check engine light came on - how do i read the codes?

[steronz4]

it's a 92, i'm guessing some form of obd-1... will i need to get a code reader, or are these the "jump two pins and count the blinks" variety?

also, while i'm here, my only speculation as to what it could be is something in the evap system... i ripped it out and plugged all the vaccum lines, but the purge line from the gas tank is just venting to the atmosphere right now... on my honda, that's not a problem, but i just read a bunch of threads about a check engine light if your gas cap isn't tight enough. is that an issue on something this old?

 

[kennypinkerton]

Look near the battery. There is a small connector with a gray cover that says "diagnostic". Connect a jumper wire between the E1 and TE1 pins (theres a label under the lid). Get back in the car and without touching anything else (especially the gas pedal), and without having any accesories on, turn the key to the "on" position. Then start counting the number of times the Check engine light blinks. have a pen and paper handy. there is a 1.5 second space between digits of a 2 digit number, and a 3 second pause between each code. watch it carefully, and count carefully. you can have multiple codes. when it has given the last one, there will be a 3 second pause, and it will start repeating.

A list of trouble codes and possible problems can be found here...
http://www.off-road.com/toyota/tech/codes/index.html

Also you can get a better idea of what is wrong by going to Autozone and having them plug a handheld OBD reader to the connector under the dash.

 

[steronz4]

kickass... just what i was looking for. from looking through those codes, it seems like there's not even a check for the evap system or tank pressure, so that's good. thanks man.

 

[steronz4]

well, it was a code 25, lean signal from O2, which apparently can be a bunch of things. i reset it and it went away. first thing i'm gonna try is the PCV valve, which was causing one poster here a code 25, and i've got all kinds of oil spurting out my breather tube, so i'm pretty sure it's busted anyway.

 

[kennypinkerton]

Like I said though, if you can get Autozone (or equivalent store) to plug a OBD reader to the other connector, it will give you something more specific - most of the time, and could pin-point the problem area better.

I have a 25 and 26 on my CEL. I still have to go get my OBD reading so maybe I can figure out why I have a rich AND a lean reading. I'm hoping it's just a o2 sensor as the truck runs great after it's warmed up. But until it's warm, I can smell raw unburnt gas from the exhaust.

 

[Sidney]

About half of the ECU codes stored on the first & second generation EFI Toyotas don't show a constant blinking check engine light therefore you must pull the ECU codes to see if a fault is registered.

To pull the ECU codes:

All 1980-1995 and including 1995 EFI equipped vehicle allow you to find engine and related faults by pulling the ECU (computer) codes without the need for a handheld OBDII diagnosis scanner,the sites listed below have the fault codes needed to pull the codes and the instructions on how to do it:

http://autorepair.about.com/library/ts/obd-i/bl-dtcs-36.htm
http://autorepair.about.com/library/ts/obd-i/bl-dtcs-53.htm
http://autorepair.about.com/library/ts/obd-i/bl-dtcs-71.htm
http://autorepair.about.com/library/ts/obd-i/bl-dtcs-90.htm
http://www.off-road.com/toyota/tech/codes/index.html
http://lcengineering.com/TechNotes/TechNote12.htm
http://lcengineering.com/TechNotes/TechNote13.htm
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Pit/9975/dataBySubject/Engine.html
http://www.mad-mechanic.com/toyota/toyotaobd.shtml#obtaincode
http://www.freewebs.com/th3duke/22RE-ECU.mht
http://www.troublecodes.net/Toyota/
http://members.igateway.net/~pscott/enginecodes.html
http://www.autobook.co.kr/data_links/toyota_trouble_codes.htm
http://www.autoshop101.com/forms/h27.pdf
http://www.showmesome.info/hilux/info/manuals/1KZ-TE/Page0096.htm
http://www.efisakh.narod.ru/at_toyota.htm
http://www.usatransdoctor.com/foreigntoyota.htm

Pulling the ECU codes is the first thing I do to diagnosis a problem thereafter I reset the ECU to see if the same problems show up and if so I then take voltage measurements both with the engine running and not and compare with the factory service manual,I also close the ignition switch after a cold engine and also after a warm engine and compare them with the factory service manual.This technique will completely isolate your problem without having to do trial and error and it is the technique I use when repairing tv's,vcr's,home/car audio.

Any Public Library in your area would have the Factory service manual,Haynes,Chiltons,Mitchells,Clymers,Bentley and Toyota repair books.

There is also free AutoZone service manuals at:

http://www1.autozone.com/servlet/UiBroker?ForwardPage=/az/repair_info/repair_guide/repair_guide.jsp

For scanned pages of factory service manuals for other engines:

http://www.brian894x4.com/Scannedmanual.html
http://home.swiftdsl.com.au/~scorp/surf/1KZ-TE.pdf
http://www.showmesome.info/hilux/info/manuals/1KZ-TE
http://surf.mactherapy.com/1KZ-TE.pdf
http://surf.mactherapy.com/parts/
http://www.spyderchat.com/1zzfe.pdf
http://files.matrixvibe.net/docs/1zzfe.pdf
http://landcruiser.free.fr/mans/
http://surf.mactherapy.com
http://www.turbosupras.com/pages/technical/tsrm.htm
http://www.lieblweb.com/tacoma/Mechanical/96TacomaDiagrams/index.htm
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/adherence.4x4/liens_techniques.htm
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/adherence.4x4/index.htm
http://www.asatraction4x4.cl/html/
http://www.toyotasurf.asn.au/techsite/downloads.htm
http://www.grubinski.com/grubinski/automotive/toyota.manuals/
http://www.carsoft.ru/files/4runner95di.exe
http://www.hotrodder.com/kwkride/tech.html
http://www.autoshop101.com/autoshop15.html
http://www.mtv411.com/sitemap.htm

1955 Toyota 4-Runner/pickup Factory Service manual:

http://www.jasuza.com/1985toyotatruckfsm.pdf

1993 Toyota Pickup Service Manual:

http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-buchanan/93fsm/

2003 (2001-2004) Toyota Tacoma Factory Service Manual:

http://fsm.afraid.org/
http://www.junglecode.com/toyota/tacoma/2003_fsm/
http://65.200.1.6/FSM/

FSM (factory service manual)can be acquired in several ways:

Toyota Material Distribution Center
750 West Victoria St
Rancho Dominguez/Compton,CA 90220-5538
USA
Ph:1-800-622-2033 (outside CA)(M-F: 7-5 PST)
Ph:1-800-443-7656 (inside CA)
Ph:1-310-818-4630 (in or outside CA)
Speak to Beverly or Deloris
http://techinfo.toyota.com/public/main/mdc.html
http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/FSM.shtml

1)buy a used one off e-bay
2)some Toyota dealerships may give you one or sell it for $10-20 (used) as most Toyota dealerships don't repair many old Toyotas and no longer need the service manual
3)some public libraries sell their old books as they are not in demand any longer
4)some free buy & sell classified papers,websites and bulletin boards may have some used ones for sale
5)some junk yards may have one laying around
6)some Toyota specialty garages may have one laying around and no longer use it as the vehicle may be too old and those mechanics probably have so much experience that they could publish their own factory service manual with corrections and "real world repair tips"
7)if someone has the FSM maybe they could scan all of the pages and post it on a site for all of us to download or view.

Sidney

 

[GavinM]

Your going to have to jumo the wires in the diagnostics box near the battery