PRODIGY3000

Before I start, the only thing I have on the car is a K&N cold air intake. The rest is bone stock and its an '05.

I just moved up to MD and have to get the car inspected. So I went to an Autozone to run this CEL I had. The CEL has been there for about a year and the car has run fine with it. I even got 415 miles on a tank once and it still pulls hard. Turns out there were 3 errors:

P0031: Oxygen sensor heater control circut low - bank 1 sensor 1
Probable cause:
-Open or short circut condition
-Poor electrical connection
-Failed O2 sensor
-EFI relay fault


P0304: Cylinder 4 misfire detected
Probable cause:
-Weak/missing spark
-Plugged fuel injector
-Engine mechanical fault
-Large vacuum leak specific to cylinder


P2118: Actuator control motor current range/performance
Probable cause:
-Oopen in ETCS power source circut
-Poor electrical connection



The last one I couldn't tell you wtf that meant with a gun to my head. I need to get this car inspected at the end of next month so I need SL's help. I checked the SL Technical Manual but it booted me off before I zeroed in on any of my codes. Does it tell you how to fix them or does it just give you the same info that I already have about 'probable causes'?

vettereddie

I'm suprised it wasn't a MAF error. Do you still have the stock intake? If so, put it back on and see if the code goes away. I know other people have had problems with the intakes before. What usually happens is that the coupler that connects the intake pipe to the throttle body doesn't sit tight and air gets let in after the MAF sensor. This messes with the air fuel ratio and throws the O2 sensor off. If you don't have the stock intake, tighten all the couplers down on the CAI and see if that fixes things.

It could also be a loose MAF sensor. Take it out of the intake, and put a thin layer of sealant around the part of the sensor that sits on the intake pipe. DO NOT get anything on the sensor tip or it can mess it up. That would stop any air leak from going by where the sensor connects.

PRODIGY3000

Thx vette. I'm going to go tighten those couplers down. Also the MAF does not sit snug on the K&N bracket and it never did. There was always about 1 cm of play when you wiggled it to the front/back and left and right. Is there anywhere to buy the brackets for the K&N CAI? My upper one broke so the only thing thats holding it in is the wall mount I bought on SL. I just want the couplers to sit right again.

Any other thoughts on the last two? I'm a little concerned about the misfire in cylinder 4. What could have caused that? A lifetime of sh*tty gas? Would some fuel system cleaner be worth a shot? I'm not experiencing any bad spark problems. Like I said the car runs solid. Idle has a hint of fluctuation from time to time from 650 to 700. But thats it. And what the hell is the actuator control motor.

mystik

iTrader: (1)

cylinder misfires happen every now and then...probably nothing you did wrong. maybe the spark plug is getting old or something.

draxcaliber

man. those sound like some serious problem codes for a tc with just a cold air intake, are you the first owner?

as for the last two, yeah, run some fuel system cleaner to try and clean the fuel injector, or replace the spark plug for that cylinder.

vettereddie

Not sure on the misfire. Hopefully it's tied to the MAF problem, sometimes these things daisy chain to multiple codes for a single issue. I've got an xB so I can't help you on the bracket thing. I have the Weapon-R short ram, and my MAF wasn't tight either. I used standard clear silicone sealant, applied to the MAF where it sits on the tube to seal it. Don't put it on the intake tube or when you drop the sensor in it could smear on the sensor.

If not, a misfire is from no spark, no fuel, no air or no compression. You say the spark plug is good, that leaves it to a clogged injector or potentially a valve that won't seat, i.e. intake / exhaust stays open and you don't get compression, so the air / fuel mixture gets blown out of the combustion chamber before top dead center and spark. if this was happening, you'd smell fuel though.

Most shops can clean injectors, so no need to buy new ones. Not sure what the service runs. You can remove them yourself if you can get someone else to take you to the shop with them.

ack154

iTrader: (7)

Ya... so if you're going to try to use bad words, you should at least read the rules first. Mostly it includes a part about "misspelled" profanity... and to NOT use it.

I edited your title for you to correct.

engifineer

P2118 is related to your throttle motor (electronic throttle). If the ECU control over the throttle actuator is not operating correctly, it could potentially be causing a running issue (possibly even the misfire depending on what is going on).

I would start by checking all connections to the throttle control module under the hood. The module has to be getting power or the car would simply idle and not respond to throttle pedal input. But if the connection is poor, it may be failing its self check.

For the 02, you need to check all connections to it to ensure it is properly connected first. Since it is an O2 heater circuit code, it is probably not related to an A/F or MAF related issue. It could very well be a bad O2.

I would figure out the primary O2 and throttle control codes first and see if your misfire code comes back. My guess would be that it would not. You dont have any stuck rich/lean codes related to the O2, so I doubt the issue is an A/F ratio being way out of whack.

SATownScion

get a scan gauge and clear the codes. then if the light comes on again, see what the code is and that might be the cause for the other codes you listed.

