VSC CheckEngine Maintenance Light All on

[titanic98]

Have a 2004 Toyota Sienna XLE AWD with 60K miles on it.
It was due for an oil change and had the Maintenance light on for the last 10 days. Now yesterday the Check Engine and VSC also came on. I took the van today to a oil change plus and after the change the Maintenance light has been reset , so it is gone but the VSC + Check engine is still on.
From Toyota Tundra forum, looks like this is a symptom of Oxygen Sensor going bad. Anyone know or familiar with this situation ? Also what is the warranty on the sensors ?

[P0420]

What code is causing the check engine light to come on? Could be as simple as a loose gas cap.
The VSC will come on when the check engine light is on. The traction light should be on too.
I think the emissions warranty is 8 years, 80k miles.
P0420 still out

[titanic98]

Do not have the code yet.
Called a couple of dealers. As per them the oxygen sensor is not covered under emissions. it is covered under the original 3 yr 36K.
Will know more once I take it to dealer. Will send the code out.
For whatever it is worh, good suggestion, but never in my life I had a Check Engine on for loose gas cap.
On my Honda Accord , Honda actually paid for the O2 sensor even after 3 yr/36K.

[titanic98]

Problem Resolved - i had done this on my Impala to reset the maintenance alert. Tried the same here and it seems to have worked for now.
With the van not running, pedal the gas pad five to six times and then start the engine. All indications are gone. No VSC , No check engine since yesterday.
Most likely I will not see the alerts again.

[kolkh]

...
For whatever it is worh, good suggestion, but never in my life I had a Check Engine on for loose gas cap.
...

This info is in the Manual and the situation is easy reproducible in a real life.

[topspy]

Problem Resolved - i had done this on my Impala to reset the maintenance alert. Tried the same here and it seems to have worked for now.
With the van not running, pedal the gas pad five to six times and then start the engine. All indications are gone. No VSC , No check engine since yesterday.
Most likely I will not see the alerts again.

That's an interesting "fix".....I've not heard this one before, but I'll have to remember to try it should I ever develop similar issues.

[P0420]

Amazing, just simply amazing! I wish they were all this simple to fix.
p0420

[Go2FL]

Has anyone else had these two lights as an ongoing issue? Although stomping on the gas many times while engine off does seem to turn the lights off, these two lights (VSC and CheckEngine) of mine have every now and then come back on. Yesterday they came on again and stomping on the gas did not work so far today. Very erratic. I had a hard time getting them to stay on originally so I could get a diagnostic code at a service center which was oxygen sensor, but at least today I can't get the two lights off again.

[samilcar]

Took the van on vacation last month and had something odd happen. While driving on the interstate on the way back, the VSC, TRAC, and CHECK ENGINE lights all came on and stayed on. Two days later, I decided that before taking it to the dealer to get it checked out, that I would check all of the fuses. Being somewhat cautious, I disconnected the negative battery cable. All the fuses checked out OK, and when I hooked the battery cable back up, the dash trouble lights weren't on anymore. It's been almost a full month later and they still haven't come back on. Very strange.

[Go2FL]

Inspired by your post I went right out and took off my negative terminal for awhile and my VSC and check engine lights are now out again. I dunno the computer in these Sienna's gets some info and then just can't let it go or something. Mine really had a bad oxygen sensor but when they replaced it the dumb computer seems to want to remember that it wants to inform me something is wrong. I'd chalk yours up to an errant computer that remembers things probably same as mine. When all else fails shut the power off... you would think we were talking about a Windows PC not a Toyota Sienna. I will see if that finally cured mine but at least my lights are not on.

Thanks for the idea.

[robo5]

I have never heard about the "pumping the gas thing"? WOW that is cool if it works . Maybe a hit and miss thing?

YUP disconnect the "-" cable will erase the codes. IF they come back on.... well it needs to be looked at.

[InkTheFlesh]

Disconnecting your battery to clear a code is like taking herpes medication. Sure, it's gone for now, but eventually it will come back. The CEL is there for a reason. Even if it goes away, there will still be a history code in your ECM. And anytime your CEL comes on, your Trac and VSC light will come on, since the trac/vsc computer knows there is a problem somewhere in the engine, and it doesn't know what bad input it might be getting, so it disables itself so you don't have drivability issues. Any reputable repair shop will be able to pull the code and tell you what is going on.

[Go2FL]

Ink, there is more to this issue than you mention. What you are saying is true you take it to a shop. But mine gives a code for the oxygen sensor so it was replaced. But then the light comes on occasionally again afterwards. So, basically it is not a plain simple thing like you present.

My two lights have come on again and I am working on the gas cap. I cleaned it late yesterday and the light went off again, but I think I will replace the gas cap.

In reality this is the first toyota I have had that had a kind of "crappy electronics" issue. The multiple light thing makes it seem like your engine is about to run out of oil or something major, when it fact it is nothing more than either an oxygen sensor or a gas cap that leaks air. And then, the way the two lights come and go is just flaky too, so I give a ding to toyota here. Now believe me I have driven 4 camry's close to 200K each and now the sienna. I never had a stupid electronics issue with any toyota till now. Sure some old european cars I had all had stupid electronics issues, so have some american cars people I know have. But this is a first for me a toyota with " electronics issues".

I spent some time on this searching all kinds of forums and posting. These two lights have come on for these reasons listed in differing forums: gas cap, oxygen sensor, and simply a bad computer and perhaps a few more. Unfortunately none of the people posting on this had such an easy time as getting a code and problem solved when item replaced. This is is a real problem. Wish it were not.

[InkTheFlesh]

How the hell is a CEL coming on the equivelant of "crappy electronics"? What was your original code for your AF sensor? Did you actually troubleshoot it? Or just throw parts at it? There are hundreds of codes your van can throw, so it is not just an AF sensor, or a gas cap that can cause it. Why does everyone think when the CEL comes on, it must be a gas cap or an AF sensor? There is no "electronic issue". Your van has an emissions related issue, and it needs to get properly troubleshot, not just have parts thrown at it.

[Go2FL]

Ink, First you must not have read the thread so don't go wild making statements because you have not read the thread.

As I mentioned this was a hard one to get to a place that could diagnose it with the computer because one gets the lights on one day and maybe not the next. And yes it came as oxygen sensor when I did get it into a place, code I do not know. But after replacement lights have come and gone still. So sorry, but I would have to fault the toyota on this one. I am NOT a thrower of parts Ink for sure. If I had gone to some Toyota places they probably would have replaced my computer by now.

Now if you go and read the history maybe you can understand, however I may have solved it with a gas cap but I will not claim that for about 2 weeks with no lights coming and going. Sorry I wish that I could say elsewise but I would first have to say this may or may not be anything to do with the oxygen sensor even though my Toyota gave a code for it (and sorry I do not know which code). If it had been just my oxygen sensor, as my toyota computer said, it would have been fixed, but it was not.

Right now my CEL and VSC lights are off with a new gas cap, will let people know if that fixes it. But I'd say don't always believe what your computer says, and this is a kind of crappy warning in my opinion even as a totally loyal toyota enthusist. I'd have no qualm in saying that because it is 100% true.