Flashing Check Engine Light (Help Needed) (1 Viewer)

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To start, I have a 1999 Toyota Land Cruiser (100 Series), with a little over 200,000 miles. I believe standard 8 cylinder engine...

I have driven it for about four days now since I got it back from the mechanic (will explain at bottom for more insight), and it has not given me any huge issues. This morning I started it, let it warm up for about twenty minutes, and got ready to go to class. Put truck in drive, no lights, but did notice idle was shaking weird and assumed the engine had not warmed up enough and it was just a normal annoying shake. Nothing horrible, but definitely noticeable. Left driveway and began driving and after maybe 200 feet (give or take) saw my check engine light start to flash on my dashboard. I immediately turned my hazards on and pulled into a corresponding driveway and put the truck into park. When put into park, light magically went off. I did not accelerate faster than 20-30 miles per hour because of the short distance, so I couldn't tell if anything felt off at high speeds. I was running late (and pissed from my newly repaired truck giving me so much s***), and called my dad. No response, not enough time to sit around and see if anything smelled or sounded weird, and decided to turn around and drive it back to my house. Kept hazards on and drove about 15mph back to my house, put it in park, and took my old car. During drive back to my house, light started flashing on again.

Here's where it gets tricky on what to do.

My dad drove the Land Cruiser for a few years, loved it, and did a lot of maintenance on the truck. One day decided to buy a 2021 Ford Ranger because he needed something newer to overland in that would last years, I decided I wanted to buy the truck off of him.

One day he put the Land Cruiser into gear and ABS lights turned on, warning light, and brakes were completely shot. Close call and almost totaled the new Ranger and the Cruiser. This was about a year / year and a half ago.

Since the brakes went out and I, at the time had bought a Honda Civic off my mom at 16 for my first car, it sat by our barn (we live on a farm in the country) and sat. No this was not the best idea, but it was supposed to be temporary and then s*** happened.

As of two weeks ago, we got the Land Cruiser into the shop, bought a new battery and got an oil change, and brake lights were off and he was drive able. Best day of my life, this thing is my dream truck, I was ecstatic. Brakes suck but they work, just have to drive slower and leave a little more room to stop, but I didn't mind because I could finally drive the thing. I have been driving it to my classes and job daily the past week, and didn't notice anything significantly off, but I also came from a 2010 Honda Civic so everything was going to feel different because it was two completely different types of vehicles.

I know it's not a good idea to drive with a flashing check engine light, but my dad thinks it might be an O2 sensor and is perfectly fine to drive on. I want to get a code scan done and see if its my cylinders / sparks / engine wiring, but as an eighteen year old cannot afford to completely rebuild my engine. Any ideas on what it could be, ways to fix it cheap, and if its drive able to the mechanic about 20 miles from my house to get a free code scan and diagnosis?
 
Get the codes read before you do anything else or worry about having to rebuild the engine. That said, it's not fine to drive with a flashing CEL, if it is something like an o2 sensor or coil pack, you risk fouling the cats and those are spendy. You can get a bluetooth code reader off Amazon for $20.
 
Get the codes read before you do anything else or worry about having to rebuild the engine. That said, it's not fine to drive with a flashing CEL, if it is something like an o2 sensor or coil pack, you risk fouling the cats and those are spendy. You can get a bluetooth code reader off Amazon for $20.
That's a good idea. Thanks man. Will update if anything changes.
 
Sounds like a coil pack died. Pretty common but easy to fix with just a 10mm socket. OBD codes P0301-P0308 are for misfires on cylinder 1-8 respectively. Part numbers are Toyota 90080-19027, or Denso 673-1303. Buy from a reputable seller to avoid counterfeits (I.e. not Amazon or eBay). Here’s the cylinder map:

6C64405C-2200-41E8-AC68-FD5C86C5DED6.jpeg
 
Sounds like a coil pack died. Pretty common but easy to fix with just a 10mm socket. OBD codes P0301-P0308 are for misfires on cylinder 1-8 respectively. Part numbers are Toyota 90080-19027, or Denso 673-1303. Buy from a reputable seller to avoid counterfeits (I.e. not Amazon or eBay). Here’s the cylinder map:

View attachment 3254788
This is what I was thinking was the highest probability. My dad told me a few hours ago he had already replaced 4-5 so it would make sense. Thank you for the tips and the picture! Genuinely appreciate it.
 
I might be needing one/some!
If you want to save on the coil packs, go to a yard and pull OEm toyota packs off of sequoia/tundra same year range. I got all 4 for $20 and runs good.
 
Or Amazon for about $10 each.
 
Sounds like a coil pack died. Pretty common but easy to fix with just a 10mm socket. OBD codes P0301-P0308 are for misfires on cylinder 1-8 respectively. Part numbers are Toyota 90080-19027, or Denso 673-1303. Buy from a reputable seller to avoid counterfeits (I.e. not Amazon or eBay). Here’s the cylinder map:

View attachment 3254788
This was a really helpful illustration!

FYI - they Toyota p/n above has been superseded by/to: 90919-02259. List is $119.91!!!
 

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