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Cynxing

Toyota Advanced Member
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Everything posted by Cynxing

  1. Lo and behold, a new clue. I haven't gone anywhere for five days and haven't smelled The Smell for at least 2 weeks. Today the temp got up to about 66 with the sun shining down hard on the dash and hood. The smell came back to the point where I have to open the windows to breathe. Strongest from the right center vent. What would do this????!!!!!! There's nothing to see!!! Ambient heat triggers it and you don't have to drive to get it going.
  2. YES, I have a pile of the old stuff - and new spares - piling up just in case. The old O2 sensor is pitched, however because the wires were severed. I think it's interesting that the computer codes were mute until I started messing around with the TPS. After I started "fixing" things the computer got chatty. Maybe it has developed AI and is trying to keep me on the roll of replacing parts to stay alive as long as possible. Can you tell I have Cabin Fever? Wind gusts up to 40 kts. all day.
  3. Hey Tim, don't give up. If you can expand your range into WA and OR, there are tons of RVs up there - got to watch out for the water damage though. I saw a beautifully maintained Sunrader near Portland but he wanted $10K for it. I could pass his info to you if you would like to see if he has come down in price. I had over a dozen rigs on my list (check Santa Barbara) and saw half of them before finding one in San Bernardino. It was a bit weird. They were asking 8k, I said I could only pay 5k, and they said they would take 4k. I think they were tired of tire kickers and paying the storage fee. I wasted no time running down there to pick it up. In retrospect considering what I've had to do - and still have to do to the Dolphin - I think 4 was a fair price. So it can be done. Maybe find a polite and respectful way to let them know what kind of cash you can offer that doesn't waste their time but gives them an option to reconsider their price? Also, like boats and houses, RV purchases are emotional, not rational purchases. The POs of my Dolphin had a need to be happy with the person who bought their rig - as I did when I sold my boat. So don't discount the possibility that you will be the right "fit" for the purchase. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? Also, thanks to the wildfires, SoCal is a lousy place to look for rigs right now. RVs were getting snapped up by people desperate for somewhere to live after that, and I'm guessing the market is thin now.
  4. So - codes 4 & 5 are flashing again. They are the H20 thermo sensor and 02 sensor respectively. Both have been replaced by me since December and February. After replacing 02 sensor, no codes for over a month. Replaced the H20 sensor to deal with the code that popped up a few weeks ago. Stopped briefly when I cleared the codes, and then started again when I started driving. Drives well, if not a bit sluggish on inclines - but I sort of expect that. Retired Toyota mechanic in nearby RV offered the idea that non-Toyota parts can make for wonky codes. Thoughts on that? The new H20 sensor was a NapaTS5520SB with a grey connector. The old one had a green connector. Of course that guy also said to put black tape over the check engine light and call it good, so grain of salt where he's concerned. Can't inspect and register in VT with codes flashing. Not inclined to wait until the last minute to solve. Also it sets my teeth on edge when the truck isn't running right. That's all I've got.
  5. Well, good to know about the quick evaporation on those chemicals. This has been a problem since December when I had work done in Oxnard. I asked the mechanic what he sprayed in there and he said, "whatever it was it won't kill you - I'm still alive." Not encouraging. I don't believe he hot-dipped anything. We did spray the EFI cover and the heat shield with silver high heat rustoleum, but I would have thought after two months that would be long gone. Because the smell was intermittent, like all of the other symptoms in this rig, the source has been hard to pin down. I have a pretty sensitive nose and consider it a good diagnostic tool - as long as I can identify the smell. The first smell that came out of the heater vent (in October) was a distinct crayon wax smell. Very nostalgic, and possibly Blue Green, but maybe Green Blue. At any rate, that smell has gone away and I found no melted crayola in the dash, sad to say. Yesterday I drove to the bustling metropolis of Belen - about an hour and a half each way with a few inclines. I ran the heater part way, and also the fan on cool. There was zero smell before, during, or after. The outside temp got up to 70 (it has been in the 20 - 40 degree range), so the engine definitely got warm. I smelled a faint bit of antifreeze as I got out of the vehicle, but no drips anywhere. I can't believe that anything I did when I took the dash apart made the smell go away. Befuddling. So until I get any more stinky clues, this thread has tapered to a close. If it aint broke, don't fix it. So I'll turn back to the computer codes 4&5 that continue to flash. But that's a different forum category...
