suncouple

My 1999 4runner (6 cylinder) turns over but doesn't catch. I've done extensive searching and have tried a lot. I believed it was the fuel pump and have replaced that. Unfortunately that didn't fix it so I went back to the basics and found that I'm not getting a spark on any of the cylinders-testing with a spark test lamp.

I have checked all fuses and replaced the EFI relays.

Since there isn't a distributor cap, my thoughts are either the igniter or the timing belt. Since the engine is non-interference, I'm assuming that I wouldn't see many symptoms of a broken timing belt.

Would the timing belt stop a spark? What else would?

Thanks!

suncouple

Nevermind. Opened the housing and the timing belt was shot.

Ron Helmuth

thanks for stating the solve so we could all learn from it!

vital22re

iTrader: (2)

next time... check the basics. spark, fuel, COMPRESSION. Had you checked the compression and had none you would have been pointed to the tb off the bat instead of spending money on parts to throw at it. Just a little food for thought and make diagnosis cheaper.

kball

How many miles on the belt? I can't remember the last time I heard of one actually failing.

ZGjethro

Second^^^^this. I am at 86000 on my 99 4runner and need to get mine changed. I might do it myself if I can find the time.

suncouple

OK, sorry for the delay in getting back to this. It's been a toilsome journey but I got it fired up tonight.

Vital22re: yes, I agree--always go back to the basics. Had I checked the spark initially, I would have suspected something else. However, my wife just ran out of gas and that seemed to be the common resolution to put a new fuel pump in the truck. I figured it was a $100 so I did that--and learned my lesson. At least she won't be needed a new fuel pump for a little bit! :-)

So, as mentioned above, I finally found out there wasn't a spark. Tested the relays as many found to be the culprit of their problem. Even bought a new one for $7 at NAPA, no dice. After testing the ignition coils, they fell within resistance ranges, same with the camshaft sensor. Research showed that the next step was the ignition control coil (ICM), found one on Ebay for $25. Replaced, no luck. I figured that I would get all of the cheap options out of the way before opening pandora's box with the timing belt casing. I opened it up and found that the timing belt was shot not broken but completely worn to shreds. I looked and also noticed some dried up gunk around the water pump. Taking heed to others, I bought a timing belt and a new water pump. As I took out the old water pump, I noticed that it was completely seized up--must have been bad as you could spin it with your hand.

Bought a chain clamp from Harbor Freight only to not put protection between the chain and the crankshaft pulley and dinged the pulley to the point that I needed to replace it. Found one at a junk yard for $65. I couldn't pull the old one off so I borrowed the steering wheel puller at Autozone (http://www.autozone.com/autozone/cat...0-10&parentId=) and that worked for me.

After that I went with the advice of many and purchased the OTC - UNIVERSAL PULLEY HOLDER & FAN CLUTCH SET (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ef=oss_product) and the Toyota Timing Belt Tensioner Compressor (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ef=oss_product).

I got the the crankshaft pulley tightened to 217lbs/ft with the tension wrench that I borrowed from Autozone, got the belt on and everything back together. Went to start it and no spark still. After I opened it back up and did some reading, I was putting too much importance on matching the stripes and I was had everything completely set wrong--thankfully it was a non interference engine and learned my lesson. Got everything torn down again tonight and this time I believe that I have everything positioned right. Set the crankshaft to 0, RH camshaft pulley set at 12 and LH camshaft pulley set to 12.

Got the basics on, sat in the drivers seat and after a few cranks, fired up-which means that I had spark!

Got everything put back together and swapped out the new ICM for the original ICM so that I could resell it, tried to crank and no spark. Put the new ICM in the truck and it fired right up.

At this point I'm not entirely sure what the culprit was...whether it was the water pump, the badly torn timing belt, or the ICM but it seems that it wants to work now. Nothing so sweet as hearing your engine crank over again.

To answer the others questions, it is a 99 4runner 3.4L with 189,000 miles on it. I can only imagine that it was the original timing belt as we bought it in 2003 with over 100,000 miles on it.

The bottom line...did I make mistakes? Absolutely but since I'm not an everyday mechanic sometimes you take the school of hard knocks. And from reading estimates, I still saved around $400 which is why I went down the path of trying to fix it myself.

I just hope that when tomorrow comes, the 4runner wants to start again...

Hope this is of some help to people out there so you don't make the same mistakes as I did!

One of the best write-ups that I found was at the following address: http://www.nwtoys.com/forum/general-...ming-belt.html

Unfortunately he didn't finish the steps on putting the engine back together or else I would have saved some time and $. In any case, he did a fantastic job with documenting the tear down.

vital22re

iTrader: (2)

good job taking the initiative to do it yourself, for actually getting under the hood and doin the work and figuring it out without running back on here every 3 seconds to ask a million "how do i" "how does this look" questions. So good job!!! way to get it running!