1mzfe / A541E @ 122k miles, p0500, p1135, p1155

[fenixus]

hi guys,

so i bought another project (or problem hehe) car

this time it is a 2002 Solara SLE V6 (1mz-fe) automatic @ 122k miles.























it is basically same as 99-01 camry v6 (or 99-02 solara v6), only body and headlights were modernized.

car runs great, engine looks a little varnished under oil filler cap, but oil on dipstick looks good, probably nothing that sea foam or auto-rx can't handle.
it drives very smooth and quiet (tranny too, despite that it appeared as kind low oil level - but possible it was because of bended tranny dipstick and now I overfilled it and just can't see? need a new dipstick to be sure), however it's not yet ready for emissions and I will need it to be soon

got it at a nice discounted price since car is showing 3 error codes that appeared to me as an easy fix to me (time will tell).
biggest problem that car sits in Open Loop at idle (fuel loop never closes), so a/fr sensors are being ignored by the ecu (maybe also ECT and IAT sensors too).

trouble codes present (though CEL stays OFF):
P0500 - Vehicle Speed Sensor Malfunction (No.1 Vehicle Speed Sensor) - however speedo and odometers work fine and most importantly the tranny shift gears smoothly. need to ru through all fuses.
P1135 - A/F Sensor Heater Circuit Malfunction (Bank 1 Sensor 1) (Only for California Spec.)
P1155 - A/F Sensor Heater Circuit Malfunction (Bank 2 Sensor 1) (Only for California Spec.)

i also figure that either both afr sensors are bad (heaters broken) or there is a blown fuse or stuck relay for those afr heaters.

other problems spotted:
a) relay MG CLT (a/c magnetic clutch) looks hacked as it shows all pins shaved off except for middle one only connected permanently somewhere via an extra wire, a/c works fine though)
b) cracked windshield washer tank, not a critical problem at all, will remove and fix or replace if needed
c) fog lights do not work, will look into that, maybe just a bad fuse somewhere.
d) no remote for keyless entry, will try matching one from ebay once i find the alarm ECU, should be somewhere. though car is equipped withan immobilizer, so this might complicate things a bit (e.g. getting second set of keys).

now, car is not ready for emissions, because it sits in an Open Loop, so internal monitoring never completes on almost anything (catalyst, egr, evap egr, o2 heater are all incomplete). I doubt it has all faulty subsystems, because there would be a dozen of error codes related to them. i found that vss sensor acting up (or fuse or wiring) throws ecu into a fail safe mode, is it the reason why car never closes the fuel loop?

post your thoughts and opinions, if i bought a junk car then let me know I will get rid off it asap hehe.

so far i believe the whole problem is electrical (fuses / relays) and i will find my solution to that once i run them all through. however i might have made the biggest mistake ever hehehe ...



*re-uploaded original seller pics in this post.

[peshwa]

[73sport]

Thing looks nice from the other pic! I'm happy for you and jealous at the same time!

I'd start by looking closer at the data. Do the A/F's have any output (mV)? Then exercise the connectors and maybe reset the ECM now that you have the data. But no CEL, just DTC but stuck in O/L? I'm confused! Why isn't the cel blaring in your eye?

Isn't that kinda strange?

You driving it home right now as is?

[73sport]

Originally Posted by peshwa

Originally Posted by fenixus

will be picking up this baby in a few days



flying to Florida to meet her, then will carefully bring her back to new home in Jersey

[fenixus]

as you wish

my own 2 taken with a cellphone (crappy quality)




once i get home will do more pics with a better camera in jersey
i will make focus on engine bay. seems like the guy made a little mess with old oil filter and spilled old oil in front of engine. he says he put Royal Purple in it like 3 weeks ago.

sorry for delay in response, but i had to hlp my wife over phone with directions on google maps from my hotel in Tampa, FL as i took the GPS and she got lost in upstate NY
also in meantime visited local autozone, had to pick up a few things befoe heading to a road trip tomorrow (as is).
will only change the air filter, put techron in tank (now Mobil Super+ fuel in).

