Always something wrong. Now no power.

[dusthead]

Hey everyone, been a member for about 2 years but i'm not exactly an 'enthusiast' like i am with my MK3 Supra...so i haven't posted much. i'm constantly having issues with this terc and never have the time to troubleshoot.

july 2008: bought it, burning oil, blu-ish smoke at startup. replaced spark plugs, wires, distributor cap, intake filter, oil change.

march 2009: valve stem replacement, did not replace the rocker arm springs like i was supposed to. after the replacement - ticking was heard from under valve cover. timing belt was checked - good...but didn't mark timing so that was off.

june 2009: starter dies, replaced it.

november 2009: fixed timing by shifting the timing belt a notch to make it match up right.

january 2010: water pump blows out. car was also acting like the alternator was going because headlights dimmed when at idle. and CV joints were clicking. almost $300 later - alternator is 'refreshed' at a shop, joints replaced, water pump replaced but couldn't get the o-ring to seal on the inlet...so we jimmy rigged it with sealant/rubber hose/screw clamp.

february 2010: had a check engine light since i drove it home from fixing january's stuff...it was the o2 sensor not being plugged in because we dropped the engine while doing the work in january. check engine light goes away.

april 2010: seemed to be missing power, rattle sound when going up hills at a low rpm, charging issue as before, gas smell at idle, hissing sound behind intake manifold. rotated the distributor - got rid of rattle but lost a LOT of power.

now: still no power...guessing vacuum leak or misconfigured vacuum lines, burning gas...no check engine light. much less gas smell...still hissing sound.

93 Tercel M/T 178k 3ee non-california

any idea's appreciated. thanks guys.

[WilliamRobert]

Try changing the fuel filter and cleaning the injectors. I think that most shops offer a injector service, and should cost around $50.00. Don't bother to use the stuff that you put into the tank, it get too diluted to do anything byt he time it reaches the injectors. The best way to service the injectors is to use the pressurized can that hooks up to the fuel rail. Takes about 15 minutes and you will not believe how the engine performs after, acts like a new car.
Dirty injectors will give you poor fuel economy, poor power, and may cause detonation(the rattling going up hill).
Something that looks like this is what you want to hook up to the car to clean the injectors. http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/otc7448promo.html

Good Luck

[96paseo]

Seems to me that you need to put a timing light on it. The distributor can get loose on its own and get the ignition timing way out of wack. The bolts loosen from vibration over time. Since you lost power, your ignition timing probably got retarded too far. 10 degrees BTDC IIRC but double check the sticker on your hood. Paint the notch on the crank pulley with some liquid paper before setting up the light. Warm engine to normal operating temp. Jumper your E1 and T terminals in the underhood DLC box. Keep the distributor bolts slightly loose so you can adjust it. When you get it set right, tighten the top bolt and re-check timing. Also, check your brake booster hose that goes to the back of the intake manifold. That hose can pull off when lowering the motor after removing the RF motor mount. Good luck.

[dusthead]

thanks for the replies guys...i've read it many times in the haynes manual - but it doesn't tell you how to hook up or use a timing light...

looked at one on amazon - i just hook it up to the battery and point it....where....?

[96paseo]

You point it at the mark on the crank pulley while the engine is running. This particular light flashes the same as a strobe and its very bright. Buy a light with the inductive pickup. You simply clip it to #1 cylinder spark plug wire near the plug boot. Connect the battery clamps with proper polarity. Don't forget to mark the pulley as I said in previous post. Its 100 times easier with a white mark on the "V" notch. Follow the rest of the steps and you'll be fine. If your still having trouble, I can post some pics. Just post back and let me know.

[dusthead]

took a look at timing lights...ouch. 50 for the non-digital, 100 for digital. at autozone at least - i was there charging my supra battery, while i was there i picked up a feeler gauge (should have got a hand vacuum pump too...but blah).

so i took this morning to dig into my engine...found a vacuum line going to the FPR VSV disconnected...and realized that i may even have them connected to the wrong ones. so i connected it - drove..still an issue..swapped it..worse of an issue....so obviously that may have just been part of my fuel economy problem.

then started going through the sensors and things i could check...i was hearing that hissing sound coming from the intake manifold itself on the very top of it - specifically right where the idle set screw is. when i adjust it while the car is running - the sound changes...obviously when i go to almost tightened all the way the sound is pretty much gone...then the more i unscrew it comes back slightly louder but more like the air is escaping through different passages as i unscrew - that kind of change in sound. so i adjusted the idle speed by ear - i know, stupid...but i had already many times - i figured this couldn't hurt.

that didn't fix anything. so i moved on to the TPS and found my first use for my feeler gauge (luckily i had just purchased one). I found a short at WOT. haynes manual calls for 3.3-10k Ohms from the bottom pin to top pin - and there's nothing...it also calls for a certain amount of Ohms from the bottom pin and the second from top pin - and that was in spec. so...now the question is:

do i really have to buy a $100 new part? or will a used one be alright?

Thanks everyone.

[96paseo]

Geeh, Autozone really jacked their prices again. I got my Actron light for ~$40 a couple years ago. Before messing with the idle screw anymore, get your timing set properly. I know i'm harping on the same issue again but your idle speed and torque curve are greatly affected by ignition timing. That translates into overall performance. What rpm is your idle at now? Should be 750. Getting to your TPS problem, do be sure of your readings before ordering a new part. A short would mean your meter is reading 0 ohms. Reading "nothing" would mean you have an "OL" or infinite resistance on the meter which would be an open. You could go to a junkyard. A u-pull-it would be best so you could test it before buying it. Check www.car-part.com Its a great search engine for junkyards nationwide. Here's a pic with some specs for the 3A, 3A-C, 3E and 3EE.

[WilliamRobert]

I had a TPS on a '94 Tercel give up the ghost a few years back, and it threw a code. When I was at the wreckers the next day, I checked the 6 Tercel's that they had in stock and each one tested different. Not saying that they were all good, but it would be weird that they were all bad. I got the one that was closest to being in spec and it worked when I installed it in the car.
I agree that the timing should be spot on before replacing parts. I personally would check everything else that is related to; lack of power, poor fuel economy, rough idle etc.
1. Spark plugs, are they the right ones? correct gap? covered in oil? worn out? sometimes they break during shipping, check the insulation.
2. Cap and plug wires, are they within spec? the right resistance is key.
3. Timing belt, when you did the belt did you use the right timing mark on the Cam sprocket? is the tension correct?
4. Get that vacuum leak sorted out, and trace the lines looking for leaks and proper hook ups,
5. Remember when you have the timing light hooked up, to jump the plugs in the diagnostic port. I can't remember which ones off hand, and I'm too lazy to walk out to the car.

etc, etc,etc, you can see where I'm going with this. And remember just because a part is new, doesn't mean that it is good. Checking all the easy stuff first before buying and replacing is the best bet.

Good Luck and let us know how it turns out!