Ecu Update

[timikiwi]

Had problems with my 51 plate 1.6 vvti Corolla in that the engine warning light came on a while ago. Pentagon Toyota (Sheffield) reset this (twice now) saying it was probably just a glitch on the sensor. Take it back a 3rd time and now charge £40 to tell me that its related to the catalytic convertor and that the ECU needs a software update, althogether costing an estimated £1500!

Is this right about the ECU update? Anyone else experienced this? Is it essential? Any advice on replacing the catalytic convertor?

[RedNeck 92 Gti-16]

Is this right about the ECU update? Anyone else experienced this? Is it essential? Any advice on replacing the catalytic convertor?

Never heard so much tosh!

For £1500 i could buy you a new sensor. Drive all the way to yours and fit it, then after spending the night at a s****y hotel, i could stop by at fensport on the way home to get about a grands worth of upgrades for my GTi.

Never heard of ECU updates. Remap yes. Update no.

Get a grip of fault code readings, and find a decent garage. I reckon if your cat sensor is down, then its a £300 job. Tops.

[chrisio]

I don't believe that an ECU update exists, in fact the remap appears to be a myth too especially with regards to the Compressor

The engine light is a general alarm and can come on for many reasons.

In my case it came on for 'weak mixture' and turned out to be an air leak.

Many modern garages have fault code readers so it may be best to get a second opinion from someone independant.

One more thing, a complete second hand ECU from a breakers yard wouldn't come anywhere near £1500 ;)

[timikiwi]

The service sheet says the following:

Code P0420 catalyst below threshold bank 1.

Requires new catalyst and modified ECU to repair.

Any more advice would be appreciated!

[chrisio]

Any decent exhaust manufacturer can sell or fit a replacement cat cheaply if in fact that is the problem.

I would be surprised if yours has gone bad though as your car is not that old.

A complete cat-back sports system would be cheaper to fit than the solution offered by the Toyota dealer ;)

[H4RR15]

Code P0420 catalyst below threshold bank 1.

Basically this means that the oxygen sensor downstream (after) the catalytic converter on bank 1 is detecting that the converter is not working as efficiently as it should be (according to specs). It is part of the vehicle emissions system.

causes-

* Leaded fuel was used where unleaded was called for

* An oxygen sensor is not reading (functioning) properly

* The engine coolant temperature sensor is not working properly

* Damaged exhaust manifold / catalytic converter / exhaust pipe

* Retarded spark timing

The simplest thing to do is to reset the code and see if it comes back.

Next step is to measure the voltage at the oxygen sensor on Bank 1 (the rear sensor, or the sensor after the converter). The voltage should be low and steady (~200mV, depends on the vehicle). If the voltage varies (e.g. 100mV to 600mV) then it's time to replace the catalytic converter. In fact, it would be a good idea to test each oxygen O2 sensor while you're at it.

One thing to note is that many vehicle manufacturers offer a longer warranty on emissions-related parts. So if you have a newer car but it's out of it's bumper-to-bumper warranty, there still may be warranty on this type of problem. Many manufacturers give a five year, unlimited mileage warranty on these items. It's worth checking into.