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VSC and ABS codes

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by pgc100, Feb 25, 2011.

  1. pgc100

    pgc100 Junior Member

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    I came out to my car on a very cold morning (19F) hit the power button and lit up the "Brake" light, the (!) ABS VSC and Tire Warning (BINGO!).

    My first throught was frozen calipers. I decided to drive down the street to see if things would free up. Driving was fine execpt there ws no power assist on the brakes. At this point I'm thinking maybe the rear drums have frozen and while the hand brake was off, maybe the sensor was stuck. I drove the few miles to a local Midus. With the cold roads testing the brakes showed I was locking up the drivers side without much effort and I was pulling slghtly to the left under the non power assisted braking. Midus said that mechaniclly the brakes were fine, but I wold have to see Toyota for the rest.

    With a paper clip I pulled the blinking codes and got

    (!) 43 11
    ABS 42
    VSC 45

    I have been googling the codes but am drawng a blank. The only thing I can find is the 43 code maybe a Yaw rate sensor issue. Could this be affected by the cold start and is there list anywere of the DTC codes. I have a Bentley manual and VSC 45 does not seem to exist!

    Funny thing, I am actually enjoying driving without the ABS and VSC. It's like a blast from the past.
     
  2. seilerts

    seilerts Battery Curmudgeon

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    First place to start with stuff like this is your 12V battery. If it is weak, then codes like this can show up because the voltage isn't high enough to operate the sensors. Search here for "check your 12v" threads. If your voltage in the morning is good enough, like >12.3 before startup and 12.0 during, then look deeper into those codes.
     
  3. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Let's focus on the blink codes from the (!) light, as the blink codes from the ABS and VSC lights appear to be undocumented.

    11 means "open circuit in main relay 1" and the suspect areas include the ABS #1 relay, the skid control ECU, or the associated wiring harness.

    43 means "capacitor malfunction" and the suspect areas include the brake control power supply, ABS #1 fuse, ABS #2 fuse, ABS #3 fuse, or the associated wiring harness.

    Therefore I suggest that you check the above-mentioned relay and the fuses. If all are good, you might consider whether your 12V battery is marginal. If so, replace it now. Then clear the skid control DTC and see if any skid control ECU warning lights come back after you've driven the car.

    If yes, then you probably should visit your local Toyota dealer for assistance.
     
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  4. pgc100

    pgc100 Junior Member

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    Thanks for the responses Acc mode on the battery is 12.1V cold drops to 11.5 on powerup and then 14.1 charging.

    Getting to a dealer may take a few weeks as I am trying to move house, as well as working crazy hours.

    I'll check the fuses and change the #1 relay.
     
  5. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    I would say that your 12V battery is in marginal condition. Even if you didn't have a current problem with the skid control ECU, it would be a good idea to consider replacing the battery in the near future, to reduce the likelihood of a no-start situation.
     
  6. seilerts

    seilerts Battery Curmudgeon

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    I've been meaning to add that, if part of your ABS/VSC system sets a trouble code due to low voltage, then all of the ABS/VSC functions are offline. If you see 1 ohm resistance at that relay and you have gasping near death 12V battery, then everything that you have described makes sense. If you have a battery charger, put it on over night at 4 amps or less, and get a new battery asap! The two accepted battery options are a new one from your dealer or the Optima Yellowtop kit from elearnaid.com. There are tradeoffs to consider in each case, but the costs are comparable.
     
  7. Ajenkins626

    Ajenkins626 New Member

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    pgc100,
    Did you figure out what the problem was? I am having the same braking problem with my 2006 HiHy. I just pulled the following codes ABS 42, VSC 45, although I'm not getting any (!) codes.
     
  8. pgc100

    pgc100 Junior Member

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    After moving and sourcing the and Optima and elearnaid kit, I still have the issue.

    Next up is the relays if I get a chance and a trip to a dealer.

