Fix CEL problem at Dealer (auto, spark plugs, fuel, valve)
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My 99 corolla had 150,000 miles, but still runs great. Last week it had check engine light on and I went to dealer. They found p0300 and p0301 and suggested the spark plugs and wire sets replaced. I followed their suggestions and spent $300 for the job. Unfortunately, the CEL came back the very next day. Went to dealer and the same codes were found and they now suggest to replace one coil. Really not happy about that. They charge $100 for diagnosis, so they should know what the real problem is. Otherwise I would go to AUTOZONE to replace the usual suspected parts one by one. If they were not sure replacing plugs and wire sets would work, they should be upfront about that. That way I might choose not to repair (or at least not repair at the dealer). So I think they should either give me refund or fix the CEL problem without additional charge. The service manager said he would talk to the first mechanic (not there this time) and get back to me soon. I am wondering whether my demand is reasonable and what would you do in this case.
Thats ridiculous $100 for the diagnosis. You can go to a meineke for a free code reading and then they'll tell you what the code means and even put your car on a lift to investigate. They won't do anything like start ripping out car parts but this is all part of their free diagnosis. I've diagnosed my car there before and actually had it repaired either by myself if I could or had it done elsewhere. But there are a lot of places that do this. Just do your due diligence and research on the web how good your local auto shops are...you might get lucky and find a good local independent shop. Its hard to find reputable auto shops but they're out there. Good luck
That is the way of it these days, with the shop guessing just like everyone else. Hi Tech is great ain't it? That OBDII failsafe system is just the most junk anyone bean counter could have had installed. LOL
It the OBDII doesn't know, then every one is off the hook, since there is very few old school techs who don't need that OBDII left. Once the dealer has your money they never give it back.
I went to the dealer on 5/31 and let them replace the ignition coil. The next day CEL went back on.
I took the car back to the dealership on last Saturday (6/5). They said they needed more time on the diagnosis and kept the car over the weekend. I didn't get the car back until late afternoon on Monday (6/7). They claimed that they did established TOYOTA tech assistance case and was given some instruction to follow. But what they did that day was basically ruling out the contaminated fuel by pumping out gas and put fresh gas in.
It turned out the CEL was on again on Monday night.
Called the service manager. He said they wouldn't charge me diagnosis anymore. I asked whether eliminating contaminated gas by pumping out gas counts as diagnosis. He said that belongs to labor, which I should pay. OK, I really don't want to go to that dealer again.
Last night I complained to TOYOTA company. But what I should do from now on? Should the dealer refund me (at least partially) $600+ I paid? I am not in any way better than 4 weeks ago, when I first sent the car to the dealer.
P300 is random misfire, and p301 is misfire in #1. If ignition parts aren't solving it, I'd start with a compression test to see if you have low compression in #1 cyl. It's an easy test before starting to dive into it farther. A cut&paste from another site:
P0300
Symptoms may include:
* the engine may be harder to start
* the engine may stumble / stumble, and/or hesitate
* other symptoms may also be present
A code P0300 may mean that one or more of the following has happened:
If there are no symptoms, the simplest thing to do is to reset the code and see if it comes back.
If there are symptoms such as the engine is stumbling or hesitating, check all wiring and connectors that lead to the cylinders (i.e. spark plugs). Depending on how long the ignition components have been in the car, it may be a good idea to replace them as part of your regular maintenance schedule. I would suggest spark plugs, spark plug wires, distributor cap, and rotor (if applicable). Otherwise, check the coils (a.k.a. coil packs). In some cases, the catalytic converter has gone bad. If you smell rotten eggs in the exhaust, your cat converter needs to be replaced. I've also heard in other cases the problems were faulty fuel injectors.
Random misfires that jump around from one cylinder to another (read: P030x codes) also will set a P0300 code. The underlying cause is often a lean fuel condition, which may be due to a vacuum leak in the intake manifold or unmetered air getting past the airflow sensor, or an EGR valve that is stuck open.
P0301
Symptoms may include:
* the engine may be harder to start
* the engine may stumble / stumble, and/or hesitate
* other symptoms may also be present
Causes
A code P0301 may mean that one or more of the following has happened:
If there are no symptoms, the simplest thing to do is to reset the code and see if it comes back.
If there are symptoms such as the engine is stumbling or hesitating, check all wiring and connectors that lead to the cylinders (i.e. spark plugs). Depending on how long the ignition components have been in the car, it may be a good idea to replace them as part of your regular maintenance schedule. I would suggest spark plugs, spark plug wires, distributor cap, and rotor (if applicable). Otherwise, check the coils (a.k.a. coil packs). In some cases, the catalytic converter has gone bad. If you smell rotten eggs in the exhaust, your cat converter needs to be replaced. I've also heard in other cases the problems were faulty fuel injectors.
If the compression test checks out, start with some injector cleaner and MAF cleaner. Next I would check the hoses for a vacum leak.. most likely the hoses after the maf and before the throttle body. Also, just for grins, check the wires again. I fthe shop is that clueless, they may NOT have fixed a problem in the #1 wire or coilpack.
At 150k miles, I'd be seriously considering the O2 sensor. It's common to both of those codes.
Open your hood and follow the exhaust header down under the car. If you're not sure where it goes, lie down on the ground and follow the exhaust pipe forward from the rear. Fairly close to where it curves upwards towards the top of the engine, you should be able to spot the O2 sensor sticking out of it. It will be about the size of a thumb/finger and have wires coming out of the end of it.
Replacement O2 sensor shouldn't run more than $100 or so. If you have to buy the special socket to get it off with your ratchet and a can of PB Blaster to un-stick the threads after 150K miles, you should still be out the door for well below $200.
The ECU uses the O2 sensor to adjust the air-fuel mixture. When the O2 fails, the ECU ignores it, using a default fuel map to preserve the engine, maybe relying upon intake and coolant temperature readings to guess the right mixture. This can lead to incorrect fuel trims which may result in detonation, causing the codes.
It seems to me there are specific codes for catalytic converter issues.
Good luck.
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