1ZZFE - check engine light, what to check?

[KiwiMR2]

Hi guys

Any thoughts - getting a cel after hard acceleration, disappears when you turn off the car & turn it on again.

No noticable performance issue, drives fine but the cel is a bit of a concern.

Where should I start?

Cheers
Andy

[kiwi4agze]

Read the error codes, is it due for a service, the Fords check engine light comes on when its due for a service..

Otherwise normally its the o2 sensor or the cat sensor.

[KiwiMR2]

Read the error codes, is it due for a service, the Fords check engine light comes on when its due for a service..

Otherwise normally its the o2 sensor or the cat sensor.

Just purchased, according to the sticker the oil & filter was recently done, low km car, AA check done & compression sweet, oil appeared clean etc. so not due for a service.

Would using 91 instead of 98 play a part?

Anyway to check codes at home or is a visit to Toyota on the cards?

Cheers
Andy

[kiwi4agze]

Most mordern engines can run on 91, but As i dont know about the newer toyota engines I could not say.

The AW11 and SW20 needed to be run on 95.

I am sorry I cant help more, but I would say it would be either the o2 sensor or Cat sensor.

Is it missing at all? When its warm does the exhaust smell of un-burnt petrol (try not to smell too much as very bad for you)?

[RS13]

Would using 91 instead of 98 play a part?

Perhaps, it could well be the knock sensor. Sounds like you're getting knock under load due to the lower octane fuel and throwing a CEL. Try running 98 again and see if that fixes it, later model cars with higher compression and variable valve timing should be run on 95 octane at a minimum IMO.

[KiwiMR2]

Wife said it came on 3 times this afternoon, twice when going up hills & once when accelerating away from the lights.

I just took it for a bit of a blat, up some hills & couldn't for the life of me get it to come one......



Cheers
Andy

[iOnic]

It's detonating. Use higher octane fuel.

[matt dunn]

My bet would be an 02 sensor,
or MAF sensor.

although normally the MAF sensors drift out of spec over time and you dont know there faulty until you try a new one and discover the difference,
and they have to be pretty far out to log a code.

[sergei]

Those cars are designed to run on 100.
I use 98 in 1NZFE and I can still hear detonation on a hot day.

Using 91 on those is a false economy. You will get better range per $ by running it on 95 or 98.

[Weegee]

First port of call could be the O2 sensor or MAF sensor. or possibly a fuel pump?

I had the same (or sounding similar problem, where the engine light would come on after some acceleration and reset after restarting the car) with my 20V blacktop 4AGE.

The solution was to take it for a tune and get the timing checked.
One garage couldnt find anything wrong with the O2 sensor and other things, so took it to another garage to sort it out.

...as for some of the fuel suggestions. LOL. but yes, higher compression engines should be using higher octane.

[RS13]

...as for some of the fuel suggestions. LOL. but yes, higher compression engines should be using higher octane.

Which suggestions are "LOL"?

[iOnic]

Dude is running the car on the wrong fuel, it doesn't like it....and you think there is a mechanical fault with the car? Bet it does it more after driving for a while but doesn't when you first drive the car. More heat = more likely to detonate, more load (driving up a hill, accelerating) = more likely to detonate, wrong fuel = more likely to detonate.

Just run it on the right fuel ffs, fuel is cheaper than a rebuild/replacement engine.

[RS13]

Exactly.

[Weegee]

...as for some of the fuel suggestions. LOL. but yes, higher compression engines should be using higher octane.

Which suggestions are "LOL"?

Perhaps not lol, but I see no need for putting 98 into a 1nzfe. sounds like a false economy to me.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/35113915/1nzfe

However, in regards to OP's problem - I doubt it will do much. When I had the problem with the BZG, I thought it was water in the tank, but in fact it wasn't (using 95 at the time).

edit: I should really rephase. Don't mean to give the wrong idea. As a 1zz, I would be putting higher octance fuel in as well.

[iOnic]

^ detonation sounds like a good reason to me. Besides, you get better mileage for the same amount of fuel so not really false economy. Each to their own I guess. A 1NZ is still a 10:1+ comp ratio engine. Higher than an Aw11 and SW20 and not far off a 1zz

[Weegee]

Points taken. not getting of topic, but yes, OP should use higher octane and then see how that goes. If it doesnt occur then problem solved.

I just find it really uncanny that the symptoms sound exactly like what I had. So offered a suggestion.

[Dell'Orto]

Sticker on the inside of the bB's fuel flap mentions high octane, and it runs noticably better on 98 over 95. They're the same CR as a silvertop.
Long time no see Andy

[sergei]

but I see no need for putting 98 into a 1nzfe. sounds like a false economy to me

Wrong!
1) C/R 10.3 to 1 just like silvertop, and those run really badly on 91.
2) This engine comes with EFI that adjusts timing and mixture to take advantage of high octane
3) If you see yank octane rating, you are forgetting that they use different system (their 91/92 is like close to our 95/96).

I have measured and there is definitive gain in economy when 1NZFE runs on 98, in fact it works out ~5% cheaper (money wise) to run on 98 than on 95.
If you put 91 in that engine, it will consume 10-12L/100km, and will run really badly (city driving, on 98 I get 7.5-8.5L/100km, and on 95 closer to 9L/100km).

As for CEL, the best solution for OP either find out how to check error codes or get it scanned. There is no point replacing random bits.

[MAGN1T]

. There is no point replacing random bits.

Car mechanics do it all the time.

Steve

[rollaholic]

if you dont want to take it somewhere to get it checked out, then you start with the easiest / cheapest options first.

which is clearly to put a tank of 98 in it. uphills / takeoffs are perfect times for detonation to be come apparent.

my money says that'll sort you out. i wouldnt put 91 into anything japanese personally.

kinda like randomly replacing headgaskets everytime a car overheats magn1t? at least with car mechanics there is a point, making money

PS kiwi4agze i think you'll find the service light and the CEL are two different things on your aforementioned ford, the service light is just confusing looking.