Help Wanted: Car doesn't start.

[Rasco]

The car was running fine except that the timing was a little off. Even tho' it has been adjusted so many times with a timing light the car would run bad at times. It turns out the camshafts weren't aligned correctly while I had the valve seals and timing belt replaced.

Tonight I changed the oil and I also aligned and adjusted the camshaft gears according to their markings. I also removed the distributor in the process so I can have some space to work with.

Now that I've installed everything back....the car doesnt want to start. It turns over and it hesitates. I think theres something wrong with the ignition/distributor. Is there a specific way in installing a distributor? Help me out guys...

Thanks in Advaced

[Toysrme]

Depends on the motor. I know on 5s-fe's and a 3vz-fe's the signle dots are factory assembly markings, while the double dots are the timing markings.

Be sure you get the distributor timing correct, and that you're not doing something retarded like timing the entire thing TOD of the wrong piston. (Yeah I did that once.)

AFA timing the distributor. Every Toyota engine I know of, if you're @ TOD of the compression stroke on the #1 piston, the distributor's rotor should be pointing at the #1 spark plug position.


One important thing to remember, if your car takes the crank signal from a camshaft sensor, then you need to be top dead center of the compression stroke. If it get's the singla from the distributor like a 3vz-fe, then it obviously doesn't matter either way.

be sure you're timing with the correct ECU pins jumpered to get into diagnostic mode too.

[88 LE]

Originally Posted by Rasco

Now that I've installed everything back....the car doesnt want to start. It turns over and it hesitates. I think theres something wrong with the ignition/distributor. Is there a specific way in installing a distributor? Help me out guys...

The distributor only goes in one way. Well correctly anyways.

Check it to make sure that you didn't install it 180 degrees out.


http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiBr...3d8013e3a4.jsp

[Rasco]

Thanks guys I got the car running. At times the engine would still knock tho'. Im gonna have to re-adjust the timing belt again cuz it might be off by a tooth. If not, do guys think a bad ignition coil would cause this? Sometimes the car bogs during acceleration and you could hear the engine knock especially during start up.