Vsc System Problem

[bluevortex]

Hi All

Well took delivery of my Rav4 on Thursday and today it has been left at Toyota with the engine management light on and the message VSC - Check 4x4 system or something similar to that effect. Arrghh nightmare. The Rav was low on power and I managed to crawl to Toyota in Inverness where it has been left for diagnosis on Monday.

Any ideas what could have caused this? I was washing the engine bay on Thursday but it has been fine since and drove really well thurs/Frid & sat morning. I'm hoping it's just one of those things and not connected to anything I may havedone? I have never had a problem with engine management afte cleaning the bay area before. Then again I have never had a 4 wheel drive

This has to be a record to detsroy a 4 wheel drive system in under 3 days of ownership ha ha

Any thoughts?

Blue

[anchorman]

Hi Blue

Probably EGR but you need to get a code reader and speak to us before sending it in as it could be dear.

Put U480 into eBay and you can get one delivered for £25 ish.

[bothwell_buyer]

in 16 years of rav4 ownership, I have never washed the engine so can't help you. nothing better to do? my trees need pruned if yer stuck.

[bluevortex]

in 16 years of rav4 ownership, I have never washed the engine so can't help you. nothing better to do? my trees need pruned if yer stuck.

Bothwell_buyer - I appreciate detailing is not for everybody but cleaning the engine bay is part of the process and I have been driving the car for 2 days without problems. I am almost certain it's not the reason i'm getting this issue with VSC. I have done hundreds of engine bays over the years without a single problem - ever!

Anch - the car is with Toyota now, getting looked at Monday morning. I can't wait this time for a U480 :( but might look into getting one at some point - shame it won't work on my VW Golf! Regarding EGR - How expensive are we talking??

Blue

[anchorman]

I can't remember if your RAV is still under warranty and your profile doesn't have enough detail. They sometimes accept the EGR under an extended warranty of 5 years or 100k but they have been ducking on that occasionally. You should not give up without a fight on that because the cost is dependant on whether they think the manifold is blocked. If they change the EGR (to a modified one) you are looking at £4-500 but the process calls for them to inspect the manifold If that cannot be cleaned then possibly £800.

The daft thing is that the engine will run quite nicely without the EGR and had you been able to turn the light off it would have dropped out of limp mode and given you time to sort it out at virtually no expense or if the EGR could not be recovered, a new modified type with gaskets is less than £200 from Kingo and a doddle to fit.

Let them diagnose it, then see what thye say about a policy warranty but if they start talking silly money get in touch with me and I'll give you some guidance. It may not be EGR and they may sort it at no expense but a code reader for £25 (which can also turn that light and limp mode off)is a very useful investment.

The EGR sometimes sticks if you give the vehicle a bit of welly after a long period of low duty. Do you and your dad drive quite differently?

BTW. I don't believe washing the engine had anything to do with it. In a good rain storm there is more water being forced through that radiator than ever you will put in with a pressure washer and all of the plugs are IP rated aginst it. shcm will tell you more.

[shcm]

........... than ever you will put in with a pressure washer and all of the plugs are IP rated aginst it. shcm will tell you more.

Indeed. carefully compare the under-bonnet connectors with those you might find in cab and you'll see the under-bonnet ones have cable seals and very often seals inside the connector Shell where it mates.

Then the vehicle manufacturers dump proving specifications on component suppliers which make "War and Piece" look like a short story. For ECUs, this includes stuff like salt spray, high pressure spray, high/low temp, humidity..............the list goes on and on. Truck specs are worse!

The ECUs very often come out at the end of it looking like ****, but the point is they still work (well hopefully ). If they don't the design has to be improved.

Everything should survive. Try doing that with your "iphone" thingy!

[anchorman]

When I read the specs properly I noticed your posh satnav radio will stream music but not my regular phonograph.

[bluevortex]

When I read the specs properly I noticed your posh satnav radio will stream music but not my regular phonograph.

