Send Help: Rough idle and flashing check engine light after oil change
11-08-2016, 07:19 PM
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Send Help: Rough idle and flashing check engine light after oil change
Hey All,
I posted this in another thread but thought I'd put it here too. Any help is appreciated.
So I recently purchased an '88 manual transmission Toyota Pickup (it's 4x4 with 2.4L engine) and so far it has run great. Until yesterday afternoon a day after changing the oil. As it is a pretty old truck and I'm a new owner I thought I'd go ahead and change out all the fluids as a first step to general maintenance. I started with an oil change. After putting in a new oil filter and 4 quarts of 10W-30 synthetic oil, the truck started fine and drove all day without a problem. The next morning, however, it refused to start. I got out and banged on the starter, cleaned the corrosion off the battery terminals, and added distilled waterto the battery. I tried to started it again and after a few painful cranks it started right up! After letting it idle for about 5 minutes, though, the engine started to sputter, a small amount of white smoke came out the tail pipe, and the check engine light began to blink. In an attempt to keep it running I revved the engine, but for some reason it would not rev past about 2000 rpms.
After some research online I am planning on checking the spark plugs but I was wondering if the oil change could have anything to do with this? Let me know any advice y'all have.
Thanks,
Ruger
I posted this in another thread but thought I'd put it here too. Any help is appreciated.
So I recently purchased an '88 manual transmission Toyota Pickup (it's 4x4 with 2.4L engine) and so far it has run great. Until yesterday afternoon a day after changing the oil. As it is a pretty old truck and I'm a new owner I thought I'd go ahead and change out all the fluids as a first step to general maintenance. I started with an oil change. After putting in a new oil filter and 4 quarts of 10W-30 synthetic oil, the truck started fine and drove all day without a problem. The next morning, however, it refused to start. I got out and banged on the starter, cleaned the corrosion off the battery terminals, and added distilled waterto the battery. I tried to started it again and after a few painful cranks it started right up! After letting it idle for about 5 minutes, though, the engine started to sputter, a small amount of white smoke came out the tail pipe, and the check engine light began to blink. In an attempt to keep it running I revved the engine, but for some reason it would not rev past about 2000 rpms.
After some research online I am planning on checking the spark plugs but I was wondering if the oil change could have anything to do with this? Let me know any advice y'all have.
Thanks,
Ruger
Last edited by Ruger Pearson; 11-09-2016 at 04:16 AM.
11-08-2016, 11:35 PM
#2
Might want to check your oil level I always ran 5 quarts of oil
Only if you might have knocked something loose removing the filter
First the check engine light is pretty much just for the emission system
Are you sure the light is on and flashing or is another circuit grounding back through the light
Because the only way it should flash is with T and E1 jumped on the check connector then you count the flashes to get the code
Electrical wiring issues ??
Only if you might have knocked something loose removing the filter
First the check engine light is pretty much just for the emission system
Are you sure the light is on and flashing or is another circuit grounding back through the light
Because the only way it should flash is with T and E1 jumped on the check connector then you count the flashes to get the code
Electrical wiring issues ??
11-09-2016, 07:13 AM
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The oil level is good, and I can't think of anything that could have been knocked loose when getting the filter out.
It is definitely the check engine light. Last time i tried to start it it ran like normal for about 30 seconds then the engine began to shake and the check engine light started flashing in rhythm with the shaking of the engine.
I read somewhere that putting synthetic oil in an old truck could break loose a lot of gunk that had built up over the years. Could this be enough to clog the engine and cause issues?
As a side note I went mudding in it last weekend and it ran totally fine, including the 30 miles on the interstate back home. I cleaned all the mud off and it didn't seem to be a problem but maybe it just took a while to appear?
Anyways, I'm going to start with checking the spark plugs and wires when I get home this afternoon.
It is definitely the check engine light. Last time i tried to start it it ran like normal for about 30 seconds then the engine began to shake and the check engine light started flashing in rhythm with the shaking of the engine.
I read somewhere that putting synthetic oil in an old truck could break loose a lot of gunk that had built up over the years. Could this be enough to clog the engine and cause issues?
As a side note I went mudding in it last weekend and it ran totally fine, including the 30 miles on the interstate back home. I cleaned all the mud off and it didn't seem to be a problem but maybe it just took a while to appear?
Anyways, I'm going to start with checking the spark plugs and wires when I get home this afternoon.
11-09-2016, 10:00 AM
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Changing the oil to synthetic will not cause any engine performance issues. I have a 1980 20R with 140,000 miles on it that I changed over to Mobil One without any problems. I have converted all my vehicles to synthetic oil at various mileages with no issues what so ever.
11-09-2016, 10:23 AM
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I have not been able to check the codes yet. How do I check these without taking it to an autozone or mechanic? Right now I can't get it running well enough to get out of the driveway.
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11-09-2016, 02:20 PM
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Checked the codes and it was sending:
21 - which means the O2 sensor is having temperature issues?
14 - most likely the ignition coil
Here's the thing: this afternoon it started perfectly and I was able to drive about 1/2 mile before the check engine light came on. All of the rough idle issues were gone, except that the engine was shaking a little more than usual.
This is throwing me for a loop
21 - which means the O2 sensor is having temperature issues?
14 - most likely the ignition coil
Here's the thing: this afternoon it started perfectly and I was able to drive about 1/2 mile before the check engine light came on. All of the rough idle issues were gone, except that the engine was shaking a little more than usual.
This is throwing me for a loop
11-11-2016, 07:33 AM
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Should i buy a new O2 sensor? The 4-wire one costs about $80, which seems a bit steep. Is there any easy way to test the sensor I have to make sure I need to replace it? Don't want to spend a ton of money on something I don't need.
I've also been able to start it perfectly over the last few days. If the code 14 is the ignition coil, shouldn't it not be able to start at all?
I've also been able to start it perfectly over the last few days. If the code 14 is the ignition coil, shouldn't it not be able to start at all?
11-11-2016, 10:18 AM
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14 is unlikely to be caused by the ignition coil. Instead, you've lost IGF. Since sustained loss of IGF should shut down the injectors, it may be intermittent. It's a stored code, so start over by clearing the stored codes. (Remove the EFI fuse for about 30 seconds. You can also just disconnect the battery, but you'll lose the radio presets, the learned fuel trim, etc.)
Well, at the age of your rig the O2 sensor is a maintenance item, so replacing it is worth the $80. Of course, a little shopping never hurt; RockAuto has them for less than $20. (You many here recommend the Denso sensors, which will set you back about $22.)
Don't get trapped into thinking the Diagnostic Codes are printing a shopping list for you. Your truck is not just a pile of Legos. If you have a problem in the heater CIRCUIT, it MIGHT be fixed by randomly replacing parts, but you'll go bankrupt long before you stumble onto the correct fix.
