EGR Vacuum Modulator

[Jarlaxle]

Dorman...meh. Airtex, better than SMP.

[BoSoxGal]

I just ordered Toyota genuine parts; I've just signed on with a new agency yesterday, should be getting assignments right away, and am also going to meet a potential private client this morning, so my cash situation is improving and it's worth it not to screw around with aftermarket.

This P0401 code is notorious, there's a bunch of threads about it in backyard mechanic forums. It comes up as the modulator on the code reader, but says 'mechanics report this is often the problem' - that's also the cheapest component in the EGR system, so it was a good place to start. Further reading suggests that it most often turns out to be the vacuum switch valve which regulates the system - so I'll have that replaced and if it's still hinky, then the valve itself. With all three parts replaced it WILL be fixed.

[Jarlaxle]

Check the Toyota part carefully...it may be an Airtex or Denso.

[Burning Petard]

My son is an expert on keeping Honda's alive and running. In general he is partial to Auto Zone, but he admits brake parts and anything electronic he goes for real Honda.

snailgate

[MajGenl.Meade]

Hondas

[Jarlaxle]

My son is an expert on keeping Honda's alive and running. In general he is partial to Auto Zone, but he admits brake parts and anything electronic he goes for real Honda.

snailgate

Glad I don't have to do that.

[dales]

Since Hondas are notoriously reliable, a visit to the parts counter or mechanic is a rare event.

[Jarlaxle]

Don't tell my sister that.

[Burning Petard]

My son bought a new honda civic the week he graduated from college. He kept it running for 22 years after. In Texas he finally gave in and bought a new one with air-conditioning. During the same time he also had a Jimmy and an F150 PU. Those he bought very used and also kept alive. He found them more useful for camping year round in the mountains of the west coast. The Honda really wasn't desirable for driving on mountain roads that were officially closed due to snow, hauling winter gear for 4 people. No matter who makes the car, rubber parts get old and wear items wear out.

snailgate

[BoSoxGal]

My RAV4 is 18 years old and has 175,000 miles on it - she's bunged up a bit and her clear coat on roof and hood is failing after a decade living under the unrelenting western sun, but she runs really great having needed only repair/replacement of parts that are mileage limited and only at or past the expected lifetime of the part.

I get somewhat stupidly attached to vehicles, because of all the memories wrapped up in them - which is a big reason I didn't replace Reva a couple of years ago when I could afford to, and also because while shiny new cars are pretty, they also cost a lot more (tax, insurance, payments) and I see cars as tools and not status symbols or luxury items.

My Mazda 626 (Blue) had 270,000+ miles on her and was rusting and had developed big engine issues when I traded her in for Reva - Reva has very little rust because she was garaged her first 37k miles in Maine, then lived for a decade in the arid West, so my mechanic tells me she is certainly good for at least another 75k, which is my goal.

I think I've become a little bit obsessed with making my vehicles last to the bitter end - others really like a new one every few years. To each her own.

[MGMcAnick]

I don't know about Airtex EGR components, but I've seen at least three of their electric fuel pumps fail. One didn't pump to the specified pressure as soon as it was installed. That required dropping the gas tank AGAIN.

Good for you, Bosox Gal, looking at Youtube for installation videos. I use it a lot. Way better than most printed manuals.

[Jarlaxle]

Geez...only 175 in 18 years?! Wow, low mileage. I have 144k on a 2011.

[Econoline]

I currently have 255,000 on my '09 Nissan Cube (which I bought 3½ years ago with 60,000 miles on it) and I'm hoping for at least another year/50K out of it. And I just recently gave up and junked my '04 Dodge Sprinter with 425,000 miles on it (mostly because of extensive rust and body damage; the engine and transmission were actually still pretty good).

That said, the Cube is the only used vehicle I've managed to get that many miles out of. I would dearly love to buy another new vehicle and drive it for the rest of my life.

[BoSoxGal]

Geez...only 175 in 18 years?! Wow, low mileage. I have 144k on a 2011.

Yup, and that's including 6 cross-country trips, a couple of Montana - New Mexico and back runs, several road trips to California from NM and AZ, and lots of 'little' road trips around Montana - where it takes all day to drive from one end to the other.

The trick is that for 95% of the 12 years I've owned Reva, I've lived within 5 miles of work. Most of the time, I lived within 5 blocks of work, and often walked. I definitely was lazy and did more short trips in her than I should have, but I'd say 75% of her miles are highway miles - so she's been treated somewhat gently in that regard.

The other thing is, she was actually that proverbial 'little old lady's car' before I bought her - she'd been garaged and driven to the grocery store, church, medical appointments and family get-togethers by an elderly lady who traded her in with just under 38k miles because she'd decided to give up driving and used the trade-in toward a vehicle for her granddaughter. Her average miles the first 6 years was under 7k total. I got lucky!

I feel kind of bad because she was in prime condition when I got her, and I kept her nice for a few years, but after I moved out to Montana - 'got dust?' - I got very lax about the regular washes and waxes and Armor-all on the interior and I let the dogs do a number on the back seat upholstery because I was lazy about keeping a cover on it and then a lady hit me and I decided not to spend the insurance money on a full fix so she's a bit dented on the front passenger fender and then during an MS episode I backed her into a light pole because of the blind spot in the back driver side (this is a common accident among first generation RAV owners) and I also fixed that on the cheap so there's some denting remaining and some primer in both spots. A friend in Maine who does great body work said he could fix it all for $500, but I haven't had it to spare and I'm not sure it's worth it. She's scarred and flawed just like her driver, but heck, she's seen every state in the country except Florida, Alaska and Hawaii, plus 3 Canadian provinces - she should be battle-worn!

