hey there everyone.
would really apprciate some help on this.

so ive always bought older vehicles. never having to deal with the issue of computers in my trucks.
now i am going to be buying a 91 toyota which is obviously efi and has a diagnostics box in it.

my partner is my mechanic and to avoid having to take the new beast into the shop im planning to buy my own diagnotics scanner.

thats where i get lost. there are so many out there, and i really dont know where to start or what i need to make sure they have.

any advice would be greatly appriciated.
my budget is pretty open. he thinks spending $400 is a fair gues where my dad say $199.
thanx

 

For a 91 the only diagnostics scanner you need is:




PS. This section is for home PC's and laptops and such.

 

AND, for future reference, your "partner" isn't a very knowledgeable mechanic(nor your father obviously). You might want to seek out someone that is. Before you go and spend the kind of money you were thinking about on a tool that has no use on your vehicle, or attempting any repairs to it on your own. Meaning, as "newbie friendly" as this site is, you'll still need a basic conceptual understanding of mechanics to make use of any advice given. Otherwise...you're just leaving the door wide open for the newbie bashers. Myself being as newbie friendly as they come...just to give you a rough idea.


You should both(or all three)sit down and read through this.
http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-buchanan/93fsm
You'll find the diagnostic pages listed under the "MFI System" for your particular engine to be quite useful.


Or, if money is no object, go buy a really spendy one and donate it to me. I'll find a use for it.

 

This issue has never been brought up before. Thank you for bringing it to light...

I will be subscribing...

 

thanx for the feedback.

and just fyi as i feel the need to defend my man. hes a brilliant mechanic just has never worked with a newer vehicle and has no idea about the diagnostic boxes etc!
and ya my dad does like to think he knows it all
thanx for the words of caution.

 

You're welcome. And as far as your man goes, we could actually use someone around here that knows more than us kids do about the older pre-EFI stuff. Just not very often does the subject come up.

What exactly is a carburetor anyway? I don't believe I've ever even seen one of those myself.

Welcome to YT!

And thank yourself for not stopping by Pirate4x4.com first. Then you'd really have seen the "stuff" hit the fan! Not worded nearly so kindly as that either though I'm afraid. We try to keep the sarcasm minimal, and the cynicism in check around here...for the most part.

 

"What exactly is a carburetor anyway?"


lol, I think I saw one onetime at a pull-a-part... It was weird...

 

ok. maybe im a total dumbass for asking this, and please laugh freely.

are you serious that there is no carburator in the newer vehicles?
i swear you are pulling my leg, but seriously im uber gullable. dont play with me....

 

Not usually. Fuel delivery has evolved from the carburetor to modern systems called generally EFI(electronic fuel injection)systems. There was also for a short time, after the beginning of the decline of carburetors, another electronic fuel injection system called TBI(throttle body injection). EFI systems of both types employ fuel injectors(as opposed to the fuel jets found in carburetors)and throttle bodies. The main difference between them being where the fuel is injected. TBI systems are more similar to carbureted fuel delivery in that the fuel is injected at the throttle body. A throttle body is like a carburetor in that it has an opening which is opened and closed by a linkage to the accelerator pedal to allow air flow to reach the cylinders. Later EFI systems haved moved the point at which the fuel is injected via the fuel injectors from the throttle body to the area directly behind the intake valves. And the most recent EFI systems have moved it to directly inject the fuel into the combustion chamber. These systems are known as DI(direct injection)systems.

Toyota held on to the carburetor for a while into the early 90's. While their EFI systems were developing, and which would eventually phase their use out entirely. They began offering EFI in 1984, and it gradually took over the reigns to become the only fuel delivery system now used by them and the rest of the industry. They never experimented with TBI, that I'm aware of. And were at the forefront in the developement of multi-port(injectors directly behind the intake valves/at each of the intake ports)EFI early on. Mostly due to their continued striving to improve fuel economy on their vehicles. TBI being less economical, they decided to jump the gun and go straight to developing what's become the standard in EFI systems, those with the fuel injectors located just behind the intake valves.

Did I forget to mention the computer? Oops. Fuel injectors on standard EFI systems are electronically controlled and require a computer to trigger their injection of fuel at the appropriate time. Carburetors require no such sofistication.

Oh boy...I could go on and on. Then we'd be here all night.

You'll find the rest of the story on the web somewhere.