they were new, after market. Is there a way to check them before putting them in?

 

Stop dicking around with cheap replacement parts. Especially the knock sensors they are critical to the engines proper operation use OEM only!

 

mechanic checked my wiring continuity to ECU, and knock sensors. all appear good. he thinks something else is causing me to run lean around 2700 RPM (which is when CEL comes on), and causes ping, which sets off CEL. suggested i try MAF swap, and then EGR valve (EGR unlikely he said). also, maybe injectors need cleaning.

on the same vein, I wonder if clogged fuel filter might cause me to run lean. I also felt an intermittent "miss" when running around 1800-2000 RPM today. Not always, but definitely times that I felt it.

 

I know it's easier said than done, but you need to find a mechanic with the skills, tools, diagnostic equipment, and experience to properly diagnose and pinpoint the exact problem with certainty.

Otherwise, it could get very expensive for you. You could end up changing random parts you didn't need, not to mention the waste of time and frustration involved.

But as I said, it's easier said than done

BTW, did he consider, and check for a possible vacuume leak?

Good luck

Phil

 

you are correct, and it is easier said than done. My mechanic is experienced and has worked on many 3VZ-FE engines. He is following the Lexus repair flow chart, and also speaking from experience.

I have had dealerships misdiagnose problems, mismanage repairs, so I don't know exactly who/where to go. My first instinct would be dealership... but see previous comment. finding knowledgeable mechanic that can pin this down right away would be sweet.

these OBDI set ups are harder to pin down CEL.

I will certainly try to remember to share the final fix. it'd sure be nice if something went right. I do have the luxury of having an identical car to swap parts between.

 

we never discussed vacuum leak, and not sure what he did in that regard. he's thinking it's running lean.

you are definitely correct on this getting frustrating and expensive.

 

Here is a You Tube link to finding vacuume leaks yourself.


Phil

 

I don't think it can get any worse. I did MAF sensor & EGR swap, nope. Replace fuel filter, nope (and i wasn't optimistic either of those things would fix it). So I took it to Toyota dealer. I told them what I'd done, where I was at, CEL, etc.... They told me .5-1.0 hrs to diagnose, and then I'll know. Okay, I'll bite.

while there, they found my fuel filter replacement leaking so had to replace that for $70 for the filter, before they could go any further. Unclear what I did wrong or why new filter leaked.

Then they read code, went for a test drive and told me it'd be anywhere from 1-5 hours to start tracing wires to figure it out. May have to remove intake to look at knock sensors. Could be coil, plug wires, could be many things. Not quite what I was told on the phone when I set appointment. Also told me I should have brought it there from the start. Somehow i think they would have started with knock sensors since that was the code it was throwing.

My regular mechanic has given up and lacks the diagnostic tools. I thought dealer would have all the gadgetry to make this an easier thing to diagnose.

Where do i stop? I've spent $1,000 more than the car is worth, in the past month. I do have the luxury of being able to swap stuff from my other car to rule things out. But now I'll spend another $500-600 to isolate? And I'm boiled with dealer telling me one thing about diagnosis and then charging me $100 to tell me it will be more in depth to actually figure it out. I was at this exact same point before I went in there.

Is running with the CEL that bad? I passed emissions. car runs good, but not as good as other car in mid range.