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VSC warning light

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by alsleepr, Jun 18, 2012.

  1. Dublin_Bob

    Dublin_Bob New Member

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  2. Dublin_Bob

    Dublin_Bob New Member

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    Lisa - Small World. I have a 2007 Prius with EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM. I have already replaced the 12V axillary battery and it did not fix my problem.

    My VSC warning lamp comes on when the DOME fuse blows (fuse number 39, a 15A fuse under the hood). The radio, dome lights, Navigation system, keyless entry system ALL stop working since they are fed through the same 15A DOME (fuse #39). This problem is driving me nuts. Please let me know know what your dealer finds.

    At first the DOME fuse would hold for a while just like yours is doing. Now to blow as soon as I put a new one in. Can't wait to hear what your solution turns out to be.
     
  3. alsleepr

    alsleepr New Member

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    Sorry for the late response, Bob. I do not have a navigation system, but what I do have is a blueconnect device that they think has caused the domlight fuse to blow. It caused the VSC warning light to come on, inability to use the smart key, radio, power windows and door locks. The dealer ordered a new device and the old one is disconnected, but the radio still does not work. There is no paperwork that even says that the technician has even looked at the problem with the radio.

    I have the car while we wait on the blueconnect device to come in, so we will not know the issue with the radio until next week.
     
  4. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    Is the blueconnect some sort of add-on device?

    Tom
     
  5. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    FWIW, my 06 (owned since January 06) has never blown any fuses except when I used an apparently faulty cigarette lighter Y-adapter. I think it was after 2 blown fuses w/that crappy adapter is when I decided to not use it again. I've got other Y adapters that work right.

    I have package NL which has everything available at the time except for leather (VSC, nav, side air bags, backup camera, HID lights, fog lights, JBL "premium" stereo, etc.).
     
  6. alsleepr

    alsleepr New Member

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    The blue connect is a device placed in front of the overhead lights. It syncs with my i-phone and has small speakers also. I have not been able to sync my phone to this device for at least 6 months, so I turned the setting off on my phone, but apparently there is a defect in the device that caused the domelight fuse to blow...or at least that is what the dealer thinks is the problem. The service dept has ordered a new one, and they just disconnect the defective device and left it in...I still do not understand why my radio doesnt work however????!!! At least it is under warranty, so let them rule it out as the cause of the domelight fuse issue and the VSC light warning.
     
  7. FirstFlight

    FirstFlight Member

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  8. Dublin_Bob

    Dublin_Bob New Member

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    Lisa - Thanks for the update. I've been driving mine for about a month now with the fuse out. I question whether your dealer knows what they're doing... but they could be correct. The radio speakers are probably somehow wired through the bluetooth. I know my system is interconnected because when I get a phone call the radio speakers automatically switch from music to my phone. The strange thing is that my bluetooth still works even with the fuse out?

    Please update us once the problem is resolved. I am guessing I might have a shorted wire in the "pillar" where the wiring runs up to the roof of the car. I just haven't bothered yet to pull it apart. I'm not under warranty but I might take it to the dealer anyway. I suspect it'll be a painful experience at the dealership.
     
  9. alsleepr

    alsleepr New Member

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    OK...once again, the dealer has given me the car back and the domelight fuse blew again. The dealer disconnected the blueconnect device, as the dealer was waiting for a replacement of the blue connect, but the radio has not been working either, as I stated before. The dealer insisted the blueconnect device was causing the fuse to blow, but obviously that is not the case.

    I was driving the car on Friday (it was extremely hot/humid that day)...not sure that matters but that was the outside conditions when the fuse first blew. At any rate, after driving for 20 minutes, I parked the car. I returned 15 minutes later and the car would not start using the smart key and the VSC light came on again.

    I immediately took the car to the dealer. They have begun a technical case with Toyota, but Toyota has not helped them in determining the cause of the blown fuse. The dealer liason told me that there were about 25 things connected to the domelight fuse. We know it is not the blue connect, and they disconnect several things that were connected to the fuse; drove it 30 miles and the fuse blew again. They also said that there were no error codes to assist them in diagnosing the problem. They have had my car about 20 days out of the last 40. They are telling me that the extending warranty that I purchased covers replacing an item, but not diagnosing the item plus they may not pay for the loaner car. They say that both batteries look ok...only 25K miles on this car.

    Very frustrating!
     
  10. Kurzweil

    Kurzweil Member

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    I'm reasonably close to you but none of us has come up with anything to come help you check out. Your warrantee marries you to one particular dealer? This may need to be escalated to their zone. The warrantee document should clearly point out whether a rental car is covered and whether or not diagnosis is included. Who ever hear of a dealer that only provides parts but no diagnosis. They want YOU to diagnose it? FirstLight's wiring diagrams indicates considerably less than 25 things on that fuse. I've never known ANY automotive circuit with more than five or six devices connected. The problem is that very few mechanics are comfortable with invisible stuff like electricity. Ask them to change a water pump and they're good to go.

