Traction control

Ok guys so I took my truck to the dealer to try and fix my traction control. When I accelerate turning like driving circles in a parking lot, accelerating into traffic from stop sign left or right or pull into the steep parking lot the traction control light will flash and turn off. I’ve done the zero point calibration both jumper and Toyota programmer. It’s within spec. Here’s the alignment and Toyota’s notes. The lift is 2.5” front with 5100 and top strut spacer with factory uca, the rear is a 1” block and 5100. The light seems to engage with certain body roll. Toyota mentioned adjustable lower cam bolt, uca, and rear sway bar. My lift shop said they never had this problem. I’m at my wits end what’s wrong.

 

I had a larger lift with no flashing lights. Could it be false activation of the sensors from a faulty WSS harness?

Are you getting a lot of body roll with the lift?
Do you feel the brakes kicking in?
Is this occurring when you’re really stepping on it?

 

Which light? The VSC light (not VSC off light) flashes whenever it's intervening. Is that light staying on?

It does not know or care about CG.

If the yaw rate sensor and accelerometers are properly zeroed then it's steering angle sensor.

Since this started after the alignment I'd look at steering sensor and likely it needs calibrating. This also fits with when the symptoms arise.

Technically you don't have a traction control issue but a vehicle stability control issue.

 

Happebs on tight low speed cornering?

Specs on wheels and tires?

 

Sure doesn’t seem like a lot of body roll on the low speed ones but higher speed maybe. But nothing out of my comfort. I shift around 2500 rpm. It does it even not stepping on it. The small shop mechanic was able to get it to do the same and even Toyota. And they don’t step on it. When leaving a side street sometimes I actually feel lack of throttle till the traction light kicks off. When turning into a steep parking lot I actually feel the breaks engaged

The traction control light with the car and squiggly lines will flash and then turn off. And at least what I was told, all those sensors are calibrated when I did the zero point calibration. Idk.

Primarily tight low speed but also had it happen on a highway spiral on ramp or a windy road.....granted that roads speed limit was 30 not 40. 285/70/17 nitto ridge grappler with fuel wheels 8.5 wide and -6 offset

 

They aren't working right. What's happening is the truck's expected yaw rate based on speed and steering angle isn't matching what the yaw rate senses. When this happens it intervenes, applies brakes, engine cut, or both, and flashes the light to indicate it's intervening.

Check the calibration and function of everything again and if need be, live stream the data to see what's sensing improperly.

 

Do all these.

 

I have no way of performing any of these tasks unless I take it to Toyota again. What should the alignment be?

 

Ok, after some checking in the factory service manual the steering wheel sensor zero calibrates every time the truck is started. If it's a gross mismatch from a previous calibration it will throw a DTC.

Odds are you still have odd yaw rate and accel sensor data. Can you get a techstream and live stream it to see if they are making sense? Otherwise, try the zero point calibration again. Make sure to clear the old calibration data first before doing the new calibration procedure.

 

I’m running windows 10. I’ve looked at techstream. If there’s a straight forward way of getting it I’m totally open to trying. The zero point calibration that I’ve performed myself was the jumper method and I did clear previous data.

 

You can do it with a check wire. This is out the 2016 FSM.

 

Aww yep I’ve already got that printed. The shop that lifted my truck performed this method twice and I tried 2 or 3 times. All doing the clearing first.

 

Gotcha. If that's done right, it is time to actually check the data because VSC basically operates on steering angle, wheel speeds, accels, yaw rate, and master cylinder pressure.

 

Alright. I’m assuming I need techstream for that data. How’s the best method of getting the software

 

Easiest way would be go to a shop that has it and will help you out. I think you can get a 2 day subscription and I'm not sure how to get it without a subscription. Somebody else might know.

This is what you want to check and also make sure the steering angle sensor is reading reasonable.

 

Can of worms that question. Officially, a laptop, the software licensed through Toyota TIS at $55 for two days, and the approved DrewTech cable at $495.

Unofficially, https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/techstream-reference-and-safe-info-sharing.653809/
Fair warning - great way to get a virus.

 

Ok quick update. I was told to take off the e break bracket which did nothing but I did find something new. So if I do the full 1.5 turn of the wheel for full crank and drive circles it wasn’t flashing traction control even when I could hear the tires squeal. But at 3/4 to 1 full turn it did cause the light to flash when accelerating.

currently waiting on the cable to show to try and connect to techstream. In the meantime I’m gonna try and get the shop to fix my needle bearing with the ECGS bushing

 

My best guess now is your steering sensor is damaged. I'm looking forward to what this turns out to be.

Out of curiosity does it intervene if you do all this with VSC off?

 

At least the little bit of testing with vsc off it didn’t have any problems. Acted like normal. Will the techstream tell me? Wonder why Toyota said all looked good unless they didn’t care to check. I really want the problem solved myself. This lift has just been nothing but nightmares

 

So just performed another interesting test. Besides the whole deal of turning into a steep parking lot entrance or turning and barely curbing the rear tire and fully engaging the traction control abs brakes which is annoying . I drove the same parking lot but this time when I went to turn the same tight turns I put the truck in neutral. Zero traction control light. Then did the exact same turn same speed in neutral but burped the gas and the traction control light kicks on immediately. I do have a cable coming to try and install techstream but this is very interesting. Not a clue what it all means or why it’s doing all this right after the lift