How to reset and calibrate your VSC computer - The Easy way

How to reset and calibrate your VSC (Vehicle Stability Control) computer

Quick and easy, straight forward, no technical BS.

This procedure is recommended by Toyota, after front end alignment adjustments are made.

Make sure your truck has VSC before you begin.

VSC was optional in 2005-2008 model trucks, and became a standard safety feature in 2009 and later.

• Find a flat place to park your truck, make sure your steering wheel is straight, and then turn it off.
  
• On the left side of your dash is a coin tray, beneath that is a diagnostic connector, remove the plastic cover to reveal the port.
• Find a skinny piece of wire 2 inches in length it does not matter what kind of wire it is.
• Bend the wire into a u-shape, you will be using the wire to short out two pins on the connector, illustrated in green.
• The first step process is to wipe the mind the VSC computer.
• The second step is to calibrate the computer
• Done.

READY??? GOOD.

1. Turn the ignition to the on position, and then short out the pins, 4 times or more within an eight second period. If you're successful the ABS light, and the slip indicator light will flash simultaneously at a steady interval. Congratulations you just wiped the mind of the VSC computer!
2. Turn ignition off.
3. Very important requirement for manual transmissions... The Parking Brake must be engaged. Next, short out the pins with your wire, leave the wire in there, turn ignition to on position. Be careful not to disturb the truck, must remain very still for two seconds during calibration. Observe the ABS light and the slip indicator light they will be flashing simultaneously at a steady rapid interval, faster than before. Congratulations you've just calibrated the VSC computer.
4. Turn ignition off, remove wire, and go drive and have fun.

Edit: added note about manual transmission from member @abbazaba14 on 11/17/2021

 

Nice job as usual

 

Thanks OZ. I used our old thread from 2010 on the subject. I finally had a need to do it after all these years.

 

This one is right to the point

Should get locked & stickied

 

That is really well done Crom. Completely agree that it should be stickied.

 

@tcBob

Can you sticky this thread

 

Fantastic Nick! Thanks for sharing!

 

Can you describe what issues you were having prior to this, and if this process resolved them?

 

Yes!

 

this is also needed after lifting a truck

 

Sure.

I installed a new front end suspension, that happened to have too much lift. I had an alignment. After starting the truck and driving for about 1 minute the slip indicator light would illuminate and stay on.

Cycling the ignition, and driving, yielded the same behavior, so it was not a malfunction.

This light is a dummy light. I looked into the technical manual and it explained that when this light is on, TRAC, and VSC features will not work until a calibration is performed.

I performed the calibration procedure as explained, and it had resolved my problem, the slip indicator light never returned.

As stated, Toyota recommends to recalibrate anytime that adjustments are made by a front end alignment. (Camber, caster, toe).

In practice, I've owned my Tacoma for 7.5 years, lifted it at 5.5 years, and in that time I've had 20 front end alignments. This was the first time that my trucks VSC computer was not happy. After I recalibrated to confirm the issue and resolution, I then dialed in my front suspension lower, returning factory rake, had the truck realigned by shop, and I relalibrated the VSC computer again. I'm very pleased with it all.

 

Stickied !

Thanks @tcBob

 

Nice. I'll have to give this a go.
I noticed that after I changed out the suspension and lifted it, the VSC would kick in going around corners when I feel it shouldn't have.

 

Welcome to the club haha

 

Awesome write up. Gonna have to give this a try. Like many others I got the cornering issues after lifting. Dealt with it for a while then one day for the hell of it I plugged in the computer and recalibrate it. Well the wheel must not have been perfectly straight because now turning right is fine and left turns it happens more often than before. This method seems mush faster and easier than using the obdII computer

 

Glad there's a club and it wasn't my hack job of an install!
Haha

 

Can I make a suggestion?

When I did this, I made a jumper harness with a single pole single throw switch in it. It makes shorting the pins easier as you can just leave the jumper in place and toggle the switch on and off vs having to remove/install the jumper wire multiple times.

 

Exactly how this should be handled. SPST toggle switch makes this an easy process. Throw it in the toolbox when done as you'll need it again someday.

 

Yes. That's a much more civilized way of operating. lol

I'll include a picture or two for people.

Thanks

 

Another suggestion -

On eBay, I found a male OBD II connector (just the connector, no wires). I soldered a jumper wire across the 2 pins to trip ATF temp mode. All I do is plug the connector into the port, and do the dance with the shift lever to get into the temp mode.

You could do something similar here (jumpering the correct pins, obviously) - you could even include a switch.

The big advantage is only have to find the correct pins once, when building the connector, instead of every time you want to reset the VSC.

Just a thought...