Brake controller error/4hi 4lo flashing/traction control and ABS lights on.

As i read through the threads, i have found many similar issues, but have not found a complete resolution. I have a 16 tundra with my dash board going crazy!! See the thread heading for all of what is going on. I took it to the dealership today. The code said replace the FL wheel speed sensor/wires. So......instead of paying the $800 they wanted, i went to Oriellys and spent $400 on a FL sensor and wire. Got home, installed both in about 30 minutes, and still getting same message. I disconnected the battery for a couple of minutes thinking it might clear a fault code, but nothing! Dont know where i should go next. Any ideas???

 

The flashing lights could be a number of issues and it's possible one of them was in fact your ABS sensor or harness that you replaced. However.....If you didn't notice any visible issues with the harness or the wheel speed sensor then the issue probably lies within the front left CV Axle itself. I would replace the front left CV axle and wheel hub as my next step and see if that fixes your problem. You could do both yourself for about $200 but it can be a pain to remove the old hub and get the new axle to slide in. Good luck!

 

Wait, why would he replace the cv axle if the dash is lighting up with warnings and he's replaced his abs sensor already? Unless there's another sensor in there that I don't know about, then it would still be showing the warning messages afterwards since something electrical is showing the problem. Just wondering out loud here.
*edit*
I mention this because I have a friend that has a similar issue

 

Thats exactly what i ended up doing. The hub assembly was bad, and some jerkhole cross threaded the axle nut, so i had to replace the axle. You were correct, it ran me about $200. Thank you for the reply! Oh and it also took the spongey feeling away from my brakes.

 

Did this clear up the warnings on the dash too? Would like to be able to help out my buddy if it's similar. How many miles are you at and aside from the lights, what were the symptoms?

 

As soon as i started to drive the truck, all of the lights went off and it was fine. Truck has 130,000. The brakes felt really spongey, like i had to pump them one before they would engage right. Other than that, lights that were on, had no abs, and 4x4 wouldnt engage.

 

If I'm remembering the setup correctly, the sensor is mounted on the knuckle and "senses" the rotation of the axle. To be honest, I'm not totally sure what mechanism inside/on the axle is returning a signal to the sensor, but the internals of the axle can get crusty and fail to provide clear feedback over time. The axle is a pretty cheap repair and would be a worth a shot before I started mucking around with brake controllers, wiring, etc. but I would also get a new hub assembly unless the one on the truck has relatively few miles.

 

Thank you for this information. Just learned something new.

 

I have the same issue with my 2014 CM

My 4H and 4L flash and my ABS/Traction control lights stay solid. When the 4H and 4L are flashing, the truck will not engage into 4WD.

When I shut off the truck completely and restart it, sometimes the 4H and 4L lights stop flashing and when I put the truck into drive and go a few miles, the ABS and traction control light shuts off. Then, the truck will engage in 4WD (4H & 4L). I just recently had to go up to D.C. for military duties and not one time did the lights come on. But of course during the time we get ice and snow, they're on constant.

During all of this, I am not getting a CEL. I replaced all four wheel speed sensors and that didn't seem to be the fix.

 

I know you said that you replaced the wheel sensors.... did you happen to inspect the wiring for the wheel sensors during this time? I've heard of this being an issue with a friend that isn't on here. Curious of what everyone's end result is

 

Honestly, no I did not. Once this crazy weather lightens up I'm going to use a multimeter and see if anything is off. Anything is possible. Could be a ground issue. Who knows.

 

Did you run a diagnostic when the lights are flashing? My money is on one of the front axles.

 

My tundra is currently doing this, what we did before anything happened is replaced tires with bigger ones and cv axel for being cross threaded and then replaced wheel bearing I’ve replaced the wheel sensor with oem
And front left cv axel from autozone and wheel bearing/hub from adavance auto parts. Would having aftermarket parts have anything to do with those light?

 

I know this is about 3 years old but I have a 08 Toyota Tundra LTD 4HI 4LO VSC is flashing Brake Traction Control and ABS is on could this be my problem? I had both hubs replaced and that didn't fix it. TYIA

 

After replacing my wheel hubs and wheel speed sensors, my problem ended up being the wiring harness that goes to rear passenger side sensor. Somehow it was sliced. The wheel speed sensors I purchased off Amazon. They are expensive if you get OEM genuine Toyota. Hope this helps!

 

Started have this issue today. The 4lo 4 hi are flashing.

 

I dropped my 2016 Tundra off today at Johnson City Toyota. Fingers crossed. Here’s a little background in the event any of y’all are experiencing the same.

I have a long, steep driveway. For some time now when I’d first start the truck and head down the drive, when I reached the road and turned out into the road, releasing the brake pedal, I’ve heard a slight clunk. Additionally, in right hand curves I can feel a rhythmic vibration, not a grinding but more of a rumble. Don’t feel it during left hand curves.

last Sunday while on a road trip I braked and heard a very audible clunk. It actually sounded like something in the bed had fallen over but nothing had. Almost immediately when braking the steering wheel would shake. Heck the whole truck would shake. Soon thereafter the dash lit up like a Christmas tree.

