Help! Idle Problem & Wierd Exhaust Sound?

[scribby]

Hi,
Well here is my problem, when the car is moving and not in gear (so its idling) it moves rapidly between 950rpm and 800rpm, now I have a feeling that its the distributor because I’ve seen a bit of oil in the distributor cap. However how could I say flush the oil out of the actual distributor? What spray could I use that would clean it even if only temporarily without damaging it?

My g/f's parents also have a spare distributor that they have sitting around from when they had a Camry, and have given it to me, how difficult would it be to swap the two around and would it solve the problem of the oil leak?

From what I understand I would need to mark the position of the rotor arm? and the position of the actual distributor bolts? then just replace making sure everything is in the same position as before? Also how difficult is it to take the distributor out? do I require any special tools, or is it a simple unbolt pull out and replace?

Next problem is when I'm driving up hills and when I get too around 2600rpm I get a really odd squealing sound coming from the exhaust, I have removed my catalytic converter and don't know if this could be the cause of the squeal? I had gutted the cat and put it back? maybe a straight through pipe would solve the problem? is there anything else that may be causing it?


CAR INFO:
Toyota Camry
SV21 = 3S-FE = 1990
KM: nearly 300,000
New distributer cap, rotor, spark plugs, air filter, fuel filter, TB cleaned not to long ago.

Thanks to anyone who can help me

[scribby]

Well I figured I would take a risk, and marked the distributer so I could put it back in the same spot and pulled it out...
Took a bit to get out, dont think its been removed in quite some time.

The distributer ORing looks like its shrunk, so really its not doing much..

I've put it back together for now after cleaning it up, but ill have to get a new ORing.

[toyomoho]

Is there oil inside the cap or just leaking out the bottom of the housing? Replacing the distributor is not that difficult. Align the crank at TDC with rotor at No 1 cylinder. Mark the housing location to reinstall at the same location. The engine may need to be re-timed but this is pretty easy. The link below provides a service manual. Rough idle can also be caused by the IAC valve, MAP sensor and EGR valve.

Can’t say about the exhaust squeal, maybe something inside the exhaust system is acting like reed and vibrating.

http://oregonstate.edu/~tongt/camry

[scribby]

Originally Posted by toyomoho

Is there oil inside the cap or just leaking out the bottom of the housing? Replacing the distributor is not that difficult. Align the crank at TDC with rotor at No 1 cylinder. Mark the housing location to reinstall at the same location. The engine may need to be re-timed but this is pretty easy. The link below provides a service manual. Rough idle can also be caused by the IAC valve, MAP sensor and EGR valve.

Can’t say about the exhaust squeal, maybe something inside the exhaust system is acting like reed and vibrating.

http://oregonstate.edu/~tongt/camry

Theres oil in the cap as well as the bottom of the housing.

When I removed the distributer I just marked with a perminate texter where everything was, and where the rotor was pointing and just made sure to put everything back just as it was. It seems to be running fine, if I say put it back and it was 1mm or less off than what it was before would that make any difference? I don't actually know how to re-time so I'm hoping I dont have too.

[Kep]

I'd be surprised if the distributor caused your idle to fluctuate like that. However, if it has oil inside you either need to replace it or rebuild it. Toyota doesn't sell the gasket for the interior seal. There is some outfit that does. Search the past posts. It has been mentioned several times. The oil in the distributor may have damaged the two pick-up coils and/or the coil. Test those per the manual. If they are OK then a rebuild is feasible.

Clean out your throttle body, EGR valve and IAC valve (my bet is on the IAC valve). Run engine cleaner through the fuel. Seafoam is well thought of in the forum. You can add it to the gas and run it into the engine through the vacuum system.

Replace the wires and plugs if they're old.

Do a search on this forum for your symptoms. There is a lot of information if you're willing to look.

