My 22re has developed a new problem, I will be driving and the check engine light will come on and if I look under the hood and the exhaust is glowing cherry red? The oil pressure is also up and down it will run right In the center of the gauge and then drop to low and then come back up. Anybody know what might be going on? Thanks

 

A blocked cat converter would be my first guess. Loss in power?

Pull it off and maybe temporarily run a straight piece of pipe to see if the problem continues. I wouldn't drive it like that regularly until you found the problem. Burned valves, warped manifold, cylinder damage....several problems if you let it get hot and continue to do so.

 

X2 on the cat

 

Climbed underneath and it turns out the previous owner cut out the cat. Anything else?

 

Most of the time something like that is caused by a timing issue. Yours problem is the first I have heard of like that in one of these engines.

It has been a long time since I did work along these lines but if i remember correct to make it simple the cylinder is firing with the exhaust valve open hence the fuel air mixture is part way into the manifold as it ignites.

You should have a very bad loss of power if this happens all the time.

I hope this points you on the correct path

 

That's what's strange there is no loss of power when this happens

 

Could be camshaft timing causing the mixture to burn at the wrong time, could be ignition timing or possibly even tight exhaust valves or excessively rich mixture.
Under-revving the engine can also cause it.

Pull the engine code(s) and tell us what it says.

 

It's also intermitent One day it will be fine and then it will come back. Or if I turn it off and let it cool down I can start it back up and it will run fine

 

abe, i thought a lean mixture would cause heat issues,
and that a rich mixture is preferred over a lean one because of that?

also isn't the limp mode in the ecu set rich to prevent damage?

not trying to call you out just curious

 

A lean mixture can cause heat issues but one would typically encounter severe detonation before exhaust temps got hot enough to cause the manifold to glow.

A significantly rich / partially unburned mixture, whether due to the ECU, ignition or camshaft timing or exhaust valve issues such as burned or adjusted too tight... that mixture entering the exhaust manifold when combined with the PAIR manifold's injection of air, could cause combustion to occur in the manifold resulting in it becoming hot enough to glow.

I still want to know what code the ECU is throwing though.

 

in extreme cases... ok..



what about in minor changes to the mixture, does the same thing apply?

ok im done getting schooled

 

I had this EXACT problem with my 87 4Runner, and it was the TPS causing a lean condition. The system was allowing in a lot of air, but restricting the amount of fuel thereby burning hot as hell.

Like Abe, I am also interested in the code.

 

Minor changes in the mixture should be compensated for by the O2 sensor. But if it's failed or the ECU can't compensate any farther...
DeathCougar's apparently lit his pipe being lean so we all learn something.

 

Okay I have been searching and I can't find a good thread on how to pull the codes could someone fill me in?

 

Okay so the codes are 25 & 26. Which is fuel meter lean & rich right? What do you guys think would trip Both?

 

It also won't turn cherry red if I'm on and off the throttle. If it is a constant speed it will trip the CEL and get hot

 

As said above, check the TPS and 02 sensor, if there the original parts then it might be a good idea to just replace them anyway, they can and do wear out and can cause problems when they do.

 

If it was the tps wouldn't I be my ecu be throwing code 41? Same with the o2 sensor. Any help would be great this problem is driving me crazy!

 

Could it be the o2 sensor? The milage is pretty bad too

 

Having the same problems my friend are you any closer to figuring it out?