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how to repair secondary air injection system

by Lisette Parker Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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The first step in the secondary air injection system and pump repair is to remove the air in the injection pump. You have to do this by a few key steps. First, locate the secondary air injection pump.

Full Answer

What is a secondary air injection pump?

A secondary air pump is an extra electric pump connected to the intake system. It feeds air into the secondary air injection system, where the magic happens. What Does a Secondary Air Injection Pump Do? The purpose of secondary air injection is emissions control. Yes, that is as exciting as it sounds.

What happens when a secondary air injection pump goes bad?

The purpose of the secondary air injection pump is to reduce hydrocarbons in your emissions system. So, if you have a bad secondary air injection pump, then it means your emissions system will be allowing too many hydrocarbons to be released into the atmosphere.

What is an air injection system?

The air injection system introduces oxygen into the exhaust engine at certain times to reduce emissions. Typical system components include the PCM, air injection relay, air injection hoses, valves and the pump. The air injection pump can be either belt driven or electric - for this article, we will focus on the belt-driven design.

How does an air injection pump work?

The air injection pump can be either belt driven or electric - for this article, we will focus on the belt-driven design. The air injection pump is the focal point of the system. Air enters the pump and it is then directed to the desired location by PCM controlled valves.

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How do you fix a secondary air injection system malfunction?

What repairs can fix the P0410 code?Replacing the air injection pump and power relay.Replacing O2 sensors that respond too slow as they age.Replacing the air injection pump intake filter clogged with debris.

Can a secondary air pump be repaired?

If it is broken, then you need to replace it as quickly as possible. Overall, repairing a secondary air injection system will cost you around $450. This cost is split between the cost of parts and the cost of labor. New parts will cost about $250 while labor will usually cost another $150-$200.

What causes secondary air injection malfunction?

A faulty pump is generally the most frequent cause of the system failing. Ingress of moisture can cause damage which results in seizure of the pump. Faulty ground and voltage supply can also cause the pump to fail.

What happens when secondary air pump fails?

If your secondary air injection pump has failed, you may notice that the catalytic converter is not working as well as it should. This problem can lead to a loss in power and performance from your engine. The catalytic converter is the engine's first line of defense against harmful emissions.

Can I drive without secondary air injection?

Technically speaking, you can drive without a secondary injection pump. However, doing so is not advised. What is this? This stems from the fact that a faulty secondary injection pump can cause a host of drivability-related issues, most of which can vary significantly in severity, on a case-by-case basis.

How do you bypass a secondary air pump?

11:4019:06Gen-II Secondary Air Injection Bypass Module - 2007-2020 Tundra 5.7LYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThis is the 5.7 4.6 liter version. You've got one 6-pin connector - they'll connect to our bypassMoreThis is the 5.7 4.6 liter version. You've got one 6-pin connector - they'll connect to our bypass unit. Here nice click and then you'll notice. You've got four other connectors. Here.

How do you test a secondary air injection?

The secondary air valve can be quickly inspected in an easy way:Loosen the connecting hose on the secondary air non-return valve leading to the secondary air pump. ... If there are deposits on this side of the valve (finger test, see Fig. ... Inspect the secondary air pump and replace it if necessary.

What controls the secondary air pump?

The secondary-air shut-off valve ensures that secondary-air is only routed to the exhaust manifold in the cold starting phase. Secondary-air valves are either actuated by a vacuum controlled by a solenoid switching valve or open in response to the pressure of the secondary-air pump.

Where is the secondary air pump relay located?

It's located in the electrical box in the engine bay under the right side air filter. You have to take off the entire shroud to get to it.

How do I know if my secondary air pump is working?

Start vehicle engine. If the power supply of the secondary air pump is fine, but the secondary air pump runs with a scraping, whistling or scratching noise or not at all, the secondary air pump is to be replaced. Check electrical contacts of voltage supply to secondary air pump.

How do you clean a secondary air injection valve?

0:001:56BMW M54 Secondary Air Valve Removal and Cleaning P0411YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWe have two ten millimeter nuts located down here one on this side and one on this side. We're goingMoreWe have two ten millimeter nuts located down here one on this side and one on this side. We're going to spray it with a little wd-40 to ease in the removal of the.

How do I know if my air pump is working?

Usually, a failed air pump will produce a few noticeable symptoms that can alert the driver that the vehicle requires attention.Engine is running rough. One of the first symptoms of a bad or failing smog pump is a rough running engine. ... Reduced horsepower. ... Check Engine Light comes on.

How do I know if my secondary air pump is working?

Start vehicle engine. If the power supply of the secondary air pump is fine, but the secondary air pump runs with a scraping, whistling or scratching noise or not at all, the secondary air pump is to be replaced. Check electrical contacts of voltage supply to secondary air pump.

