2005 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER brake light

145
Active traction control system indicator
light
The active traction control system auto-
matically helps control the spinning of
4 wheels which may occur when accel-
erating on slippery road surfaces, by
controlling the output of the brake and
engine. Thus, the system assists driver
to control the driving power of 4
wheels. When you turn the ignition
switch on, the active traction control
system always turns on automatically,
and the active traction control indicator
light will come on. The indicator light
will go off after a few seconds.When active traction control is applied,
the active traction control system indi-
cator light blinks.
You may hear a sound in the engine
compartment for a few seconds when the
engine is started or just after the vehicle
begins to move. This means that the ac-
tive traction control system is in the self
−
check mode, and does not indicate mal-
function. When the active traction control
system is operating, you may feel vibra-
tion or hear noise of your vehicle, caused
by operation of the brakes. This indicates
the system is functioning properly.
When getting the vehicle out of mud or
newly fallen snow, etc., the active traction
control system will help operate to prevent
the wheels from spinning.Active traction control system failure
warning
This light warns when there is a problem
somewhere in the active traction control
system.
If the “VSC/TRAC” warning light comes
on, have your vehicle checked by your
Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
Active traction control system

146
The brake actuator temperature increases
during the active traction control system
or vehicle stability control system operat-
ing. If the brake actuator temperature be-
comes too high while the active traction
control system or vehicle stability control
system is operating, a buzzer will start to
sound intermittently to indicate that the
active traction control system can no lon-
ger operate. In this case, immediately stop
your vehicle at a safe place. If the system
continues to operate, the buzzer sound
changes from intermittent to continuous.
(The continuous buzzer sounds for about
3 seconds.) At the time, the “VSC/TRAC”
warning light will come on and the active
traction control system temporarily stops
operating in order to protect the brake
actuator. (Although the active traction con-
trol system does not operate, there is no
problem to continue your driving.) The
system will be automatically restored after
a short time and “VSC/TRAC” warning
light goes off if the accelerator pedal is
released.
When the “ABS” warning light come on,
the active traction control system is not
operating.
The “VSC/TRAC” warning light will come
on when the ignition key is turned “ON”,
and will go off after a few seconds.The “VSC/TRAC” warning light may stay
on for 60 seconds after the ignition key
is turned to “ON” position. It is normal if
it goes off after a few seconds.
Depressing the brake pedal repeatedly
may turn on the “VSC/TRAC” warning
light. It is normal if it goes off after a few
seconds.
When the “VSC/TRAC” warning light
comes on the active traction control sys-
tem is not operating, but there is no prob-
lem if you continue to drive.
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer:
The “VSC/TRAC” warning light does not
come on after the ignition key is turned
“ON”.
The “VSC/TRAC” remains on after the
ignition key is turned “ON”.
CAUTION
Under certain slippery road condi-
tions, full traction of the vehicles and
power to 4 wheels may not be main-
tained, even though the active trac-
tion control system is in operation.
Do not drive the vehicle under any
speed or maneuvering conditions
which will cause the vehicle to lose
traction. In situations where the road
surface is covered with ice or snow,
your vehicle should be fitted with
snow tires or tire chains. Always
drive at an appropriate and cautious
speed for the road conditions pres-
ent.

147
The vehicle stability control system
helps provide integrated control of the
systems such as antilock brake, trac-
tion control, engine control, etc. This
system automatically controls the out-
put of the brakes or engine to help
prevent the vehicle from skidding under
adverse conditions.
The system activates when the vehicle
speed is about more than 15 km/h (9
mph).
You may hear a sound in the engine
compartment for a few seconds when the
engine is started or just after the vehicle
begins to move. This means that the ve-
hicle stability control system is in the
self−check mode and does not indicate a
malfunction.CAUTION
Active traction control system, ve-
hicle stability control system and
antilock brake system are electron-
ic systems designed to help the
driver maintain control under ad-
verse conditions. They are not a
substitute for safe driving practices.
Factors including speed, road con-
ditions and driver steering input
can all affect whether active trac-
tion control system, vehicle stability
control system and antilock brake
system will be effective in prevent-
ing a loss of control. Always keep
safety driving in mind. If the slip
indicator light flashes, sounding an
alarm, special care should be taken
while driving.
Only use tires of specified size. The
size, manufacturer, brand and tread
pattern for all 4 tires should be the
same. If you use the tires other
than specified, or different type or
size, the vehicle stability control
system may not function correctly.
When replacing the tires or wheels,
contact your Toyota dealer. (See
“Checking and replacing tires” on
page 304.)
Vehicle stability control
system

148
If the vehicle is going to skid during driv-
ing, the slip indicator light flashes and an
alarm sounds intermittently.
When you turn the ignition switch on, the
slip indicator light will come on. The slip
indicator light will go off after a few sec-
onds.Pushing the center differential lock button
automatically turns the vehicle stability
control system off. At this time, the “VSC
OFF” indicator comes on with the center
differential lock indicator light. (For details,
see “Four−wheel drive system—(a)Four −
wheel drive control” on page 139.)Vehicle stability control system failure
warning
These lights warn when there is a prob-
lem somewhere in the vehicle stability
control system or active traction control
system.
If the “VSC/TRAC” warning light and “VSC
OFF” indicator light come on, have your
vehicle checked by your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible. However, there is no
problem if the “VSC/TRAC” warning light
comes on when the brake actuator tem-
perature becomes high. (For details, see
“Active traction control system” on page
145.)

