Check Engine Light On

Ten days before my smog check, my 98 Camry check engine is on. Checked everything under the hood, looks all ok. Went to Auto Zone and get my self a code scanner. Auto Zone rent you one for 150 and if you return within 30 days they return your memory.

Plug in the scanner, it gave me code P0125 and P1135. I cleared the code with the scanner and the light went off for a few miles and then comes back. So the problem is real.

Search through the net and found the O2 sensor most likely is the cause. Get a multimeter and measured it, it is bad. So I went around and found again Auto Zone has the lowest price. Order one and replaced the sensor. Then cleared the code with code scan. It might clear itself given enough time but I can't wait. Since then the check engine light never come back and I passed the smog test.

Project System Quiet Down

I have a "old" computer that has a AMD Thunderbird 1.13GHZ CPU. I was using a heat sink that has a 60x60 fan. It runs at over 4800rpm and is very noisy. I decide to quiet it down.

There are so called "silent" heat sinks available. But since this is an old CPU, I can only get it through mail order, which cost quite a bit shipping and handling. So I decided to replaced the fan with a bigger one.

So I went out and bought a 80x80 to 60x60mm fan adaptor. Removed the old fan and put the adapter and an old but much quiet 80x80 case fan. Now my computer is much quiet, from screaming to humming. Note, you still need a powerful 80x80 fan to push the air though the heat sink. But since it is bigger, it can run at a lower RPM to keep the same amount of air through.

A note here. When I was replacing the fan, I found a lot of dirt stack in the heat sink. My CPU was at a 47C. After clean up the dirt, my CPU is at 41C even with the old fan. With the new bigger one, it is down to 39C.