Traction Control Alarm Malfunction

No codes would log if the car thinks there is a loss of traction. In that case it would be doing what it was designed to do. This suggests that there may be something weird going on with the wheel speed sensors that cause the ECU to think that one wheel is going slower than the other. I would look there first.

Tom

 

How much tread depth is on your tires, especially the front tires? I think your tires are just slipping, which is causing the skidding car icon to appear.

 

Hi Rick,

I reread your edited OP, and it is very strange to consider that the light will stay on continuously for 5 min when at highway speeds; yet no error code is logged by the skid control ECU.

- What brand/model of tires was installed?
- What is the tire pressure?
- Have you checked all four tires to make sure that they are all the correct size - 185/65R15?
- do you want to know how to retrieve skid control ECU DTC yourself? Maybe a code can be retrieved if you look for codes immediately after the problem happens.

 

Hi Rick,

Make the car IG-OFF. Find the DLC3 connector (aka OBD-II connector) which is below the steering wheel column.

Note that the connector has 16 terminals and has a trapezoid shape where one base is wider than the other. When looking at the connector so that the wider base is at the bottom, the numbering starts with #1 on the bottom right, and continues to #8 on the bottom left. #9 starts on the top right and continues to #16 on the top left. Put a jumper wire between terminals 4 and 13 and make the car READY.

Look at the Brake Control (amber circle with ! within), ABS and VSC lights. If they produce a two-digit blink code, note what it is and post.

If normal, the light will blink at 0.25 second intervals after a pause of 2 seconds.

If a blink code will be logged, there will be a pause of 4 seconds, then the first digit of the blink code will come on as 0.5 second flashes followed by a 1.5 second pause. Then the second digit of the blink code will come on as 0.5 second flashes. If more than one blink code was logged, the second code will appear after a 2.5 second pause.

 

Hi Rick,

When you have access to the car again, I suggest that you examine each of the four tires to make sure they are all the same size.

 

[dammit]

 

Hi Rick,

I am having the same problem with my 05' Prius. Did you ever figure out what it was?

Thanks!

Jeff

 

Jeff, I do too! What did you do about the issue? Did you get it resolved?

 

mismatched tyres? speed sensors, hit a curb?

 

I hit a curb and had to replace the control arm and both struts. I didn't go to a licensed dealer because I didn't know I needed all the repairs, I just went in for any alignment because I saw my tire had a slight negative camber and I just thought it would be rectified with an alignment, though I did have a fear I would need the repairs, I didn't realize they were as urgent as they were.

 

sounds like you'll have to get a thorough inspection/diagnosis. dealer or qualified tech.

 

I have the same problem and noone knows the solution

Hi Patrick,
I have the same problem and techicans cannot solve yet. Skidding icon flashes 3 - 6- 4 -1 times. can you help what it means?
Thanks!

Thomas

 

I found this thread trying to find if anyone else had solved this problem, but now that I think I have solved it, let me share.

I had a car with the same conditions described above: flashing traction light and audible warning on acceleration up to 30-50mph. Wouldn’t turn off until speed dropped below 25mph. No codes, plugged in my scanner and all 4 wheel speeds read the same when going straight, even when the alarm was beeping. I was (and honestly still am) puzzled as to why the car was sounding the traction alarm when it was clear from the inputs it shouldn’t be sensing one wheel moving faster than the other.
This car came in needing suspension work with the F/R wheel way out of alignment. The problem began shortly after repair. None of the work I did affected the speed sensor or any other traction control element.
Out of curiosity I cleared the traction control computer memory and reinitialized the yaw rate sensor and other steering/brake/traction control sensors.
Now the light doesn’t come on! Long term testing will show if that fixed it or not but the only thing I can figure is driving with the alignment so far off gradually recalibrated the yaw sensor to accommodate and so fixing the issue made the car miscalculate its position? I do not know, but it seems to have worked!

 

I have been having this issue recently ( traction control light comes on audible beep) on both acceleration and braking. I was puzzled at first but reading these comments I am now pretty sure this is due to some "slop" in the steering rack bushings. On the passenger side. I know the rack bushings that control friction along the bore of the rack were bad for years. Rattling over bumps etc. no side to side play in wheel control so I have been letting ride as I don't drive it much anymore.... Now it would seem that play is causing poor yaw info that is setting off stability control warning. So check the steering rack for excessive play.

 

There is (at least in gen 3 for sure, I can't check just now for gen 2) an "ABS History" report you can pull up with Techstream (and maybe some other scan tools), showing all the sensor inputs at the four most recent times either ABS or VSC was triggered.

So, like a freeze frame for a trouble code, but saved for normal activations of ABS and VSC which, as qbee42 pointed out in #2, don't result in trouble codes.