First Slip indicator light on, now diff locked when in L4

[KarlCaudwell Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close KarlCaudwell]

G'day everyone, I have a little problem that I hope you can help me with.

First the slip indicator light is staying on. Now when I switch to Lo4 the centre diff locks (or at least the light comes on). In H4 I can turn Diff lock on or off.

Vehicle - d4d auto.
Use - just had 3 weeks in Tassie where all combinations were used i.e trc & vsc off while on sand in H4 mostly with centre diff locked, centre diff locked in H4, L4 & centre diff locked.

Problem - After the Balfour track (lots of mud and water) I hit the beach and turned trc & vsc off then the slip indicator light came on and figured this was because of the mud and water messing with the sensor. Hoped it would go away once home and given a good clean. Also took the advice of spraying sensor with WD40. Light has stayed on with the added problem that when switching to L4, the diff lock light flashes then comes on after a small noise (like when you try to move to L4 while moving or not in neutral) and I can't turn it of while in L4. When in H4 I can turn diff lock on or off as normal.


How can I tell if it is actually locked or if just the light is on?
Are the two problems related?
Any ideas on where to look or what to try.

Thanks in advance.
Karl

[KarlCaudwell Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close KarlCaudwell]

So it seems this one has everyone stumped then....

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

In L4 do a tight turn on a hard surface. Nice and slow. It should virtually stall and pig root if the centre diff is locked. Just for a few metres don't wind up the transmission with big chunks of throttle. Just enough to test and no more. No clue as to the cause. Some have reported lights on all the time with water and mud in connectors at the back of the centre differential but nothing like this that I can recall reading.

[KarlCaudwell Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close KarlCaudwell]

Thanks for that.

It's going into the mechanic next week so hopefully a nice easy... Cheap fix.

[Kev7762 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Kev7762]

I agree with mjrandom, probably just lots of crap and water in the connectors

[KarlCaudwell Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close KarlCaudwell]

Just n case someone encounters this issue, here is the update...
Just got it back from the mechanic and all is good.

Scanned computer for trouble codes & found two codes to be logged. Steering sensor & deceleration sensor. Checked operation of sensors through live data & they seem to be operating. Cleared codes & road road tested vehcile, selected 4wd many times no further fault evident.

I hope that's the end of that.

[KarlCaudwell Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close KarlCaudwell]

Another update...
Just had a day driving on Stockton beach.
Turned TRC & VSC Off.... No problem.
Then locked centre diff (still in H4) and drove for a bit. Slip indicator light is back on and staying on.

Based on the fix in previous post does anyone have any 'sensor' knowledge ?
Do you think I'm going to have replace the sensor or just clear again?

[barajak Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close barajak]

Another update...
Just had a day driving on Stockton beach.
Turned TRC & VSC Off.... No problem.
Then locked centre diff (still in H4) and drove for a bit. Slip indicator light is back on and staying on.

Based on the fix in previous post does anyone have any 'sensor' knowledge ?
Do you think I'm going to have replace the sensor or just clear again?

Get yourself a Scangauge or similar so you can scan and clear codes as required. You can get codes in unusual operating conditions and it can be essential to be able to clear them. I had a fault code come on five times in two days at high altitude that stopped me from shifting to and from low range. I would have been stranded without the Scangauge. That was over twelve months ago and the code has not re-appeared. I Like the gauges and trip computers but I bought one to potentially get me out of trouble in such an electronic vehicle in remote locations. It took nearly four years but it happened.

It is most likely dirt and water in a sensor plug, have a look particularly around the front wheels.

[KarlCaudwell Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close KarlCaudwell]

Thanks for the suggestion. I have been thinking that way too��

[matty007 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close matty007]

Hi karl. I've got the same problem as you describe. My slip inducator light has come on after the long weekend spent on bribie island and crossing a few washouts on the way in. Have you managed to clear the fault again and has it stayed off this time ?

[KarlCaudwell Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close KarlCaudwell]

Hi Matty,

Unfortunately I had it cleared and it came straight back on. Shows the fault as Steering sensor, which is located in the cllock spring in Steering column (I think). Mechanic quoted $1,300 for replacement clock spring from Toyota. I contacted 'All four X 4 Spares' and they import genuine parts from Japan and got it for half that. Then a couple of hundred to fit it. Seems to be fine now. Just had a weekend on some slippery tracks and slip indicator flashed but didn't stay on. I haven't had it in the situation that started it in the first place.

[matty007 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close matty007]

Thanks Karl, I had a feeling that's what it was from the research I've done. Do you know if the fault disables stability control ? Because on mine the traction control is definitely not working as I had it spinning in the sand numerous times over the weekend and there was no beeping or loss of power usually associated when the traction control kicks in. I just don't know how to check stability control. On another note what kind of scan tools are people using on their D4D 150's ? Any kind of feed back on this would be great

[andoland Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close andoland]

I had a similar problem last year when driving on Moreton Island - the slip indicator light came on and would not go off. I eventually got Toyota to look at it at the next service and it was identified as the steering angle sensor. They reset it and took it for a test drive and it didn't come back on. They said if it happens again it probably just needs a wheel alignment and they would reset it again after the alignment. Maybe try getting that done before spending big $ on a new sensor.

[NatSX Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close NatSX]

I had same issue after some outback sand driving... Hay river track I think. Can't remember details but dealer adjusted sensor and reset fault when I got back to civilisation and no problem since.... that was many trips and a few years ago.

[matty007 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close matty007]

So I still have the slip indicator light present. I bought a scan gauge 2 and hooked that up and it won't clear it ! When scanning for faults the gauge says there are no recorded faults but there is a force clear option, this does not remove the light even after trying it several times like the instruction booklet says. I have also tried disconnecting the battery twice. Once for a couple of hrs then again over night, both attempts did not clear fault. I'm now thinking I have to take it into Toyota. Is there anything else I can try before this ? Thanks in advance