- This topic has 5 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 9 months ago by
.
-
Topic
-
This happened about 2-3 months ago. It was cold and first thing upon ignition, I knew something was wrong with the car, it wasn’t running right, then my check engine light started blinking. I just knew it was an emergency and it was an ignition coil. So i went and replaced it and the problem was solved but 4 codes popped up and they’re still on:
0171
0302
0130
0133
They all seem to point to oxygen sensor especially the front one. It couldn’t be the MAF or catalytic converter as they are new. The car runs fine other than there seems to be a strong idle upon first ignition of the day after it sat all night in the cold.
The car is a 2001 Toyota Celica GT, automatic, over 300,000 miles.
-
Replies
-
The lean code and O2 code are probably because of the misfire code. Assuming you cleared the codes and these are codes that came back; your car probably is not liking the coil. I see this happen alot. You may need to buy an OEM coil.
Many times, when someone gets O2 codes they want to go change the O2 sensors. While the sensors can, and do, go bad, they are often not the cause of the code, but rather they are just fine, but due to some other malfunction they are not giving the expected values to the computer. It is the computer that sets the code, and the computer cannot tell if the sensor is truly bad or not, it only knows it isn’t getting the data it is expecting. With the particular combination of codes you are getting, specifically the misfire code, I would suspect largely that you have a vacuum leak. Check for cracked, broken, or disconnected vacuum lines, and ensure they are connected to the correct ports. Also don’t forget to inspect the PCV hose for breaks/cracks. The high cold idle is a conspicuous clue that there is most likely a vacuum problem somewhere.
I opened the hood to check for any leaks not sure I could find one. I’m no mechanic to know where to look but I shall take your suggestion and let someone else take a look at such leaks if it can be found.
If you’re still getting the same misfire code (P030x) you should try moving the coil to see if the code moves. the last digit is the cylinder number. If it does the the coil is no good, if it doesn’t check your spark plug(s).
The best and safest way to check for a vacuum leak is to, with the engine running, spray throttle body cleaner along the intake tubing, trying to get underneath. Where the intake meets the cylinder head and throttle body and just anywhere with a vacuum line. Also make sure that all the connections along the intake tubing are tight, I’ve seen it a few times where something is left loose and it’s enough.
[quote=”DaFirnz” post=131317]The best and safest way to check for a vacuum leak is to, with the engine running, spray throttle body cleaner along the intake tubing, trying to get underneath. Where the intake meets the cylinder head and throttle body and just anywhere with a vacuum line. Also make sure that all the connections along the intake tubing are tight, I’ve seen it a few times where something is left loose and it’s enough.[/quote]
Just to be a little more clear, the purpose of spraying the cleaner along vacuum lines is to listen for idle changes, so you’ll need to start the car before you do this, otherwise you’re just spraying T/B cleaner in your engine bay for no reason. Start the car, spray around the vacuum lines or where you suspect the leak is coming from, and listen for the engine revs to change. If they do, you’ve found a source. However there could be more than one leak, so you should always keep going just to be sure.
Just a tip, do this with a cold engine. Don’t do it as you come home from a drive while the engine’s hot, or you run the risk of starting a fire. Don’t want that. Also, it might quicken things up to begin around the intake manifold, working your way away from the engine, and eventually covering all vacuum lines.
This is just in case you want to double check for leaks before you conclude there are none. Hopefully that’s all it is
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.