The problem you will now have - even with the absolute very best technician - is that you have so many cheap Chinese aftermarket parts and hack fixes (like the oxygen sensor extension and the Kerosene flush), that a proper diagnosis is very, very difficult. I asked my son what he'd do to fix your car and he said he wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. Too many hack repairs.

 

[QUOTE=jizzypickle;3760979]Hey Guys,

Before you tell me to Search, I have, and read every thread on the subject. I still have a few questions though. Please read on.

2006 Scion xB, manual trans, around 79k miles. The VIN falls into the TSB numbers, I've owned this car since new. I'm way out of the warranty mileage to fix it for free though.

So I get the P0012 Code, (Camshaft Position Sensor), and I buy and replace the sensor. The code went away, but a week later to the day, it's back on.

The CEL now and before, will come on about once a week, and sometimes it cancels itself out within hours of coming on, sometimes it doesn't.

The car runs great, no sluggishness, idles great, same MPG.

Here's the questions:

Those of you that HAVE had the TSB performed, did the car show any signs of running bad?

Have any of you fixed it by replacing or cleaning the OCV? (Oil Control Valve).

I've also heard of some people putting up enough stink at the dealership to where they paid for the labor, but the dealership paid for the parts. Has anybody done this with success?

Hello, I have a 2005 scion that's having the same problem with the code after replacing the CPS and the code keeps coming back, have you had any luck with the code or the light staying off ?

 

[QUOTE=Sdflea50;4338174]OEM Toyota CPS or the least expensive Chinesium part you could find on eBay?

 

If it's going on and off, how is the wiring and connector?

 

A voltage meter can verify whether components reflect required voltage or ohms readings.

 

Hi everyone, Scion XB 2004, is a challenging car. This year will be 20 years old. At this age, luckily we got to do fuel system cleaning treatment(s). The gas used has 10% Ethanol, and in the long term will cause some type of damage. Also, to clean the interior engine (with CRO 505). To eliminate the noise when driving one must get tires with low noise or quiet tires. P0012 code will go away as long as the full-synthetic oil is clean and replaced every 3,000 Miles. This car now required a new driver-style mode. The style is referred to as matching for a retired person. Nothing wrong with that. The car is old and is by the end of her life. Thank you car for driving me to places all those years!

 

Um, no - on all counts.

 

Exactly! My 2004 xB has over 200k-miles and always had proper maintenance using Toyota’s procedures straight out of factory service manual. Car will run properly with no unsolvable or mysterious codes if you avoid hacks and wannabe pro mechanic quick-fixes.

These cars were designed after ethanol petrol mandate was passed in early ‘90s. There is no problems with running 10% ethanol petrol. It’s only issue for carburetors that have been sitting longer than 3-months without use. Due to venting to atmosphere with carbs, ethanol petrol separates and turns to gel, clogging tiny passages in carbs.

I have even older car, ‘93 Corolla Wagon that I use to tow my race moto to tracks all up and down California. Always passes emissions tests and never any codes. It now has +300k-miles and I drive it HARD +20k-miles/year and it never had issue with ethanol petrol. In fact, I’m going to add TURBO and use E85. That’s way, way more ethanol than regular E10 pump petrol. Key to smooth running and longevity is proper maintenance practices, not hacks.

 

Get factory service manual and follow it precisely! Again, this error is NOT about CPS, but about CPS circuit. There’s more to circuit than just sensor itself! There’s also wiring in between sensor that carries signal to ECU. And there’s connectors that sensor plugs into in order to reach that wiring.

Follow proper test procedure from factory service manual. It does not start with “replace sensor”. It has you test and measure everything in CPS circuit first! Unless you’re Superman and can see electrons moving inside wiring, there’s absolutely zero way any human can just look at electrical parts and determine its ability to conduct electricity. Luckily, we have instruments that can…




Official factory service manual has you measure everything in CPS circuit FIRST!!! Then based upon numbers you measured, that will say if CPS itself is bad, or wiring or connector is bad. Only then can you know what’s actually wrong, then replace or repair actual component that’s bad.

In your case, you have absolutely ZERO idea what’s wrong. Replacing perfectly-working sensor with brand-new perfectly-working sensor changes nothing and code persists. Because you haven’t found actual problem and fixed it yet. Most likely broken wiring or corrosed connectors.