BlackSR5

Ok, before everyone tells me to search, I did and I cant find anyone with my exact problem so here I am...I have a 94 SR5 4X4 3.0 5 speed that has been good for a long time. We had a lot of rain here last friday and since I have been having problems..I didn't suck in water, I know that for a fact, since I didnt go through any really deep puddles and the ones I did go through, I went through real slow. Everything near the airbox is dry. The truck was fine early in the day, as the day went on it began missing more and more, started bogging, losing power, eventually had trouble keeping it idling, it started stalling, and eventually got to the point where it would not run at all, not even start...just crank and crank, and sputter. So I changed the cap rotor and wires, ( the CEL has been on for a while with an egr code, no drivability symptoms though, I have narrowed it down to the VSV valve or the round thingy on the front of the motor so the Egr vac line is plugged for now) checked coil resistance, checked plugs, ECM is dry I am pretty sure I have fuel pressure( took off the cold start injector, turned on the key and fuel came out) I am at a loss here. Now after all that stuff the damn thing STILL wouldn't start...so today I go out and turn the key... it catches (kinda) sputters, chugs missfires for about 3-4 minutes, it warmed up a little and evened out and now it seems to run ok except that its idling at halfway between 1k and 0 and nothing I do to the idle speed screw will affect the idle speed; I simply can't adjust it. What the hell is going on here, someone PLEASE help me here, I'm out of ideas...sorry for the long post.

TNRabbit

First of all, THANK YOU FOR DOING A COMPLETE SEARCH FIRST!!

That wasn't long! Good to be detailed. Where are you located, by the way?

This may or may not be related to the water. Did your alternator get wet?

Do you have a vacuum leak that sucked up some water?

What idle screw are you adjusting? If it will not change the idle, something is wrong. This particular symptom is indicative of a throttle plate not closing all the way.

You really need to get the EGR issues sorted out first so you can troubleshoot correctly.

BlackSR5

I am in southern CT. dont think the alt got wet, the water never went past the middle of the wheels. I dont think there are any vaccum leaks since when its not chugging the motor runs smooth. I am adjusting the idle (flatthead) screw on the front of the throttle body. I pulled the intake tube off and the throttle plate moves freely.( forgot to mention that). got any more ideas?

TNRabbit

If your idle is down & the adjustment screw doesn't change it, you are sucking air somewhere. Take an UNLIT (!) propane/mapp gas torch & run it around the intake & all vacuum hoses; if it idles up, there is a leak there. I had to do this to find a leak I had been searching for over a year!

BlackSR5

Thank you! I will try that in the morning. I have to see if I have one around here. Is there any chance that doing this can damage the motor at all? Oh and do you know where the PCV valve is on the 3.0 motor? I wanted to check that as well if its easily accessable.

TNRabbit

PCV is a royal pain in the @$$. It's got to be the cheapest to replace part on the engine that requires ungodly amount of labor (OOPS! No, that's the wire to the knock sensor!) You have to remove the plenum (new gasket) to get to it. Plenum is a royal pain in the @$$, as well as hooking back up the SIX THOUSAND vacuum hoses. Take plenty of pics & label them all. Check the FSM for details:

http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-b...fsm/index.html

Bumpin' Yota

ah the plenum isnt TAHT bad - only 14 hoses iirc... had mine off 2x now...lol

As far as your issues, check the contact surfaces on the wire from the coil to the distributor. Me thinks you have corrosion in there...

BlackSR5

I thought that was the PCV hiding under the pass side of the intake manifold...figures...make too much sense to put it on the drivers side right? Unfortunatly there's no corrosion in there..Just checked with a flashlight
Keep the ideas flowin guys...thanks

Bumpin' Yota

did you check your main intake hose for a huge crack on the bottom? Sometime cracks like that show up and unmetered air will get into the engine...

Im not sure why, but this screams electrical to me...have you checked out the VAFM, O2 sensor, and TPS with a multimeter?

Rcross

The PCV valve is under the intake plenum on the passenger side valve cover. I had changed mine awhile back with a long set of needle nose pliers and a lot of fussing.
Other than buying a new gasket for the intake plenum its not too bad of a job. You do have to disconnect the stuff hooked to your throttle body but almost everything on the left side of the plenum (facing the front of the motor) can be left connected if I remember right.

TOYZILLA

Also you might take your main fuse an batt cable off. an see if it resets your brain. it sounds like it some how was fludding out.

1fly4runner

Sounds like you may have corrosion or a short in the engine wire plug that goes to the distributor. Check the plug and clean up the contacts. I had a faulty plug that gave me the same symptoms and left me stranded one night!

but this is definately electrical.

BlackSR5

I just remembered something...My 02 sensor connector got broken a while back when I changed the headers...Its connected, but sealed up with electrical tape... think maybe when I was going through the deep water it could have shorted out?

JEBSR5

There you go. Keep us posted what you find and fix.

BlackSR5

Well the 02 sensor made a big difference, but it still acts funny when its cold after i first start it up when the weather is very wet and humid. Any other ideas?

MonsterMaxx

Pull the distributor cap off and make sure there's no moisture under it.

Then pull each plug connection off the distributor and make sure there's no corrosion. Do the coil, do the plugs themselves last as they are the most difficult.

TNRabbit

Did we cover cold start injector? If it's ok after it warms up this could be a possible cause.