Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Check Your Engine

Okay, so my truck tripped the "Check Engine" light while I was down in Virginia over the weekend. I didn't have my OBD II scan tool with me, so I had to wait till I got home to find out what tripped it. I was not about to hand out $90 to a mechanic just to plug in the scan tool, plus the cost for labor and parts. It would have ended up costing me about $400 to replace something I could do myself. In fact, my scan tool cost me $145 when I first got it. After two uses, it's already paid for itself.

Well, I drove home and plugged in my scanner. The code pinged back with P1135 - faulty air/fuel ratio sensor. This is the one that comes before the catalytic converter. So I did some research at all the auto parts stores - Auto Zone and Advanced Auto Parts. I even went into Toyota to find out how much they wanted for it. Can you believe they want $215 dollars?? Advanced Auto Parts wanted $205 for the Bosch one. Auto Zone was the lowest with $115.95 for the same one by Bosch. Guess where I'll be getting my A/F sensor from.

So far, after I reset the truck's computer with the scan tool, the "Check Engine" light has not come back on. In the interim, I replaced the air filter, while I wait for the new sensor and gasket to get here. This should allow more air into the intake manifold and increase O2 to the air/fuel mixture.

Looks like I'll be crawling under my truck some time next week. I hope nothing else comes up for a long while.

2 comments:

  1. Alot of times you can pull the sensor, clean it, and it'll last for quite awhile longer.

    just pull it out, wipe it down and let it dry before firing the vehicle back up.... also check your electrical connections, they can cause it to freak out if there is a short somewhere as well.
    (and if someone happens to steal your catalytic, you can add a diode, or so I've been told, to the rear A/F and shut it up)

    ReplyDelete

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