starting problems!

[iruka_hoshi]

Okay, there seems to be something really wrong here. My car suddenly started losing power one day and then refused to start.

I replaced the spark plugs they looked kind of white on the tips so she looked liek she was running a little lean.

Replaced the fuel sending unit, fuel pump and fuel filter.
Seems like the system is presssuring now! There is pressure/fuel in the line all the way up to the fuel pressure regulator.

Replace the Distributor cap and rotor, starter turns just fine.

Still no iginition!
Suggestions!?

[enerjohn]

First off, What's the model/year of your car?
Second, Try a spark test and see if your getting any electricity to your spark plugs, and check the resistance of your plug wires.

[Celler]

For real. See i you get a spark from your coil. Don't go nuts changing everything in sight. First find the problem. And yeh what car do you have? Year/model....Make sure your gound wire didn;t come loose. Give a a back ground sotry. What were doing, how were you driving. ANy thing happened before that. Noises? Weather?

Ohhhhhh....WHen all of a sudden you started loosing power. And you tried to press gas, it didn't go ? Or made thing wors? If it did, your timing belt skiped/snaped. Pop your timing belt cover, take few pics. let me see what it looks like. But any how give more ditails, to help us find a problem

P.S. If everything is else is fine and you didn't change your timing belt in the past 70.000 or more. Then its timing belt. Get your self 400$ if you are going to garage. If not find my how to guid on how to change it. I posted one a little while ago. Hard to do but saves you A LOT of money.

[iruka_hoshi]

I have a 1994 Toyota Tercel. I was driving to work and sudden it would start to hic-up and I had to thottle and shift to keep the move back and forth on the gears to keep moving. Then after I got home it would start for a second and then die. Now it won`t start sometimes there is a large pop the first time I try to start it after it`s been sitting awhile.

I`ve replace the spark plug wires now. I have spark to the wires so that`s not an issue. I tried probing the injector harness at number on at got no signal when trying to start the car. Timing belt looks fine. I I was thinking of checking the igniter, but the same signal from the distrubutor controls the injectors. Black/Red to the distrubutor and White wire goes to the ECU.

With it not starting I am not sure if I can compression test the cylinder. I`ve never tried nor do I have the equipment.

[NickR]

There is no problem with testing compression with the car not starting. (Indeed, you want to make sure that the car does NOT start while you are testing the compression!) Provided the starter motor cranks the engine, and you have a compression tester (about $30?) you can test compression. Remove all spark plugs. Disconnect distributor. Screw compression tester into spark plug hole. Hold the gas pedal down and crank the engine for a few seconds. Read compression tester. Repeat with next cylinder.

I suspect the timing belt may have slipped a few teeth. If so, a compression test would show low compression across all cylinders. Or you can remove the timing belt cover and see if the timing marks all line up.

[iruka_hoshi]

Compression Results

160, 100, 135, 185

I am pretty sure I have a faulty head gasket caused from when the water pump went out. Nothing though that should prohibit ignition!

[NickR]

With those compression numbers, it's definitely not the timing belt. Yes, it may be a head gasket (or maybe you should just re-test the compression to make sure), but again, the compression numbers are not consistently bad enough to prevent it starting. I don't know (sorry). Must be fuel-related somehow.

Maybe try checking for ecu error codes. Let me find the link: http://www.troublecodes.net/Toyota/