[BoSoxGal]

I don't know about Airtex EGR components, but I've seen at least three of their electric fuel pumps fail. One didn't pump to the specified pressure as soon as it was installed. That required dropping the gas tank AGAIN.

Good for you, Bosox Gal, looking at Youtube for installation videos. I use it a lot. Way better than most printed manuals.

I bought the book for Reva right after I bought her - mostly because I like to not be totally clueless when talking to mechanics, and I've done my own plugs and wires before, and air filters of course. I used to change the oil in my first car - VW Rabbit GTI, also changed out the water pump and timing belt with the help of a BF who had a small garage - but as a renter it's been impossible to do that for myself for many years, most rentals don't allow auto work in the driveway or parking lot. My last mechanic who worked on Reva stole my book - accidentally, I'm sure, I showed him where it was under the passenger seat in case he wanted to use it as reference and I think he just forgot to put it back. But yeah, YouTube is a great resource for backyard mechanics, there are tons of how to videos. Some stuff I just don't want to bother doing because of the awkwardness of getting at the parts - I have small hands so that's good, but because of the effects of the MS I don't really have the strength/dexterity in my hands and arms to loosen factory original bolts and such.

[Jarlaxle]

Geez...only 175 in 18 years?! Wow, low mileage. I have 144k on a 2011.

Yup, and that's including 6 cross-country trips, a couple of Montana - New Mexico and back runs, several road trips to California from NM and AZ, and lots of 'little' road trips around Montana - where it takes all day to drive from one end to the other.

The trick is that for 95% of the 12 years I've owned Reva, I've lived within 5 miles of work. Most of the time, I lived within 5 blocks of work, and often walked. I definitely was lazy and did more short trips in her than I should have, but I'd say 75% of her miles are highway miles - so she's been treated somewhat gently in that regard.

The other thing is, she was actually that proverbial 'little old lady's car' before I bought her - she'd been garaged and driven to the grocery store, church, medical appointments and family get-togethers by an elderly lady who traded her in with just under 38k miles because she'd decided to give up driving and used the trade-in toward a vehicle for her granddaughter. Her average miles the first 6 years was under 7k total. I got lucky!

I feel kind of bad because she was in prime condition when I got her, and I kept her nice for a few years, but after I moved out to Montana - 'got dust?' - I got very lax about the regular washes and waxes and Armor-all on the interior and I let the dogs do a number on the back seat upholstery because I was lazy about keeping a cover on it and then a lady hit me and I decided not to spend the insurance money on a full fix so she's a bit dented on the front passenger fender and then during an MS episode I backed her into a light pole because of the blind spot in the back driver side (this is a common accident among first generation RAV owners) and I also fixed that on the cheap so there's some denting remaining and some primer in both spots. A friend in Maine who does great body work said he could fix it all for $500, but I haven't had it to spare and I'm not sure it's worth it. She's scarred and flawed just like her driver, but heck, she's seen every state in the country except Florida, Alaska and Hawaii, plus 3 Canadian provinces - she should be battle-worn!

Mine saw plenty of running...I have over 2000 idle hours as well as the miles. Unti I got it, my car was a sheriff deputys car in rural New Hampshire.

[BoSoxGal]

Excessive idling is hard on an engine - that's a lot of hours, good that it's still treated you decent.

[Jarlaxle]

Normal on a police cruiser...I have seen 20,000 idle hours!

[BoSoxGal]

VSV came in yesterday's mail; stopped at the mechanic after work today to schedule a time, he wasn't there but the brother was, said I could leave it and he'd do it right then. My cousin picked me up, 4 hours later I call - is it ready? Yup. How much? He says something that includes the word Monday and just come and get it. I go to pick Reva up, he tells me his brother isn't there and says come back Monday and pay then.

Ok! I'm hoping he doesn't try to overcharge me, I know it's tricky to get at the part but it can be done in an hour, hour .5 tops. Reva runs GREAT now, but the brother didn't disconnect the battery for me so I'll have to have Leo do that when I stop in Monday to pay so I can quit looking at that damn CEL.

Very relieved I don't have to buy a $200 EGR valve! Trying to decide if I should send back the genuine Toyota modulator valve I bought, thinking maybe the $20 one I put in isn't original as advertised, as it's not properly marked. I put aftermarket plug wires in her once and they worked for a week or two and then started popping off every 50-100 miles, it was a nightmare. Finally bought OEM and never had a problem with them 9 years on . . .

eta: Is it unusual to go 9+ years between tune ups? I did that last one just when I got laid off in 2009 and was about to embark on the great unemployment road trip, and haven't done another one since. She runs fine, and apparently with a repaired EGR system, I'll be back to getting in the high 20s for mpg.

[Burning Petard]

I think 'tune-up' once meant clean and gap the spark plugs and clean-set points and timing on the distributor. Big gap for spark plugs now and where the heck is the Distributor? I have no idea what a 'tune-up' would be now, unless it was related to click and clack's regular reference to a boat payment.

Oh yeah. For special customers, tune-ups included a careful lube and adjust of the exhaust bearing.

snailgate