Thank you, google cache! You saved my post when TN lost it

DannoXYZ - managed to add yours too from my deleted email folder.

 

Thanks for bringing this back. I seem to have lost a lot of my posts from yesterday. Database problems? They really should move to OracleDB.

 

I'd add that aftermarket distributors often solve the problem but turn out to lack the heat tolerance of oem units. This happened to me. Now, for the tooting-my-own-horn part: You might want to include my solution for the overheating problem, at least in my case it has allowed my aftermarket distributor to not burn the module up in Alabama summer heat. I wrote it up here a couple of years ago. http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/1...n.com/forum/130-7th-generation-1993-1997/532825-ignition-problems-95-prizm.html And after reading what I wrote then, I see that I didn't really write it up. I basically just outlined what I did, taking no pictures and not going into great detail. The idea is simple enough that anyone with some mechanical aptitude should be able to do it. The main thing is to make a little diagram of how the wires are connected inside the distributor so that you can make sure they're still connected to the same ones after you add lengths of wire to relocate the module.

 

Mounting the ignitor externally is a brilliant idea! I wonder if there's a way we can use an external coil as well. Would be nice to use a more powerful coil like an MSD Blaster-II or HVC.

Here's another bad-distributor thread:

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/130-7th-generation-1993-1997/1213450-1st-2nd-gear-stumble.html
Symptom: a severe stumble when getting on it in first and second gear. hit third gear or better and the stumble is gone.
Initial diagnosis: replaced ignition rotor, cap, wires and plugs, fuel pump, sock, filter, injectors and regulator (intake and fuel rail thoroughly cleaned), map and tp sensors
Resolution: the new coil did the trick. 500+ mi since replacement and she's purring like my cat after devouring a fresh kill.

 

Is this the thread that you want me to sticky?

 

Yeah, and can probably lose "resurrected" from the title. Would be great to sticky it so we can keep adding and also keep referring back to "the next time around". Thank you!

Danno, I'll add that one too when I'm on my laptop. Thanks!

 

I'll add a bit to the discussion about after market distributors. I have one in my AllTrac. My Toyota one had internal leaks and I did not have the proper tools to rebuild it, so I bought the cheapest one RockAuto had. Since my Toyota dizzy had a Toyota coil that was less than a year old, the plan was to swap that into the aftermarket distributor for peace of mind. When I got it in my hands and pulled the cap off, the rotor was wrong. It was about 1/16"-1/8" too narrow in overall length, so once I put my Toyota coil in I put a new rotor comparable to OEM on. I've had zero issues in a couple thousand miles, though that isn't a ringing endorsement, I feel pretty good about it overall.

Basically I think as cores they probably aren't bad. But the actual parts they put on them most likely suck, and since these have built in ICMs that just complicates matters. If you have a newer or known good coil/igniter and need an after market distributor I'd probably put those newer or known good parts in there and rip out the junk that came on it.

Also worth noting that I bought a cheap UltraPower coil for the 91 and I was surprised to get an OEM Toyota (Denso). Probably just got really lucky that they had a lot of those for 3SFE coils but it goes to show you never know what will be in aftermarket parts box for better or worse and ignition parts are one of the last thing to take a chance on.. Both ends of the spectrum would be when Beck/Arnley gave me a cheap PVC tierod boot that didn't fit at all for a car while the Moog was an OEM rubber boot.

 

I guess a stronger coil would be nice, though you'd probably want to upgrade the plug wires as well. They look to be about 6mm to me. I'm thinking that if you opened up the plug gaps to take advantage of a stronger coil you'd probably have arcs off the wires pretty soon if not immediately. I personally think it's more cost effective to just run the plugs at the right gap, or maybe a bit above, and leave everything else in the secondary system alone. That is not my philosophy on hot rod type stuff, but for these motors, yeah.

 

Updated with your latest addition, Danno.

Also, Haloruler64, I see the thread title got updated - thank you!

 

Glad to help! I also stickied it a while ago.

 

Gracias. Stupid question - How does it show up when it's stickied?

