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Proud 1997 Camry

2K views 30 replies 5 participants last post by  BMR 
#1 ·
330,422 miles and celebrating... but. Need some advice on trouble shooting smog diagnosis. New plugs, new oil...
Failed smog HC at 15 mph w/52 and at 25 mpg 80 HC.
I had just done a tune up... OBD fail. My fault.
Check engine is on again. Money is limited. Please help. Thanks!
 
#2 ·
Check engine light on... get the error codes read. Most auto parts stores will do it for free, unless you're in CA.

Which engine, 4 or 6 cylinder?

What all was done in the tune up besides plugs?
 
#3 ·
6 cylinder... I'm in Ca... Wires, air filter, cleaned air intake.
Mechanic is dragging his feet Will use code reader asap. Mechanic is uncertain. Read misfire. Changed coils. Acts fuel starved when starting. Hits 1200 rpm then has a sudden drop. Also stalls time to time when shifting into drive or reverse. When given gas, no problem. Once running, no problem. O2 sensor?
 
#4 ·
Were all three coils changed?

O2 sensors would be my first guess; your V6 has 3, but only 2 of them could be the culprits for high HC emissions.

But get those error codes from your mechanic. They'll be "Pnnnn", where the n's are numbers. Might be more than one, so get them all.
 
#8 ·
Understood. Be sure the mechanic reads the current codes. I'd assume he reset them after doing the first batch of work.
 
#7 ·
EGR won't cause the high HC emissions, but it can cause the stalling and poor idling issues if it's clogged up with carbon and sticking open.
 
#11 ·
I doubt that would be helpful. Do you know what brand of parts the mechanic used? Some shops will only install OEM (Toyota brand) parts which are highly unlikely to be faulty when new. If they used the cheapest they could find, maybe.

When you said "only 1" were you referring to how many coils were replaced?... or how many error codes there were?
 
#14 ·
Yes, if the code is related to O2 sensors, it will tell which one. To elaborate on that a little... There are two "upstream" sensors that the computer monitors and uses to adjust fueling. They're located in the front and rear exhaust manifolds. The front bank's sensor is in plain sight when you open the hood. Takes about 10 minutes to swap out if it's not stuck; they screw in, so they can be problematic. The rear bank's sensor it more difficult; it's behind the engine up against the firewall. The sensors for your '97 are about $50 on Amazon... https://www.amazon.com/Denso-234-4622-Oxygen-Sensor/dp/B000C5SGA4
 
#17 ·
Still trouble shooting. My Camry is still throwing P0335 with high hc emissions. Engine is running like a champ.
I've replaced coils, plugs, new clips to coils - soldered new, 2 new cam sensors, new battery new terminal ends, new alternator, cleaned mass airflow system, use a bottle of "Guaranteed to Pass"and now I am a bit frustrated.

If timing belt had skipped time it would be running lousy. I have plenty of horsepower.

Engines looses RPM on start. Drops from 1200, acting fuel starved. Engine stalls when shifting from park to drive, drive to reverse. Engine starts in neutral, drive, reverse. Replaced Neutral Safety switch.

I'm guessing 2 unrelated problems.
Any advice?
 
#20 ·
This is the first time you mentioned the error code. P0335 = Crankshaft Position Sensor A Circuit Malfunction. Since you've replaced the CPS twice, the problem must be something other than the sensor. Look at the teeth on the rotor, are any teeth missing or bent? Inspect the wiring and connector. Make sure the connector terminals are not pushed out or damaged.

It's hard to help when you give conflicting info. First you say "the engine is running like a champ", then:

"Engines looses RPM on start. Drops from 1200, acting fuel starved. Engine stalls when shifting from park to drive, drive to reverse. Engine starts in neutral, drive, reverse. Replaced Neutral Safety switch. "

Engine running problems can be caused by the CPS problem.

Pls explain what running like a champ means?
 
#27 ·
Lol I recently had a friend of a friend come by with a gen4 that wasn't charging, and windows wouldn't work...turned out to be just that, dirty grounds. Good for you, hope it smogs OK.
 
#30 ·
#31 ·
^+1. To elaborate on that a bit... The ECU runs system checks after power cycling, which is done by either disconnecting the battery, or removing/replacing the EFI fuse. When you take it in for emission testing, one of the things they'll do is connect an OBD II reader and check to see if these system checks have all completed successfully. If not, your car may fail. Some states allow one or two to be incomplete, some allow zero. If I were you, I'd find out what is allowed by your state, and before I went in for testing, I'd check it with a reader to make sure enough of the system checks were completed to pass.
 
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