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No Traction light

21K views 8 replies 7 participants last post by  Mikew 
#1 ·
2012 Versa S sedan with 35,500 miles & CVT.

Have any of you guys had issues with the No Traction light coming on?

Lately and randomly, that light will illuminate when I start my car and stay lit until I shut the vehicle off. If I restart the vehicle, it won't come on again until some other random time. But, it never will come on and then turn off during a drive. It will either be on when I start the car and if not, it won't turn on for the remainder of my trip.
Just for clarification, this is the light that illuminates if your wheels are spinning or you have lost traction on ice or snow (It is not the traction control light that you can manually turn on or off with the switch).

If you've had this issue, how did you fix it?

Thanks!
 
#2 ·
Auto Care Advice: Traction Control Warning Light

The Bulb Check: Traction Control Warning Light

As the ignition key is rotated through the phases of Off, Run, and Start, a systems bulb check is activated. The traction control system light should illuminate for 1 to 2 seconds and then go out as the vehicle starts and begins to run. If the light stays on, it either means that the system is deactivated or there is a problem in the traction control system.

What to Do: Traction Control Warning Light

If the traction control light comes on intermittently, there is a problem that may not be "hard coded," meaning it isn't a permanent condition yet. A flickering light could also mean that the system is not fully operational, so use extra caution in adverse road conditions.

Many traction control systems will illuminate the warning light when the system detects a loss of traction, like in snowy or rainy weather. Typically the light is seen when the system intervenes to maintain traction. It's a good idea to read the section in your vehicle owners manual to familiarize yourself with how your traction or stability system operates.

If the traction control light illuminates and stays lit without blinking, this means that the traction control system has been deactivated and there is no traction control available. There may even be a message broadcast by the driver information center warning that the traction control system is shut down and to use extra caution when driving, especially in water, ice, and snow.

The only way to properly resolve either of the above conditions is to have the vehicle properly diagnosed at a qualified repair shop. Always have the repair shop do a full computer systems scan. It may not necessarily be a fault in the traction control system that is setting the light. Sometimes a fault in the engine management system first shows up in the traction control system, such as an intermittently defective throttle position sensor in the electronic throttle control.

The basic mechanical components of the powertrain system must also be properly inspected. Anything that would cause a rough or jerky application of power can cause wheel slip, which means that worn drivelines, axles, and constant velocity joints are suspect. Even a harsh transmission shift or badly misfiring engine can cause wheel spin and illuminate the traction control light.
 
#3 ·
Wanted to give an update.

The problem returned a couple weeks ago. The Traction Control Light would illuminate when the vehicle was put in drive or shortly thereafter and would remain on the entire drive. Every so often after starting the car the light would no longer be on as this is an intermittent issue. I scanned for any codes with my code reader and none were found other than a past code for a burnt out brake light. I went ahead and cleared all codes as well as clearing any ABS codes even though no ABS codes were present. The ABS light would flash once when I cleared the non-existent codes. 4 out o the 5 times that i did this in a row the traction control light would come back on when the brake pedal was depressed and put in gear.

I had my wife step on the brake pedal and noticed that the 3rd brake light would sometimes light for a split second and then go out even though the brake pedal was still being pressed down. Upon the following brake pedal pushing, the light would illuminate as it should.

I went ahead and removed the Sylvania ZEVO 921 LED from the 3rd brake light and replaced with a standard bulb. Reset all codes and the light hasn't come back on in over 2 weeks. However, when I made this post originally the 3rd brake light still had the incandescent bulb so i'm still confused as to what the real issue is.

Maybe it will help someone? However, if your Traction Control Light is on 24/7 be sure to check the 10A fuse on the drivers side fuse panel labeled BCM.
 
#7 ·
**
mikew here....
I just got my TCS light on problem repaired at the dealer, before I found this forum sadly...
My problem described was: TCS light on all the time except, sometimes it would go out temporarily as I depressed the brake pedal, prior to driving away. When driving, it would ALWAYS come on steady in very short order and stay on.
The dealer supposedly replaced the brake light switch and cleared codes. It works great now, and was only $203 so, I won’t whine too much. I questioned the dealer rep because, the way the car was moved around the lot, and the timing of when he asked me if I wanted them to replace the switch, was definitely questionable because, the car was not touched after he asked that question... In any case, I got away cheap when you’re talking DEALER.
 
#8 ·
On my 2018 Versa that brake light switch was replaced at the dealer (under the warranty) when it was just one year old. It would make TSC light on intermediately, mostly on the hot engine after some driving. In my case a code pointing to the brake light switch was stored, but no CEL displayed. Replacement of that switch fixed the problem.
 
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