i noticed car still has original rotors that were turned once (per former dealer work) and are slightly pulsing while braking (nothing serious yet).

just in case picked up also 1qt of castrol gtx and 2qts of castrol blend ATF (who knows what migt happen). needed also some glass wipes (no washer fluid for wipers now).

also took a pack of ATM size fuses, and tomorrow morning will quickly check all of them with a tester and replace what needed (at least one wrong amp, maybe i will find a broken one somewhere behind coin holder for the fog lights).

ah forgot to say, the CD player doesn't work (as seller said), because someone before him (1st owner hehe) put too many discs in the changer and it got jammed... i guess over time i will change to something aftermarket as oem even from junkyard is too expensive.

also found 2 matching remotes (keyless entry) on ebay for factory installed alarm

[fenixus]

Originally Posted by 73sport

Thing looks nice from the other pic! I'm happy for you and jealous at the same time!

I'd start by looking closer at the data. Do the A/F's have any output (mV)? Then exercise the connectors and maybe reset the ECM now that you have the data. But no CEL, just DTC but stuck in O/L? I'm confused! Why isn't the cel blaring in your eye?

Isn't that kinda strange?

You driving it home right now as is?

hehe thanks


last time i checked o2/afr had voltage output but ECU was ignoring them (trims zeroed out always).

also not sure if ECT shows real temp or that 190F was a result of a limp mode too (need to double check).

will post live feed screenie soon.
now off to clean the windshield from inside as it's greasy, hard to see anything at sunset/sunrise.

yeah, both me and seller were amazed that there were error codes with no CEL (even obd2 reported MIL off, strange). possible that bulb went out as it doesn't blink once when starting engine (IGN on, it stays off while it shouldn't).

be back in a few.

[fenixus]

ok.

replaced air filter (old was very dirty), probably untouched since the last tune up at dealer. also poured techron to tank for tomorrow road trip (800 miles). checked oil (FULL and clear), checked ATF after fill up and it shows a little over full (also clear color), not big deal i think.

no leaks on ground, bottom of engine looks clean except for front where oil spill was which happened during last oil change (3 weeks ago).

replaced wrong fuses (found 4) in all fuseboxes and checked almost all of them (some behind coin holder are PITA to access without removing metal shield behind plastic knee panel) and they tested good. checked fuse for fogs but it tests good, so problem with fogs is elsewhere.

for sure i need new radiator cap and new fuel tank cap, they both look OEM and very old. cannot say if engine has any vacuum leaks (or how fuel trims look alike), because until I fix AFRs car is staying in open loop and ECU ignores o2 sensors output. BTW, ECT seems to report correct temps.

I noticed the DRLs also do not work, either light sensor bad or bad relay somewhere.

pulled 15A EFI to reset ECU and scanned everything thoroughly.

P0500 VSS malfunction is gone for now, but i'm sure it will come back after driving.

both P1135 and P1155 came back instantly with a freeze frame (for P1135). this time OBD2 reported MIL (CEL) on, but obviously the bulb must have gone bad (stays off, also at IGN OFF).

it seems that Bank 2 AFR doesn't exist to ECU (no voltage reported) in Digimoto but it reports some voltage (same as another bank) in Scanmaster, so it might actually be the root cause of problem (fuel loop never closes). i think both AFRs have faulty heater circuits.

Rear o2 reports very lean condition at warm idle, didn't check much more about it yet.

some screenies (LOTS of them):



live feed all accessories OFF, neutral gear:


Freeze frame (OBD2) P1135:


Another freeze frame (manufacturer mandated) P1135:






live feed all accessories on, parking gear:


live feed shortly after, but with digimoto5:


will come back to this thread tomorrow if i make it to Kenly, NC from Tampa, FL

what are your bets ?

should i pull front AFR and test the heater resistance at home ?

i'm also planning to flush all fluids and test all relays with a multimeter.

planning also to use auto-rx with new oil and install magnefine filter for tranny if time allows.
might also need new rotors (pads don't look very worn yet), but those are not tragic yet.

for now primary focus is to make this car pass emissions, time for play with other stuff will be later.

also noticed the PCV valve (on rear bank) is oily and dirty around grommet, so it probably leaks.

not sure if MAP works fine on this car as ECU doesn't report it ? stupid question, does it have a MAP sensor ? or only MAF ?

