I changed the plugs, wires, cap, and rotor, and it runs noticeably smoother. You can feel it. I almost crapped my pants when I pulled THE ORIGIONAL spark plugs out. My dad almost did the same. They said 'Denso' on the side, and were so corroded that I could not see daylight between the parts that spark. The rotor was pretty burnt, too. What scares me about this is that if they didn't bother changing the spark plugs, what else didn't they do? :pat:

About the EGR- I checked Napa, AutoZone, Kragen, and Pep Boys, and they have no clue what an EGR filter is. Neither do their computers. The guy at Napa suggested I call Toyota on monday and see if I can get a part number for the filter to see if they have anything for it in their computers.

Anybody have this part number? Or... Does this filter have to be this specific? Could I buy a general filter material at Kragen or something and cut it to the right size?

Thanks for everybody's help so far.

 

About that filter stuff. I bought the white filter material at auto zone and cut my own. The filter material is about $1.00 and it is in about a 2"x4" rectangle and it's anout 1" thick it is by the PCV valve section. Mine has been in my EGR for about 2 months with no problems.

 

Sweet, that's the stuff I'm talking about. Off to AutoZone!

 

Awesome man,

so is this EGR filter thingy something that should be checked as part of a regular service interval or just something to check when you notice a decline in performance?

Glad to hear you found the right stuff man.

Fink

 

Ok, Since I changed the EGR filter, spark plugs, wires, cap, and rotor, if that solves the problem, how will I know? My CE light is still on, but somebody said to unhook the battery for a bit. How long will reset the ECU?

I also hope it's not an O2 sensor; the rear is $109, and the front is $139. At least at Kragen that's what they quoted me.

 

well ive heard and read many different opinions on how long to keep it disconnected........

id say leave it unhooked for a good 15 minutes just to be sure.

 

That was only a thought I made based on age and my guess what normally goes out during that time. Had it been an O2 sensor it would have been a rich mixture type code. Of course, I have no way of knowing until you actually pulled the codes. My guess was an ignition cutting out and you said by replacing the cap, plugs, and wires that the truck runs smoother...EGR, never really knew you could service those things (but then again I wouldn't know until I get to engine repair class sometime next year).

Anyway, ya there are so many different views, on my Tundra I have to leave the fuse disconnected overnight! I wouldn't say pulling the battery disconnected, unless you feel like reseting your clock and radio presets. Just find the ECU fuse in more than likely the engine bay fuse box, pull it and leave it out like say today for at least half a day (you probably won't be going anywhere if you love football...hehe )

 

You only need to unplug the battery for about 15 minutes and you will be fine.

 

Cool, thanks for everything so far, hopefully I won't have my CE light on when I put in the fuse later tonight! :beaver:

 

If you do end up replacing an O2 sensor, then I can share a couple of things that may help.

1. You don't need to replace the rear. The rear one is there to check how well the CAT is doing. If it's bad, it won't cause the engine to run rough, lean, rich, etc.

2. Don't buy the sensors locally... Get them mail order and save a few bucks. There are a couple of different lines of thinking here.

I bought an "OEM" sensor for my 96 3.4L for $99.99 (including shipping) from: http://www.oxygensensors.com/ But, I later found out that it's a _generic_ sensor with an OEM plug on it. They also sell a "generic" sensor (the same sensor without _any_ plug, you use your old one) for $67.99.

My "generic o2 sensor with an OEM plug" works fine, though in hindsight I could have saved more money by buying the generic.

If you want a real-real OEM sensor, then check http://www.Partznet.com, they're going for $98.

 

Dang, that's good to know. If it turns out I need a sensor, I have that site bookmarked. Thanks for the informative post.

 

Holy crap, thatnks for everybody's help! I left my battery unhooked last night, and I hooked it up just now, and no more CE light! I am so happy I didn't have to spend a lot of money to find out what the problem was, and then have to pay to fix it. It's been said many, many times, but...