VSC, TRAC OFF, ABS, and parking brake lights all on(no check engine light)4th gen

So I drive a 2003 V8 2WD limited. All 4 of my lights came on at the same time a while back. (VSC, TRAC, ABS, BRAKE). I went to check the speed sensors, and found that some gear oil had been leaking all over the drivers rear brake. I took it in to get an inspection, and of course they give me 5,500 worth of repairs, but at least I was able to pin point the most likely issue for my brake lights among the long list of problems… it seemed that the axle seal had worn out and had been leaking. They said that I need a new axle seal, bearing, and I figured I would need a new speed sensor. Now I’m not huge into fixing cars, but I decided I wanted to fix it myself to save some money, and learn a little. After I saw some videos on how to do axle seal and bearing, it didn’t seem too bad to do the axle seal, but I needed a ton of special tools for the bearing, and after basic self diagnostics, it didn’t seem like the bearing had any play, and it honestly seemed like it was still in good condition. (Plus With the amount of tools I was going to have to get to do the bearing, it was gonna cost around the same to have the shop do it lol). So I replaced the axle seal, and speed sensor and cleaned a tonnnn with brake cleaner. So at least that is fixed now, no leaking going on there, but I still got the lights on. I cleared them with a code reader and also I cleared it another time with the paper clip trick I found on YouTube, but all the lights are still on. So my question is could it still be on because I didn’t replace the bearing also? (Even though it seemed to be totally fine and had no play)
Or is there some other issue I could be missing? ❔❓

… honestly at this point I think I’m just going to drive with them on because everything seems to be fine, and If it is the bearing I’ll just drive till it actually does start humming or has play and NEEDS to be fixed.
But I would rather fix it if there is anything else I could be missing… I just have the sense if I bring it in to Toyota or a shop, it’s going to be a long expensive game of guess and check…
(Also I when I run diagnostics, the only error that comes up is B2221, back door jam protection sensor)


***UPDATE***
Problem Solved
I found that the rear passenger wheel sensor had a bunch of gunk on in, so I took the axle out, and the bearing had fallen apart, and basically the speed sensor was getting coated in bearing grease. Put a new axle bearing assembly kit on and all the lights are off now!

the bearing/axle assembly was about $415 after tax on Amazon. I could’ve just done the bearing, but I didn’t want to go through the trouble of getting the old one off and finding/buying a bearing press. It looked like quite the process on the YouTube videos, so I probably spent like $200 extra, but I would honestly recommend it(unless you have a bearing press/all the tools, I just had a socket set) because it made it wayyy easier.

 

Back when I had my 2006 4Runner, I had the same issue. Toyota sent out around recall for the brake light switch that was good for a limited time. This fixed the issue.

Try turning it on without touching the brake. Then press the brake pedal to see if the lights come on. If so, replace the brake light switch.

 

@Dakotafisher This may seem an odd question given your symptoms, but bear with me. Do you happen to run aftermarket LED headlights? There’s a known issue where LED bulbs with cooling fans can cause transient ground faults in the ABS system, which causes those lights to come on. There’s a Toyota service bulletin for 5th Gens but it has happened on 4th Gens too (mine included).

 

So I reset the computer again to see when the lights come on. So no lights right when I start the car. As long as it’s not moving I don’t get lights, it can be in drive with my foot on the brake or moving the steering wheel, and I can drive for about 5 min if I’m babying the car, and keeping it around 25mph or less. If I drive any faster/turn harder it pretty much comes on right away(all 4 lights at the same time). Then they’re on for good, even when I start my car again, until I do another reset on the OBD. I tried this like 5 times to be sure.

@TrueTexas the brake lights seem to be working fine, I checked them all, and it doesn’t make a difference whether or not I start the car with the brake on. Do you think this could still be a cause?
And @Bluesky 07 i am still running the original halogen bulbs I believe. They’re not LED, plus i checked and it doesn’t look like there’s any cooling fan on the bulbs.

 

Weird.

 

With the symptoms listed, it sounds like you may have an ABS/Wheel speed sensor going bad!

 

Ok well… I think I found the problem. I had some extra speed sensors and I went to replace the rear passenger, and pulled it out, and it was completely gunked up with gear oil, so I guess the seal on my passenger side axle was busted too, just hasn’t started leaking out of the hub yet… so I’ll have to get that fixed, and cleaned and hopefully it fixes the lights!
Thanks for the responses.

 

Hi all! I own a 2005 4Runner with only 192K miles.
I'm here because I feel like I have been bamboozled by the Toyota dealership. I just spend $3200 for these very same lights that appeared on my dash. They told me my ABS actuator had internally failed.

Not being a mechanic of any sorts, I paid to have this work done (I had this replaced along with a brake flush). The very next day, I am driving and the same lights came on. It is currently back at the dealership "for further testing and to make sure the parts they installed aren't bad"! What the heck I say! It was a brand new Toyota part; not after market. How does a brand new part go bad I ask....no answer. They are keeping it again for another 24-48 hours to run a diagnosis.

