Camry & Solara LoungeDiscussion area for every generation of Toyota's family car, the Toyota Camry. Lexus ES250/300 owners welcome! Topics of discussion range from fuel economy, safety, modifications, performance and more.
I am just wondering how can i test to see if all my spark plug wire are all working properly???
Is there methods i can use??? I got a 1994 GEN3 V6 Camry 3VE-FE engine, i suspect one of the wire (or more) are not working properly.
I car seem to use more petrol, when i press down on the gas the car won't really go!
Also i can hear that the engine is not running properly, is there method i can do a complete test to see if there anything wrong in my car rather then taking it to the mechanic???
If the engine has only one coil and a distributor, each spark plug wire should be no more then 25K ohms. You can also remove the plugs, and then reinstall them in the spark plug wire caps. Ground the plug steel shell, crank the engine no more then 1-2 seconds and check for spark.
If the engine has one coil per plug. Disconnect the battery, remove the coils and measure the coil primary coil circuit resistance (between the two smaller wires, not the plug where the spark plug installs. Reading cold 0.54-0.84 ohm, hot 0.68-0.98 ohm. You can also install the plugs and test for spark the same way as above. Only crank for 1-2 seconds.
When you take out the plugs, keep track of the cylinder they came out of. Often by just looking at them, you can tell if one is misfiring or looks a lot different then the others.
i suspect one of the wire (or more) are not working properly.
Mate, the wires are the very last thing i would suspect on a car of this vintage. First, i'd try changing the fuel filter, plus a tune up. Then a compression check, and then a check of the fuel pump pressure. If still no joy, at least you know your engine is sound. But if you do all of this and still the problem, take it in to a pro is what i would do.
[QUOTE=marc780]Mate, the wires are the very last thing i would suspect on a car of this vintage. First, i'd try changing the fuel filter, plus a tune up. Then a compression check, and then a check of the fuel pump pressure. If still no joy, at least you know your engine is sound. But if you do all of this and still the problem, take it in to a pro is what i would do.
[/QUOTE
I had change my fuel filter not long ago, as for tune up it also been it recently.
When i am at the red light, while applying the brake, sometimes i feel the car moving forward and i can see the RPM move up a bit from the dashboard.
I also would like to add this does not happen all the time, sometime it's normal and sometimes the car just jerk like what i have stated above.
Maybe it's a transmission problem. When was the transmission fluid changed last time? Is the level correct? What is the color and smell? (It should be red and oily smelling - brown/black and burned smell is bad.)
If you don't have a DVM to check the resistance of the wires as has been suggested above, an old time mechanic's test for faulty spark plug wires was to get a spray bottle full of water and spray down the plug wires. A plant mister works well. It's probably best to do this at night or in an enclosed, dark garage. After spraying down the wires, start the engine and have someone rev it up a bit and look for external sparking. Any wires that spark are defective. If they do spark, it's probably best to replace them all since they are usually all the same age.
I also would like to add this does not happen all the time, sometime it's normal and sometimes the car just jerk like what i have stated above.
Test fuel pump pressure. It could be weak - if the pump is ok then the injectors are next in line to be checked. If the fuel system checks out ok, then yeah, i would swap the plug wires and see. If it fixes it, fantastic. If not, i usually pull a slezy trick and clean the wires up and return them and say they did not fit.
But in my experience, electrical usually doesnt cause issues of this kind, unless something is broken or grossly worn out, like the distribuotr cap/rotor. I have wasted tons of money changing electrical parts that were good, in attemptsto fix a problem. But i think bottom line is, either electrical parts work or they dont! They pass current or they dont, the switch moves or it doesnt.
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
ToyotaNation.com is an independent Toyota/Lexus enthusiast website. ToyotaNation.com is not sponsored by or in any way affiliated with Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. The Toyota, Lexus and Scion names and logos are trademarks owned by Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.