87MR2 car problem question

bryan · 02-11-2006, 10:57 PM

Have a question if anybody has any idea what they think is wrong with my car. Well I have a 1987 red Mr2 1.6 4cy Automatic. Well the car sat for about 6 weeks at my girlfriends parents house and we went to pick it up. And on the way home the motor felt like it cut out half the power. If I had it floored it felt like it was getting like half the gas. It would only go about 20mph, but it was still running and it wasn't stalling out. I pulled over and was checking the plug wires they seemed fine. I didn't see any sparks or anything. Well I started driving home about 20mph and the exhaust crackled a little bit and it backfired and took off and drove fine for a little while and then started running bad again. I made it home. then the next day took it for a drive and it drove fine untill it warmed up then started running bad again like it was not getting enough gas. I ran the diognostic test and came up with #6. looked in the haynes book and it didn't really tell me much. I thought maybe the coil or maybe the fuel filter was bad. I just replaced all the plugs, coil, and wires last night. Hoping that fixes it.
Does anybody have any idea on what's wrong with it? thanks, Bryan

TheAmazingDave · 02-12-2006, 02:49 AM

It does sound like it could be fuel starvation, especially if the tank is low on fuel. Try replacing the fuel filter since it's probably overdue anyway. But if it is a filter, my money is on the in-tank pump filter.

bryan · 02-12-2006, 12:12 PM

ok thanks 86mister2 for your advice I will replace the fuel filter and drive it and see If that fixes the problem.

TheAmazingDave · 02-12-2006, 12:33 PM

I should have been more clear, I had just found out my dad was in a motorcycle wreck when I was typing last night.

When the tank is low on fuel the pump starts sucking from the bottom of the tank instead of having the pump chamber fill from above when the tank is full. You could be picking up crap from the bottom and it blocks up the mesh screen filter on the pump. When the car is off the sediment falls off of the screen and settles on the bottom again. Then when you start it up and drive again, the sediment gets sucked back up and the process repeats.

THis happened to my Astro Van. I was trying to get home from work and it suddenly lost a lot of power but would still run. I hit this small hill and I had to keep it floored just to climb it. I also had to drop it from Drive to 3rd gear and the fastest it would go was 63 MPH. While this was happening the temperature gauge started rapidly climbing, I'm guessing because the extra lean mixture was generating lots of heat.

Nitro2 · 11-14-2006, 09:37 AM

What is the best way to clean the fuel screen and replace the fuel filter?

TheAmazingDave · 11-14-2006, 02:39 PM

To replace or clean the screen, you will need to remove the fuel tank from the car and pull out the fuel pump. The screen is attached to the bottom of the pump. The fuel filter is on the cab-to-engine compartment firewall and is easily replaceable. Don't confuse the fuel filter with the evap. canister, the filter has a big fuel line entering through the bottom and secured with a banjo bolt, it also has a fuel line coming out of the top with another big banjo bolt. These are probably very tight so be careful not to strip the bolts when you remove them.

Before opening the fuel lines, you should depressurize the fuel system so gas doesn't spray everywhere when you loosen the bolts. Do this by removing the center armrest/console and unplugging the fuel pump, there will be a yellow connector with a blue/red stripe and a white/black stripe wire going to it. Those colors may not be correct as I'm going from memory and it's been a few years, but it is the connector closest to the rear of the car. The connector towards the front is for the fuel level sender. After disconnecting the pump, crank the engine for a few seconds to release the pressure. When installing the new fuel filter, USE NEW COPPER CRUSH WASHERS on the banjo bolts to prevent leaks. If you don't, you'll be driving a time bomb.

Nitro2 · 11-14-2006, 03:53 PM

I don't know if I want to take the tank off right now, but the filter sounds easy enough. Thanks again.

Nitro2 · 11-17-2006, 11:28 AM

86mister2

I just found out the problem with my '88 is the #2 injector is sticking open. Do you know if this is a difficult job to replace and possibly clean the other injectors? Also, which is the #2, the second from the right or left?

