2004 DCab PreRunner Check Engine.... Drive it?

[04 Rocko Taco]

Hey guys....

So this past weekend we went camping in the Chattahoochee National Forest, MILES from ANYWHERE. My check engine light comes on in the Tacoma (2004 Double Cab Prerunner 3.4 Auto)

So... I check the rad, its full, temp gauge reads normal, I check the oil, good to go. No noticeable loss of power, maybe a slight loss of mpg on the trip home. Given that it isn't overheating, or losing oil... (or mixing coolant and oil) I decided it must be some sensory, electronic gizmo-y, stupid thingy that is wrong, and decided to drive it home anyway with nor eal fear of blowing it up or causing irreversible damage.

A) Would you have made the same call?

B) Any out of the blue guesses? I am headed to Vato Zone after work to get them to pull the code for me. We'll see then.

[Robinhood4x4]

My vote is a loose gas cap.

[04 Rocko Taco]

You forgot to answer A) Steve! I got it checked out at Auto zone this am, and have apparently fixed it. :) And no, it wasn't a loose gas cap.

[Stevo3]

Chris, I would have done the same steps as yourself, also went with the same call.
Im going to say it might be a dirty MAF sensor if the code came and went. But it should have still read something. That or it took longer to warm up so it triggered the thermostat CEL saying engine not at proper engine temp or something along those lines.

[4x4mike]

I get a dirty MAF sensor every once in a while. It's something small but I hate driving with the light on.

To answer A I would have driven.

I got a light sometime over the summer and it ended up being my air/fuel sensor. I decided I wanted to figure out and fix whatever it was on my own so i bought a code reader. If I go on a longer road trip or wheeling I take it with me. For anything it's piece of mind. I can get the code and clear it. If I need parts and I'm in the middle of the woods it won't do me any good. If I'm out of town and near a part store then I'm good to go and money ahead.

[^VooDoo^]

Had it happen two times, It wasnt on any long trip but I just looked at the gauges and the engine wasnt making any unusual noises so drove on.

First was the little plastic EGR disk/valve, The second time was spark plugs needed regapping.

[CJM]

Oh ive kept driving more than a few times. Seems at one point someone replaced the exhaust and just tack welded the oxy sensors on there? Why I dunno, but there were studs for nuts..but no nuts??

Had one blow off on me on the way to the honda powersports dealer, kept driving did what i needed to do and drove home. Put some high temp copper silicone on it and some nuts after rethreading the studs. Happened to me on the other sensor about a year later but it broke apart so I bought a new sensor and did the same fix.

[YotaFun]

What was it chris?

[Robinhood4x4]

You forgot to answer A) Steve! I got it checked out at Auto zone this am, and have apparently fixed it. :) And no, it wasn't a loose gas cap.


Oh yeah, I didn't even see that.

Yeah, so what what was it?

[04 Rocko Taco]

Vato zone, said that it was a "catalytic efficiency problem" wouldn't give me an exact code, but he recommended (shotgun approach - one step at a time) fuel cleaner and premium gas, then plugs/wires, etc, then O2 sensors, then catalytic converter.

I just got on the interstate, FLOORED it and stayed in it for about a mile, hit about 95mph, and the light went off. Going to do a tune up anyway in the very near future, watch for a thread on recommendations along with that. Been needing one for ....most of its life.

180K on the clock, only thing I've EVER done to it is a new battery and brakes. :hillbill:

[Robinhood4x4]

They wouldn't give you the troublecode? Isn't that what they're supposed to do? Anyway, it might be P0420 Catalyst System Fault.

The reason I said gas cap is because the wife's corollas check engine light just lit up. I pulled the code and got that P0420 and a google search called up basically what the guy said, O2 sensors, then catalytic converter. Well, I noticed the gas tank was full so I checked the cap and found it was a little loose. After tightening it, I cleared the code and it hasn't come back over the past 2-3 days.

[YotaFun]

Chris, at 180k you should look into the follow:
Timing Belt
Water pump
Thermostat
Plugs
Wires
new Air filter (if you have never changed it...)
Clean out the throttle body and mass air flow.

Steve, how much has the car been driven since the clearing of the CEL?
Toyotas usually go through there drive cycle after being warmed up and are held at a consistent speed (50-55mph) before monitors reset, and usually wont throw the code till it goes through the cycle twice.

What year is the corolla?

[04 Rocko Taco]

Avy - you will have PM shortly.

[Robinhood4x4]

Commuting to work and running errands, so probably about 5-6 times now.