  6. I almost got on Car Talk once with a Plymouth Colt Vista problem... But I'm definitely stumpin' the chumps here, because it ain't coolant. I believe it is something that has been added - like brake cleaner - where it doesn't belong. I'll keep you posted the next time I get a whiff. And I'll try to be more specific about the particular notes and bouquet of the wretched stench. Maybe we could introduce scratch n sniff to the forum?
  7. Germs, by definition, have some biological source. I am quite clear that the smell is a chemical that is man-made and probably is designed to kill things itself. So, until there is Smellivision adapted to this forum, you're all going to have to believe me, it's not a germ, mold, mouse, flora or fauna, rot, or anything else that is, was once, or could be alive.
  8. The idea is not to replace or mask one nasty smell with another. It's to find the source of the original nasty smell and eliminate it.
  9. It wasn't coming from the tool bag. My snoot detected it coming from the center vents and around the steering column. It has faded. I have to wait for it to reappear to open up the dash again. Next time with more confidence and therefore FASTER
  10. Lysol - eeeeyyyww And yes full radiator, possibly over full
  11. I took apart the dash and stared at the duct work for a couple of days. Greased up that horn contact continuation doohickey and fooled around with the radio. Then I put it back together, afraid if I waited too long I would forget how it goes. In that time the smell went away so much I couldn't sniff out a location for it. Before the smell disappeared it was strongest in the center vents and around the steering column. Another clue, possibly unrelated, is that when starting the engine and revving the accelerator in place, there's a gurgle in the center vents - only when revving.
  12. 86 Dolphin 22RE As I take apart the dash to attend to the smell from the vents ( a different thread) I found the source of the squeaking that has been driving me mad. Got pictures! Does anyone know what this little rod with a spring around it does and why it needs to make contact with the steering wheel? And is it really necessary for it to screech at every turn? And should it have little worn burrs on the edges? And what it's called? And yes, I know someone is going to suggest that the mice making the smell in the vents are doing the squeaking...
  13. Ok. Perhaps I am not being descriptive enough. The blower works great. The heat works great. The heat DOES NOT smell. It's coming from in there but is not heater related - unless someone left a can of brake cleaner in there. I can 100% guarantee you this has nothing to do with mice. This is a man-made chemical substance. I knows from meeces. This 'aint natural. The sun is shining down on the dash right now. I haven't run the vehicle or the blower in four days. I can smell the chemical. Looks like I have to go in just to prove it's not mice. Rats. Pun intended.
  14. 86 Dolphin 67,000 mi. Wretched smell coming from heater vent - for about 1500 miles now. Sometimes so bad I have to close the vents and open the windows so we don't asphyxiate. First off, no, it's not coolant. I know that smell very well and that doesn't grab your tonsils and threaten to choke the life out of you. Only happens when engine hot Possibly only happens when heater has been used Much stronger when on recycled air setting Super strong after the vehicle is stopped Lingers for days in the seat area Definitely coming from the vents ( I thought there was something in my toolbag on the passenger floor, but I moved it) Is not dissipating with time First smell to come out of heater vent was a sweet crayon smell Then came this Brake fluid meets WD 40 meets Round Up toxic nasty stink I have looked at the videos of dash removal and the 40 different bits and bobs stuck under there. Am intimidated but can't think of how else to find the culprit without setting eyes on the leak / pool / dead alien rotting under the dash. Not sure I want to know Has anyone else had this problem? This is a Car Talk problem for sure.
  15. I don't think it's the TPS. We went through the checking of the TPS back in Oxnard and again in Tucson. I'm not really sure where the ECU lives under the hood. Cuddled up next to the alternator? I'll find it when it gets warm enough to stand outside for more than 5 minutes. "static resistance key off as there are two outputs" - foreign language to me. Care to translate? I am hardly faint of heart. I'm talkin' to the forum, ain't I? And I understand complexity as I am a good deal older than 30 myself.
  16. There is one section near the TPS that is opened up, but no cables are damaged underneath
  17. Wiring harness looks ok - to check each wire I'd have to unwrap the protective tape. Both O2 sensor and Water thermo sensor read 0 volts. Haven't done the running at idle thing yet. Challenged by the cold. Will put that into a different post in the appropriate section.
