Traction And Engine Warning Lights

[Starzenski]

Both the VSC and the engine warning lights come on eventually whenever the gas cap is not screwed on tightly.

How can one turn off these annoying lights after correcting the problem?

I am fed up with taking my car to a Lexus dealer for this reason alone and shelling out $55 on each occasion.

[Benjamin Tang]

Both the VSC and the engine warning lights come on eventually whenever the gas cap is not screwed on tightly.

How can one turn off these annoying lights after correcting the problem?

I am fed up with taking my car to a Lexus dealer for this reason alone and shelling out $55 on each occasion.

several options:

1) invest in an obd2 code reader that is able to cancel/delete CEL codes.

2) disconnect the battery for at least 30 seconds (but you will lose all your presets)

3) find out where the ecu fuse is and pull it out to reset the ecu.

note: option 3 will wipe the codes from memory, and option 2 will not, so if you have mandatory emissions testing, option 2 might be a problem if they check for past codes still in memory.

[Starzenski]

Both the VSC and the engine warning lights come on eventually whenever the gas cap is not screwed on tightly.

How can one turn off these annoying lights after correcting the problem?

I am fed up with taking my car to a Lexus dealer for this reason alone and shelling out $55 on each occasion.

several options:

1) invest in an obd2 code reader that is able to cancel/delete CEL codes.

2) disconnect the battery for at least 30 seconds (but you will lose all your presets)

3) find out where the ecu fuse is and pull it out to reset the ecu.

note: option 3 will wipe the codes from memory, and option 2 will not, so if you have mandatory emissions testing, option 2 might be a problem if they check for past codes still in memory.

[Starzenski]

Thank you Mr. Tang for your accurate and complete reply. Before receiving your reply, I disconnected the battery (your option 2) which cleared up the matter. But should I now pull the ECU fuse to avoid problems with an emissions test?? What does "ECU" stand for and how do I find that particular fuse (I haven't checked whether they are labeled)?

Bruce Starzenski

[Benjamin Tang]

Thank you Mr. Tang for your accurate and complete reply. Before receiving your reply, I disconnected the battery (your option 2) which cleared up the matter. But should I now pull the ECU fuse to avoid problems with an emissions test?? What does "ECU" stand for and how do I find that particular fuse (I haven't checked whether they are labeled)?

Bruce Starzenski

i believe "ECU" is short for "electronic control unit"... basically the main brain/computer of the car that is hiding somewhere in your passenger side footwell.

i answered this because i have the same problem with our gs400. if someone dosen't screw down the cap the light comes on. i went to the dealer the first time it happened and they wanted something like $100 to just plug it in for a diagnostic. so i went to a private shop and he used a handheld obd2 reader and the code related to the gas cap came up. he cleared the code and reset the ecu with the reader. he then told me that if it happens again, either disconnect the battery, or go to my fuse box in the engine compartment and find the ECU fuse (the underside of the fuse box cover shows where it is). pull the fuse and the code will be erased.

where i live, the emissions test involves the car being plugged into a diagnostic computer, which will read everything, including past codes. the gas cap is considered part of the emissions system, so they would have red flagged me for that code and i would have failed.

i'm not sure if you have the same kind of test where you are. if not... the pulling the fuse is optional... unless you are getting tired of resetting your radio and clock :)

[Starzenski]

Thank you again, Benjamin Tang.

Lexus is riding high but that does not excuse the local franchise in Ottawa replying to my letter in such an off-hand manner nor to the failure of the Canadian head office to reply in any manner whatsoever.

Regards, Bruce

[wwest]

Both the VSC and the engine warning lights come on eventually whenever the gas cap is not screwed on tightly.

How can one turn off these annoying lights after correcting the problem?

I am fed up with taking my car to a Lexus dealer for this reason alone and shelling out $55 on each occasion.

Most modern day systems are designed to clear the CEL caused by a loss of vacuum in the fuel system within a few "drive" cycles.

When you "reset" the engine ECU via fuse or battery it sets a code that tells the emissions tester that the system has not "endured" enough drive cycles, "history" has been cleared, to be able to report satisfactory, or NOT, operation of the emissions control system