The Woes Continue! Engine Light Check Vsc!

[reeves1985]

After having a very intermittent problem with a rough idle and a couple of stalls

On the motorway today the car went into limp mode and the dash lot up like a Christmas tree!!

Engine management light, traction control light and check vsc on the display

Now I am getting very worried and been searching all over the forums

Any ideas what the problem could be? I'm getting worried as this sounds very expensive!

Thanks in advance

[normski2]

Now don't panic. May not be that bad at all. Check out the posts for ' the ultimate VSC check post' or something like that.

At a wild guess this could be just an oxygen sensor playing up.

[reeves1985]

I really hope it is and maybe if it was that could explain the rough idle and couple of stalls??

I hope so ill have a look see if I can find the vsc thread

[timcunnell]

I assume you have an IS220d? If so, the EGR valve is definitely the place to start.

Check YouTube for a video on how to remove and clean it. If you have a basic socket spanner set you can remove the EGR valve and check it with pretty much zero mechanics knowledge. Believe me, it is a really simple job!

Good luck an hope you get it sorted!

[timcunnell]

Also if you're interested, it's probably worth buying an OBD II connector from eBay if you have a smartphone. These things cost less than £20 and you just plug them into the port just above the pedals. Then free apps for your phone will give you all the ECU error code info you need. Much cheaper than £90 to have Lexus read the codes for you!!

[reeves1985]

I think I may purchase one

It's very strange as I had a service done 2 weeks ago and specifically specified that they cleaned the egr valve!! Which they confirmed after they did it

The car is booked in the garage tommarrow to be diagnosed so I don't know if I should look myself today also what's even stranger is that this happened when I was on the way to Cambridge which is 100 mile trip so had to get home and I drove home today with the lights still on at about 80mph with no problem and just got in the car and the lights have now gone off??

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

If the fault doesnt register again with the ECU after 3 engine on/off cycles then the fault is no longer there and will be stored as history in the ECU and the lights will go out. Get the codes read and you can find out what caused the lights to come on in the first place :)

[reeves1985]

Yes the car has been started 3 times since and the lights are still off

It's a very strange situation

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

It's not that strange. For example I had a leaky fuel injector. Every month or so it would drop petrol into the cylinder after I turned the ignition off and cause the car to run on. That would then trigger the ECU to detect a misfire so sending the engine light on. It wasn't a permanent fault and the computer realised that and after 3 cycles turns the light out. I think it's a clever system as the codes are stored so you can work out what's going on without worrying that there is something major at fault.

[reeves1985]

Yes we'll hopefully it isn't something major as I am about to prepare the car to get sell and upgrade so hopefully it will be something of nothing

Deliberating whether to spend the extra £££ on the ct200 hmm

[normski2]

Make sure you have good long test drive. In fact do 3 on separate days. If it still suits then go for it. Zero road tax ain't to be sniffed at!

I found it a little disconcerting when's drove my mates. It felt and sounded like the engine was revving way too high, guess its summit you have to get used to. It's darned quiet on Battery power though!!!!

[reeves1985]

Yeah I keep reading the pros and cons and I'm not sure it will suit me as I have read that you generally get more mpg on A roads and city driving than longer drives

And as I do 3 or 4 100+ miles trips I may be better of with a diesel whic may ultimately sway me over to a c class blue efficiency sport

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

I had the CT200h on 48 hour test drive about 6 months ago. My wife and I were going to both sell our IS200's and share the CT and buy brand new (something neither of us have ever done)

We still both drive our old IS200's..... We hated it except for the fuel consumption obviously! Lol :)

[reeves1985]

I think I need to do an extended test drive to see how it suits me

[reeves1985]

Just a quick update car had been in the garage for 2 days and apparently they can't find anything wrong with it!!

Which there clearly was/is!

[normski2]

I had A Check VSC warning on my 220d. Took it back and it was cleared from the 'puter.It was thought to be dirty brake sensor. That was nearly a year ago.

Have you ever put a tin of BG244 through the tank?

[reeves1985]

Yes I put it in before the engine light and check vsc came on

I'm just wondering if that had anything to so with it?

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

Ok, if they have an OBD2 code reader then they have one that doesn't :-

A. Read manufacturer specific codes

B. Doesn't read stored history codes

Lexus or Toyota will be able to read the codes for you and give you a diagnostic as will most garages to be fair. My garage reads Lexus/Toyota codes just fine.

Once you get the fault codes, which believe me are stored on your cars ECU then you will know what triggered the lights to come on. :)

[normski2]

Yes I put it in before the engine light and check vsc came on

I'm just wondering if that had anything to so with it?

May just be. I also had one after brakes work at the dealers, went off following day. Never saw it again.

[reeves1985]

Yeah the garage it is in is a Honda dealer where I bought the car and they said they will speak to lexus in the morning

I have a feeling it will be going to the dealers as last time I had warranty work done it did

On the plus side if it does go dealers I am going to see if I can arrange for a courtesy car and see if I can get a ct200 to see if it suits my needs

[reeves1985]

Another quick update

The garage have been in contact with lexus and have managed to get the stored codes from the ecu

The code returened was P0400

Which is the egr valve

It has been authorised by the warranty company and is being replaced

Hopefully this will solve the issues

Strange that the egr valve was actually replaced by lexus 40,000 miles ago

[normski2]

Wish you were closer. I'd be tempted to come and take it off myself, just ti get a good look at the inside and seating of the valve itself. Generally, they don't need replacing they just need a bloody good cleaning when removed from the car.

It is such an easy job to do.

[reeves1985]

The valve was cleaned 10 days ago!!

That's what seems strange

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

Well at least you got to the bottom of it at last! And it's a free repair! Happy days :)

I knew those codes would be in the ECU ;)

[reeves1985]

Yes it seems the dealer had to tell them how to find them

Hopefully this is the problem sorted

Just out of curiosity could a faulty/poor egr valve cause the car to idle rough and stall out?