[SOLVED!!!] What's the strangest reason your truck wouldn't start? (Yes, I need help)

Fellow 3RZ owners (especially distributor-types):

I put a 1995-6 3RZ in my 1985 pickup. The install looks beautiful. I set the timing properly. I replaced the distributor, crank pos sensor, plugs, wires, ECU, and damned near anything else that makes the gas go boom, and the thing simply will not start. No spark. Is there anything anyone can think of - I don't care how crazy - that would prevent my beautiful 3RZ from starting up? It's got fuel at the rail, air in the intake, and power to the distributor. Just no spark to the plugs.

I'm so close to completely defeated that I'll try just about anything at this point. Thanks in advance for any assistance. And as promised, when (IF) I ever get this old girl running again, I will post the conversion story with photos.

And if anyone in SoCal (619) can claim to be an electrical guru with the distributor 3RZ, I would love to discuss your price for helping me get my truck going again.

 

You said you have power to the distributor so does that mean that you are seeing spark at the end of the wires if you test it with a screwdriver?

 

Power to the distributor, but no spark out of it. I pulled #1 wire, pulled the #1 injector connector, put a plug in #1 wire, grounded and tested for spark by turning it over. Nothing. So my best guess is that something is not giving the distributor the reference signal to send spark. But I get no engine codes from the scanner, the crank sensor is new and passes resistance check, and same for primary and secondary coil in the distributor. All fuses are good, all grounds are proper and all connectors are tight. And I am baffled.

 

Did you try hitting it with a hammer? Lol Sounds like quite the strange issue. Maybe the distributor was mismanufactured? I feel you. Try praying over it, we had a van that wouldn't run and we prayed and it started right up.

 

Igniter, maybe. Check and clean ground wires

 

I wish I could help but sounds like your ducks are all lined up from my vantage point. If it isn't sparking then all I can guess is that something isn't spinning right inside the distributor and I would buy another one just to make sure that's not the issue. Hopefully someone else can give you a better idea.

 

As good of a place to start as any I suppose.

 

I still have the original distributor which actually tested out fine, and I replaced it out of desperation. I have the FSM, and I think I'll just spend a day or two going through the troubleshooting process there, to see if maybe I missed something. My biggest fear is having to resort to paying a Toyota tech, only to find out it was something simple that I just didn't think of.

 

You are using the correct ECU for that year engine? I would think if the ECU is getting a crank position signal, cam position signal, and the igniter and distributor are plugged in you should have spark. The cam position sensor is inside the distributor. On Tacomas the igniter was mounted above the passenger side wheel well.

 

ECU is from a 1995.5 Tacoma 2.7l 3RZ, manual tranny and hubs, just like my truck. The wiring harness is from ORS, and is legit. The original igniter tested good, but I replaced it anyway, again out of desperation. About to get into the FSM now.

 

Ok guys - new development. I spent quite a bit of time in the FSM today, troubleshooting circuits, resistances, voltages, etc. I decided to revisit the idea that maybe it is actually not getting fuel. There is fuel at the rail, confirmed by cracking loose the supply line. If I crank the engine over for 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 15 seconds (doesn't seem to matter) and immediately pull the #1 plug, it hardly smells of gas at all and is definitely not wet with fuel. This tells me what? That basically all of the injectors are bad if not a single cylinder will fire? But I'm still stumped as to why I can't get the spark plugs to fire. Good Lord this truck is going to kill me.

 

Butt Plugs
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Shit, I mean Spark Plugs

 

Please elaborate. Or maybe don't? lol

 

The injectors won't fire unless the spark plugs are firing. The ECU has to receive the confirmation back from the igniter. This is true while the engine is running. If it is just cranking the ECU may still fire the injectors without the spark plugs firing, I'm not sure.

 

Well, that would make sense. Non-firing plugs and fuel at the rail, but not being injected. That saves me from throwing new injectors at it. Back to the non-spark issue.

 

This is what I stare at. Waiting for the idea to come to me of how to get it running.

 

I would triple check the connector to the ignitor is seated. I had one that was like 97% plugged in but not fully seated and truck would not start

 

Will do, thanks.

 

Put a shot of starting fluid in it. If it fires, it’s a fuel issue. If not, you’re back at spark.

 

Have you taken the cap off the distributor to look underneath and checked for power there? Or does the cap not come off on these trucks?