Toyota Yaris Forums - Ultimate Yaris Enthusiast Site
 

 


 
Go Back   Toyota Yaris Forums - Ultimate Yaris Enthusiast Site > Technical Forums > DIY / Maintenance / Service
  The Tire Rack

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 05-28-2007, 02:58 PM   #1
jlift
 
Drives: 2007 Yaris Hatch
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 54
New CAT Converter story....

So I go back to the dealers when I get the little post card telling me my part is in (Cat Converter - Sulfur smell). I get up early on Saturday, drive 5 miles to the dealership, drop off my car and take the bus home. I get home and in 15 minutes I get a call telling me that I can pick up my car because the 02 sensor "seized" when they tried to remove it. That means that they started work on my car in about 30-45 minutes, as I timed the bus wait and getting home. I wonder if anyone knows if an 02 sensor can be pulled while an engine is still hot, or should they have waited until the exhaust system cooled down? When told me that I can pick up the car and drive it until they get a new sensor in, that's all they told me. He was ready to say goodbye to me when I asked him "Does it have a check engine light?" He told me "yes". Now I am mad that I had to ask him and he didn't tell me up front that I would be driving around with a CEL for three days (Holiday weekend - closed on Monday). When I questioned him further about driving around with the CEL, he said "no problem, it's not a drivability issue". I politely declined and told him that I have another car that I can drive for a couple of days.

As I started thinking about this, I drove back down the dealership about a few hours later and got ahold of the service writer and asked him to explain in detail what happened. Just so happens that the mechanic who was working on my car showed up and the service writer tells me to talk to him. So the mechanic takes me back to the service area shows me the cat converter, explains to me that this is a recurring problem when they try to remove 02 sensors, that since the sensors and the pipe and made of "dissimilar" metals, after a while they get frozen to each other and when they order a new converter they usually order a new sensor just in case they need one. But the crew who ordered my cat. converter did not order the sensor at the same time so now they need to get the sensor. This mechanic told me he has been working for Toyota for 23 years and this is a big problem with Toyotas. I priced the sensor in the parts department and it was over $200 (heated 02 sensor)

So now I am wondering why Toyota does not try to fix this problem since it seems to me that they are losing money in the form of not being able to reuse an existing perfectly good 02 sensor, once it gets "frozen" into the pipe. Also I am writing this as a word of caution that if anyone intends on getting their Cat. Converter replaced under this TSB, be SURE TO ASK THE SERVICE REP. TO ORDER THE 02 SENSOR---JUST IN CASE!!.

jlift is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-28-2007, 04:30 PM   #2
tk-421
Super Moderator
 
tk-421's Avatar
 
Drives: 5D-07-LB
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Dagobah
Posts: 4,263
Thanks for the heads up.

Do you by any chance know what the CEL code is? Might come in handy in the future.
__________________
tk-421 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-28-2007, 04:55 PM   #3
jlift
 
Drives: 2007 Yaris Hatch
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 54
Quote:
Originally Posted by tk-421 View Post
Thanks for the heads up.

Do you by any chance know what the CEL code is? Might come in handy in the future.
Funny you should ask. As it happens, I do have the scangauge connected to my car. The chances are that it should have caught it and it is still in memory. I will check it on Wednesday when I pick up my Yaris and post it.
jlift is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-31-2007, 10:05 AM   #4
jlift
 
Drives: 2007 Yaris Hatch
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 54
Well, I picked up the car today and they had installed the New Cat converter. I actually inspected it on the rack with a printout of it from the service manual. I wanted to make sure that the rubber hangers were on correctly. They weren't. They had to be pushed back, flush with the steel rod projection from the cat. I don't know why service techs. can't do it right the first time. Maybe it will give them cause to think if they know that the occasional customer will be inspecting the work done. You know that they are terrified with the after repair survey that you get either on line or in the mail. The NEED to have all excellent or Toyota comes down on them from corporate. Anyway, I looked at my scangauge for trapped codes, but there weren't any. I think what happened is that they must have left the "seized" 02 sensor in there when they realized that they couldn't get it out, so since it was still "functional", it did not trap any codes. I said I would report back, so there you go.
jlift is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-31-2007, 11:13 AM   #5
Astroman
Modded Moderator
 
Astroman's Avatar
 
Drives: 07 Toyota Yaris, 71 Galaxie
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Wenatchee, WA
Posts: 3,670
Is there a PDF of the cat TSB? I'm going to take my car in to take care of a few things and so far all I can find is the TSB on the washer nozzle and squeaky windshield.
Astroman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-31-2007, 01:36 PM   #6
jlift
 
Drives: 2007 Yaris Hatch
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 54
http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/sho...ghlight=sulfur

the tsb is in the first thread.
jlift is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-31-2007, 01:41 PM   #7
BlueFlash
wa do dem
 
