1st gen Secondary air injection problems

I have had my 2006 limited DC for almost a year now and the only real part failure I’ve had was for the secondary air injection pump going out. I decided to have the Hewitt bypass kit for the 1st gen tundra installed as a cheaper remedy. Unfortunately about 400-500 miles after the truck threw the code P1613 which indicates a SAS issue on bank 1. After contacting Hewitt directly they recommended to Check and sodder all connections on the kit. I took the truck in to the shop that installed it weeks prior and they did as recommended after charging for diagnostics and all that. And now a few weeks and about 900 miles after, the same P1613 has returned. It is only a matter of time before the truck goes into limp mode again. Does anyone have experience with this particular situation?

 

Not trying to be an asshole, but there's a search box in the upper-right corner of the forum. I used that with "P1613" and found a shitload of threads on the topic, all dealing with Hewitt. I think that clearly answers the question, "Yes, people have had this experience".

Here's some links to get reading, at the end of it, I would just say what I tell everyone who attempts to bypass SAIS: I would've just changed the pump/valves and not had to worry about it for 15-20 more years. Buy once, cry once!

But you may learn another answer reading these, since they all have that code and all used the Gen2 Hewitt Bypass:

https://www.tundras.com/threads/p1613-code-after-gen2-hewitt-sais-bypass-installed.126256/

https://www.tundras.com/threads/possible-bad-2006-tundra-4-7-ecu.156302/

https://www.tundras.com/threads/codes-clearing-themselves.109959/

https://www.tundras.com/threads/check-eng-maint-reqd-lights-at-the-same-time-need-asst.108447/

https://www.tundras.com/threads/code-p1613.89837/

 

PS @HewittTech01 clearly there is something going on, we continue to get these threads about this code with your Gen2 kit! There's no way it's a coincidence, I think you may have a problem with your product, or its install instructions.

 

Why doesn’t someone come up with a kit to relocate the pumps and valve away from under the intake. I think the pump on my Gen2.5 is in the wheel well.

 

Or better yet, come up with a proper deletion kit. One that would allow you to effectively roll the truck back to the pre-VVTi version, i.e.

• Delete the two solenoids over bank 2 and remove the tubing
• Delete the switching valve under the intake
• Delete the SAI pump under the intake
• Delete and cap valves on the back of the engine
• Remove its existence from the ECU, so the engine won't throw codes

Certainly, this system isn't helping to do much of anything in the grand scheme of things, and at this point in our trucks' lives, it causes more environmental problems (e-waste, landfill fodder) than it's helping clear emissions out of the sky. Your average budget airline causes 100x more air pollution than every 1st Gen Tundra in North America combined, as I'm sure is probably true for any single major freight company's truck fleet.

While I appreciate the solutions Hewitt, Rutech, and others offer, I don't think it's a "solution" so much as a "kick the can, and hope it continues to roll down the street". The threads above are only the ones dealing with that specific code, there are two other common codes we see people complain about on here after installing the kit. Sometimes it's the installers fault, they do stupid shit, like assuming the blockoff plates are optional/aren't necessary (wrong) or they break studs installing the blockoff plates and end up with leaks that impact other things.

Sad reality is, fixing this the correct way, by figuring our which of the half dozen parts in the SAI system has failed, and addressing it - since it *COULD* be something as stupid as a bad $1 vacuum hose at the solenoids, which sit above the bank 2 valve cover! - is the best possible solution. Not the cheapest, but the best. It'll get you by for at least another 12-15 years.

What I find exorbitantly stupid is, repairing this the right way should cost less than what you're paying every 9-10 years to have timing belt service done by a shop. Like, I get that SAI system failure has no major damage potential, unlike the timing belt. But throwing SAI codes will toss you into limp mode, which is annoying as hell, and if you're likely to only do this ONCE during the next 10-15 years, just ... just do it.

 

I've fought a couple gremlins with the Hewitt Gen 2 kit . . . but to be fair, their customer service has been top notch.
The first go-around was probably my fault for leaving too much slack in the wires at the connection point.
After that, the module was bad, but hewitt replaced it for free, and with expedited shipping.
No problems since.

I live in So Cal, and good / reliable auto-techs are very expensive. (replacing that system myself is above my pay grade mechanically).

Had I not done the bypass kit, and knowing what I know now . . . I would've had to replace the ENTIRE SAIS system just to be safe. Because every time a dependable shop in my area dives into your truck, it's going to be big bucks. If you replace one part of the system, and then another part in there fails, you're double-screwed.
If I remember correctly it would've been north of $2500+ to replace the entire system with OEM parts . . . and at the time, that wasn't in my wheel house financially.
Do I regret installing the bypass kit ??? . . . no . . . am I 100% satisfied ???... not really.

Mine has never gone into limp mode . . .if it had, or does, I may change my mind . . .that seems like a very inconvenient buzzkill.

 

You might consider an ECU tune from Brandon at Quantum Auto. I had to bypass the SAIS system for my long tube headers. And you would get the advantage of a performance tune It won't pass emissions test but that's not a problem in my state