failed aircare...YAY!

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d0ubledown

d0ubledown

10 Year 15 Year
Joined
Apr 13, 2006
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Location
vansterdam, BC
so i failed aircare this afternoon...miserably. so after some research, im working on the best and most economical plan on sorting out what i'll need to do.

some history..firstly, my cruiser has only 1 cat where there should be 2 cats..in line. there was a CEL a few weeks ago..i reset it a couple times because i hate staring at that light...then one day it just disappeared before i had a chance to get the code pulled. i cleared out the lil filter in the EGR regulator...is there more to clean out in the regulator?

so should i:


  • replace the 2 O2's first?
  • replace the 1st missing cat first?
  • replace both cats?
  • suck it up butter cup and do all 4
i plan on going with the magnaflow 59956, and getting 02's from cdan.

should i test after each component replacement and hope i wont need 4 tests?

and finally..anyone know of a good exhaust shop in fleetwood or clearbrook (abbotsford) area?

:cheers:
 
Post up your readings. Don't go replacing stuff without knowing what is up. Get the codes and o get it run. I messed around for a while replacing stuff with two failed tests before finding the culprit - a small vacuum hose from a sensor near the thermostat housing that was disconnected. You can spend a lot of money and time.
 
I would take it to a shop that is Aircare certified. I have a '88 Chev cube van that fails Aircare miserably. I drop it off at the shop, tell them I need the Aircare certificate by days end, and voila!, done. They even take it through Aircare for me. They play around with it at their shop till they get a pass, then take it through Aircare.
Just a thought, CAT's are expensive.
GG
 
Granite Grinder said:
I would take it to a shop that is Aircare certified. I have a '88 Chev cube van that fails Aircare miserably. I drop it off at the shop, tell them I need the Aircare certificate by days end, and voila!, done. They even take it through Aircare for me. They play around with it at their shop till they get a pass, then take it through Aircare.
Just a thought, CAT's are expensive.
GG
Click to expand...


which shop is that? i dont want to get the 'it'll cost $2500 for 2 new cats and 2 02's'. can a code still be pulled once the CEL is gone? i checked all vacuum hoses..all seems well. one can usually hear a vacuum leak no? trucks basically been fully baselined...runs fine. thought i heard a miss at idle while in the air care lineup, but i could be mistaken. smells a bit rich on cold startup...normal from what i've searched.

here are my results:

HC: max allowable: 0.500
my reading: 0.9889
average passing reading: 0.2736

CO: max allowable: 8.0800
my reading: 18.3420
average passing: 4.0387

NOx: max allowable: 1.1200
my reading: 5.0001
average passing: .6961

FAIL

i think only running the rear cat (looks oem..who knows?) might have something to do with it...otherwise, wouldnt it be throwing codes...or would the ecu just compensate for it? havent pulled the 02's yet..they're bathing in some liquid wrench. last thing i want to do is break another damn bolt...

the magnaflow cat i linked previously is $106 cdn + shipping...so not too bad. consensus in the 80 series forum is that they seem to work well...and are a fairly low profile...so that might make my mounting my sliders a bit easier...:hhmm:. since this vehicle is supposed to have 2 cats...i dont see how putting one back cant be bad? i know jack about emissions control...so im just going by what i find here on 'mud.

anyone got an OBDII scanner to see if i can get a code pulled?
 
The solution to your problem lies in a nice diesel engine :D
that aside, if the truck is meant to be running 2 cats and 2 O2 sensors (one before and one after I would guess) does the pipe look modified? When is the last time you've done tune ups? have you noticed an increase in fuel consumption? or poor(er) performance - hinting at the injectors or timing here. an old gasser I had developed issues with passing aircare, and similar to John's story, a loose vacuum connection screw up the reading. A couple of years later failed again and it was the injectors that time, ran fine, good performance but the reading were way off. Phil's suggestion is good, worst case scenario you might pay for an hour of shop time and find out exactly what's wrong with it. There is a small shop (not much to look at but good guys) between Port Moody and Burquitlam (yes, that is the name of the area) on Clarke st.
 
what i ussaly do is to avoid aircare is put 12 months of insurance on it just before the expirey date then i aircare it with in that twelve month period , this way i only have to do air care every two years , i hate air care and cant wait until its gone , i only failed once and not in my land cruiser , its a big fawckin scam . you can also bump up your gvw ( never tried this ) or register it out of the lower mainland ( have done this, just dont have an accident ) .

have any relatives in the carriboo or the island ?
 
This is the shop I use: Welcome
Talk to Hans or Dan. Like all shops, explain the dilemma, tell them you don't want to spend hundred's of dollars, get them to call you with an estimate/ diagnoses. If you call in advance you can usually get a loaner car. Tell them Land Cruiser Phil referred them to you... (actually it might cost you more then :) )
They will at least source the problem, then you can choose what to do next. I'm sure any reputable shop would do the same... the problem lies in the "reputable part".
GG
 
Don't go replacing stuff without knowing what is up. Get the codes and o get it run.
Click to expand...

x2
Drive it until the error code comes up again. It may be stored in memory but if not with numbers like that it should come up again.

It might be new enough to fit the category of 'no repair cost limit' for a conditional pass. Older cars there was a limit you had to pay to get conditional pass from a certified shop, even if they didn't fix it. Either way, you get three months leeway for insurance with a fail to get it sorted out.

I hate aircare. I almost never pass without a thorough but temporary aircare detuning on my old vehicles.

