I changed the plugs and wires this evening.

Now it starts up and then dies within a few seconds.

I am going to do the whole process over tomorrow... Anything specific I should look for that I might have goofed up on?

 

Make sure you didn't crack a plug. I've done it before, and left me baffled for days.

 

did you disconnect the vacum lines taking the air box out and forget to put them back in/on?

 

Ok I must have them in the wrong spots. The wire that goes into the intake hose, i forgot to put that back on. So I plugged it in and tried to start the car and it just clicked at me.


Does that mean I have the plug wires on wrong?

 

5 6
3 4
1 2
___
Front of car.


ok i changed it so that the wires go 5-2 3-6 1-4....

The engine cranks but does not turn over... its not clicking anymore....

 

I know it's probably the last thing you want to hear, but labels are your friends when you disconnect something.

It looks like you have the wiring correct.

On a 3rd gen 3.4L (which I'm assuming you have - you should post the specs of your vehicle when you ask a question... you'll typically get more consistant answers if everybody's talking about the same truck):

The wire from the coilpack at the rear on the passenger's side goes to the plug at the front on the driver's side. The wire from the middle coilpack on the passenger's side goes to the plug at the rear on the driver's side. The wire from the front coilpack on the passenger's side goes to the plug at the middle on the driver's side.

See attached drawing here

Good luck!

 

the only extra thing you did was attach the vacum hoses..i think it could also be your starter contacts. mine was doing that, click , click and eventually it started up.
maybe not the case here but if it tried to run and shut off after a few seconds and now just clicks, i say starter. (asumming you didnt shuffle the wires around)

 

Sorry about not specifying the car... its a 1997 Tacoma 3.4L v6.

The car ran fine before I changed the plugs and wires, it was giving me a p0133 code (Cyl 2 misfire)

I wonder what I could have broke while just doing the plugs and wires =(

...Now when i try to start it... it clicks once and then with the clutch down and the key turned trying to start it... the lights go out and the clicking stops.

If i hold the key trying to start it after awhile, it starts to click faster. If i just leave the key in the ON position all the display lights turn on.

=( I've never messed up on spark plugs before I am afraid to tell my friend I broke her truck.

 

dont know for sure about 3.4's, but my 22re wont run on good plugs, wont even idle. It requires the cheap NGK or autolites...

 

I bought the OEM NGK's. Same exact ones that I pulled out, just new.

 

Um....battery low perchance?

 

Something must be hooked up bass ackwords, or yeah, batt could be too low...but once it started it should have run...

 

I vote 75 % battery, (also), jump it and see what happens.

 

keep us posted.

 

Sounds like the truck has a bad battery (or perhaps alternator which caused the battery to slowly die).
Charge the battery again and bring it to a store to be load tested.

 

just did the same thing with mine the other day...

if you can keep the motor running by reving the engine and it sounds like it is missing a cyl.
make sure you have remembered to plug the Mass Air Flow sensor back in (its on the air intake). That would do it.
oh and like they said the vaccum hose too.

let us know