engine light - likely causes

[jt_mr2]

Hello,

I have had my '2 for a few months now. It has performed faultlessly - no leaks and a perfectly adjusted handbrake - until today, when the EML came on.

My receipts indicate that the car has had 2 new lambda sensors and a new battery less than 500 miles ago. I checked the oil last week and it was a good colour and at the top of the dipstick.

The only clue that something was up was a slightly rough start this morning.

Can anyone say what the likely cause is? My first port of call will be the supplying dealer, but I would prefer to have an idea of what is going on for when they give me the runaround...

JT

[Wabbitkilla]

You need the code reading from the car.
You could take it to the dealer, but dealers have been known to cover up the engine check light to get out of fixing things.
Hopefully there is a fellow member within stomping distance with a code reader who can help you out and advise.

[jvanzyl]

 :-) :-) :-)  you mentioned TWO new lambda sensors... there are in fact THREE of the little blighters... slightly rough start up will quite possibly be due to an O2 sensor failing... so it could be the third that was never replaced, or if the two replacement ones purchased were of inferior quality it could be them.

But yeah - an el cheapo obd reader will help you no end!

[Essex2Visuvesi]

:-) you mentioned TWO new lambda sensors... there are in fact THREE of the little blighters... slightly rough start up will quite possibly be due to an O2 sensor failing... so it could be the third that was never replaced, or if the two replacement ones purchased were of inferior quality it could be them.

But yeah - an el cheapo obd reader will help you no end!

Imported JDM cars only have the 2 pre cat sensors
Also they need a more advanced code reader that reads the J-OBD protocol

[insx]

I had all 3 sensors fail on mine, plus the oil control valve.

[Jon_G]

Certainly the lambda sensors are a common reason for an EML, but the most recent cause for me was a dirty MAF causing an excessively lean AFR.

Get yourself a fault code reader. ELM327 Bluetooth types are now less than £2.50 on eBay, including delivery!

[jt_mr2]

Hello all,

Thank you for the quick replies. I got my hands on a cheapie code reader today (it is a UK car). Typically when I started the car up the light had gone off!

However I checked for stored codes, and it listed P1349. This is not in the list of codes in the reference section on this website, but is described as a failure in the VVT system by the app I am using...

Any advice on what to do (or to worry about!) would be appreciated!

[beavisrules]

the p1349 is telling you the cam advance angle had not changed as expected. it continuously varies across the whole rev range.
it uses a pulse width modulation signal to the oil control valve to vary how how much oil gets through.
could be either blocked filter , sticking valve or electrical problem.
none should lead to the destruction of you engine , but will hamper it a bit.

and it knows via comparing times from crank sensor to cam sensor , either are also a possible fault route , but unlikely as they have their own error messages.

[Topdownman]

If it was me, I would be e-mailing the dealer (so you have a record of it) immediately telling them there is a fault and giving them the error code and asking them to fix the issue.

[Ardent]

As beavis suggests
It could simply be a blocked filter.
The flip side of that would suggest/imply lack of previous maintainence

Handy if you have triple jointed wrists with hands the size of an 8yr old to get at it.

[lamcote]

Could it be a stretched cam timing chain?

[Wabbitkilla]

Could it be a stretched cam timing chain?

Unlikely, but you've not said what miles are on the engine.
I had the vvti OCV fail, and the camshaft vvti actuator fail.

You can test the OCV (hangs on the top back right of the engine.
Simply connect 12v across its terminals you should hear the valve click ... if it doesn't then it needs replacing.
If it does click then start the engine, get it warm and then connect 12 across the ocv terminals, if the engine stumbles then the vvti actuator on the end of the camshaft is working, if it doesn't then it's not.

If it doesn't stumble then first course of action is to check the vvti oil filter which is tiny and located under a bolt top on the back of the engine below the ocv. It's bloomin' fiddly but there are threads on here showing where it is and how to get to it if you search. If the filter is clean then it's ok and it will be the vvti actuator on the end of the camshaft.

