Hi All,
I was on my way to work this morning and suddenly the "Check VSC" light came up. I was scared. I just called the dealer and will drop off the car later today.
I just had the two back tires replaced at discount tires a few days ago. Not sure if this is related
What is VSC? what could went wrong? Is it safe to drive to the dealer? (20 minutes driving)[IMG][/IMG]

 

Your check engine light is on.

Without knowing the codes causing it (you'd need a code reader- autozone does this for free) nobody can tell you why.

It can be, literally, anything from a major repair needed to you forgot to tighten your gas cap.

 

Thanks.
What is VSC? Vehicle Stability Control?

 

^^^ Correct, I had the same thing thing happen to me once (I was driving with the electronic nanis off). All of a suden this same thing happend to me. I turned the car off and back on and it was back to normal.

 

Your VSC is disabled every time a Check Engine Light (CEL) is thrown. It says "Check VSC" only because VSC is off (which the car did automatically in response to the CEL). So the real problem is the CEL. The problem is likely NOT involved with VSC.

Your first step with a CEL is to go tighten the gas cap. I'd unscrew it fully then screw it back on tightly. Turn the car off and on, and drive around for a bit to see if it clears. Issues with the gas cap throw a majority of CELs.

If it does not go away, your next step is to read the code. For that, you either need your own OBDII scanner (which I highly recommend obtaining, it's only about $40) or you can take it to an Autozone or similar for them to read it for free. This is the only way to actually get an indication of what's going on. A CEL could be caused by hundreds of different things. The code tells you what's actually going on, or at least where the problem likely is.

You can then post those codes on here and people can chime in, as well as research on Google what they could mean. If it's something minor, maybe people can help you determine what it is and you can avoid anything costly. If it's not something you can do yourself, you can either take it to a dealer or to an independent shop. I would recommend the dealer for any warranty work. If you're under warranty, go to a dealer first, because it's likely something that will be covered.

As far as if it's safe to drive, are you seeing any symptoms whatsoever, or is it just the light? If you feel no symptoms whatsoever and the car doesn't feel different at all, you're probably absolutely fine driving to the dealer. If you're hearing/feeling things (like concerning noises, shakiness, etc), then I would recommend not driving it and instead having it towed. If you're under warranty, I believe this towing cost will be covered.

 

Thanks Calvin.

I just dropped it off at the dealer for diagnostic. They gave me loaner car (IS250) and I am glad that I got the 350 :-) The power is like day and night.

 

Its definitely related to the check engine light. Like calvin stated, that automatically lights up VSC as well. Nothing too big to panic about, itll be either gas cap related or sensor related.

 

Are you under any warranty?

May be moot now, but before you spring for the $175 diagnostic fee, I would check the gas cap and at least check the codes. Might be something that could be fixed without shelling out $175.

If it's under warranty, the $175 will be covered along with the cost of repair.

 

I just got the VSC light come on today. It has come on before, and but restarting it went away (last year.) I tried restarting it and resetting the dash but neither worked. The dealer scanned it and said i need a new O2 sensor. Does anyone know where i can get this part? I cant find it on swell. Also does anyone know if this is a major problem? Im going to college in two days and would like to deal with this when i come back in january.

 

Your search-fu is weak.

http://is.sewellparts.com/oem-catalo...S250-2006.html

As to importance- depends which ones.. the rear ones are useless except for passing emissions.

the front ones are pretty damn important as they control the air/fuel ratio on the car.

 

I am out of warranty. Dealer checked out and said it was the thermostat that didn't open soon enough and that the system think the engine was overheat and that triggered the check engine light.
I gave them $175 and thanks for their finding on other minor issues as well. My brother will replace everything for me. The parts will cost under $200 for the thermostat and other issues related to the cooling system.