A drive start control malfunction refers to a safety-related problem in modern vehicles of toyota’s. It is a smart move by Toyota to implement the Drive Start Control system in its modern vehicles. Drive Start Control technology is designed to prevent unexpected acceleration in Toyota vehicles.
But sometimes, due to some fault, the Drive Start Control Malfunction warning light starts appearing in the cluster meter. There are several different reasons why a drive start control malfunction warning may appear. In this post, we will discuss the causes of drive start control malfunctions and how to fix them.
A drive-start control malfunction warning light refers to a malfunction in the drive-start control system of modern vehicles and may appear as a warning light on the vehicle’s dashboard.
The Drive Start Control system controls engine starting and unexpected acceleration of the vehicle, ensuring that the vehicle is in the proper operating mode before the engine starts and controlling engine acceleration in case of accidental or unexpected acceleration by the driver.
The drive-start control system monitors various sensors and switches in the vehicle and ensures that the system is in the proper mode before starting the vehicle’s engine.
Causes Of Drive Start Control Malfunction
The most common causes of a drive start control malfunction are system failure, blown fuse, driver mistake, faulty sensor, bad parking or brake switch, software error, faulty wiring, or mechanical issue.
Let us take a detailed look at the reasons why the Drive Start Control Malfunction warning light comes on, so that you can make possible efforts to fix it.
1. Faulty Sensor
The drive start control system relies on various sensors mounted in the vehicle to determine the vehicle’s transmission position, parking brake position, and brake pedal position. If any of these sensors are malfunctioning, it can cause the system to trigger a warning.
Because the signals from the functioning of various parts of the vehicle are unable to reach the ECU of the vehicle, the warning related to a drive start control system malfunction starts appearing in Toyota vehicles.
2. Failed Parking or Brake Switch
In addition to the sensors fitted to Toyota vehicles, the Drive Start Control system also uses switches to detect the position of the parking brake and brake pedal. The operating mode of the vehicle is identified based on the state of these switches.
If the brake or parking switch fails, this can trigger a warning. Because the drive start control system is unable to receive data on the vehicle’s operating mode at the present time due to a malfunctioning brake or parking switch.
3. Wiring Issues
Wiring plays an important role in operating any electric function in vehicles. A vehicle’s drive start control system relies on a complex network of wiring to communicate between the various sensors and switches.
The drive start control system in Toyota or other company vehicles receives data from sensors through wiring. If any of these wires become damaged or disconnected, this may cause the drive start control system to malfunction and the vehicle’s cluster meter to display a drive start control system malfunction warning.
4. Software Problems
The drive start control system in any vehicle is controlled by a computer, and if there is a problem with the vehicle’s software or programming or a bug occurs in a software update, it can cause the system to trigger a warning. Because un-updated software or crash programming can badly affect the working of every function of the vehicle.
5. Mechanical Problems
In many cases, Toyota vehicles can have mechanical problems with the transmission or other components that can cause the drive start control system to malfunction. Because the drive start control system in Toyota vehicles is programmed with the transmission system and if there is any problem with the vehicle’s transmission, a drive start control malfunction warning is displayed on the vehicle’s dashboard.
How To Fix Drive Start Control Malfunction?
To fix a drive start control malfunction, these components must be properly inspected, and the defective components must be properly repaired or replaced.
1. Scan Vehicle Systems
If your Toyota or any other vehicle is having a drive start control malfunction warning display on the dashboard, the first thing you will need to do is scan the vehicle’s system with a digital OBD-II scanner. Scanning the vehicle will allow you to easily determine the cause of the Drive Start Control Malfunction warning being displayed and save you the time spent manually locating the fault.
In many cases, a drive start control malfunction warning may also be displayed along with any fault codes in the vehicle’s systems. However, there is no component fault. If this happens, try deleting all fault code history from the scanner one more time.
2. Check & Replace Sensor
The main reason for the display of the warning of a drive start control malfunction in the dashboard of modern technology vehicles from Toyota or any other company is a sensor fault. Because the drive start control system of the vehicle functions on the basis of various sensors.
But when any of the vehicle’s sensors is faulty, the drive start control system of the vehicle will display a Drive Start Control Malfunction warning on the dashboard because the vehicle’s operating mode data is not received. So if this happens, definitely check the sensor. For this, you can take help of a digital OBD-II scanner. If any vehicle sensor is found to be defective, remove the defective sensor and install the new sensor.
3. Check Parking/Braking Switch
Sometimes the drive start control malfunction warning displayed in the dashboard on Toyota vehicles is also caused by the parking or brake switch failing. Therefore, when the drive start control malfunction warning is displayed in the dashboard of Toyota vehicles, the parking or brake switch should be checked. If the parking or braking switch of the vehicle is defective, it should be replaced with a new one immediately.
4. Check Wiring
The drive start control system in modern Toyota vehicles is based on sensors and wiring. The drive start control system of the vehicle receives data on the functioning of the parts from the sensors through the wiring.
But sometimes, due to a wiring problem, this system does not receive the input data from the sensors, and due to this, the drive start control malfunction warning is displayed in the vehicle’s cluster meter. When this happens, all the wiring related to the sensor should be checked, if the wiring is damaged or cut, repair it or replace it with a new one.
5. Update Software
Often, in modern vehicles, the cluster meter displays a drive start control malfunction warning due to the software not being updated for a long time or due to a software bug. So, if this happens, get the vehicle software updated by a certified professional mechanic or by visiting the nearest dealership.
6. Check ECU
The ECU is one of the most important parts of any vehicle, which operates and controls the function of every part of the vehicle. But sometimes for some reason some fault occurs in the vehicle’s ECU due to which some functions of the vehicle are not working properly.
This causes the driver to display a control malfunction warning. Therefore, if this happens, the vehicle ECU should be checked and if the ECU is found to be faulty, then the ECU should be repaired or replaced with a new ECU.
Is It Safe to Drive with Drive Start Control Malfunction?
No, if the Drive Start Control Malfunction warning light is displayed on your vehicle’s dashboard, it is not at all safe to drive. Because this warning light appears due to a problem in the drive start control system of the vehicle.
These warning lights can compromise the safety of your vehicle. However, you can definitely try resetting this warning light once. If this warning light is displayed due to a software error, you may be successful in resetting it.
Final Words
Drive-Start Control Malfunction is a warning light on the dashboard of modern vehicles that indicates a malfunction in the drive-start control system. However, there are several reasons why the drive start control malfunction light may illuminate. Therefore you should get its causes investigated and diagnosed. Because it is not safe to drive a vehicle with the drive start control malfunction light on.