Replacing the camshaft vvti actuator is much more involved but can be done with the engine in the car. It involves removing the rocker cover and the intake camshaft.

[Carolyn]

As The Big W (Wabbitkilla) says.  I find it easiest to first remove the OC Valve - then it's much easier to get at the filter.  When the OCV is out, you can bench-test it with 12v.  They CAN get gummed up and not operate fully (even though they are clicking), so a good clean while it's out is worthwhile.

[Cardiff Liam]

As The Big W (Wabbitkilla) says.  I find it easiest to first remove the OC Valve - then it's much easier to get at the filter.  When the OCV is out, you can bench-test it with 12v.  They CAN get gummed up and not operate fully (even though they are clicking), so a good clean while it's out is worthwhile.

My light kept coming on with the same code but the OCV itself was fine and the filter was as clean as a whistle. I find that the light comes and goes without needing to clear the code, 95% of the time it is off!

[onion86]

Seems to be relatively common. Here's one of the threads that should help out replacing the filter - there's a link to a celica forum in my first post: http://www.mr2roc.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=38104&hilit=P1349

I've been having the P1349 every few hundred miles since I bought my car (5 years). I've done around 17k miles, changed the oil about 8 times, flushing every time, replaced the OCV filter and replaced the OCV itself. New and old OCV both work fine and I've put 12v on a few times (including this Monday night when the code came back again) and engine dies instantly... so my actuator works fine too.  I hope yours is easy to fix after trying the above ideas. I've run out of ideas and just live with mine, decided I'm never going to fix it and had a subconscious dislike for my car ever since I got rid of my old one, it's also put me off any engine modding I've been planning for 5 years.

[StuC]

Seems to be relatively common. Here's one of the threads that should help out replacing the filter - there's a link to a celica forum in my first post: http://www.mr2roc.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=38104&hilit=P1349

I've been having the P1349 every few hundred miles since I bought my car (5 years). I've done around 17k miles, changed the oil about 8 times, flushing every time, replaced the OCV filter and replaced the OCV itself. New and old OCV both work fine and I've put 12v on a few times (including this Monday night when the code came back again) and engine dies instantly... so my actuator works fine too.  I hope yours is easy to fix after trying the above ideas. I've run out of ideas and just live with mine, decided I'm never going to fix it and had a subconscious dislike for my car ever since I got rid of my old one, it's also put me off any engine modding I've been planning for 5 years.

Still with this issue Stu?  s:-( :-( s:-(  

It also makes me sad to read your last sentence.  s:-( :-( s:-(

[shnazzle]

Steve@D1 not have any ideas that spring to mind? Otherwise it might be an idea for one of you to swing by and let the master at it

[Wabbitkilla]

I've seen another car where the same code kept coming and going.
The only thing that hasn't been tried is replacing the cam position sensor and the crank position sensor.
Worth taking them out and cleaning up their electrical connections first ... the crank posn sensors have a habit of getting dirty earths.

[onion86]

Still with this issue Stu?  s:-( :-( s:-(  

It also makes me sad to read your last sentence.  s:-( :-( s:-(

Makes me sad too  s:( s:(  Still could never get rid of her! I really want to fit my turbo, original plan was to do that in April 2012, it's actually still on my insurance as an upcoming mod I'm paying for :s

I've seen another car where the same code kept coming and going.
The only thing that hasn't been tried is replacing the cam position sensor and the crank position sensor.
Worth taking them out and cleaning up their electrical connections first ... the crank posn sensors have a habit of getting dirty earths.

Cheers Nic, I'll check out the sensors this weekend... will use a load of plus gas before trying the crank position sensor as it seems quite common for the studs to die. Cam sensor I've put off, but guess that's worth a try as I have an uncommon free weekend as of last night  s:) s:)   I haven't had any idle, starting or other symptoms of sensor issues so would've thought something else would've come up in 5 years other than the P1349, but worth a try!

[StuC]

Come on Stu. Get her sorted and get that turbo on.  s:-D :-D s:-D