Spark plug lead is loose, car is sounding funny (see pic)

Hello all,
Today i took my car to a mechanic to replace the engine mounts (Toyota
Cressida 91). After picking up the car, i start noticing rough idle.
I suspected the spark plugs based on previous experience. I checked
the spark plug leads and i noticed that one is loose (please see the
pic [url]http://www.flickr.com/photos/xsamarix/38567718/[/url]) But when i try to
press on it hard it doesn't click right in.

Is this a direct result of what i am experiencing:

1- rough idle
2- sound from exhaust is not consistent.. its like cutting off
3- petrol (or gas for americans) smell is strong

Thanks for your input

Usually these connectors are made out of a cylinder of sheet metal with
a lengthwise slit. If the connector is loose and thus not making
contact with the distributor cap, you can use a screwdriver to enlarge
the cylinder a bit. Just a little will do.

If the spark-plug end is loose, you can perform the opposite maneuver,
gently, with pliers or even by pinching with your fingers.

As others have noted, the boot slides over the wire and the contact
area, so it is okay to carefully move it with respect to the wire so
that everything hooks up solidly. As you noted, the thing is supposed
to click-in, not just sit there.

Be gentle as you do this, because two other things are possible --
yanking the actual conductor part of the wire off the contact (easily
observed by looking into the boot) and breaking the conductor
internally (not visually obvious and sometimes the cause of a
devilishly hard to diagnose misfire).

Speaking of diagnosing misfires, one useful trick is to see if you get
similar symptoms when the electricity is entirely removed from the
offending cylinder by disconnecting the plug wire at the distributor
cap. (Do not remove or replace it with the engine running or you will
get a rude electrical shock! )

Cheers,
--Joe

<xsamarix@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1125408607.164067.266920@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
> Hello all,
> Today i took my car to a mechanic to replace the engine mounts (Toyota
> Cressida 91). After picking up the car, i start noticing rough idle.
> I suspected the spark plugs based on previous experience. I checked
> the spark plug leads and i noticed that one is loose (please see the
> pic [url]http://www.flickr.com/photos/xsamarix/38567718/[/url]) But when i try to
> press on it hard it doesn't click right in.
>[/color]

I believe that the spark plug wire is an integral part of the distributor
cap and is not designed to be removed from the cap, only from the spark
plug. If that is the case, you need a new cap and wire set. You can
confirm this if you take a look at a replacement set.
[color=blue]
> Is this a direct result of what i am experiencing:
>
> 1- rough idle
> 2- sound from exhaust is not consistent.. its like cutting off
> 3- petrol (or gas for americans) smell is strong
>
> Thanks for your input
>[/color]

It is the other way around. The symptoms are the result of the disconnected
lead, which is causing a misfire. The rough idle and inconsistent exhaust
sounds are because power is not being developed from the cylinder that is
not firing and the petrol odor is because it is not being burned in the
engine and just being sent out the exhaust unburned.
--
Ray O
correct the return address punctuation to reply

"Ray O" <rokigawa@tristarassociatesDOT.com> wrote in message
news:2d561$43148376$44a4a10d$15560@msgid.meganewsservers.com...[color=blue]
>[/color]
[color=blue]
> Ray O
> correct the return address punctuation to reply[/color]

Would appear the spark plug wires and distributor cap are available
separately for this model.
All I find is the 6 cylinder.

Dont even know if they made a 4 cyl in the Tercel that year. Son had a
Tercel 4 cyl which, I believe,
had the integral cap and wires.

<HLS@nospam.nix> wrote in message
news:x22Re.1052$Kk1.766@newssvr19.news.prodigy.com...[color=blue]
>
> "Ray O" <rokigawa@tristarassociatesDOT.com> wrote in message
> news:2d561$43148376$44a4a10d$15560@msgid.meganewsservers.com...[color=green]
>>[/color]
>[color=green]
>> Ray O
>> correct the return address punctuation to reply[/color]
>
> Would appear the spark plug wires and distributor cap are available
> separately for this model.
> All I find is the 6 cylinder.[/color]

Separate ignition wires and distributor cap would be a good thing for you so
you so you don't have to replace the entire assembly.

