P0132 fix...may save you $

[erikv11]

It sounds like you are trying to disconnect the vacuum line at the booster. Did you try disconnecting it at the intake manifold, where it attaches under the vacuum tree? Should be easier, just a straight nipple connection, and access is easy on a non-turbo model.

[mrwillie]

It sounds like you are trying to disconnect the vacuum line at the booster. Did you try disconnecting it at the intake manifold, where it attaches under the vacuum tree? Should be easier, just a straight nipple connection, and access is easy on a non-turbo model.

I did not try that. I couldnt visually trace the hose, and forgot to look it up when I got to a computer. Thanks for the info. I'll try it tonight.

[Pauloil]

not too hard to pull line off booster: I did it when used seafoam. try tip of screwdriver under the hose on the connector After you take the clamp off.

[mrwillie]

I looked at the intake end of the hose tonight and its def an original 18yr old hose. It very old, brittle and stuck to the metal. I will look at it in the daylight. Kinda obvious that its never been removed for say... pcv service. I hate playing catch up<sigh...>

[soundcomm]

Long time reader, first time poster and apologies for the length of this first post.
The wife's '96 855 Turbo failed to pass a smog check some time back due to a measurement of 741 in the NO (PPM) category that has a maximum allowance of 424.
Many, many weeks later (I'm an excellent procrastinator), knowing that we'd eventually get ticketed for old stickers, I connected my OBDII reader to try to diagnose the problem. It returned a P0133 code: Oxygen Sensor Circuit Slow Response (Bank1, Sensor1). Many of the posts that I read indicated that there could be several other causes for that code other than a faulty O2 sensor, like a defective MAF, vacuum or exhaust leak. I reset the code and decided to clean the MAF sensor, which had helped with issues in the past. At this point the car still started and ran fine but had several unready monitors causing the yellow emissions LED to be lit on my OBDII reader, which has three emissions LED's (green/yellow/red) that indicate whether or not you are likely to pass a smog check. Even though the car was no longer throwing the P0133 code I decided to attempt this "P0132 fix...may save you $" in an attempt to clean any O2 sensors that may have been contributing to the failed smog test.
Wow, that was a really poor decision on my part. For me, the test didn't go at all as written up. With the brake booster line disconnected the car would barely idle and the only way to keep it running for 2 minutes was to tap on the gas pedal every time it was about to die. It ran horrible and I'm concerned that things may have gotten gunked up or damaged during that time. Otherwise I must have really messed something up when putting it back together, because now the car will barely start and when it does it runs for about 10 seconds and then dies when trying to idle. In preparing for the test I was unable to disconnect the vacuum hose at the booster, but not for lack of trying, although I appear to lack the IQ to have thought to disconnect it at the other (intake manifold) end, but in my defense I had no idea where the other end went. I ended up disconnecting it at the coupling underneath the air filter box. During my attempts prying with a screwdriver at the booster end I could hear air pressure escaping from the white rubber mounted connector on the booster and was concerned that I may have damaged it and caused a vacuum leak in that area. I have since put sealant around that area, added new clamps to the coupling where I disconnected the booster hose, re-cleaned the MAF, cleaned the Idle Air Control Valve and inspected all my vacuum lines all to no avail. Disconnecting the battery for 30 minutes improves the situation to the point where the car will start and run for a little longer at idle before dying.
I’m at wit’s end and would be greatly appreciative of any advice or input that this extended post points toward.
Thanks in advance!

[mrwillie]

Hey. A couple things..

1) The other end of the hose from the brake booster is almost directly underneath the vacuum tree( my tree is underneath the black plastic cover that the throttle cable sits under )

2) It sounds like you make have a leak somewhere near this hose. Could you trace and replace it w/ generic parts store vacuum hose from the booster to the intake manifold?

3) Once you're back to square 1, make sure that you dont have a bad maf or vacuum leak somewhere else:
a) See if the car runs better w/ the maf disconnected. If so, its likely the guilty party
b) Buy a can of throttle body cleaner and clean the throttle body, egr, etc....
c) Also w/ the car running, spray around diff areas under the hood( not near the battery, spark plug wires, coil, etc ) to see if you have a leak underhood. The idle will change if you spray in an area that has a leak. Remember, the fluid is highly flammable and car fires can ruin a day( or week ). Use this at your own risk....
d) Also, check the "j-hose" underneath the car near the fuel filter( known for leaks )
e) Have you done any of the stage 0 maint?

Im a relative newbie as well, but post your findings here and folks will be more than glad to help you nail it down.

[erikv11]

Those are good suggestions. First thing is the determine if there is a vacuum leak, either at the booster or somewhere else in that booster line. Spray around the hose and junctions with some starting fluid (just because it is cheaper than MAF cleaner; get the kind without oil/lubricant in it). You may want to start your own thread your car's issues will get buried in this one.

[MadeInJapan]

Same hose on mine is also old looking...was going to replace it but figured it might fall apart. I just left it. When it starts leaking I have hose to replace it...the long hose goes under the battery tray where there's another connector and then to the cylinder brake booster.

[soundcomm]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

After long days at work, bear with me while I procrastinate a few days away whilst motivating myself to climb under the hood before applying your many suggestions!

Since the car was running prior to the test, I am going to focus on the areas I messed with, namely the booster hose.

mrwillie:
Great idea regarding using a temporary hose to determine if the problem is somewhere in the current hose; but access to the connector on the booster is near impossible because of all the metal hydraulic brake lines around it. I already aborted trying to get the old hose off that connector once because I felt I was excessively bending the connector in the booster body and potentially creating a leak there. Now I'll be staring at that dilemma again just to get the temporary hose attached. Woe is me!

Based on other posts I've read, I know it's contradictory but the car seems to run worse with MAF disconnected.

Had to look up what Stage 0 was...Thanks for exposing me to an entire wish list of things I can't afford but would love to do!

erikv11:
I re-stocked my depleted supply of Throttle Cleaner at the store and still have a can of Starting Fluid lying around but won't be able to do much vacuum hunting with them until the car can maintain an idle.
If these suggestions, and focusing on the booster hose, don't resolve the problem, I'll take your advice and start a new thread.

Thanks again.

[mrwillie]

1) Would it be possible to run a hose from the intake manifold port to the connector under the battery tray?? If you made the disconnect under the tray, it makes sense to me to try and replace that section of hose( ie intake to "battery-tray-area" )

2) The car running worse w/ the maf disconnected suggests that it may actually working. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but that can be crossed off the list of suspects.

3) The "stage 0" maint is something that's an on-going process for me as well. I suggested it as a way to rule out some issues, but since it wasnt done prior to this issue, I would assume that other areas could be looked at first.

4) Did u get a chance to pull any codes yet?