Hi all,

Wife has been using my 08 GX 470 and I get in this morn to find VSC, VSC off and Check engine lights on, its "seems" to drive ok (our road here in NH are very very icy).Its still under warranty-I hope (CPO till 100k till May of 2015).

I suspect it need to be hooked into the scanner but would be nice to see if anyone else had this issue and if its ok to drive it.He RX is in for a Radiator (3rd one since we owned it) and she will need it Monday.

 

You really need to pull the code.

It could be something simple as not tightening the gas cap.

 

I will have to give them a call next week,the dealer-only one in NH, is a good 1hr and 1/2 from me and see if they can scan it while I wait.It would be nice if it was just the cap but I never get that lucky.As long as they don't try and charge me I will be happy.

 

Go to Autozone, O'Reillys, Advanced etc. They'll pull the code for free.

You can always buy a cheap OBDII scanner. I bought the one below when I couldn't find my Scangauge II.

 

If it wasn't under warranty I would consider it-AZO,ORLY are not that close either thou,I have a friend who had a transmission shop who had that Snap-On Lotus I would use when I needed one,he has closed thou.

I will let them deal with it I guess. Call them Monday

 

Do you live up on a mountain?

 

I had the same thing happen to my GX last week. We had had 5 days in a row of sub-zero temperatures, including a couple of days with -20 to -25 degree temperatures, and the GX had not been driven at all during that time. When I finally did try to start it up, it did start, but it took a couple of seconds of trying before the engine turned over. When it did start, the check engine, skid control, and traction control lights were on.

When I called and spoke with the Lexus service adviser at my dealer about 100 miles away, he said that, if there is a delayed start like I experienced and if the vehicle's computer detects unburned fuel that has been sent to the engine during the attempted start, it will trigger the check engine light. He also said that, for reasons that I don't understand, when the check engine light is triggered, that will also disable the traction control and skid control systems and turn on their warning lights. He indicated that clearing the codes would likely resolve the issue, and he also said that, every winter, they will get a good number of vehicles that experience the same issue because the battery charge level is low and, thus, it takes longer to start the vehicle.

I went to an Auto Zone and borrowed their code scanner. My intention was to pull the codes and, then, to clear them. Being unfamiliar with the scanner's operation, I accidentally cleared the codes before I pulled them. In any case, as soon as the codes were cleared, the check engine and other lights went out, and they have not come back on since.

My guess is that there is a good chance that your lights came on for similar reasons. If that is the case and if the battery level was low because of cold weather, you should be okay after clearing the codes. On the other hand, if the battery level is low because of an aging battery, a new battery may be called for. Also, even if you don't clear the codes, if low battery levels and a delayed start caused the lights to go on, the codes should eventually clear themselves, but, in the mean time, you will be driving without the skid control and traction control systems, which, during the winter, may not be ideal.

Also, afterward, I spoke with the service adviser at the local Toyota dealer, and the information that he told me was exactly the same as what I had been told by the service adviser at the Lexus dealer.

 

All of the lights on is indicatory of just the "check engine" light - no idea why they all light up but yes, could be as simple as an oxy sensor or the gas cap seal wearing off. If you have a warranty... dealer on!

Unless the check engine light flashes constantly I believe it is not categorized as a "catastrophic failure" so it should be good to drive.

Good luck!

 

You may be correct, but I'm not sure about that. Both of the service advisers with whom I spoke (one Lexus and one Toyota) told me that, in fact, the traction control and stability control were actually disabled when the check engine light went on. And, while the entire bank of lights was on, I tried to engage the VSC system on a steep hill with lots of loose gravel where it normally does engage, and it did not engage in any of the 3 tries that I made at trying to see if it was, in fact, disabled.

 

Hi All,

after reading a bit more I see that both of the VSC and VSC off lights coming on along with the CEL is not that uncommon.
lesc,
your experience is not unlike mine we have had very very cold temps here in the mountains (yes I do live out in the woods RCsGX-nice and peaceful, no traffic,no crime) of NH.It was 15 below without the wind chill for a couple days.The battery was replaced when its was CPO'd 1 yr 8 months ago so I suspect its not the problem.I checked the gas cap but I bet it need the codes cleared and is ,as you mentioned, a winter thing.

I did call Lexus and they suggested I just drive it for a few days and see if it goes off,if not they will make an appointment. I did ask if it would be covered under the CPO but they would not confirm it and quite frankly were very evasive about it.Will se what happens tomorrow with it,if not I will go fight it out with Lexus.

 

If you are close to an Auto Zone, Advance Auto, or similar store, I would suggest stopping in and borrowing their scanner. It only takes a couple of minutes to pull or clear the codes, and, based on where you live and the low temperatures, I'm guessing that there is a very good chance that, once the codes are cleared, all will be well. Even if you have never used a code scanner before, following the on-screen prompts is pretty simple.

As I said earlier, while I can't be certain that it is the case, the Lexus and Toyota service advisers with whom I spoke both said that, while those lights are on the skid and traction control systems are, in fact, disabled, and, thus, I wouldn't be comfortable with winter driving while waiting for the codes to clear themselves.

Also, per what the service advisers told me, repeatedly starting and shutting down the vehicle without driving and letting the engine warm to full operating temperature may delay the codes from clearing themselves because doing so may leave unburned fuel in the engine.

 

Thanks for all the tips, will see if I can get down to Concord some day next week and find a Autozone.There is some confusion about there being a "diagnostic fee" if I take it to a dealer,AZO (or ORLY) might well be a better bet and worth the ride.

Thanks !

 

Buy a scanner. They're cheap and you never know when you might need one again.

 

Do you have a recommendation of a particular scanner? Thanks.

 

Post #4 in this thread.

I also have a Scangauge II. There's a company that sells a blendmount so you can mount it below your view mirror. The Scanguage does a lot of things beside checking / clearing CEL codes.
http://www.scangauge.com/products/scangaugeii/

If you're just looking for something cheap to pull codes and clear CELs then the one on Amazon is perfect!