Jz's GLi

[jz]

@jz,

Thanks for the details. Below is my opinion about all the work done.

Catalytic Converter and piping. I think by removing cat converter, there will be some gain as you mentioned. But we should see that by removing cat converter, will there be any negative effect on the engine? If there is no negative affect then it can be done. for the middle sound box, I think you can keep it and you can change the piping beyond the middle sound box to 2.25". In this case sound will be less but power can be increased.

Catalytic converter needs to be cleaned after specific period of time. did toyota mechanic recommended you to clean the CAT converter?

About all other stuff, I think this was the right time to do it but keeping the expenses in mind, I think they can be divided into two steps i.e. you can do some part at 30k or 35k and the remaining at 40k.

I have few questions for you.

1) According to you, what should be the right time to replace brake pads?
2) When should be the Brake fluid changed (both in terms of millage or time).
3) From where you purchased the oil filter? because last time I purchased oil filter from toyota walton and its cost was more than 1100/-.

Thanks,

cat is basically to reccycle the gases in the exaust,it wont affect the engine
i too did it in 2,3 steps
1.when u feel ur car isnt braking right,get it checked n check the pads status,if not change it at 40k kms,i change mine for the first time since i bought the car,brakes wear out quickly if u do too much sudden & excessive braking,if driven wisely the brakes wud last til 40k kms
2.they should be changed at 40k kms
3.got the oil filter from battle axe shell cantt,genuine is for 650 & the fake copy for 350 though u can go to mondgomery as well to get it even cheaper or to be sure the filterr ur getin is 100% original

about cat service no one told me how to clean it
if i have to remove cat i have to cut original piping, n if ive to get the sound box aftermerket piping,i have to remove the sound box from original piping,
the easist way out which i see is get a used sound box from bilal jang,n install that in the aftermarket piping

[rizi_85]

cat is basically to reccycle the gases in the exaust,it wont affect the engine
i too did it in 2,3 steps
1.when u feel ur car isnt braking right,get it checked n check the pads status,if not change it at 40k kms,i change mine for the first time since i bought the car,brakes wear out quickly if u do too much sudden & excessive braking,if driven wisely the brakes wud last til 40k kms
2.they should be changed at 40k kms
3.got the oil filter from battle axe shell cantt,genuine is for 650 & the fake copy for 350 though u can go to mondgomery as well to get it even cheaper or to be sure the filterr ur getin is 100% original

about cat service no one told me how to clean it
if i have to remove cat i have to cut original piping, n if ive to get the sound box aftermerket piping,i have to remove the sound box from original piping,
the easist way out which i see is get a used sound box from bilal jang,n install that in the aftermarket piping

Many pw members said in different threads that Cat is not that hard to clean and it can be removed without cutting the pipes. I don't know whether its true for only specific cars or all the cars. Logically it should be easily removable as you have to clean it after some time.

For the piping, I think your idea is quite practical. you can get a used sound box from bilal gunj and modify it according to your taste. Then after fitting it, in case if you don't like it, you will have the original one with you.

About oil filter, from which shop I can get the original oil filter? but this time I might buy it from toyota walton (although overpriced) because usually I do all the maintenance service on weekends but this time I have to do it tomorrow inshaAllah because on weekend car will be out of city and I don't want to prolong the oil drain interval. For next time I can buy it from Montgomery road.

[VCheng]

cat is basically to reccycle the gases in the exaust,it wont affect the engine.......

A catalytic converter has adsorbed activated platinum over a ceramic matrix and this helps to breakdown excessive oxides of nitrogen (NOX) emissions that are harmful to health and the cause of the brownish tinge to smog.

Factors that decrease the cat's efficiency are consistently cold operation (direct fan and no thermostat), running too rich (unburnt fuel) or too lean (overload with NOX), oil burning (coats the matrix with soot) and poor quality of fuel with high amounts of sulfur (overload with H2S causing the bad rotten egg smell).

This operation is checked by O2 sensors, one upstream and one down stream of the cat, by comparing the ratios so that the air:fuel ratio in the closed-loop mode is kept as close to 14.7:1 as much as possible.

