Check Engine Light, Car Limps, VSC Lights on...Please Help.

[GS4_Fiend]

Originally Posted by Drag On

My car did this same thing the other night. I was sitting in line at the car wash and went from park to drive and my VSC light went on. My CEL went on and then all three of those lights lit up. I drove it home, put it in the garage for a while. Came back out and started it and they were still on. Backed the car out of the driveway and all 3 of the lights went off. Haven't had anything since then.

PLEASE keep the thread updated as you diagnosis.

Check the codes that is stored in the computer and we can start from there.

[GS4_Fiend]

If you research carefully, "Drive by Wire" means there is not wires it's electrical.

[az-dave]

Not to be rude, but the term "Drive By Wire" can mean several things.

The most comon meaning is that Electrical signals are used to move / adjust systems, rather than linkage etc....In the case of the 2nd Gen GS300/400 its 99% drive by wire, and 1% old fashioned way:

In 2nd Gen GS300/400 The Throttle Cable DOES NOT do the work in opening the Butterfly Valve inside the Throttle Body.

The Throttle cable is simply an extension of the accel pedal movement to an electrical sensor monted on the throttle body. That sensor via an electrical WIRE sends signals to the ECU which then sends signals to the electrical throtle motor located near the front left side of the throttle body which actually opens the butterfly valve.

The Accel Pedal sensor which is located on the back side of the throttle body, which senses how far the pedal is depressed via the cable could be mounted inside the cabin, and the cable eliminated....however:

As a safeguard to allow people to get home in the event of an electrical malfunction, lexus decided to keep the throttle cable from the pedal to the throttle body and allow the last 10%+/- of cable movement to engage the butterfly valve.

I 100% guarantee you this is the case, I have an extra throttle body taken apart, and without power moving the throttle cable does NOT move the butterfly valve until the last 10% or so.

"Drive By Wire", in the 2nd Gen GS300/400, is therefore a Hybrid-style system in which it utilized old and new technology. However for 99.99% of the driving, its done using only the electrical signals from the cable moving a sensor, not from the cable itself.

Now...on to explaining nuclear physics

[1SICKLEX]

I have never had this issue. Cleaned the MAF and Throttle Body today. Damn VSC and VSC off button pops up. The radio and clock don't come on (I did reset with the 20 ECU).

The odd thing is the car is very responsive now, much better than before. It is not in limp mode. So I'm confused.

I had the check engine light on before and I know the issue, its the cats. I have already replaced my 02 sensor, the long one as it failed last year.

I swear I see why people just get new cars