First Mr2

[N20]

I picked up a MR2 roadster on Wednesday... Love it... The specs are: W 2000 Reg in silver 65,000miles with hard top, AC and CD Changer ect.....

Anyway I read about the pre-cats and I would like to know if by removing them does it mess up any of the sensors. I believe there are various sensors in the exhaust system/pre-cats that it could affect...

Also the car has just had an intermediate service before I picked it up... today I noticed that the engine management light came on... rang the garage and it is covered under warranty but the guy said to give it afew days and see if it goes away... has anyone heard of this before?

[1bloke1dog1mr2]

Hi,

with regards the pre-cats there are definite pros and cons to removing them, and I won't be the first to say check your oil regularly (once a week) before you decide about them.

Secondly, your eml won't go off, it needs to be read. Where did you get the car serviced? if it was Mr T then they should NEVER have given you this advice. That light is trying to tell you something so get it read asap.

There are some very handy hints and tips at the top of the Roadster/MRS page.

[N20]

Well if the oil does go down doesn’t that mean that it is already too late? I was thinking of removing them just as a precaution even tho I do not believe there is anything wrong...

No, the EML has not turned off... It was serviced just before I took hold of the car... it does seem to run alright... I’m taking it back to the garage I purchased it from next week...

P.S. The MR2 is a brill car

[1bloke1dog1mr2]

There's all sorts of arguments on the pre-cats gutting issue. I haven't gutted mine and it's a 2000 with 52k on the clock. I check my oil regularly and have just done an oil change to fully synth. It uses absolutely no oil from one service to the next. There is plenty to read up on and valid points from both sides.

I would really get the light read but if you want to turn it out yourself, disconnect the Battery for half an hour. If the light comes back on after a few trips then there is an issue.

[N20]

Thanks for your help, I am not going to try clear the fault as the car is still within warranty...

when the car is at the garage they will hopefully sort the EML out as well as the radio.

The radio is a sony radio with CD changer. The radio is useless it skips on the CD’s and the radio will not tune at all in automatic search or manual (as if the ariel is not plugged in) also some buttons are missing and some just don’t work... the radio is not covered under guarantee but the dealer said he would have someone look at it as a good will gesture... if he cannot help me I will get a second hand one off eBay... I hate driving with no music...

Have you had any issues now you 'gutted' the pre-cats?

Thank you again.

[1bloke1dog1mr2]

I find the Sony stereo to be great in mine, but it sounds like you may have to buy yourself a new one. CFC has a great set up. I would follow being a music tech technician and an avid lover of all things electrical & musical, but I'm not in the car enough. His set up looks awesome!

I haven't gutted my pre-cats so can't give you advice on the gutting.

[N20]

Oh, ok... well the CD player does seem like a good system and I’d be happy with it... It’s just, mine does not work... I can’t really afford to spend a fortune on my system... second hand radios the same as mine go for less that £100 on eBay... like I said it’s going back to the garage so ill see what they do... If I’m lucky they might replace it even tho they don’t have an obligation to... dont think they will tho, lol.

When I get the car back ill let you know what they do with the radio/EML light..

thanks.

[cfc1]

second hand radios the same as mine go for less that £100 on ebay...

You can buy yourself a nice Alpine head unit and facia adaptor for not much more than your £100 second hand system.

eg.... http://shop.audioimages.co.uk/alpine-cde-9...put-p-1075.html

[N20]

Well that’s not breaking the bank but I still have my radio from my old car. It has a CD player, USB port ect... but the guy at the Toyota dealer led me to believe that the plugs on the back of the Sony radio are not compatible with normal radios... I must admit I have not had the radio out so I don’t know if they will plug in... Maybe there are some kind of adaptors available...

Another problem would be the electric areal; will a normal radio control it?

[cfc1]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Toyota-Celica-MR2-Su...93%3A1|294%3A50

ISO Adaptor - unplug the loom from the back of your sony unit, plug the loom into the ISO adaptor, plug the ISO adaptor into the back of the new stereo... ariel should work as normal.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Toyota-Avensis-Verso...93%3A1|294%3A30

Facia Panel FP-11-03 - This converts the gap in the dash (once you remove the old sony unit) to "single din" ready to accept the new head unit.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Toyota-RAV4-Celica-M...222210004r13236

Facia Panel FP-11-08 - I never needed this as the old surround from my factory stereo (post 03) fitted over panel FP-11-03, this panel slots into the sides to cover any gaps that are there... alternatively I've heard the surround from post 03 models fits pre 03 models with the facia adaptor FP-11-03.. but you would need to double check.

Before (but you have the double din Sony unit..

After.. with the single din facia and post 03 factory surround.

I also have these...

[N20]

Oh wow... that’s a lovely system you have... I see you have removed the little storage lockers behind the seats for those Speakers... Nice.

Well my girlfriend’s uncle had a look at my radio and he has nearly sorted it out. The radio now works, the CD changer works and he says that the CD reader in the radio unit just needs a clean and that will work too... He even got all but one of the buttons working and that can be repaired...

My car still has to go back to the garage because the EML is on... take it back Tuesday... if im lucky they will sort out the last button...

[Laura81uk]

Oh wow... that’s a lovely system you have... I see you have removed the little storage lockers behind the seats for those speakers... Nice.

Well my girlfriend’s uncle had a look at my radio and he has nearly sorted it out. The radio now works, the CD changer works and he says that the CD reader in the radio unit just needs a clean and that will work too... He even got all but one of the buttons working and that can be repaired...

My car still has to go back to the garage because the EML is on... take it back Tuesday... if im lucky they will sort out the last button...

I've also just had 2 of my 3 pre cat sensors changed... cost me a fortune but had no problems since! My EML came on and it was on for a good few weeks before i could afford to get it sorted! Oops !!

[N20]

I picked the car up yesterday... The EML was not on and they had changed an 02 sensor... driving home today and I noticed that the engine management light had come back on, so I called back in at the garage and its going to have to go back... again... this Tuesday... good job its under warranty.

Oh ye, I got a pre-owned radio on e-bay for £40.00... Bargain... exactly the same as my old one, only this one actually works, but I still ran a CD lens cleaning disk through it just to be sure... it does not like copied CD’s so much tho...

I just noticed some more things... the air box cover was not sitting properly so I had a look. I have sorted that out now but what I did notice is that the air filter looks like it has not been changed for a long time. This I find strange because the car is supposed to of just had a intermediate service...

Also I got a check list of all the things that should have been checked and on the list is the gaiters for the suspension... well the gaiters on mine are perished and they are not even fastened.... so obviously they did not check them...

I think I shall kick up a fuss about that too... if the garage did not do these, makes you wonder what else did they not bother to do...

[N20]

An update... The engine in my mr2 is knackered, I think the pre-cats are responsible for it... Im getting my money back and my old car... going to buy another MR2 tho...

[Mad-Matt]

An update... The engine in my mr2 is knackered, I think the pre-cats are responsible for it... Im getting my money back and my old car... going to buy another MR2 tho...

Well done for getting your money back and good luck with the new one. As has been said before the 2003 or newer ones have got the oil problem fixed (or appear to have).