Start with the easy things. Check fuses, ECU and others related to the engine.

Does the CEL come on when key is first turned to ON. Does it go off after a few seconds. You could try checking for codes by jumping Te1 and e1 with a paperclip then turning the key to ON. Search for how to do this if you're not sure. I'm not sure if the carburated engines even have codes like the 4A-FE.

Check the engine grounds and the one from the head to body.

Is it possible the distributor was loose and it rotated? I don't believe you can just mark the position and get it exactly back where it was. It will still be off by a little. Best to check with a timing light. 1 degree change in the distrobutor will throw off iginition timing by 2 degrees at the crankshaft.

 

i think the rotor got turned when i replaced the IIA and distributor then computer let it run for a while then went in limp mode im guessing.. i need to basically go back and check the ohms on the coil then reset the timing by turning cylinder 1 to compression stroke then put the distributor back in and making sure the rotor is pointed twords the cylinder 1 terminal on the cap

 

check the plugs going to the distributor, the wires usually break from old age.

 

I believe it's impossible to install it with the rotor facing the wrong way. There is a cutout on the end of the camshaft that is slightly off-center and the distributor shaft fits in there. Only one way to install it.

You still need to set the ignition timing correctly. I don't know the exact procedure for the 4A-F. Having a timing light would allow you to verify the spark is near TDC while cranking.

I'm at a loss to explain why you wouldn't have spark only on #3 and #4. There is a pickup coil in the distributor that gives a camshaft position to time the spark. It's possible the gap is too big and not giving the signal sometimes. This explaination is still unlikely. (And I'm not sure how much the 4A-F distributor differs from the 4A-FE which I'm more familiar with.)

 

i found a manuel online for the 4AF engine, when i originally removed the distributor the only thing that may have spun was the rotor i didnt think that would mess anything up, i need to check the conductors in the coil it shows me how, there is a resistor or something that bolts down with one of the cap screws i dont remember which way it was originally facing maybe that messed something up in the coil? i am going to check it out soon make sure when it cranks over i get proper voltage thru each wire and check the resistors in the coil incase its bad

 

OK so i finally wound up replacing the whole distributor i got the car to run but timing is off i check it with the timing light and its about -40 degrees that is with the distributor spun clockwise all the way, when i spin it counter clockwise it starts to die, it seems to run best all the way clockwise but the mark on the pulley reads way off the TDC tab,it was as if i could keep spinning the distributor clockwise and it would eventually be there, idk how common it is for the timing belt to slip? i took timing cover off and at TDC the hole in the sprocket was straight up. im at a loss here my favorite mechanic said he dont want to deal with it usually i can fix anything but i need this car for work!

 

If you know the firing order, and which way the rotor spins when it's turning over, you could try moving the plug wires back 1 spot on the distributor cap. This would allow you to reset the distributor timing to get you some adjusting room. I've done this on Chevy V8's and 4 cylinder VWs for years, as sometimes you need a little more and you don't have the room to move it (vac can hits something).

 

well i have it running about -20°BTDC when i shine the timing light on the crank pulley i see the mark about 2 inchs to the right of the TDC indicator, my buddy and i took off the rest of the timing cover and inspected where the gears where at everything is lined up TDC with rotor pointing tword cylinder 1 terminal on cap. i have a diagnostic plug to the right on the strut tower i was connecting the proper circuits but no engine light, my car manuel from 89 shows an engine light on my dash so i took it all apart to realize there is no bulb behind that lense or marking of an engine light on film.. what is the diagnostic plug for then? how do i test what is wrong or cant i? im going to try a new distributor again to see if mine is faulty i was playing with the vaccum lines everything seems air tight. almost out of ideas before i buy another car for work, appreciate the input, reminder its an 89 corolla 4AF carb

 

Most times you need a bulb in place, then when you jump the diagnostic terminals it'll flash the bulb in a code. Like one flash for a 1, and a second flash of two times, to give you a code of 12 for example. The early OBD system just looks at a few things, not like the OBDII system which looks at almost everything.

 

I'm not sure if the 4AF has the check engine light. They did away with carbs starting in 1990 in North America, so my Toyota Repair Manual doesn't cover that.