[fenixus]

btw, because of 3 trouble codes (VSS and both AFRs) seller dropped the price of car by $900 below the ebay deal (it wasn't bad either LOL!), so in the end i got it for $4,400 with some problems to fix ... hopefully I will otherwise registration in NJ goes bye bye...

[Chris Crash]

Nice! Dude, all you've learned about the electrical systems in these cars you can handle it, no problem. I hope your trip home goes alright.

For the cd player, try un-jamming it. Maybe you'll get some cool cd's out at least

[fenixus]

Originally Posted by Chris Crash

Nice! Dude, all you've learned about the electrical systems in these cars you can handle it, no problem. I hope your trip home goes alright.

For the cd player, try un-jamming it. Maybe you'll get some cool cd's out at least

thanks, will need luck in surviving an 11hr road trip to hotel in Kenly, NC (arriving around midnight).

hehe, i will play with all non-critical annoying problems once i make the car pass emissions.

[73sport]

Sweet Ride! I think you're in the Game for Keeper!

Later!

[Jason.MZW20]

Well, you'll need new AFR sensors for both banks, unforunately. The heaters tend to go out in them because they run nearly continuously during operation. They are duty ratio controlled by the ECU, and on a cold, winter morning, they can draw up to 8 amps a piece. I had to wire in a relay and fuse for them in my MR2 because I didn't want them on my measly 15A EFI fuse.

Denso 234-9021 is the sensor you'll want. They're not bank specific. Do NOT troubleshoot anything else until you get these changed out. The ECU forces open loop when the AFR heaters malfunction. Trust me. I learned this the hard way, so there's no reason for you to go through the same steps as me. My 1999 ECU actually spews out P0125 when the heaters malfunction, which says insufficient coolant temp for closed loop, but my temperature was clearly over 180F.

Please, please, please be careful when removing the AFR sensors. Use a LOT of PB Blaster or something similar because there's a 50/50 chance the threads of the AFR sensor or AFR bung will collapse. This happened to me on the front bank and I had to retap the bung. I had to remove the manifold and hammer the sensor off. Not fun. So, enjoy the perils of that. You'll probably get lucky though.

Regarding the AFR sensors in non-Toyota loggers: they report only the constant positive side 3.3V divided by 5 to comply with OBDII specifications. There's no way to monitor them unless you borrow a Toyota TechStream tool and see the enhanced information. They won't show you any information as they don't switch voltage, as you know. Instead, they change current based on the AFR. Positive current = lean, no current = stoich, negative current = rich. Since they're widebands, the ECU knows the exact AFR based on the amount of current change (i.e. more negative current = a richer fuel scenario, so the ECU immediately reduces injector PWM).

Get the VSS fixed soon. It may cause shifting issues. You'll be happy to know that the speed sensor is shared between all of the A/Ts; only the driven gear changes. So, you'll need to see if the driven gear is missing teeth, or if the actual sensor is malfunctioning and repair as necessary.

[Jason.MZW20]

AND, you might as well change out that rear O2 sensor as well.

Denso 234-4137.

Oh, and the 1MZ only uses a MAF, so be wary of vacuum leaks as they can make the engine run terrible.

And if you ever want to switch to a M/T, you can connect a ground switch on your current ECU, and it removes all of the solenoid/AT stuff.

[73sport]

Originally Posted by Jason.MZW20

AND, you might as well change out that rear O2 sensor as well.

Denso 234-4137.

Oh, and the 1MZ only uses a MAF, so be wary of vacuum leaks as they can make the engine run terrible.

And if you ever want to switch to a M/T, you can connect a ground switch on your current ECU, and it removes all of the solenoid/AT stuff.

Damn you! I need your BOOKS!!!!!!!
Always detailed and on the Money! Great Work!

