98 Gs300 Warning Lights Stayed On

[bricksb]

Out of the blue, with no prior skidding or any kind of accidental bump to the car, when car is started - the "VSC", "ABS" and "VSC OFF" warning lights stayed on and unable to move the shift lever unless the manual override is deppressed. Also, the VSC switch on the center console will not turn off the warning light. I suspect a faulty VSC/ABS sensor on one of the wheels just gave up. Is there any way this could be checked (and replaced) without taking it to the dealer? <_<

[GuyTelefunken]

Remember Johnny Carson, the Swami? The Swami says......."I see the dealer in your future."

You might try disconnecting the battery for a few minutes and possibly that will get you on the right track. Not likely, but worth a shot. Should be quite easy to diagnose at the "stealer" given the nature of these cars' diagnostic capabilities.

[jbarhorst2]

Some car parts stores will scan your computer for free and give you the error codes. I know AutoZone is one. I am sure there are others. Try that before the dealer. It may tell you what you need to know and then you can fix it yourself.

Tom

[bricksb]

Thank you both for your advise. I'll definitely try the free diagnostic first before I pay the "stealers" a visit. :whistles:

[bricksb]

PROBLEM FIXED!!!

I went to an AutoZone store and Danny (the partsman) slapped the OBDII but did not find any error. So, I took the car in for repair. Only after a few minutes, the mechanic found the problem - a blown fuse! I couldn't believe it. As a self-made mechanic, that is one of the basic troubleshooting steps to check for.

I suppose the indications and symptoms pointed to a more serious problem. Besides, the owner's manual says "see the dealer" for these specific warning lights - of course, why would they try to save us money right?

Evidently, with the blown fuse, the whole brake light system was disabled (had I known that, I would have checked the fuse box) which in turn disabled the brake switch sensor that releases the shifting handle. So, for everyone's info here's a lesson learned (the hard way for me) that will save you several $$ ($35 to be exact) for a cheap 10 amp fuse.

[gserep1]

I have a 99 GS400, and I have not have this problem. Did they say what caused the blown fuse? They only blow if there is an overload (like a "short").

Please be careful, and watch out for this situation to crop up again. If it does, you have another problem.

Take Care

GSEREP1

[GuyTelefunken]

Humm....I wonder the same thing. Very, very, very (read, in German cars :whistles: ) rarely a fuse will blow for no reason. Once replaced, it all good for years. Certainly, you will notice if it goes again.

It is probably good that you did visit the stealer; hopefully he checked for codes while he was in there? It would have been nice of them to do something worthwile for the $35.00. Incidentally, $35.00 is not a bad price to pay. It costs me at least that much (dealer pricing) to get the boys to just put down their coffee mug!

[LoneStarGS]

I also took the 2000 GS-400 to Autozone, and sure enough, it points to the TPS. Autozone quoted me $199. I went to O'Reilly's and they couldn't get the part but called Sewell Lexus: quote of $106 to O'Reilly's and $116 for civilians. Soooo, I am off to buy the TPS. Just hope I can figure out how to install it. Thanks to all of you on this post for the help. Oh, by the way, the problem was the VSC VSCOFF were both on at the same time and car would not go faster than 5 mph. I overrid this by hitting the VSC OFF immediately after starting, and was able to move regularly. Soooo (again), everything you guys mentioned is good as gold. I will probably also adjust the throttle cable.

Cheers

[Pigzrule]

How many miles do you have on your GS? Just wondering what I have in store with my 2000 GS400 :whistles:

[billcoffman]

Let us know how you make out with the TPS. I have the same problem.

[RPIBUFF]

My three lights come on and stay on - vsc/abs/vsc off. The dealer says I need a new board - $2500. Any ideas? I can still operate the car fine otherwise.