2001 Camry LE 4 cyl. 2.2L Automatic. Car Starts fine. Then while driving, Check Engine Light comes on and Tachometer drops to zero and the engine is dead. It will restart, the Check Engine Light Remains On and it will die again within a mile or two. Then it may restart and run all day. No rhyme nor reason!

I have already replaced the engine coils and this seamed to take care of the problem for a while. Then the Dealer replaced the spark plugs and plug wires. That didn't help. A local mechanic read the codes and said a plug on each coil was not firing. So I had him replace the coils again and again it ran good for a few months. Now I have the problem again and the mechanic says the codes are the same but the coils are fine. He has no more answers for me.

Do any of you have any idea what may be the cause of my troubles? Thanks.

 

You need to check all your electrical components. Check the air gap in the cam and crank position sensors and test the resistance in the coolant temp sensor as well. If all those test good replace your ECU. not what you want to do but the problem could be there. Are the coil packs that were replaced Toyota parts or no? and what kind of spark pugs and wires were used as well. Those engines are very particular about what goes in them.

 

All plugs and wires are genuine Toyota. The coils are after market. I'll check on the other items you suggested and get back to you. I'll try to get back on it this weekend. Thanks for your help.

Mike

 

What were the trouble code numbers?

 

I wish I had, but I didn't think to ask the mechanic about the code numbers. I'll see if I can find that out.

 

I just happened to think..the mechanic mentioned that when the ECM threw this code it went into "safe mode" and shut off the injectors. Does that give anyone any ideas?

 

When the check engine light is on, is it blinking?

How much time between check light and engine quitting?

When the engine quits, how does this happen? Just dies, stumbles then dies, etc?

What are the driving conditions when the engine dies. Steady state MPH, letting off the gas, engine at idle, city or highway MPH's, etc.

There are codes for misfires and ign issues are high on the list of causes for these codes but there are still possible other possibilities.

 

Check engine light comes on and stays on. No blinking.

Time between Check engine light and shut down seems immediate.

The engine just stops. No misfiring or rough running.

It has happened in town and on the highway. Usually while driving at a steady speed. It has happened at a traffic signal when stopping, but rarely.

The ignition coils have been replaced twice and yet the mechanic says the codes indicate that again. He says #1 on one coil and #3 on the other are indicated. He said he didn't want to keep replacing the coils until it is determined why they fail in 6 months. He was unable to make that determination. Coils are something I am not afraid to do myself if I thought it would help.

Also, I was wondering about removing the Throttle Body and cleaning it out with Carburator Cleaner. That's never been done since I drove it off the showroom floor. After all, the poor thing has 176,000 miles on it.

This is the most trouble free car I've ever owned so I hate to replace it.

 

Cleaning the throttle body may help with idle issues.

The IAC valve on the throttle body controls idle speed but symptoms are often the engine stalls at idle, fails to start, low idle rpm.

The independent mechanic may not be considering misfire codes even if they point to the No 1 and 3 cylinders (guessing on the code numbers) can mean something other then bad coils, plugs or wires.

These others issues can be bad MAP sensor, crank sensor, loose wiring connection, the EGR system turning on at the wrong time and causing the engine to stall, fuel pump-pressure-injector issues or coolant temp sensor.

If correct on guessing at the codes, when these codes come up the engine runs rough, misses but does not die when the check light comes on.

The problem resetting itself once the engine is restarted a few times is also not common. A bad coil is a bad coil.

As to what can make the coils fail. How are the plug wires,spark plugs and harness wiring to the coils? Make sure each coil has a good ground wire connection (brown wires).

 

I would make sure all the components are clean. Those 5sfe engines are really hard to kill unless you run them out of oil... i have built several of them and have resealed a bunch as well. I know that if you are not running denso plugs or factory coils those engines just dont like it. It honestly sounds like an ECU problem to me. its rare but it happens, let me know the codes and i can shoot you some Toyota technical advice.