4.3 Mot Next Year....

[Nightstalker]

Heeelllloooo

Having read through the forum letting us know the best ways to save fuel...

Or resident guru Anchorman posted this

"Incidentally for anyone with a 4.3 that comes up for an MOT next spring (when they become 3 years old) the VSC must be disabled to avoid trashing the transmission."

Could someone if not Anchorman himself explain this to us non mechs...

I'd like to make sure that my local MR T will know about this before they break Big Red and end up cosing me a fortune....

Regards

Rob

B)

[Fujisan]

Incidentally for anyone with a 4.3 that comes up for an MOT next spring (when they become 3 years old) the VSC must be disabled to avoid trashing the transmission.

Please can I ask you to explain that a bit further?

Yes Fuj - with pleasure.

The VSC is such that if you use conventional means (brake roller tester with one wheel being tested at a time) it will pick that up as the vehicle out of control as one wheel is turning and 3 are not (it cannot detect that the vehicle is stationary because there is a speed sensor on each wheel [used for vehicle speed detection rather than ABS operation]- very unusual). As some 4.3s will be due for first test next year I thought it might be helpful to mention that the VSC must be disabled otherwise when the first wheel turns in isolation from the others it will try to lock up the transmission in 4WD and the brake tester will force the wheel against the locked transmission. Serious damage could result as you will be trying to haul a ton and a half out of the brake roller by one wheel against partially applied brakes because you are pressing the brake pedal!!! Its a bit of RAV tansmission/VSC infighting thing!

A main dealer will install his DLC3 tester and set it to "brake test" which will kill everything. However, I for one will not be going to the dealer for MOT (purely as a matter of convenience) and if anyone else has similar plans then the VSC has to be disabled. There is another way but it is a lot of flocking about. So here are the 3 ways of doing it without the DLC3 tester;

1. Use the press brake/hand brake method described here;

http://toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.p...mp;#entry707773

2. Use a piece of wire to short out the pins 4 and 12 of the DLC plug shown here;

3. Then there is the flock about method which requires the other wheels to be allowed to turn while the individual brakes are tested (albeit fail safe as no damage can be done). It means the car has to be lifted to get the remaining wheels off the ground and the handbrake off so that all wheels can turn freely when the transmission locks up - like this;

Remember that this also has to be done when testing the rear wheels and the tester is going to love that! The easiest way is in disabling the VSC as described in either 1. or 2. above. The first is easy enough with a bit of practice and the second needs a bit of confidence but is also easy (the plug is right by the bonnet pull). I printed the first procedure and left it in the glove box. Just remember that when taking the car for test you need to disable it but the first time the ignition is switched off the VSC will reset itself.

I would hate anyone to cause a lot of damage to thier car so I thought it would be helpful to mention it

Regards

PS I will be off line soon for hols!

This was Anchorman's reply before he jetted off to the sun :D

I think as long as you remind Mr T at MOT you should be OK.

[bothwell_buyer]

Course, ye cuid dae nuthin then sue them fur negligence.........

[Nightstalker]

Course, ye cuid dae nuthin then sue them fur negligence.........

Problem with that Bothers is that you'd have to prove it and knowing MR T dealerships they mostly find ways to end up making you pay....

Think I'll print Fujis entr

y and lay it in with my service manual - just incase my grey cell forgets about this VSC ... what are we talking aboot??

rgds

Rob

B)

[Fujisan]

Think I'll print Fujis entr

y and lay it in with my service manual - just incase my grey cell forgets about this VSC ... what are we talking aboot??

rgds

Rob

B)

Not that's a good idea ..........must remember to do that when I get home