 

Well I threw it into the DIY sticky, figured it would fit in there. Did you want it as a main standalone stickied thread?

 

I don't really care where but the reason I was asking is I didn't see it either places I did a search again - couldn't see it in the DIY thread? Maybe I'm blind...

 

>.> my beautiful work... gone. I know I put it in there, I even admired my thread craftsmanship! Must have been another bug.

I stickied it to the top for ya, it's now its own separate sticky.

 

Thanks! Yeah, the forum's been weird lately, huh.

 

I STILL double post 50% of the time and have to go back and delete one post.

 

You need to go double post to the Koito headlights thread. When one selects the most recent post, yours, one gets redirected to the "this thread doesn't exist" page.

 

Double posts seem random for me. Never happens when using laptops or desktops. But on phone, it does the double post, but TN catches it. My account has time-limit between posts, so the 2nd post comes back with message of something like, "you must wait 15-seconds between posts".

 

>.> wow this site is broken lately. Fixed the thread... I think.

 

Here's another bad distributor components thread:

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/1...0-7th-generation-1993-1997/1248929-engine-performance-issues-95-corolla-dx.html
Symptom: car may begin to act weird, loose performance after driving for a while.
Initial diagnosis: replaced fuel pump, fuel filter, cleaned injection system. Then replaced MAP, TPS sensors, EGR valve and air filter. Cleaned throttle-body and IAC. Replaced rotor, cap, wires, and plugs. Replaced distributor with Duralast brand from Autozone, no fix. Finally replaced ignition coil and it made symptoms even worse.
Resolution: went to a local pick your car part salvage yard and acquired ignition coil from another 7th gen Corolla. Replaced it and so far my car runs great!

 

Added!

 

Here's another candidate for the list:

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/1...com/forum/130-7th-generation-1993-1997/1267497-97-corolla-died-won-t-start.html
Symptom: car started sputtering on way home from work. Next morning it wouldn't start.
Initial diagnosis: timing-belt broke? Skipped teeth? Fuel-pump doesn't turn on.
Resolution: Pulled junkyard distributor. Pulled the old one, put the new one in, cranked the engine and it started right up.

 

Here's another candidate for the list

Added!

 

Is it me or are distributors kinda dying a lot recently??


Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App

 

I want to mention that I had this same problem, soaked pistons, tested the fuel pump, tested compression, tested fuel injectors
I did not know how to test the Distributor so I went with testing the Spark Plugs .. They seemed to work, I had no idea when was the last time they were changed out, So I did the change.. Indeed, starting fluid did nothing besides almost blow up my engine, and so It lived with new spark plugs.

Here is the video. I was able to fix the problem just two days later.

 

first post after gleaning a wealth of useful information over the years, thanks to all. toyota corolla jdm spec 4efe engine.presently 236000kms.wonderful reliable car.recently experienced 2nd no start in 9 years of owning .previous was bad efi relay.fuel to plugs but zero spark.no previous warning symptoms, just came out one morning ,turned key and no start.thought must be distributor related.pulled distributor.ignition coil tested ok but pickup call out of spec.ne readings open.im no electrical whizz .getting original distributor from germany will keep you posted if problem resolved. over last few years car would randomly appear to cut out at standstill,revs drop then suddenly surge back to life.happened 5-6 times in 3 years.related to distributor? anyway will keep posted.

 

so put in secondhand oe distributor, car did not fire up off the bat.changed plugs, gave slight throttle and bingo. now running like a champ.tested replacement distributor before installing and gave exact same readings as original, so either it was the igniter which i do not know how to test for or the haynes manual ohm specs for pickup coil are screwy.i guess there is also the possibility that in my haste to diagnose the fault did not properly check for spark and the plugs were merely wet with fuel but after a week one would have thought they would be ok and have dried out.so not conclusively distributor but at 245k kms not a bad move to put a newer one in.sorry can't give a definitive yes or no on this one.

 

Here is another thread that turned out to be the distributor.


http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/1...om/forum/130-7th-generation-1993-1997/933338-1995-prizm-lsi-running-issues.html

 

Thanks - added!