Can a secondary air pump cause a misfire?

Can a Secondary Air Pump Cause a Misfire? Yes, a misfire is a common sign of a faulty secondary air system. If the pump isn't working properly, there will be too much fuel and not enough oxygen in your vehicle, which often results in a misfire.

What turns on the secondary air pump?

1:394:58How Does Secondary Air Injection Work? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo on cold start the vehicle determines that it needs secondary area to turn on the air is thenMoreSo on cold start the vehicle determines that it needs secondary area to turn on the air is then flowing in through the intake. It then turns on the secondary air pump it.

How do you test a secondary air injection valve?

The secondary air valve can be quickly inspected in an easy way:Loosen the connecting hose on the secondary air non-return valve leading to the secondary air pump. ... If there are deposits on this side of the valve (finger test, see Fig. ... Inspect the secondary air pump and replace it if necessary.

What is secondary air injection?

What is the secondary air injection system? In your vehicle, the secondary air injection is commonly just known as air injection when referring to the entire mechanism. The function of this part is to control the vehicle emissions that are being produced from your car and control the gasoline or fuel vapors.

How much does it cost to fix an air injection system?

At Walmart, you will pay between $28 and $299 for parts and a limited warranty. At Amazon, the prices are similar, with the range of prices between $22 and $321 for the secondary air injection system repair parts.

What is the purpose of an aspirated air injection pump?

A reed valve, which is a type of check valve that restricts the flow of fluids in a single direction, is called the aspirator valve, and is placed in the air injection pumping. The function of this mechanism is to gain the air directly from the clean side of the air filter.

What is the check valve in an air pump?

The check valve, which is a valve that usually allows fluid to flow in just one direction, prevents any exhaust from coming back through the air injection system which could damage the air pump and lead to a much higher secondary air injection system repair cost .

What happens if an air pump fails?

If the air pump fails, the engine performance will suffer and the secondary air injection system repair cost will rise substantially. If you do not fix this, you will not be able to pass the vehicle emissions test, which often you need to pass in order to drive in most states. Usually, a failed air pump will produce noticeable symptoms ...

What happens if the valve is damaged?

If the valve is damaged, this can increase the secondary air injection system repair cost. The purpose of this valve is to detect the decrease in the intake manifold vacuum, which then results from the quick close of the throttle, and diverts the air to the atmosphere instead of back into the fuel system. Aspirated air injection – the other type of ...

How to tell if air pump is bad?

One of the main symptoms of a bad air pump that can cause a higher secondary air injection system repair cost is the engine running rough or rough idling. When the smog fails, this means that the air to fuel ratio can be distributed, causing the engine to respond negatively and the performance of the car to suffer.

What is air injection?

The air injection system introduces oxygen into the exhaust engine at certain times to reduce emissions. Typical system components include the PCM, air injection relay, air injection hoses, valves and the pump.

What happens if you have problems with air injection?

Problems with the air injection system can result in increased emissions and engine performance issues. Typically, the Check Engine Light will be illuminated and diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) will be stored in the PCM.

How to reinstall serpentine belt?

Step 1: Locate the air injection pump . The air pump is at the front of the engine with the serpentine belt wrapped around it. Tip: Make sure there is a belt routing diagram under the hood of your car so you know how to reinstall the belt. If not, take a picture of the belt routing with your phone before proceeding further.

Where does air go in an engine?

Air enters the pump and it is then directed to the desired location by PCM controlled valves. During engine warm up, the air is directed to the exhaust manifold. Then, in most systems, the air is directed to the catalytic converter once the engine reaches the optimum operating temperature. Problems with the air injection system can result in ...

Can a certified technician install an air pump?

If you prefer to have a professional install the new air pump for you, get a certified technician from YourMechanic to perform the air pump replacement for you.

What is secondary air injection?

What is a secondary air injection system. A secondary air injection system is part of a vehicle’s emission system. It’s used to reduce emissions during cold starts when the engine is running on a rich fuel mixture to overcome the cold quenching effect of cold combustion cylinders. Unfortunately, the rich fuel mixture doesn’t burn completely causing ...

How does the secondary air injection system and AIR pump work?

During a cold startup the PCM monitors the engine coolant temperature sensor and upstream and downstream oxygen sensors to detect whether to turn on the AIR pump. If the engine temperature is below 195°, the PCM determines the engine is “cold” and commands a rich fuel mixture.

What are the components in a secondary air injection system?

A secondary air injection system requires an AIR pump and one-way switching valves. The valves allow pumped air to flow into the exhaust stream or directly into the catalytic converter while preventing exhaust backflow through the pump when it’s not operating. The air switching valves can be operated by vacuum motors or solenoid valves.

