Air Flow Sensors/VVT Solenoids/Catalytic Converter
02-13-17, 05:41 AM
#1
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
Air Flow Sensors/VVT Solenoids/Catalytic Converter
Hello all. I wanted to take a quick minute and give you a synopsis of how my RX was acting and what I did to fix it. I couldn't have done any of this without first spending hours on this forum doing research. Thank you to everyone for sharing your experience!
2000 RX300 AWD. Was displaying CEL's for both air flow sensors and both VVT solenoids, along with a generic code (sorry I wrote them down but threw the paper away, but they are the CEL's that are described in this forum for those parts). Over the last several months went from 19 MPG down to 14 MPG. Lack of power, awful smell from the exhaust, exhaust leak (or so I thought). It was getting to the point where the vehicle was undriveable.
Ordered 1 Dorman 917-211 and one Dorman 917-214 VVT solenoids off Amazon. Total for both $86.36
Ordered 2 Denso 234-9009 Air Fuel sensors off Amazon through True Blue Auto Parts for $192 total.
Bought 7/8 oxygen sensor socket from my local Auto Zone $11.99
Put the car on the hoist Saturday (yes, I am lucky to have access to a hoist). Soaked both air flow sensor threads with mix of 50% acetone and 50% automatic transmission fluid in spray bottle. let sit 1 hour.
Rear air flow sensor unplugged with no problem, unscrewed with special socket no problem. Put the anti sieze compound on new sensor, screwed it in plugged it in good to go.
Moved to the front air flow sensor and here is where the trouble started. Wouldn't budge. Heated manifold with torch, still wouldn't budge. Heated manifold again, put box end wrench on it and it started to move. Unscrewed it a turn, screwed it back in a turn, heated it, repeated this until it came out. Threads got buggered up so I bought an 18mm tap and cleaned up the threads. Installed new sensor with no problem.
Both VVT solenoids were a breeze to replace, 10mm socket and one bolt each.
Started car and it ran better but something sounded funny underneath. Put my brother in the car and raised the hoist and had him start it up. When he revved the engine the connector before the catalytic converter (the one with the springs around the bolts) was pushing apart. This told me the catalytic converter was plugged. Didn't have one available so I took a cutoff wheel and cut the bottom off of the cat. Cat was packed with a white powdery substance which I took to be combustion garbage from having both air fuel sensors being bad. Took a air chisel and removed guts to the cat. Welded the piece back on the cat that I previously cut off.
Car runs better than it ever has. All the codes cleared (except for a 420 code which is for the cat). Fuel mileage is back up to 18 MPG and rising. Plan on removing the throttle body and cleaning it this weekend when I install the new cat that I ordered (no, i'm not going to keep the modified cat installed, that would be environmentally unsound).
Thanks again to everyone for sharing your experiences. I saved a bunch on labor and a bunch on the parts. Local parts stores wanted DOUBLE what I paid through Amazon for the same exact parts.
Kenny V.
2000 RX300 AWD. Was displaying CEL's for both air flow sensors and both VVT solenoids, along with a generic code (sorry I wrote them down but threw the paper away, but they are the CEL's that are described in this forum for those parts). Over the last several months went from 19 MPG down to 14 MPG. Lack of power, awful smell from the exhaust, exhaust leak (or so I thought). It was getting to the point where the vehicle was undriveable.
Ordered 1 Dorman 917-211 and one Dorman 917-214 VVT solenoids off Amazon. Total for both $86.36
Ordered 2 Denso 234-9009 Air Fuel sensors off Amazon through True Blue Auto Parts for $192 total.
Bought 7/8 oxygen sensor socket from my local Auto Zone $11.99
Put the car on the hoist Saturday (yes, I am lucky to have access to a hoist). Soaked both air flow sensor threads with mix of 50% acetone and 50% automatic transmission fluid in spray bottle. let sit 1 hour.
Rear air flow sensor unplugged with no problem, unscrewed with special socket no problem. Put the anti sieze compound on new sensor, screwed it in plugged it in good to go.
Moved to the front air flow sensor and here is where the trouble started. Wouldn't budge. Heated manifold with torch, still wouldn't budge. Heated manifold again, put box end wrench on it and it started to move. Unscrewed it a turn, screwed it back in a turn, heated it, repeated this until it came out. Threads got buggered up so I bought an 18mm tap and cleaned up the threads. Installed new sensor with no problem.
Both VVT solenoids were a breeze to replace, 10mm socket and one bolt each.
Started car and it ran better but something sounded funny underneath. Put my brother in the car and raised the hoist and had him start it up. When he revved the engine the connector before the catalytic converter (the one with the springs around the bolts) was pushing apart. This told me the catalytic converter was plugged. Didn't have one available so I took a cutoff wheel and cut the bottom off of the cat. Cat was packed with a white powdery substance which I took to be combustion garbage from having both air fuel sensors being bad. Took a air chisel and removed guts to the cat. Welded the piece back on the cat that I previously cut off.
Car runs better than it ever has. All the codes cleared (except for a 420 code which is for the cat). Fuel mileage is back up to 18 MPG and rising. Plan on removing the throttle body and cleaning it this weekend when I install the new cat that I ordered (no, i'm not going to keep the modified cat installed, that would be environmentally unsound).
Thanks again to everyone for sharing your experiences. I saved a bunch on labor and a bunch on the parts. Local parts stores wanted DOUBLE what I paid through Amazon for the same exact parts.
Kenny V.