    As a nice supprise I found the battery compartment had about 2 inches of water in it. We just had the NJ floods and I had been sitting in the rain, But I have to track where its coming from. The water was clean and didn't seem to have any rust so I think its recent.
     
  9. adamiam

    adamiam New Member

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    I am in the EXACT same situation... I even found 4 inches of water in the battery compartment. I just pulled the drain plug but I have no clue where the water came from. It was crystal clear and I found no rust???

    So obviously I replaced my battery with the optima and the BRAKE, (!), ABS & TSC lights lit up like a Christmas tree just a week later. Now I'm at a loss...

    What does ABS code 42 mean?????
     
  10. pgc100

    pgc100 Junior Member

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    Thus it continues.
    I replaced top green ABS relay 1. I had pulled it from the car, it was very hot and the copper pins were tarnished. But still no joy.

    Now I am noticing a lot of black brake dust on the front driver side rim. Would a stuck caliper show up as an ABS fault or would the ABS actuator hold pressure on one wheel only?
     
  11. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Have you an opportunity to check the three ABS fuses that I previously listed above? If not, I suggest you remove them one by one and use an ohmmeter to verify continuity.

    Did you reset the skid control ECU DTC codes? If not, I suggest you do that and see if they reappear or not.

    Not sure what to say about the brake dust.
     
  12. clem choy

    clem choy New Member

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    Locksmith problem on lost remote

    I have posted my problem with the lights VSC, Brakes, exclaimation, and ABS coming on right after the locksmith hooked up his computer to the car.

    I would like to know if there are more experiences like that and whether I should go back to the dealer and ask them to try to recharge the battery and then re-set the code. Thanks for original suggestion and any additional thoughts.


    This is the first time I post so not knowing how the thread works. I have a 2007 Prius and I lost the remote key. I called a locksmith in NYC and he unlocked the car, cut a duplicate from a new remote (I think he got it from the dealer) He then tried to program the remote but was not able to. He then plugged a computer into some wires underneath the steering wheel. The moment he did that, the VSR, ABS, (!) and brake light all came on. I took it to a Heritage toyota in Burlington and they told me they need to replace the brake actuator. The part is $1700+ and plus 5 hours labor. Could the lock's smith computer really do that kind of damage? What are my options. Thanks for the help.



    This sounds like low/dead battery to me. If it is still at the dealer, you could politely ask that they put the 12V battery on a charger for several hours and reset the codes. They may need to perform a zero-point calibration, as there is a possibility that the locksmith's computer may have undone something.
     
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  13. clem choy

    clem choy New Member

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    Here is what the Toyota dealer indicated. If I can get some help to see what they mean
    83002 3.00 (I think that is the labor hr). Codes C1203- Engine Control system Malfuction, C1345-Not learning linier valve offse, Diagnosed and found vehicle needs brake actuator asse to cure.

    Does that make sense?

    Thanks
    Clem
     
  14. seilerts

    seilerts Battery Curmudgeon

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    To summarize, a locksmith hooked up some sort of device to the OBD port, and as a result you now have these two trouble codes in your ABS system. It makes me wonder if (1) the technician was not able to figure out how to perform the init/calibration of the linear solenoid valve or (2) if the ECU was damaged. I am 99% sure that it is #1.
     
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  15. clem choy

    clem choy New Member

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    Dear Siefert,

    Is there a procedure that I can suggest to the dealer's service advisor/manager or the technician that they should follow to perform the init/calibration of the linear solenoid value? Sorry, what is ECU mean?

    Thanks
    Clem
     
  16. seilerts

    seilerts Battery Curmudgeon

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    They must use Techstream to perform the initialization. There are a couple of documented instances where these codes appear together, and the initialization procedure solves the problem. They should get on the phone to their technical support if they cannot figure it out. By ECU, I mean the ABS computer.
     
  17. SynEco@eVehicle.co.nz

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    Any one find the meaning of ABS 42 ??

    Currently getting this on my ABS Skid ECU