3rd & 4th Generation (1992–1996 & 1997–2001)Toyota Camry Discussion for years: 1992-1996 & 1997-2001
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95 Camry (5sfe) stuttering after distributor gasket change.
Hi everyone,
I have a 1995 camry coupe LE with 150,000 on the clock.
Plugs, wires and cap have 12,000 miles. Rotor and coil are new.
Last week i changed my ignition coil. In order to do this i had to remove the distributor, those damn screws on the bottom side suck . I marked the distributor up before i pulled it. This way i was confident I could put it back the way it came out. In the process of pulling the coil out i broke the bottom part of the gasket. I ended up putting the car back together and just running with out a gasket. When I was finished the car started right up, idled as usual (a little low, but its been that way since 100K), and ran fine.
I put the gasket on order and finally picked it up from the dealer today. When i got home i pulled the wires of the distributor pulled the cap, the rotor and the dust shield. Then cleaned off the area with a rag and installed the new gasket. I put everything back together in the reverse order. When i started the car it idled really rough. Seems like the timing is off and it;s constantly missing. I revved it up thinking it would settle out, but i can feel the engine is missing throughout the rev range.
On a hunch i went in and pulled the gasket thinking maybe it was too thick and the rotor wasn't making good contact. That didn't help at all.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
Oh BTW i run a warm air intake on the car. when i went to replace the gasket instead of just pulling the intake i rotated it up 90 degrees out of the way. The clamp for the coupling to the the throttle body may have put some stress on the wires and connectors for the electronics that are around the throttle body. I check them afterward and they seemed fine, so i don;t think they have anything to do with it.
When you cleaned the distributor with a rag, was the rag DRY. If it was wet or damp with moisture, it probably made your cap and rotor damp. This will cause misfiring as the moisture will conduct and cause erratic spark all over the inside of the cap, causing the rough operation. If this is the case, remove the cap and rotor and dry them completely with a hair dryer on high heat, also dry the distributor and its internals. Re-assemble, and if this is the problem, it should be O.K.
If you used a COMPLETELY DRY rag, then ignore what I stated above. Instead DOUBLE CHECK all ignition wires for tightness and proper wiring sequence. If you removed the wires completely, it IS easy to mix up at least two if you don't mark them clearly.
One more thing, I'm not sure about the 5SFE distributor, but can the cap be installed only one way, or rotated ahead or back. I would think not, because they have a notch (on the 3VZ-FE distributor) for positive alignment. Take a close look anyway.
By "gasket", are you talking about that blue dust packing?
Anywho, shouldn't matter. Best guess would be one of the plug wires got messed up. I'd pull the wires at the distributor cap (only one at a time). I assume that one won't change anything, and the other three will make the problem much, much worse (probably to the point the engine won't run).
When you cleaned the distributor with a rag, was the rag DRY. If it was wet or damp with moisture, it probably made your cap and rotor damp. This will cause misfiring as the moisture will conduct and cause erratic spark all over the inside of the cap, causing the rough operation. If this is the case, remove the cap and rotor and dry them completely with a hair dryer on high heat, also dry the distributor and its internals. Re-assemble, and if this is the problem, it should be O.K.
If you used a COMPLETELY DRY rag, then ignore what I stated above. Instead DOUBLE CHECK all ignition wires for tightness and proper wiring sequence. If you removed the wires completely, it IS easy to mix up at least two if you don't mark them clearly.
One more thing, I'm not sure about the 5SFE distributor, but can the cap be installed only one way, or rotated ahead or back. I would think not, because they have a notch (on the 3VZ-FE distributor) for positive alignment. Take a close look anyway.
I appreciate the input.
Rag was dry. I triple checked the wires before i put i started it. I also checked them when i first found the problem.
The cap can only be installed in one orientation. It has 3 screws that hold it in place.
Quote:
By "gasket", are you talking about that blue dust packing?
Anywho, shouldn't matter. Best guess would be one of the plug wires got messed up. I'd pull the wires at the distributor cap (only one at a time). I assume that one won't change anything, and the other three will make the problem much, much worse (probably to the point the engine won't run).
Yeah i called it a gasket but it is the blue dust packing.
Okay i will try pulling the wires. Thanks for the help!
Couple more things:
How much does the distributor need to be rotated, in order to create a segnificant timing issue. Doesn't the ECU adjust the timing dependent on the conditions in the surrounding environment (i.e. temp, moisture, air density, etc)?
Also if i can figure this out and i want to get the car to a machanic (couple miles), should i try to limp it as is or just call a tow truck? If with the engine missing the way it is, will this cause damage to the bottom end?
Rag was dry. I triple checked the wires before i put i started it. I also checked them when i first found the problem.
The cap can only be installed in one orientation. It has 3 screws that hold it in place.
Yeah i called it a gasket but it is the blue dust packing.
Okay i will try pulling the wires. Thanks for the help!
Couple more things:
How much does the distributor need to be rotated, in order to create a segnificant timing issue. Doesn't the ECU adjust the timing dependent on the conditions in the surrounding environment (i.e. temp, moisture, air density, etc)?
Also if i can figure this out and i want to get the car to a machanic (couple miles), should i try to limp it as is or just call a tow truck? If with the engine missing the way it is, will this cause damage to the bottom end?
Thanks again!
The gasket is a thin O-ring that seals out moisture from underneath the cap. The 3VZ-FE uses one, I assume that the 5SFE has one as well. It may be missing, but it can run without it.
I thought about your problem a little more and i'm wondering if you aligned the distributor shaft in the correct orientation. If it is similar to the 3VZ-FE v-6, it engages the end of the camshaft with a flat tang into a slot. This gives 2 possible orientations - right OR wrong. Could it be possible that the shaft is engaged 180 degrees out? I guess it could possibly run, but it would be consistantly VERY rough. If you're not positive you can pull the distributor and try turning the shaft 180 deg. (half turn) and re-install. The worse thing that will happen is it won't run or may backfire. Also about the ignition timing adjustment, this can make it run poorly or rough. The proper timing adjustment is probably 10 deg. advanced (check the labels under the hood). If the marks you put on it the first time you removed it are aligned now and it ran fine before, adjustment is not likely your problem. You can try moving the distributor ahead and back by hand with the engine running to try and achieve a smoother run.
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95 Camry (5sfe) stuttering after distributor gasket change.
. I marked the distributor up before i pulled it. This way i was confident I could put it back the way it came out. In the process of pulling the coil out i broke the bottom part of the gasket. I ended up putting the car back together and just running with out a gasket. When I was finished the car started right up, idled as usual (a little low, but its been that way since 100K), and ran fine.
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