My best guess is that my Toyota 1992 Pickup Extended Cab is idling roughly when hot, and on the verge of stalling, is because the positive crankcase ventalation valve is stuck open; or the vacuum solenoid is bad; or the EGR valve is shot. I've sent away for a new solenoid since my tests show, as far as I can tell, that it is bad.
I bought a new PCV valve and grommet, but I am loathe to rip the top off the 3VZE engine to replace the old one. If anyone here has done this job, perhaps you would be kind enough to tell me how much work is involved--- I'm not an automobile mechanic but I'm pretty clever.
My pickup has traveled over 280,000 million miles mostly through Death Valley, the Mojave Desert, and the Great Basin Desert, so it is "tired" but it still runs well (I wish the USA could make an automobile as well as this Toyota pictup, but what the frack). The engine warning light went "ON" four years ago and stayed "ON," and damned if I can think of why other than emissions controls being messed up. I assume the NOX sensor is registering excess emission because the PCV valve is stuck open. How the hell is one supposed to know?
A new EGR valve costs $170; I'd rather replace the PCV valve and see if that fixes the apparent vacuum leak before I shell out what is to me big mojo bucks for the EGR valve. Yet looking at the engine and where the PCV valve is located, I can only assume the engineers who designed the engine were striving to turn their customers into frustrated homicidal maniacs due to the impossible location the placed the valve. Why the hell bury the damn thing?!?!
Just how much work is involved in replacing the PCV valve? Long needle-nosed plyers did not work.
Thank you from me and my pickup.