149
When the “ABS” warning light comes on,
the vehicle stability control system is not
operating.
The “VSC/TRAC” warning light and “VSC
OFF” indicator light will come on when the
ignition key is turned “ON”, and will go off
after a few seconds.
The “VSC/TRAC” warning light and “VSC
OFF” indicator light may stay on for 60
seconds after the ignition key is turned to
“ON” position. It is normal if they go off
after a few seconds.
Depressing the brake pedal repeatedly
may turn on the lights. It is normal if they
go off after a few seconds.
When the “VSC/TRAC” warning light and
“VSC OFF” indicator light come on, the
vehicle stability control system is not op-
erating, but there is no problem if you
continue to drive.
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer:
The “VSC/TRAC” warning light, “VSC
OFF” indicator light and slip indicator
light do not come on after the ignition
key is turned “ON”.
The “VSC/TRAC” warning light and
“VSC OFF” indicator light remain on af-
ter the ignition key is turned “ON”.
The “VSC OFF” indicator light comes
on while driving without pushing the
center differential lock switch.

215
For detailed information on oil level check,
see “Checking the engine oil level” on
page 296.
Your engine is fitted with iridiumtipped
spark plugs.
NOTICE
Use only iridiumtipped spark plugs
and do not adjust gaps for your en-
gine performance and smooth drivabil-
ity.
Brake system
BRAKE SYSTEM
This brake system has two independent
hydraulic circuits. If either circuit should
fail, the other will still work. However, the
pedal will be harder to press, and your
stopping distance will increase. Also, the
brake system warning light may come on.
CAUTION
Do not drive your vehicle with only a
single brake system. Have your
brakes fixed immediately.
BRAKE BOOSTER
The brake booster uses brake fluid pres-
surized by the pump to power−assist the
brakes. If the brake booster fails during
driving, the brake system warning light
comes on and buzzer sound continuously.
In this case, the brakes may not work
properly. If they do not work well, depress
the brake pedal firmly. If the brake system
warning light comes on, immediately stop
your vehicle and contact your Toyota deal-
er.
Iridiumtipped spark plugs

216
The brake system warning light may stay
on for about 60 seconds after the ignition
key is turned to “ON” position. It is nor-
mal if the light turns off after a while.
Depressing the brake pedal repeatedly
may turn on the brake system warning
light and buzzer. It is normal if the light
turns off and the buzzer stops sounding
after a few seconds.
You may hear a small sound in the engine
compartment after the engine is started or
the brake pedal is depressed repeatedly.
This is a pump pulsating sound of the
brake system, and it is not a malfunction.
CAUTION
Do not pump the brake pedal if the
engine stalls. Each push on the
pedal uses up your brake fluid
pressure reserve.
Even if the power assist is com-
pletely lost, the brakes will still
work. But you will have to push the
pedal hard, much harder than nor-
mal. And your braking distance will
increase.
ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM
(with “ABS” warning light)
The antilock brake system is designed
to automatically help prevent lockup of
the wheels during a sudden braking or
braking on slippery road surfaces. This
assists in providing stability and steer-
ing performance of the vehicle under
these circumstances.
Effective way to press the ABS brake
pedal: When the anti −lock brake system
function is in action, you may feel the
brake pedal pulsating and hear a noise.
In this situation, to let the anti −lock
brake system work for you, just hold the
brake pedal down more firmly. Do not
pump the brake in a panic stop. This
will result in reduced braking perfor-
mance.
The anti −lock brake system becomes op-
erative after the vehicle has accelerated
to a speed in excess of approximately 10
km/h (6 mph). It stops operating when the
vehicle decelerates to a speed below
approximately 5 km/h (3 mph). Depressing the brake pedal on slippery
road surfaces such as on a manhole cov-
er, a steel plate at a construction site,
joints in a bridge, etc. on a rainy day
tends to activate the anti
−lock brake sys-
tem.
You may hear a click or motor sound in
the engine compartment for a few seconds
when the engine is started or just after
the vehicle begins to move. This means
that the anti −lock brake system is in the
self check mode, and does not indicate a
malfunction.
When the antilock brake system is ac-
tivated, the following conditions may
occur. They do not indicate a malfunc-
tion of the system:
You may hear the anti −lock brake sys-
tem operating and feel the brake pedal
pulsating and the vibrations of the body
and steering wheel. You may also hear
the motor sound in the engine compart-
ment even after the vehicle is stopped.
At the end of the anti −lock brake sys-
tem activation, the brake pedal may
move a little forward.

217
CAUTION
Do not overestimate the antilock
brake system: Although the antilock
brake system assists in providing ve-
hicle control, it is still important to
drive with all due care and maintain
a moderate speed and safe distance
from the vehicle in front of you, be-
cause there are limits to the vehicle
stability and effectiveness of steering
wheel operation even with the anti
lock brake system on.
If tire grip performance exceeds its
capability, or if hydroplaning occurs
during high speed driving in the rain,
the antilock brake system does not
provide vehicle control.
Antilock brake system is not de-
signed to shorten the stopping dis-
tance: Always drive at a moderate
speed and maintain a safe distance
from the vehicle in front of you.
Compared with vehicles without an
antilock brake system, your vehicle
may require a longer stopping dis-
tance in the following cases:
Driving on rough, gravel or snow
covered roads.
Driving with tire chains installed.
Driving over the steps such as the
joints on the road.
Driving on roads where the road
surface is pitted or has other differ-
ences in surface height.
Install all 4 tires of specified size at
appropriate pressure: The antilock
brake system detects vehicle speeds
using the speed sensors for respec-
tive wheels’ turning speeds. The use
of tires other than specified may fail
to detect the accurate turning speed,
resulting in a longer stopping dis-
tance.
“ABS” warning light
The light comes on when the ignition
key is turned to the “ON” position. If
the antilock brake system and the
brake assist system work properly, the
light turns off after a few seconds.
Thereafter, if either of the systems mal-
functions, the light comes on.