P1349 Fault And Cel...help

[Stark]

Hi guys,

New to the group, but unfortunately the new baby I've just bought is a wee bit sick as it turns out.

So driving home after about a week of owning it (in the snow a few weeks ago) I had my CEL illuminate. After having a listen to the engine idle, and through the rev range, I couldn't hear anything out of the ordinary. My first port of call was to clean the MAF sensor and reset the code by d/c-ing the Battery.

However, I've just bought a OBDII reader (and not too soon as it turns out), and the CEL came on again-about 500 miles after the first time. This time I'm getting fault code "P1349-VVT System malfunction". I'm guessing then that the problem could be:

Crappy/dirty oil (I was trying to wait until it got warmer to service it, but I assume a service now won't sort the issue)

Lift bolts?

Some sort of valve/filter on the VVT system?

I am mechanically minded (being a mechanical engineer you kinda have to be), but I've no experience with VVT systems at all. Any expert advice you guys could give to point me in the right direction would be appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

[armoredfist2002]

If you search on google for the error code you usually get up a list associated with problems for that specific code.

http://engine-codes.com/p1349_toyota.html

Would clean the oil control valve and change oil first as these will probably be the cheapest to start with.

You will only have lift bolts if you have a 190 engine, (don't know which model you have). As far as I am aware no error codes come up when lift bolts are snapped, as it's just a snapped bolt, you could get no lift or lift not feeling as strong, but from another member on another forum he recons most lift bolts are snapping when you go to take them out to change, not snapping on their own from being in the engine.

[Scarlett Arrow]

Hi, Gareth & welcome to T.O.C.

I'd start with the OCV too, and as you have a 140, lift bolts can be ruled out. Regular oil changes are vital to this engine's health, so I'd get that sorted sooner rather than later.

[Stark]

Hi guys, thanks for the responses.

I've read some of the other guys posts on doing the OCV's- am I right in thinking there are two? One for "Lift" and one for "VVT"?

When you say clean the valve...are we talking about removing the filter/strainer thingys from both and cleaning them up? Or is there much of a benefit in removing the valves and doing some sort of a clean on them as well? The "Lift" valve/housing seems to be handy enough to remove, but the "VVT" one looks like it could be a b***h.

That is assuming i've been reading the right thing!

I think I'll pencil that service in for next weekend...I would have done it yesterday but...I'm lazy :( I have the parts, but unfortunately i didn't have the motivation to do it in the rain.

Thanks!

[LazyBear]

Please keep us updated if you fix this. I've had the light come on and off for about 10000 miles. I cleaned the ocv filter and changed the oil and filter but not cleaned the actual ocv.

[Mike169]

Hi Gareth.

May i suggest you look at some of the threads on the link below.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=how+does+toyota+vvt+work&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=NXf6VJTAF4H6ULWvguAO

Regards Mike.

[Stark]

Hi Guys,

So....I serviced the car (full oil and filter change) and then reset the fault code with my OBDII reader. The CEL came back on again after a few hundred miles of driving. So since then I've topped up the oil and cleaned the VVT OCV strainer and the CEL has stayed off-TOUCH WOOD!

My next port of call would be to clean the OCV itself if it was to rear its ugly head again, but at least the whole fiasco gave me a crash course in VVT-i!

Cheers for the help, hope my findings prove helpful.

Stark