rv8er

Trying to help--this from another site P1600 ECM BATT Malfunction (Toyota) This code means the ECU is not getting battery power to one of its terminals, the BATT terminal. This is what keeps the ECUs memory from being lost when you shut off the car. Could be the ECU, or it could just be the power supply to it. Check the EFI fuse and make sure its tight and not blown. The BATT terminal on the ECU is the 2nd from the right, top layer. It should have 12 volts on it. Try wiggling all the ECU's wires while the car is running. You probably just have a loose connection.

Yes, belts age as well as wear out. Think of any rubber type product that is brittle from age or exposure. Tire rot is a prime example. Weather/exposure certainly affects the life span. I've often heard ten years or at the recommended mileage.....

Who makes the head gaskets for Toyota/Lexus? The machine shop I use and really trust says go with OEM on stuff like this but OEM pricing sucks.

Thanks all. I pulled both heads and sent them off for resurfacing. I know its the right thing to do. The extra 65 bucks now verses another ten hours of labor if it breaks in a month.

After doing all the cooling system work and making the car happy, it was running good. Thats when the had gasket decided it was time to go. No. 6 cylinder is obviously shot. Now the question. Would you just do the one side or both? Money is tight. The car was running great before the gasket let go so I'm really torn. I'm on the way to the machine shop now to get his opinion but I was curious what others have done or would recommend.

Thanks one and all for the help/replies. Even though I had tested the thermostat for multiple cycles, I decided that was part of the problem. It just wasn't opening consistently. Replacing it made the temps normal. Started to get concerned about the heater core not working but "LeodLion's" suggestions about burbing finished the job. Now wife is happy again.

I'll give you some answers that may help. Not having looked at that part of the suspension yet, so I'm not sure if it will apply. I do believe the terms torsion and sway are interchangeable...'Sway' is more common. To be certain we are talking about the same part though, its bolted to the front of the car and runs parallel to the radiator. Both ends then bend back to the front wheels and bolt to the steering knuckle somewhere near the back side of the rotor.... On many cars, it MUST be connected. Without the connection, the only thing keeping the wheel from pulling away and folding under is the tension from the axle connecting to the transmission. Since these typically just pop out with a little force, any significant pressure pulling on the wheel will pull the axle (along with the entire wheel assembly) away from the car and it will pivot out and to the rear fender, usually causing damage. The sway bar can be the third point of connection which prevents this. Again, I'm not positive yours is like this but many are. Take a look at what all connects the hub assembly to the car. If nothing else connects on the front side then get it fixed. Its an easy replacement to do it yourself.

I apologize that the first post is to ask what may be stupid questions...but. Car is a 93 ES300. Original issues were overheating. As it was a new project car, I didn't mind tearing it apart and checking things out. Tore it down to give it a timing belt and water pump. Tested the thermostat ( good) and pulled the radiator (tested bad and replaced). Put it all back together and started right up the first try. I wanted to see if there were any leaks before mixing in the anti-freeze. Things look good and nothing leaks. I noticed that once I turned the car off after driving it to operating temp, the overflow reservoir was blowing steam and bumbling a little. The temperature gauge was reading normal. Is this caused by the fact I'm only using water? I poured out the overflow reservoir and will drive it a little more. I want to have it totally right before I mix in the anti-freeze. Can someone say whether this is normal or ...? Thanks for you help. This site is great and gave me enough confidence to jump right to the timing belt without destroying anything.