My day old Taco CEL came on...:(

So, as a new member, I introduced myself in the new members area, but I do have a question. I bought a 2002 Taco TRD with supercharger yesterday. The Check Engine Light was not on when I drove it home. However, on my way into work this morning (app. 6 mile commute), the CEL turned on about halfway. My 98 had issues with the gas cap being loose and causing this issue, so I checked that upon arriving at work. The CEL did not reset. The truck runs absolutely perfect and was very well maintained, it was recently smogged as my other thought was a faulty o2 sensor. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Semper Fidelis,
Tim
San Jose, CA

 

It could one of a majority of different things. Quickest way to find out is to get an error code reading at you local auto shop (autozone, pepboys, toyota dealership) to figure out the exact code that is being thrown and move on from there.

 

Thanks for the input, I got a friend who has a code reader, so I'll hit him up. Just lame that I buy it, and not even 24 hours later, the check engine light is on. But like I said, it is running fine, so who knows.

 

that is just too funny about autozone! can you even fart anymore out there without breaking some kind of green law?!?

while it could be anything, mine was the idle air intake, and the little squirt at O'ripoff.. told me, if you don't know what that is you will need a new one, I said , shit, thanks and left,.. cleaned it myself.
if its running fine, I would think its something small that has over time gotten out of adjustment.

OR is it the logic that only the people at the parts stores will rip you off?

 

100% chance the guy pulled the efi fuse right before you picked it up so you didn't know it had the cel on.

 

I had a CEL checked in cali. They checked it, they just cant reset it. That is how most states are now. They wont reset it because people were getting it reset then going straight to the emissions test station before it threw a code again.

 

That does not work. I know because I tried it once and got busted. I thought I was slick and was going to beat the system. Went to AZ and borrowed their code reader to reset the code then drove straight to the smog check place. They knew right away what I had done. They told me the car could not be certified due to insufficient time logged.

 

What's the website for the Ultra Gauge? I'll look into that.
Thanks for the input people, Oohrah!

 

Yup.
Yet again, Californians have shot themselves in the foot.
Californians enjoy a free service.
Californians file lawsuits.
Company pays lawsuits and supports the ASA's push to ban "stores" from reading codes.
ASA was pissed that codes were being read for free when "techs" charge $100 for it.
New law considers code reading a "service" and can no longer be done by a "store"


Salesdrone reads a code, code says "O2 - left bank lean", salesdrone sellls customer new O2 sensor (and 90% of the time the sensor is the problem).
Customer installs sensor and problem returns.
Customer actually has an injector problem causing a lean condition.

That's why service techs get paid more than Autozone employees... but it also tends to cause lawsuits when customers take the advice of an employee and it doesn't fix the problem.

30 years ago, you chatted with the guy at the parts counter and you took it as personal advice. If it didn't work, you let him know what, if anything changed, and he offered advice based on that. He knew how to help because he'd been wrenching for 50 years. You didn't think of him as speaking for the company... it was simply "Joe the parts guy" sharing experience.
Now, you ask the 20 year old kid at Vatozone for advice, he reads a code and says "O2 sensor". You take that as advice from Vatozone, not as personal advice from an experienced "friend"... and when it's wrong, you sue the company, so the company says "fuck you"

 

It would not have passed smog with a pending code OR with the computer recently reset until all buffers had been tested and showed clear.


OP: Supercharged.... what fuel are you running? You MUST run 91 with the SC or you'll get a knock sensor code.

 

Lol at all those Cali rules. Us Iowa rednecks don't have to smog vehicles when we register them.

 

X's 2

 

same here! i have seen cars on the interstate that cops in cali would stop and tow. big cloud of blue smoke tailing the car. it was doing 45 in a 55.

 

There's plenty of junk riced out civics around here that puff like a diesel when they drop the clutch.