88yotaProblems

Hello, I have an 88 22RE pick up with 2.4L engine. The truck runs great in dry weather, cold or hot. However when there is moisture in the air or rain, it will be running fine and then all of a sudden, I can only give it 10% throttle or give it 100% throttle, to get it accelerating. Otherwise, mid-throttle it will sound like the engine is flooding or running super rich, it will sputter. I have checked to see if there is water getting on the distributor and there is none. (However if i pour a bottle of water on the distributor, it will kill the engine) Now, recently I could not start the truck at all. I was not getting any fuel. I jumped Fp-B+ in the diagnostics box, boom the fuel pump, with key "on", turned on and the truck started. I took the VAM (Air Flow Meter) off and tested all the connectors. Everything tested fine on the unit. Re-installed the unit. COR seems to be working too, heard it click on. I jumped the Fp to B+ again and let the truck run for 30 minutes. Then took the jumper out and restarted the vehicle. It ran fine. So after that detail about my hard starting is that somewhere in the fuel system electronics I might be having some trouble in the rain. I have a leaky windshield on both sides. You think I could be getting the Circuit Opening Relay a little wet? Any suggestions for testing or replacement would be much appreciated!! Thanks!!

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

If your getting water into the Circuit opening relay that could be your problem.

Look to see which way it is mounted if the connection end is on the top it is very easy to have it get water inside

The COR getting wet will either work or not most likely not cause the spitting and sputtering

Then Spark plug wires when old can cause the engine to run poor as well

Is the CEL on??

88yotaProblems

Hey wyoming9. Thank you for your quick response.
I checked for the CEL. It is not on.
It is raining right now and I have found water coming down around the ECU area.(ECU is duct taped up for protection but I really need a cover for it, does anyone make one?) I cannot see the COR. I know it is located above the ECU according to the diagram. I suppose I would have to remove the entire dash to get to it, right? So I do not know how it is positioned or if water is actually leaking onto it. Windshield is leaking and water is coming down the front of the floor board.
I will check the spark plug wires at night to check for erratic spark. The wires are fairly new though. They did get antifreeze on them, as well as the distributor. That could cause issues right? Like erosion?
This throttle issue has been happening for 2 years now.
Thanks again for the reply! I love my truck but its killing me with this issue!!

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

No you don`t need to remove the whole dash .

the plastic trim on the right side maybe the glove box and speaker I would need to double check to be sure

you might need to loosen the ECU

Terrys87

iTrader: (1)

When was the last good tune up using quality parts? I get my plug wires from ebay, fuel filter from the local part store, cap, rotor, and plugs from my local dealer. Prices are better then most part stores. Also I get the O-ring that goes in between the cap and rotor from the dealer. Then you wont have to deal with a wet distributor.

How is the Throttle Position Sensor? Most likely it is original. I have tried cleaning them and you can find a thread on here on getting them to work again but I would suggest just replacing it if original. They just wear out.

The COR is located behind the passenger front speaker. Checking your plug wires at night is a good easy check. The ECU does not like water and is the biggest killer of them. It is located behind the passenger kick panel.

If you are getting water on your ECU, check your windshield seal. Probably a lot of rust behind it and you may need to clean it and repair it. Other place is dirt in the cowl has caused rot in the cowl area. https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...trucks-286766/ look at the last few post on this thread to see about where it could of rotted thru.

bootscootboogie

iTrader: (1)

For wires I really like napa's 7mm wires made by beldan. They are lifetime warranty.

coryc85

As a temporary fix to keep your ECU dry, you can also relocate the ECU to the glove box without doing anything major. I did it for deep water crossings here in FL, and I've just left it in there. It's been several years, but I believe I had to cut a notch in the upper right corner of the back wall of the glovebox plastic so the wires would fit in.

Co_94_PU

iTrader: (-1)

Aside from the primary gasket on the distributor, there are two other places you can have infiltration. The rubber boot for the coil pickup, and the vent cap.. I use fipg to augment the o-ring and boot, and saw recently a dust filter used on the vent.

since there are no proper drip loops in the harnesses it doesn't matter which way they oriented stuff. The water will migrate up the wires due to surface tension, capilary action, or just shear volume.

​​​​​​on the TCCS ECU there are lots of extra holes tapped for different mounting orientation, they are covered with vinyl tape from the factory.