After you clear the Check Engine on your vehicle, what's the distance you have to travel, for the code to kick back on?
So basically I'm being stupid with my car. Let me start at the beginning. If you don't want to read it all, just skip to the section in-between the asterisks.
I got this Toyota Camry 2000 XLE V6. It had 110k miles on it when I got it. The guy selling it, belonged to his brother who went into the military and the car sat in storage, that's why the miles were so low on it. So I would run the gas down to about a 1/4 tank, then fill up. In my old 1997 Camry, I would always fill up at 1/2 tank left. Something happened, I don't remember what, but it made me go back to filling up at half (although the last couple times I been running it down to 1/4)
One random day of filling up, after the gas handle clicked, I didn't put anymore gas in it and it was like I didn't even fill up the tank the whole way or something. Ever since then, after the gas handle clicks, let's say it clicks on $41.27, I will literally add two more dollars, bringing the total to $43.27. I did this once and wasn't paying attention and had gas all spill out of where the gas goes in.
Two days ago I got gas, did my usual add $2.00 and about 9 or 10 miles later, Check Engine light decides to appear. The code comes back as P0420 Catalytic Converter something (forgot what all it said on the OBD scanner)
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THIS IS THE IMPORTANT PART
Short version: I put in an extra two dollars after the gas handle clicks. So I make $41.27 into $43.27
The Check Engine code is P0420 Catalytic Converter (which I had replaced 2 years ago brand new)
So I cleared the code yesterday, and I put in Cataclean on a full tank of gas. I know it says to put it in at 1/4 tank of gas, but my dad said he put it in on my Mom's car at a full tank and it seemed to fix their issue with the check engine light on her car. I drove my car 13.1 miles after I put in the Cataclean yesterday, and I just got home about 30 minutes ago, and I put on another 22.3 miles. I thought I heard the code kicks back on at around 50 miles? Or you have to drive the car for a minimum of 50 miles? Does anyone have information about that, or can verify that?
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For example my state does this yearly emissions and inspections. So basically if my inspection was tomorrow and the code is kicked on, yea I fail instantly and have to pay money to the mechanic for the failure. Stupid state law. And also I think the mechanic can see when the code was cleared or something, so like if you have the code and you clear it, the mechanic can see when it was cleared and how many miles it's been driven since the code was cleared. So in other words, if you clear the code and don't drive it, that will probably fail inspection too because the mechanic will now want to drive the car for so long, to see if that code kicks back on.
My inspection isn't until April, so I have some time to figure it out. If the code doesn't come back, that's great! If it does, we're gonna look at the O2 sensor and see if that could be a problem. With the car sitting and being as old as it is, I've already had 2 fuses fail on me, simple replace and good to go.
I got this Toyota Camry 2000 XLE V6. It had 110k miles on it when I got it. The guy selling it, belonged to his brother who went into the military and the car sat in storage, that's why the miles were so low on it. So I would run the gas down to about a 1/4 tank, then fill up. In my old 1997 Camry, I would always fill up at 1/2 tank left. Something happened, I don't remember what, but it made me go back to filling up at half (although the last couple times I been running it down to 1/4)
One random day of filling up, after the gas handle clicked, I didn't put anymore gas in it and it was like I didn't even fill up the tank the whole way or something. Ever since then, after the gas handle clicks, let's say it clicks on $41.27, I will literally add two more dollars, bringing the total to $43.27. I did this once and wasn't paying attention and had gas all spill out of where the gas goes in.
Two days ago I got gas, did my usual add $2.00 and about 9 or 10 miles later, Check Engine light decides to appear. The code comes back as P0420 Catalytic Converter something (forgot what all it said on the OBD scanner)
*************************************************************************
THIS IS THE IMPORTANT PART
Short version: I put in an extra two dollars after the gas handle clicks. So I make $41.27 into $43.27
The Check Engine code is P0420 Catalytic Converter (which I had replaced 2 years ago brand new)
So I cleared the code yesterday, and I put in Cataclean on a full tank of gas. I know it says to put it in at 1/4 tank of gas, but my dad said he put it in on my Mom's car at a full tank and it seemed to fix their issue with the check engine light on her car. I drove my car 13.1 miles after I put in the Cataclean yesterday, and I just got home about 30 minutes ago, and I put on another 22.3 miles. I thought I heard the code kicks back on at around 50 miles? Or you have to drive the car for a minimum of 50 miles? Does anyone have information about that, or can verify that?
************************************************************************
For example my state does this yearly emissions and inspections. So basically if my inspection was tomorrow and the code is kicked on, yea I fail instantly and have to pay money to the mechanic for the failure. Stupid state law. And also I think the mechanic can see when the code was cleared or something, so like if you have the code and you clear it, the mechanic can see when it was cleared and how many miles it's been driven since the code was cleared. So in other words, if you clear the code and don't drive it, that will probably fail inspection too because the mechanic will now want to drive the car for so long, to see if that code kicks back on.
My inspection isn't until April, so I have some time to figure it out. If the code doesn't come back, that's great! If it does, we're gonna look at the O2 sensor and see if that could be a problem. With the car sitting and being as old as it is, I've already had 2 fuses fail on me, simple replace and good to go.
M
