Hi, been a member for a while and need some help now. I recently changed out my starter. Thanks for the tutorial on how to do that...what a job...got everything put back together and now have a problem with number 1 cyllinder not firing. Pulled plug and there is oil on the sparkplug (clean shiny oil), so the plug is not firing. Get fire from the coil and pulling the sparkplug wire to cyllinder 1 does not change the engine rpm. The car smokes a white smoke from the exhaust and will not idle without giving it gas from the pedal and there is lifter noise from cylinder 1. Could I have a stuck lifter or maybe the valve oil seal bad in that cylinder? What could I do to get the cylinder to fire and clean out the oil? Compression seems good in cylinder. Any help will be appreciated. Next step is to take it to shop. Any good ones in Kansas...Topeka area? Thanks all for your help in advance.
Dead cylinder question....
- Thread starter glenn2726
- Start date
The 1UZFE EGR Delete Kit is available for sale here.
I'd do compression and leakdown tests before I took it to a shop, just to get an idea what's going inside the motor. Hopefully it's just as simple as a valve stem seal, but if the compression numbers are dodgy on that cylinder, it could be more serious.
The engine has bucket & shim type solid lifters, so the noise you hear "probably" isn't a stuck lifter, and hopefully is just a valve stem seal that has come loose and is moving up & down on the stem.
The engine has bucket & shim type solid lifters, so the noise you hear "probably" isn't a stuck lifter, and hopefully is just a valve stem seal that has come loose and is moving up & down on the stem.
Thanks for your input on this. I am thinking that maybe it is the intake gaskets, put new ones in when I replaced starter, but I don't think they are sealing. Should I use some sealant on them and if so what kind. Thanks for your help on this as I have been messing with this for several weeks with no end in sight.....LOL I will also make sure that injector is firing when I put everything back together.
Ok, I pulled the intake reseated it without using any sealant checked for fuel from #1 injector and still no fire on cylinder 1. Have fire from coil to plug but no combustion, just a plug with light oil on it. Will start but have to give it gas to keep it going. Still have the lifter/valve noise. Wonder if it could be a valve seal? Thanks for your help.
Hi rms, no, didn't lose anything that I'm aware of. All nuts and bolts that came off went back on. I just can't get #1 to fire. Have fuel and spark but no go... With the oil on the plug tip when I pull the plug out then I'm leaning towards the seal. The engine has over 200,000 miles on it but ran strong until the starter replacement. So my guess is that the seals are bad. But I'm no expert and have been wrong before...LOL
Hi rms, no plats and have put 2 new sets of bosch in there and still no fire. Even tried a different coil...no luck. I pulled the valve cover off that side but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Seems like it has good compression and getting fuel. Would like to get this problem solved though. It was running fine until I put the new starter in....then who knows....at least it starts...lol
just checking
did you replace the plug or just clean it off and re use it. I would replace it or all plugs if you didn't. what plugs do you use? It doesn't make sense that you had a valve stem seal go completely bad while you were changing your starter. I bet its a plug or wire issue.
did you replace the plug or just clean it off and re use it. I would replace it or all plugs if you didn't. what plugs do you use? It doesn't make sense that you had a valve stem seal go completely bad while you were changing your starter. I bet its a plug or wire issue.
Lextreme II
Active Member
Do a minor tune up. Plugs and wires.
Hi Lex and Tempe, I changed all plugs with NGK plugs (don't know why I was writing Bosch plugs), no platinums, I tried the cylinder in question with 2 new plugs with both oil fouling. I tried different plug wires, coil and checked that I was getting fuel. The other 7 cylinders run fine. Just can't get this one to fire for some reason. It's getting good fire from coil to plug but for some reason the plug is covered with what looks like a light film of clear oil. I did an oil change after I changed out the starter. Am using 5W30 synthetic, I'll switch it to straight 30 weight oil tomorrow and see what happens. Have never had problems before. Very odd.
Lextreme II
Active Member
Perhaps one of your distributor contact is bad? Therefore you are not getting the plug to fire.
Hi all, sorry but have been out of town....I checked the distributor cover...good, getting fire at the spark plug, have not done compression test yet but seems strong at that cylinder....pulled the plug out and started the car and it seemed to run better...on 7 cylinders...so definitely cylinder 1. Today I added fresh gas with octane boost in it and then fired it up and let it run a bit, but still missing and tapping and smoke from exhaust. I had also put another set of new plugs in and changed oil again....so, I'm still scratching my head as to why this thing isn't running better. I'm going to check wiring to injectors next as the wiring seemed brittle when replacing starter, maybe a wire broke? Number 1 cylinder is the only one giving me any problem, so am at a loss as to what else it could be. Thanks to all.
mdcmotorsports
New Member
Do a leak down and compression test on cyl #1.
Report back.
Report back.
Hi all, well got the bad news today....cylinder bad, something fell in cylinder (when I changed out starter I guess)...Toyota will put a used engine in it for $4600........geez... but I have found another motor and total for motor and installing will be about $700...quite a big difference....lol....Thanks to all your help.
