The VGRS Elf came...and left again.

[namsag]

2005 LX, 114k miles. No active recalls on safercar.gov.

The parking garage at work has this crappy epoxy surface on the concrete, it is horrible, it is slippery to walk on when wet, when dry it makes everybody's tires grab and skip and howl. Turning into a parking spot makes everybody look up because it sounds like the car is coming around on two wheels.

Yesterday I turned left to pull into a spot, tires whined and grabbed, skipped a little, nothing out of the ordinary for parking there.

Came out later to leave and when I exited the lot I noticed something very strange, the car was turning right with the steering wheel straight ahead, had to turn the wheel 90* to the left to keep driving straight down the road, and the VGRS light glowing on the dash. Drove home like this no problem.

I spent some time last night reading some VGRS threads. Went out this afternoon to try to check it out. Steering wheel controls all work, wheel tilt and telescope work, I started her up and backed out, and Lo and Behold the VGRS light was off, and the wheel was clocked properly again for driving straight! I was elated.

Just a quarter of a mile down the road though, I turned (left again) to turn around and go back home, and the wheel felt funny again, the blasted VGRS light is on again and the wheel turned 90* left to go straight.

Can anyone tell me what is going on? I have TechStream, I am going to hook up and try to recalibrtae tomorrow, would welcome any previous experience with this and any advice. Do you think recalibrating wil solve this? What might be wrong here? This is my daily driver since my daughter took over my 4Runner, it has to work.

Any advice/help appreciated,
Thanks, namsag.

 

[namsag]

OK. Thanks guys.

After delving into it for a while after work this afternoon, I got DTC codes C1522, C1555 on the Vehicle Health Check. I found the relevant sections for these in the Diagnostics part of the FSM. I cannot figure out how to clear them, can someone help? I cannot find a prompt to do it. I looked at the Steering Angle reset but it said could not be done due to additional codes C1515, C1516, C1532, C1568, although none of these showed up in the Health Check. C1532 is the Atomic Bomb - VGRS ECU Malfunction.

Looking at all these codes, it's going to be either the VGRS actuator or the ECU. I will work on the diagnostic inspections in a couple of days to try to sort it out. All it says for C1532 (ECU) is to address any other codes first and then if the C1532 still shows, it's the ECU. I know where the ECU is and I'm pretty sure I can get it out if I have to (I'm also painfully aware of the cost).

But the FSM is pretty dang sparse on details or illustrations of the actuator. I know it's on the column, but from the FSM I don't even know what it looks like. Can anyone at least refer me to a reference, or show me a picture of it?

Any help greatly appreciated.