Warning Light

November 3, 2006

Driving home last night (steady 70 on the motorway) when this light came on...

According to the owners handbook it's the "Malfunction Indicator Lamp" and I should "Take vehicle to Toyota dealer"! :help:

Anyone had any experience of a cheap and easy common fix?

( The only recent change was I checked the oil (fine) and topped up the water (engine coolant (I could have slightly overfilled this, could this have caused the warning? It had been driven 30 odd miles after this before the light))

2001 2.0 Petrol RAV4 done 70k was serviced in June

Edit:

Done a search

Unless anyone's got anything to add (about the water maybe!) you can probably ignore me, I'll just have to bite the bullet and take her in :crybaby:

November 3, 2006

Driving home last night (steady 70 on the motorway) when this light came on...
According to the owners handbook it's the "Malfunction Indicator Lamp" and I should "Take vehicle to Toyota dealer"!
Anyone had any experience of a cheap and easy common fix?
( The only recent change was I checked the oil (fine) and topped up the water (engine coolant (I could have slightly overfilled this, could this have caused the warning? It had been driven 30 odd miles after this before the light))
2001 2.0 Petrol RAV4 done 70k was serviced in June
Edit:
Done a search
Unless anyone's got anything to add (about the water maybe!) you can probably ignore me, I'll just have to bite the bullet and take her in

Hi

It definately is nothing to do with the water. The light will indicate a number of things to do with the engine but it is more likely to do with the fuel injection/emmision system. There aren't many things you can do yourself but if the air filter is getting blocked it will radically upset the mixture ratio and throw up the light via the Lambda (oxygen) sensor. The other not so unusual fault is the Lambda sensor itself which is the little device with wires you can see screwed into the exhaust down pipe.

If the air filter is blocked and you put a new one in, you will still have to get the light switched off as they do not usually put themselves out. It is telling you there is a fault stored in the diagnostic module of the engine management computer. To get it turned off or get it read if the air filter fails to cure it, you can go to a Toyota dealer or most reputable local garages will be able to do it. You can do it yourself on some cars. This usually done by removing the IGN fuse or disconnecting the Battery for more than 20 seconds. However, you will have to follow the instructions for maintaining the radio code if necessary. I have cancelled several Toyota's myself but not recently. You can also read the fault yourself but you need to know what you are doing (that light will flash a code out to you) and then need information to tell you what it is saying. Some of the members with RAV4 petrols may be a bit more familiar with the best procedure so you might be better waiting for a response from them if you want to attempt it yourself.

Regards

November 7, 2006

*****UPDATE*****

Took her into the dealers (Johnsons Toyota Liverpool)

I've been told it's the Catalytic Converter that needs replacement and also an ecu upgrade.

They've quoted £697 for the work.

Is there any likelihood that they could be wrong?

She passed her emissions fine in June and only done a couple of thou miles since then...

Is it normal for a Catalytic Converter to go after 70k miles?

November 7, 2006

*****UPDATE*****
Took her into the dealers (Johnsons Toyota Liverpool)
I've been told it's the Catalytic Converter that needs replacement and also an ecu upgrade.
They've quoted £697 for the work.
Is there any likelihood that they could be wrong?
She passed her emissions fine in June and only done a couple of thou miles since then...
Is it normal for a Catalytic Converter to go after 70k miles?

Hi Silver Wolf

If you read the thread from Avensis wagon you will see that Toyota are recommending an ECU upgrade anyway. Did they hook it up to their diagnostic equipment? If they did then they are probably right but again I would tend to ask a reputable local garage about the cost of the work. They can usually read the fault code and you can get very good quality CATs for far less than £700.

A CAT is a bit like a light bulb it can go at any time but there are things that will reduce the life like bump starting, wrong fuel and would you believe, an ECU fault. It could be that the ECU damaged the CAT!

Good luck!

November 8, 2006

*****UPDATE*****
Took her into the dealers (Johnsons Toyota Liverpool)
I've been told it's the Catalytic Converter that needs replacement and also an ecu upgrade.
They've quoted £697 for the work.
Is there any likelihood that they could be wrong?
She passed her emissions fine in June and only done a couple of thou miles since then...
Is it normal for a Catalytic Converter to go after 70k miles?

All sounds a bit steep to me :eek: , my light came back on a few months ago, took it in under warrenty and they replaces on of the oxygen sensors in the catalytic converter .

I sort of get the feeling its double standardsin your case , when the vehicle in under warranty dealers only every replace oxygen sensors, normally one at a time (choice of 4), yet once the vehicle is out of warranty it then needs a full catalytic converter and an ECU ...at your expense !.

Can you get a second opinion, or ask the dealer if its coiuld be the oxygen sensors at fault ,and not the catalytic converter :( .

November 13, 2006

I booked the car in at my local garage just for them to check the error code and emissions (they'd quoted £600 for Cat replacement), since then the light has now gone out! So I've cancelled!

Does this mean the fault has self rectified or does the light just go out after a while anyway?

November 13, 2006

I booked the car in at my local garage just for them to check the error code and emissions (they'd quoted £600 for Cat replacement), since then the light has now gone out! So I've cancelled!
Does this mean the fault has self rectified or does the light just go out after a while anyway?

If its the oxygen sensors are playing up (which i think is the case ), some days they are happy with the fuel mixture, other days they are not, Toyota claim that the engine computer will remember the fault code when the light came on , they can then plug equipment in, to see what the fault was (and fix it ).

In the case of my light first coming up, months later when the vehicle was being service i asked them to check the fault code and...not fault found ;) .

So its not fixed itself, but maybe next time it comes on, pop into another Toyota dealer to have it checked out :thumbsup: .