  18. I made it back to Middleofnowhereville. The truck ran well, and cruised at 60 - 65 with little effort. And that was carrying some water in the tank and a full gas tank. Heavier. Go figure. I'm happy for it not to be the injectors. I don't have the equipment to check it properly. When the mechanic in Tucson checked the fuel pressure after replacing the faulty injector it was resting at 35. I can check all the connections for snug fit. I replaced the 02 sensor back in Oxnard 2 months ago because the wires were worn apart. A clue: after the computer reset the codes read one flash - normal - no stored codes. It was only after starting to drive, rpm up, that it complained. Helpful? The TPS is not new, but it also hasn't been giving me any trouble lately. Not since the adjustment in Tucson by Tyson the Rogue Toyota guy. Wire check and O2 voltage check up next...
  19. Ck engine light went on again. Back to 4 & 5 codes. Just wonderful. Also, I'm still feeling an intermittent hesitation shudder at about 30 mph. I guess I need to learn how to remove and check the injectors myself if this is going to keep on. Going back to the boonies tomorrow - Dolphin permitting.
  20. Ok Sports Fans, I completely removed the battery and cleaned up all of the old corrosion from before lurking underneath and on the hold down bar. Then I noticed that the new battery terminal I got for the positive side of the battery had an N on it. Why? Yes, I see that the post on positive is 3/8 and the negative is 5/16, but the threaded bit I needed was the correct size on the one labelled N. Doubtful that it would be any different (both cast lead with brass wing nuts) I dutifully put on the one labelled P. I had to use the smaller threaded bolt. Not sure if the disconnect from the battery or the dumb terminal was at fault, but there are now no codes flashing. Later today I'm going to Costco and we'll see if they kick in when I actually drive.
  21. a ) there is no clock and I don't use the radio because it is so bad. The tape deck doesn't appear to work either. b ) just changed out the whole battery so if a simple battery disconnect were all it took, that would've been done already c ) cables are clean will shorting the cables also short the driver? And sorry, WME, someone already beat ya to the punch on the Hee Haw song. More info soon...
  22. 22RE 1986 Dolphin EFI Alas, the check engine light went on again as soon as I pulled out of the driveway. This time the codes were 4 & 11 4 is Water Thermo Sensor - which I just replaced. Is there anything else on that to check? I topped off the radiator fluid and the sensor is firmly screwed in and plugged in. After I did that I got a new battery (disconnected computer) and the code flashed one - normal operation, no code stored. Both offer a defective ECU option. Wouldn't there be more things going wrong if the ECU were defective? 11 is a short circuit in Check connector T with A/C switch on or TPS - IDL point OFF or a defective TPS. I thought I was done messing with the TPS. The vehicle drove ok but at low power, and occasionally felt like it was hiccuping (hard to tell when windy and on a less than smooth road). No other symptoms I could observe. Half way I checked the new battery for getting over charged and it was at 14.3 with no load and engine on. So now I'm in the Metropolis of Albuquerque on a holiday weekend. What would YOU do next?
  23. Oui! Ok, I had a friend read off the volt meter while I revved (no tachometer, sadly) and had brights, wipers, and heater blower on. He said it was 14.53. From Derek's link I found this nugget: "The lower the temperature the higher the charging voltage." It snowed this morning and it is 36 degrees right now. I'm a'goin' And as a parting thought. Is a "Tacometer" a device to measure how spicy your salsa is? Cheers, C
  24. So glad I have rustled up some friendly contrasting information. I will rev it up before leaving tomorrow to see what it reads. If the sleet is still coming down, that will pre-empt my trip anyway. I called the NAPA mechanic shop guy who sold me the battery and he agreed with WME that 14.6 was ok. I will keep an eye on it and take care not to roast the new battery - which by the way is larger than the other one... not sure if that is of any importance. Thank you all for your input. The hive mind is powerful.
  25. Yes it failed to start after sitting for five days once back in Quartzsite. I was planning to drive two hours to Albuquerque Saturday. Easier to find a mechanic there as well. I just looked at the video for swapping out the alternator and was completely intimidated. Any way I can test the voltage regulator without pulling the alternator? Will I damage the new battery with a two hour drive?
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