I was playing around with my 06" Highlander Hybrid today to see how the stability control works. I did this in an empy parkinglot and I drove straight going 20 MPH and then without touching the brakes or gas I turned the wheel very rapidly all the way to the left. I did notice a blinking yellow light but no beeps. I was on a hard surface and was not going fast enough to slide, what are the circumstances where it would beep. Would it have to be going faster and about to slide?

 

???

 

When testing our our late 06 in its first snow, (driving too fast around corners, accelerating hard in the middle of a corner, etc) the yellow light would blink, you could feel the computer do its thing to stablize the car, but no beeps. I just figured in the later cars, they disabled the beeps as it was annoying to some people.

 

I think I've experienced both (light and no beeps, and beeps) so they may signify different things.

 

The VSC warning buzzer activates in combination with the slip indicator light when the vehicle is slipping sideways or plowing ahead significantly (VSC operation).

The slip indicator light without the buzzer operates when the ABS or traction control is activated or when the VSC is operating at a low level.

With the new Toyota VDIM (Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management) system, VSC, ABS, TRAC, EDB and Brake Assist vehicle control functions are all coordinated to operate together rather than separate systems.

Conventional VSC such as on non-hybrid Highlanders waits for the vehicle to become unstable (spin out or plow forward) first and then takes action to bring it back under control. This type of VSC is very noticable when it kicks in as its delayed response must be agressive (violent braking action and vehicle shuddering).

In comparison, VDIM anticipates that skidding may occur and begins to operate before the vehicle actually begins to spin out or understeer. Often, its operation will not be noticable since it occurs in such a graduated anticipatory manner. It would be annoying for the buzzer to activate at the threshold of VSC activation with this system so the buzzing is reserved for more severe VSC response.