Hi folks, I have a 91 4wd 22re manual pickup, recent rebuild has a code 14 problem with sluggish performance. I have traced the problem to the igniter through elimination. Nothing is left, just the igniter. It has not been tested, I found ways to test igniters for 92 on, but not the 191 0x... I've been looking online for replacements, and found them for 92-95, and for 84-89, but none for my 91(Rock Auto, Ebay, Parts Geek, Summit Racing, Amazon, general Google search). I've crawled through all the local junk yards and found a few, but they definitely don't work.

So, please give me you expert, not-so-expert and daring advice;
- Can I rig up an igniter from another model to work on my 91 22re? Like the 84-88 or 92-95 igniters?
-Is there a secret website for buying one of these little jerks?
-Is there a bypass? I've read that carbed engines can do some sort of thing with a GM coil and Chevy ignition something-or-other. I just put in a new coil from LC Performance and would prefer to keep it, but is there a similar thing I can do here?

I'm lost at this point. Driving this lovely truck sucks. Whenever I reset the codes, it drives like a dream for around ten minutes, then the check engine light comes back on and I feel all the torque and get-up-and-go just slip away.

 

Lakeland Toyota https://parts.lakelandtoyota.com/p/T...962112050.html says 89621-12050 fits any 4runner from 1991-1995 (and a few other models as well). It's not a cheap part (you already knew that), but if you're feeling lucky: https://www.ebay.com/itm/373741686036

 

Yeah, that's pricy. I'm at the point where I'm almost willing to pay for it, but the igniter pictured is just too different from the 191; my igniter has eight wires coming out of the module, the model shown has five pins that would lead to a connector. The model from Lakeland/Ebay is the kind that is able to be tested, I don't see how I can modify the set up so that it works. I actually saw that on a T100 and some Toyota sedan in the junkyard here the other day and left it. Are there any modification resources you know of?

 

the toyota parts diagram i search returns a part #89620-35280. this is discontinued, and appears to be an 8-wire igniter (from an ebay listing with that part number on it)

the OP could help us help out by perhaps giving us some pertinent information (such as the number on the ignitor in the truck) or even a picture of it.

 

It's 8926035280 and has eight wires, just like you wrote. 84-88 models use 8962035310, a 9 wire igniter that has more or less the same connecters- the igniter to distributor is the same, the igniter to ECM/system is mostly the same, and the igniter to coil is two wires leading to a connecter (where the 91 model is 2 positive wires and 1 negative wire the bolt onto the coil). Has anyone tried just clipping the igniter to coil connecter and bolting it on?

 

Like this: https://www.ebay.com/p/1337438923 ?
Just running 89620-35280 through a search engine turned up half a dozen of these for sale. All used, of course. As you note, testing these is a challenge, so you'd be taking your chances ordering a used one.

 

I'm seeing them now- I may need to go that route, but I would feel horrible to pay out so much for something that breaks or is broken. I just bought a slightly different model off amazon, model that fits 84-88, where the wire set up is just slightly different. It was $40, so, you know, it would be a loss, but not as bad. Maybe it works??? I just need to change a connecter. If not, I'll have to get one of those.

 

that's the one i looked at. pricey. i'd want to be REALLY sure the ignitor is the problem before spending that much.

 

I concur. It's frustrating that the igniter is diagnosed through elimination.

 

I have a sneaky suspicion that these igniters are more similar than different on the inside. I bet the difference lies mostly in the pinned connectors. I see ebay selling 1992-95 $30 ones supposedly made in USA. I’d try that and a soldering iron.

 

I've been pondering this as well and share this suspicion. My questions are 1) are the coils the same between 1991 and 1992? 2) Are the ECM's the same? 3) Does anyone have 1991 and 1992 wiring diagrams that they can post up? I'm curious enough that I will probably spend a little bit of time digging into the situation further to see if the 1992 igniter and wiring harness (or igniter, harness and coil) could be adapted to work. I believe the OP mentioned he has access to the later model setup at a local salvage yard.

 

Igniter failures are fairly rare. When they did go bad they usually just died. I might start looking for poor connections. I have seen signal generators do some wonky things, like work cold, but start failing as the engine warmed up. And as you probably saw, the FSM is of little help. As much as I love my FSM, I always caution users when it comes to diagnosing anything electrical.

But I will look around and see if i can source a 1991 igniter.

 

From my computer screen, it looked like the ECM is the same between 1991 and 1992, and the coil is the same as well. That being the case, it ought to be possible to substitute the 1992 igniter with its wiring harness into the 1991 truck and have it work. Good luck OP!

 

That's my thought as well.I've bought one off of amazon that I'm going to try wiring in- I'd rather lose $40 that $300 on a used module that also punks out.

 

Thanks for the thoughts and ideas- from what I've seen crawling through junkyards and looking at google images, 91s typically have the same, the cylindrical coil suspended in oil, where the 92s sometimes have that, usually have the flat-ish coil that is suspended in some sort of polymer. Of course, it's somewhat an anecdotal observation, plus there's never anyone around to give a history on the vehicle to know if parts got swiped out. ECMs seem to have some variation in model numbers, but I have no idea- it could have to do with automatic vs manual, 2wd vs 4wd, the year, the plant that made the ECM. On the inside, they may be the same whereas on the outside they have differing number identifiers. I have noticed that the ECM pin or cable plug-in set-up is different between models from the 80s and 90s. (The FSM I use is for trucks from the 80s-it's the only one I could get my hands on.)

I would really dig a wiring diagram for igniters. My current igniter has 8 wires coming out of the module, the one I ordered has 9, and they have just a vaguely different connecter setup.

 

Yeah, reading the FSM is pretty painful when it comes to electrical systems. Doing a lot of head scratching. Plus, my FSM is for 80's model 22r/re engines. From what I've read on diagnosing these igniters, the symptoms are vague, anywhere from no starts to sluggish performance, and the igniter is ruled-in by ruling-out all other issues. I've checked out all the other issues, I rebuilt the engine recently so a lot is brand new or has been lovingly cleaned and inspected. Voltages and continuity from ECM to coil/igniter seem to be within spec, although I would love to have a real mechanic check it out. All my grounds are well connected. I replaced my coil with a FAST/Crane ignition set up from LC Performance.

I've ordered an igniter off amazon that is slightly different from the one in my 91, I'm hoping I can make it work. If not, I may have to buy some sketchy used igniter off eBay.

 

I bet the one from Amazon works. I was curious enough to look last night at what my 1991 3VZE California truck has, which is the later igniter with the flat coil. It sure looks like Toyota was transitioning coils and igniters around this time frame and put out several different combinations that all played together nicely enough.

 

My fingers are crossed. I figure that the worst I could do is waste $40. I really miss driving my truck.

 

Back then, whenever we called TAS (the factory tech line for dealerships) one of the questions the electrical dept always asked is whether we tried swapping out the suspect component with a known good one. They knew the FSM was far from complete and the parameter values given in the diagnostic flowchart was nothing to wage serious money on.

Even the CEL diagnostic codes were pretty broad. They weren't terribly helpful in finding the root cause. Their main function for us was confirming we got the problem solved by staying off once the repair was complete.

 

That's making the best of an iffy situation. Just be careful; according to Toyota "It is critical that the proper igniter is used when replacing an igniter. The igniters are matched to the type of ignition coil and ECM." http://www.cygnusx1.net/Media/Supra/...taTech/h39.pdf (page 6)