Today when I left for the dealership when I braked I’d hear and feel a clunk. Something major is going on. The above pic is a screen shot from a video I recorded with my phone and I showed it to one of the techs.

The price of trucks (and a lot of things) has gotten beyond ridiculous. But I shan’t tolerate something that’ll dollar me to death. Very disappointed. Truck has just over 67k and has been babied it’s entire life only driven on weekends as I have a company car.

I’ll post the results but I fear it’s gonna be expensive.

 

That sucks, I have the same thing going on on my old 2007 5.7 4x4 LB DC SR5. At first it was just (as if only….lol) the 4hi-4lo, traction control, then the abs light started coming in. When the abs light thing started happening, I would start the truck and I could here the ABS modular trying to “engage” if that’s the right word……but no light until I started driving……if you hit the brake it would engage the abs…..you know the grinding noise of the abs doing it’s thing when you jam on the brakes, but it was happening because of some kind of abs modular malfunction.

the strange thing is after the automatic door lock after reaching a certain speed and the dinging of the seat belt chime would stop the abs light would come on and the the brakes would be “normal” again, but now almost every possible light on the dash would be on except the tpms light and a/t temp light…..

I was told it was the knock sensor harness (replaced that, didn’t fix it). I was also to,d it was a wheel speed sensor, but didn’t replace it, I just got frustrated and drove around with it for almost a year until I was able to put myself into a new truck……the lights didn’t affect a thing u til the ABS thing started happening, and I’m pretty sure I know what the fix for that was/is (new abs actuator module)

what I don’t like to see is it replicating itself on your 2016 because your dash looks like the one in my 2020 and it seems like this is something of a pattern if it’s happening from 2007 to a 2016 and in between that I have yet to see a proper solution or fix too without throwing money at multiple “possible” fixes for it.

I got the extra care warranty for my truck and hate to even suggest this, but I’d like to see it happen to my truck before the warranty expires just to see what the hell the solution is without having to dish out a mortgage payment to pay for it…..lol

good luck, let us know your results……

 

Update: received the following text communications from Johnson City Toyota:

“Has anyone called you to let you know what we decided the problem was?”

“he done his diagnostic and it looks like it is the wheel speed sensor. To get that done we would be looking around 620$. and then of course he would check everything over and make sure everything looks good.”

I’m skeptical that this is the solution. I received the above communication on Tuesday October 17th. Today is Thursday October 19th and I haven’t heard further.

 

This is what I was told as well, I call BS, but yo never know....

 

I was also told it could have been my knock sensor harness, which I paid to have replaced.....didn't solve the Christmas lights......but I didn't do the wheel speed sensor

 

It gets better……just got this:

alright Mr. Smith we got the wheel speed sensor put in but after he started getting the readings off of the sensor, it is showing that the wheel bearing magnet is damaged and that is it reading error with wheel bearing, we can get the bearing in today and you would be looking at an additional 1108.63 without taxes. I think that is what was making noise in the first place but he couldn't get the ready of anything being broken until he replaced that sensor. so if you want us to continue with that just let me know, we do have a payment plan we could set up for you to bust this up into monthly payments

 

So, is there a way to test the wheel speed sensors at home? I had a similar issue while I was in Yellowstone last month, but it only happened when I hit a rumble strip. A quick on/off of the truck and it went away the few times it came up.

I've got hubs on order and some new CVs going in, but am wondering about the sensor.

 

Haven’t heard anything. They still got it. Tomorrow will make one week w/o my truck. We’ll see…

 

I hope they gave you loaner!!

 

Hey Track Day,
I curious to hear what you find out. I started having almost exactly what you described a couple of days ago; abs, traction control lights on and 4 lo and 4 hi blinking. Also an intermittent grinding sound when braking lightly at slow speeds. Though instead of brake controler error I'm getting blind spot monitor error, that goes away if I turn BSM off. If I turn off truck wait a few minutes and turn back on lights go away (I can use 4wd high and low before light come back on, so actuator motor working). Once I get up to around 20 MPH lights reappear. I just replaced transfer and diff fluids and inspected all abs wires, and ordered abs sensors. Nothing so far, I hope they figure yours out. Look forward to hearing good news, and I'll let you know if I find something.

 

Ouch, sorry to see that. Yeah that's why I'm trying to avoid going to the dealer. I got my sensors and installed them, and checked voltage was making it to sensors. With that I was able to eliminate 4 of the 5 codes; in still getting C0273 open circuit in ABS motor relay circuit, so it's on to try to figure that out.

 

Yeah this one stung a bit. Hoping for the best regarding its repair. I can say this:

for a while now I’ve felt a rhythmic vibration in the floorboard especially when going around a right hand curve at speed. It’s gone.

 

I had that problem on my Gen 1 tundra in rear, replaced axel and hub. My brother now owns it 300,000+ miles and still running strong. My current tundra seems to be intermittent in front on light braking, hubs seem to be good so I'm thinking it the ABS. Back to youtube, if not I have a friend that's an ASE cert mechanic (problem is he is almost as bad as dealer when it comes to his billing. I'll post something when I or someone figures it out.