We're teaming up with our friends at Innova to give away an Innova 5610 OBD2 Scanner to one lucky YotaTech member! With advanced bidirectional controls and features, the Innova 5610 is their best-selling scanner, highly regarded across the media, and can help you better understand your vehicle and complete repairs with less headache. Want a chance to win one? It’s simple — just reply to this thread with an answer to the following question: What's the biggest automotive problem you've successfully diagnosed or fixed yourself?

Innova is also offering an exclusive 20% discount for community members if you want to buy an Innova 5610 for yourself! Just head to its product page and use code FORUMFAM20.

Full contest rules can be found in the PDF attached below. All vehicles are eligible to win. Good luck and act fast: the entry period ends on June 22!

 

The 5610 V3 is primarily an OBD2 tool, not OBD1. To read OBD1, you need the OBD1 extension cable and Toyota adapter sold separately. It will only read and clear check engine codes for OBD1 vehicles. All the other features & functions only support OBD2 vehicles, depending on the year, make, model, and engine size of that vehicle. OBD1 vehicles are typically 1982-1995, however, some 1993-1995 Toyota Vehicles are OBD2 certified.

https://www.innova.com/pages/coverage.Make sure to select 0x0665 in Tool ID box for V3. The 5610 V3 is the newest version that has a lot more advanced service resets and calibrations. For example, Suspension Calibration, Injector Coding, Occupant Seat Sensor Calibration, TPMS Relearn, and more.

 

Thanks for the chance. Fixing wiring gremlins always seem to make me feel the most accomplished.

 

I have a 92 4runner v6 and when I purchased it the engine would run but would bog and stall after a couple of minutes. The engine light was on and had multiple codes for knock sensor issues and fuel trims and o2 sensors. I found and fixed several issues caused by the previous owner. First the timing was out so I tore it down and replaced the belt and set timing properly. It was running better but still stalling. The knock sensor had a bad signal wire from the ecu so I got some coax cable and made my own grounded signal wire from the ecu to the knock sensor and fixed that code but the engine was still loosing power and stalling. Fuel pressure was always good but I decided to drop the fuel tank next to see if something got messed up when they put a new pump in and low and behold the issue showed itself. They had broken the connector for the fuel return and just added a new line with a hose clamp to what was left. Problem was the hose was too short and was fully kinked causing fuel to back up into the engine. One new longer piece of hose and BAM! No more stalling engine lights all cleared and it has been running us out on the beach since.

 

I bought a 1989 1st gen 4runner with the v6 about 3 years ago now. When I first got it, the thing ran pretty well, the usual oil leaking head gaskets and some troublesome cold starts. But once it was warm it was all good. Problems started months later when I decided to replace injector plugs on the main engine wiring harness. That went smoothly but after getting it all back together I had somehow begun getting the sudden loss of ignition once it warmed up.

So now that the truck had good wires going to everything, obviously it was going to throw me a massive curveball like that. The basic just of it was that it would cold start great especially after cleaning fuel injectors; but once it got to operating temperature it fully cut all electrical signal to the injectors.

I started by actually getting on this forum where people led me to the FSM. There I found the circuits and procedures I would need to chase down my ignition problems.

First thing that was wrong was in the air flow meter on the airbox. One of the contacts inside had snapped and was bouncing around. After soldering it back together, cleaning the sweeping contacts, and putting the lid back on; I still couldn’t get ignition after being warm but the truck ran much smoother.
After trying the coil and igniter, both of which were fine, I was onto was the distributor where I eventually found my problem. Someone at some point must have dropped it (pic below) and broken a contact inside. It also snapped the stem that goes into the motor which I haven’t seen before. Maybe it just took time for it to finally come free and drop signal from the hot circuit. It wouldn’t keep the correct voltages after being warmed up. Cold circuit was just fine.

after everything, a replacement distributor was all I needed and I had to say I was pretty lucky it wasn’t more of a chase

my favorite thing about these trucks are how simple things are. If you have the patience and stay organized you can and will solve any problem that comes at you. Just takes a little thinking.

broken distributor, definitely not working.

 

My 1992 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme with 3.1 engine would just die randomly. Never got any codes on the OBD1 system. Installed a new electronic ignition module. That did not fix it. Installed a new refurbished engine computer, and the first time I cranked it up I got a code. The old computer would not show a code, and the engine died at least 50 times.

Can't remember the exact code. I have the GM repair manual. The code and the repair tree described a green wire that came off the electronic ignition module, and went to the engine computer needed to be traced. Started at the green wire on the ignition module, and went about four inches, and found a hard spot in the wire. Stripped the wire, and found a hard spot where the wire was spliced together when the wire itself was manufactured. Cranked the engine, and when I wiggled the hard spot on the wire, the engine would stumble, or the engine would cut off. Cut out the bad spot on the green wire, and then then crimped a new connection. That fixed it for good.

 

Congratulations to our winner, livergang, and thanks to all who entered!