1997 Toyota Avalon chasing a Ghost

Tiny
TRIV77
  • MEMBER
  • 1997 TOYOTA AVALON
Electrical problem
1997 Toyota Avalon 6 cyl Front Wheel Drive Automatic

My friend has a avalon that is going crazy. A couple of months ago the car shut down while she was driving it. She turned the switch off and turned it back on and the car started back up. Since then it has gone down hill. The car will light up the ABS & traction light when you hit the brakes and go off when let off. It is shooting off all kinds of codes that are not making sense. She took it to toyota and they can't find anything wrong and can't get it repeat. I drove the car and it does the same thing to me as it does to her. I told her it might be the ECM but not sure.
Any help would be nice.
Thanks, triv77
Sunday, January 11th, 2009 AT 9:55 AM

2 Replies

Tiny
MMPRINCE4000
  • MECHANIC
  • 8,548 POSTS
Toyota should be able to retrieve the error codes and act upon them.

Best advice is to let Toyota have it for a few days or a week so they can experience the problems, or
ask them if they can install a portable scanner that can record engine data and error codes while you drive. After a couple of days they can "playback" the engine data and isolate the problem(s).
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Monday, January 12th, 2009 AT 7:58 AM
Tiny
2CARPRO JACK
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,533 POSTS
The ECM can do those things you describe. Does the car do it frequently? Does it ever repeat the same codes, or are they just all over the place?When it died, did just the engine cut out or did it lose power to the dash as well?
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Monday, January 12th, 2009 AT 7:58 AM

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