Your Land Rover has the feature of stability control or DSC (Dynamic Stability Control). It means it will use the brakes, engine operation, and different sensors to stabilize the car on the road once something bad happens. If your Land Rover starts skidding or loses traction, this system will get it back to normal controlled driving pretty quickly.
If your Land Rover says “Stability Control Not Available” and shows the DSC warning light on the dash, this may be caused by a low battery or bad ground. Of course, this issue may also be caused by actual traction control system issues, but the electrical problems are much more common and are worth checking, in the first place.
Here’s what I will cover in this article:
- Observing your Land Rover’s behavior when the problem occurs.
- What are the common causes of the DSC not available error message?
- How can you solve the problem on your own?
- When should you ask for professional help?
- Can you still drive when you see a stability control error message?
Knowing the symptoms and diagnosing the problem
Whenever the “Stability Control Not Available” message appears on the dash of your Land Rover vehicle, you should pay attention to other symptoms that accompany this message. Warning lights, any changes in the vehicle’s behavior, or any other factors can be really helpful during inspection.
Here are some of the key things you should notice:
- Do you see any additional warning lights along with the DSC? The stability control light is the car with two lines behind it. But there may be other lights like the Brake system light, for example.
- Does the car lose its power? Do any other strange things happen with your vehicle? Register them all before you go to a mechanic. This will save you tons of time and money.
- Had any other warning lights appeared before the stability control error message popped up? If yes, what exactly they tried to tell you?
- Do any other messages or warning lights appear after the DSC error is off? Whatever happens on the dash after that is crucially important.
- If you have the opportunity to check the car on a slippery or muddy road to see if the stability control actually works, this would help a lot.
In about 10% of cases, when you see the stability control error in your Land Rover, it’s actually about the stability control problem. One of its units may have malfunctioned. But in the vast majority of cases, the actual problem is extremely hard to diagnose. So, even experienced dealership mechanics may spend days trying to catch the culprit of this message.
It’s always easier to presume that it’s not actually the DSC system because all other possible reasons are much easier to diagnose and locate. But when you answer all the questions above, you will be able to find the problem faster and easier.
By the way, I’ve recently published an article about the LR Ingenium engine – you may want to have a look at it, too.
What are the common reasons for this issue?
As said above, the “Stability Control Not Available” message may pop up when the DSC system is malfunctioning. The DSC function uses ABS, brakes, wheel sensors, throttle control, and hundreds of other units in your vehicle. When one of the key units malfunctions, you may see this message.
But you should start with some other possible culprits. Here are the most common reasons for this error in your Land Rover:
1. Ground problems
Many Land Rover owners notice that this problem started in their vehicles when they had their cars washed or after they had driven under a strong rain in deep puddles. This may tell you about water damage. But what exactly can be damaged?
According to reports, you should check the ground cable that is mounted under the fuse box in the engine compartment. This ground connection very often gets corroded because of water damage. Also, it may just go bad and lose connection in high-mileage cars. Sometimes, the cables may just need to be replaced.
2. Low 12V battery
Although the low battery shouldn’t trigger this error message when you’ve already started the car, it may launch the problem before the engine is cranked. If this describes your case and you see the error message on the dash before the engine starts, you should check the battery voltage under the load.
A low battery may trigger almost any kind of error message. Given the DSC system relies on many sensors, some of them may not get enough power to function properly and pass the pre-start test. This may be the reason why DSC issues appear in your Land Rover.
But if the engine is already started and then the message pops up, you should check the alternator. Maybe, it just doesn’t supply the vehicle with the needed power.
3. Wiring issues
Land Rover cars and wiring problems are good friends. If your vehicle has more than 100K miles on it, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that some wires may lose connection and cause all kinds of different problems. If you see the error messages popping up, you should pay attention to wiring.
Unfortunately, diagnosing wiring in your car is not a DIY task. You should find a good car mechanic or even go to the dealership to have the vehicle inspected properly.
4. Wrong readings from sensors
The DSC system relies on different sensors. The system compares the speed of the vehicle with the speed of rotation of each wheel to catch the moment when it should kick in and save you from uncontrolled driving.
If one of these sensors is broken or disconnected, it’s not strange at all that you will see the “Stability Control Not Available” error message. All you need to do is to locate the faulty sensor using the OBD2 scanner and eventually solve the problem by replacing or reconnecting it to the system.
Quick DIY ways to solve the problem
Even though this may seem like a serious problem, I’ve prepared several ideas of what you can do to avoid paying the dealership and fix the car on your own.
Here’s what you may try:
- Clean the ground. Locate the ground wire under the fuse box in the engine compartment, disconnect it, and clean the place it’s connected to. After that, reconnect the wire and test-drive your car.
- Check the battery. You may need to check the voltage of the battery. It should be about 12.5V when not started, not lower than 11.5V in the process of starting, and up to 14.7V when started and charged by the alternator. If something is out of the ordinary, you may have just found the actual reason for the error message. Charge the battery or replace it if it’s already more than 5 years old.
- Use the OBD2 scanner. Fortunately, these scanners are now available in hundreds of online shops and they are very affordable. You can buy one, connect it to your car, and use a good app to read the codes. If there is an actual problem with the vehicle, the scanner may give you a good prompt.
This is all you can do without professional equipment and proper experience. So, if you can’t locate and fix the issue on your own, you should plan your visit to a good garage or to the dealership.
Can you still drive when you see the stability control error message?
Yes, you can drive but you shouldn’t rely on the DSC system. It won’t support you if the error is on the dash and the light is illuminating. If the light is flashing though, it doesn’t indicate the problem. It just tells you that the system is now in operation and is working to stabilize your vehicle.
In both cases, whether it illuminates or flashes, you may keep driving. It’s not dangerous to drive with the stability control function not working properly. But be careful, especially on a slippery road. The behavior of your Land Rover will slightly change.
Land Rover dealers may be not helpful, in this situation. One Range Rover owner told me about a case when a dealership mechanic tried to persuade him that the illuminating DSC light and also error message are OK and this is just the way the DSC system works. Of course, it’s not OK and you shouldn’t ignore it.
To wrap up
I should say that some of Land Rover electrical problems are absolutely complicated and impossible to track. The “Stability Control Not Available” error message is not the worst problem with your car, so inspecting the vehicle and repairing it will not be as bad as in some other cases.
You also can drive the car whenever you see this message, no need to stop immediately and call a tow truck. Unfortunately, dealers are not always helpful and if your LR is not under warranty anymore, you should find a good independent garage that will be much more efficient in solving this problem.
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