Noob Check Engine Light Question

[Boulder257]

Got a quick question for you. I have a new 2003 celica and the check engine light came on. I wanted to diagnose the problem but I do not know how to do so. Someone told me to bridge the TE1 and E1 terminals, but I don't even know where those are. Can someone help and tell me how to do this?

[Zrain]

take it to the dealer.

dont mess with it.

[ericksonm]

have you done anything to your car??
like perhaps an SRI or a CAI ??

if so then perhaps you just have to reset the ecu and/or clean the MAFS

[Boulder257]

I have done nothing to the car. Is there any other way to reset the ECU other than pulling off a battery cable?

[ericksonm]

actually yes .. pull out the fuse shown below and wait awhile and then put it back in..

click here for the picture

[Zrain]

again, i repeat my self.

if your asking these questions, then its best you take the car to a shop, prefribly the dealer.

[Boulder257]

okay, I heard you the first time. But I would still like to learn as much as I can. So, if you are not going to help, then quit "repeating yourself."

[Boulder257]

hey ericksonm, the picture doesn't seem to work for me.

[Zrain]

im just trying to do you the favor of preventing you from doing some harmfull you your car.

allright, if u want to get into your car, then first thing you need to do is to buy a Shop manual for the car. in there they will tell you evrything u need to know about servicing and repairing your car.

as for a CEL its best to take it to a shop BC of the fact that they have computer scaners. and they can pull the code's right out of your car. your CEL might have just gone off BC of a gas cap being lose or somthing stupid like that. or your O2 Sen is bad. (unlikly) but only a diognostic of the computer can tell you that, now if u want to drop 5 grand on a hand unit, then go right ahead.

new cards are finiky. CAI and SRI's can mess with Fuel to air on them and there MAF's get confused. so some times in that case you need to get the computer adjusted. who knows, if your car is down on power, your VVTI celinoid might be bad and its throwing a code for that..

allright im done rambling, but i hope you get what im trying to ilistrate.. if i had your car and it threw a CEL, ID TAKE IT TO THE SHOP. now it would by my cusins shop and he and i would start diging into it. but ither way, you need some one to pull that code out. and if u keep reseting your computer, your going to lose those codes until they go again.

[Boulder257]

I "got" what you were trying to illustrate the first time. I have worked on cars for over ten years, but this is the first foreign brand new car I have ever worked on and thought I might pick the brain of somone who has worked on one. Usually people are friendly and willing to help. Although, I have found that alot of "senior" people in forums like to throw their weight around and pick on people that don't know as much as they do. Thanks for your help.

[Zrain]

foren or domestic, OBD2 tends to be the same.

[02_SLE_6]

i've had the same problem but with a different car. i replaced my cat with a hi flow cat and replaced the 02 sensor, installation was perfect. 3 days later, check engine/malfunction indicator lamp goes on. so i disconnect the battery and find the fuse that reads the 02 sensor and d/c that too for 10 mintues. it was supposely to shut off til then but just comes back, so im currently driving my car with the light on =|

in the past, have you ever tooken/unplug any 02 sensor or any sensor without disconnecting the battery?

this might work...
-disconnect battery postitive and/or negative
-find 02 sensor fuse in fuse box and unplug that (radio settings/etc would be defaulted)
-give it a good 10 minutes
-reconnect everything and start your car. (mine seemed to struggle for a second the first time i started my car)


if it just comes back on, then you might have an issue considering you havent modded or done anything to this bone stock car. whats wrong with going to the dealer with this situation?

[Boulder257]

nice idea. I will certainly give it a try. I had the same thing in my old Ford Ranger. I kept throwing up a CEL even after I changed the o2 sensor, which was the code I was reading from the diagnostic. Turns out the 95 ranger had electrical issues that ran through the diag box and the comp. Thanks again for the idea. I will let you know how it works out.

[Zrain]

you still need to know what that code is tho.