Thank god for triple a. (assuming no spark) Options

[SiriusVirus]

Wellp ironically I was driving to my college to apply for my classes today and I decided to take some mechanic classes. Anyways while driving my car just lost all power. I tried to start the car and all I heard was the starter trying to start the engine and I heard the fuel pump engage as well. I get my car towed home in my garage pop the hood my intake stank of raw fuel as well did the spark plugs. Right off the bat I'm going to assume its the ignition coil since it probably hasnt been changed ever considering my cars sketchy past. Only proof of work done I got with it was a timing belt being done. The coil is only 35$ at Oreillys Im just stuck at home waiting for a ride with my friend when he gets off work.

Ive read numerous threads on here today that have sounded EXACTLY like what happened to me today so I'm dead set on the ignition coil as my first move.

http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=88244
http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=89485

One level headed the other well filled with panic like I was before using search lol

Anyways does anyone have any other theories just in case this doesn't solve my problem?

(94 celica gt 5sfe automatic)

This post has been edited by SiriusVirus: Jul 30, 2013 - 7:38 PM

[Box]

Take off the distributor cap and make sure there isn't spaghetti in it. If that checks out I'd look into the coil.

[DouglasJaneway]

This happened to me. It was my ignitor.

[SiriusVirus]

Im glad I'm not the only person this is happening to lol.

[DouglasJaneway]

Lol, yeah same. And mine is a 94 GT auto 5sfe. I got 130,000 on the old girl. She's just starting to have all kinds of electrical issues for some reason. I guess she's just getting old. Poor girl.

[SiriusVirus]

So I did the ignition coil car cranks and still doesnt turn over. In fact it shot fire out the intake. My engine is flooded with gas and wont run how do I go about this

[Box]

Pull the spark plugs and twist up some paper towels to shove in and absorb any fuel sitting on top of the pistons. Let it sit overnight with the plugs out to evaporate.

[SiriusVirus]

Do you think it will run? All my friends now think its the starter..?

[Box]

Once you get all the excess fuel out we'll know. If the car is turning over incredibly slow, then perhaps the starter. If it still turns over normally it's something else.

[SiriusVirus]

the turning over sounded ridiculously fast. I guess I'll get back to you tomorrow morning fingers crossed on this one.

[Box]

That being the case the starter is fine then. If it's noticeably faster than what it used to be that sounds like a loss of compression.

[SiriusVirus]

After the first fire ball it sounded more and more normal until I said **** it lets push it out of my garage to the front of my house for the night. only cranked it 3 times though

This post has been edited by SiriusVirus: Jul 31, 2013 - 1:43 AM

[Box]

I say just let the fuel evaporate overnight and try it again later.

[b22ri22an]

if its cranking overly fast you may have snapped your timing belt, if the valves are open there's no compression and the crank will free spin. It would also explain why you got a fireball through the intake, the intake valve is open and the stroke pushed the gas up through the intake as it ignited. take the top couple of bolts to the top timing cover off and pull it away from the head. if the belt is off it will be immediately apparent

This post has been edited by b22ri22an: Jul 31, 2013 - 3:41 AM

[SiriusVirus]

I'll look into the timing belt soon I have to start getting for work http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gmJnx3usLM...eature=youtu.be the video is my car and what it sounds like.

This post has been edited by SiriusVirus: Jul 31, 2013 - 1:04 PM

[b22ri22an]

two things will make it sound like that, snapped timing belt or bad bendix drive in the starter..... look at the crank pulley while someone hits the ignition if it spins you need a timing belt. if it doesn't you need a starter

[Box]

I'm going to throw my vote in for timing. If it were a 5-speed you could test to see if it's the starter or not. Would be easier to check timing than to remove the starter to have it tested.

This post has been edited by Box: Jul 31, 2013 - 9:51 PM

[SiriusVirus]

Chicago has been absolute garbage weather raining nonstop. Just about everyone seems to think its the bendix drive mechanic friends just based off the sound say it because theyve expeirienced the problem. They didnt even consider timing belt until I shot the question if that could be it. But I mean I think I have less than 20k on the belt I dont have the paper work that came with my car when I bought it but I know it got changed before I bought the car.

[Box]

It takes like 10 minutes to check the belt though. The starter going out wouldn't cause the car to die while driving, which was the initial problem.

