VSC TRAC / VSC OFF after maintenance (1 Viewer)

[Pyrenees]

I'm just going to tell this like a story, in case anything I may have done caused it. Bought the car 2 weeks and 500 miles ago. No issue, no lights on. I did not test for any OBD codes since my personal OBDII reader is having problems.

This past Saturday, while replacing spark plugs, I forgot to plug the Mass Airflow sensor back in and started the car. D'oh. Immediately got three dash lights: a CEL and VSC TRAC + VSC OFF lights. I plugged the harness back in, drove to Advance and they pulled the following codes while the CEL was on:

C1201 Engine Communication Circuit (current)
P0100 Mass or Volume Air Flow A Circuit (current)
P0110 Intake Air Temperature Sensor 1 Circuit (current)
B2798 Communication Malfunction Number 2 (history)

Since Advance doesn't clear codes, I drove around assuming it would clear since I caused it myself, and sure enough later that day the CEL and the VSC TRAC/VSC OFF lights all turned off.

Then the very next day, I accidentally drained the battery while I was doing miscellaneous work on the car (doors open and headlights on) and it was too weak to start the engine, but it was not 100% dead. I charged the battery and measured voltage afterward: 12.9V at the battery, 14.1V at the battery while running. Voltage gauge on the cluster has always been solid at the 3/4 mark. I drove the car once for a few miles on an errand and no lights came on, everything was good.

Today, Monday morning, I get in and start the car. I don't get a CEL but I immediately got VSC TRAC/VSC OFF. Drove a few miles to work, didn't go away. Restarted the car, lights didn't go away.

I engaged the center diff lock, heard it "click" and the center diff lock light illuminated on the dash. I toggled this a couple of times but the VSC TRAC/VSC OFF duo was still lit up. My "P" indicator on the instrument cluster works fine but it looks like the "D" bulb is out. I dunno if the "D" is on the same circuit or not, or if the PRNDL lights on the center console matter either. Sunroof drains were cleaned and/or replaced in 2017.

So, it's possible I broke it, but it's also possible that this is an ongoing issue that was not disclosed to me my the PO since I've only had the car a couple weeks. He seemed like a pretty straightforward no-BS kind of guy, so I'm leaning in the "I broke it" direction...

Yes, I need to get a functioning OBDII reader, stat. I also set up techstream on a crummy old laptop but I am also having issues with that. The original FSM/EWD are on the way, in the mail right now. I'm trying, lol. I assume this is safe to drive? Anything else I can check? I'm going to get an OBDII reader same-day'ed to me on amazon. Thanks!

 

[FxFormat]

Had the same issue when I replaced the spark plugs, even though I plugged in the MAF still got a cel when I started the car and the vsc/Trac light came on with it. Cleared the code via a $17 amazon scanner and it went away and never came back.

 

[Leandro]

Disconnect the battery for 10 minutes, that will clear the codes.
Once connected, let the truck idle for 10 minutes before driving so the computer re-learns the parameters.

If the lights come up again, then you might have a problem.

 

[Pyrenees]

The lights eventually disappeared, and then I figured out how to techstream and deleted the codes.

Thanks!!

 

[Pyrenees]

Today, the VSC/TRAC and TRAC OFF lights came back on again. This is about a week after the last time (and this is the second time it has happened since I bought the car about 1000 miles ago).

It DISTINCTLY happened after I had reversed into a parking spot and then ran the shifter up into PARK. I don't have a burnt-out "P" light in my cluster (from what I read, that is known to cause the VSC/TRAC lights coming on), but I have a constantly-burnt-out "D". Based on this, I honestly think that something about my burnt-out "D" light on my cluster might be triggering this.

I grabbed my laptop and techstream a couple hours later, started the car again and the lights persisted. I plugged the dongle into the OBDII port and the lights went away. I shrugged and shut it down, didn't bother to pull codes.

Checking the EWD, page 282 "combination meter" it does looks like all of the PRNDL lights on the instrument cluster are wired in the same circuit. So theoretically any of these lights being burnt out on the cluster could cause the VSC / TRAC lights to come on.

Does anyone have the P/N for the cluster bulbs?

 

[blatant]

Doors open, for hrs, as example, won't drain battery as they auto off after a given time to avoid this. 20 or 30 min or whatever. If you have all led, likely wouldn't even matter.

My headlights / parking lights, do the same.

 

[Placemotorsports]

"D" bulb will not cause though lights to come on, just the "P" light. Lots of us either take out the "D" bulb or never replace it when it burns out due to it being a distraction at night.

 

[AdmiralSnackbar]

Hi sir;
When I was reading this post, I felt like it was me you are dallying about. I had almost the same exact scenario happen except I didn’t do anything on mine. I bought LX470 everything was fine. Drove 170 miles parked the car and the next morning I go start it and I have a the same lights you have on. I haven’t tried to drive yet as I don’t have tags. I wonder what your fix was?

 

[AdmiralSnackbar]

Hi sir;
When I was reading this post, I felt like it was me you are dallying about. I had almost the same exact scenario happen except I didn’t do anything on mine. I bought LX470 everything was fine. Drove 170 miles parked the car and the next morning I go start it and I have a the same lights you have on. I haven’t tried to drive yet as I don’t have tags. I wonder what your fix was?

