Sputtering problems while driving

[Brujo]

93 Camry LE 2.2 -

He's my wonderfully wierd problem. While driving normally nothing bad happens (under soft or normal acceleration). While the car is in R or D it begins to sputter a lot but as soon as I take off it stops happening. If I floor the car it sputters really bad. I don't floor the car all the time but it's how I can easily produce the problem. Hell, sometimes just giving it a little more gas to over take someone causes the problem. I've replaced the coilx3, ECU, ignitor, fuel filter, tune up (wires, plugs, cap, rotor, oil, oil filter). I'm thinking that it could be the fuel pump is starving under certain conditions but dont know what else to try.

All of this started happening roughly 3 months and ive spent probably $600 in multiple mechanics and parts and the flippin' problems keeps returning. The first time the coil went bad the car went dead. The engine would turn over but would not start. Everything was fine for about 2 months then the sputtering kicked in. I'm honestly at my wits end. I'm driving this car like my grandma because I don't want to overdue it and break something else.

TN, tell me whats wrong!!

[Brujo]

Any ideas at all?

[hassanbigboss]

First thing I would try to do is clean out the intake manifold.......a lot of times thats the area which gets a lot of dirt particles stuck to the IAC and other little holes that suck in air via the intake manifold.............just use some seafoam and clean that sucker.........search the forums there are nice writeups and even videos of how to clean your intake manifold.....IF that does not work then I would go with the fuel pump........since you have done everything else that I and most other TN'ers would have suggested......go ahead and replace the fuel pump too.......hopefully you can do it yourself instead of giving someone else money.........I am sure that if you search the forums......there is a write up somewhere.......but yeah.....go ahead with the fuel pump as nothing else seems to come to mind since you have taken care of other things that are the main culprit to poor acceleration.....also.......wait for others to reply and just don't go with what I have to say.......I am sure other with much more experience will come along and give their expert opinion

[Brujo]

So I cleaned the TB and IAC opening today and it didnt fix the issue but at least the sputtering doesnt happen as often. I would have cleaned the EGR but have no idea to and there isn't a clear write with pics.

Also in my research I'm going to test the ECT sensor tomorrow. I found the how to in the online manual but ran outta light. Unfortunately I live in a condo and don't have a garage to tinker late into the night.

[hassanbigboss]

Yeah.....check and see if you can clean the egr........and of course test the ect........as I said before....pumping more money into the fuel pump might not be wise if you can take care of the problem by eliminating it by checking smaller things first.......keep us posted......I am sure we will figure it out

[Brujo]

After having the car grounded for a few months I finally got around to looking at her. I did all the freebies and still no better. Luckily I had a buddy test my spark and we found out that spark wire 1 wasn'y getting sufficient spark. The next day I read the manual and notice that I dont the plastic cover that goes over the coil. DING! I had found a plastic cover that the original mechanic left in my care. Attention to details PWNED me for so many months.

Basically as the rotor turned inside the cap, it would arc on the coil terminal and the spark post 1.