11-06-18, 08:12 PM
#4
Hello all. I wanted to take a quick minute and give you a synopsis of how my RX was acting and what I did to fix it. I couldn't have done any of this without first spending hours on this forum doing research. Thank you to everyone for sharing your experience!
2000 RX300 AWD. Was displaying CEL's for both air flow sensors and both VVT solenoids, along with a generic code (sorry I wrote them down but threw the paper away, but they are the CEL's that are described in this forum for those parts). Over the last several months went from 19 MPG down to 14 MPG. Lack of power, awful smell from the exhaust, exhaust leak (or so I thought). It was getting to the point where the vehicle was undriveable.
Ordered 1 Dorman 917-211 and one Dorman 917-214 VVT solenoids off Amazon. Total for both $86.36
Ordered 2 Denso 234-9009 Air Fuel sensors off Amazon through True Blue Auto Parts for $192 total.
Bought 7/8 oxygen sensor socket from my local Auto Zone $11.99
Put the car on the hoist Saturday (yes, I am lucky to have access to a hoist). Soaked both air flow sensor threads with mix of 50% acetone and 50% automatic transmission fluid in spray bottle. let sit 1 hour.
Rear air flow sensor unplugged with no problem, unscrewed with special socket no problem. Put the anti sieze compound on new sensor, screwed it in plugged it in good to go.
Moved to the front air flow sensor and here is where the trouble started. Wouldn't budge. Heated manifold with torch, still wouldn't budge. Heated manifold again, put box end wrench on it and it started to move. Unscrewed it a turn, screwed it back in a turn, heated it, repeated this until it came out. Threads got buggered up so I bought an 18mm tap and cleaned up the threads. Installed new sensor with no problem.
Both VVT solenoids were a breeze to replace, 10mm socket and one bolt each.
Started car and it ran better but something sounded funny underneath. Put my brother in the car and raised the hoist and had him start it up. When he revved the engine the connector before the catalytic converter (the one with the springs around the bolts) was pushing apart. This told me the catalytic converter was plugged. Didn't have one available so I took a cutoff wheel and cut the bottom off of the cat. Cat was packed with a white powdery substance which I took to be combustion garbage from having both air fuel sensors being bad. Took a air chisel and removed guts to the cat. Welded the piece back on the cat that I previously cut off.
Car runs better than it ever has. All the codes cleared (except for a 420 code which is for the cat). Fuel mileage is back up to 18 MPG and rising. Plan on removing the throttle body and cleaning it this weekend when I install the new cat that I ordered (no, i'm not going to keep the modified cat installed, that would be environmentally unsound).
Thanks again to everyone for sharing your experiences. I saved a bunch on labor and a bunch on the parts. Local parts stores wanted DOUBLE what I paid through Amazon for the same exact parts.
Kenny V.
2000 RX300 AWD. Was displaying CEL's for both air flow sensors and both VVT solenoids, along with a generic code (sorry I wrote them down but threw the paper away, but they are the CEL's that are described in this forum for those parts). Over the last several months went from 19 MPG down to 14 MPG. Lack of power, awful smell from the exhaust, exhaust leak (or so I thought). It was getting to the point where the vehicle was undriveable.
Ordered 1 Dorman 917-211 and one Dorman 917-214 VVT solenoids off Amazon. Total for both $86.36
Ordered 2 Denso 234-9009 Air Fuel sensors off Amazon through True Blue Auto Parts for $192 total.
Bought 7/8 oxygen sensor socket from my local Auto Zone $11.99
Put the car on the hoist Saturday (yes, I am lucky to have access to a hoist). Soaked both air flow sensor threads with mix of 50% acetone and 50% automatic transmission fluid in spray bottle. let sit 1 hour.
Rear air flow sensor unplugged with no problem, unscrewed with special socket no problem. Put the anti sieze compound on new sensor, screwed it in plugged it in good to go.
Moved to the front air flow sensor and here is where the trouble started. Wouldn't budge. Heated manifold with torch, still wouldn't budge. Heated manifold again, put box end wrench on it and it started to move. Unscrewed it a turn, screwed it back in a turn, heated it, repeated this until it came out. Threads got buggered up so I bought an 18mm tap and cleaned up the threads. Installed new sensor with no problem.
Both VVT solenoids were a breeze to replace, 10mm socket and one bolt each.
Started car and it ran better but something sounded funny underneath. Put my brother in the car and raised the hoist and had him start it up. When he revved the engine the connector before the catalytic converter (the one with the springs around the bolts) was pushing apart. This told me the catalytic converter was plugged. Didn't have one available so I took a cutoff wheel and cut the bottom off of the cat. Cat was packed with a white powdery substance which I took to be combustion garbage from having both air fuel sensors being bad. Took a air chisel and removed guts to the cat. Welded the piece back on the cat that I previously cut off.
Car runs better than it ever has. All the codes cleared (except for a 420 code which is for the cat). Fuel mileage is back up to 18 MPG and rising. Plan on removing the throttle body and cleaning it this weekend when I install the new cat that I ordered (no, i'm not going to keep the modified cat installed, that would be environmentally unsound).
Thanks again to everyone for sharing your experiences. I saved a bunch on labor and a bunch on the parts. Local parts stores wanted DOUBLE what I paid through Amazon for the same exact parts.
Kenny V.
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zachblack (03-02-21)
11-07-18, 06:54 PM
#7
Lexus Test Driver
Hi, Kenny! Thanks for posting this - although I'm not facing this situation now, it's always nice to have these posts on this forum for future reference. It's never a waste of time; it's always helpful somewhere along the way. Thank you!
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