Corolla with 1ZZ-FE Cyl 1,2 Misfire dead miss

[JoeyS]

1. (1ZZ-FE) Misfire Cyl 1 and 2 engine barely runs but will start and revup.
2. Plugs and wires are new.
3. Compression is 180 psi in all cyl.
4. Sounds like timing is advanced when trying to start.
5. Swapped Coil Packs and misfire stayed with same cylinders.


I have a 98 Corolla with 313,000 miles and it has been an excellent car. I love these cars (especially this one). It was running fine and when I pulled away from a stop light is started a really bad misfire. When I got the car home I started some basic trouble shooting. The plug in cyl 1 was smutty, cyl 2 was wet with fuel and cyl 3 and 4 were fine. I had an extra set of plugs so I replaced them. I also had a set of lifetime wires so I replaced them too. I got to thinking that it may be a coil pack even though I have a good spark I swapped positions of the coil packs. I set the idel at 1100 rpm so it wouldn't go dead and I pulled the wire from cyl 1 and then cyl 2. The engine rpm didn't change at all. If I pull a wire from cyl 3 or 4 it kills the engine. I ran a compression check and all cylinders have 180 psi. I kinda stumped, I was thinking that it may have jumped time by a tooth. Has anyone else seen this?

Thanks,

[huangxin]

maybe injectors are messing up the air/fuel mixture?

it's the only possible cause that i can think of

are there any other codes stored other than the missfire?

[JoeyS]

The only codes that I get are p0300 (random misfire) p0301, and p0302 which are misfire on cyl 1 and 2. I swapped the positions of the fuel injectors by moving cyl 1 to 4 and cyl 2 to 3 ect and the misfire stays with cyl 1 and 2. I even checked the timing chain by putting it on tdc and checking the timing marks. I am really stumped.

[huangxin]

have you tried clearing the codes after you swap the injectors and see if they come back?

[JoeyS]

Hey,
I cleared all the codes and they all came back. The first code to come back was the p0301 and after a few min the other two codes popped up (p0302 and p0300).

[fishexpo101]

Timing probably hasn't jumped on you - if it did - your won't any reliable spark on the other cylinders. Sounds like you already verified spark on not on plugs cylinders (sounds like no spark on #1 and #2). Swapping coil packs makes no difference - same with swapping injectors, which also makes no difference. At this point, only thing that is left and the results of your quick test point at an ECM problem or wiring issue (electrical noise) to the ignition system or fuel delivery problem (this is unlikely, since you saw fuel on the #1and #2 plugs).

Have to hook a scope or multimeter (high impedance) to the signal lines running to the coil packs and see if there is any signal there for firing plugs #1 and #2. Could be as simple as a short in the wiring, or some electrical break/disconnect somwhere in the main wiring harness or various relays.

You've pretty much got it narrowed down - I would try starting from the coil packs and work back toward the ECM.

[downsb]

I've had P0301 come up on my car but I determined it to be a little bit of water in the fuel. There were 2 reasons for this: 1) the threads the bolt holding the coil into the engine goes in have broken on cylinder 1 causing a poor seal of the rubber gasket on the coil 2) extremely warm and humid weather is causing condensation on the fuel pump nozzle and drips may be going in when I fill up...

And yes, plug #1 had a little crap around it and wasn't getting a very good connection with the coil.

Maybe the threads breaking is a common problem and your car has the same issue?

Sounds like on Cylinder 2 you aren't getting any spark. Although rare it's possible maybe the plug has gone bad? I've experimented with several types and brands but have found I get the best fuel economy and strongest response on Denso Platinum's. (~$3/ea).

But hey, maybe you DO have water in your fuel system...try some fuel stabilizer...at the very least it's wrong and you wasted $4 bucks, but it could be right and save you a lot of extra time and effort tracking down a problem that may not be there...

[The ///Man]

nvm noticed you said you had coild packs