PRODIGY3000

Yes I'm the first owner and the car has really never been abused. Its actually the best running car I've ever owned. Even the oil never gets older than 3K miles. I had an AutoZone run the CEL code when it first came on when I was still living in Florida and the only thing that came up was the 02 code. Now I'm thinking these last two might be related to it, and as someone said snowballed to a couple other errors. I never bothered to get a new one because there aren't any emission tests in Fla. You can run a turbo with an open downpipe down there and no one bats an eye. Now I've gotta do it for the Maryland MVA **** Party.

Thanks guys I appreciate all of the help. I've got a ? about getting a new 02 sensor. Since I've got a feeling that might solve some ills. Does anyone have a part number for them? I've looked around before and they seem to fluctuate like crazy in price, from like 30 to 200 bucks. Easy install?

P.S. - sorry for the thread title profanity.

t_dub

Before buying an O2 sensor, you could use a multimeter to check to see if it's working properly. A working sensor will vary the voltage drop constantly, while a failed sensor won't.

AAG

iTrader: (1)

This can't be good

How many miles do you have on the car and when was the last time you did a tune up?

engifineer

There is no such thing (contrary to what Obama falsely stated ) as a regular "tune" up on a fuel injected, computer controlled vehicle. Tune ups went away years ago. There are maintenance items (air filter, etc) but those are not a tune up.

Our plugs will run upwards of 100,000 miles (toyota will say even longer)

We have no points, no distributor, etc obvioulsy.

We have coil on plug ignition.. aka no fast wearing wires to replace

No manual "tune up" items to check and set.

Change the fluids, filters and plugs when specified.. that is it. Some may call this a tune up.. but it is not. Hooking an older car up to a tune up machine and doing the whole 9 yards is a tune up.

The Obama comment I made is my favorite.. he read somewhere that regular tune ups will save X% in fuel economy... when the original info was about fixing a car that is already running out of emissions spec... yet he kept on pushing that tune up like he knew it would save the world

Anyway.... it is very correct to be concerned about running that long with a CEL. Even if that CEL was not serious, you would not have known if 10 more codes set. And had one been that the system was running super lean, you may have found out the hard (And expensive) way for sure !

Your 2118 code is not a side effect of an O2 sensor code, at least not in any way I can think of being possible. Either the actuator is starting to go or the wiring and connections are bad. You need to check the connections, clear the code and then see if it comes right back. If so, then you need to keep digging and fix it. I believe I have heard of a couple of people having to have that actuator replaced. If it fails completely on you, your car will be undriveable until it is fixed. I believe it will start and idle, but that is it.

The O2 code, again, is telling you that the internal heater circuit for the O2 is failing, or at least the ECU thinks it is. If all connections are good and the code returns, you may need an O2. You dont show any stuck rich/stuck lean codes so I dont think your A/F is way off.

The misfire could possibly have been created by intermittent issues with the O2 along with the 2118 issue, but it could have been a lot of other reasons as well. A flakey crank position sensor can even do the same thing since I believe our system is like many and determines a misfire from a sharp dip in crank speed.

Again, I would look at your O2 and 2118 issues first and see if the misfire happens again after those are fixed.

sciontastic

^I think the engine will still run off of fail-safe mode if the ETCS becomes inoperative. You just won't have that much power and balance from the engine in that mode. But the op said he had no problems with drivability issues so it's puzzling to know what is really going on with that system.

To the op:
That system has a ETCS fuse for the 12v power supply. I would check that fuse first. It's in the engine bay fuse and relay box.

Secondly, that o2 code commonly ends up to be internal faults with the heated circuit of the o2 sensor. If you are at around 60K miles, it's a good idea to just replace it.

Thirdly, to start pinpointing the misfire code, I would swap coils around between the cylinders. If the misfire code carries over to another cylinder, then obviously you've got a weak coil. If not, then it can be a multiple number of things (compression, electrical connections, fuel injector, spark plug, ECU, etc.)

Start with simple inspections first:
1. Disconnect the associated cylinder's fuel injector and ignition coil and check their connector terminals for abnormalities.
2. Remove the spark plug and check its condition.
3. While you have the plugs off, hook up a $15 compression gauge tester. Acceptable minimum compression readings should be around 150psi. Remember to disable the fuel and ignition system by pulling off the EFI fuse before doing a compression test.

These are the simple inspection methods with basic diagnostic tools that I can think of. To know the fuel supply and efficiency of an operating injector requires advance tools like oscilloscopes. But you can do what others have already suggested using fuel cleaner.

engifineer

The car should idle (at best) if the actuator fails. There is no way it can drive, since the electrical control is the only connection between your foot and the throttle body. The actuator starting to go or an intermittent connection issue (poor or dirty connection) will cause that code. If the power to the unit was not present at all, the actuator would not operate at all.