TheAmazingDave · 11-17-2006, 12:02 PM

It's not a difficult job. You will have to remove the fuel lines to the rail and pull the fuel rail off. Cleaning the injectors is best left to professionals so you know it was done right. I clened my injectors on my GZE with carb cleaner, but they weren't sticking. I just thought it would be a good idea to clean out the nozzles since I had the engine out for a swap. I hear lots of good things about the injector cleaning services provided by witchhunter.com.

After you get them cleaned and before you put them back in, you will need some other new parts, for your own safety. Failure to do this could result in a massive fuel fire in the engine bay. You will need to replace the injector o-rings that hold the top of the injector in to the fuel rail, make sure you use a little bit of gas to lube them before you pop them in the rail. You will also need to replace the isolators in the head that the injectors sit in (they look like rubber doughnuts.) On top of those, you should replace ALL of the copper crush washers on the fuel lines and rail where you removed the fuel lines and such. These copper washers may not seal properly if reused, causing the same fire potential as reusing your o-rings and isolators.

toyotaspeed90 · 11-20-2006, 03:50 AM

actually to me it sounds like it's running too RICH.....

you said that it ran ok until it warmed up..... and once that happened it went to hell.....

so, it's either running too rich (and running excessively rich when cold doesn't actually hinder performance too much) or you have a problem with your injectors.... the fact that it ran ok when cold is key..... that means the rail was pressurized enough to run the injectors and the cold start injector (ie, if the rail wasn't pressurized enough, the csi won't run correctly... and may not even start....)

02-11-2006, 10:57 PM	#1 (permalink)
bryan No Skills Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 2 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	87MR2 car problem question Have a question if anybody has any idea what they think is wrong with my car. Well I have a 1987 red Mr2 1.6 4cy Automatic. Well the car sat for about 6 weeks at my girlfriends parents house and we went to pick it up. And on the way home the motor felt like it cut out half the power. If I had it floored it felt like it was getting like half the gas. It would only go about 20mph, but it was still running and it wasn't stalling out. I pulled over and was checking the plug wires they seemed fine. I didn't see any sparks or anything. Well I started driving home about 20mph and the exhaust crackled a little bit and it backfired and took off and drove fine for a little while and then started running bad again. I made it home. then the next day took it for a drive and it drove fine untill it warmed up then started running bad again like it was not getting enough gas. I ran the diognostic test and came up with #6. looked in the haynes book and it didn't really tell me much. I thought maybe the coil or maybe the fuel filter was bad. I just replaced all the plugs, coil, and wires last night. Hoping that fixes it. Does anybody have any idea on what's wrong with it? thanks, Bryan

11-14-2006, 09:37 AM	#5 (permalink)
Nitro2 Nitro2 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Columbus, Ohio Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Who hads the goods? What is the best way to clean the fuel screen and replace the fuel filter?

11-14-2006, 03:53 PM	#7 (permalink)
Nitro2 Nitro2 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Columbus, Ohio Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Thanks I don't know if I want to take the tank off right now, but the filter sounds easy enough. Thanks again.

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02-12-2006, 02:49 AM	#2 (permalink)
TheAmazingDave Cage Fighter Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 1,112 Thanks: 13 Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	It does sound like it could be fuel starvation, especially if the tank is low on fuel. Try replacing the fuel filter since it's probably overdue anyway. But if it is a filter, my money is on the in-tank pump filter.

02-12-2006, 12:12 PM	#3 (permalink)
bryan No Skills Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 2 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	ok thanks 86mister2 for your advice I will replace the fuel filter and drive it and see If that fixes the problem.

