Rx 300 2001 (vsc) Vehicle Stability Control

[buynpwr]

Hello everyone:

When driving my RX300 and taking a curve the VSC light comes on and the car starts to slow down (as if the VSC is telling the car to use the ABS system) it is a weird feeling. You feel as though you have no control of the speed because it starts to slow down the car. If i punch the alcelarator I can do major damage. I called the Lexus service part and they tell me that it sounds like the VSC is malfunctioning and reading incorrect. I already know that this will cost me $100 just for them to tell me what they've already told me. I would like to turn the VSC off. Does anyone know how I can do this? and if you think this is a wise idea? Thank you all.

[wwest]

Hello everyone:

When driving my RX300 and taking a curve the VSC light comes on and the car starts to slow down (as if the VSC is telling the car to use the ABS system) it is a weird feeling. You feel as though you have no control of the speed because it starts to slow down the car. If i punch the alcelarator I can do major damage. I called the Lexus service part and they tell me that it sounds like the VSC is malfunctioning and reading incorrect. I already know that this will cost me $100 just for them to tell me what they've already told me. I would like to turn the VSC off. Does anyone know how I can do this? and if you think this is a wise idea? Thank you all.

If we're talking about an accelerating turn or a fairly tight turn at speed then this might be SOP. I have had mine activate in this manner while driving through a rain puddle, even slowly.

The yaw sensor in conjunction with the stearing wheel position sensor is used to detect over/understearing and is so much more sensitive than your seat-of-the-pants sensor that you often will not realize why VSC (or TC, Traction Control) has activated.

For VSC there are really only two additional sensors involved, the yaw sensor and the stearing wheel position sensor.

And by-the-by if we are talking FWD only then we may be talking about TC activation. Lost of traction at the front due to engine torque is so patently unsafe (NO ability to stear!) that engine dethrottling will be INSTANTANEOUS with TC brake application. Even the slightest, very SLIGHTEST, wheelspin/slip, FAR below your ability to sense, at the DRIVEN/STEARING wheels will often result in TC activation, braking and engine dethrottling.

Additionally TC will have often inadvertently have somewhat higher sensitivity when turning since the outside wheel will be rotating slightly(??) faster than the inside wheel making it "look" as if that outside wheel is already slipping.

I assume your RX300 is FWD only since apparently the engine is being dethrottled (fuel starvation via the injectors) so quickly.

Disconnecting the MAF/IAT electical connection while the engine is idling will result in the engine dying, reconnect, restart, and drive....

You will have a CEL and VSC fault indication for the next few drive cycles. The engine will operate normally but VSC/Trac will not activate. Recommended only as a test.

[buynpwr]

I actually have an AWD 2001 RX 300. Will the instructions in your reply apply?

[wwest]

I actually have an AWD 2001 RX 300. Will the instructions in your reply apply?

Yes, but generally speaking the engine dethrottling will/should not be as quick nor as strong as in a FWD.

But that's a subjective "measure".

I have very rarely experienced inadvertent, non-intentional, VSC or even TC activation in my 2001 AWD RX300 and engine dethrottling only with TC activation. But then all of my (few) VSC activation experiences have been so brief I couldn't really say that engine dethrottling wasn't involved. In most cases I only assumed that VSC had activated looking back at the actual circumstances wherein I heard the "groan" of brake on-and-off application, by the time I looked down at the dash no icon was illuminated.