Quote:
Originally Posted by eurospeed
While this may apply to some cars which start up immediately with a CEL/SL, it does not explain cars that are driven and then experience the CEL/SL minutes/hours into the drive. My car was fine for about 10-15 minutes of driving and then started with the idle problem and then later experienced the CEL/SL at a light.
While I appreciate the mechanic's diagnosis, we need to be careful that this is another opinion of a very complex issue that the Toyota/Subaru engineers haven't yet figured out after over 3 months of documented failures.
I do believe this is both a hardware and software issue where once the CEL/SL is triggered, damage may have occured to the various components that are being replaced. That is why I don't believe a straight flash or ECU replacement will be solve everyone's problems...some cars, absolutely (especially pre delivery vehicles).
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eurospeed,
You are precisely correct on every point.
If anything this theory (if true) should make it plain to everyone that the ECU flash is only a workaround to a mechanical problem; the VVT system is not functioning as originally intended. His explanation is a useful puzzle piece but it's not the whole picture. Put another way, many of you who are hoping for only an ECU flash may be passing up a better long term outcome by resisting the major engine work.
My car went 1600 miles befor tripping it's CLE and the code I got, P0016, is rare. I asked my mechanic to confirm again with Toyota tech support and they're still requiring the cam gear change ONLY. This is not a one-size-fits-all explanation. It's only a piece to the puzzle.