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Paging O-T Mechanics

Posted on 8/15/21 at 12:17 pm
Posted by Shanegolang
Denham Springs, La
Member since Sep 2015
3528 posts
Posted on 8/15/21 at 12:17 pm
My wife's (no pics) 2012 Toyota Corollas check engine light came on but is blinking. A quick Google search suggest it's a major problem that can potentially damage the cat converters. It's running very rough. Most likely culprit? I'm thinking coil packs and/or plugs? Possibly a bad fuel injector? Any true mechanic here with good advice? TIA
Posted by lnomm34
Louisiana
Member since Oct 2009
12617 posts
Posted on 8/15/21 at 12:19 pm to
Is the catalytic converter still there? Might have gotten stolen.
Posted by East Coast Band
Member since Nov 2010
62884 posts
Posted on 8/15/21 at 12:19 pm to
Check the code with one of those code checkers.

Or either your catalytic converter is being converted for cash right about now.
Posted by pioneerbasketball
Team Bunchie
Member since Oct 2005
132540 posts
Posted on 8/15/21 at 12:20 pm to
had the same problem.

Ran on 3 cylinders, replaced sparks and coil.

A few weeks later had to replace the cat converter.
Posted by Jaydeaux
Covington
Member since May 2005
18776 posts
Posted on 8/15/21 at 12:21 pm to
Advanced auto will check the code for you
Posted by billjamin
Houston
Member since Jun 2019
12636 posts
Posted on 8/15/21 at 12:31 pm to
Get the code pulled then post it.
Posted by weadjust
Member since Aug 2012
15155 posts
Posted on 8/15/21 at 12:31 pm to
Any advice given without knowing the codes is worthless
Posted by Waterloo
Texas
Member since Mar 2020
97 posts
Posted on 8/15/21 at 12:32 pm to
If it's misfiring and idling at high RPM it's likely your ignition coil/spark plug as mentioned. Limp it over to advanced auto - have them pull the code and replace yourself. You will need to buy a spark plug socket but it's really pretty simple. Typically it's just one or two coils that have gone bad which you'll have to replace and swap around to figure out. I recommend just replacing them all so you don't have the issue later. GL
Posted by VolsOut4Harambe
Atlanta, GA
Member since Sep 2017
12856 posts
Posted on 8/15/21 at 12:33 pm to
Pull the code baw.
Posted by IAmNERD
Member since May 2017
19313 posts
Posted on 8/15/21 at 12:34 pm to
Anytime the check engine light starts blinking means there is some sort of misfire or no ignition at all in one or more of the cylinders.

Its, uhh, not good. But line you said, could be something like the coil packs you mentioned. Had that happen on my wife's Chevy Traverse years ago.
Posted by boot
Member since Oct 2014
2888 posts
Posted on 8/15/21 at 12:45 pm to
Change your spark plugs and wires then reset your codes. They’ve probably never been changed.
Posted by WPBTiger
Parts Unknown
Member since Nov 2011
31219 posts
Posted on 8/15/21 at 12:54 pm to
Posted by SuperSaint
Sorting Out OT BS Since '2007'
Member since Sep 2007
140462 posts
Posted on 8/15/21 at 12:59 pm to
quote:

Paging O-T Mechanics
meauxjeaux2 or something like that was our resident mechanic. He hasn’t been around since his trashy infidelity, split-up, cruise ship, wife coming to the OT story played out on here

Posted by MikeAV8s
Member since Oct 2016
1755 posts
Posted on 8/15/21 at 1:49 pm to
I love these threads.
Posted by arcalades
USA
Member since Feb 2014
19276 posts
Posted on 8/15/21 at 3:04 pm to
quote:

major problem that can potentially damage the cat converters
let me tell you something. you can't really damage a cat converter by driving a vehicle. there are leaks that can shorten its life. That's it. It is basically a filter for exhaust. A cat converter is the most unnecessary thing ever put on a vehicle.
Posted by bhtigerfan
Baton Rouge
Member since Sep 2008
29678 posts
Posted on 8/15/21 at 3:43 pm to
If you run a vehicle with a miss for a while, it will eventually ruin your catalytic converter. You’re basically dumping raw gasoline from the missing cylinder into the cat. It literally melts the shite inside the converter and clogs it.
Posted by Demshoes
Up in here
Member since Aug 2015
10218 posts
Posted on 8/15/21 at 3:55 pm to
This happened to my old BMW on the reg. Coil packs
This post was edited on 8/15/21 at 3:56 pm
Posted by Dances with Beagles
Member since Jul 2021
307 posts
Posted on 8/15/21 at 4:00 pm to
Go to autozone and they will pull the codes for free. It could as simple as a bad O2 sensor causing a coil not to fire or a bad coil pack. Both are an easy fix.
Posted by windmill
Prairieville, La
Member since Dec 2005
7022 posts
Posted on 8/15/21 at 4:45 pm to
CEL is blinking due to engine actively misfiring. The misfire is most likely a bad coil . Pull each coil individually and inspect the end that plugs onto spark plug It is basically a hollow tube with a coil mounted on top. The "wire" goes through the hollow tube. Check the outside of tube at the end for a burn spot. If it has a burn spot it is firing to the inside of the galley housing instead of spark plug;hence,misfire. If you see no burn spot then run at idle and pull each coil pack up individually until you find one that doesn't affect the idle speed when you pull it up-that's your misfiring cylinder. Coil must be plugged in when you pull if up from spark plug. I would only replace the coil at fault as that engine has no history of total replacement being a necessity.
Damage can definitely be caused to a Cat while the engine is running. A misfire is detrimental to a Converter and is one of the primary culprits in converter demise. The idea that a converter can't be damaged by running the engine is ludicrous.
Posted by Cracker
in a box
Member since Nov 2009
17750 posts
Posted on 8/15/21 at 7:20 pm to
Take it have the codes pulled
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