2004 Highlander: Expensive Brake Problem?..Searching Forum for Answers.

[Taurus SHO]

Hello Tundrasolutions forum, I'm a SHOforum guy looking for a solution to a major problem for a single mom friend of mine who has a 2004 Highlander with a major problem.

Summary:

2004 Highlander 90,000 miles. Situation: driving down a dry road at 40 mph, the Traction control light comes on, alert beeper goes off like crazy and the antilock brakes kick in bringing the car down to about 8 mph max speed. Car thinks its on ice or something as the Traction control halts the car, governs the motor and you are pretty much doa in the road with a 5 mph limp mode. I was able to nurse the car 3 miles home with the brakes pulsating, dash beeping, the whole works. At one point I turned off the ignition to reset things and briefly got the car back up to 40 mph before it kicked on again.

Searching the forum for an answer hoping it was just a matter of pressing a traction control switch, but after a brief search I see that's not an option.

Google search showed a nice description of the compaint in an auto database, but no answer.


Any thoughts? Expected Cost? A potential TSB to hand the dealer if I can fix this myself?


Other Details:

Car does have non stock rims and tires (some mighty fine Foose rims that gotta be like 20's maybe?), but These rims have been on the car for over a year.

Any help would be appreciated.

This has been my best luck finding a solution so far:

File a complaint to NHSTA regarding VSC/ABS Skid control ECU failure

[bepperb]

The VSC computer is below the front passenger seat. You might want to make sure that one of the harnesses hasn't come undone, and maybe unplug/replug them to make sure the contacts are good.

After that, there is a wheel speed sensor on each wheel. It could easily be that one of them has gone bad. I can't tell you how to determine which one is bad, likely something you'd need to go to a dealer for.

The traction control switch is near your right knee, you can give that a try.