So as not to succumb to further bamboozlement, I came here.

Yes, I have after market LED lights but have had them for over a year...could this be it as I read above?
What should I start with having them check if they come back with more expensive suggestions of repair?

Thank you!

 

My experience is with LED bulbs that had cooling fans and were installed in my original OEM headlight housings. If that is what you’re talking about when you say you have aftermarket LED lights, then I think it’s a definite possibility. I had mine for several years before it became a problem. The crazy thing was that the bulb worked fine, but when I swapped in a standard halogen and cleared the codes so the dash lights went out, they didn’t come back on - until I reinstalled that particular LED bulb (it was the driver’s side, passenger side bulb was fine). I ended up replacing my high and low beams with fanless LEDs and all has been good since.

I’ve never had full aftermarket LED headlights (housings and all) so I can’t speak to that setup.

When you get your truck back, install some halogen bulbs, get the codes cleared (AutoZone and other parts stores can usually do it), see what happens, and go from there.

I wish we lived in a world where I could comfortably disbelieve that any place of business would swindle anyone like that, but sadly, we don’t.

 

@Bluesky 07 Thank you for your feedback.
I did replace my original headlight housings with new LED housing and bulbs (not sure on the technical terms). I only recently discovered the LED bulb have little fans...not sure if mine do but will look into them as soon as I get my vehicle back. I did tell the dealership about that and all the other items mentioned in this feed. We'll see what they come up with.

 

I hope it's simple fix.

Your dealer story reminded me of a colleague's air conditioner issue. She took her Honda to a shop and they quoted her $1000+ to replace all these "bad components" in her a/c. She didn't have the money, so she had been driving around for 2 Atlanta summers with no a/c. We were talking about it and she offhandedly said, "It's so weird. It came on once and worked great for about 5 minutes." That's where a little experience and a lot of years spent reading forums like this one came in handy. I was thinking it had to be electrical, so I searched for a Honda forum and learned that others had similar symptoms that came back to the failure of a $12 relay. I told her and she bought one, figuring she had nothing to lose. We installed it and you can guess what happened next - cold air! I just can't fathom the kind of s***heads that would screw people like her shop was trying to. Disgusting.

 

My son just went through this turned out after almost 2 years of running LED headlights. This was the issue. We swapped out the LEDs for some good Sylvania H 11 bulbs. Problem solved as stupid as it is that was the issue.

 

@Mymutt2 had your son changed out the entire headlight housing or just installed the LED bulbs? I had the entire housing replaced and LED bulbs in those. Just trying to figure out the folks that say they had the same issue was it a matter of just putting in LED bulbs in original housing or if like me, upgrading the housing and bulbs would create this issue as well.
My Runner is still with the dealership for "more diagnosis" :|

 

Housing doesn’t matter, the question is whether or not the LED bulbs have cooling fans. Somehow, electronic emissions from the fans apparently cause a fault in the ABS ground system according to the info I could find.

 

The housing are OEM. I would say the LEDs were about two years old. I've had them for about five years No issues at all. Have no idea why his would have issues. His had fans.

 

Well, I got the call from the dealership and they said they took out my LED bulbs and replaced with halogen and lights on my dash are off now (after I read everyone's comments and suggested this to them) but of course they say my $3200 was not waisted money because the brake actuator was bad and needed replacing. I told them I don't believe them for one minute but money already spent. I asked to see the failure report as well.
Lesson learned....come here first!
Thanks everyone. We'll see if my dash lights stay off!

 

@KrazyKatLady - I hope the lights stay off and that solves your issue. I'm just sick over the $3200. Maybe I'm wrong - I haven't dealt with that kind of failure - but I just can't imagine any reputable shop charging that much for the same work. I don't know where you live or if you're on Facebook, but my advice would be to see whether there are local or regional groups, like here in Georgia. The concept is the same as this forum - you can get great advice about what's up with your truck and recommendations for solid shops that deal fairly and with integrity. I also highly recommend for the same reason. They have a lot of very smart, experienced people all over the country and their credo is "Explore, Educate, Encourage." No snobs there, everyone is welcome and it's an amazing group for many reasons, including the incredible events they hold throughout the year. And usually, those groups have many actual shop owners in their ranks so you get a good deal and work you can trust.

While I'm on my soapbox, I've just never understood dishonest shops. It's just as easy to do things right and once word is out that you do solid work and treat people fairly, you'll be set for success. There was a place when I lived in the DFW Metroplex that was known to be fair and honest. They didn't spend a penny on advertising yet getting in to see them was like trying to crash Times Square on New Year's Eve. They had more business then they knew what to do with.

/rant

P.S. I'm no genius but I've owned and worked on my 4R for 10+ years so please feel free to reach out directly anytime if you have a question or need an opinion.