ICS malfunction and check engine light

I started up my 2018 Camry and out of nowhere, I got a check engine light and ICS malfunction message. The car has been parked since Sunday and everything seemed fine until today. The weather has been pretty chilly (around 40°F). Could it be related to the cold? Do you think it’s safe to drive it to the dealership?

My guess is the ICS might be failing, or maybe the battery is on its way out. Low battery can cause random errors on the dash. ICS is just the parking sensors, so it should be fine to drive, but I’d give the dealer a call just in case.

@Tim
If it was the battery, wouldn’t the car have a hard time starting? We don’t use this car much, and it’s always on a battery tender when parked.

Ellis said:
@Tim
If it was the battery, wouldn’t the car have a hard time starting? We don’t use this car much, and it’s always on a battery tender when parked.

Sometimes the battery can still be weak even if it’s on a tender. Mine gave little warning before it died completely. Replaced it and the errors stopped showing up.

@Tim
Interesting… if the errors come back, I’ll go ahead and replace the battery. Thanks for the tip!

If your battery hasn’t been replaced recently, it might be worth doing it. My 2018 Camry’s original battery didn’t last past 4.5 years. Once it starts to go, issues can pop up fast.

Zia said:
If your battery hasn’t been replaced recently, it might be worth doing it. My 2018 Camry’s original battery didn’t last past 4.5 years. Once it starts to go, issues can pop up fast.

FYI, the battery isn’t the original. It was replaced in 2020. I bought the car in 2021, so I’m not sure if it’s actually failing already.

I had a similar situation with my 2018. Warning lights came on randomly after the car sat for a while. Turned out to be the battery, which was about 5 years old. Swapped it out, and the lights haven’t come back.

@Flippa
Sounds like it could be worth a shot. I might just replace it anyway since it’s already a few years old.

There are a lot of reasons those codes might pop up. Could be water damage, a minor bump in a parking lot, or even just freezing temperatures affecting the sensors. If you got the car used, it’s hard to know what kind of wear and tear it’s gone through.

@Floyd
Good point. I’ve heard of people having similar issues after driving through heavy rain or flooded roads. Even if it doesn’t cause problems right away, it can mess with the electronics down the line.

If you’re still having issues, it could be the purge valve or the ECU software needing an update. My 2018 Camry did this a few times, and that’s what fixed it. :roll_eyes:

Dallas said:
If you’re still having issues, it could be the purge valve or the ECU software needing an update. My 2018 Camry did this a few times, and that’s what fixed it. :roll_eyes:

Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll mention that to the dealer and see if they can check it out.