96 2.4 needs California plates

Hi. I bought this truck in Wyoming. I really love it because it always runs, even if it's a little ugly.

I came back home to California and let it sit for a year without making it legal. I started the process at the dmv, and need a vehicle inspection, weight certificate, and smog check.


That's a pic of it packed up and ready to take me home. It took me over 1000 miles home with only a couple breaks.

I'm worried mostly about the smog. It needs the o2 sensor replaced.
I ordered new wires, plugs, cap, rotor, pcv with grommet. Anything else I should fuss over for a smog check?

 

Make sure the CEL is not on
Wait a few days, and drive it, after clearing the CEL and/or disconnecting the battery before smoging
Make sure ALL vacuum lines are intact (not split or leaking)
verify that the smog stuff has not been tampered with.

 

It definitely has a CEL now. I've heard it takes a little bit of driving to clear even after replacing the O2 sensor. I'm going to take a look at that today, and decide whether to mess with it, or take it to a muffler shop. Thanks for the reply.

 

Welcome to TW.

 

Replacing the 'O2 sensor' is not too hard, You could give it a try first (but I'm not sure of your wrenching skills).

Soak the 2 mounting nuts several times with PB blaster, and let it set for a few hours (even over-night) would help. The nuts should be 10 or 12mm. Be sure to use the 'closed end' of the combo wrench or you could round off the nuts.

Sometimes the electrical connector is hard to disconnect. Be careful not to damage the harness

Many tacomas have 2 sensors under there, one is the 'air/fuel ratio' sensor and the other is the actual 'O2' sensor. One is before the cat and the other is after. Not sure about your 1996 truck.

 

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Okay cool. I wondered what to use for the rusty nuts. The bolts are actually bent past the nuts, so I'll have to dremel them off, flush with the nuts. I'll post pics maybe by today of the situation under the truck. Thanks for the info you've provided.

 

There are no bolts, those are studs. I'm not certain if the studs are replaceable (threaded into the exhaust pipe).
Try to do it so that the shorter studs can be reused. You might want to re-think doing this yourself. Are you certain that one (or both) need to be replaced?

 

Okay, it wasn't as bad as I had thought. I was told that the o2 sensor was bad when I bought the truck.

 

Have you looked for the other o2 sensor (between manifold and cat) ?

 

No I haven't. I didn't know it had 2. I'll check that out.

 

Yes, it has another O2 sensor more towards the front. That one is plugged in though. So I'm going to assume that one's good for now. I'm starting to wonder about the catalytic converter. That o2 sensor (rear) has not worked for years. I wonder if it could have ruined the CC. I also see that if I buy a CC they only sell a certain kind to California. The one I have wasn't made for Cali, so I might have to replace it anyway. Don't really know that much about this kind of stuff.

 

Okay. Small update. Replaced Spark plugs and wires. Rotor and distr cap. pcv valve and grommet. Used PB blaster to get that o2 sensor off and replaced it.

I lost the check engine light during that process at some point. The idle seems kind of high, but maybe not.. I put in some "Guaranteed to pass smog" additive in it. I'll post some pics later.