Actually this was for the above post - same hold true here. . . .

[fenixus]

Originally Posted by 73sport

Sweet Ride! I think you're in the Game for Keeper!

Later!

hehe, this one is actually a keeper 100% positive!

OMG I love how the 1mz-fe sounds (especially upon acceleration), so beautiful sound to the ear! unlike the 4-banger which sounds like it was ripping it's own guts out haha

~700 mile road trip went smooth as butter. i also had a chance to test the car on fast highways in Florida (best flat roads over there, i haven't seen ANY cops! no wonders people drive here crazy fast haha!), Georgia (first cop i noticed in 2 days in South was here - a highway patrol), South & North Carolina.
drove through 5 massive (& short for me when blasting at highway speeds through them) thunderstorms on the way, washer fluid wasn't necessary it was raining that bad hehe

tested also how car handles "high velocities" (no numbers mods, don't seat it, no street/hi-way racing in this thread) geeez it's the fastest (and stable) car i have ever owned, simply love it!

Originally Posted by Jason.MZW20

Well, you'll need new AFR sensors for both banks, unforunately. The heaters tend to go out in them because they run nearly continuously during operation. They are duty ratio controlled by the ECU, and on a cold, winter morning, they can draw up to 8 amps a piece. I had to wire in a relay and fuse for them in my MR2 because I didn't want them on my measly 15A EFI fuse.

Denso 234-9021 is the sensor you'll want. They're not bank specific. Do NOT troubleshoot anything else until you get these changed out. The ECU forces open loop when the AFR heaters malfunction. Trust me. I learned this the hard way, so there's no reason for you to go through the same steps as me. My 1999 ECU actually spews out P0125 when the heaters malfunction, which says insufficient coolant temp for closed loop, but my temperature was clearly over 180F.

Please, please, please be careful when removing the AFR sensors. Use a LOT of PB Blaster or something similar because there's a 50/50 chance the threads of the AFR sensor or AFR bung will collapse. This happened to me on the front bank and I had to retap the bung. I had to remove the manifold and hammer the sensor off. Not fun. So, enjoy the perils of that. You'll probably get lucky though.

Regarding the AFR sensors in non-Toyota loggers: they report only the constant positive side 3.3V divided by 5 to comply with OBDII specifications. There's no way to monitor them unless you borrow a Toyota TechStream tool and see the enhanced information. They won't show you any information as they don't switch voltage, as you know. Instead, they change current based on the AFR. Positive current = lean, no current = stoich, negative current = rich. Since they're widebands, the ECU knows the exact AFR based on the amount of current change (i.e. more negative current = a richer fuel scenario, so the ECU immediately reduces injector PWM).

Get the VSS fixed soon. It may cause shifting issues. You'll be happy to know that the speed sensor is shared between all of the A/Ts; only the driven gear changes. So, you'll need to see if the driven gear is missing teeth, or if the actual sensor is malfunctioning and repair as necessary.

right, i read about 8 amps of power they can take. actually the codes I've got mean they (heaters in them) take less than 0.25A or more than 8A thus causing the error to pop up.

thanks for info man! I replaced AFR and rear sensor in 5s-fe, no sweat at 73k miles, i bet it will be more stuck at 123k miles, so will use caution (and will flood it with PB blaster to avoid the trouble you had).

as you said, will not troubleshoot anything until those get replaced, will learn from your exp (need to see the close loop soon to make sure all is in order).

for now only contemplating if I should get Denso sensors or the NKG ones (I went that way on 5s-fe, all good) as i heard they can last reliably longer than Denso's.

will order them tomorrow after i get back to Jersey (600 more miles).

BTW, all PC based scanners (obd2 cable + software) correctly report the AFR voltage (before dividing by 5, or rather they multiply by 5 whatever they see actually I guess).

Didn't have a chance yet to confirm if VSS error P0500 poped up again, will test tomorrow morning before I hit the highway.

also need to re-check fluid levels to see if I didn't loose anything on the way.

so far so good!