Has had intermittent dead spots while driving, ie suddenly dead like key off, and then back on(so goes again), sometimes it was fine when it came back, others it ran really rough for a while, then came right again. So gave it a birthday with new plugs, leads, rotor, rotor cap, condensor and points, ignition coil and ballast resistor and fuel filter and air cleaner, and checked vacuum advance too, and also checked for water in fuel. Such a basic wee zero electronics car, i thought issue would be a simple one. But sunday she did a few of her violent jerks again, as i arrived at where i was going. When i went to leave she would not go, just fired a few times and jerked about, but would not run. Towed her home trying to start on the way, no luck, just occasional huge bangs from exhaust. (carb was full of fuel and accelerator pump was squirting fine). So thought blocked main jet, but stripped and cleaned today, still will not go. Rechecked points, leads rotor etc, fuel pump pumping and fuel bowl full, all seem fine. So removed wires and hot wired coil direct to battery, to prove not a wiring harness issue, still the same, just coughs occasionally, and on rare occasions will run at a very low rough idle for just a few seconds, but dies instantly if anything touched. Cleaned plugs which had all become an even black(so must be getting fuel?). Will not run on engine start spray either. Seems to have good spark. Have not tried moving timing, as running like a great wee screamer when going fine, and all is tight so not moving on lockbolt.
I am starting to thing perhaps distributor drive damaged and not turning correctly or has slop, or as there was a knocking noise from cam belt cover area when it did do the low rough idle, perhaps i have a cambelt and tensioner issue, causing timing to be miles out(previous owner claimed it was done at 90k). No idea if its a clearance engine, wondering if belt could have jumped a tooth?
Any ideas or opinions anyone? Ps its a toyota 1e engine, 4 cyd 1000cc(done 111k).
kazbanz,
Oct 6, 3:26am
IMO the issue is in your ignition switch
gpg58,
Oct 6, 3:53am
Cheers, yes I had considered that and the circuit which puts full power on the secondary side of the ballast resistor while starting, as I have struck that before. Which is why I bypassed all that wiring and wired coil directly to battery so all that stuff was out of the circuit and results were exactly the same.ps also bypassed all plugs in loom on coil negative supply to the distributor.
I know someone on here is bound to demand to know the colour of the car so to preempt that, it is red.
bjmh,
Oct 6, 4:08am
Broken earth wire on the base plate to distributor body ?
muppet_slayer,
Oct 6, 4:15am
What I was gonna say!
gpg58,
Oct 6, 4:37am
Thank you, yes checked it too, and is fine. Can not see either lead as shorting to anything either. Pulled out coil to points wires plastic entry bush and stud as well and inspected it. Also tried running without ballast resistor while i had it hot wired.
But ok, will try replacing that braided flexi earth wire tomorrow, just to be certain it is not high resistance crimps on it. (only fitted the new points today, as a last resort, as old looked perfect, so know that one is ok).
franc123,
Oct 6, 5:53am
Some of those old E series Corolla and Starlet engines with that Varijet carb had a problem with an external one way valve thing playing up, I think its green in colour which fails and plays havoc with the fuel mixture, runs real rich. It needs replacing, whether Toyota still supply that part I cant say.
gpg58,
Oct 6, 6:19am
There is a valve/jet/solenoid thing on back of carb beside accelerator pump, which has a wire on it. Putting power on it opens a tiny jet like orifice, which I thought was idle up control for having lights on and heater? But I have never seen it work, as revs drop with heater and lights etc on. It does operate when powered up manually, but have not tried starting car with it powered, will give that a crack tomorrow to. have not spotted a one-way valve will have a look for that too.
intrade,
Oct 6, 6:26am
just occasional huge bangs from exhaust. first thing comes to my mind is a valve is open to bang in exhaust jumped timing belt about to let go fully_? The way to find a fault is to check whats right and tick it off one by one. just immagine the fun you will have with a 2010 toyota when the can newtwork short causes a no start. or the fiberoptics most bus on bmw ,.
intrade,
Oct 6, 6:28am
i had that on a nisaan van once ballast resister wire or earth or whet ever it was was running then banging and shooting and stalling till i fixed the wire on propperly
intrade,
Oct 6, 6:32am
could well be too i had a loose imobillizer wire on starlet but was efi. ripped it out and as i reomved it i seen a loose wire from the immo. binned the garbage took 5 minutes to remove and thats what it takes a theive to remove a immobiliyer on a old car like that.
