Help: Possible Igniter / Starting Problem
 

I just installed a new rotor in the distributor, has new acel super coil, better wires, stock pick up coil, new spark plugs, cam, 3 degrees timing advance. It ran great a little while ago but when came to a stop at a light it fumbled and died on me and hasn't started since. I don't know what's going on.

It did that once before to me and I let it sit and came back hours later and started up and drove home. Now it wont do that again. I'm ready to pull what's left of my hair out haha.

I can't get it to start. I wasn't getting spark from the coil. I think maybe the igniter is bad. I took it apart, all wires in tact. The wire that's hooked to the bracket to screw igniter together that wraps around the other two wires all the way down to where is plugs into the distributor was frayed. I took that off but wasn't starting with it on before.

I take it that's some sort of ground wire? Do I need to get another wire and wrap around the other to as a ground again? Do I even need it?

The ECU is still clicking like it always has been, I can hear the fuel pump working, has new fuel filter but stock pump that I'm aware of.

I'm getting very frustrated not being able to find a way to test the igniter. I found a way to test the computer but whoever owned it before has changed and messed with wiring that I can't locate stuff that the instructions say.

I just want this thing up and running good again.

Test in the FSM for Ignitor is there... But sneakily placed! haha... Actually, I think I found it in the FI section... Because it controls injector pulse/timing? There's the basic test where you test off body of Ignitor and one post of the coil? (CAREFULLY, cuz it CAN blow up the thing< i guess)..... And another test with the Coil Wire out away from the body and with some tester on it looking for HOT WHITE spark and proper Voltage??? Can't remember, ...have to run, but I will try to find that page later. I found it in the 88 FSM I have(can't find an 87 one)... But I think it's probably similar on the 85 testing.

I think you need all the wiring the way it was on the ignitor... So maybe it did indeed blow. BUT, I would be curious as to whether it was coincidence or caused by some short, etc. The brake is connected to the Fuel Cut... But I'm not sure that's likely either. It should at least restart... then maybe die or dip up and down on that gremlin frontier. With no spark... could still just be a bad coil? You've run the tests on that and it's checking out, independently, resistance wise, etc.?

I'll try to find a copy of the manual and see if I can locate what you are saying. Still try to find it if you can later. I have tried two other working coils and nothing works, still wont start.

I might have to try and use stock wire from coil to distributor again like I did once before but made no difference.

When I got my 86 4Runner I had the same problem, sometimes it would start and sometimes it would be dead. It ended up being a corroded ignition fuse in the fuse box behind the driver side kick panel. I cleaned the terminals in the fuse box as best as I could and replaced the fuse. I havn`t had any problems sense. I checked all the other fuses also to prevent future problems.

Good idea. Thanks for the information I'm definitely going to check that tomorrow.

I took off the fuel line at filter and has flow coming out so not the pump I don't think. Weird part is it started and ran. I took it around the block and was fine. I don't know what I did to allow it to start. I took it to check Tire pressure and shut it off. I went to start it and nothing. Had to get towed back home. Did the same thing as last time like something got too hot and then wouldn't work. Some kind of electrical problem. It ran without a wire wrapped around the igniter wires that hook to distributor that I took off. Maybe it's the ignition fuse or fuel pump quits after a while I am not sure.

MYYOTA could very well be right there... I noticed that when my clutch master leaked... it sometimes would drip over that way.... I know it did because the DOT3 Brake Fluid did some rustage under the padding;)

Could this be a secondary coil problem?

FIRST, I would take a look in the driver kick panel/front and back/ for any corrosion... like Myyota said.... pretty quick and free check:great:

Sorry, man... sux! Especially having to get towed!

A fuel pump thats going bad can work for a while and quit, then work again later on. But check the fuses like I said above to make sure there good. Another thing I had to do not long ago was replace the electrical part of the ignition switch because it wore out and I had hit and miss problems starting my 4Runner.

Thanks for the info and tips. Tonight I will examine those areas and see what I can find.

Update
 

Any luck? Did you figure this out?

I would hope so. The original post was from 2012...

:safari: