abeans st185 - Kill 1 Save Another

Do you still have the maroon car 240k mile distributor? May want to check your resistance on plug wire 1 (to make sure it is not open) and try that spark plug on another engine to see if the spark plug can create a spark arc.
 

abeans

Member
I do still have it, and that would be a easy way to troubleshoot.

Haven't been able to work on the car. Covid lock-down keeping me away. What a cock block to my almost running project.
 
Hmm. My Celicas are in the garage, so in lockdown, they are there and I am there now, so why not work on them? Yours must not be in the garage at your home then.

I wouldn't worry about the spark plug wire and spark plug testing - that doesn't explain no spark in any cylinder (but I would verify you don't have any spark in all cylinders rather than basing that perspective by only checking one cylinder - it does make a difference).

You should at least remove the cap and rotor of the distributor not installed, and look for the 2 rotors buried inside of it, and the pickup sensors around it - just to make sure you have a distributor with that intact. You may want to do the same on the distributor installed on your engine. I don't know if they made a later 3S-GTE that had a crank position sensor and did away with the original position sensors in the distributor or not, but if they did, and if that was how the previous engine was set up, using that particular distributor may not have the position sensors in it, which would be problematic for you using the original 1990 ignition setup. Just don't know, but you feel strongly your wiring harness is intact and good, so I'm ignoring the potential of you having a problem with your wiring harness (for now).
 

abeans

Member
Nope. This car is not in my garage as mentioned earlier, at my buddys house.

He tried to do the jumper on the diag port. No change.

So, i need to take apart the parts cars engine distributor just for spares + reference.... Might go try to take that stupid trans off the engine to if i get bored.

For some content filler: The last time the parts car ran (looks pretty nice when you don't look underneath.. Had to prime the key 5-6 times to build up enough fuel pressure start. Leaked in the back because rust.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnbgvEv5gl0

and playing with the headlights on the car when we first got power to it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_o3NAZ5bbQ


REALLY hope its something in the distributor, and not me bricking the ECU stupidly. That would be a expensive mistake. But i guess in reality i don't have a ton of money dumped into the project. More so just time.
 
abeans":2e8kdx9i said:
Nope. This car is not in my garage as mentioned earlier, at my buddys house.

He tried to do the jumper on the diag port. No change. I'm sure this sentence means something to you, but I don't understand what this is trying to say.

So, i need to take apart the parts cars engine distributor just for spares + reference.... Might go try to take that stupid trans off the engine to if i get bored.

For some content filler: The last time the parts car ran (looks pretty nice when you don't look underneath.. Had to prime the key 5-6 times to build up enough fuel pressure start. Leaked in the back because rust.) What do you mean by "prime the key 5-6 times to build up enough fuel pressure"? Do you mean you are activating the starter motor 5-6 times and turning the engine over that many different times? I'm not seeing 5-6 times of anything in the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnbgvEv5gl0

and playing with the headlights on the car when we first got power to it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_o3NAZ5bbQ


REALLY hope its something in the distributor, and not me bricking the ECU stupidly. That would be a expensive mistake. But i guess in reality i don't have a ton of money dumped into the project. More so just time.
Some questions in red within your last post.
 

abeans

Member
93celicaconv":3nzsdq9z said:
I'm sure this sentence means something to you, but I don't understand what this is trying to say
+b and fp terminals on the diag port. Read Here, that worked for some. viewtopic.php?t=47108

93celicaconv":3nzsdq9z said:
What do you mean by "prime the key 5-6 times to build up enough fuel pressure"? Do you mean you are activating the starter motor 5-6 times and turning the engine over that many different times? I'm not seeing 5-6 times of anything in the video.[/color]

Nope. Won't be in the video. The fuel line had a rust hole (Shocking.), and cycling the key a few times gave it some fuel pressure.
 
Sorry, had no idea you were saying that in that first note at all.