BlueFlash's Avatar
 
Drives: 2007 blue Lb
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Mesa town
Posts: 75
lets all get new cats for free ;)
__________________
BlueFlash is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-31-2007, 01:43 PM   #8
Sleeper
Look slow, go fast
 
Sleeper's Avatar
 
Drives: 2007 Yaris Liftback 5 spd
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Florida
Posts: 14
It isn't a Toyota-specific problem, the o2 sensor seizing... That happens in almost all cars... It's a corrosion problem. I've never seen an exhaust system that is made out of the same metal as the sensor in it. Usually you can get it out with some WD-40 and a breaker bar, if not that, an impact wrench... It surprises me that a mechanic would try to shirk that simple task, but dealerships are 100% about the money. In my shop, when a sensor or bolt seizes we let it sit with some WD-40 for a little while and take a breaker bar or long box wrench to it with a hammer to provide some extra 'oomph'.

When I replaced the o2 sensor on my truck it was a really bad case so we heated the pipe and sensor with an acetylene torch and poured a lot of cold water onto it, the different rates of expansion and contraction broke the corroded sensor free and it came out with a standard box wrench.
__________________
Daily Driver:
Toyota Yaris Hatchback, 5spd.
Go-fast:
1995 Chevrolet k1500 extended cab
Blown 396 smallblock 797hp @6500RPM
looks stock, but burns riced-out imports daily.
Sleeper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-31-2007, 01:46 PM   #9
jlift
 
Drives: 2007 Yaris Hatch
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 54
Now there's a thought......what would Toyota do? Probably mark "TOP SECRET" on all future TSB's and hand deliver them to the dealers. But I do know that if you ask, the dealer has to show you the TSB's on your car.

On another similar thought...what would happen if everyone is say a 100 story building flushed all the toilets at once?
jlift is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-31-2007, 09:31 PM   #10
gonzo452001
 
gonzo452001's Avatar
 
Drives: 3-door liftback blazing blue
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: French Lick,IN
Posts: 185
I think you would have to scan your computer with the scan gauge before it would have a code in it
__________________
07 yaris LB 5-speed blazing Blue
07 yaris LB Auto Bayou Blue
rostra cruise control
oem style foglights
96tacoma 4x4 xcab I4auto
Weathertech vent visors
Scan GaugeII
gonzo452001 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-31-2007, 09:45 PM   #11
YamilR
 
YamilR's Avatar
 
Drives: Absolutely Red Liftback
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 570
Send a message via Yahoo to YamilR
Quote:
Originally Posted by BlueFlash View Post
lets all get new cats for free ;)
I got mine last Sept.
YamilR is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2007, 11:21 AM   #12
the_boss
 
the_boss's Avatar
 
Drives: 07 YARIS HATCH 5 DOOR
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Montreal Qc
Posts: 354
Send a message via MSN to the_boss
wil have mine done tomorrow morning
the_boss is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2007, 07:11 PM   #13
Jerkratt
 
Jerkratt's Avatar
 
Drives: 08 Yaris Liftback S (RIP 07)
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Fair Lawn, NJ
Posts: 1,378
Send a message via AIM to Jerkratt
is there a tbs thread?
__________________
"It hurts more when its wet"
Jerkratt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-03-2007, 12:50 AM   #14
Toyotech
Your Toyota Technician
 
Drives: 06 Cobalt SS/SC, 06 Rolla S
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Oak Ridge, NJ
Posts: 124
Send a message via AIM to Toyotech
funny that so many dealers have issues with this. for one, i rarely ever did an a/f or o2 when hot... second, doing the sensor pays more. this was done on purpose by many many many technicians do make more warranty time

jerk: TSB EG035-06 EXCESSIVE SULFUR ODOR (REVISED)
Toyotech is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-03-2007, 01:23 AM   #15
Jerkratt
 
Jerkratt's Avatar
 
Drives: 08 Yaris Liftback S (RIP 07)
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Fair Lawn, NJ
Posts: 1,378
Send a message via AIM to Jerkratt
na i mean is there a tread that has a pdf of all the TSB's? i keep hearing/finding new ones or ppl tlkaing about them but i cant find them
__________________
"It hurts more when its wet"
Jerkratt is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Just a good, wholesome story ChinoCharles Off-topic / Other Cars / Everything else Discussions 28 08-20-2007 11:47 AM
High-to-low converter Kaotic Lazagna In Car Entertainment + Electronics (audio / video / alarm) 11 05-21-2007 01:18 PM
Yaris In A 1999 Cover Story: 'Auto & Design' boog Photo-Video-Media Gallery 9 02-07-2007 12:54 AM
Non cat exhaust CEL? CASTREX Performance Modifications 15 01-28-2007 01:22 PM
catalytic converter question SamDaYarisMan Performance Modifications 14 09-08-2006 10:18 AM


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 11:25 AM.




YarisWorld
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.