 

[Pyrenees]

Welcome snackbar,

I drove it a little bit and the lights went off. Never came back on. I've also disconnected the battery for well over a day due to a stereo project so who knows what got reset.

However, today on the way home, some orange light that looks like vehicle skid control started beeping for a couple of minutes and flashing while I was going about 45 MPH. Didn't do anything to provoke it, just driving home from work.

Video here:

No idea if it's related, but it went away after I came to a complete stop and then drove forward. Thought I'd mention it.

I don't even care about it honestly, but since you bumped my thread I decided to post the video

 

[Pyrenees]

Ok, I got around to pulling the codes for that skid light beeping/flashing light earlier this week, since I wondered if it might be related to the VSC/TRAC lights I had earlier. None of these lights have come back on in the past four days.

I used Techstream to pull these codes today, which were "current".

C1210 - Zero Point Calibration of Yaw Rate Sensor Undone
C1234 - Yaw Rate Sensor

I found diagnostics for C1210 in the FSM Vol 1, page DI-348 and C1234 in the FSM Vol 1, DI-361. There are some diagnostics that can be run with a tester, but Hurricane Florence is outside and my power is flapping on and off, so I've got other priorities.

I cleared both codes since I haven't seen the lights or the beeping in a few days. I'll see what codes come back the next time I bump this thread.

If anyone has any input on this, please add.

 

[Joost]

After performing a service on my car I regularly get the VSC/TRAC and TRAC OFF lights. Using a Techstream pulls no codes and the only symptom seem to be the lights. After some playing around in the settings, re-calibrating the ABS sensor did the job and removed the lights. I have no clue what's happening but I've gone through this process about three times now. It doesn't really bother me enough to find out since I know how to remove them but I am curious what might be the cause.

 

[Pyrenees]

Doing the Yaw rate sensor calibration was super easy with techstream and the lights went off. Let's see if this works. The PO got an alignment right before I bought the car and I'm betting they didn't recalibrate it then.

I know how to take screenshots, it's just a super crappy old laptop that I dedicated to this purpose, so enjoy the pics I took instead

 

[Pyrenees]

continued...

 

[Pyrenees]

Well, one week later the VSC/TRAC lights are back on. Same problem, techstream showed these codes as current, even though I'd zeroed it out previously and cleared the codes:

C1210 - Zero Point Calibration of Yaw Rate Sensor Undone
C1234 - Yaw Rate Sensor

At this point I think it's time to test the yaw sensor and/or clean the contacts. Problem is, I don't know exactly where the yaw sensor is. Wiring diagram seems to show that it's approximately underneath the cigarette lighter/center console area, but it's super vague. I googled it as well but I'm not really finding anything.

(edit: I do realize a bunch of things like wheel bearings could be causing this too, but I want to test the yaw sensor and rule it out).

Anyone know where a yaw rate sensor actually is located in the 100?

 

[Pyrenees]

So, it definitely seems like VSC/TRAC most frequently comes on when I shift from drive into park. Very suspicious about cluster bulb circuit issue. Does it matter if the bulbs illuminating the PRNDL pattern on the console under the shifter are burnt out?

I also get the annoying VSC beep probably 3x a week, often when turning. I wish I could at least disable the stupid buzzer but I am not aware of its location.

 

[80seriesnut]

Those lights have been on in my 2004 since a couple days after I bought it back in 2014. I've replaced sensors, had it to the dealership and they have replaced sensors. They put it on their smoke machine to see if there was a vacuum leak somewhere. I had it there for a week once and they finally called me to tell me they didn't want to waste anymore of my money because they couldn't figure it out. I clear them sometimes and they dont come back for a couple weeks and sometimes I clear them and they come back the next time I drive it. I've given up. I'm subscribing to this thread.

 

[Pyrenees]

I read up that the bulb size was 74 for the shifter bulbs, but mine are actually not burnt out. Only my "D" light on the cluster is out, but I wonder if there is a random resistance problem, perhaps I should replace all of those bulbs. What is the bulb size in the cluster?

I have used techstream to clear the codes on multiple occasions (I posted the DIY for the zero point calibration earlier) so it's not that.

I spent 30 minutes tonight completely reviewing the electrical wiring diagrams for my 100 and there is no mention of a piezo buzzer, speaker or anything. The only thing I can infer from the diagrams is that the source of the beeping may be inside the instrument cluster.

I am really interested in neutering that beep beep beep beep sound because it's humping my eardrums, so if anyone has some input on that it would be great. At least point me to a good DIY for removing the cluster and taking it apart, if there is one.

EDIT: see page 2 of thread, found the buzzer.

 

[billygoats]

A shot in the dark here, but sounds like symptoms of an impending abs pump failure.

 

[Pyrenees]

A shot in the dark here, but sounds like symptoms of an impending abs pump failure.

I'd considered this as well, but every thread I've seen where that was the outcome also had the ABS light come on. I've never seen the ABS light, not even once. I suppose it's possible though, does the ABS pump trigger the beeping? Or just the ABS/VCS/TRAC lights?