[Caw12718]

Hello! Some Camry questions!

I have an '02 SE with a 3.0 V6. About 3 months ago, my check engine light came on. I took it to Auto Zone and they read the code and it was my Mass Air Flow Sensor. They suggested cleaning it before changing it because that would usually solve the problem. So I cleaned it, and after about 3 days, the check engine light went out and all seemed good. Then about a month ago, the light came back on. Had it read again and it was the MAF sensor. Cleaned it, light went out, all good. Then a week and a half later, light was back and still reading MAF. At this point, I knew cleaning it was no longer working. I spent $140 on a new sensor and air filter and changed them both myself on a Tuesday (9/27/22). Since I had to disconnect the battery to change it, when I hooked the battery back up, the light had went out and I drove it the rest of the week with no issues... was running really good actually. Then that Saturday (10/1/22), the light came back. I'm like, "GRRRRRR!!" at this point. Took it back to Auto Zone for a code read. Now they're saying it's the EGR valve.

They told me it's not an urgent fix and I can drive the car. And I have been. It only takes me about 7-8 minutes to get from home and work and I don't really go anywhere other than that except for local errands around town. It doesn't seem to be running badly, but I've noticed if the engine is cold, like when I first start it, I have to let it run for about 7-9 minutes to warm up. If I try to drive it cold, I hit higher RPMs before it will shift. Once it's warm, that is no longer a problem.

So I'm wondering....does the EGR have something to do with cold engine/shifting thing? And how will I know it's really time to do something about fixing it? Will it start running weirdly that will let me know, because right now, it seems to run ok. And one more thing... I have NO IDEA where this part is on my car. Anyone know??

Thanks for any advice!


Signed,
Just a woman trying to figure out her car 🤪

 

[ToyotaFan95341]

...I have NO IDEA where this part is on my car. Anyone know??

 

[Demoncow666]

did ya get a denso, or Hitachi mass air flow sensor? or a Chinese knock off? if not a denso or Hitachi the car may be rejecting it due to it not being set up right on Camrys. i see this all the time and i work for a shop. we only work on Hondas and Toyotas cause there the simplest

 

[Caw12718]

did ya get a denso, or Hitachi mass air flow sensor? or a Chinese knock off? if not a denso or Hitachi the car may be rejecting it due to it not being set up right on Camrys. i see this all the time and i work for a shop. we only work on Hondas and Toyotas cause there the simplest

It is a Duralast.

 

[Demoncow666]

yeah those will always give ya a code, get a denso or hitatchi

 

[new echo owner]

Base on the situation you had described, seems like at this point it would be best for you to get a basic scan tool and learn how to retrieve the codes yourself. Simple basic scan tools are available on Amazon for less than $75.00. Learn how to do the basics with the scan tool and also learn a little more about your car will help as well.
The MAF code is different then the EGR code, and you should work on the code that is currently set, not the previous one. It may not have anything to do with the MAF you had replaced.

 

[corollacoaster]

Base on the situation you had described, seems like at this point it would be best for you to get a basic scan tool and learn how to retrieve the codes yourself. Simple basic scan tools are available on Amazon for less than $75.00. Learn how to do the basics with the scan tool and also learn a little more about your car will help as well.
The MAF code is different then the EGR code, and you should work on the code that is currently set, not the previous one. It may not have anything to do with the MAF you had replaced.

$75 will get you better than basic. A basic scan tool costs around $20, like my Autel. Go to Walmart and get a cheap code reader. Code scanners don't say, "it's your MAF, or it's your EGR." They give a code which is more comprehensively defined when looked up. There are even recommended tests to tell which parts are good and which are bad. Replacing parts blindly is the quick and dirty, and often quite expensive method. That's what you were given. EGR's can get clogged with carbon and cause the emissions to go out of spec, such as high NOx reading and a smog test failure. I cleaned a few of those and corrected that particular condition, but that was a bit of work I was glad to not have to pay someone else to do. Bottom line though, copy down the exact OBD trouble code because each one is specific to the problem causing the light to come on.

Like Demoncow666 said, some brands of parts don't work well in some Toyotas.

 

[ToyotaFan95341]

Everybody has their recommendations on which OBD2 reader to buy. For an absolute beginner I always like to recommend the Walmart Hypertough HT200. It’s only $49.97 and will scan every module in your vehicle.

Another excellent option for a beginner is the Mucar BT 200. Also scans every module and costs less than $50.