Acceleration/Power Loss

[Gamingphreek]

95 Toyota Tacoma Regular Cab 4x4 2.7L I4. 149,000 miles

So a while back (May 2008) I posted about how I brought my car to the Exxon station just of Virginia Tech's campus. While there, to make a long story short, I was charged a crap ton for them to replace the O2 Sensor and the Catalytic Converter (I had no where to work on it myself at school).

Fast forward to today, I am driving back for Winter Break and I notice an extreme loss in power. So much so that I was barely able to maintain 55mph floored in 4th gear with the car sputtering.

A few miles later, after praying that I would make it the other 150 miles home, the Check Engine light came on. I took it to advance and borrowed the OBDII code reader.

When I pulled the code it came back as "P0130 O2 Sensor Circuit Malfunction Bank 1 Sensor 1".

I just had the Catalytic Converter replaced and the (I believe) downstream O2 sensor when I brought it to the Exxon mechanics.

Is there anyway to isolate whether it is the CC, up/down O2 sensor, Muffler or some other exhaust component? The only thing I could think of is to bring it in and do an exhaust back pressure test.

What could possibly rip through 2 O2 sensors, and 3 CC's in 1 year (I replaced the CC once before May myself)?

Just anything you guys can tell me would be amazing - I honestly, as a college student, do not have the funds to continuously drop 3-400 dollars on my car.

Thanks,
-Kevin

Edit: I also bought a fuel filter as I was having problems starting (I felt that it was having trouble building fuel pressure). Does anyone know where the inline Fuel Filter is on my model car? I haven't been able to find it (Though I haven't really looked and traced the fuel line yet)

 

[bruceb]

Those symptoms point to excessive back pressure in the exhaust, either a failed cat converter or a collapsed muffler. An exhaust pressure test gauge can tell for sure. And if the converter is bad again, then replace both O2 sensors as well as the converter. Note that some aftermarket converters are not the highest quality and some may not last very long.
I would check the Warranty on the cat that the service station installed, as it only lasting about 7 months seems very low.

See link: http://www.epa.gov/EPA-GENERAL...June/Day-10/g14481.htm

The warranty on your new catalytic converter is important to you! Discount Converter, Ltd. provides full warranties on their catalytic converters that comply with all EPA regulations and statutes. Following is the specific warranty that pertains to your new catalytic converter. This warranty is the same for all new after market catalytic converters and their manufacturers as mandated by the United States EPA.

<<Any new catalytic converter sold which meets EPA requirements must be properly labeled and warranted to meet the Federal Durability and Performance Standards Act. New after market catalytic converters must have a 5 year / 50,000 mile warranty on the converter shell, casing and end pipes and a <25,000 mile warranty on the converter insides or substrate. It must meet all EPA's emission Performance Standards when the vehicle is properly used and maintained.

 

[Gamingphreek]

Originally posted by: bruceb
Those symptoms point to excessive back pressure in the exhaust, either a failed cat converter or a collapsed muffler. An exhaust pressure test gauge can tell for sure. And if the converter is bad again, then replace both O2 sensors as well as the converter. Note that some aftermarket converters are not the highest quality and some may not last very long.
I would check the Warranty on the cat that the service station installed, as it only lasting about 7 months seems very low.

See link: http://www.epa.gov/EPA-GENERAL...June/Day-10/g14481.htm

The warranty on your new catalytic converter is important to you! Discount Converter, Ltd. provides full warranties on their catalytic converters that comply with all EPA regulations and statutes. Following is the specific warranty that pertains to your new catalytic converter. This warranty is the same for all new after market catalytic converters and their manufacturers as mandated by the United States EPA.

<<<Any new catalytic converter sold which meets EPA requirements must be properly labeled and warranted to meet the Federal Durability and Performance Standards Act. New after market catalytic converters must have a 5 year / 50,000 mile warranty on the converter shell, casing and end pipes and a <<25,000 mile warranty on the converter insides or substrate. It must meet all EPA's emission Performance Standards when the vehicle is properly used and maintained.

Well the CC that I installed myself before that didn't last too much longer than 7 months either. Is there something else in the exhaust system that is destroying all of this stuff?

Also, why replace the upstream sensor. The downstream is the differentiating sensor, correct? Therefore, if the car is running, the upstream converter should be working in my mind - if it weren't working the check engine light would NOT be on and its performance would suck.

-Kevin

 

[LTC8K6]

Running rich will damage the CC fairly quickly, IIRC.

 

[Gamingphreek]

Originally posted by: LTC8K6
Running rich will damage the CC fairly quickly, IIRC.

So if it is running too rich could that not be the upstream catalytic converter and possibly the fuel filter malfunctioning? Obviously there are others, but given my situation those are the first two things that came to mind.

-Kevin

 

[LTC8K6]

Normally you'd have been warned of the rich condition by the OBD2 long before damage occurred to the converter.

I think you'd better wait for someone with more knowledge to give you a better reply.

I'd make sure OEM O2 sensors were used and not any universal ones.

 

[43st]

I had a very similar experience in an 1985 Toyota Camry once.. it ended up that the tank fuel pump quit working (it had two fuel pumps).

 

[bruceb]

The upstream O2 sensor is what tells the computer how to set the air / fuel ratio along with other sensors such as the Mass Air Flow sensor and Engine Temperature .. Also see these links:

http://www.aa1car.com/library/o2sensor.htm

http://www.kemparts.com/TechTalk/tt07.asp

High fuel pressure or a leaking fuel injector can cause a run rich conditon