[rizi_85]

A catalytic converter has adsorbed activated platinum over a ceramic matrix and this helps to breakdown excessive oxides of nitrogen (NOX) emissions that are harmful to health and the cause of the brownish tinge to smog.

Factors that decrease the cat's efficiency are consistently cold operation (direct fan and no thermostat), running too rich (unburnt fuel) or too lean (overload with NOX), oil burning (coats the matrix with soot) and poor quality of fuel with high amounts of sulfur (overload with H2S causing the bad rotten egg smell).

This operation is checked by O2 sensors, one upstream and one down stream of the cat, by comparing the ratios so that the air:fuel ratio in the closed-loop mode is kept as close to 14.7:1 as much as possible.

What are symptoms of decreased efficiency of cat converter?

I posted some pics of the spark plugs of my car in this thread on some previous pages. Can you please have a look at those and provide us with your opinion?

Thanks

[VCheng]

What are symptoms of decreased efficiency of cat converter?

I posted some pics of the spark plugs of my car in this thread on some previous pages. Can you please have a look at those and provide us with your opinion?

Thanks

A cat can lose efficiency gradually (common) or suddenly (breakage of matrix), and most often presents with a CEL warning with the code being set. Other signs are not consistent, such as rotten egg smells or crackling noises or even overheating to the point of being red hot and catching fire.

I agree with JZ that the plugs shown in your post are in very good condition for 3k miles, with good combustion. The reddish tinge is likely due to rust in the fuel from older storage tanks of the fuel stations.

[jz]

@ vcheng
there is no sensor in the headers or the cat which can monitor the gases activity :S

[jz]

@ rizi_85
the cat can be removed in a sense that it can be taken off for good but i dont think we here in Pakistan have proepr setup to clean it up without cutting it,opening it n thn welding it back on

[VCheng]

@ vcheng
there is no sensor in the headers or the cat which can monitor the gases activity :S

There is no sensor in the cat itself, but the upstream O2 sensor can be in the header in some designs. It is the difference in the readings of the upstream and downstream O2 sensors that is used to calculate the cat efficiency by the ECU when in the closed-loop mode.

[jz]

There is no sensor in the cat itself, but the upstream O2 sensor can be in the header in some designs. It is the difference in the readings of the upstream and downstream O2 sensors that is used to calculate the cat efficiency by the ECU when in the closed-loop mode.

its note even in the headers
though ive seen it in the headers of civics

[rizi_85]

A cat can lose efficiency gradually (common) or suddenly (breakage of matrix), and most often presents with a CEL warning with the code being set. Other signs are not consistent, such as rotten egg smells or crackling noises or even overheating to the point of being red hot and catching fire.

I agree with JZ that the plugs shown in your post are in very good condition for 3k miles, with good combustion. The reddish tinge is likely due to rust in the fuel from older storage tanks of the fuel stations.

Thanks for the feedback :). Well what can I about older storage tanks now a days you never know when their storage ends or they stop supplying the fuel. As it happened today, CNG pumps have gone on strike for indefinite period of time and today most of the petrol pumps are also on strike :). sometimes its great blessing that you get the petrol (forget about the quality of it)

[jz]

Thanks for the feedback :). Well what can I about older storage tanks now a days you never know when their storage ends or they stop supplying the fuel. As it happened today, CNG pumps have gone on strike for indefinite period of time and today most of the petrol pumps are also on strike :). sometimes its great blessing that you get the petrol (forget about the quality of it)

no probs n i agree on the fuel part but do use hioctane as well,
what i usually do is fil up 3 quarters with hioctane n 1 quarter regular fuel ,n before filling it up i add 2 bottles of octane boosters.
they do help alot in getin good economy n slight performance gains

[VCheng]

its note even in the headers
though ive seen it in the headers of civics

The location depends on the design, but the schema is generally this:

For a V-engine, there are two upstream sensors, one for each bank:

(There can be two upstream and two downstream sensors in some designs too.)