The emission label on the underside of the hood should show the proper procedure for setting the timing. With the 4A-F carb engine I think the distributor might have vacuum diaphragms on the side and you may need to disconnect and plug one or both of them.

By -20°BTDC do you mean 20° After TDC? If the mark shows up to the left of the TDC mark then it is BTDC, so by using a negative number do you mean ATDC? I think that's what you meant because you said it was to the right. I just want to be sure I understand. If it's 20°ATDC then it will have a hard time starting.

 

Yeah, going off the numbers, I'd say it's most definitely retarded. Yeah, I don't know IF the carbed version got a check engine light or not either. It's possible that someone swapped in a later dash though, and just covered the light from the backside with a piece of tape. I've seen stranger things over the years.

 

I looked in my Chilton repair manual which covers 88-97 Corollas. It's riddled with inaccuracies, so I usually don't ever read it. I have the Toyota repair manuals for my cars, but those are year specific.

Chilton gives the procedure for getting codes from 89-94, but doesn't mention carb or EFI, then they show charts of codes starting with 88-90. The procedure is the normal jump Te1 & e1, etc. I suspect this only applies to the EFI 4A-FE engines.

The procedure for setting timing on the 4A-F says to disconnect and plug the 2 vacuum lines, and it doesn't mention anything about jumping Te1 & e1 like on the 4A-FE when setting base timing, so I guess timing on the 4A-F is all based on the vacuum and weighted mechanism inside the carburetor which adjusts timing based on rotational speed (RPM).

If I recall correctly there's about 18-20 teeth on the crank timing gear, so if it's off by a tooth that would cause the timing to be off 18-20°. I know you said you rechecked this. There should be a mark on the crank timing gear that lines up with a mark on the oil pump housing (not necessarily straight up). But usually the key points straight up at TDC but the mark is slightly to the right.

 

thank you so much for your info guys, Yes DrZ i did mean ATDC the mark is on the right, and i took the glass off the instrument cluster then the black piece and their was no bulb inside the engine light spot so i must need a checker with a light. when you said " timing on the 4A-F is all based on the vacuum and weighted mechanism inside the carburetor which adjusts timing based on rotational speed (RPM)." maybe i need to look deeper into the carb? almost sounds like theres an exhaust leak right in the carb not the egr or the actual exhaust underneath i wonder if something is pulling air throwing timing off. ill have to check it out this weekend thank you again!

 

I don't think anything could throw the timing off that much. The vacuum at the distributor vacuum advance diaphragms advances the timing, and that may not kick in until the engine is warm (coolant based vacuum switch?). Have you ever checked that those diaphragms hold vacuum using a hand vacuum pump?

So is there a wire in the harness going to the check engine light location? You'd have to trace the wires on the back of the cluster to the connector and see if there is an actual wire there.

 

now that you mention it i remember seeing a vaccuum coming off or near the thermostat housing, i have not checked to see if they hold vaccuum i think this is my next step. no their was no wire or spot for a bulb in the cluster for the engine light spot, i see in my manuel the exact spot the engine light supposed to be its just the oil light and defroster in that portion of the cluster

 

well! i inspected all the vacuum lines didn't test them, but then i had a thought and made sure the distributor was spun all the way clockwise, i pulled it out held the rotor in place, spun the distributor backwards and put it back in thinking that would let me advance it more so i got my timing light out and realized it had an advance timing dial on the back that was set to 60! so the manuel for it said set it to 0 and make sure the clip for spark plug 1 was pointing tword the spark plug, also had that wrong before, sure enough i started it, spun the distributor so the timing mark was hitting on 0 then hooked vacuum up and it idles at -10btdc, runs great cant believe it was actually that simple after all i been thru checking things it was my timing light throwing me off never would have thought, i am new to these kind of issues, but the previous distributor was definitely bad though giving me spark on only 2 cylinders, thanks for your info guys i learned so much!!!!!

 

Glad to hear it was something simple of a fix. I like those. Sometimes you just need to step back and go over what all you did, to make sure everything is kosher.

 

RTFM LOL. We've all had something like this happen before. Missed something that seems so obvious looking back. Glad you got it working!