Also, the fuel pump does not operate when the key is turned on & off - it only turns on when the key is in the start position - and once the engine starts and the ECU picks up sensor input that the engine is on its own, it latches the fuel pump to keep on running. Unless your wiring/circuitry/control was changed from factory on this item.

Good luck on your future work towards getting your project running where you want it to be.
 

alltracman78

Active member
He's right, the pump doesn't run when the key is turned to the on position unless the engine is running (or the diag pins are jumped).

Have you checked for spark at the coil? Might be good to do that before you tear the dist apart.
 

alltracman78

Active member
93celicaconv":2ov5y93h said:
Unless you have a California emissions version, while the factory ECU "controls" EGR, it does not "monitor" EGR (there is no DTC tripped from a detection something is wrong with it). California emissions setups incorporate an EGR gas temp sensor, and the California emissions ECU will trip if the actual EGR gas temperatures aren't close to the mapping of normal EGR gas temperatures when the EGR is controlling it.

Same goes for the EVAP system, except in this case, the ECU has no part of it's control (just the VSV that you said on yours is broken).

I'm not trying to bust anyones balls here, just correct the facts for future reference. :)

There's no California emissions ECU; all the ECUs monitor EGR temp. The difference is the California emissions cars have an actual EGR temp sensor, the federal emissions cars use a factory installed resistor (in the temp sensor connector) instead.

And the ECU could care less about the EVAP, California or federal. Doesn't control it. Doesn't monitor it.
 
alltracman78":1u7fiirb said:
93celicaconv":1u7fiirb said:
Unless you have a California emissions version, while the factory ECU "controls" EGR, it does not "monitor" EGR (there is no DTC tripped from a detection something is wrong with it). California emissions setups incorporate an EGR gas temp sensor, and the California emissions ECU will trip if the actual EGR gas temperatures aren't close to the mapping of normal EGR gas temperatures when the EGR is controlling it.

Same goes for the EVAP system, except in this case, the ECU has no part of it's control (just the VSV that you said on yours is broken).

I'm not trying to bust anyones balls here, just correct the facts for future reference. :)

There's no California emissions ECU; all the ECUs monitor EGR temp. The difference is the California emissions cars have an actual EGR temp sensor, the federal emissions cars use a factory installed resistor (in the temp sensor connector) instead.

And the ECU could care less about the EVAP, California or federal. Doesn't control it. Doesn't monitor it.
You are correct, alltracman78. I should not have used the words "California emissions" prior to the word ECU - I was so focused on the difference on a California emissions setup, I used the reference once too often. Apologize for that error. It is interesting that the shop manual, on pages FI-44 & 45, reference DTC 71 (EGR System Malfunction) as a code used for California specifications only. I think, since there is only 1 ECU used for all USDM ST185's, that DTC codes exists in all cars, but with a fix resistor reference for all USDM cars less California, that DTC can't be tripped.

I think I was trying to say the same thing about EVAP control - but I can see where it could be interpreted as applying to California cars where ECU's control it. I know the switch is a thermistor-style unit in the water outlet piping off the head, and no wiring involved.

It's best I stay out of this thread - I've caused more concern in this one than any help I've provided.
 

abeans

Member
You can stay in my thread and argue, I don't care lol. You know you might be right with the starter thing, i might have had to crank it over 5-6 times. I can't remember now.

All i want is the car running. Send a prayer to the toyota gods.
 

abeans

Member
More not me starting the car updates.

Got this monstrosity apart finally. Had to use the "silo" method. Really unbelievable technique. I took a time lapse video on a go-pro for scientific studies. Not sure what a poor Toyota tech is supposed to do, i would have quit.

My back hurts from muscling it around.

2goYiQLl.jpg
 

abeans

Member
My buddy facetimed me and did some basic troubleshooting.

- Check engine light comes in for a split second with key on, then goes off, black as night anytime else.

- Cranking gives 0 movement on the gauge cluster tach.

I'm going to drop off the parts car distributor to have him throw it on.

Is that check engine light normal behavior? Seems like no way to me.
 

abeans

Member
Finally got some hands on the car the last two days. Had a lot of time to think about why it didn't start so i dove in.

