codes or looking over the vehicle.

 

[gaijin]

My current plan is to drive (in Limp Mode) to the nearest dealer, 3.6 miles away, and let them figure it out/pull the codes.

That sounds like a good plan. Please let us know what the dealer finds and how they fix it - that will add to the general knowledge in the forum.

TIA

 

[grinchy]

Did you just fill your gas tank?

 

[Sandroad]

There are a couple similar situations reported on here in late model 200s. The transmission has been the culprit in some. Here’s one:

2017 Land Cruiser - Transmission Needs Replaced

Hello, I've been reading this forum for quite some time before making a purchase. Two weeks ago I took delivery of a 2017 Land Cruiser. Three days ago multiple warning lights illuminated while I was driving and I took it into the dealer. Yesterday afternoon I received a call stating they are...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[Red Bull]

Did you just fill your gas tank?

No, I haven't gotten gas since last week, or touched the gas cap.

There are a couple similar situations reported on here in late model 200s. The transmission has been the culprit in some. Here’s one:

Well, that's awesome. I didn't see that one when I was searching, but I'll start reading it.

As a short-term update, I had a chance to start the car and move it to another parking lot. The dash lights (Check Engine, Malfunction, and TRAC OFF) all illuminated on startup however the info window only said "Check Engine, Visit Dealer," no display of reduced engine power. I will still baby it on the way to the dealer in the morning.

 

[Red Bull]

Just got home from the dealer in my loaner Tacoma.

When I left work this morning, the faults were all clear on engine start. They came back in, with Limp Mode, about a 1/2 mile from the dealership. It seems I have the issue as our Tundra friends with something furry chewing on knock sensors. There was no evidence of nesting, just chewing in at least two spots. Parts should be in tomorrow and I should be able to pick the Cruiser up tomorrow afternoon.

I appreciate everyone's input and advice. It was strange that it took a short drive for the fault to kick in, but I will transition into rodent-killing mode and be happy if they were only chewing on the knock sensors.

 

[4xoddic]

I will transition into rodent-killing mode and be happy if they were only chewing on the knock sensors.

We had rat damage to many vehicles in our small neighborhood in 2018. We/neighbors tried rat repellant on Amazon/human urine/moth balls/Honda anti-rodent electrical tape (has pepper flakes)/chicken wire wrap on wiring. The next door neighbor trapped 3; most of us then set up spotlights on vehicles. The lights seemed to have worked (or all rats were dead).

Rats must've had a pop. boom, as our Tundra had been parked in the street for 19 years without damage. Rodents chewed a ground wire to the charging system. So no CEL/code. The truck would drive normal until the battery went dead => took 3 tows to find the damage.

 

[USMCVader]

Feel your pain. A couple years back mice chewed into the wiring in my son’s car and my Tundra, to the tune of almost $2k in repairs. I then went on a rampage, and of yesterday’s latest kill, I have killed 163 mice around our house. (We live in a forest, so the war is constant.). Doesn’t help that car manufacturers use wiring with soybean oil in the covering. Damn stuff is like crack for them. Have found that frequent application of peppermint oil seems to keep them at a distance long enough for the peanut butter filled traps to crush them.

 

[finlayforprez]

Thanks for this thread, it was really inreresting. I have heard good things about those battery-operated boxes that mount under the hood and emit a sonic signal and light up every few minutes. Lots of people say they work really well. I've also seen a really good peppermint-based spray that rodents seem to hate. Luckily I park in a garage with no rodents, but this happened to me at my old house - a dozen rats nested in the engine bay of my old Land Rover!!!

 

[Tennessee80]

I’ve had to bring my 2016 back to the dealer several times for computer-related, dash light craziness. They have attempted to reset the computer and do various updates and all. It’s driving well now, but I feel your pain. There’s just a lot of “brain” added to these newer vehicles these days. Kind of like getting a new iPhone 11 and it freezes up the first day.

Hope you get it sorted!

 

[Red Bull]

Got the Cruiser back earlier today. CEL Code was P0330C KNOCK SENSOR 4 CIRCUIT LOW INPUT. That checks with some of the other forums I found. It seems that our knock sensor wiring is both delicious and in a great spot right under the intake manifold.

Traps are out, and I got some repellent spray as well as parking out in the open for now. Thanks everyone.

 

[gaijin]

Got the Cruiser back earlier today. CEL Code was P0330C KNOCK SENSOR 4 CIRCUIT LOW INPUT. That checks with some of the other forums I found. It seems that our knock sensor wiring is both delicious and in a great spot right under the intake manifold.

Traps are out, and I got some repellent spray as well as parking out in the open for now. Thanks everyone.

Glad you got it sorted. Thanks for closing the loop on here for us - very helpful.

 

[yonah]

Have found that frequent application of peppermint oil seems to keep them at a distance long enough for the peanut butter filled traps to crush them.

Vader, glad to see you’re living up to that username