Hey there. I have a toyota caldina gt-t and the engine check light has started coming on after the car started over boosting without changing anything. I was hoping someone could tell me any possibilatys for this problem and how to extract the error codes from the ecu

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Pressure wash the entire engine top and bottom, install a special fluorescent dye in the crankcase and drive it for a few miles and then use a black light to locate leak.

have the OBD read for fault codes

You can try taking the car to one of the commercial auto parts stores and the will usually diagnose the problem for free, using their handheld computer, giving you the solution.

thermostat may have been affected change it out to a 195..

1998... I would change the spark plugs & wires, add in fuel injector cleaner, change fuel filter & air filter.
Could be many different things here.
Check the spark plugs for any sign of oil that would stop them from firing like they should.

This is indicative of an alternator problem. However, it always pays to do some simple checks first. You should check your alternator plug-in connector and battery feed wire (connected via a ring terminal) for tightness, cororsion etc and general wiring around the battery for the same. Check the ALT-S 5A fuse and 100A fuselink in the fusebox (under the bonne/hood).
If all this looks OK, I'd suspect the voltage regulator unit in the alternator. If it's a high mileage unit (>200K km) it could also simply be the alternator brushes worn down. Both the brushes and voltage regulator are fairy easy DIY repairs.

Toyota speaks to it here:
http://www.toyota.com/esq/articles/2010/VSC.html

It stands for Vehicle Stability Control.
It is not really part of the engine but a set of sensors and controls.

Were there any water leaks into the interior? Or did you ever jump start someone else's car? I had the same exact problem resulting from jump starting a friend's car. It spiked the electronic control unit (ECU) computer. I changed the ECU and the problem was fixed.

Hi there,
As you say the tacho/speedo come "back up to normal" after the incident, I assume that they either stop working or become erratic while the dash lights are misbehaving.
If so, this sounds like a dash wiring electrical problem.
The O/D OFF light is lit by the switch on the shifter (switch also inputs to the ECU). The ENGINE light is driven also from the ECU but the SLIP light is driven from the ABS/VSC computer, although these two computers do communicate.
Best plan of attack would be interrogate the ECU for error codes or ask a Toyota dealer to do so. At least you'll have some clue to any problems that the ECU's may have picked up.
Contact me about checking for ECU error codes if you want to attempt it yourself. Although the Caldina has an OBDC2 connector, as I understand it it's not 100% compliant, so you'll need a Toyota compatible reader. Fortunately teh codes are also output via the CHECK ENGINE light.
If there's no problems there, I'd be pulling the instrument cluster and checking for wiring problems. I'm not sure where in the world you are but most ex- JDM vehicles could have modified with timers, speed-cut or fuel-cut devices that either have been poorly installed or are playing up and causing electrical problems.