[b22ri22an]

box is right... bendix drive won't stop a running engine
it can be easily ruled out though, have a friend turn the ignition while you look under the hood at the crank pulley, if the crank pulley spins your bendix drive is engaging fine and you need to check your timing belt. if it doesn't spin then your starter isn't engaging the flywheel and needs to be replaced.

from the above comments about the motor dying while driving, and the fireball while trying to start the car I would bet money on the timing belt

[SiriusVirus]

My face when the pulley turns lmao. It turns I had to drag my lazy ass brother to crank my car. Therefore its the starter then right?

It takes like 10 minutes to check the belt though. The starter going out wouldn't cause the car to die while driving, which was the initial problem.

Initially I think the ignition coil went because the glue plastic looking stuff had a nice split in it. And I think due to my dumbass trying to crank it over and over again thinking itd magically start caused the starter to go. Coil went on its own my dumbass broke the starter I think.

Not to mention the no spark until the new ignition coil was in spitting fire **** I need a new intake cone haha

This post has been edited by SiriusVirus: Aug 1, 2013 - 1:16 PM

[b22ri22an]

if the pulley turns its not your starter

[Box]

The "glue plastic stuff" is epoxy, and if it was cracked it's a good sign the coil was bad.

Silly question, but have you charged the battery since this whole ordeal happened? If not the battery will be pretty much dead by now. If you haven't charged the battery try jump starting it now.

This post has been edited by Box: Aug 1, 2013 - 4:20 PM

[SiriusVirus]

We tried jumping it even when we volt metered it at a 12.6 . Hmmm im still at work m gkmma check the timing belt when I get hme ssince I'm pushing it in my garage

This post has been edited by SiriusVirus: Aug 1, 2013 - 8:56 PM

[SiriusVirus]

it sounds like it really wants to start but no compression basically. mechanic friend who just finished his classes warned me and my friends mark the exact placement of the ignition coil. we basically lost top dead center with piston 1 checked the time belt it was still on and after cranking it was still alright. so ignition time is the problem????

edit: in our haste to get it done we didnt mark it and took it in an out several times. im not surprised if this is what did it.

This post has been edited by SiriusVirus: Aug 2, 2013 - 12:58 AM

[b22ri22an]

ignition coil placement wont cause a problem with compression, if your timing belt is ok and your starter is engaging the flywheel you may have a more serious problem.... the engine is free spinning from the you tube clip you provided.

have you checked your oil for antifreeze, if you blew a headgasket badly enough that its blowing compression from 3 or more cylinders it could free spin like that, when the engine died on you while moving was there alot of smoke?
also if your timing belt skipped from bad belt teeth it could free spin like that.
this is a reach but if your last tune up the spark plugs were only put in hand tight rather then torqued they may have loosened enough to leak compression

i would say find your compression problem first then worry about spark timing

[b22ri22an]

ignition coil placement wont cause a problem with compression, if your timing belt is ok and your starter is engaging the flywheel you may have a more serious problem.... the engine is free spinning from the you tube clip you provided.

have you checked your oil for antifreeze, if you blew a headgasket badly enough that its blowing compression from 3 or more cylinders it could free spin like that, when the engine died on you while moving was there alot of smoke?
also if your timing belt skipped from bad belt teeth it could free spin like that.
this is a reach but if your last tune up the spark plugs were only put in hand tight rather then torqued they may have loosened enough to leak compression

i would say find your compression problem first then worry about spark timing

[SiriusVirus]

I was doing late night work again on it the rotor on the distributor is slightly bent and it looks like it was scratching the cap you can see hair line scrapes and scratches of where it banged around. After fiddling with the rotor (bending the rotor to proper angle but still a tiny bit that isnt flush with the plastic) actually had a nice detonation then went. When my car died there was absolutely no smoke, just a basic stall. My next move before giving in and taking it to a mechanic is replacing the rotor.

