joaquin

First want to say hi to everyone,
Now the problem: I picked up a 90 4runner with blown head gasket. It would start right up and I drove it on my trailer to take it home. Drove it off the trailer into my shop and replaced the head gaskets. Got it all back together and I'm not getting any spark, none at all. I removed the intake to make sure I had all the grounds connected and the plug under the intake plugged in. All back together and still no spark. Has anyone ran across this before? Hoping it's something simple but that would be a first for me.
So any help would be appreciated.
Thanks, Joaquin

Just wanted to add that when the ignition is turned on the check engine light does not come on either, seems all the other lights are on??

TOYOTA 1

check your efi fuse!!

joaquin

EFI fuse is good, thanks for your input. Still no spark

abecedarian

Check all your fuses, under the hood and dash.

*edit- also check the fusible links by the battery.

TOYOTA 1

x2...

joaquin

Checked all fuse's and rechecked all fuse's, Fuse's all good, Still no Spark.
Thanks for the input.
Still looking for the problem.

TOYOTA 1

hmm.... id recheck every connection, double check the grounds, check all fuses, wich you already did! next i would see if i was getting spark to the distributer, if your getting spark there than the problem is inside of the dist.
if there is no spark getting there then check you coil/igniter.

joaquin

Thanks,
Do you know of a way to check the ignitor and the coil? other than the ohms test in the manual? The coil checked out with the ohms test, but I didn't see a ignitor test? Maybe I missed it. I'm thinking it's something simple like a loose connection but I've checked and rechecked and can't find anything. I'm sure I'm just missing something, if and when I find it I'll be sure to post it.

joaquin

Ok, here is where I'm at:
I've checked and rechecked. One weird thing I have found, or maybe it's suppose to be that way, is I have power to both leads going to the injector when the key is on. I have power to all injectors. When I turn the engine over I still have full power to all leads going to the injector. If I'm not mistaken this leads me to believe I've got a problem somewhere. But of course I knew I have a problem. Just wondering if any of you can shed any light on the subject?
When should there be power to the injector and shouldn't it be intermittent? when the engine is turned over?
Sorry for the ranting, but this thing is really giving me a headache, but I'm not giving up.
Thanks in advance.

abecedarian

The ECU controls the injectors by switching the ground, not the hot lead, therefore there will be power to the injector plugs.

abecedarian

as mentioned, are you getting spark from the wires? You can disconnect the coil wire from the distributor and hold the wire end close to the engine while someone else cranks the engine over. look and see if there are sparks from the wire to the engine block.
If not, you may have a bad ignitor module or bad ignition pick-up coil in the distributor itself.

joaquin

Thanks for that info on the injector.
Just didn't know what the ecu did or didn't do.
No I still have no spark????
I'm going to get another ignitor w/coil and see what that does, and then I guess I'll try a ecm, after that don't know?
But really appreciate the info. Joaquin

abecedarian

before you go the ECU route, check the pick-up coil inside the distributor.
edit- without that little coil picking up the signal that the distributor shaft is turning, there's no way for the ignitor and coil to make a spark.

abecedarian

Almost forgot- make sure everything is connected. I'm not saying you forgot something but it does happen.

joaquin

I keep going over and over everything and I cannot find anything I missed. Thats not to say I haven't missed something, just not that I've found yet?

Is there a way to check the pickup coil in the distributor?

Thanks,

abecedarian

Yep!

1) remove the distributor cap and rotor
2) rotate the engine until one of the 'points' on the little metal 'rotor' on the bottom of the distributor points at the little coil
3) using a non-ferrous (read- brass) feeler gauge, verify that the clearance between the rotor tooth and the coil is no less than .008" and no more than .016". if so, replace the distributor- they are not adjustable on 87 and later engines
4) disconnect the plug on the side of the distributor and connect an ohm-meter across the terminals leading into the distributor
5) the resistance should be
--- between 140 to 180 ohms for 1984 - 1990 and
--- between 185 to 265 ohms for 1991 - on
--- if it fails, replace the distributor

by the way, I just figured out that Toyota calls it a 'signal generator'.

joaquin

Well, can't understand how it worked just before I put gaskets in and then it don't.
But I checked the distributor and I've got 234 ohms on each of the pickups. Total of three. I find it hard to believe that all three pickups went bad with the same ammount of ohms???? I would be interested if someone would check a good known distributor off a 1990 and let me know the ohms?? Before I buy a new distributor.
Would appreciate any thoughts on this?
Thanks,

abecedarian

This is a v6? what year again?

I'm guessing you rotated the engine around and checked each lobe of the signal generator?

joaquin

It's 1990 V-6, 4x4, automatic.
I measured at the plug. Measured from the common to the other three prongs. All came up the same.
It's just getting fustruating (can't even spell it)
I should have my other ignitor w/coil by the first of next week. I'll let you know what I find out.
Thanks so much for your time and effort to help me on this.
This seems to be a great forum. I hope to be able to some others sometime.

abecedarian

I'm a bit confused because what I see says that the plug from the distributor only has two prongs.
Can you take a pic of what you tested?