So we're all buying Toyotas now 🤔

[nthach]

I have to say, not bad for under $2K. If it was me, I’d buy a “cheap” Sony XAV-AX150 for a deck - I never had luck with Bluetooth adapters that piggyback off the IEBus interface. Toyota calls their implementation AVC-LAN.

IME with a piston soak on a Prius, I used a two-pronged approach - B-12 Chemtool and BMW’s label of a Chevron chemical GM sells as Injector and Top Engine cleaner. I added 30cc of B12 for a 24 hour soak, then 30cc more with the plugs in just enough to create compression but not hydrolock the engine to “force” the solvents though the ring lands. Then 15cc of the BMW stuff. Changed the oil with Formula Shell and a cheap filter for 500 miles.

 

[Highboy]

View attachment 91103
Cylinder 1 (yes I know the photo isn't very good)
View attachment 91104
Cylinder 2 (this is the one that consistently holds the most fluid)
View attachment 91105
cylinder 3 (valve shot, and fairly dry)
View attachment 91106
cylinder 4 (best one yet IMO)

This was after a little under 24 hours of being brimmed with Kroil and B12 Chemtool
So it's a fairly safe conclusion that cylinders 1, 3, and 4 are all flowing liquid through the rings fairly freely
Cylinder 2 seems like it's holding onto a little more
I barred it over, hit them all again with Kroil, some Seafoam top end foaming aerosol that I found in the shed, and 1 last can of B12
Once they all drain down again, that's it, I'm saving can 6 of 6 for the gas tank
I'll do an oil, filter change, suck out the cylinders, add a little splash of engine oil, crank it over on the starter to move oil around/build pressure
Screw in the new plugs and hope/pray this thing still runs after all this
Some of the pictures in person show faint hints of cross hatching on the cylinder walls, which I find hard to believe @ 281k

Someone stop me if I'm doing something wrong

4qts of HPL Engine cleaner are on the way

Couldn’t you use a fogging oil spray to oil up the cylinder bores?

 

[michaelluscher]

Update: it lives and it's on the road
Plates came in, as did proof of insurance
NYS Inspection TBD at this time
So I sprayed a little bit of Kroil and poured in some engine oil to the cylinders

Drained the gallons of oil/Kroil/B12 out of the crankcase, in went fresh oil/filter

Turned it over on the starter a few times, sucked out the cylinders again



Chunks of carbon were clogging my Harbor Freight pneumatic brake fluid extractor

After it had fresh oil and clear cylinders, I cranked it intermittently for 20 seconds or so to build oil pressure with the fresh clean oil and filter



Cleaned the spark plug threads, in went new NGK single platinums (they're pre gapped at 40 thousandths, spec is 44 thousandths) will it matter much?

I pulled the EFI fuse so it'd crank without fuel just to clear itself out

Took a little while for compression to return

And it decided it wanted to fight another day



Now I know I've got a small exhaust leak between the mid pipe and catalytic converter

Gotta look at the flange closer



It smoked for a while, and kinda stumbled and stuttered, but after a highway stretch to clear it out, plus some around town errands, it seems no worse than when I bought it

A bunch of other little tasks were performed
Because all my backordered parts at the Toyota dealer came into stock

 

[michaelluscher]

Transmission fluid didn't look or smell particularly good, but I've seen worse

New nuts for the engine cover now hold it down properly
Valve cover gasket will be done at a later date
In went almost 4qts of WS

So far it doesn't feel all that much different
Take note of the first gear whine as it sounded before I serviced the transmission

 

[michaelluscher]

I find these costs reasonable

Took it around town, went by the Halal cart

And it's natural habitat

 

[michaelluscher]

The 168s for the plate and the Amazon special 7443 LEDs set it off surprisingly well

At night you can't see the lack of paint on the hood

 

[michaelluscher]

Well, that escalated quickly

P0171 lean bank 1

deep exhale

 

[nthach]

View attachment 91558

Well, that escalated quickly

P0171 lean bank 1

deep exhale

My guess - MAP sensor, clogged injectors or from what @The Critic told me with the older Corollas with the 1ZZ-FE engine, a failed exhaust donut gasket allowing the front AF sensor to get a false reading.

You won’t know until you look at short and long term fuel trims and the MAP voltage/MAF grams.

 

[michaelluscher]

I didn't know LTFT could go that high

When the rain stops I'll poke around near the intake boot

This is at a hot idle, no wonder it doesn't idle quite right

 

[The Critic]

Spray something combustible at the donut gasket. That may be a cause of your fuel trims.

 

[michaelluscher]

I cleaned the MAF with MAF cleaner

A rudimentary check of the intake area shows nothing leaking, I can't hear any vacuum leaks

I dumped the last two cans of B12 I had into the tank, and topped off with fresh gas

We'll see where that takes us

 

[dishdude]

More additives are needed.

 

[OVERKILL]

This thing is going to need a few weeks in a rehab clinic after all these chemicals, lol.

 

[michaelluscher]

Spray something combustible at the donut gasket. That may be a cause of your fuel trims.

Will do

I'm curious how a post AFR sensor exhaust leak can affect it's readings?

I know some cars do use the post cat O² to influence the upstream

I do not know if this is one of them

This is typically Toyota, AFR up stream in the exhaust manifold, O² sensor post cat

I've always been of the thinking that you fix all exhaust issues first before looking towards sensors, but I don't fully understand the science behind it

The gas tanks been filled, the oils been checked

Now my in house fuel/oil consumption test will begin

We'll see if there's been a method to my madness, or I've wasted a whole $25 on a $1430 car I shouldn't have bought

It can't exactly see daily driver duty yet, because of the following

Sway bar links/bushings
Brakes
NYS inspection (see top two)

The transmission definitely appreciated the fresh fluid
Still a light whine when rolling out in first, but high miles

 

[The Critic]

I know some cars do use the post cat O² to influence the upstream

I do not know if this is one of them

Toyota does. Not saying this is your issue, but you can verify this by spraying something combustible at the connection and watching the fuel trims.

 

[michaelluscher]

Managed to grind and knock out the snapped off easy out

Large drill bit from the outside, little drill bit from the inside, used the intact M6x1.0 threads to guide the tap from the inside out, creating plenty of good bite

Some new quality stainless flange head bolts now hold the plate on, with plenty of anti seize

Now the tailgate is back together for the last time

If you live in the salt belt, check your metal plate hardware, it's probably gonna put up a fight

 

[2015Corolla]

Are the new LED headlights aimed properly?

 

[michaelluscher]

Are the new LED headlights aimed properly?

They aren't LED, just H9 bulbs cut down to fit where H11 was specified

I drove it around plenty tonight, went and looked at it in a dark empty national park, and they don't seem any more or less blinding than any other headlights out there

I also don't have a flat level floor/wall to do aiming

I need to find one

Still a pending P0171, but no CEL now

I'll take it by the exhaust shop next weekend, see what they'll prescribe

On top of the known bad sway bar links, I've now looked at both front struts, with busted up shaft boots and bump stops

The RF is leaking

Are FCS quick struts that bad?

I can have both fronts for less than one KYB

 

[2015Corolla]

When is the HPL Engine Cleaner going in?

 

[michaelluscher]

When is the HPL Engine Cleaner going in?

Soon.