Just happened last night in about 35 degree weather. I crank my car and like normal trying to put into into (D) and it would not budge nor did I hear the click sound from the ABS while pressing down on my brake. The rear brake lights didn't light up either. So after about 15 minutes of waiting, I tried it again and for some odd reason is decided to work again.

Now today SAME-THING but only this time, it didn't come back on so I had to use that emergency insert by the shifter just so I can move about (with no break lights )

Has anyone ever had this problem??? I strongly believe its an electronic brake system problem! Cant possibly be a fuse because It did come back on!

 

it's an electrical problem indeed. there's 3 electrical circuits that associate with the shift lock control system..

one of them.. yes.. includes the brake lights.. at which since it was part of your symptoms.. i'd start there. (i.e. STOP fuse)

read the back of your manual for more information.

 

yeah i popped out them #45 fuse from the instrument panel.. checked it with my fuse tester and that's still ok!

 

Check your brake/stop light switch, which is located directly in front of the brake pedal. Check to see if the connector is plugged in or check to see if the switch is stuck or not. Once the brake pedal is engaged, the brake light switch gives voltage to the brake lights and shifter to engage.

 

Mine did that once and it was the fuse under the dash,change the fuse and once you get brake lights again it will shift in to gear.

 

the fuse is NOT the problem.

Toyota/Scion knows of this problem, its under tsb (technical service bulletin) S-SB-0001-09, IG1 Relay Freezing. Affects 2006-2009 tC and 2008-2009 xD.

Quoting from the tsb
"Some customers may experience multiple warning lights illuminated, vehicle not shifting from Park to Drive, and other accessories becoming inoperative after the vehicle has cold soaked in sub freezing temps (below 14 deg f) ambient air temps. A newly designed relay has been made available to improve this condition..."

Even thought it was only 35 degrees, this IG1 relay if it's bad will prevent you from shifting from park to drive, it also controls basically everything in the car. ABS, ecu, powertrain ecu, brake lights, interior lights, you name it, it controls it. The IG2 relay controls the running/starting of the car, that's why you could start the car without a problem.

Chances are you should check the relay, to see if you have the old one. Just look up under the driver's side dash. you'll see three square relays plugged in like big fuses. The one on the lower left is the IG1 relay.. If it's grey or pink, then thats the old design and the new one is red.

New part number 90987-02031 (red color)

Hope that helps you, sounds like that's what is happening to you.

If you do replace the relay, disconnect the negative battery cable first. Just to be safe, the tsb didn't mention it. Should've.

If you do order up this relay, and find the dealer is too high priced. Ken over at trdsparks.com has it for $48.

 

glad i drive a manual..

 

^^x2

that is good info sciontc_mich but it seems to me if they know it is a common problem why would they make people pay for the new relay? They should give it to them for free.

 

yes you would think that would be the "right thing to do" which it would be.. but they're not doing that. They're only covering tsb's for the basic coverage 3yrs/36k miles. but some would be covered if you could prove to a dealer that the relay is the problem, without getting "oh that's normal" excuses. Plus, some 06 and 07's are already above the 3/36 warranty.

 

and that was it.. some how it was knocked loose along with my interior amber glow light.. all because of dragging in/out christmas gifts! FAIL lol thanks man!

and thanks @sciontc_mich for your info as well!

 

Where exactly is the switch you are referring to? Having the same issue

 

Get a flashlight, stick your head into the foot well and look up. When you press the brake it will release the switch.

 

On top of that.. it happened again later too (never unlocked) and when i took it to get serviced.. scion said my braking wiring were exposed or looked liek it had been tapped into? $250 to replace that and the problem went away. Not sure how that happen but I do know that our wiring for tCs are pretty soft/weak!

 

Our cars are wiring is the same as that on any other car. If you kick, slice, yank, or try to tap it may(probably will) break. The only thing that's supposed to be in the foot well is your feet. I don't know how the hell you managed to knock it loose. Some minor knowledge of wiring and a trip to radioshack is all that is required to fix broken wires. Of corse toyota takes the expensive route and replaces the entire harness and there's your $250.

 

is the lever the same with the automatic transmission selector cable? i have the same symptoms. Im afraid that it may be the transmission itself, i do hope not. i hope its just one of the relays or cables.

 

there is a cable that goes from the automatic shifter lever, and goes out to a sensor on the transmission that selects the gear. If the tension on that cable is loose then you'll have a tough time shifting, it'll be sloppy and will make you think the transmission has issues. The shifter will also be "lazy" and you'll notice it's loose when shifting to other gears on the shifter.

If it won't shift out of park then that's the other issue with either the IG1 relay or the brake light switch.

Do your brake lights come on when you press the brake pedal?

 

My wife's car has been having this problem for at least 2 years now. I remember researching it when it first started happening and that TRD Sparks had a special package for it. Now her car has failed inspection because of it.
It appears to no longer be on TRD Sparks with the part number referenced in post #6.
I got under her dash and the brake light switch appears to work fine, but the shift lock doesn't engage when the brake pedal is pressed. I noticed a while ago that the brake lights didn't work when she used the by-pass button. But today the were working every time I tried. I would say it shifts out of park fine about 40% of the time.
I'm nearly 100% sure the wiring isn't the problem.
Has anyone had luck getting this fixed and which parts should I look at replacing?
Can anyone point me to the TRD Sparks location if I am just overlooking it?

1.

2.


Edit: She just drove off and it shifted out of park fine. However, I seem to remember my car having an audible click when pressing the brake pedal and the shift lock releasing. Her's did not. Am I misremembering that?

 

the reference is to the "switch/relay" section under electrical, that's why it wasn't in the section under shift lever.

the first part you're looking for is
part number 85903-60020, COMPUTER SUB-ASSY, SHIFT LOCK CONTROL
the list price is $316, trd sparks has it for $243

and that would be the part that allows the shift interlock to release, a lot cheaper to just get that than the whole shift console (about $400-500).

2nd part you're looking for is the brake light switch SWITCH ASSY, STOP LAMP part number 84340-69025, list price $33, tdsparks price $25.75

about that click/clunk? No, any of the auto tc's i've driven there was no noise when shifting from park into any gear. Silence. Is the noise coming from the shift area? then it would most likely be the shift lock control on the shifter itself. I've never heard of one of those going bad, but maybe you'll be the first?

I do know that some of us have had the brake light switch go bad and that was clicking and making noise. Before you put out all the money make sure you locate that noise.. noise = bad part (usually).

The more I think about it, the brake lights weren't coming on? That's connected to the brake light switch not the shift lever/park interlock. Check to see if that brake light switch is loose. I've seen that before too, the thing just comes free of the brake pedal and forget brake lights. ok keep us posted.

 

Because it is an intermittent problem, it's hard to dial in on what is wrong. It's also impossible to predict when it will fail. I just took the console apart and found the wire that plugs into the shift lock control. Unplug, the car won't shift. Plugged in, the car shifts. Getting to the control itself appears to be a challenge.

I've suggested she just take it back until it doesn't get stuck and they pass it.