As drivers, most of us are used to the typical lights on the instrument panel. However, when a nondescript light like VSC TRAC Off suddenly appears, our hearts skip a beat. In this article, I will talk about VSC TRAC disabled – what does it mean?
When the VSC TRAC off warning light illuminates on the dash, either by accident or due to a trigger, it means that your vehicle’s Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Traction Control (TRAC) are not working properly. The VSC is like a hover vehicle with the letters OFF on its screen.
What is the reason for the VSC and TRAC warning lights coming on? If these lights come on and stay on, there could be a fault with your car’s VSC and TRAC systems. You need to drive your vehicle to the local dealer for your particular car. Your qualified auto technician will diagnose and find out why this light came on.
Read on to learn more about the VSC and TRAC lights, what it means when the word OFF accompanies them, and why these lights will appear on your dash.
VSC TRAC OFF – What does it mean?
If the VSC TRAC OFF warning lights come on on your dash, either by accident or on purpose, your vehicle’s vehicle stability control and traction control systems are disabled. The VSC indicator light appears as a skidding vehicle accompanied by the word OFF.
Why would this light come on on your dash? If this light appears not by accident but by a trigger, there could be a VSC system malfunction or an error in your vehicle’s computer. To verify the cause, you must take your vehicle to the dealer where you purchased your car.
Meanwhile, the TRAC OFF light coming on may mean that your car’s traction control has been turned off by the computer. The trigger could be a vehicle speed sensor failure or a malfunction of the wheel speed sensors.
Can you safely drive your vehicle with the VSC OFF and TRAC OFF lights on? No, this can be dangerous. The possibility of losing control of your car is high if these systems do not work. If you persist in driving your vehicle, you may be in a car accident.
You can turn off the VSC TRAC OFF light on your instrument panel. But first check if your car has no real VSC and TRAC problems. Just press its buttons and the lights will turn off. These systems will work again to protect your vehicle.
How do VSC and TRAC work in a car?
VSC maintains traction and control through power reduction
As the component that provides control over your vehicle’s stability, VSC maintains traction and control by reducing or completely cutting power delivered to the wheels. VSC automatically applies brake pressure to up to three wheels of your vehicle.
Security feature requirement since 2012
The goal of the VSC is to keep your vehicle in the direction in which you pointed the wheels. It’s been a safety feature requirement since 2012. So if your indicator light says VSC OFF, it’s not working.
Regarding TRAC, if you see TRAC OFF on your dash, it means you pushed your button accidentally or on purpose. This button is usually located on the left side of the steering wheel.
Only disable the TRAC feature when your car is stuck in mud or snow
You have traction control disabled when your instrument panel displays TRAC OFF. You will not be able to use this safety feature if your wheels have traction problems.
However, you can intentionally disable this security feature. When can you turn it off on purpose? For example, your vehicle is stuck in mud or snow and you can’t move it an inch.
Disable TRAC or VSC to reduce engine power to your wheels. You can rock your vehicle from side to side by deactivating the system to free it from mud or snow.
Press the TRAC OFF button
You can disable this safety feature by pressing the TRAC OFF button. This button will light up on the dash. Then lift the wheels off the mud or snow. After releasing the wheels, press this button again and it will turn the system back on.
Are VSC OFF and TRAC OFF Light the same thing?
VSC OFF and TRAC OFF are different from each other. Your lights refer specifically to each system, so they are not the same. The VSC OFF light comes on if your system is disabled. It is the same with the TRAC OFF light.
However, there are some makes and models of cars, such as Toyota vehicles. They may only have one of these two warning lights. In the case of Toyota, the warning light is VSC OFF or TRAC OFF.
For most makes of vehicles, when the TRAC OFF and VSC OFF lights illuminate on the instrument panel, the traction control and vehicle stability control systems are disabled.
Why do TRAC OFF and Check Engine Lights come on at the same time?
TRAC OFF and Check Engine Light come on in most cars simultaneously. Why is that? When these lights come on at the same time, their sensors are not working properly. Common sensors that can cause this situation are airflow and oxygen sensors.
It could also be due to a faulty catalytic converter. When these sensors and the catalytic converter malfunction, the Check Engine Light and the TRAC OFF light can come together.
You may also have a loose gas cap. If your gas cap is already broken, you can replace it with an OEM gas cap for your particular vehicle.
Hopefully this will fix this problem if it is indeed what caused the warning light to come on in the first place.
