The secondary air injection system on your vehicle is a part of the exhaust system. Its primary responsibility is to bring oxygen into this system in order to help deal with any leftover fuel that does not get burned during driving. This is important because the unused hydrocarbons get expelled with the exhaust causing emissions that are bad for the environment. The secondary air injection system helps minimize those emissions, which you can monitor with a smog test. When this component goes bad, you can still drive but may not be able to pass an emissions test. Therefore, that leaves many to question how to replace a secondary air injection pump. This article will give you step by step instructions as to how to replace secondary air injection pump.
Things You Will Need
• Repair Manuals – Available for free from Autozone;
• Safety gloves;
• Ratchet;
• Safety Goggles;
• New secondary air injection pump;
• Shop towel;
• Bolt Penetrant.
Step 1: Safety First
As with any project that necessitates you work under the hood of your vehicle around surfaces that are hot, contain chemicals you may come in contact with, or moveable parts, you will want to protect yourself with the proper safety gear. Goggles to protect your eyes and gloves to protect your hands from chemical contact and cuts should be routinely used for any automotive repair. After all, there is no reason to save yourself some cash by doing a repair yourself if you are just going to end up with a much bigger hospital bill because you did not practice safety first.
Step 2: Locate the Part
The first step in how to replace a secondary pump is to figure out its location. Your repair manual can help you in this step. If you are unable to get your hands on a repair manual from Autozone, you can also try a Chilton repair manual or brows online for an answer regarding your specific vehicle make and model. Typically, the secondary air injection pump is towards the front of your engine and will have the serpentine belt running around it. Be sure to take a quick photo or familiarize yourself with the belt routing diagram for the serpentine belt so that you can properly reroute the belt properly.
Step 3: Belt Removal
The next step in how to replace your secondary air injection pump is the removal of the serpentine belt. We stress the need to be informed or have a diagram of the belt rout because the serpentine belt has a specific route through many components in order for them to work correctly. In this step, you will need to use your ratchet in the square shape tensioner in order to be able to push it from the belt. You can then easily pull the belt from off of its pulleys.
In some earlier model vehicles, the serpentine belt is replaced by a v-belt. For those vehicles, you will simply remove the pump mounting bolts and adjustment bracket in order to move the pump inwards until it the v-belt can be slipped off.
Step 4: Hose Removal
Next, you will want to remove any clamps and pull the hose that connects to the secondary air injection pump.
Step 5: Removal Continued
Other items to remove from the pump are any electrical connections, and if you see any vacuum lines connected, they should be removed as well in this step of how to replace secondary air injection pump.
Step 6: Grab your Ratchet
Using that handy ratchet or a wrench that fits, the next item to remove will be the mounting bolts. If you are having a hard time removing the bolts, you can use a penetrant on them allowing it to soak in for at least an hour before you try to remove them again.
Step 7: Final Removal
Finally, now that all wires, vacuum lines, and bolts are removed, you should easily be able to pull the old pump off your vehicle. This step will end the removal process of how to replace a secondary air injection pump.
The Reinstall
Step 1: Clean Up
Using a shop towel, take the time to give the area a quick wipe down. This will help remove any debris that may cause your pump to not sit correctly back in place.
Step 2: New Pump
Now that the area is clean and all components are removed, you can begin your reinstall. First, you will want to realign the new pump into position. Once you are lined up, you can slide the new secondary air injection pump into place.
Step 3: Mounting Bolts
Using the mounting bolts you removed earlier, tighten down the pump until it is firmly in place.
Step 4: Wires and Hoses
Next, you need to replace any electrical wires and vacuum hoses you may have removed from the secondary air injection pump earlier in the process.
Step 5: Main Hose Replacement
The next component you will replace is that main hose you disconnected from the pump. It should slide right back onto the pump connection. You will then need to tighten and clamps that are used to keep that hose from slipping off.
Step 6: Serpentine Belt
Use the guide or the photos you took earlier of the route that the serpentine belt took through your system. Reroute the belt properly by pushing the tensioner in order to be able to slide the belt onto the pulleys.
If you are working with a V-belt, pull the pump outboard to get the belt back on. Then replace the mounting bolts and bracket snugly.
Conclusion
Most states require an emissions test as part of a yearly or bi-annual vehicle check in order for you to drive. If your secondary air injection pump is not working correctly, you may find your vehicle fails the test. These simple steps to answer how to replace a secondary air injection pump can give you peace of mind, help minimize pollution, and save you some money.