I serviced a 1978 Avensis earlier. Extremely good condition and very low mileage, elderly owner. The engine management light was on, as it has been for a year or two, but as it has always sailed through mot and runs perfectly it has just been ignored. This time I decided to check what it was: turns out to be the 'heated exhaust gas oxygen' sensor. Car shops don't list it. Toyota want 431 quid for it !! You could buy a couple of complete cars for that, so I will have to search a few breakers for the same model. Problem is that with the new mot regs next year an engine light on will be a failure. I wonder how many will be scrapped because of that new rule?
How much?
Oct 05, 2011
28 Replies
Do you actually mean 1978? ;-)
Is there not a generic Lambda sensor available?
"Mrcheerful" wrote: [snip]
Almost none I suspect. How long does it take to unscrew a light bulb?
I've no idea where she found one, but wouldn't a 1978 Avensis be exempt?
1998 perhaps, the jelly mould? I reckon Sheffield has the highest ownership of that oddity per square mile ever, probably. My neighbour (and his daughter) had one, remarkable. He had it 5 years that I know of, never serviced, used daily, never broke down.
Rear ended light bumper damage wrote it off.
Rob
It has to come on, then go off to pass.
Arduino and a couple of lines of code...
Well no, because the engine warning light on one of my cars (Jeep Grand Cherokee) does not illuminate during the POST. If will if an error is forced (e.g. disconnecting one of the vacuum tubes from the manifold, removing the connector from the air mass sensor).
Are you claiming that they will fail the vehicle next year for having a warning light that functions as designed?
No need for code, 555 will do it.
In a case like this, I'd be inclined to change the bulb for one which gives a more, how shall I put it, satisfactory? indication. In the (unlikely) event of missing a significant fault some time later, what's there to lose?
[...]
As has already been pointed out, the light has to follow the normal pattern of illumination for that vehicle.
Incidentally, a lit SRS lamp will also be a fail.
Chris
Cue cheap gadget sold on ebay with a built in timer that lights the lamp in the appropriate manner and for the appropriate time.
Just what I thought. Pennies.
Even MrC might reasonably claim ignorance of the sequence for a '78 car
:-)
Why not fix the fault?
[...]
Even if it cost more that the car was worth?
Chris
If it is just the Lambda sensor generic ones don't cost a lot. But may require the plug changed.
I was basing my thoughts on the price Mr C had for a new sensor, plus his charges for fitting it.
There will be a significant number of older vehicles scrapped when the new MOT laws come in; thankfully, there won't be the possibility of more fraudulent MOT's as the certificate will no longer be accepted as proof.
Chris
Watching Motorway Cops, Road Wars etc tells me that the deadbeats who buy old cars for £200 and don't bother with insurance or MOT won't change their ways. They just walk away with their gear and let the old banger go to be crushed.
Then they look for another . . .
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