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I'm in desperate need of assistance. I'm a college student who relies on my truck for transportation and am having to bike 5 miles to school because my only means of transport is not working. I'm no mechanic by any means and so any assistance is more than appreciated.
So over a month i noticed my truck was running crummy on idle. It's fine when cool but once warm it would run rich (could smell gas in the exhaust) and the idle would drop. Sometimes when braking the idle would be slow low it could stall. I thought okay, vacuum leak or diaphram leak on the master cylinder. But i disconnected the vacuum house from the brake line and idle still stayed low. I double checked all other vacuum lines.
I then looked at the MAF. I was an idiot and tried to pull on it without seeing the metal retainer clip and and pulled it after undoing the screws. I tried to turn it on and it wouldn't turn on at all. So i thought ˟˟˟˟, i went from a crappy running truck to a dead one. I i got a new one and replaced it and the truck still isn't running!
It cranks over but i have no clue as to what's going on with it. I checked all the fuses under the kick panel and nothing. Also, i looked at the coolant temp sensor and there was a tiny but of copper exposed on the wire that goes to the green plug. I could see that being an issue but not start? doubt it.
Any help is appreciated. I am willing to pay if someone is local... really struggling to get by biking here in Nashville with the temps getting down to the high 30s in the morning. I tried talking to a mobile mechanic over the phone and after sending him a video he told me to take off both terminals and touch them for 30s. Reattatch and see if it starts. It didn't, and he told me essentially that there is a lack of compression or sensor isnt registering.
More info:
no check engine light
22RE 1994 4wd base manual transmission
If someone can come out here and get it started for me since i have almost no tools, i can pay you. I just cannot bike in this cold anymore.
See if you have enough water in the radiator.
See if it is getting spark.
See if it is getting fuel to the rail.
Jumper FP and TE1 in the diagnostic box then open the little door in the MAF and see if you hear the fuel pump running WITH THE KEY TURNED TO ON, don't try and start the truck!
Disconnect the MAF sensor terminal again and look at it make sure there is no water or crud in the connection. If that terminal is not making a good connection the truck will not start.
See if there is a stored code
You said you noticed it running rich and had a bad idle when warmed up... I would first check the O2 sensor. Then if not that check the EGR valve. Those are the two most common failures with your description of a crummy idle and running rich when at temp.
Go from there
Last edited by toyospearo; 11-18-2016 at 10:06 AM.
Start simple, jump the B+ and Fp terminals in the diagnostic connector under the hood with a paper clip, turn the key ON and you should immediately hear the fuel pump running. No need to actually crank engine.
Also, something simple you can do is check all your fuses, your EFI fuse could be blown.
Both of the above require no tools, so maybe try that and report back the results. After that, you can move on to check for spark, check the cold start injector, etc but those things are going to take some tools.
It should start with a bad 02 sensor. I don't think I have ever seen one not start. But it will run like you described if it is bad.
Like cory85 wrote above jump B+ and FP and listen for the fuel pump
You can take a 12mm open ended wrench and crack the bolt on the cold start injector and see if fuel squirts out. Then you know fuel is getting that far up the rail.
Sounds to me like a bad o2 initially. Then whatever you did on the MAF caused an issue electronically. Check fuses
Last edited by toyospearo; 11-18-2016 at 10:09 AM.
Blown EFI 15A fuse in the hood. Replaced it with the DOME 15A fuse and it started up. Check engine light is now on and it does not idle (dies), and i revved it up and only goes to 3.4k-4k with foot all the way down. Exhaust still smells really rich. Suggestions guys? Thanks
31 is for the MAF. Sounds like that is what the issue is. Ether you have a bad or out of spec MAF or somewhere along the circuit there is a short. Or a clogged or old air filter. A bad o2 sensor will usually idle, rough but it will idle.
I would find someone willing to let you swap in their MAF and make sure that's what it is.
Best to check the MAF signals back at the ECU connector, could be a signal is not making it all the way back.
If you have a propane torch you could turn on the gas DONT LIGHT IT, and carefully go over all the vacuum lines to make sure you don't have a leak somewhere. If you can keep it running long enough to check for leaks.
Last edited by toyospearo; 11-18-2016 at 11:29 AM.
Toyo i just disconnected the battery and reconnected it to reset it. Engine still ran at low RPM and died and still did not rev up to where it was suppose to. Ran smooth though... I jumped TE1 and E1 for engine code and the check engine light just flashed rapidly. thoughts?
look to see if the water level in the radiator is right at the top (check when cold) air in the system will cause the 22re to run like crap.
rapid flash means no code is being detected. No code.
you may need to run if for a spell and fluctuate the RPM's to get it to throw a code after you have reset it.
Hard to say what is going on. I get one or two yota's coming to me every week with similar issues. The first thing I look at is the EGR and the second is the upstream O2 sensor. If it is not either of these I move on to the valve lash, exhaust leaks, vac lines, injectors, cold temp sensor, ect.
I had a truck a guy brought to me a while back running like you are describing. I searched and poked and prodded and I couldn't find anything. While the truck was running (roughly) I put my hand on the air tube that goes across to the throttle body from the MAF. All of a sudden it cleaned up and ran perfect. I did it again and again. I shut the truck down and pulled the air tubes and on the underside near the right side there was a very small crack. The air coming in was causing the computer to compensate for this lean mixture by squirting more gas in the cylinder. I taped up the crack and fixed it.
Last edited by toyospearo; 11-18-2016 at 11:53 AM.
wiring from the MAF to the ECU OR a vacuum leak. Those can be hard to fine. You have to check any possible line for leaks very carefully. Wand a propane torch in and around all your lines DONT LIGHT THE TORCH haha. or carefully squirt some carb cleaner or wd 40 around in there. But that method is a little more dangerous.
Check for damaged wires. ALSO, check your engine grounds. There are 4 one in the back 2 on the passenger side and one on the drivers side.
Last edited by toyospearo; 11-18-2016 at 12:11 PM.
Like Cory85 says^^^ "jump the B+ and Fp terminals in the diagnostic connector under the hood with a paper clip"
If that keeps the engine running after you release ignition switch, most likely your MAF or wiring to it.
Double-check to see that you did not break any wires on your MAF connector. Hoping you get it running soon.
Turning vehicle on with +B and Fp did not change the symptoms
Rad4Runner, yeah it's been particularly hit or miss last few days here. Some days it drops down some days like today it's warm. We're having an unusual season here...
Update: Put the old MAF back on unhook battery terminal and no check engine light, idles fine and revs normal. Essentially a few things happened... I shorted the EFI fuse and instead of looking there first i replaced the MAF then i noticed and replaced the fuse but just so happened that i received a garbage MAF from amazon.
I doubt this will help anyone but that was my issue. Also, it doesnt seam to be running as rich anymore but that could just be due to my nose being frostbite.
Thank you all for your help... suppose to be getting down to 28 tomorrow night and it looks like i got this solved without any tools, just bright people on this forum directing me.
11-18-2016, 09:41 AM