Took apart the ecu cover, don't see any obvious issues... Blown caps black burnt marks ect.

Took apart the harness and sure enough i missed a ground near the injector harness. I THOUGHT FOR SURE THIS IS IT.

But, alas still no start. Same issue. :eek:wned: No Injector, no spark, no engine light.


I swapped the fuse box from another car as well and going to swap out the main 100amp fuse even though its good.


Im pretty sure im going to have to test voltages at the ecu next, unless you folk have another idea.
 

abeans

Member
I think it was a combination of things but the 7.5 amp fuse in the interior was my last culprit. (Ignition) It gave me the check engine light.

I swapped out so much stuff, I'm not even sure if it pop'd somewhere in-between one of the other things or it was there all along.


Appreciate the help from everyone to get to this point... Now the real fun.
 

abeans

Member
Getting shifting sorted next. Put some bearings in place of the dry rotted rubber. And lastly The shifter arm assembly has about 1" of slop in every direction.

I assumed it was going to be the bushings inside the joint and parts cannoned them, but, it seems like it just failed.

https://youtu.be/Kqk9Vm8jVAc

Once that's bolted in can start getting the rest of the coolant stuff next.
 

abeans

Member
Got distracted with other stuff, will circuit back to shifting.

Finished up the brakes up front, added longer wheel studs (the oem studs are scary short :crazy: ) and some new brake hose's. P much anything rubber is scary dry rotted, so i don't feel like crashing because of brake lines. Was going to put new ball joints on, but rockauto sent me the wrong ones i guess. :| So i'll use the old ones for now. MEVOTECH MK9649

pSMBm0Xm.jpg


Put the coil overs on from the red car (Brand new Megans) And put the brakes on... Looks like the previous owner had put non-alltrac brake brackets on and rotors on the red car as well. Took me a minute to figure out why it wasn't fitting LOL. So mix'ed and matched and got a nice new caliper on a old bracket.

vPVMDEum.jpg


MgUaHYDm.jpg


Then, moved onto the rear end .. These rear hubs are the worst. Axle stub was stuck. had a hell of a time trying to figure out how the hub comes off. guess i'll put in new e-brake hardware as well... Have no choice but to press out the bearing to get the longer studs on... Don't want to do this job more than once, so i got new wheel bearings on order as well (Front and rear wheel bearings are same.. How neat!)

What a mess.
DQtpuRXm.jpg


zo5pFq4m.jpg


FCUK allen key head endlinks! Cut off wheel wins.
MdXi8cgm.jpg




Mental check list to do:
-Confirm shifter is mint.
-Rear brakes. (grab old car's calipers) new hose, wheel bearings, press in arp studs. New shoe hardware
-Rear suspension. Coilovers change out sway bar/ end links.
-Change fitting ends from the feed line from the gas tank. - Sand blast gas tank brackets while out
-Then finally can button up the cooling system, which i'm a big nervous about.

That should get me to a good test drive point, find out how slow it is.
 

abeans

Member
Shifter/shift tower is now all set. Feels great. (Interior shifter has a broken bolt on the plate cover, but i'll deal with that later)

Got all the coolant buttoned up, put in some coolant system flush stuff in the block. Hopefully a couple flushes of that will clear out any of that nasty gunk left over.

Got the car up to temp, No leaks! Engine seems smooth, purrs nice. A little high idle at over 1k. Seems to rev slow. But that could be timing, haven't played with that at all.


Newly discovered:
- I gotta figure out the coolant outlet block on the head, some of the sensors i don't have connected as the harness disintegrated.

- Gauge cluster temp gauge isn't working which is likely because of the above ^

- Radiator fan runs all the time. That could be for the above issue or possibly the A/C being disconnected? Looking online i see a 'radiator fan switch' in the radiator... pretty sure my Mishimoto radiator does not have a spot for that, nor do i recall one on the OEM radiators on either car... So i wonder what i'm missing.
 
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