Kep

[scribby]

Ok, IAC valve cleaned two times now sprayed it right down the hole heaps of it and no success... I took the actual throttle body off so I could spray it right down the hole to the IAC and make sure it was all getting in there.

EGR valve works because when the engine is running I can suck on where the vacuum tube would normally go in and it works fine.

Don’t think the Toyota Camry sv21, 3SFE has a MAP sensor.

That leaves the ignition coil, now I've cleaned the distributor and so there is no oil in there... there wasn’t much getting in there and I believe since I've cleaned it all and put a new oring on there has been no oil leakage. When I looked at the ignition coil it had a crack in it, the other distributor I had was the same except there was one along the top and down the side, so I used my current one. So I'm guessing that’s probably the cause of my troubles, and from what I've read its expensive to replace? Is there anything else I can check?

I now realize its not when I'm braking but when I'm going over about 20km/ph and I push the clutch in so the car is moving and it starts to idle that’s when it happens, however when its going slower than around 20km/ph it seems fine.

[Mike Gerber]

"When I looked at the ignition coil it had a crack in it,"

This is a common problem on the 3SFE engines. The car must run very poorly in wet/damp weather. That crack allows the coil to short itself out to any metal inside the distributor. The coil needs to be replaced. Years ago I got one at Pep Boys (here in the states) for around $40. It was a Borg Warner unit. I don't know if they sell Borg Warner in Australia, but you should be able to get some aftermarket unit. The Toyota dealer will want to sell you a whole new distributor. Don't let them. Get an aftermarket coil and replace it. You already know how to take the distributor out. After that it's an easy thing to replace.

Mike

[scribby]

Well went into repco today and its around $80 for a new one, ill get one this weekend some time and see if it solves the problem.

[88 LE]

Originally Posted by scribby

If I say put it back and it was 1mm or less off than what it was before would that make any difference? I don't actually know how to re-time so I'm hoping I dont have too.

I wouldn't worry about 1mm. However the ignition timing can be checked and adjusted.


Checking and adjusting the ignition timing is pretty easy to do.

1. Start engine, place tranny in neutral (make sure the parking brake is engaged).

2. Hookup a timing light. Theres 3 connections (+12V, ground, and trigger (clamp)). The clamp (trigger) clips onto the #1 sparkplug wire (left most cylinder).

3. Short pins TE1 & E1 and diagnostic connector. A paperclip or a small short piece of wire with the ends stripped off works for this.

4. Point the timing light at the crank pulley and pull the trigger/switch on the timing light. You should be able to see a notch on the crank pulley. The notch will line up to marking (numbers) on the lower timing belt cover. You want the notch to line up to "10", which means 10 degrees BTDC (before top dead center).

5. If the timing is off you can adjust it by loosening the 2 bolts that hold the distributor and turn the distributor up or down. It only takes a little bit to make a change.

Once its correct (verify with timing light), tighten down the 2 bolts, and check the timing again to make sure its correct.

Don’t think the Toyota Camry sv21, 3SFE has a MAP sensor.

For the most part a 3S-FE has a AFM (airflow meter).

I have seen one with a MAP sensor, but it was from Norway.

Well went into repco today and its around $80 for a new one, ill get one this weekend some time and see if it solves the problem.

Have you checked the resistance on your coil? Although a crack on the coil is a good sign that its bad.


http://autozone.com/az/cds/en_us/090...rInfoPages.htm




P.S. Distributor seal kit, internal seal included.

http://www.kbox.ca/catalog/product_i...roducts_id=232

[scribby]

Thanks for all the info, don't know if I can order that from kbox.ca? can they post to Australia?

I was on my way to get a new coil but I decided not to, as I've double checked and it only does it when I apply the brakes, so I have a feeling its the brake booster as mentioned in http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/t173267.html I will replace the coil at a later stage but at the moment I don't think that is the cause.

[scribby]

Finally its fixed!!
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/t174362.html

My idle was set too high, so I lowerd it a bit and its not doing it any more.