98 Camry High Calculated Engine Load

[Tommyjarvis2756]

I've got a 1998 Toyota Camry with the 2.2L 4cyl engine, and I'm having a heck of a time chasing down information!

I purchased an obd2 bluetooth adapter (Gopoint BT1) to check my CEL code, which was a p0401 (EGR insufficient). The car seems to run fine, gas mileage is around where it should be at 32ish MPG, and the only thing i've ever noticed was a extremely slight throttle hesitation when taking off at low rpm's. Aside from trouble codes, my main reason for getting that was for the realtime MPG readings. Unfortunately, this is a constant ZERO. There are other sensor readings that seem to be off which i'm sure is related to the EGR issue, but I just can't seem to find anyone that can look at all this data and put a diagnosis together. Here's what I've got so far for results, and I've got my fingers crossed somebody can help me get this solved so i can have CORRECT readings through the obd2.


CEL code p0401 - "Exhaust Gas Recirculation insufficient"

*No major symptoms detected in drive-ability.
*GREAT Gas Mileage (32+mpg).
*EXTREMELY minor hesitation on occasion at very low
RPM's/speed, immediately picking up power after
5mph.

OBD2 Readings: 2 outside normal specs,
1) Calculated Engine Load - idle 27%-30%
80-90% while accelerating to HW speeds, and
50% @ hw speeds. (WAY TOO HIGH)

2) ECU falsely reports 0mpg as a result of the
inaccurate engine load, which is most likely
directly related to the manifold pressure
reading.

3) Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) - idle 9~11
in/Hg, almost all the way to 30 in/Hg while
accelerating. (I replaced the MAP sensor and got same readings)

[hodgoes2001]

Direct Injection Gas or Carburetor Style?

If it is a Carburetor style one.. this sounds normal..

[fenixus]

engine load doesn't look too bad, 5s-fe have those high calculated load values and they are in specs still (up to 50% at idle is in specs). IIRC mine was sitting at 27% at idle in obd2.

test your MAP sensor manually with a hand vacuum pump and multimeter at the plug (and borrow 5V from harness nearby at IGN ON).

also check the MAP's vacuum hose for leaks, it will cheat the sensor readings.

bad MAP can cause P0401 to get tripped. your MAP readings are a little too high at idle. as far as I remember my 5s-fe at normal idle was showing something between 3.6-4.1 psi (no more than 9inHg I think) depending on the weather and season of year.

[Tommyjarvis2756]

The MAP sensor was actually the only thing i've tried replacing so far with no luck (same results with new as old). What are the odds that the (brand new) MAP sensor I replaced it with was bad? I do have to admit i need to check the hose going from the map to the intake manifold. BTW, does that hose connect to another sensor that's inside the intake manifold by chance?? It just occurred to me that was possible.

[Tommyjarvis2756]

Oh, and no it's fuel-injected.

[TedL]

Originally Posted by Tommyjarvis2756

2) ECU falsely reports 0mpg as a result of the
inaccurate engine load, which is most likely
directly related to the manifold pressure
reading.

What is the basis for your belief that this is a supported parameter?

[awisniewski]

I thought i recognized that code and looked in my notes and yes, I had that same issue on my 1998 Camry 4cyl. It drove me nuts also but replacing the VSV valve fixed the problem. I ended up getting the part at Autozone for about $60 at the time. If the genuine Toyota part isn't much more I'd opt for that but I was in a jam at the time. By the way its a pain in the #$(@ to remove the old one, i opted to secure mine to another location near by and just reroute the hoses and wires to to the new sensor.

Here is some reading for you:

Details on issue:
Fixing EGR Code P0401

Link i found on removal procedure:
http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forum...2-2l-2001-vsv/

What the valve looks like
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/6850/vsvwr2.jpg

[Tommyjarvis2756]

awisniewski, you absolutely ROCK. I've been going bat-#$% insane over this, it's such a relief to find someone else that's seen this before. The VSV was the last part that I had to test, but for the very reason it's so hard to get to, i broke down and jumped on here to ask. I'm going to go ahead and pick one of those up then and throw it in since i'm not afraid it will be a complete waste of time lol. Thanks again, if this works i will certainly post again and let you know!

[Tommyjarvis2756]

Boy you're not kidding, that's INSANELY difficult to get to. I gave it a try today when i got up, but couldn't get to it and ran out of daylight. I'm going to give it another go later this morning when I get home from work, and if i DO end up getting to it, i'm sure as heck not putting it back in that impossible to reach spot. Fingers crossed

[fenixus]

there is only 2 ways of accessing the VSV for EGR on 5s-fe:
a) on the lift from under the car with loooong extensions
b) on jack stands through a passenger side wheel well (remove the wheel of course)

the latter take some time and effort too as you will be working by touch, simply cannot touch the VSV and see it at same time with that approach

as the matter of fact, after removing it off the car you should test it first with compressed air and by connecting to battery posts to see if ti click and re-routes the air stream. your problem could be anywhere among the unholy EGR trio (VSV, modulator and valve) and plus the vacuum routing between the pieces. test it all to pinpoint the problem (if its even there) or replace them all at once to scratch that system off the troubleshooting board and move on.

[Tommyjarvis2756]

Got The VSV removed today and swapped out (finally), still have the high Calculated engine load. Also went ahead and bought a new EGRmudulator, no change (maybe a slight improvement in responsiveness at lower rpm's, but still not there. What are the odds the modulator is bad out of the box?

[fenixus]

modulator bad out of the box? unlikely.

more likely is grounding problem for VSV or your EGR valve is clogged?

have you tried the EGR valve DIY (in Camry FAQ section)?

have checked all vacuum hoses for restriction and vacuum tightness?

do you still have P0401?

[awisniewski]

Hi, Glad you got the VSV swapped out. As fenixus said do you still have the same error code from the OBD? Have you tried unplugged the battery any since you replaced the VSV? I actually found someone on this forum who giving instructions on pulled the EFI fuse or another fuse under the hood to reset the computer(removing battery power from it essentially i believe) when I was working on my P401 error. Not sure if that will solve the issue, but its worth a try since your having so much trouble.

Also I'm not familiar with OBD readers but does the high Calculated engine load correspond to a known issue(code p0401) or it is something that the OBD reader kicks out in response to some data it is measuring? Why I'm asking is if its a OBD "opinion" on data points then perhaps a few sensors are just out of normal specs but OK? Just another thought I had while reading your first post again.

[fenixus]

I wouldn't worry about his Calculated Engine Load as it is in Toyota specs for 5s-fe. it seems by 2% points higher than on my 5s-fe, but well, stuff differs over time, maybe mine is cleaner or has more precise sensors

yeah, you can pull out the blue 15A EFI fuse from Main Fuse box under hood and wait 5 minutes (in Winter) to reset the ECU completely while keeping your radio and clock settings intact.
after you re-insert it and start your car, it will enter re-learning mode for everything throughout next 2-3 days and some 20 miles of mixed city & hwy driving. may run weird during that time, if codes are still there (a problem persists) it will pop it up again, sometimes sooner (e.g. instantly), other times later (few days).

[Tommyjarvis2756]

Check engine light hasn't come back on yet, so i'm definitely convinced that part is fixed. I'll give that fuse a try for completely resetting the ECU, it sounds like a good plan. Listen guys i want to thank you TONS for all your help, this has been a wonderful learning experience for me, and although at times frustrating It's been awesome working with the computer-side of cars (I'm in IT, so it's helping me bridge the gap lol). I'll post again soon with any findings, as I'm incapable of giving up! lol