Ian Delaney

Hey everyone. I have a big problem with my 22re and I need some help. I am 2,000 miles plus past a rebuild on my four cylinder and everything seemed to be fine. I did however have a power issue that I had hoped would go away after the rebuild.

What happened was I had driven the truck, with seeming no new problems and then parked it. The next day I tried to drive my truck, but it wouldn’t start. The starter would work. And the fuel pump was working but I couldn’t get spark. I put a timing light on it to see if a signal was going to the distributer cap and I didn’t detect a signal. I swapped out the original ignition coil but no change. I took out the ignition control module but no one in my area can test it. So, now I have to turn to you fine people.



Clearly I need help.



My problems could be

1. Distributor pickup coil

2. Bad ignition control module

3. Bad ECU

4. Or maybe a bad knock sensor (so I’m told, but I don’t know much about this little thing)



Some back ground…



Before the rebuild I would have a power problem with load on the gas pedal. It would idle fine, but when I put my foot in it the engine would bog down. ( I thought that this could be an EGR issue, so I removed it during the rebuild) I also thought that this could be a fuel issue so I replaced the fuel filter and the pump. I also thought that I could have a piston ring issue, but replaced those during the rebuild and no change.



After the rebuild I didn’t detect a change in my power problem. Its still the same. Before it died recently it would idle fine but when I hammer on the gas it would bog down and when I finessed the gas like an angle kissing a dove it would slowly gain power and then hold any speed I want. Another issue that was weird is that (in third especially) the power would slowly gain during load but would almost shift gears and then fire perfectly so that the same foot effort on the gas pedal would cause the engine to run AMAZINGLY.



To me this is a timing issue that has started annoying, went bad, and now is the worst. I’m hoping that this is just a single part that is bad, like an pickup coil($) or an ignition control module ($$) or an ECU ($$$). At this point I just want the problem solved.



So, I need help. And the part if you guys have one lying around. NAPA has not been nice to me with prices, nor will they let me buy and swap as I isolate the problem.



Thanks everyonel.

scope103

There is no FSM test for the igniter. It can be tested, but without an oscilloscope, your options are limited. Here's everything I know about igniters:
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...gniter-287857/
It's not the knock sensor. The worst that can happen there is dramatically retarded ignition timing.
It's VERY unlikely to be the ECU. Unless filled with water (yeah, it happens), they will last the life of the vehicle. And more.
The distributor pickup coils can be tested. Have you done that? http://web.archive.org/web/201212070...12onvehicl.pdf
While you are at it; push-pull sideways on the rotor. If the bearings in the distributor fail, you can get very erratic spark.
Alas, the igniters DO fail, and are a not-uncommon cause of no-spark.

Yeah, don't we all. Like some big Lego set. But you need to find the problem. No one can tell you what it is from your description. And it might not be a "part" at all; if you break the IGT wire (for instance), you'll lose ignition, and a wire replacement is all you need.

Well, good for NAPA! How would YOU like to buy a part knowing that it probably had been "loaned" to some ass-hat who returned a broken part? Pretty much no one will do returns on electrical parts, and that's all for our protection.

If it were me (and it has been), I'd do as many of the tests on the igniter circuit as I could. (You can test IGT with an LED, for instance.) But you may end up dropping $140 on an igniter as a last resort.

Co_94_PU

iTrader: (-1)

Scope, it's a good write up. One of these days I'll maybe get around to adding my 10¢ there, for now I only have 1¢ to spare (break almost over).

This is a feed back based ICM, you should always have a spark during cranking phase IF the ignitor is good and its receiving the position signal from the distributor.

Note of course scope catch's my blunders quite often so here is some salt to make it taste better..