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I honestly gave up. I've search high and low. This forum, toyotanation forum, marlincrawlers, etc. Honestly, I think I've read every single posts about this freaking intermittent start problem. Everyone is saying to check the COR, the distributor, clean the grounds, check the fuel pressure, the fuel filter, the cold start injector, the cap & rotor, etc. I just couldn't figure this out. What could possibly gone wrong. I mean if it freaking started, then it's not the COR, it's not the distributor, it's not the grounds, it's not the fuel pressure, fuel filter, injectors, cap & rotor. If it starts, it starts, period, right?
Before this, I've experienced the intermittent start problem so I changed the cap & rotor, the fuel filter (pain in the ass btw), the wires, the spark plugs, clean the throttle body, clean the mass air stuff. I've done it all. I tried to start the truck last week in the morning and it could start. So I'd figure, yeah it could be the cold start injector, but I'm in Texas, it's not even below 32 degrees here. So I tried to start it again in the afternoon, lo and behold, it started. Sweet! Today I tried to start it, no-go. I took out the cold start injector, cleaned it, put it back in, pulled the spark plugs, they are all wet. It could be because I've tried starting it too much. I don't know man. Can anybody give some idea? I don't mind starting all over again. If I can't do this, I'm pulling the truck to an auto shop. Help me! (screaming)
Uh help your self bro, all that stuff is testable..
Suck, squish, bang, blow.. Which part is not happening when it doesn't want to start? Then follow that system till you find the loose connector, bad wire, or bad component.
Is its either one of those first too it's going to make you work for it, such is the nature of intermittent wiring glitches they never happen when you want them to IE have the time and tools.
So the starter is engaging and the engine is turning/cranking over and it just won’t run? Or are you turning the key and getting nothing at all?
When I first bought my 4runner it had intermittent start no start (nothing happening when turning the key) problem that ended up being the cheap battery terminal connections the previous owner installed.
Radrunner (search him up) on here has a rewire fix using a generic automotive relay. Stock factory wiring for the starter is convoluted. Radrunner’s fix is simple, direct, cheap, and it works.
It’s an old truck with old wiring. If you don’t own one already pick up a digital volt meter, get familiar with it, pick up an fsm, follow the continuity checks, follow the voltage tests, learn how to do voltage drop tests.
The engine does turn over. But whenever it feels like it, it would start. And whenever it doesn't feel like it, it would just crank and crank and crank.
There are times that I would get fed up and said F this ˟˟˟˟ and walk away and then comes back to it in the evening to try it one more time and it would start. Phantom truck.
Last edited by GunWanderer; 01-12-2020 at 04:46 AM.
Just FYI. I'm in Texas and cold start injector did prevent mine from starting. In my case, it was the time switch. But in your case it might be a wiring or perhaps a couple of issues. Not sure. As said, I would do some testing to see if you have any bad parts or if you can track to wiring.
Just wanted to drop y'all a message on what happened. I towed my truck to the shop. The mechanic charged me $350 saying that he can make it start again. Turned out, it was the timing. Now the truck starts again. No sir, it wasn't the starter, wasn't the MAS, wasn't the COR, wasn't the cold air injector, wasn't the fuel injectors, wasn't the fuel pressure regulator, wasn't the grounds, wasn't the fuel filter nor the fuel pump, wasn't the coil, the spark plugs, the plug wires, the alternator. It was the fricking timing. Why didn't I think of that...
Glad you got it. I was thinking signal generator, and was wondering if codes were logged. Thermal time switch was a good hunch, too.
Yep that is one out of a few parts in that system, ID suggest inspecting the distributor, the throttle sensor, glaring at the ignitor (cause there isn't a lot you can do there), and testing the STA signal reaches everything it's supposed to..
On the 22re the ignition timing is controlled only by the NE signal and the ignitor when STA is high/on..