The 1991 Cressida only came with a 3 liter in-line six cylinder in the U.S.
[color=blue]
>
> Dont even know if they made a 4 cyl in the Tercel that year. Son had a
> Tercel 4 cyl which, I believe,
> had the integral cap and wires.
>[/color]

The Tercel has had only an in-line 4 cylinder in the U.S.
--
Ray O
correct the return address punctuation to reply

Ray O wrote:
[color=blue]
> I believe that the spark plug wire is an integral part of the distributor
> cap and is not designed to be removed from the cap, only from the spark
> plug. If that is the case, you need a new cap and wire set. You can
> confirm this if you take a look at a replacement set.[/color]

The 7M-GE engine has seperate wires and cap. The OP posted a link to a
picture of it in the first message.

Toyota MDT in MO

"Comboverfish" <comboverfish@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1125434510.679165.137040@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
>
> Ray O wrote:
>[color=green]
>> I believe that the spark plug wire is an integral part of the distributor
>> cap and is not designed to be removed from the cap, only from the spark
>> plug. If that is the case, you need a new cap and wire set. You can
>> confirm this if you take a look at a replacement set.[/color]
>
> The 7M-GE engine has seperate wires and cap. The OP posted a link to a
> picture of it in the first message.
>
> Toyota MDT in MO
>[/color]
Thanks for the clarification. The OP is in luck!
--
Ray O
correct the return address punctuation to reply

On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 13:41:50 -0700, Comboverfish wrote:


OT, Top posted response: Nice to see you again, MDT. Where ya been?

[color=blue]
>
> Ray O wrote:
>[color=green]
>> I believe that the spark plug wire is an integral part of the distributor
>> cap and is not designed to be removed from the cap, only from the spark
>> plug. If that is the case, you need a new cap and wire set. You can
>> confirm this if you take a look at a replacement set.[/color]
>
> The 7M-GE engine has seperate wires and cap. The OP posted a link to a
> picture of it in the first message.
>
> Toyota MDT in MO[/color]

SupraGenius wrote:[color=blue]
> On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 13:41:50 -0700, Comboverfish wrote:
>
>
> OT, Top posted response: Nice to see you again, MDT. Where ya been?[/color]

Here and there... though perhaps you are confusing me for "MDT" that
posts in alt.autos.toyota?

Toyota MDT in MO

"Ray O" <rokigawa@tristarassociatesDOT.com> wrote in message
news:d3dad$4314b122$44a4a10d$17507@msgid.meganewsservers.com...[color=blue]
>
> <HLS@nospam.nix> wrote in message
> news:x22Re.1052$Kk1.766@newssvr19.news.prodigy.com...[color=green]
> >
> > "Ray O" <rokigawa@tristarassociatesDOT.com> wrote in message
> > news:2d561$43148376$44a4a10d$15560@msgid.meganewsservers.com...[color=darkred]
> >>[/color]
> >[color=darkred]
> >> Ray O
> >> correct the return address punctuation to reply[/color]
> >
> > Would appear the spark plug wires and distributor cap are available
> > separately for this model.
> > All I find is the 6 cylinder.[/color]
>
> Separate ignition wires and distributor cap would be a good thing for you[/color]
so[color=blue]
> you so you don't have to replace the entire assembly.
>
> The 1991 Cressida only came with a 3 liter in-line six cylinder in the[/color]
U.S.[color=blue]
>[color=green]
> >
> > Dont even know if they made a 4 cyl in the Tercel that year. Son had a
> > Tercel 4 cyl which, I believe,
> > had the integral cap and wires.
> >[/color]
>
> The Tercel has had only an in-line 4 cylinder in the U.S.
> --
> Ray O
> correct the return address punctuation to reply[/color]

In review, I realize how goofy my first post may have 'read'. Yes, I know
the Cressida was only
available in the 6 cylinder model in the USA for that year, and that the cap
and wires are separate.

I was personally aware that some of the 4 cylinders had the integral cap and
wires you mentioned,
but as far as I could ascertain that configuration did not apply to the
Cressida.

Maybe this explanation makes a little more sense than my post did. Sorry.