Check Engine Light Remains On

[jemas44]

I have a 1994 LS400 with 109,000 miles. After I had the timing belts changed about 5 years ago the check engine light remained on until the car warmed up, then the check engine light would go out. For the last year, the check engine light remains on even after the car warms up. Although tests on the emission levels are all very good, the smog check station can't pass it since the check engine light is on. It is a code 13. My mechanic spent several hours checking the car and can't find anything wrong with it. He told me that I can take it to a smog shop that does repairs (where it costs $200 just to get it in the door), but they probably will have to just do pretty random checks since code 13 is a pretty general code, and it could get pretty expensive. The car runs great. Has any body heard of this problem before? I hate the thought of having to junk this car because of a technicality of California law.

[billydpowell]

quote " Has any body heard of this problem before?" quote

if you have been lurking around, you should have heard of doing a search on code 13.

I found this immediately... http://lextreme.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10579

try your own, and be someone who helps the forum

[DEATH]

I have a 1994 LS400 with 109,000 miles. After I had the timing belts changed about 5 years ago the check engine light remained on until the car warmed up, then the check engine light would go out. For the last year, the check engine light remains on even after the car warms up. Although tests on the emission levels are all very good, the smog check station can't pass it since the check engine light is on. It is a code 13. My mechanic spent several hours checking the car and can't find anything wrong with it. He told me that I can take it to a smog shop that does repairs (where it costs $200 just to get it in the door), but they probably will have to just do pretty random checks since code 13 is a pretty general code, and it could get pretty expensive. The car runs great. Has any body heard of this problem before? I hate the thought of having to junk this car because of a technicality of California law.

When someone replaced you timing belt, the crankshaft position sensor wire harness was improperly routed and damaged. Trace the wire from the crank sensor to near the a/c compressor and see where that hack pinched your wire. Probably behind the fan bracket.

[jemas44]

I have a 1994 LS400 with 109,000 miles. After I had the timing belts changed about 5 years ago the check engine light remained on until the car warmed up, then the check engine light would go out. For the last year, the check engine light remains on even after the car warms up. Although tests on the emission levels are all very good, the smog check station can't pass it since the check engine light is on. It is a code 13. My mechanic spent several hours checking the car and can't find anything wrong with it. He told me that I can take it to a smog shop that does repairs (where it costs $200 just to get it in the door), but they probably will have to just do pretty random checks since code 13 is a pretty general code, and it could get pretty expensive. The car runs great. Has any body heard of this problem before? I hate the thought of having to junk this car because of a technicality of California law.

When someone replaced you timing belt, the crankshaft position sensor wire harness was improperly routed and damaged. Trace the wire from the crank sensor to near the a/c compressor and see where that hack pinched your wire. Probably behind the fan bracket.

Others say the problem with a CEL is that the timing belt is a tooth off, but I think you may be right since the mechanic (my friend's husband, who is a mechanic at a Ford dealer) that changed the timing belt said that the check engine light was on because he mixed up the order of doing something in reconnecting the wires. When my current mechanic checked it last week he told me he ohmed all three sensors and they were within normal limits. He saw that the fan was hitting the wire that goes to the (top?) sensor but that the wire looked OK. Are you saying to replace the wiring harness or can just that wire be replaced? Should the wire be ohmed from the sensor to the AC? (My mechanic didn't know where the wire went to, so it helps to know that it goes to the AC.) Is the wire the same color at the AC? Could this have damaged the computer? I really appreciate your sharing your knowledge!

[DEATH]

I have a 1994 LS400 with 109,000 miles. After I had the timing belts changed about 5 years ago the check engine light remained on until the car warmed up, then the check engine light would go out. For the last year, the check engine light remains on even after the car warms up. Although tests on the emission levels are all very good, the smog check station can't pass it since the check engine light is on. It is a code 13. My mechanic spent several hours checking the car and can't find anything wrong with it. He told me that I can take it to a smog shop that does repairs (where it costs $200 just to get it in the door), but they probably will have to just do pretty random checks since code 13 is a pretty general code, and it could get pretty expensive. The car runs great. Has any body heard of this problem before? I hate the thought of having to junk this car because of a technicality of California law.

When someone replaced you timing belt, the crankshaft position sensor wire harness was improperly routed and damaged. Trace the wire from the crank sensor to near the a/c compressor and see where that hack pinched your wire. Probably behind the fan bracket.

Others say the problem with a CEL is that the timing belt is a tooth off, but I think you may be right since the mechanic (my friend's husband, who is a mechanic at a Ford dealer) that changed the timing belt said that the check engine light was on because he mixed up the order of doing something in reconnecting the wires. When my current mechanic checked it last week he told me he ohmed all three sensors and they were within normal limits. He saw that the fan was hitting the wire that goes to the (top?) sensor but that the wire looked OK. Are you saying to replace the wiring harness or can just that wire be replaced? Should the wire be ohmed from the sensor to the AC? (My mechanic didn't know where the wire went to, so it helps to know that it goes to the AC.) Is the wire the same color at the AC? Could this have damaged the computer? I really appreciate your sharing your knowledge!

Resistence test is pointless. If you can see a cut, repair it. Just make sure it isn't pinched behind the fan bracket.