billydpowe

iTrader: (1)

today, with out warning, the CEL and VSC lights came on and the car went into the "safe" slow speed mode and had no power/ get up and go. I idled it home, power steering was moaning..
got home added fluid to PS tank. was going to autozone to get codes, but car fired up like always and ran perfect.... no lights no nothing..... has anyone ever had this happen to them??

LScowboyLS

get the codes anyway - codes can be stored even if the CEL light is not currently lit

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

may be a pending but i'm more inclined to think electrical fault of some type than anything mechanical.

fixmiester

I agree with PD. Could be a bad connection to your temp sensor, making the ecu think the engine was hot. Billy, with all your 400's, I'm surprised you don't own a scanner.

billydpowe

iTrader: (1)

my nephew, Jon has one, and that is what we usually use, but he is about 15 miles away in DFW.

billydpowe

iTrader: (1)

your right CB
P1120 Accelerator Pedal Position Sensor Circuit Malfunction

From other threads I've read I'm strarting to get the feeling this happens in cold weather. It happened to me when it was about 20 degrees outside. (from another thread)

Cut it off and restarted it and it cleared up. (from another thread)

fixed by shutting the car off and restarting (from another thread)

book reads: P1120 Toyota Description
Accelerator pedal position sensor is mounted on the throttle body and it has the 2 sensors to detects the accelerator position and a malfunction of the accelerator position.

The accelerator pedal position sensor is connected with the accelerator pedal by the accelerator wire and the voltage applied to the terminals VPA and VPA2 of the Engine Control Moduel (ECM) changes between 0 V and 5 V in proportion to the opening angle of the accelerator pedal.

The ECM judges the current opening angle of the accelerator pedal from these signals input from terminals VPA and VPA2 and the ECM controls the throttle motor based on these signals.
If the the P1120 code is stored, the ECM shuts down the power for the throttle motor and the magnetic clutch, and the throttle valve is fully closed by the return spring.
However, the opening angle of the throttle valve can be controlled by the accelerator pedal through the throttle cable

any comments as to what I should do? my wife drives this one....

billydpowe

iTrader: (1)

LOOKING FOR ANSWERS (from another thread)

MORE: There are several threads here that report about problems with a lack of acceleration when the weather is very cold.
I then found that when I heat the throttle body (on the side where the accelerator cable is attached to the accelerator pedal position sensor) with a hair dryer before starting the car, the problem does not occur.

However, there are two sensors on the throttle body: a throttle position sensor ($140 on Amazon) and an accelerator pedal position sensor ($299, only available at Toyota or Lexus).

Can I be sure that this is due to a defective accelerator pedal position sensor (PPS)?

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

i've had that happen twice (within a week) due to a combination loose ground/dying battery.
(IIRC there's a thread in the 2GS forum of guys experiencing this too)

Check both. It's usually not the throttle body but that is a possibility.

billydpowe

iTrader: (1)

thanks PD, I'll check....

AZGirl

I used to have my VSC light come on intermittently but it was a weird gas cap issue! No loss of power, ever, though.

Yamae

You are right. Attached drawings may help you to understand more.
Check the continuity and the resistance. If you find any glitch, you'd better to replace it. At the initial stage of the failure, your type of problem occurs intermittently.