Do I really need the ecm on my 87 22r? What does it control?

 

Is your engine stock or modified?

If you no longer have the factory Aisan Carburetor and have replaced it with an aftermarket carburetor, than the Emissions Computer really can't do much as aftermarket carburetors simply cannot use any of the factory "emissions" equipment. The information below may or may not be useful if this is the case, and is the long answer to your question.





If the engine has the factory setup:

Is your truck Federal Emissions or California Emissions?

The factory 22R does not really have an engine computer. It is more of an Emission Control Computer, and that is what Toyota calls it.

If the engine is still stock (with the Aisan carburetor), than yes, the Emissions Computer is needed for proper function of the carburetor, particularly with the California Emissions Package. [You can make the factory carburetor run without all of the add-ons, but it won't work as well as it was designed].

The Emission Control Computer controls vacuum switching valves (VSVs) for the evaporative emissions system, the Cold Mixture Heater on the bottom of the intake (helps the fuel turn into vapor on cold engine), the fuel cut system [fuel cut switch and fuel cut solenoid] (prevents afterburning in the exhaust during deceleration). The Federal Emissions computer takes input from an engine coolant temperature switch, ignition signal for engine RPM, speed sensor in the gauge cluster and Over Drive switch for Automatic Transmissions.

If you have the California Emissions Package, you will have a larger computer that controls more Vacuum Switching Valves, and takes input from more sensors such as an oxygen sensor and vacuum switches.


One common misconception is that Toyota used this fairly complex system purely to pass emissions standards, and nothing else. Many people see the world "emissions", freak out, and have an urge to rip out anything even remotely related to that word.

What Toyota really did was to create a carburetor and a control system to work with the carburetor that made the engine run better in a wide variety of conditions. By having a better running engine under those conditions, Toyota was able to reduce emissions. It is this idea that made Toyota not have the "choked by emissions" problems that American cars had.

 

Hey there old87yota, just came across this and since you know so much about this topic. I was curious If you took a factory federal emissions truck and switched its emissions control unit for a calif. one if you could pass california smog with an out-of-state truck. Wondering if (as a california resident) theres a way to get trucks from outside California to pass smog

 

as i recall, the cat on a california emissions vehicle can be different that what is on federal emissions vehicles... you can see that when you try to buy a new cat for these 22re engines... some smog check places will get down and verify the number on the cat, so you should probably request the visual check first, before they put it on the rollers.

another deal breaker might be the sticker on the bottom of the hood, are there federal versions vs. california versions?

 

Yes, there were two different emission decals, one for CAL, and one that said FED & CAN.
Toyota.com had a link in the Owners section where you can run a VIN and get info, including where it was first sold.
If you're missing the emissions decal on the hood you can easily order a replacement off the internet. Pretty cheap.

Most smog techs can discern a true cat from one that looks like a straight pipe(or something rather close) just by looking at it. If they suspect that cat isn't CARB certified than they might start researching it.

 

https://www.toyota.com/owners/vehicle-dashboard/

i guess that's it, i created an account but my VIN isn't recognized :-/

 

Make sure to enter all capital letters

 

yeah i did that, it's weird

well at least the california dmv thinks it's legit :-)

 

Toyota's websites are purging information relating to our age of vehicles.

My VIN was recognized as a 1987 Toyota 2WD Truck, last time I checked, but no other information showed up.

Also, the autoparts.toyota.com website does recognize my VIN, but will not tell me which parts match that VIN anymore.

Our trucks are old!

As for passing California emissions, I am not entirely sure. I do not live in California, so I am not as familiar with the laws and regulations with state emissions testing.

Jimkola would be a better resource.

 

o.k. here is that url: https://www.toyota.com/owners/vehicle-specification/

says "system unavailable", gonna try it later