Toyota Yaris MK3 2014 Hybrid - ESC light turning on

[inteli7]

Hi guys,

My Yaris' ESC light turns on while I use my brakes over a pothole / super uneven road surface. When I brake, usually on a flat surface at any other speed, it never turns on.

Is this something normal for the Yaris? 

 

I scanned the car with Toyota Techstream, and no errors are coming up. The car seems to function as it should, and I haven't spotted any other bits that could lead to an issue. 

 

 

Thank you,

Dave

[flash22]

Yes that is normal you may get a bit of ABS action too

it's all related to wheel speed, steering angle and yaw

if it does it when going slowly, I would suspect an abs sensor or a bearing/reluctor issue

just keep an eye on it

[TonyHSD]

I will add to the helpful information above a tyres check too. 
Double check pressures on cold before driving, they need to be exact or very close to the label on the door shut. Also check for tread depth and general condition of the rubber, if they are low or oldish replace them all with  new premium brands and you won’t have any issues. As per the description it seems to me the car loses grip and activates the abs. 

[inteli7]

1 hour ago, flash22 said:

Yes that is normal you may get a bit of ABS action too

it's all related to wheel speed, steering angle and yaw

if it does it when going slowly, I would suspect an abs sensor or a bearing/reluctor issue

just keep an eye on it

It doesn't go off at slow speeds. I tend to notice it when approaching a traffic light and braking from 25/30mph.

It never goes off at 10mph or slower than that.

57 minutes ago, TonyHSD said:

I will add to the helpful information above a tyres check too. 
Double check pressures on cold before driving, they need to be exact or very close to the label on the door shut. Also check for tread depth and general condition of the rubber, if they are low or oldish replace them all with  new premium brands and you won’t have any issues. As per the description it seems to me the car loses grip and activates the abs. 

Tyre pressure is good, as I check it regularly. I usually put 32 in the front tyres and 29 in the rear. My tyres are Bridgestone 195/50 R16 V (88) T005 TURANZA XL, which I got last year in April and still have plenty of meat left.

Will keep an eye out and see if this gets worse. Was wondering if my one is the only one that does that.

 

Thank you both!

[Mojo1010]

Normal, it's a lack of traction. When one or more wheels is not in contact with the road surface the ESC/traction control comes on.

If you spend long enough on this forum, will gain good knowledge from members (well on the whole), it's like a free upgrade to an intel i9 chip. 

[flash22]

tire pressures seem a little low on 16" try 34 front and 32 rear, a few psi can make a big difference

[inteli7]

1 hour ago, flash22 said:

tire pressures seem a little low on 16" try 34 front and 32 rear, a few psi can make a big difference

I always followed what Toyota suggested in the Owner's Manual 😭, but I'll pump them up. 

[flash22]

there are a lot of variables to take into account including how accurate your gauge is

I tend to check mine with a mechanical gauge (RaceX RX0014, 2% accuracy to TUV/ANSI)

 

 

[MikeSh]

3 hours ago, inteli7 said:

It never goes off at 10mph or slower than that.

I have a sneaking suspicion (a possible memory from a while back) the ESC is only active at higher speeds, which would explain that.

3 hours ago, inteli7 said:

I usually put 32 in the front tyres and 29 in the rear.

That's the book value for mine too on 16". I've had no problems.

At that age it could be some degradation of sensor or ring. (I'm sure someone else reported something like this in the last 6-12 months.)

[inteli7]

3 hours ago, MikeSh said:

At that age it could be some degradation of sensor or ring. (I'm sure someone else reported something like this in the last 6-12 months.)

It could be age, but the car has only done 19,000 miles. Is it worth streaming some live data with Techstream?

What should I look for? Speed on each wheel or?

[Cyker]

If the wheels are actually slipping a bit this is normal, otherwise it may be speed sensor/ring issues.

There are some roads around here that are atrocious, with lots of spoil which often trigger the ABS and ESC on my car if I'm braking/accelerating on them a bit firmly.

It's partly why have been leaving bigger gaps to the car in front, as I really don't want to get rear-ended by a car which doesn't have these fancy things!!

 

[MikeSh]

1 hour ago, inteli7 said:

It could be age, but the car has only done 19,000 miles.

Rust, dirt, damp ... not necessarily related to mileage. Sometimes worse in fact.

It may well just be road surface + traction but if it gets worse you might need to get the wheels off and have a look at the detection parts.