Check If There Is Any Exhaust Leak In 2001 Corolla - Toyota Corolla, Chevy Prizm (1998-2008)

kulkarni_ash

I have a 2001 corolla, i had the check engine light with P0420, so the mechanic changed the catalyst converter, ( i got it from internet)

then it worked well for 1 month, now the light is back on,

so i want to check if there is any exhaust leak

can i do it home, how do i do it

any suggestions

Ashish

plug the exhaust, disable spark and fuel, spray where you suspect has the leaks with soapy water when the engine is cold, and crank the engine and where it bubbles is where its leaking.

kulkarni_ash

plug the exhaust, disable spark and fuel, spray where you suspect has the leaks with soapy water when the engine is cold, and crank the engine and where it bubbles is where its leaking.

Thanks for the reply, but i am not sure what plug the exhaust, disable spark and fuel means

can you explain

Ashish

Bikeman982

plug the exhaust, disable spark and fuel, spray where you suspect has the leaks with soapy water when the engine is cold, and crank the engine and where it bubbles is where its leaking.

Thanks for the reply, but i am not sure what plug the exhaust, disable spark and fuel means

can you explain

Ashish

I could be wrong, but I think he means put a rag (or suitable plug) in the tailpipe where the exhaust comes out of the car, take off the spark plug wires (or remove the rotor from the distributor), and disconnect the fuel line and plug it with something (I use a pencil). The idea is to just get exhaust air flowing thru the pipes without getting any out the back and with no spark or fuel to the engine. You turn the engine over (try to start it) and look for soapy water bubbles indicating air is escaping at a place other than the rear of the exhaust. Hope this helps.

easier way to disable fuel and spark is to just pull the EFI/HTR fuse under the hood or to unplug the harness into the distributor.

I wouldn't plug the exhaust or take out the spark just to test an exhaust leak, because they can damage the engine if not careful. I would spray soapy water (diluted dish soap) when the car is idling and see if there are bubbles instead.

I wouldn't plug the exhaust or take out the spark just to test an exhaust leak, because they can damage the engine if not careful. I would spray soapy water (diluted dish soap) when the car is idling and see if there are bubbles instead.

like the hot exhaust wont boil it right away?

plugging the exhaust and cranking the engine over WITHOUT IT STARTING is a totally accepted way to check for exhaust leaks. taking out a spark plug is going to damage the engine? ok only if you dont know your right from left and strip the plug threads from the head.

as i said, pull either the EFI/HTR fuse/relay or simply unplug the harness from the ignition under the hood. either will disable the spark and fuel. then you crank the engine with the exhaust plugged to build a little pressure in it while someone sprays the suspected leaks with soapy water. it wont hurt anything

I check for exhaust leaks by feel. They are usually obvious. Not only can you feel heat, a exhaust leak is loud.

I'd sure like to know how in the name of zeu's butt, the ECU could detect a exhaust leak.

If you got a CEL, something else is up.

Bikeman982

The ECU gets signals from the O2 sensors, one before the cat and one after it.

It can't really tell if your exhaust is leaking, just if the sensors are not reading within acceptable parameters.