aa1911

iTrader: (1)

OK, I feel retarded.... searched around YT and google all afternoon and have gotten nowhere. It's my '00 Taco rig....

Sunday evening my catalytic converter was jacked while fishing on the Puyallup river (very cleanly I might add, no damage or cutting, took bolts and all) so finally got a replacement from cut rate auto today and installed (now Wed afternoon) but truck turns over but no dice. pulled Neg battery cable for about 5 min, tried again, turns over but no bang, sputter or anything whatsoever.

Initially after the theft (after some loud obsenities), I started/drove the truck 37 miles home with no problem (ya, the INSANE rumble aside....) other than about a 100 confused stares from innocent pedestrians/drivers.

and, no CEL either.... it does come on when I turn the key on initially so the light isn't burned out either...

It's dark now and don't feel like checking fuses, don't think that's it.

Here's my questions unless someone has the answer already:

1. Direction of cat flow? The cat is the correct replacement, verified online and at several auto parts stores, however there are no directions as to which end goes which direction. I can see thru the honeycomb so just threw it in there and it matched up just fine with some new bolts (no new gasket yet, working on that... just want to get on the road at the moment) The brand is Walker, paid $209 for her

2. Downstream O2 sensor damaged? (OEM/Stock still btw) but still should at least fire up or sputter or something...? or just throw a CEL

3. Upstream O2 damaged??? how did it make it home then? the upstream was replaced new (Denso) within the last year or so.

Yes, gas tank is full and I cannot find anything missing/pulled/damaged other than the cat itself, the rig was left clean, spent 3 hours under there already...

Thanks fellas, hopefully someone has an easy answer that will make me feel stupid but at least get me back on the road.... there are more salmon to catch and I have a new cat for the tweakers to steal..... want to wrap it in barbed wire and razor blades.....

AA

aa1911

iTrader: (1)

oh, one end of the honeycomb inside had the number 491 visible???? that went towards the engine/upstream end. color looked the same on both sides, no markings on cat other than some numbers, will add those when I can see 'em again, doubt that is anything tho...

vital22re

iTrader: (2)

well, could be a fuse somewhere. Do this, using the diagnostic port under the hood you should be able to jumper the fuel pump to stay on. Try starting with the pump jumpered on.

If it runs... could be maf or something with the COR.

If it does not then most likely you have no spark. Pull a plug from the driver side while someone cranks and look for spark.

Maybe do a quick compresion check or pull the cover to make sure your belt isn't gone.

This should get you in the door as to what could be the problem

I think this may be more of a coincidence.

aa1911

iTrader: (1)

cool, sounds like a good plan... who knows, I might get lucky and maybe it is a fuse; or maybe the tweaker is just lodged in my timing belt, hahahaha!

If it is something else, boy, when it rains it sure pours!!!

maybe this will be the kick in the pants to get out my tuning software and get to work!

thanks Vital, I will have more info for you guys tomorrow when I can see better

vital22re

iTrader: (2)

sure, let me know if you can't get to it by the weekend. I will be around and can swing by to take a peak.

aa1911

iTrader: (1)

thanks brother, will keep you guys posted.

andrewflores17

seeing stuff like this makes me want to put rebar around my cat at least the guy kindly took it off nicely

aa1911

iTrader: (1)

I thought about reinforcement and then after looking I realized I would just lose more of my exhaust system.... I'm buying a game camera from Cabela's and will put it to good use.... on 2 legged game....

Although after I buy a welder, there just may be some extra 'cat' armor getting installed.

it's ridiculous what people do AND get away with....

aa1911

iTrader: (1)

OK, went thru the fuse box undert the hood first and whattya know, the EFI (20amp) fuse was blown???????? how the heck did it run all the way home and THEN blow out?? that doesn't make sense to me. anyway, truck starts and runs normal again, trying to find my code reader to see if there were any stored codes in there, will update if I find anything else.

aa1911

iTrader: (1)

drove about 70 miles today and everything seems to be fine, need to tune a bit but making good power and all is well. still have no idea how/why the EFI fuse blew though.

different sound with the new cat, not bad at all, certainly better than the ruckus I caused sunday on the way home without it.... it is a little louder though (I guess that's good to some people...)

now off to buy more methanol, running on straight dH2O right now....

