VSC light on after new install on clockspring

Quoting from another web site..
------------Mounted to the back of the spiral cable which has to be physically detached, reattached, and plugged in to the new spiral cable, is the steering angle sensor. If not done correctly, it will turn on the VSC MIL. -----------
While this was referring to a different model Toyota, is a safe bet this is your issue also.

 

I just went thru with that also but I replaced the clock spring with the china special and also replaced my steering wheel with a eBAY leather wrap one (used of course). The clockspring kinda felt lame as the high density connector from the steering wheel did not click in as like the cruise ctrl connector next to it. Started it up and the airbag lite was on and NONE of the steering controls worked. Ony the cruise worked.
Okay...lets back up now. Maybe the leather wrap is the problem and so I replace with original. Nope same problem. Go back and install orig clockspring and back to leather...Aha...all works now. The after market plug in I think is the culprit as I said did not click in. I checked and there were no bent pins. Well your better off with OEM as my loss was $14 lol!

 

I had a weird experience with the cheap knockoffs--it took three tries to get the right part shipped. First time was my fault--used eBay's application to check fit on my car. Turns out at least two different cables were used that year. SRS and cruise worked, but nothing else did. Used Toyota's part site with my VIN to get the right number, and learned a lesson. Seller agreed to replace, I paid for return shipping. Second time, the seller sent the wrong part, wasn't even close. Third time, all was well. Total cost $25 including return shipping, and has been working for over a year, so I hope I'm ahead. Problem could be, as Boulder Hybrids pointed out here, low quality SRS leads could be good enough for supervisory, but not good enough to fire the airbag. Feeling lucky?

 

I'm having the same problem. I replaced my spiral cable (with a cheap unit) and it fixed the problem I was having with the AC controls (AC1 signal is open). After sitting a few weeks, the VTC light is now on. I removed the spiral cable and double checked the steering angle sensor connector and it is still on. Maybe it's the actual airbag wires that are bad in the new cable? Isn't there a diagnostic code somewhere that would indicated why the light is on? I'll try the old cable tomorrow.

I'm cleaning up the car for sale, and the VTC light is a big obstacle to sell the car.

 

First, I assume you mean VSC.

Do you have a Prius-specific diagnostic tool such as the Mini-VCI with which to read codes? There is a separate ECU for the VSC and you need to communicate with it.

If the SRS conductors were bad, you'd get the red SRS indicator lamp. The steering angle sensor conductors do not route through the clockspring, so that's not it.

Any chance you rotated the steering angle sensor while transferring it, or put the wheel on wrong?

 

I have a ELM327 USB connected reader from eBay that I bought a long time ago. It apparently works with some better software that requires a license but it works to read at least some codes with the free stuff. I don't think the angle sensor got rotated, and I'm sure the wheel is where it was when I started. It turns out I meant the SRS light is on, so the angle sensor isn't involved, right? The user manual says "return to dealer immediately" so it's not much help. I really don't want to spend a bunch of money in order to sell a car with a KB value of about $3500.

 

Since you meant SRS instead of VTC, forget everything above about the steering angle sensor.

You need a code reader with Prius SRS capability. If the red SRS light is on, there's a code for it, and it will tell you exactly what's wrong.

By all means, try the old cable and see if the SRS light goes out. It'll be easier to sell a car without steering wheel AC controls than one with a red SRS light.

 

I just failed to get the yellow airbag connector in far enough on the spiral cable - doh!

 

I'm sure glad I'm I don't have a monopoly on that kind of thing. Good news.