rabidmonkeyman

hey guys, im kind of unfamiliar with trucks, especially foreign ones, and on my 96 tacoma, the check engine light just came on. im sure theres plenty of reasons for this but i was wondering if theres common ones that i could look into? i know the transfluid is dirty and needs replacing and my oil has got about another 1k miles left on it, my radiator is brand new and the temperature is normal. any suggestions?

gohawks

1995 would be OBDII? If so you can have a place like autozone pull the codes for you if you don't have a code reader.

Then you code post back here as to what the codes were and someone can probably give you a good idea.

Kyle95sr5

my CEL came on this mornin on the way to school and im purdy sure its due to my exhaust leak so im just gonna take it somewhere to have them read the code to make sure. do yall know if Advance AutoParts has these reader things. yeah we have an autozone but i hate that freakin place, noone there knows wut the crap they are doing and from comments i have made in the store not a single employee there likes me. Advanced auto is sooo much better. do they have this machine?

regularguy412

Pre-1996 is OBD-I. You'll have to pull the CEL code by jumpering the T1 and E1 pins in the diagnostic connector and count CEL flashes.

Mike in AR

1989toy4wd

If it stays on all the time, I would get it checked by autozone, but if it is on, then off, then on, etc. I wouldnt worry about it, my 89's check engine light is on, but it will go off every once in a while. My dad has a freind with a 98 tacoma 4wd and his has been on but he isnt worried about it. The quality of gas has gotten bad and the computers arent used to that, so they think something is wrong. I have been driving mine for a while with the light on, I have been on a 300 mile trip in it round trip with it on!

rabidmonkeyman

i actually just accidently put 88 octane in my car (stupid me wasnt paying attention and hit the wrong button, but i went with it) and it came on like a day after that, so after i put regular unleaded back in my car ill take it up to an autozone. thanks guys

PirateFins

Pull your code.
Your 02 sensor is going (or has gone) bad. The heater circuit is becoming intermitant, hence the on-then off sequence. I know because I have been there done that.

It is bad advice to tell someone that has a CEL "I wouldnt worry about it" and to speculate that it is the "gas".
It's not your truck and I sure as hell would worry about a "CHECK ENGINE" light that a person that holds a higher degree then I do decided would be a good idea to have when something is wrong.
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Rabid-
I run nothing but 87 octane it my truck all the time. It could have caused knocking in your truck which would throw a code but is hard to tell.

Autozone, from my experience with them, will only pull OBDII codes not OBDI (which is what you have).
Like said above pop the hood, on the passenger side is a diagnostics connector (grey box) next to the main fuse box. Put a jumper (paperclip works fine) between TE1 and E1. Get in the truck turn key to on. The check engine light will flash ie flash/flash pause flash pause pause pause repeat (= codes 21) . Count the flashes and post the numbers back here and we can help further.

midiwall

??? Ummm, what do you know as "Regular" unleaded?

rabidmonkeyman

regular unleaded to me is just 87 octane

as for checking the diagnosis thing, ill try that tommorrow and post my findings if any

midiwall

Ahh, okay. Yeah, switching octane ratings wouldn't throw a code.

motoracer47

i think all tacomas are obd2. manufacturers had a window to bring obd2 online 94-96, 96 being the year they had to. 94 camrys are obd2.

rabidmonkeyman

my truck is an obdII, i checked it online. also, i tried connecting the te1 to e1 connecters via a paper clip but when i turn the key to on the CEL doesnt blink at all it just stays there, any tips?

midiwall

If it's OBDII, then take it to a Schucks, AutoZone, etc and have them read the code. They'll do it for free...

rabidmonkeyman

well i took it up to get it scanned and this comes up
P0420 Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold (Bank 1)

the guy told me that was a fancy way of saying my 02 sensor has either gone aray or theres something wrong with my emmissions, either way he told me to just take the sensors out, and replace it with some a plumbing pipe with a head on it and the same fitting. he said it wouldnt hurt my cars performance or anything and would save me money and clear up the CEL for when something really serious happens.

midiwall

Yeup:
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f128/obdii-trouble-codes-76363/

Try SEARCHing on "P0420" for more info on what other people have done.


Is this a CA truck? What the code is saying is that the catalytic convertor isn't doing it's job. Spending $56 to have one shipped to your door would be a good idea:
http://search.ebay.com/ws/search/Sal...K:MEFSRCH:SRCH


Ummm... "idiot" comes to mind.

Pulling the O2 sensor on your truck will toss a CEL and it probably won't even run.

WOW I'd love to have a chat with that guy.

rabidmonkeyman

he said thats what hes done to all his cars that had it happen to him

also i live in MI not CA

eitherway since it came on right after i put that different gas in it, im just gonna wait till i burn that gas off and put some 87 back in it, it makes sense (at least to me) that a different octane would burn differently and thus throw if off since its not used to it

midiwall

Well, ummm... it ain't gonna work on that truck. please seach the forum for more info. There are people that are fighting with that code by adding $200 black boxes to fake out the ECU.

Let him do it - also let him warranty the work and promise to put it back stock AND LEGAL for free when it fails.


'k. The question was based around the type of emissions system you have. If the truck had been originally sold in CA, then you have a more complex emissions system than someone else does in the other 49 states. Having a CA truck would have shifted my answer about the P0420 a bit.

leebee

your o2 sensor is an integral part of your emmissions system and without it in place and operating correctly, you will have nothing but problems. bite the bullet and get another o2 sensor. there are several members that work for dealerships and offer the membership some good pricing, strap22 is one that i remember off hand.

lee

midiwall

I have an idea if you wanna try it.

Is the code cleared now? If not, pull the negative battery terminal for a couple of minutes - that'll clear it.

Then get under the truck, find the O2 sensor and disconnect it. There's a connector on the wiring.

See if the truck runs... If it does, see if the CEL comes up...


Here's a 3rd thought. Are you sure you heard this mechanic right? He's really talking about removing the O2 sensor and plugging the hole? Or is he talking about removing the catalytic convertor and replacing it with a straight pipe?

rabidmonkeyman

im sorry if i came off as a bit rash, im just saying what he told me

the guy said to actually plug the whole and bypass the sensor, but he also mentioned that at one point he got so pissed with one of his cars that he removed the catalytic converter and replaced it with a straight pipe (which i dont want to do)