98 Camry (4 cylinder) has stuttering problem

[maskedbandit]

I have a problem with my 98 Camry (4 cyl). Yesterday, it started hesitating during idle, as well as acceleration. The service light came on at that same time. I was practically on fumes at that point (oops), and slowly made my way to the gas station. My first thought was the obvious......I was about to run out of gas. After refueling, the problem continued. My next thought was that I had some trash in the carborator, as a result of running my tank to empty. What is throwing me off is the service light. I also noticed that after a few minutes of driving, it started putting off a burning smell...not to much, but noticable. Any ideas before I head to the shop? I have read several forum suggestions about cleaning the IAC valve, but most of those included a problem with stalling. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Kep]

Trash is unlikely. The fuel filter would have stopped any particles. However, maybe there was some water that got sucked up. I'm not sure how probable that is with the ethanol fuel that we use these days. Another thought is that the fuel pump uses the gas as a lubricant. Run a tank too dry and the fuel pump can get damaged. However, I don't believe this would throw a CEL.

Either way, go get your CEL code checked. A lot of auto parts stores will read these for free. That would be a good first step.

Kep

[maskedbandit]

Thanks Kep. Much appreciated. I'll hit the parts shop tomorrow.

[OEMonkey]

Originally Posted by maskedbandit

I have a problem with my 98 Camry (4 cyl). Yesterday, it started hesitating during idle, as well as acceleration. The service light came on at that same time. I was practically on fumes at that point (oops), and slowly made my way to the gas station. My first thought was the obvious......I was about to run out of gas. After refueling, the problem continued. My next thought was that I had some trash in the carborator, as a result of running my tank to empty. What is throwing me off is the service light. I also noticed that after a few minutes of driving, it started putting off a burning smell...not to much, but noticable. Any ideas before I head to the shop? I have read several forum suggestions about cleaning the IAC valve, but most of those included a problem with stalling. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Service light? Do you mean the MIL or check engine light? Most likely have a misfire code if the MIL is on. I'm sure there's no trash in the carburator since the vehicle has EFI.

[maskedbandit]

The CEL code turned out to be PO301, Cylinder 1 misfire. I checked the plugs, and the 1st cylinder plug was definitely fouled (carbon). Changed all the plugs, checked the wires, and reset the light (disconnected the battery for a few hours) to see if the warning would come up again. The light came back on after a minute of driving, and there is still a hesitation. It doesn't seem to be as bad, but maybe that's wishful thinking.
Was thinking that maybe it's the ignition coil, but I stopped at the parts store to check the CEL code again. This time, PO440 EVAP Emission Control System Malfunction came up. Seems like this has opened up several other possibilities responsible.
Also should mention, the MIL light goes on and off randomly now.
Any suggestions?
Thanks.

[maskedbandit]

Still getting a hesitation. The MIL engine light has been going off and on. Sometimes it stays on for a minute or two, and then starts blinking again. Sometimes it will go out for a minute. This seems to be completely random. I had the MIL code checked again yesterday, and got a PO440 code again. The gas cap rubber had some cracking, so I replaced that as well. The Autozone guy did not cancel the code after he checked it. Could this be the problem? I heard that some cars go into a "safe" mode when a warning light is thrown, and that this may cause poor performance. I am bound and determined to fix this myself (with the help of you guys, of course), but don't want to damage my car by continuing to drive it.

[Kep]

Do you notice the problem more after the engine warms up or when it is cold or is it the same pretty much all the time? This might help to narrow your trouble shooting some. As you found out, you can reset the CEL by disconnecting the battery (I think 15 mins will be OK). There may be a way to jumper the OBII port but I don't know about 98s.

You will probably need to just go through and clean things but I don't understand the burning smell. Can you tell where it is coming from? Safety wise, that concerns me the most. Look closely at the injectors along the fuel rail. If you see a real clean area that often means that you have a gas leak. It's a long shot but that might explain both a burning smell (if the gas is somehow burning) as well as running rough. Since you have a cylinder one misfire code, focus on that "system" closely.

Pull cylinder one plug again and see if it is beginning to foul up again. If it is, we'll need to consider why a plug fouls up. I'm not very good at that, hopefully, others will chime in.

Be persistent.

Kep

[maskedbandit]

Thanks so much, Kep. With the help of you, Chilton's, and the rest of this forum, I think I have a fighting chance!

[dc_98_cam]

There was a post a few days ago .... cylinder misfire code .... initially caused by cleaning engine compartment .... with water I guess.
Finally, somebody suggested replacing the spark plug wires, and it seems to have solved the problem.
You have insulation issues with the plug wires, and high voltage, which is not always easy to evaluate .... Just have to replace and see what happens.

[maskedbandit]

Thanks DC. I checked the spark plug wires for visible damage, but I guess that doesn't rule them out as a possible problem, huh? I used to work on my dirtbikes as a kid, and would check my wires by kicking it over while the spark plug was disconnected from the cylinder head. If it sparked, it was fine. If not, it wasn't (simple kid logic). Not sure how reliable (or safe) that was, but that's how I did it. Is there a simple test I can try like that? Just a thought....

[dc_98_cam]

Originally Posted by maskedbandit

Thanks DC. I checked the spark plug wires for visible damage, but I guess that doesn't rule them out as a possible problem, huh? I used to work on my dirtbikes as a kid, and would check my wires by kicking it over while the spark plug was disconnected from the cylinder head. If it sparked, it was fine. If not, it wasn't (simple kid logic). Not sure how reliable (or safe) that was, but that's how I did it. Is there a simple test I can try like that? Just a thought....

As I recall, the relevant test is to remove one spark plug at a time, reconnect the plug wire, and hold the plug/wire assembly so that it is grounded somehow ... Then have somebody crank the engine with the key and look for a strong blue spark at the plug electrode gap. .... I guess the idea is to hold the plug/wire so that the bottom electrode is snugly in contact with the cylinder head ... and grounded. Probably a good idea to find some sort of rubber glove or insulated pliers when you try this.
... Maybe somebody else can link to a better description of the test.
I don't think you want to try getting a spark just from the loose plug wire ... might cause electrical damage to something.

How many miles have you got?

See the section on Ignition for details on the spark test:
http://www.camrymanuals.com/index.ph...=107&topicid=0
If you have trouble downloading ... use the IE browser.

[maskedbandit]

Yeah, it makes me a little nervous....alot more can go wrong with a Camry, than with a 1978 Kawasaki KD-80! I have a little over 90,000 miles on the car. I'll have to check the records, but I think the wires were replaced about 30,000 miles ago. Bought it from my father-in-law, so at least I know it's history.

[dc_98_cam]

If the wires have been replaced once, then maybe it's something else.
There is a test for the ignition coils ... see the reference link above....
pp. 3-4.

[Maim Menu]

Here's what Haynes Manual says about P0440 :

EVAP system malfunction
1.Vapor Pressure Sensor Malfunction
2.Fuel Tank Cap cracked, damaged or incorrectly installed
3.Vacuum Hose blocked, cracked, torn or Disconnected
4.Hose or Tube blocked, cracked, torn or Disconnected
5.Fuel Tank Damaged
6.Charcoal Canister Damaged.

[maskedbandit]

Time to dig into this problem. Thanks for the help, guys. I'll either be posting a solution, or new symptom tomorrow. Is it just me, or is this not the BEST part about owning a car? May be hard on the wallet at times, but man, talk about fun.