Cold starts and crazy dashboard spasms

[College Cruiser]

Hey guys,

So its that cold time again in Colorado ( 17 degrees this morning) and something peculiar happened after about a minute of driving. After starting up this morning and on my way for roughly a minute at normal speeds, a constant, high pitched alarm started. At the same time, the Brake light, VSC off, and VSC Trac lights came on. The alarm and lights stayed on for about five minutes then just stopped. This happened last january under similar conditions, but only once. That time however, the light for Center Diff locker came on as well. Any clues as to whats causing this or anyway I can prevent that from happening?

While Im at it, my OME shocks or something suspension-related makes a high pitched squeak over any sort of bump. And when I mean bump, I mean any crack in the road. It squeaks even on brand new smooth roads, but doesn't when I have the wheels articulated. Any ideas on that?

Thanks guys for the help. I'm still in the process of learning more about this vehicle and how to diagnose these types of things myself. Seeing that I'm 19 and its a LC, I'll have lots of time to do so.

 

[TTO5]

I think there is a technical service bulliten for that. Is yours a 2000? I an an assistant service manager at a toyota dealer and the owner of a 2000 cruiser. I will check in my sources later today and let you know.

 

[1loudLX]

Squeak is your ebrake cable assembly. Try putting slight tension on it while you drive to verify.

The gauge cluster freakout I'm unsure of but hopefully mine doesn't do it since its three out.

 

[TTO5]

Ok. Service bulliten el002-02 covers continuous alarm noise from combination meter 1998-2002. It states to replace the junction block. If you want to send me your adress in a p.m. I will send you the bulliten printout

 

[College Cruiser]

PM sent.

And for the e brake. I had the brakes redone a month ago and they didn't reconnect the e brake correctly as it doesn't hold the vehicle on any sort of slight incline. When I go in and have them check and fix the ebrake should I have them look for something specifically along the line that would be causing the severe and constant high pitches squeaking?

 

[AimCOtaco]

Note that the e-brake is actuating a different set of shoes than the rear breaks so you can think of it as a separate system. I would not be surprised if a lot of brake shops ignore it as a result. I would still try Louds test and report back. That said a squeak could come from a lot of different things.

 

[College Cruiser]

Yeah I tried pulling it with no effects on the squeaking. I've spraying and lubed the rubber bits and all the pivot points that I could find, also with no effect.

 

[AimCOtaco]

Thinking back, I had such a squeak once and it turned out to be real sloppy Lower Ball Joints.

 

[rvrats2]

Thinking back, I had such a squeak once and it turned out to be real sloppy Lower Ball Joints.

Hm. I've had a squeak (angry squirrel) from my '00 front end since purchased. Thought it might be loose bumper damaged by po. Is this squeak in question quite high pitched repeating at most any speed on normal roads dirt and paved? I can't get it to squeak by pounding on body etc so it'd be good to know its the lbj.

 

[College Cruiser]

Hm. I've had a squeak (angry squirrel) from my '00 front end since purchased. Thought it might be loose bumper damaged by po. Is this squeak in question quite high pitched repeating at most any speed on normal roads dirt and paved? I can't get it to squeak by pounding on body etc so it'd be good to know its the lbj.

Yeah very high pitched coming from any movements the car makes. It can also be induced by rocking the car, although this doesn't seem to make it squeak as much as driving down the road does.

And about the dashboard freakout. I just checked and we actually already have had the junction box replaced roughly 3 years ago for the same alarm coming on any time the car was running but it would not go away no matter what. It just lit up the Ebrake light. This time its only when its cold. I will look into a warranty that might be on that work as it was quite pricey.

Thanks guys!