To check efficiency, if the catalyst is working well, the upstream sensor will be steadily sweeping above and below 450mv while the downstream sensor voltage moves much more slowly, usually maintaining between 300 and 600mv. The PCM is constantly changing the amount of fuel being delivered in an attempt to maintain a perfect air/fuel ratio. As the upstream sensor voltage rises above 450mv indicating a slightly rich mixture, the PCM corrects and lowers the amount of fuel delivered. As the upstream O2 voltage falls below the 450MV range, the PCM adds more fuel to correct for the slightly lean mixture. This results in the rhythmic pattern seen below when the oxygen sensor activity is monitored on an oscilloscope.

[jz]

thankz for the excellent explanition vc (Y)

[margallar]

if anyone wants cheap toyota parts, toyota ravi (near metro) has a shop at montogomery road. you can phone the dealer and ask them for the number of the shop. last time i visited there were differences of about 2k in prices

[rizi_85]

no probs n i agree on the fuel part but do use hioctane as well,
what i usually do is fil up 3 quarters with hioctane n 1 quarter regular fuel ,n before filling it up i add 2 bottles of octane boosters.
they do help alot in getin good economy n slight performance gains

Well I have used Hi-octane previously but never used octane boosters. is there any negative effect of octane boosters? can they be used frequently or is it good to use them after a while?

[Elien]

yaar rizi bhai please tell where iss the cabing filter??

And JZ And rizi 85 u both are making this thread intresting day by day... i am surprised to see even in corolla the gear oil is of viscosity 75w - 90 w and these pso and sheel pumps put higher vicosity rating gear oil which is more than 100w - 145 w

[jz]

Well I have used Hi-octane previously but never used octane boosters. is there any negative effect of octane boosters? can they be used frequently or is it good to use them after a while?

bro im unaware of any negative effects,didnt hear any from any one yet so i used em,
i suggest use one bottle per tank ,i over did it cuz i was going for a long route n wanted to see how good or bad this is lol

[jz]

yaar rizi bhai please tell where iss the cabing filter??

And JZ And rizi 85 u both are making this thread intresting day by day... i am surprised to see even in corolla the gear oil is of viscosity 75w - 90 w and these pso and sheel pumps put higher vicosity rating gear oil which is more than 100w - 145 w

bro thank u for the interest in out discussion
@ rizi
even i wna know if my car has a cabin filter,if yes it must be in a pretty bad shape

[rizi_85]

yaar rizi bhai please tell where iss the cabing filter??

And JZ And rizi 85 u both are making this thread intresting day by day... i am surprised to see even in corolla the gear oil is of viscosity 75w - 90 w and these pso and sheel pumps put higher vicosity rating gear oil which is more than 100w - 145 w

Thanks for the appreciation. We are just trying to share our experience and knowledge and also learning a lot of things.

Cabin filter is used to filter the air. It is really useful when you are using fresh air mode. for corolla 2009 onwards, IMC provided it for every variant. for previous model, they didn't provide it. OK here you go

<a href="https://www.pakwheels.com/forums/d-i-y-projects/138956-diy-changing-cabin-filter-corolla-09-10-a">Cabin Filter changing for corolla 2009 onwards</a>

<a href="https://www.pakwheels.com/forums/d-i-y-projects/56441-corolla-ac-filter-cleaning-installation">Cabin Filter for Corolla 2002 to 2008</a>

I hope it will be helpful for you

[rizi_85]

bro im unaware of any negative effects,didnt hear any from any one yet so i used em,
i suggest use one bottle per tank ,i over did it cuz i was going for a long route n wanted to see how good or bad this is lol

Sure I will try it for once at least. Not now because unfortunately I am not going with the car this weekend :(. So upon next refill or long route, I will try it inshaAllah.

bro thank u for the interest in out discussion
@ rizi
even i wna know if my car has a cabin filter,if yes it must be in a pretty bad shape

I think IMC was way too "Kanjoos" in 2007 :D. There will be no cabin filter in your model (at least what other members have noted). I have posted a link in previous post which shows the location of cabin filter in 2002 to 2008 model. Its hardly 10 minutes job so you can see if your car has one or not. for 2009 corolla, this cabin filter costs approx 1500/- (even expensive than air filter I think).