Vsc And Tcs Lights And Bleeps

[camiel22]

I searched the forum on this, but couldn't find a satisfying answer....

Can anyone help me on this:

I know that the car-with-slippery-road light comes on when wheelspinning,

...

but what LIGHTS and/or BLEEPS are activated by the VSC and TCS ????

and what happens when the TCS is turned off ??

I heard 4 fast bleeps when i was driving (=sliding) in the snow recently... i guess it's the VSC?? but the VSC signal light didnt turn on...

It doesn't say anything about this in my manual.. because i got the standard corolla 1.4/1.6 manual.... or is there no sepcific manual for the T-Sport..??

Any help would be appreciated.. THANKS!!

[PaulT]

I heard 4 fast bleeps when i was driving (=sliding) in the snow recently... i guess it's the VSC?? but the VSC signal light didnt turn on...

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Odd. Normally the VSC light (car on a slippery road icon) lights up when the electronics have intervened to help prevent or minimise a skid. I find I can't see it most of the time, though, as it is hidden behind the steering wheel

When it starts to beep that means you are at the limit of the help the machine can give you and the slide cannot immediately be brought under control.

If you turn off TRC, you just get more wheelspin under severe acceleration in a straight line, for example from standing still, but no beeps.

Paul.

[pb5]

Hi Camiel

There is a different manual for the T Sport if your local dealer can be bothered to look. It took me 9 months the get the right one, until someone who had just started there could be bothered to look :cacker: .

Part number : 01999-12876

Publication number : OM 12876 E

It is for the facelift version (but the facelift was only a facelift really). Still doesn't mention the six speed box :o .

Pb

[rich-mansfield]

The way my CTS works is :

With Traction Control on, the dash light flashes when TCS comes on, and stops the front wheels spinning.

e.g. pull away very quick, or 1st to 2nd gear change in lift in the wet, the light flashes. Also if an inside wheel is spinning it will take power away or put some braking force to the spinning wheel and flash the light.

The beeping seems to relate to VSC instead of TCS, i.e. car detecting under/over steer (uses the current steering position to work out if you are attempting to do more than the current grip allows, or if the back end is starting to step out of line).

This then independently applies brakes to the four wheels to stop the slide, along with cutting the power. This makes the car very hard to spin, lift off oversteer is corrected by applying brakes to a rear wheel.

The VCS light is only a fault indicator, even going sideways and beeping, this light doesn't come on.

I have managed (on quite a few occasions ;)) to get the car to beep, even though I have had TCS off, the light also still flashes, the VSC does seem less aggressive with TCS switched off.

Rich.

[PaulT]

This makes the car very hard to spin, lift off oversteer is corrected by applying brakes to a rear wheel.

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In fact, understeer is corrected by braking the back wheels as this puts more weight on the front axle.

For oversteer it's the outside front which gets the brakes.

You're right that the beeps only become activated by the VSC when cornering hard.

I seem to remember the Corolla system was supplied by TRW:

TRW press release

There's (a bit) more info here:

Brief explanation

I've tried to find the original technical document which I read when I bought my CTS, but I can't find it. That had more detail on all the sensors and how the electronics worked.

Have you had a chance to try the car in snow yet? Great fun :D

Paul.

[Spuffington]

My VSC bleeped for the first time two weeks ago when I was going sideways round a corner, completely lost it - I'd skidded on some diesel. I have to say, I was cacking myself at the time and hearing the VSC bleep at me just helped cement that feeling.

It did work in the end and completely pulled me round (somehow ) and avoided a ditch and car coming the opposite direction. Very lucky indeed.

All I can say is thank god I've got leather seats!!

[rich-mansfield]

Not been in snow yet, but I've had a go on ice, that was quite interesting, TCS off and wheelspin in third :)

I think that the VSC can be a little interfering when grip is low, and would be nice to have an off switch, but for normal road driving it is very reassuring to have!

Thanks for the correction on the oversteer brake info, braking the rear wheels in an already oversteer situation would be a bad idea

The VSC does seem much better at oversteer than understeer - it really struggles to drag the back end round near the limit, but responds very quickly if you try to induce any oversteer.

[Zuban]

given the current scottish weather... nothing other than damp and cold.. tcs has been great, plant it at 40mph in third on a corner, and it'll pull the nose round nicely, mind you, do the same in second, and it'll sping up, tcs flashing like mad, and the car goin all over the place.

During the time i had my t-sport on track, my car was pretty heavily lightened, the hot air blower was removed, which caused some sort of ecu error, which stopped the tcs from working, but vsc still kicked in, if you put the car into a lateral slide, it would beep, regardless of the fact that tcs was off. It was pretty easy to invoke... my freind thinks the beeping is the funniest thing ever, he drives a honda heh.. shame i overtook a better honda than his on the outside of a bend(ep3)... vsc didnt kick in then :D

I think Vsc works tottally seperate from tcs, vsc is to do with controlling lateral slides, and to be honest i think it works, as does tcs, i can quite confidently provoke the car to get out of shape, safe in the knowlodge that the between me and the car, we'll get out of it.

I'd really love a correct explanation of the tcs system though

[syele]

In fact, understeer is corrected by braking the back wheels as this puts more weight on the front axle.

For oversteer it's the outside front which gets the brakes.

You're right that the beeps only become activated by the VSC when cornering hard.

I seem to remember the Corolla system was supplied by TRW:

TRW press release

There's (a bit) more info here:

Brief explanation

I've tried to find the original technical document which I read when I bought my CTS, but I can't find it. That had more detail on all the sensors and how the electronics worked.

Have you had a chance to try the car in snow yet? Great fun :D

Paul.

Hello!

In fact, VSC operates in a different way.

In front wheel skid, VSC applies the brakes on both the front wheels and on rear wheel of the inner side (right rear wheel when turnong to the right).

Of course, if driver also applies the brakes then the skid control ECU may, upon condition of the vehicle, not apply any brakes at all even if those wheels are targeted for braking.

In rear wheel skid, VSC applies the brakes of the front wheel of the outer circle of the turn. In some cases the brakes of the outer rear wheel may be applied as necessary.

the warning buzzer emits an intermittent sound to inform that the skid control ECU detects a strong front or rear wheel skid tendency

[Blacksheep]

All I know is its stopped me crashing my car twice, so i'm chuffed its fitted...

[camiel22]

The VSC / TRC lights and bleeps are quite clear to me now,.. and guess what happened today...

the 'TRC OFF' light and VSC light both come on out of a sudden.. ??

something wrong with the calibration or so??

they were off again when i restarted the engine... hope it's alright now...!??

anyone has experience with this?? THANKS!

[PaulT]

the 'TRC OFF' light and VSC light both come on out of a sudden.. ??

something wrong with the calibration or so??

they were off again when i restarted the engine... hope it's alright now...!??

Yes, I've seen this once. If you take you car to the dealer the fault will have been recorded on the car's computer. However, when I took the car in they just cleaned up the electrical bits at the wheel sensors and I haven't had the problem again.

When a fault is recorded the warning lights stay on (and the system is disabled) until you turn off the engine. If everything checks out ok when it is restarted the system will be live again.

Paul.