Check Engine Light (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Brentbba

Former Golfer
Joined
Mar 27, 2003
Threads
429
Messages
10,846
Location
OC, CA
Ok, panic time. :'( Had the scouts out on a trip to Idyllwild this weekend for some horseback riding and camping. Had the trailer and four scouts in the LC. Stopped for gas in Hemet and when I started the engine the check engine light came on. Panic - was just about to head UP the mountain towing a 3500 lb trailer on a two lane highway. No problems on the way up. Went riding (kids had a blast!) and when I started the engine - no light! Didn't come back on the remainder of the weekend or this morning. Called dealer anyway on Sat. and have it in this morning for the check engine light and a 120K service (I was close enough anyway).

Any thoughts? Last time I had the check engine light, it was the O2 sensors. Paid for it myself last time, so I'm wondering if it's the O2's again if I can get Toyota to pay under the recall program they had on the O2's. Will have to search the archives to get the program code Dan posted awhile back.
 
My manual is at home. What code(s) did you get?
 
Won't know until they call.....that dreaded service call. :'(
 
Post the PROGRAM CODE you're talking about if you find it...or just a link to the thread...I've got to check mine as well. Thanks
 
Autozone dude! Toyota charges a diags fee!
 
DanKunz,
Autozone no longer does diagnostics (Southern Cali.) some kinda lawsuit or something?? :(
 
No need to do that. Just get out the paper clip and short TE1 and E1 pins on the diagnostic connector. He's got a '94.
 
$85 bucks to plug it in and run the codes. Still waiting on the call. I know the 60K services take a good part of the day, so I'm kind of surprised I've not received a call yet. Cdan reports that the S02 O2 sensor campaign was performed on my beast in Jan.'96. Oh well. Could be that they have run their usefull life and need replacing. Learned more than I wanted searching the archives on O2 sensors. One thing was VERY apparent during that search - Thank God we've got so many knowledgable folks on this board. Thanks always to Woody for this little slice of heaven. :cheers:
 
As cruiserman said no need to plug it in to get the codes. Jump the pins and count the flashes. It's a repeating code so it's a set of flashes a pause another set of flashes a long pause then over again. At least that's how I understand it, Ive got OBDII.
 
$85?! That's an absolutely insane amount of money. You don't have OBD-II. There is no code reader. It takes 2 minutes to check the codes on your rig, and all you need is a paper clip.
 
Yota claims no codes came up at all! Fawk, yet on the other hand they couldn't find anything so that's good news. Still leaves me wondering about the check engine light and whether it will haunt me in the near future. Front pads are at 4.5ml so I've got a little life left in those.

Going to pick her up, take her home and get a paper clip between TE1 and E1 to see for myself. !$!@#$!$
 
Brent and others,
The MIL (Malfunction Indicator Lamp aka Check Engine) usually indicates some problem was detected with the emissions system. Not always, but usually.

The good news is that a MIL does *not* mean a panic attack, stop the vehicle, call a tow truck, and get it to the dealer. It's an indicator to have the code checked. If your other guages are OK then don't panic over a MIL.

In this case you could have asked this board for advice. They would have told you how to pull the code yourself. I don't understand how the dealer could say there was no code because once the MIL illuminates it stores the code, even if the MIL goes off. There should have been a stored code. Once it is cleared by removing the EFI fuse, the MIL goes off and the stored code is gone.

I'm happy for you that the MIL is gone and hopefully it won't return. Next time trust your instincts and post to the board. We'll help and we'll save you some money!

-B-
 
Lets see...85 bucks a pop; I've read and cleared codes twice...so once more and the OBDII scanner will have paid for itself!

Think maybe I hope I never get that third chance. It could be one of those $1200 jobs.

Ed
 
I may be wrong, but i thought that there are certain codes that will not be stored in memory when the malfunction is detected.
aaron
 
Aaron,
That could be correct on the pre-OBD-II vehicles.
-B-
 
I'll bet one of two scenarios happened at his dealer:

1 - They disconnected the battery to do some part of the 120k service he had done. They'd do that work FIRST so they know they're getting paid, then realized they'd cleared the code when they turned to address the light issue. Duh.

2 - They are so OBD-II reliant that they don't even want to mess with pre models, so they feigned ignorance and perhaps even disconnected to clear the codes. Code? What code? We don't see no stinking code! But thanks for your check, sir.......

Doug
 
ck eng light came on again in the 96 (3rd time in a month :eek: )and Im getting sick of popping the hood and its still there . WTF ? ??? I think if the motor was gone it wouldnt start , Right ? :D

:flipoff2:
 
Idaho - LOL - I bet you are right regarding disconnecting the battery during the regular 120K service first. I just refuse to believe that no code existed.

Beo - stupid question - is a '94 pre OBD-II? What years constitute pre OBD-II?

Since no code was found, they didn't charge me their $85 fee thank God. Plugged in the paperclip anyway last night and just got a steady blink, blink. In other words, no series of long or short blinks and pauses. I presume that means no code exists.

Would have posted to board, but I was out camping with my scouts, so I had no access to a computer. Believe me, if I could have asked the board first, I would have.

Thanks to all!
 
Brent,
OBD-II is '96 and up.
1995 US models have the connector port and I have heard (i.e. not 100% sure) they are partially OBD-II compliant. The feds mandated that all vehicles sold in the US had to be OBD-II compliant beginning with the 1996 models. Since the 1995 models were not *required* to be OBD-II compliant it's unlikely that Toyota would have all features tested and working.

Maybe someone with a 95 FSM could give us this information. C-Dan?
-B-
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom