Engine Management Light On & Trc Light Flashing

Taylo3480 · February 13, 2012

Hi All,

Right...got myself a 2000 Lexus is200 se (2000)

A day after I got it, the Engine light came on and the TRC light started flashing. The car started idling low and rocking slightly, almost like it was missfiring. Instinct told me it was a coil pack so I tested them all (all fine) I even swapped all of my step fathers coil packs over as he also has is200 se but made no difference.

I have done a fair few things to it and it just isn't making a difference. I clear the faults and the lights come on again :megaangry:

The list of things I have done so far are as follows...

1. Full Service (inc: plugs, oil flush, all filters etc)

2. Took throttle body apart and cleaned it all, tightened up throttle cable as was sightly loose - Still slightly lumpy

The only thing I can think it is now is the 'oil control valve' or 'camshaft oil control valve' (what ever you call it)

Can anyone help as Im rapidly loosing the will to live now. Anyone having the same issue or can give any advice would be great.

Diagnostic machine will not pick a fault up - Which doesn't help but mind you I have got a non-standard head-unit in and I have heard that they interfere with the diagnostic checking!

HEEEELLLLLP???!

steve2006 · February 13, 2012

If there are warning lights illuminated there will be fault codes stored but some generic code readers will not communicate, see if a professuinal scan tool will work at a local independent or at worst your local Lexus ( read expensive) dealer.

You have changed the most obvious parts but why is the TRC light also coming on? It will be more expensive if you just start making assumptions and replacing random parts rather than getting the codes and being accurate in the diagnosis.

How is the timing belt has it been replaced at the correct interval? The reason I ask is it may if well worn/overdue have slipped a tooth or two but again that would not explain the TRC light.

You could of course have 2 different problems.

Taylo3480 · February 13, 2012

Hi mate, thanks for the reply.

Ive had the Traction Control tested and the car will not wheelspin with it on even though its flashing. Turn it off and it wheel spins very well indeed! ;-) The timing belts been done. Had that checked too. The timing lines marked are bang on.

The diagnostic reading was done with a Snap-on machine (£15,000 worth) but it just didnt read anything. Im half tempted to take the stereo out to stop interference and get my mate to plug it into his system!

If that doesn't pick anything up, nothing will! :-(

I dont particularly want to take it to lexus to be honest.

Appreciate the help with this though mate. Thanks again!

Mxm · October 15, 2012

Hi, this exact problem just happened to me.

Can I ask, what was the problem in the end?

And what did you do to fi it. Thanks.

Max

Easy_now · October 18, 2012

i have just got the same problem on my is200 . the car was driving fine then the engine management light came on and stayed on then trc light started flashig. any help with this problem would be much apreciated

Wickerdiwawa · October 21, 2012

Hi all I have just had the same problem on my is200 but the engine management light is flashing along with the TRC light. I took it out last night it was fine. Then the wife took her out this morning and it started. HELLLP please.

Mrs Arnie · November 2, 2013

Hi there, did anyone find out what the exact problem was with the engine management light is flashing along with the TRC light??

We've changed coil pack, plugs, crankshaft sensor, cleaned camshaft sensor and throttle body valve and done an oil change and engine flush - still no luck and coil 1 keeps coming up on the diagnostic.

My hubby is not sure where to go next :megaangry: - any help would be great!

Thanks all

:)

bria · April 5, 2015

I took a 2001 IS200 manual for a test drive 5 weeks ago. The EML came on and the traction light was flashing. I got it back to the showroom and it was sitting at about 2000 revs while idling. I bought it at a good price and A framed it home. I swapped all the plugs and the coil packs over from my old IS200, fitted a new timing belt kit and serviced my new car. All warning lights went out.

I have been driving it every day since then with no problems, but yesterday after driving about 15 miles the EML came back on and the traction light is flashing again, it was idling at about 2000 revs. Drove it about 10 miles back home and it ran perfectly. Curiously the petrol warning light came on at about the same time on both occasions very strange coincidence. Any ideas?

Thanks

Mrs Arnie · April 8, 2015

Hi there, I eventually found the fault - it was 2 of the fuel injectors, but mine was running really rough when the lights were on - you couldn't drive it anywhere.

jockdee · April 28, 2015

Hey. Was there any definitive answer to this??

I was driving my 2000 se today and the engine management light came on followed by the flashing trc. I drove about 5 miles trying to get back home and car died on me while making a 3 point turn and had to get recovered.

Car has been fine up until now and was last serviced in December.

b.t · June 26, 2015

I have the same problem with the engen management light on . It will run in safe mode until you switch the car off . Then restart it . It runs fine but with still the lights on . Please help I need answers

b.t · July 3, 2015

If any one has this problem . Please try to change you're petrol . It worked for me

nbdn · July 4, 2015

Hi there, I have got the same problem as you guys, engine management light on and trc light flashing.