Good luck
 
Is it the 80 and it has 4.5l right. I would suggest what Granite Grinder says about his guy but if you want to tackle this yourself, I would worry about the catalytic converter last . Do the OXYGEN SENSOR first . Remember while you are in the line-up put that thing in NEUTRAL and hold the throttle at around 2200 rpm but before that put a bottle of methyl hydrate in or 2 and put MOWHAWK ETHANOL in it. If that doesnt work send that thing back to the states and start over LOL my 2 pennies . You are running way to rich , have you checked your air filter.
 
Is it the 80 and it has 4.5l right. I would suggest what Granite Grinder says about his guy but if you want to tackle this yourself, I would worry about the catalytic converter last . Do the OXYGEN SENSOR first . Remember while you are in the line-up put that thing in NEUTRAL and hold the throttle at around 2200 rpm but before that put a bottle of methyl hydrate in or 2 and put MOWHAWK ETHANOL in it. If that doesnt work send that thing back to the states and start over LOL my 2 pennies
 
Granite Grinder said:
This is the shop I use: Welcome
Talk to Hans or Dan. Like all shops, explain the dilemma, tell them you don't want to spend hundred's of dollars, get them to call you with an estimate/ diagnoses. If you call in advance you can usually get a loaner car. Tell them Land Cruiser Phil referred them to you... (actually it might cost you more then :) )
They will at least source the problem, then you can choose what to do next. I'm sure any reputable shop would do the same... the problem lies in the "reputable part".
GG
Click to expand...

thanks for that link Phil...they look like a pretty good shop. close too. i'll bring it by there and see if they can put their sniffer on it. my readings were way out there...so im hoping they should be able to pinpoint whats going on.

the reason im weary about the cat, is because i suspect the single cat thats on there now, is an AM cat. just found out the source of my cold rattle upon startup. it was the upper cat shield..just sitting there. pulled it off and thats where i noticed the catco stamp. im guessing toyota put dual inline cats in there for a reason, and the aftermarket one might be shot or not working effeciently, thus causing the ecu to compensate for it...but then again i know nothing of emissions control. i'll see what vancouver transmission has to say.

i heard about the alcohol thing. i should have dumped some in the tank before i tested it.. d'oh! i thought it would have passed though..
 
I've sailed through Air Care the last 3 years.In the past I've taken Elsie to Downtown Toyota.Cy(resident Land Cruiser God)dialed her in and took her through AirCare,all for a bottle of Rye.
 
If it is a vacuum hose off or cracked, it would have to be pulling a lot of vacuum to make much noise. This is not a big block Chev after all. It goes without saying that you should never attempt aircare without new oil and filters (air, oil, fuel). With high CO & HC and very low NO you got a fairly good possibility of getting through by advancing the the timing way up so it will barely hold an idle. Advancing the timing will increase your NO but will decrease your CO and HC. As Aaron says methelhydrate will also help in this situation. It enriches the O2 content of the fuel and causes it to burn hotter. It will help get you through but it is really had on O2 sensors and valves. If you go this route, then put a L into 1/8 a tank of fuel. Right after the test fill-up the tank to dilute it. Also important is to have your truck good and hot. A 100 k run at freeway speeds helps. Pump up your tires to near their max pressure to reduce the rolling resistance. Now all of this may get you through cheap but it will not address the root causes.

If you are not up to this yourself, I have heard good things about Hub Motors in Abby on Gladys and Essendene Avenue. I went in there when I had my problems. They were busy and I needed my problem solved ASAP. The mechanic looked at the readings, listened to what I had done and sent me home to recheck all the hoses. Thirty minutes later I found the hose after tracing nearly all the vacuum lines. I drove back down to Aircare and passed with flying colours. Not bad for a Tercel which burns about a liter of oil every 600-1000 kms.
 
My 94 failed in January. My mechanic tried making some adjustments to pass it and it did get close, but no luck. I had to break down and replace the cats. Had it done at Hoegler Muffler on 3 road in Richmond. These two guys are the best with exhaust. It sailed through Air Care after that. The left O2 sensor was also causing trouble but I was able to hold off on that. The check engine light is now on because of that O2 sensor, but I will replace it later. I am willing to bet it is the one cat that is failing you. You may also want to replace the O2's. MAF Oxygen Sensor
 
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Vanny said:
My 94 failed in January. My mechanic tried making some adjustments to pass it and it did get close, but no luck. I had to break down and replace the cats. Had it done at Hoegler Muffler on 3 road in Richmond. These two guys are the best with exhaust. It sailed through Air Care after that. The left O2 sensor was also causing trouble but I was able to hold off on that. The check engine light is now on because of that O2 sensor, but I will replace it later. I am willing to bet it is the one cat that is failing you. You may also want to replace the O2's. MAF Oxygen Sensor
Click to expand...

probably the same boat im in. were the cats you replaced still the oem's? which cats did you use to replace at what cost? i was searching in the 80's forum, and people seem to be getting good results with the magnaflow ones. although i dont know how they'd perform for emissions control as its more geared to performance...at least thats what Dan @ vancouver transmission tells me. maybe i'll search for smog results using those magnaflows. im hoping i dont have to pay out the a$$ for a more oem cat application...

Vanny said:
Toyota USA wanted $295.00 per sensor.:mad:
Click to expand...

doesnt CDan offer them for 200/pair? i'll have to look into that. hoping the sensors are still OK and its just the cats...

on a happier note..gas just hit 146.8 here in fletwood. woohoo!
 
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