The check engine light on my son's 1996 Tacoma 4x4 with a 2.7 four cylinder has been on for some time. His former high school shop teacher told him not to worry about it, his OBD II showed camshaft position sensor. The truck runs great but we have to worry now, since our home state of NC has a new state inspection system on 1996 and newer vehicles. Vehicles will not pass the newer inspection with the check engine light on. I've been told the camshaft position sensor is located in the distributor, and the entire distributor would have to be replaced by our local Toyota dealer service manager. This is a rather costly way to pass a 30.00 state inspection. Our Chilton's Toyota service manual shows a 1996 4-Runner 2.7 engine and the diagram has the camshaft position sensor located in the distributor also. The distributor is around 300.00 at NAPA and Advance and 445.00 at the local Toyota dealer. Has anyone ran into this problem? Also do you HAVE to replace the entire distributor on this make and model??

 

Are you sure that the cam is what is causing the problem? Not challenging you, but I had the check engine light on in my 96 4R, and it turned out to be a vacuum tube came loose.

Just want to be sure there may not be other (i.e. simpler, cheaper) causes for the problem. Good luck!

 

haynoc,

i'd hate to take second hand info like that without actually seeing it myself, including the code #. id recommend borrowing an OBDII reader and verify for yourself what the problem might be. come back and let us know.

bob

 

Yeah, go to Autozone and have the code read there. It's free.

 

Thanks guys, I wouldn't completely trust the Toyota dealership either guys without seeing the code # myself. I watched a friend at a local auto repair scan it on his OBD II last week and saw the code for camshaft position sensor come up. (PO 340) My son's auto shop teacher scanned it a while back and the same code also came up.

 

I realize the above posts are 7 years old -I have the same problem, OBDII indicates the Cat Conv(no other codes-motor runs great)--(I also live in NC), paid Dealership to confirmed that it is in fact the Cat Conv and not (either of) the OS! A Toyota tech(has his own shop) replace the converter-worked for a while-light came on. Yep, he replaced the converter for a 2nd time-light came on!

...any suggestions?