When I was driving on the motorway a few days ago, the engine sounded really rough and when I put it to neutral to pull off on slip road, the engine cut out. I started it back up and still rough, barely revving and I think misfiring. I drove for about a mile like this, to a garage near my work. The engine cut out when revs dropped below 1k. They had a quick look and said engine has overheated due to no water ( no warning lights for this ).

I haven't tried to move it since, it's hard to get started and sounds really rough. I'm getting a diagnostics run today or Monday. Any ideas? I very worried I'll need a new engine.

O, Car is IS 200 Sport '05, 128k miles. Had from new, no major issues to now.

jockdee · July 4, 2015

Hey mate. Mine turned out to be a leak in the radiator. Garage managed to fix for under 200 notes. Hope this helps.

Hi there, I have got the same problem as you guys, engine management light on and trc light flashing.

When I was driving on the motorway a few days ago, the engine sounded really rough and when I put it to neutral to pull off on slip road, the engine cut out. I started it back up and still rough, barely revving and I think misfiring. I drove for about a mile like this, to a garage near my work. The engine cut out when revs dropped below 1k. They had a quick look and said engine has overheated due to no water ( no warning lights for this ).

I haven't tried to move it since, it's hard to get started and sounds really rough. I'm getting a diagnostics run today or Monday. Any ideas? I very worried I'll need a new engine.

O, Car is IS 200 Sport '05, 128k miles. Had from new, no major issues to now.

b.t · July 5, 2015

Hi All,

Right...got myself a 2000 Lexus is200 se (2000)

A day after I got it, the Engine light came on and the TRC light started flashing. The car started idling low and rocking slightly, almost like it was missfiring. Instinct told me it was a coil pack so I tested them all (all fine) I even swapped all of my step fathers coil packs over as he also has is200 se but made no difference.

I have done a fair few things to it and it just isn't making a difference. I clear the faults and the lights come on again

The list of things I have done so far are as follows...

1. Full Service (inc: plugs, oil flush, all filters etc)

2. Took throttle body apart and cleaned it all, tightened up throttle cable as was sightly loose - Still slightly lumpy

The only thing I can think it is now is the 'oil control valve' or 'camshaft oil control valve' (what ever you call it)

Can anyone help as Im rapidly loosing the will to live now. Anyone having the same issue or can give any advice would be great.

Diagnostic machine will not pick a fault up - Which doesn't help but mind you I have got a non-standard head-unit in and I have heard that they interfere with the diagnostic checking!

HEEEELLLLLP???!

b.t · July 5, 2015

Change you're petrol . They don't like cheep petrol . . I had the same problem put high octane petrol in . Lights been off well over a week now . Hope this works for you

istanbul05 · August 15, 2015

Mine was on both eml and trc car running fine though.. Diagnostics picked up 02 sensor section 1 just passed mot last month so can't be a lot wrong with emissions or lambda and car running great.

Slammer23 · December 1, 2015

I have same problem on my Lexus IS 200 engine light flashes and trc flashing to just had spark plugs done coming up on diagnostic cilander 1 2 and 3 misfire will drive smooth then turn it off and on will drive spluttering garage saying it could be many things are keep you posted what it is.......

micker35 · December 24, 2015

Hi Folks. A while back I had this problem with my 52 plate 300. Now you may find this hard to believe but it was down to my petrol cap not being tightened up properly. The rubber seal gets a bit stiff and doesn't seal so well. There's a sensor near the filler cap that can smell the fumes and the eml + tc lights are the cars way of telling you. My car drove perfectly with these lights on and next time I went to fill up I made sure I gave it a good few clicks on the ratchet on the filler cap.

micker35 · December 24, 2015

Hi Folks. Just thinking back to this, I actually had the eml + tc + vsc lights on. As I said above, this was the cars way of saying that the filler cap wasn't tight enough (and was leaking petrol fumes). When I gave the fuel cap a good tightening up, the errors all instantly went away. Hope this is of help (although maybe not for the op).

Muni · April 2, 2017

Hi all,

Thanks for the above messages, i had the same issue come on my IS200s on Friday. Tightened up the fuel cap, removed neg terminal from Battery for 2 mins, reconnected and car is back to normal 😎😉

Moncalcal · July 14, 2018

I have the same problem, disconnecting the Battery cause a reset on the ecu, that actually clear all engine fault history, but it won't solve the problem, unless ecu is the only problem. The ecu can be reset simply by removing its fuse.

I did the same thing, and the warming lights come back on in months