limited out on salmon again today, gotta love the northwest!!

sdsurfer

Ahh man fresh salmon? Rig runnin this is a good day ride on!!!

vital22re

iTrader: (2)

Good to hear you've got it handled. Where are you fishing man? you holding out on me???? I've hit the snohomish a couple times but i'm more than ready for the silvers to get out of the rivers and ready for the silvers and winter run to move in.

aa1911

iTrader: (1)

puyallup river my friends, get in line it's shoulder to shoulder but the pinks are ALL OVER the river, just cast for a few hours and you will limit out, even this guy can catch 'em! I am the worst fisherman in the world. also some kings in there. they are getting bigger too... also got a silver (coho), they are small right now but tastier...

Kings are on the nisqually thick as flies now but indians are netting until wed I think. it is also packed. I lost my buddy's net, my knife and a cat converter so far on the last two weeks of fishing, and now I need a new reel, mine's toasted. this is getting expensive!

Truck doin' OK but needs methanol still, I could just dump WW fluid in there but that just freaks me out. Should get some tomorrow, but I have a feeling it's not just the lack of meth that's not making full power, it needs some tuning bad. Hopefully my computer will cooperate and let me connect to the ECU...

fish on!!

93toyrunner2

Don't spend another dime on it. You need to trade it in and buy a Toyota. Problem solved!

bob200587

Did they come back and steal the starter too?

aa1911

iTrader: (1)

^^Ford ranger tech, hahaha! just saw Wabbit's handiwork.

Sorry, it's a Toyota thing...


Truck still runnin' good, just turned over 162k (about 3k since converter was jacked). Have not driven back to the puyallup, been riding with my buddy's instead; now I'm just fishing the Nisqually, much closer and higher cut of people so to speak IMO.

Saving my $$ for an OME lift kit from Toytec to clear my new tires, it will make it easier for tweakers to steal my cat, hahaaa! I don't want them straining their neck or squirming while I'm aiming.... so I'm gonna give them about 2" of extra working space...

Also got my game camera yesterday, tested it out last night, now I will get them on video if anyone messes with my rigs or my property.

Doesn't help when out and about tho.... I use the club on the steering wheel always and plan on doing some kill switches in case someone wants more than my cat.

93toyrunner2

Kill switches are recommended. The Club, well you might as well not even bother. They just cut the steering wheel with ratcheting pipe cutters, and the club falls off... About 3-4 seconds to remove.

Bassinfool

In regards to your EFI fuse blowing, sounds like the problem was one-time, but it would be worth checking the wires to your O2 sensors. On my old '92 I kept blowing the EFI fuse and it came down to the O2 wires having the insulation melted off & were shorting out on themselves. Some new wire & Heat Shrink tubing and about 15 minutes fixed the problem for good. I'd recommend crawling under there to confirm they're in OK shape.

dntsdad

The loom that runs to the O2 sensors has a white/blue wire with it that powers the o2 sensor(s). that wire runs most of the components on the 3.4 motor (injectors, maf, various sensors, etc). My guess is that when took out that cat the unplugged, or cut, the wires and they were dangling around and finally melted up against the exhaust and thus shorted out.

I would climb underneath and check the wire loom for melted spots as this could happen again if you have exposed wires.

I dont believe in coincidences generally. Everything is caused by something and fused dont get weak and just blow.

aa1911

iTrader: (1)

^^agreed on coincidence being fairly rare in this game. I will check out the wires and see what the deal is although no problems since and gas mileage/power is unchanged to date. worth a look for sure though.

As for the club, I realize it is only a deterrent and won't stop a determined carjacker but I go with the theory that if two tacomas are sitting near each other and mine has the club while the other doesn't.... well.... the hope is to cut down the chance that it'll be my rig. that is until they make it legal to wire up explosives to your vehicle, hahaha!

When i bought the club, the checkout clerk asked me if I was having problems with theft in my area and I said no but I do leave my rig in the middle of nowhere up in the national forest for sometimes several days and wanted to make it more challenging for thieves.

He then proceeded to tell me a story about his buddy who had used the club on his rig near Mt Rainier and came back only to find his truck had been set on fire because the thieves couldn't get the club off.... thanks guy, I needed to hear that...