02-12-2006, 12:33 PM	#4 (permalink)
TheAmazingDave Cage Fighter Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 1,112 Thanks: 13 Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	I should have been more clear, I had just found out my dad was in a motorcycle wreck when I was typing last night. When the tank is low on fuel the pump starts sucking from the bottom of the tank instead of having the pump chamber fill from above when the tank is full. You could be picking up crap from the bottom and it blocks up the mesh screen filter on the pump. When the car is off the sediment falls off of the screen and settles on the bottom again. Then when you start it up and drive again, the sediment gets sucked back up and the process repeats. THis happened to my Astro Van. I was trying to get home from work and it suddenly lost a lot of power but would still run. I hit this small hill and I had to keep it floored just to climb it. I also had to drop it from Drive to 3rd gear and the fastest it would go was 63 MPH. While this was happening the temperature gauge started rapidly climbing, I'm guessing because the extra lean mixture was generating lots of heat.

11-14-2006, 02:39 PM	#6 (permalink)
TheAmazingDave Cage Fighter Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 1,112 Thanks: 13 Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	To replace or clean the screen, you will need to remove the fuel tank from the car and pull out the fuel pump. The screen is attached to the bottom of the pump. The fuel filter is on the cab-to-engine compartment firewall and is easily replaceable. Don't confuse the fuel filter with the evap. canister, the filter has a big fuel line entering through the bottom and secured with a banjo bolt, it also has a fuel line coming out of the top with another big banjo bolt. These are probably very tight so be careful not to strip the bolts when you remove them. Before opening the fuel lines, you should depressurize the fuel system so gas doesn't spray everywhere when you loosen the bolts. Do this by removing the center armrest/console and unplugging the fuel pump, there will be a yellow connector with a blue/red stripe and a white/black stripe wire going to it. Those colors may not be correct as I'm going from memory and it's been a few years, but it is the connector closest to the rear of the car. The connector towards the front is for the fuel level sender. After disconnecting the pump, crank the engine for a few seconds to release the pressure. When installing the new fuel filter, USE NEW COPPER CRUSH WASHERS on the banjo bolts to prevent leaks. If you don't, you'll be driving a time bomb.

11-17-2006, 11:28 AM	#8 (permalink)
Nitro2 Nitro2 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Columbus, Ohio Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	86mister2 I just found out the problem with my '88 is the #2 injector is sticking open. Do you know if this is a difficult job to replace and possibly clean the other injectors? Also, which is the #2, the second from the right or left?

11-17-2006, 12:02 PM	#9 (permalink)
TheAmazingDave Cage Fighter Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 1,112 Thanks: 13 Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	It's not a difficult job. You will have to remove the fuel lines to the rail and pull the fuel rail off. Cleaning the injectors is best left to professionals so you know it was done right. I clened my injectors on my GZE with carb cleaner, but they weren't sticking. I just thought it would be a good idea to clean out the nozzles since I had the engine out for a swap. I hear lots of good things about the injector cleaning services provided by witchhunter.com. After you get them cleaned and before you put them back in, you will need some other new parts, for your own safety. Failure to do this could result in a massive fuel fire in the engine bay. You will need to replace the injector o-rings that hold the top of the injector in to the fuel rail, make sure you use a little bit of gas to lube them before you pop them in the rail. You will also need to replace the isolators in the head that the injectors sit in (they look like rubber doughnuts.) On top of those, you should replace ALL of the copper crush washers on the fuel lines and rail where you removed the fuel lines and such. These copper washers may not seal properly if reused, causing the same fire potential as reusing your o-rings and isolators.

11-20-2006, 03:50 AM	#10 (permalink)
toyotaspeed90 No Skills Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Bellingham, WA Posts: 2,407 Thanks: 0 Thanked 149 Times in 144 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	actually to me it sounds like it's running too RICH..... you said that it ran ok until it warmed up..... and once that happened it went to hell..... so, it's either running too rich (and running excessively rich when cold doesn't actually hinder performance too much) or you have a problem with your injectors.... the fact that it ran ok when cold is key..... that means the rail was pressurized enough to run the injectors and the cold start injector (ie, if the rail wasn't pressurized enough, the csi won't run correctly... and may not even start....)