Question/Help about Ignition Module and Coil - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

TheOtherSide · 09-26-2005, 07:48 PM

I have had some recent trouble with the Ignition Coil on my 93 Camry (4 cyl). About 2 months ago, the original coil finally bit the dust after some 205K miles. I had it replaced along with the seal on the ditributor because it was leaking oil. Since then, I have had nothing but trouble. I am on my 3rd coil in 3K miles (All replaced for free because the shop seems to think they did something wrong but the last replacement was the last the owner would do for me for free and I really don't trust them now). I am beginning to think either the distributor or igniter or both went bad. I had one garage tell me that all of those parts needed to be replaced and the one who fixed it to begin with telling me that my battery had an internal short (yeah right). I checked it, nope...good as gold. Though they were willing to 'take it out and replace it for free' and I asked with what and the response was a 1 yr Wally World battery. No thanks, I'll keep the Optima.

Anyways, here's the question. If the distributor is bad, would the symptoms include stuttering at stops when in drive (the RPM's will dip making the car sound and shutter like its gonna stall then back to normal and so on)? Or is this the sign of a bad igniter? I am replacing both just to be sure but I am not dropping $900 at the shop for them to do it. The parts will be here on Friday I just want to find out why all of a sudden it would go from running perfect to crappy over one repair of the coil. I have checked all 3 coils. Ohmed them out and even made sure they replaced with OEM Toyota parts from the dealership. All were good. Then a couple weeks later...zap! Dead. I have replaced the plugs, the plug wires, cap, rotor, cleaned the TB (I know that stalling, its happened before), and replaced the PCV. I know you can check the EGR and everything else but I don't think those would result in catashrophic failures of the coil. By catastrophic, I mean the last one burned a hole in my distributor cap. Any ideas what would kill the coil this quick?

I will be taking all the parts to the dealership to get checked out once I replace them with an alternate. I'm just curious as to where to start.

Davee · 09-27-2005, 01:04 PM

Maybe they screwed up timing when replacing disributor oil seal . I would get it checked B4 igniters are blamed. I suspect igniters either work o r die . Any one seen poor as opposed to good or dead?

TheOtherSide · 09-27-2005, 04:04 PM

Yeah I thought the timing too but wouldn't the timing be messed up throughout the range of power and not just in the low RPM's? I know its not the Tranny for even in P and N it will do the same. I am gonna try a few things tonight and I will post back but I need to go pickup a timing light and I figure a cleaning of the old distributor and maybe a little work on the igniter couldn't hurt seeing as I have replacements coming.

Oh, and the replacements are not the nice $400+ parts. They are pulled parts and non-OEM parts I got through a garage that are guaranteed to work. (<$150 total)

TheOtherSide · 09-27-2005, 07:29 PM

As an addendum, I checked and reset the timing tonight. It was a little high (maybe 11º) so i set it back to 10º. It drops to around 7º when idle in neutral with the TE1 and E1 jumper disconnected.

I guess now I will wait for parts and let you all know what happens.

Oh, this is a great forum too. Lots of great information and helpful advice. I'll keep posting and see where it leads. Maybe to another great Toyo in the future. Now if only they would make a PWC...wouldn't that be killer.