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Check Engine Light after carwash :-(

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Elaine08, Sep 13, 2022.

  1. Elaine08

    Elaine08 Member

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    Hi. I went through an automatic car wash with my '08 and immediately upon driving away the check engine light came on and stayed on. Any ideas re: the problem/remedy?

    As an aside, my cat got stolen in April and I have the aftermarket Auto Saver 88 installed with a shield. Could that somehow be the cause?

    Thanks!
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i suppose water could have gotten into something. make sure the gas cap is tight, and give it a few days of dry weather, it might go away on its own.

    if not, you'll probably have to get the trouble codes read
     
  3. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Warning lights mean error codes have been stored that indicate what the problem is. It could be many things. Get one of these devices: https://www.ebay.com/itm/265484403768 so you can use a phone app to read and clear error codes. It's an essential too to keep in the glove box! Will help keep you from getting stuck on the side of the road at some point.
     
  4. Elaine08

    Elaine08 Member

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    Thanks! The recommended scanner above is for Android, any recommendation for a code reader/scanner for Iphone? I see that there are several, but would appreciate a recommendation for one that is accurate and works well on Iphone.
     
  5. Another

    Another Senior Member

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    Wow, an auto save 88 is $45 on Amazon!
     
  6. Another

    Another Senior Member

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    Todays deal is an added coupon for auto saver on the order page
     
  7. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    It's possible that water went down the cowl and leaked into the spark plug area. I've seen a few cars that tend to collect water there.
     
  8. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    That's exactly what's on my Corolla and it meets carb I believe . It can go all over USA. . The muffler shop keeps on stock these go by cars weight and pipe size . Mine was boxed as 5,000 lb and under vehicle weight for 1.5-in pipe size your other junk gets cut out this gets tacked in place preferably not with clamps that looks crappy and then when this is installed and installed in the right orientation it almost looks like the catalytic converter that came out so on a visual is very difficult to tell so when places that just have a visual ie look under the car there's a bulbous thing there good to go I don't know about carb California but I'm sure that other vehicles besides Prius . Have to have replacement cats every 10 12 whatever it is years and there is no way that every cat on the planet in every car is going to have to come from the dealership even in California that doesn't even partially sound capitalistically correct think about that there's nobody that can make any money on this except the dealer Bull crap I don't buy that for a second not even in California.
     
  9. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    There's a slight difference between CARB and EPA approved.

    carb California? carb IS California. California Air Resources Board. Some states (known as CARB states) have adopted California's requirements as their own, which is OEM or specific aftermarket replacements which have passed CARB testing and been given a CARB approval identification number. The vast majority of states only require EPA approved catalytic converters.

    your other junk gets cut out this gets tacked in place preferably not with clamps that looks crappy

    I know I have a lot of people crawling around under my car looking at welds and clamps, so being pretty is very important. With all the stuff you jerry rig, your biggest worry is a clamp looking crappy? The best thing about clamps is it's one more way of letting a thief know the currently installed catalytic converter is not OEM.
     
  10. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Yes but when the inspectors looking . Good looking factory welds don't generally raise suspicion. In most places . I realize what Joe thief sees. They looking whole assy too . And if they do not know . It's their idiocy. My very small inconvenience. My question was mainly in California do places like Midas and ye Old muffler shop in the strip mall not Carry The universal weight-based replacement converters that get put on cars all over the world but may be accept California. I haven't lived there so I've not been able to walk into a Midas shop in California to have a converter put on my '85 Corolla TE72 or what have you.? So in California my 85 Corolla hachi Roku or whatever would have to have a 1985 factory converter from Toyota only. That would be the end of that seriously oh well that's why I don't live there.
     
  11. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    Sometimes if the water is very heavy or directed into the cowl it will overflow the water dam at the bottom of the windshield run off and then it hits the top of the motor and may get into the spark plug wells.

    I assume you opened the hood and looked in there for signs of flooding or the top of the motor being wet.

    Either way it has a check engine light which means a code was stored that will tell you why the engine is unhappy.
     
  12. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    They work for Apple and Android... It's the apps that are more limited, not so much with the hardware. Here's a buyers guide: Hybrid battery diagnostic and repair tool for Toyota and Lexus