CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON

HI,
This thing happened to me c, the check engine light came on on my Tacoma. It had me wondering because this truck has never missed a scheduled maintenance. I took it to my Toyota specialist. I told them that my truck needed a smog check. They checked to see what code it registered, the code was that one of the four catalytic converters was bad. well they run about 1000.00 dollars here Cali. I didn't have the cash for it then and it wouldn't pass smog like that. My mechanic told me that they could erase the code for now and that I need to run the truck for 100 miles, after that it would be okay for smog. I did just that, ran it for 100 miles and took it in for a smog check. It passed smog with flying colors. A few weeks later I took it in the muffler shop to get the catalytic converter. To my surprise they said that there was no record of a code that I needed a catalytic converter.
What the hell happened? How could this be. If I would have had the cash then I would have gotten a new catalytic converter and not needed it.

 

How many miles? I've always wondered if these computers weren't programmed to throw codes just outside of warranty as a moneymaker. I know, I'm thinking conspiracy theory stuff but sometimes I do wonder.

 

160,000 miles, but well maintained. I take care of this baby. I was just weird that I was ready to pay for a new cat....

 

At 160 you might be looking at timing chain issues. By issues I just mean a new one.

 

Right before the smog check I had the Toyota specialist run a diagnostic. Everything was good.

 

Must be all good then, if it's not broke don't fix it.

 

What was the code? It might have just been a fluke. Could be aliens.

I don't know how to answer your poll and the "multiple votes allowed" option doesn't make much sense.

 

I'm just gonna say this. You need a new mechanic. there is no code that tells you, you need new cats. 160k miles is nothing for the life of the cats. If the truck is in tune, there will be nothing that can cause the cats to fail.

Like said above. don't fix what isn't broke.

 

I hear you, it was the mechanic and the muffler guy that told me that it was the passenger right upper cat. Same as the shop. I just didn't have the cash to have it replaced at the time. Glad I didn't have it then, because not there is no record of the code.

I was just wondering if anybody had this happen to them.

 

Is your poll asking how many catalytic converters you need? 1 or 2?

 

No, I'm asking if anybody as experienced Check Engine light code not showing up on the history..