Rav 4 Cat

[MRCHAIRMAN]

Hi Guys,

I have a problem with the EML on my 2002 3dr RAV-4 NRG automatic,

the codes are coming back as poor catalytic efficiency but when the car is put on a emissions test at my local garage it passes with flying colours.

it has now been to the Toyota main dealer and they say that it has aftermarket o2 sensors on it (i suspect they were put on sometime in its life) but they want to replace the catalytic converter as their diagnostics equipment needs to do a ECU update and it can only be done with a new CAT. Am i being taken for a ride???

any help would be gratefully received.

Cheers

Iain

[Avalon]

So hang on, you have a suspect o2 sensor and the way to fix that is with a new cat so they can update the ECU software... I'll throw a crazy idea out, the emissions test is largely BS, it'd likely still pas without a cat, so if the o2's monitored values are out of spec then it would need replacing, not the cat. What is the software update to fix? At best it's a poor explaination of the fault and resolution, at worst it's just a waste of time and money.

[Devon Aygo]

Early 2.0 4.2 Ravs had potential software fault where the ECU can misinterpret the O2 sensor readings this can cause damage to the catalyst through misfuelling as well as a potential issue with the catalyst itself where it can fail prematurely as a chemical coating inside the cat can peel away . The official fix was a ECU software update and a modified catalyst assy.

[Avalon]

Looks like it was a poor explanation then :D