Bigbusa Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Where can I get one of these? The local parts stores don't have em. How much are they? I'm still getting the PO400 CEL code. I've replaced both vacuum selonoid switches (1 on the passengers wheel well and the other is under the intake manifold) and I've replaced the transducer. The parts were all used from a junktard... so they may have been bad too. I've blown out the little round filter too. The CEL is still on. The car runs great but gets 14mpg. I don't drive the car much so it hasn't been a big deal so far. I need to go on a 750 mile trip and want to get this fixed before leaving so I don't waste a ton of gas. thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebugs Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Whats it look like? Is that the thing by the pass strut tower? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbusa Posted June 9, 2008 Author Share Posted June 9, 2008 yes, there's one on the strut and another identical switch under the intake manifold on the drivers side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OB99W Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 [...]I'm still getting the PO400 CEL code. I've replaced both vacuum selonoid switches (1 on the passengers wheel well and the other is under the intake manifold) and I've replaced the transducer. The parts were all used from a junktard... so they may have been bad too.[...]You can easily test the vacuum solenoid valves -- it only requires a small piece of vacuum hose, your lungs, and a source of 12 volts. With no power applied, you shouldn't be able to blow air through. Applying 12 volts, you should hear a distinct click as the valve opens, and be able to fairly easily blow air through. Try that several times in a row, and if the valve operates reliably each time, it's likely okay. If you haven't seen this already, it might be interesting: http://endwrench.com/images/pdfs/Emissions.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbusa Posted June 9, 2008 Author Share Posted June 9, 2008 thanks guys... I just realized that most of the new vacuum lines I put on haven't been sealing well around their nipples. I just put a zip tie on every single vacuum line on the EGR system. Maybe that'll do it? This thing has more vacuum lines and doo-hickeys than any car I've seen. There's two things on the passengers fire wall, one thing right under the passengers side intake manifold, one thing under the drivers side intake manifold, the little filter, the back pressure transducer and the EGR valve... and they're all interconnected! It seems with the po400 code, a person would have to change each thing (one at a time) then reset the code, drive it and see if the code comes back. If it comes back, then buy the next little thing and go through the same process... over and over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 P0400 code is indicitave of a problem with the EGR system. Not nescessarily an electrical fault. Try removing and cleaning the EGR valve itself. Also, one at a time, check the metal lines that connect portions of the vacuum lines(where they run under the intake) They collect moisture in the low areas and can get clogged with corrosion. Blow them out one by one so as not to get them confused. It seems like you're problem is not electrical, but actually related to the efficiency of the EGR system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbusa Posted June 9, 2008 Author Share Posted June 9, 2008 P0400 code is indicitave of a problem with the EGR system. Not nescessarily an electrical fault. Try removing and cleaning the EGR valve itself. Also, one at a time, check the metal lines that connect portions of the vacuum lines(where they run under the intake) They collect moisture in the low areas and can get clogged with corrosion. Blow them out one by one so as not to get them confused. It seems like you're problem is not electrical, but actually related to the efficiency of the EGR system. Thanks - A few months ago I put all new vacuum lines on it. When I did that I eliminated the partial metal lines... thinking they could be bad. I just went around them with the new rubber lines. Driving it today (after zip tying all the vacuum line ends) and the CEL is still on. If the problem is fixed does the CEL go off on its own or do I have to reset it myself and wait to see if it comes back on... signifying the problem still exists? The only thing I have not done is remove the EGR and clean it. I did suck on the vacuum line going to the EGR (while the car was running) and the engine idled down quite a bit. That tells me it is working properly right? But it may still need cleaning? The po400 code came immediately after I washed the engine compartment with a hose about 4 months ago. I don't know if that had anything to do with it... but it was very coincidental timing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montana105 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Big-have you checked to make sure that none of the rubber hosing you bypassed the metal tubing with has made contact with a hot surface and melted,I would think that they used metal for a reason namely hot surface temps,might be something to look at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbusa Posted June 10, 2008 Author Share Posted June 10, 2008 Big-have you checked to make sure that none of the rubber hosing you bypassed the metal tubing with has made contact with a hot surface and melted,I would think that they used metal for a reason namely hot surface temps,might be something to look at. In one place they used metal tubes to route the lines under the throttle cables. I used zip ties to hold the lines away from anything hot or moving objects. thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Driving it today (after zip tying all the vacuum line ends) and the CEL is still on. If the problem is fixed does the CEL go off on its own or do I have to reset it myself and wait to see if it comes back on... signifying the problem still exists? Unhook the battery for 10-20 minutes. It should go away then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbusa Posted June 10, 2008 Author Share Posted June 10, 2008 Unhook the battery for 10-20 minutes. It should go away then. Yup, I have done that but it always comes back on within a couple days or less. The CEL won't go off by itself if the problem is fixed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OB99W Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 [...]It seems with the po400 code, a person would have to change each thing (one at a time) then reset the code, drive it and see if the code comes back. If it comes back, then buy the next little thing and go through the same process... over and over. Substituting known-good parts is one way of finding a problem, but it can obviously be expensive and time-consuming. Instead, individual components can usually be tested. Have you read my post #4 in this thread, and looked at the P0400 info in the EndWrench link I gave? Unhook the battery for 10-20 minutes. It should go away then.Yup, I have done that but it always comes back on within a couple days or less.[...]The code returning after being erased, of course, indicates the problem hasn't been resolved. It may not be any fun to go through all the steps of a diagnosis, but often it's actually the easiest and fastest way to a successful repair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 The CEL won't go off by itself if the problem is fixed? Not for this type of code. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbusa Posted June 17, 2008 Author Share Posted June 17, 2008 Hey guys, I just wanted to thank you for the advice and tell you that the CEL is off now! The only thing I hadn't done was to remove the egr and clean it. I never cleaned it because when I removed the egr hose and sucked on it, the engine idle dropped. I assumed that test was telling me that the egr was working properly. In fact, it was not. Maybe my mouth suction was greater than the vacuum created by the car? I cleaned the egr before my 800 mile trip, reset the CEL and it did not come back on! Yeah! The egr didn't look that dirty to me but it did have a little soot in it. I wire brushed it and blew it out with compressed air. My MPG instantly went from 14 city to 23 city. On the recent 800 mile round trip (hauling 750 lbs of jetski & trailer on the way back) I got an average of 24mpg. Not bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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