Thanks for the advice gents. I went to Toyota Inverness today to pick up the car. Unfortunately, the dealership was closed!! My lovely rav is parked up in the locked compond round the back so it is going to have to wait until Monday now.

I will speak to service dept tomorrow am and get a fault code and see what they say. I will push for a replacement EGR under warranty, failing that I will get remove from dealership and clean manually myself or eve buy new parts from kingo.

I have bought one of them U480 diagnostics from eBay

Thanks for your help this far and I will update with progress. I thought washing the engine bay could not have made this happen but it was playing on my mind a bit.

My dad regularly filled up the Rav4 with Tesco diesel. I'm certain this is the issue....

Cheers

Blue

[stewyinpagham]

Don't blame Dad...... I always used V Power and my 'check engine' lamp came on even though I have always ragged the r's out of my T180... Mr T had to fit the full monty EGR and manifold under warranty.

I have now taken to using the cheapest diesel I can find and when / if it blocks, now having accepted that modern Toyota ownership means getting your own spanners out will clean the EGR myself.

[bluevortex]

I don't blame my dad at all. I do alot of mileage at work and regularly fill up with Tesco diesel for clubcard points and the 5p/litre off and I fully intend to carry doing that with the Rav!!!

Update today from Toyota Inverness. The service manager there is excellent. He confirmed 0400 code and has cleaned out the EGR valve free of charge, he wasn't aware of the 5 year / 100K extended warranty but promised to investigate this further for me. I am prepared to clean the valve every so often to avoid a repeat of this, and thanks to Anchorman I am now awaiting the diagnostic scanner from eBay also

In addition to this, the car was booked into Toyota for the warranty repair on the seat as detailed on that technical service bulletin previously posted. The Inverness branch were more than happy to carry this out despite being out of warranty by 6 months. It should be ready to colelct tomorrow morning and I can get on with enjoying my new car and my wife can finally get a drive also (briefly of course!)

Thanks for all your help

Blue

[Big Kev]

And to think I was willing to give your father a whole £1.00 more than you to get this car, and it was ready to break all the time?

Loved that question from Anchs re whether or not you and yer Dad drove differently....."OH NO OFFICER, WHO ME?"

Glad you're getting it resolvicated so quickly and painlessly

Big Kev

[bothwell_buyer]

assume you've never washed a landrover engine bay then?

My guys don't use water to wash the engine bay ever due to risk of water into the loom - I asked them on Friday. It causes too many problems with sensors and electrics.

But then what do I know - it takes me all my time to brush my teeth......a good swill in alcohol apparently kills all plaque.....

[bluevortex]

assume you've never washed a landrover engine bay then?

My guys don't use water to wash the engine bay ever due to risk of water into the loom - I asked them on Friday. It causes too many problems with sensors and electrics.

A landrover with problems with sensors & electrics?! Surely not.... ha ha ;)

I have done hundreds of engine bays and never had a problem. Toyota confirmed it was fault codee 0400 and EGR needed cleaning. So it seems my 100% fault free engine bay cleaning record is still in tact

I have no reservations about continuing to clean engine bays. I never use the high pressure lance on them only drip a hose end across to remove APC. I like a properly detailed car, engine bay included!!

Cheers

Blue

[anchorman]

assume you've never washed a landrover engine bay then?

My guys don't use water to wash the engine bay ever due to risk of water into the loom - I asked them on Friday. It causes too many problems with sensors and electrics.

A landrover with problems with sensors & electrics?! Surely not.... ha ha ;)

I have done hundreds of engine bays and never had a problem. Toyota confirmed it was fault codee 0400 and EGR needed cleaning. So it seems my 100% fault free engine bay cleaning record is still in tact

I have no reservations about continuing to clean engine bays. I never use the high pressure lance on them only drip a hose end across to remove APC. I like a properly detailed car, engine bay included!!

Cheers

Blue

Here here, never had a problem with washing engines since the days of dizzy caps and even then all that was required was a wipe out the condensation with tissue.

Mine gest washed at least once a year as in the pinned section.