Also I did the spark plugs with a ratchet and proper extension

This post has been edited by SiriusVirus: Aug 2, 2013 - 5:42 AM

[Tigawoods]

shoulda come in here earlier. but just a tip when you engine seems to be flooding with fuel. unplug the fuel injectors and then crank the engine to dispose of built up fuel. thats the easiest and most effective way

[SiriusVirus]

i also blew the am2 fuse on first crank with the ignition coil could that have blown the coil? i replaced the fuse

[Box]

shoulda come in here earlier. but just a tip when you engine seems to be flooding with fuel. unplug the fuel injectors and then crank the engine to dispose of built up fuel. thats the easiest and most effective way

Or just remove the fuse for the EFI/fuel pump and crank it, now that I think about it. I come from the world of carburetors, to do the same meant disconnecting fuel lines from below the pump.

This post has been edited by Box: Aug 2, 2013 - 1:36 PM

[SiriusVirus]

ugh this is such a head ache. i just dont get it. i have to jump the car each time i try to start it. it sound like it really wants to start but just wont go. could the ignition coil be defective? i mean i am getting spark to the plugs i tested it with a spare spark plug. sigh.... any more ideas anyone?

[Box]

Depending how long you tried to start it at one time you could've burnt out the starter motor. Perhaps the battery is weak, if the battery will start another car fine then I'd look into the starter perhaps.

This post has been edited by Box: Aug 2, 2013 - 10:01 PM

[SiriusVirus]

i replaced the starter knee jerk reaction maybe i should take another battery in it. I mean I had the original toyota starter from nearly 20 years ago. So I think it was over due for a change only 88$ on amazon no core bs

could it be a ecu??

This post has been edited by SiriusVirus: Aug 3, 2013 - 2:01 AM

[b22ri22an]

still think you need to address the compression problem
ecu wont cause 0 compression cranks


i think you timing belt skipped

[b22ri22an]

no compression
no compression

This post has been edited by b22ri22an: Aug 3, 2013 - 6:43 AM

[SiriusVirus]

How do I see if my timing belt skipped? And how much would that run me because im not nearly confident enough to do timing belt work

[PolliS_5S-FE]

Look at the ECU board very carefully

[b22ri22an]

Timing Belt Kit

timing belt isn't that difficult there are some walkthroughs
hardest part will be removing the harmonic balancer, put the car in park or 2nd gear and use a really long pipe for torque and remember to chock the wheels

Timing Belt Sticky

This post has been edited by b22ri22an: Aug 4, 2013 - 2:19 AM

[Box]

You should be able to remove the top cover and see if the cams are still in time with each other or not. I don't foresee it skipping both cams and having them both equally out of time with the crank.

[SiriusVirus]

im having it towed to my family mechanic. ill let him do what he has to do my part time job is throwing 40 hr weeks at me i have like no time to do anything

[SiriusVirus]

And timing belt it is. quotes 700$+ with the possibility of valve damage. Im pulling the plug on her just aint worth it.

[richee3]

The 7A/5S are non-interference engines so there won't be any valve damage. I don't know the going rate of timing belt changes but $700 seems a bit steep.

[Box]

^That... Just the belt shouldn't cost over $400. Also, consider the cost of buying another car that odds are will need more work than the Celica. As it sits now you'll be lucky to get $1,000 for your car, which is probably at least half of what you have in it. Shop around your local Toyota dealers and get a quote from them.

[SiriusVirus]

Ive weighed the options. I honestly just want something newer too. Ive had this car for 3 year banged her up blown the engine twice two accidents. Ive put far too much into this car as it is. Im just gonna test craigslist first person to offer me a grand gets the car. Even though I really dont want to especially with basically brand new dunlops summer tires on her. Im probably gonna ask 1500 and take a grand If someone wants to low ball me they cant take a flying leap.

[b22ri22an]

i got a guy off craigslist who did the labor on a timing belt for $150 he works at a local toyota dealer, i supplied the kit. take a look for the mechanics on craigslist looking to make a buck on their day off from the garage.


was like $70 for the kit so i paid $220 to have my timing belt replaced

This post has been edited by b22ri22an: Aug 7, 2013 - 2:19 AM

[SiriusVirus]

I'm really tempted to do that. Because finding a new car has been hard. I love my 6gc tbh haha. Its been in my head more and more of getting the damn thing fixed. Ill get a second opinion from mechanics down the road. Trust me I'd love to keep my car I dont want to do all the bs of buying a new city sticker buying new plates all that adds up and is a head ache. Especially when I just put a brand new starter in lmao