Some of you guys were really helpful. This forum was supposed to be helpful for all of us. And for some others, they didn't really want to help out one another. I'd figured I tell y'all what happened so that if some poor soul finds this thread, they know what to do:
So the truck stops working again. It turns over and crank but wouldn't start, period. The previous shop did not fix the problem. Yes well they took my money though. So, I found mobile mechanic who came by and figured out what the problem was. It was the freaking distributor pickup coil. You can get this at RockAuto.com or O'Reillys. It costs me $85 at O'Reillys.
OEM Part Number(s): 1925035180
After he installed a new one, everything was working fine and dandy.
Last edited by GunWanderer; 07-27-2020 at 06:45 PM.
Thanks for this info. I've been throwing parts at my rig too trying to solve a similar intermittent no start, so this might be next.
The latest acquisition is the coil w/ igniter (19070-35210) that I'm waiting to be shipped from Ebay. It's interesting that you have a 1990 truck
which along with the 89 were years that they used that version of the igniter.
I had a friend who is also a mechanic that diagnosed this problem when it first started. He said that the truck has no spark and told me to get a new ignitor and coil. So I got a new one from eBay and threw the old one away. Now this pisses me off even more because the old parts could have still been good. It's beginning to be harder and harder to get parts for the truck because this thing is becoming an antique. And to find an exact part with the same code is very difficult. Well I got lucky and found 2 ignitors with the same exact code as my 1990 pickup and so I got both of them, just to keep one laying around as a backup.
Originally Posted by BlackPearl808
Thanks for this info. I've been throwing parts at my rig too trying to solve a similar intermittent no start, so this might be next.
The latest acquisition is the coil w/ igniter (19070-35210) that I'm waiting to be shipped from Ebay. It's interesting that you have a 1990 truck
which along with the 89 were years that they used that version of the igniter.
Last edited by GunWanderer; 07-28-2020 at 02:41 AM.
FWIW, my 22RE a few times (twice?) has suffered from issues around the cold-start injector such that it had to crank a *long* time before starting rather than its precision like-a-swiss-watch starting pattern. After much testing, the problem seemed to go away so I suspect an intermittent connection in that cold-start chain, but the truck would definitely start right up if I manually energized the CSI. Just something to watch for if you have a cranks-but-doesn't-fire intermittent starting issue.
FWIW, my 22RE a few times (twice?) has suffered from issues around the cold-start injector such that it had to crank a *long* time before starting rather than its precision like-a-swiss-watch starting pattern.
Would that long crank to start time happen by any chance to be after a long time sitting, not being run?
I ask because I have the same thing. I figured out that it's because the fuel system pressure will bleed off after long enough of inactivity. Once it does, it takes a bit to get the fuel back to everywhere it should be, and at the right pressure. I just turn the key to start, without pressing the clutch down, or the clutch start cancel switch. You can hear the fuel pump run when you do that, and when the system reaches "full pressure", it changes tone. Drops down a little. Not a lot. You need to really pay attention to it. Once it does, though, I release the key, and press the clutch down, and it fires right up, no problem.
It usually takes my truck a few days, up to a week, before this occurs. Once again, this is MY truck. YMMV!
Just a little anecdotal (big word for the day!) evidence, for what it's worth.
Good luck!
Pat☺
Alas, no. When I've experienced hard starting (long cranking no firing) the vehicle was driven pretty my daily. Manually actuating the cold start injector would always help. I don't think it was a fuel pressure issue in my case.
I had a friend who is also a mechanic that diagnosed this problem when it first started. He said that the truck has no spark and told me to get a new ignitor and coil. So I got a new one from eBay and threw the old one away. Now this pisses me off even more because the old parts could have still been good. It's beginning to be harder and harder to get parts for the truck because this thing is becoming an antique. And to find an exact part with the same code is very difficult. Well I got lucky and found 2 ignitors with the same exact code as my 1990 pickup and so I got both of them, just to keep one laying around as a backup.
Is the Distributor Pickup Coil adjustable? According to this thread, it is adjustable on the 22re. I haven't had the opportunity to open up my Distributor to verify or check mines one with a feeler gauge.
01-11-2020, 01:29 PM
