Traction control warning light & beep suddenly more senstive, goes off more often

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Equalizr, Jul 30, 2025 at 11:46 AM.

  1. Equalizr

    Equalizr Junior Member

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    2013 Prius 84,000 miles garage kept The traction control light and beep are popping off more often over the last week or so on bumps or uneven roads that wouldn't ordinarily trigger it, like it has become more sensitive to the road and only lights up and beeps for like a half a second then goes away. if it's a smooth road no warnings or beeps at all. Tire pressures and tires are fine. Brake fluid has never been changed, probably not the best idea, but brakes are perfect, topped off if ever needed.
    Dare I say, Nothing at all has ever gone wrong on this car in the 84,000 miles, changed oil every 5k, changed both coolants, changed the EGR cooler & valve to a new one about 6 month back, does not burn a drop of oil, guess I'm lucky.
    Looking to change the intake in the next few month to one I bough on ebay that I already cleaned up , so i don't have to take it off and quickly clean it, and put it back.in.
    Wondering if it could be my front struts ?
    I can push the rear cargo area down above the strut, and it moves a little up and down, correctly I think, the front I can't push down at all, if I grab the fender walI I can move it up/down about a 1/2" or so (maybe fronts are a lot harder to push or I'm not strong enough)
    I do have an OBD2 dongle, have not used it and the free version of Dr Prius, not sure if that would show anything or do I need a better one with a screen (if so which one?)
    any help or advice would be appreciated.
     
  2. h1ph0panonymous

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    Get “Car Scanner Elm OBDII” App for your phone, connect it to your dongle, have it scan all types of codes, archived and inactive. its only 7 dollars for the forever version.

    If it shows ABS wheel speed sensor codes, try unplugging the connector to the one it’s giving you codes for and spray some electrical cleaner in it.

    Otherwise sounds like the wheel hub is on its way out.
     
  3. Equalizr

    Equalizr Junior Member

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    Downloaded the program (assuming this screen shot is the right one?) I will pay for the forever one sounds like a good idea I may go into the garage and plug it in and see what I get if my dongle is correct. I see where you can download techstream for free which I did and the installer I do computers for a living so I certainly have an old one here to play with and not worry about my network or malware.
    hope its not a hub- sounds expensive, Said there's a good chance that a code was logged of my issue to see what happened which I guess would be a good thing.
     

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  4. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Generally, trouble codes are only set when the system thinks there is trouble. Normal operation of the traction control or ABS doing what it is there for does not set any trouble codes.

    There is, however, an "ABS History" page, that will show you what all the sensor inputs were the most recent four times the ABS or traction/stability control took action. It's analogous to trouble code freeze frames, but for normal operation instead of trouble codes.

    Techstream, I know, can show that page. I don't know what other scan tools can, if any.
     
  5. Equalizr

    Equalizr Junior Member

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    thanks
    Im gonna go in to the garage & see if my dongle works on it
    the car to only on or running?
     
  6. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    ON is enough. Second button push without brake.
     
  7. h1ph0panonymous

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    Yep that’s the one, it does almost everything an expensive scanner does, haven’t messed with the tech stream option of it yet. I just used it last night for the first time to diagnose my girlfriends car to see if the engine light code was still the same code from months ago and it was. What I noticed is it also shows archived and inactive codes from the past unless someone has cleared them.

    Which dongle do you have?
     
  8. Equalizr

    Equalizr Junior Member

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    I'm in the car with the unit I got my dongle connected but I don't know where to look exactly within the program for abs history
     

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  9. h1ph0panonymous

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    Tap on Diagnostic Trouble Codes and do a full scan, enable all the options for every types of codes to be scanned.
     
  10. Equalizr

    Equalizr Junior Member

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    Is scanned 131 items I'm sure my car doesn't have all this came up with no DTC found I guess that's a good thing for now
     

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  11. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Right, ABS History (as #4 explained) has nothing to do with trouble codes. Trouble codes are given when the system thinks there is trouble. ABS History is a log of the most recent 4 times the ABS/VSC/TRAC system thinks it worked right.

    Nothing to do with trouble codes in a scan tool will show you ABS History.

    I know Techstream can. I am not aware what other scan tools, if any, can.
     
  12. Equalizr

    Equalizr Junior Member

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    So I guess I'm good for now I found a download of techsream I'm going to play with it tomorrow and see if I can actually get it installed & running if I can get that far then I'll buy the appropriate cord for it.
     
  13. Equalizr

    Equalizr Junior Member

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    Did not see anything about ABS history in their where would it be
     
  14. h1ph0panonymous

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    Mine shows DTC ABS codes only because it’s an active code because my connector to the rear left ABS wheel speed sensor is bad. It does
    Show inactive codes though, no clue why it didn’t show the codes to the lights you were seeing in the past.
     
  15. Equalizr

    Equalizr Junior Member

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    I did it right correct in that program left side second icon down diagnostic trouble codes it went through 131 and no DTC found which I guess is a good thing if that's the right place
     
  16. Equalizr

    Equalizr Junior Member

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    This program correct
     

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  17. h1ph0panonymous

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    Yes correct, I’m guessing one of your connectors or the wires to the connector is frayed, chewed or damaged. The program was just to help you pinpoint which one but since it’s not showing it could either be the connector, the wiring or the speed sensor itself that’s inside of the wheel hub which is best replaced with a new wheel hub, preferably do both wheel hub for each axle when replacing wheel hubs. If you live in the rust belt, removing an OEM wheel hub is going to be a major pain in the butt without all sorts of tools to help get a seized wheel hub off.
     
  18. Equalizr

    Equalizr Junior Member

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    I live in Miami Florida and it's garage kept where are the electrical connectors, I'm guessing front wheels only so I can possibly look I have tons of tools and Jacks and all that stuff though I'm more older unfortunately 66.
    For now just leave it alone other than maybe looking at the connectors if you tell me that they're not so hard to get to and where they are and wait till it gets worse?
    If I stay on even smooth roads it probably won't go off at all it's when I hit little bumps and stuff like that and sometimes it doesn't when I think it will first thing ever in 12 years that's created an issue Maybe ever dare I say
     
  19. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Once you get Techstream set up, select ABS/VSC/TRAC and look under, I think, Utility, and select the ABS History.

    It will show you, for the most recent four times ABS or VSC or TRAC kicked in, all of the sensor readings it was getting at the time: all the wheel speeds, the car speed, the steering angle, the yaw rate, the g forces forward/backward and sideways.

    From that, you'll probably get a pretty good idea if there was one sensor supplying data that didn't make sense.

    Without that, there is a lot of guessing ahead of you.
     
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  20. Equalizr

    Equalizr Junior Member

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    Makes sence thanks
    Have you install techstream or have you gotten it and installed it?
    Doing some reading I see that there are two files and one of them creates a 32-bit environment so I've been doing computers my whole life I got a hold of a 32 bit version of Windows 10 that I will insult tomorrow. I think i don't need to use the virtual environment but we'll see what happens tomorrow I don't think I can get very far without the dongle connector I'm not even sure the program will come up and I'm not 100% sure which dongle to get
    I see them on Amazon from like $17 to 50 something appreciate all this by the way