Running on 3 cylinders! Help!!!

[mimatans]

@ any and all!!!

I was having probs with oil leaks and had all of the bushings and gaskets on the engine replaced. As long as the motor was out I had the clutch replaced as well. So, before this all began I had absolutely no probs with the engine - except that I was leaking oil ;-)

All the work's done, the engine mounted again, and what now?!! It looks like cylinder 2 isn't getting any fuel!!! I get a spark on all the plugs - as far as I can tell nothing intermittent... When I drove home from the garage all was ok. The next time I started her up I had the prob. What do you guys think? My mech tells me I probably have a problem with the plugs or a cable. For me it looks like the injecter for number 2 is blocked! Has anyone here had this kind of a problem? No error codes have been recorded I'm stumped

Any ides guys? I can't drive my baby like this and I'm starting to go cold turkey! Help!!!

[PETC]

If you didn't replace the fuel filter in the swap, then there's a possibility that it got knocked around or something and debris from inside have cloged an injector.

If you're certain you're not getting fuel from one or more of the injectors, take it out and clean it.

However, I'd certainly just replace the two plugs first, just to be sure they aren't fouled.

[mimatans]

@PETC

I'm in Germany - unfortunately our shops aren't opened on Sundays
Tomorrow a whole new set of plugs is going in. The funny thing is, we checked the plugs last night! All of them are funkin'!!! Like I mentioned, it doesn't look like any cycles are being left out. What about resistance? Could it be that the resistance in a plug or cable could have changed and then caused an effect like this? As far as the plugs go (and the plug sockets) nothing is oily or otherwise wet or dirty....

Really weird...

Edited because I just can't type...

[PETC]

Check your timing and make sure you're not running too rich, and just replace the plugs first then let us know if it helps any.

[Hiighboost2]

Im not sure how recently you've replaced the cap/rotor/plugs/ and wires,
but my car also seemed to be running on only 3 cylinders and i replaced all the above and it drove fine.

[mimatans]

Guys!

Thanks for the input! Tomorrow new plugs are going to be installed and a friend is bringing cables over for testing... I'm hoping that I don't have to replace the rotor and cap - that stuff is just, well, the prices are horendous here!!!

I'll keep you posted!

[Hiighboost2]

Are they that expensive? I bought a new cap/rotor from Toyota and I dont remember it being too bad.

Have you taken off the cap/rotor just to check?

When i took mine off the rotor was very old looking and immediatly after replacing I noticed a difference.

Hope you can find and fix your problem.

[mimatans]

@Highboost2
Cap and rotor were checked yesterday - considering it's a '91 all is pretty much ok!

Today the guy that did the engine work came over to take a look. It looks like there's a loose connection to the - hell, I've been in Germany too long - the part that feeds the distributor (coil?) If I wiggle it I get the number 2 cylinder back. If I drive about 2 km I seem to have the prob again. I put new plugs in today and we used the cables from his Turbo. Nothing seems to give me a lasting effect. After we got it going (and he went home) I drive about 40 km without a problem. I wanted to take my wife out for a drive this evening and BINGO! 3 cylinders again... I wiggled some contacts and I was good for about 2 miles again. I just don't get it. Sometimes when she's cols, sometimes when she's warm. I'm really going nuts. If I start to replace everything that I heard it could be, it'll set me back another €1500... I just paid that for the engine work

I think the guy that did the work is stumped as well - and that's bad because he's the expert in my area!

[mimatans]

BTW: Here's a sample of "cheap" prices. I have no idea what you guys are paying. These are not original Toyo parts!!!

Sparkplug Cable Set, BERU Length 340/ 490/ 510/ 610/ 300mm, after Oct. 1993 €114,03

Sparkplug Cable Set, BERU Length 360/ 380/ 410/ 530/ 290mm, up to Oct. 1993 €115,77

Distributor Cap, BREMI Bosch, up to Dec. 1991 €69,81

Distributor Cap, BREMI Denso, after Dec. 1991 €62,06

Rotor, BREMI Denso 1 €13,29

[Mister2.2]

Try a compression test on the cyl in question? If that's fine and you get spark and your plugs are fine then you have a problem with fuel, probably an injector.

[TomsMR2]

get a long screwdriver and put it up to the inejctor and put your ear on the other end. you should hear clicking. if not, dead injector. pull the plug wire with the car running and hold it over a bolt. if it sparks, you've got a dead plug, if it doesnt, you've got a bad wire or cap. do the easiest things first

[mimatans]

@ Mister2.2, TomsMR2

Thanks for the tips! Gonna try that stuff today...

BTW: Just what is it that controls the sparks to the distributor cap? I need an English word that I've oviously lost over the years

[CyFi]

the ignition coil?

[mimatans]

@CyFi - Yep! That's waht I was looking for! Thx

@All
Thanks for all the tips. It really helped with the troubleshooting and spared me going out and buying one unneeded part after the other

BTW: This problem has been solved!!! The cable between the coil and the cap must have an internal break. I started jiggling it around and would sometimes have 4 fired cylinders, sometimes 3. Always number 2 didn't fire when the cable was acting up. Go figure. You would think that none would fire properly, but that wasn't the case. In any event, I replaced the cable and the problem is gone! I'm running on 4 cylinders

[Hiighboost2]

good deal

[Mister2.2]

Strange problem, glad you got it all figured out.

[mimatans]

@all
Just an info...
My neighbor doesn't know anything about MR2, but alot about cars in general - fixes almost everything himself

He told me it is quite "normal" for a car that's having ignition problems to experience these in cylinders 2 and 4. According to him it has something to do with the timing - it's all Greek to me