dublo,
Oct 6, 7:01am
I had "failure to proceed" on a few occasions last year with a 1964 BMC 1100. It would inevitably start ok just after the AA service man arrived on the scene. A Vintage Car Club member suggested I check all the earth connections - cleaned up the battery to body one (untouched in the life of the car!) of the slight corrosion of the bare metal and (fingers crossed) no more stalls. I also checked the engine to body connections - no corrosion there and I suspect the built-in anti-corrosion system (oil leaks) would keep that area rust-free.
franc123,
Oct 6, 7:15am
It's a vacuum valve in the tangle of lines around the carb. It's about the size of an oddfellow peppermint with a port out each side if it. When they play up it will cause the spark plugs to foul up and go black, hence not helping the rough running.
gpg58,
Oct 6, 7:42am
Yes belt or distributor drive was where i was thinking, when i gave up today, and decided to see what others thought. It seems to be a timing issue, rather than fuel, especially as it will not run on ether as well.
gpg58,
Oct 6, 7:49am
Starter and all other electrics seem fine, so doubt a bad earth, but will check earths anyway, was thinking i will wire distributor body directly to battery negative, as another try. Re oil, there is some in distributor base, assume shaft seal is retiring, but was wondering if it is getting under contact surfaces, stopping dizzy earthing properly, hence direct wire idea above.
gpg58,
Oct 6, 8:03am
I assume i have to remove crank pully to get timing cover off, is it ok to put it in first gear to lock engine, to undo bolt? Will have to search too, to see if standard or left hand thread? But agree with tick items off, and think it is time to have a look in there, and pull dizzy out to check drive end as well. Half tempted to do valve grind and valve stem seals while pulling things apart.
franc123,
Oct 6, 8:59am
A cam timing issue isnt going to cause intermittent rough running, you will have a permanent rough or no idle and permanent lack of power.
redhead18,
Oct 6, 9:08am
Sheesh E series ota standard issue cam beltski fall ova rockers breakie. Remove tappet cover and post back Okies.
Towed her home trying to start on the way, no luck, just occasional huge bangs from exhaust.
Admittedly an ole E series points ignition ota does have a plastic rotor which could throw timing out and a dissy cap which can crack. However assume worst case scenario and remove tappet cover and check for broken rockers. easy as.
gpg58,
Oct 6, 9:28am
Was running sweat, between each time of this intermittent issue, and now(dead), -pulling red line easy.
Think rockers unlikely(no clattering when cranking now). But agree will have a look in there too.
Thinking about it, intermittent issue could be it almost jumping a tooth, each time, until finally it has.
redhead18,
Oct 6, 9:53am
Beggora was running SWEAT? mmkay
now dead. yip read dat
As to this common jumping tooth analogy well. Hoots Mon do ya feel lucky? I.E. jumps tooth runs crapski. Nek Minut jumps tooth back runs fine?
Engines rotate ONE way tooth jumping happens same= one way never reversed. Kapeesh?
redhead18,
Oct 6, 10:33am
Back in the day the E series 12 valve engines were actually famous for carboning up valves and losing compression.
Old skool fix was as simple as fang some injector cleaner in the secondary warm em up and road test em gently then Fang the secondary open and voila easy as tappet reset LOL. seriously remove tappet cover and check rockers. if all good then check valve clearances okies.
gpg58,
Oct 6, 10:44am
Yes, but if it was just riding up the tooth, and not quite jumping before. until it finally did.
Part of recent birthday, was crc valve cleaner spray down carb.
Already got the valve stem seals on hand, was going to freshen up in there later on anyway.
nesta129,
Oct 6, 11:23am
With your first paragraph,I had that same problem with my EG civic after the headgasket was done on the car.Took me forever and few tries (including work on the dizzy). in the end Onehunga Car Clinic diagnosed it as the earthing problem.
realtrader1,
Oct 6, 2:19pm
This wire can look fine but have an internal issue. Replace.
gpg58,
Oct 6, 9:50pm
Theoretical chocolate fish have been awarded, She's Alive. To bjmh for base plate earth (and muppet_slayer, realtrader1). And dublo for "built-in anti-corrosion system (oil leaks)".
Would not start still this morning, so removed base earth wire and inspected, it is intact and has soldered lugs each end, and tests at zero ohms, so is fine. Before refitting i sprayed inside of dizzy and contact areas with ether, which were coated in oil, then blew dry and refitted wire. she started first try. Did spit out exhaust a few times for a minute or 2, but considering the amount of flooding during tests, probally fine. Now its running was able to use timing light, and see she has approx 7 degs at idle, will need to find specs and adjust, as likely new points have altered it a little. Guess i better do distributor seals too, to stop that oil getting in. Thanks to all for your thoughts.
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