3rd & 4th Generation (1992–1996 & 1997–2001)Toyota Camry Discussion for years: 1992-1996 & 1997-2001
Topics of discussion range from fuel economy, safety, modifications, performance all involving America's favorite family car, the Toyota Camry.
OK, so I did a head gasket change on my 1998 2.2l camry (CA) 5sfe with a friend of mine who swore he knew what he was doing. Now the car won't start and (here's the kicker) it seems to be backfiring through the airbox. Does that make sense to anyone? The cams seem to be on correctly and the cam pulley marks line up after 2 revolutions . . . I have been given advice to check the ignition timing and have learned that my car does not have a distributor . . . any ideas?
To check it, just align the crankshaft with the 0 on the gauge, and then check to make sure the camshaft lines up. Check one of the DIY's, they'll show how to install a new belt, which you can apply the techniques to check it.
Well, I've seen something similar happen to classic V8's with the distributor 180* off. In that case the plugs are firing on the intake stroke causing the fuel to "backfire" up through the carb.
In your case, it could be possible that at least 2 of the plug wires on your engine are reversed. Make sure the wires are connected in the right order at the coil pack(since you don't have a distributor).
I'm no expert, but that's my best guess. It's usually the simplest things that hold you back.
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"True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country." - Kurt Vonnegut
yeah, that all lines up . . . I printed some stuff out (like you said) and have double checked the work. I'm a mere novice at best, but it all seems to be OK. The timing marks (not assembly marks) on the cams gears line up with each other and the 1 & 3 valve lifters on intake seem to be evenly pressed when knock pin is at 80 degrees as do the 2 and 4 valves on the exhaust cam when the knock pin is set to 10 degrees. Also, the hole on the timing pulley lines up with the dimple on the end cap on the intake cam when the crank pulley is set to 0 TDC. Anything beyond that, I don't really know what to look for.
uibalnme . . . Thanks for the input, I thought about that also, so I double checked them as well. They are good. There are white #'s 1-4 written on them (not sure if they come like that or not) as a guide, plus the wires are pretty specific lengths . . . even I couldn't jack that up (knock on wood)
I read in one of the other posts about the cam sensor. I believe mine was left in when the head was refinished. Do you think the machine shop guys took it out and put it back in incorectly? Maybe I plugged the wire in wrong? Supposedly that's possible.
Yeah it sounds like you might have two crossed wires. There should be two sets of coils. I dont know the firing order but its definately not 1-2-3-4. It might be 1-3-2-4 but im not sure.
Did you get a new head or take apart your old one?
Didn't get a new head, just had the old one resurfaced.
I will double check the wires again when I get home, but I remember seeing that the numbers written on the coil pack were not in order, so I really don't think that's it. Is it typical to have white numbers written on them to tell you which wire goes where or was that probably done by hand . . . I wonder if they're written on there wrong??
OK I couldn't wait, so I called the wife to check the #'s for me. In order from front to back, they were written: 1,4,2,3 - not 1,3,4,2. That is the order from front to back, right?
OK, I'm getting confused. I know the cylinders are 1-4 from left to right, but the order of #'s written on the coil packs from front to back (or left to right when looking at it from the drivers side are: 1-4-2-3. What should that order be?
Right. They don't correspond in the sense that the first wire goes to the first cylinder, second wire goes to the second cylinder, etc.
The first wire DOES go to the first cylinder (should be the longest wire).
The second WIRE will go to the LAST (fourth) cylinder and should be the shortest wire.
The third WIRE goes to the second to last (third) cylinder and should be a bit longer than the second wire.
The fourth WIRE goes to the second cylinder and should be longer than the third wire but shorter than the first wire.
Make sure the wires match that, though. There should be numbers on the wires. Obviously wire 1 goes to the 1 on the coil pack, and so on.
um...the repair manual, that I have in my hands right now, says the firing order for the 5sfe is 1-3-4-2. A google search confirms that, and, more importantly, so does the engine in my car.
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"True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country." - Kurt Vonnegut
I think there's some miscommunication here. I'm less than a novice, but I'm thinking the phrase "firing order" doesn't mean that's how the coil packs are gonna be labeled.
Go by whatever the numbers on the coil packs are. From left to right, the cylinders are 1-2-3-4. Match those wires up to the numbers on the coil packs and you're set.
The cylinders may very well fire in the order of 1-3-4-2, but the setup of the wires/coil packs may not correspond to that... is my thought.
(uibalnme, unless what you're saying is that your coil packs are labeled in that order.)
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2000 Toyota Camry LE (Japan made) i4 5S-FE 367,000+ miles.
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