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Trac Off Is On And The Trac Light Is On...serious?


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I was cleaning my car today and the TRAC OFF light came on while the car was in idle with the stereo playing. A second later the TRAC indicator inside the speedometer came on as well. I was putting back on the dash panel to the left of the steering wheel right before this happened (I had to check some fuses yesterday but now the problem is most likely a ground wire somewhere) Could I have pushed something that turned on the TRAC OFF light on the cluster itself? - I looked but I didnt see any button for traction so I figured something's up.

Also, I've been reading up and it seems that there could be a something that is preventing the alternator from charging my battery. The alternator itself's been replaced 2 (warrantied) and it was the first thing my mechanic suggested. However after the second alternator the problem persisted and now I'm on my third battery.

Any idea whether the TRAC lights and my car dying every month have anything to do with each other? And if not, then should I even bother fixing the TRAC light for the winter? I plan to get rid of this ride in April (hopefully it lasts until then) because my mom's '01 IS300 lease will be up and I'm gonna buy it out for me :D My car's got 293K on it and it's a 92 SC400. I am the third owner and the first two weren't very nice to it. There is a whole list of problems but it seems that they are never the most obvious.

The car runs pretty smooth with very minimal engine noise and according to the mechanics the engine is in excellent condition (unlike everything else lol). I am hoping to junk it or ideally sell the parts. Except I am not really sure how to take apart an entire car :D So for now I need to make it last at least through the winter.

Anyway is the TRAC light and the TRAC OFF going to affect my winter driving at all?? I'm assuming it controls the car's traction since it's rear wheel drive but that's all I know about it. We get a loooot of snow in Toronto so I'm kinda worried it might not last the winter. And should I be checking for any other serious signs of wear n tear since it's soo old?? This is my first car, so I am welcome to any ideas anyone may have. Thaaaaankss guyys :ph34r:

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Mine does this too sometimes but the TRAC light doesn't stay on for long. Sensors might be going bad or something. Just let your right foot do the "traction controlling" In other words, easy on the throttle now that you know something is wrong with your car electronics. Your alternator problem might be due to a power steering pump leak that drips down on the alternator damaging it.

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thanks for the suggestions :) how much would the pump run me or can i fix it without replacing it?

you were right about it not staying on for long. a few hours after i drove and the lights were off....are sensors replacable? and how can i find out for sure?

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  • 2 months later...

thanks for the suggestions :) how much would the pump run me or can i fix it without replacing it?

you were right about it not staying on for long. a few hours after i drove and the lights were off....are sensors replacable? and how can i find out for sure?

Clean your throttle body and EGR valve and your problem will be solved.

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  • 4 years later...

I was cleaning my car today and the TRAC OFF light came on while the car was in idle with the stereo playing. A second later the TRAC indicator inside the speedometer came on as well. I was putting back on the dash panel to the left of the steering wheel right before this happened (I had to check some fuses yesterday but now the problem is most likely a ground wire somewhere) Could I have pushed something that turned on the TRAC OFF light on the cluster itself? - I looked but I didnt see any button for traction so I figured something's up.

Also, I've been reading up and it seems that there could be a something that is preventing the alternator from charging my battery. The alternator itself's been replaced 2 (warrantied) and it was the first thing my mechanic suggested. However after the second alternator the problem persisted and now I'm on my third battery.

Any idea whether the TRAC lights and my car dying every month have anything to do with each other? And if not, then should I even bother fixing the TRAC light for the winter? I plan to get rid of this ride in April (hopefully it lasts until then) because my mom's '01 IS300 lease will be up and I'm gonna buy it out for me :D My car's got 293K on it and it's a 92 SC400. I am the third owner and the first two weren't very nice to it. There is a whole list of problems but it seems that they are never the most obvious.

The car runs pretty smooth with very minimal engine noise and according to the mechanics the engine is in excellent condition (unlike everything else lol). I am hoping to junk it or ideally sell the parts. Except I am not really sure how to take apart an entire car :D So for now I need to make it last at least through the winter.

Anyway is the TRAC light and the TRAC OFF going to affect my winter driving at all?? I'm assuming it controls the car's traction since it's rear wheel drive but that's all I know about it. We get a loooot of snow in Toronto so I'm kinda worried it might not last the winter. And should I be checking for any other serious signs of wear n tear since it's soo old?? This is my first car, so I am welcome to any ideas anyone may have. Thaaaaankss guyys :ph34r:

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when my trac light came on it was because the evap sensor and the charcoal canister were both bad. When you live in a place with lots of snow, salt, wetness, ect.... the canister is completely exposed in the undercarriage so it will after about 3-5 years go bad. Both parts combined plus shop labor fees ran around 750.00 to repair. No one said imports were cheap to work on unless its a honda civic of course...

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