What goes wrong with an AIR pump and AIR switching valves?

Any time a gas is compressed, it heats up and outside air is no exception. In humid conditions, the compression can cause the humidity in the air to condense against the cold metal pump structure and cause internal corrosion. The water can also corrode and impede the operation of the AIR switching valves. Continued corrosion can cause the AIR pump and switching valves to seize, at which point they must be replaced.

What is the air pump in a car?

vehicles use an electric AIR pump . The AIR pump and AIR switching valves are controlled by the PCM. During a cold start, the PCM may wait until the catalytic converter reaches light off temperature, determined by activity readings from the downstream oxygen sensor, and then activate the AIR pump to force outside air into the exhaust manifold or directly into the catalytic converter.

How does an oxygen sensor work?

The oxygen sensors have internal heaters that bring them up to operating temperature quickly. Once the catalytic converter reaches light off temperature, the PCM begins to receive downstream oxygen content signals. At that point it operates the AIR pump relay to switch power to the pump (electric pump draws high current, so it needs a relay to switch the power). At the same time, it commands the switching valve to open and allow the pumped air to enter the exhaust stream.

How does the PCM activate the air relay?

The PCM activates the AIR relay by grounding the control coil in the AIR relay. By grounding the control coil, the PCM expects to see a voltage drop to almost 0. If it doesn’t get that results, it sets a P0412 secondary AIR circuit malfunction if it finds one. The problem can be a blown fuse, bad relay or an open circuit.

What Is a Secondary Air Injection System?

Secondary air injection systems are emissions-control systems used in modern cars. The secondary air injection system injects fresh air into the exhaust stream of the engine, resulting in fuller combustion and fewer harmful emissions. Secondary air emission systems were introduced in the 60s as a way to cut down emissions from cars.

How Much Does a Secondary Air Injection System Repair Cost?

Overall, you can expect to pay about $450 to repair your air injection system. This cost will be less depending on if you are repairing an existing system or installing an entirely new one. If you are only repairing your system, you may only have to pay about $200.

Cost of Secondary Air Pumps

In some cases, you can buy a secondary air pump and replace it yourself. The cost of the pump will differ depending on the type of the pump. Below is a list of some popular secondary air pump models, which cars they are compatible with, and the average costs.

Secondary Air Injection System Repair Examples

Let’s take a look at a specific make/model of car so we can see how costs bear out for a particular vehicle.

Factors that Affect Secondary Air Injection System Repair Costs

Here is a quick list of factors that affect the cost of repairing a secondary air injection system.

How Do I Know If My Secondary Air Injection System is Broken?

Secondary air pumps are meant to help the engine run more efficiently. So there are a lot of small things that are signs of a broken secondary air injection system.

Frequently Asked Questions

Strictly speaking, no, you do not need a secondary air injection system to run your car. However, most states have emissions standards for cars and you need a secondary pump to meet those standards.

What happens if you have a problem with your secondary air injection pump?

If there is ever a problem with your secondary air injection pump, then more hydrocarbon pollutants will be in the fumes which come out of your tailpipe. You won’t realize this until you receive an emissions test.

How to tell if secondary air injection pump is bad?

One of the early symptoms of a bad secondary air injection pump is the Check Engine warning light turning on. The engine control unit can automatically detect when the secondary air injection pump has a problem.

What is secondary air pump?

What Does a Secondary Air Pump Do? The secondary air injection pump (also referred to as a smog pump or SAI pump) is responsible for lowering the number of carbon emissions that come out of the tailpipe of a vehicle. This is necessary since a vehicle engine is never 100% efficient in the combustion process.

Why is my air pump not accelerating?

Poor acceleration could be caused by several mechanical issues, but a bad secondary air injection pump is certainly one possibility. A failed emissions test in conjunction with weak acceleration is a decent indicator that it is the pump’s fault.

What to do if your air pump is stalling?

If you’ve already experienced engine stalling, poor acceleration, and a check engine warning light, then you need to have the secondary air injection pump checked out immediately . If it is proven to be the problem, have it replaced by a certified mechanic.

What causes a bad air to fuel ratio?

A faulty secondary air injection pump will cause problems for the air-to-fuel ratio in your internal combustion engine. If this ratio is too lean (not enough fuel), then your engine will have trouble generating speed whenever you step on the gas pedal.

Why is a pump needed in a car?

This is necessary since a vehicle engine is never 100% efficient in the combustion process. The pump lies after the exhaust manifold and before the catalytic converter of the vehicle and it can reduce carbon emissions by pumping fresh air from outside into the exhaust stream.

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