Ultramiler

I recently purchased a 1999 Es300 with 133k, the check engine light was on. The previous owner had been throwing parts at it to no avail. It had p1135, p1155 and P1349.

He had put on 2 Denso O2 sensors but the codes keep coming back. The AF heater fuse is intact, but I don't have my multimeter with me so I don't really know anything else. Does anyone have any ideas what might be causing the issue?

Thanks.

For the P1349 I replaced the VVT Solenoid and the code is gone. I also cleaned the filters on both solenoids. It took me about 30 min working on the street with crappy hand tools. Its a very easy job, but actually pulling the solenoid out can be tricky, mine was stuck so I had to twist it back and forth a lot and tapped on the top and sides to break the seal of the o ring. I used a dorman part because it was only $40 it seems to be working fine. I will update as time goes on.

Ultramiler

little update, I swapped the AFS heater relay off of a 97 ES300, I have no idea if it was working or not but the VSC and VSC off lights came on almost right away... I am sure the check engine light is soon to follow.

I know I am pretty much SOL without metering stuff out, but any other ideas?

Thanks

artbuc

Do you know exactly what Denso sensors were installed? Hope they were A/F sensors, not plain O2 sensors. Also, were they universal types which had to be wired to the old connector? If so, maybe he switched a wire?

Ultramiler

He gave me a receipt for one of them, but I can tell both have been replaced. The part number is DEN 234-9007 . It uses the factory connector. At least according to Amazon that part fits the car, I don't know it could be the right part but installed in the wrong location or something like that. Amazon lists 234-9007 as "Upstream Rear" and 234-9009" as "Upstream Front" so assuming the other one is indeed a 234-9009 they should be correct. Even if he managed to switch the locations of these two sensors from what I understand is that they are the same sensor with different wire lengths, so it shouldn't set a code. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Thanks for your response Artbuc

artbuc

You are right.

Ultramiler

The previous owner also had a shop replace the mass air flow sensor, although I believe it was with a used unit.

So this is a dangerous game to play, but assuming the MAF, and both upstream 02 sensors are good I either have a vacuum leak somewhere, a problem with the wiring, fuse, or relay, or the ECM is bad? Is there Anything else I should be checking?

PFB

Before you replace anymore parts, or go on a wild goose chase, what you really need to do is, either yourself, or a garage, connect a scanner capable of reading and recording live data.

The live data, should be able to pinpoint, or at least direct you to your problem area.

Anything else, is mostly guess work.

Phil

Ultramiler

Thanks for your input Phil, I totally agree with you. I am however trying to avoid paying dealer prices to diag this problem. I should be able to figure it out once I get my multimeter back. I haven't thrown any parts at it myself, that is what the previous owner was going. I would much rather verify the problem first, but I was just wondering if someone had a similar issue so I could have a good place to start.

Wow I just checked and scanners have gone way down in price since the last time I shopped around for one.. does anyone have a recommendation on one that they have used?

Ultramiler

Alright, I took your advice and got my hands on a scanner. I reset the codes and drove the car. Once the VSC lights came on this was my live data:

Fuel Sys 1 OL-Drive
Fuel Sys 2 OL-Drive
Calc Load (%) 16.0
ECT (C) 80
STFT B1 (%) 0
LTFT B1(%) -3.9
STFT B2 (%) 0
LTFT B2 (%) 1.5
Eng RPM 715
Veh Speed (km/h) 0
Spark Adv (degrees) 17
IAT (C) -1
MAF (g/s) 5.58
TPS(%) 11.3
O2S B1 S1 (V) 0.660
STFT B1 S1(%) 0
O2S B1 S2(V) 0.765
STFT B1 S2 (%) N/A
O2S B2 S1 (V) 0.660
STFT B1 S2(%) 0

The check engine light did not come on on my drive to work, but VSC and VSC off did and the P1135 and P1155 codes were present in the system.

I am going for another drive and I will report back with more live data when the check engine light comes back on.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me to interpret the data.

Ultramiler

I also have 14 V on either side of the fuse and the fuse has continuity. When the check engine light came back on I rechecked the codes and it said it had three codes but it had P1135 twice and P1155 once

Ultramiler

I havent had a chance to work on the ES for a little while, I will probably have some time to start stabbing some stuff with the multimeter later this week. Anyone have any ideas for me?

Ultramiler

So I still haven't had a chance to dive into the diagnostics on this yet, but while driving today the check engine and vsc lights shut off. I didn't do anything to fix it. The only things that happened today was; the serp belt was squeeling on and off, I drove through a puddle and the battery light came on momentarily and it is above freezing for the first time since I have owned the car.

I'm not that optimistic that the codes are gone for good, but I suspect that since the codes were for the AFS heater circuit it might have been getting some weird readings because it has been below zero. I know that might be pretty far fetched, but the temperature is really the only thing that has changed.

The powersteering has been going in and out randomly so that's fun. No noise from the pump at all like you would typically hear from a pump going bad and it works fine majority of the time. Sometimes it will act kind of choppy cutting in and out rapidly. On very rare occasions it will completely cut out with no assist at all.

Ultramiler

It turns out my lack of optimism was justified. VSC and check engine came back on. I went to trips with it off and one minute into the third trip it came back on. Usually after I clear the codes the VSC lights come on and then a while later the check engine light comes on but this time they all came on at once.

Ultramiler

OK so I tore apart my fuse boxes looking for chafed wires and found nothing. I redid the connections on the battery terminals. I disconnected the AFS connectors while the engine was running and checked the voltage at all 4 pins for both the front and back sensors on the car side of the harness. Both the front and back wiring harnesses had about 14 volts on one pin and 3.3-3.9 on the other 3 pins.

Does anyone have a pin out for theses connectors and know what the correct voltages should be?

It has power at the fuse and at the relay I am assuming the 14v at the AFS connector is for the heater, if so it has power all the way to the sensors and yet it is throwing codes for the heater circuit.

Any help at all would be amazing. Thank you!!

Ultramiler

I checked Voltage at ECM pins HAFL and HAFR both had 12v with key on. Can anyone confirm does this mean that ECM is bad?