Possible electrical issue?

JKHAMS

MEMBER
2021 TOYOTA RAV4
4WD
24,000 MILES

A few weeks ago, two messages popped up on my dash saying the “EPB shift interlock function was activated”. I ignored it for a few days not knowing what it was, then a new message popped up on my car about a malfunction with the stop and start system, this message persisted a few times and told me to contact my dealership. I went in to get it looked at and they said a battery sensor needed to be replaced. It’s been a few weeks since then and now a new message popped up on my car that I didn’t get to fully read but it said something about an abnormal voltage and something about my power steering. Could I have an issue with the battery? And could they have misdiagnosed my issue initially? If so, would this be covered under warranty?

1 Reply

KEN L

MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
42,949 POSTS

Yes, it should be covered by warranty, it sounds like the BCM is going out, we should do a CAN scan to see what codes they are so we can fix it correctly. You can get a CAN scanner (Controller Area Network) which will work on most cars from Amazon.

here is a video to show you how:

https://youtu.be/u-4syLc-ifQ

and

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/can-scan-controller-area-network-easy

Here is one for about $99.00 if you need it:

https://amzn.to/3ZixY4v

The battery could be shorting out intermittently, which is the only way to check that is to replace the battery, but I would run the scan first. Please go over these guides and get back to us.