    One thing I've done, when hunting for shorts, is to replace the fuse with a light bulb hooked to a dead fuse. Then, when ANYTHING happens that wants to blow the fuse, the light comes on instead. The devices on the circuit don't generally work very well but that isn't the point. This would give an idea, if a certain action was causing the failure. Like opening a door, for instance (that would light the dome light). If I had a thorough idea of what was connected to that fuse, and where such connections were, I would disconnect one device at a time (sometimes by cutting a wire, unfortunately), until the fuse (or light bulb) could be made to be dependable. If I were to guess, I'd suspect the radio system power amplifier. It's a big device, power-wise, and audio equipment is more prone to failure than something as low-current as an add-on blue tooth receiver/transmitter. If I were the mechanic, I'd unplug that amplifier module. I am getting this from where FirstFlight brought us, with his diagram. That's the main thing I see on the dome circuit. Why a "needs to work anytime" item like a dome light would be on a circuit with a "only works with the key on" item like the music system, slightly confuses me. It is probably the "keep alive" circuit for the preset radio stations, which disk is playing, etc. data. I have seen those ALWAYS ON circuits carrying the power amplifier load. I presume that the J19 Junction connector conducts this power circuit over to those 24 other devices?

    I have my own unrelated question, guys. I have a nine-speaker JBL CD changer/cassette system and wonder where my last two darn speakers are located. I see the three above the dash board and the four in the doors. Where might the other two be? I didn't see them (or the front door ones, for that matter) on the above referenced wiring diagram. Are they part of a two-way set-up in the front or rear doors?
     
  11. Ophbalance

    Ophbalance Member

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    There's two in each rear door, two in each front door, and the center speaker. Each door has a tweeter/mid-range set. At least, that's how it is in my 05.
     
  12. Kurzweil

    Kurzweil Member

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    Well that tells me what's in the door, although doesn't the bass come out of the doors? I haven't found any subwoofer anywhere and the system definitely can make bass. If each door has coax setups, that's eight right there, if they're counting each driver, bringing the total to eleven now. I suppose I could just listen to the thing and stop analyzing.

    On a related subject, the correct one for this thread actually, it sounds like Lisa's radio may be suspect. If the Bluetooth was actually working though the radio speakers (mine does) loss of the radio would mean loss of the Bluetooth Connect. I personally do not think there is a connection beyond her ceiling mounted system perhaps sending a MUTE command to the radio. She mentioned that it has speakers in the overhead whereas mine uses the left front door speaker. By the way, in just listening to it, I'd be surprised to find a tweeter in there. She (the computer) seems very muffled, as is the receive audio of my phone calls. Again, I'd disconnect that radio from the circuit and install one more new fuse if it was me. By now she has certainly had her new Bluetooth unit installed, since she mentioned it a month ago. Maybe her problems are now fixed?
     
  13. alsleepr

    alsleepr New Member

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    Finally got my car back today after 8 weeks of dealing with this issue. Sorry that I have not been back on the Chat to let you guys know what has happened. For the longest, I had no information. It has been a cluster the last week! They finally found a crimped wire in the drivers side door. This was after disconnecting every item on the dome light fuse. They had originally thought that it was the blueconnect device that is located in the ceiling beside the interior lights. After freeing up the crimped wiring, they installed a new blueconnect device because they had ordered it under warranty. At any rate, when they tried to take the blueconnect device out, they dented the roof three times about the size of a quarter round with each dent. OMG... they sent the car to their body shop for repair. Needless to say, I was not pleased that this happened and I did not care for the way they dealt with me over the course of these issues. The body shop did do a decent job of repairing the dents, but I'm super angry with the dealership. The diagnosis and repair was ultimately done under a "good will warranty". You guys may know more about this, as I had never heard of this before. Has anyone ever had the dealer actually damage your car during a repair, and how did you deal with it?? I initially called Toyota Customer Service in late June and have a case number. I will be calling them back tomorrow.
     
  14. Kurzweil

    Kurzweil Member

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    Those are the most frustrating faults of all and a typical troubleshooter doesn't have a clue as to how to go about it. Most mechanics just don't understand that mysterious electrical stuff. It sounds like the dealership really wanted to fix your car and did all they knew to do. "Good will" is when they do something for you that they could have easily justified NOT doing. This clearly is not the drivetrain and I assume your warrantee doesn't cover everything. I'm surprised it covered the bluetooth adapter. On the other hand, if you have a bumper to bumper warrantee, then they're merely doing what they agreed to and telling you they're doing you a favor.

    The body damage was unfortunate but, again, it sounds like they did all they could to make it right. Probably an inexperienced mechanic doing what was supposed to be a trivial part swap. I've heard FAR worse dealer experiences. You came out of it with a correctly diagnosed (eventually) and repaired vehicle, and not a simple vehicle at that. I'm glad for you and encourage you to not allow it to stress you, even if you see the need to follow through on a couple of probably legitimate complaints.
     
  15. alsleepr

    alsleepr New Member

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    I agree not to be overly stressed. I spoke with them on Monday at noon and the damage occurred that afternoon. I was suppose to pick up the car on Tuesday morning and Tuesday came and went without them calling me. I had to call the advisor on Wednesday to ask if my car was ready to then find out what had happened on Monday. Even the service manager sent me an email this Monday to inquire how my service had gone and they still had the car. That does not leave me with much confidence that all is right with my car.

    They told me that the blue connect device was covered under my warranty but diagnosing the problem wasn't covered. Really??
    I'm scared to drive my car long distances now. My son lives 3 hrs away and I may sell this car so that I can feel safe. This is the second time I've had to deal with major defects. Three years ago, the mid portion of the steering column had to be completely replaced, which took several weeks to diagnose as well...same dealer. One lesson learned, never buy an extended warranty that inhibits you from usIng another dealership.