BobSmith007

Well if you could point me in the direction of how to do a fuel injector signal testing, because a quick google has got me fairly no where.

It wasn't so much I didn't want to do the fuel pressure test, but the first fuel pressure tester I picked up didn't have the proper banjo bolt adapter, and I finally was able to get what I needed. Fuel pretty is hitting right at 40 when cranking, then goes to 42 as its dying before it slowly starts to creep down over time. At 5 minutes afterwards it's still at about 33 lbs.

Well today's update. I did the cap change in the ecu. Or rather I had someone more skilled do it. Looked like quality work. Car is doing the same thing it was doing. I'm at the end of my rope.

Well I plan to recover the rear seats at some point, so it was good practice. Also I wanted to check the voltage at the pump, just to be certain It wasn't losing any along the way. I do know, I certainly heard the fuel pump for just a moment or two AFTER the car had died. So the time line would be. Turn key to crank, Hear fuel pump, car starts, car dies, still can hear fuel pump for just a brief bit of time, then it cuts off. I assume its because 1) the car has failed to stay running, thus it's smart enough to turn off the fuel pump 2) The fuel pump is smart enough to turn itself off, because its pumping gas that isn't going anywhere. I don't know a whole lot (admittedly) about how it all works, but for some reason it seems to me like the gas is getting where it needs to go for just that short moment that it starts, before it starves itself. Which would suggest something (ECU via a Sensor/etc?) is telling something else (Injectors) to shut down?

So I pulled out the back seat, because well as best I can tell that is how you replace a fuel pump, which would mean you would have access to the wires going to the fuel pump. Now here is what I learned. 1) When I put the key to the run position, the fuel pump is just hanging out not doing anything, I called the local toyota place and they said this is normal. 2) When turning the key to the start position, aka cranking the car, the fuel pump gets the same voltage as the battery. As in 12.4v the first attempt, down to oh 12.2ish on the last try. I had all the doors open, so I assume some of the battery while not running was powering the lights, thus a slight power loss. 3) I had a !Removed! of an idea, to test the relays using some wire and a 9v battery. I checked a known good relay, and it actuated. I checked a known bad relay (from another car) and it didn't actuate. So I tried my idea on 4 of the relays from my car, and all actuated as intended. Was this a good check, hell I dunno. Maybe? 4) Taking the backseat out is overly easy compared to messing with the front seats. Also I looked at that screw that random website on the internet said to look at, and it moves, and the car has gas in it, so does this mean I have good fuel pressure, I do know when I undid the fuel line back by the fuel filter, and I turned the key, it shot gas out like a rocketship lifting off. So I feel like pressure=enough. So if the fuel pump is getting the juice, (and with the backseat removed I can easily here the fuel pump doing its thing, verses when the seat is in, its pretty hard to hear), and the relays seem to be good? Am I now angling towards a different component of the Fuel Delivery system? AKA What are the other parts of the Fuel Delivery system? Injectors? Again Huge props to you Mr. Landar, I am not a mechanic but I sorta kinda pretend to be one on the internet in an effort to fix my sad little car.

I did look and listen to the fuel pump relay. But I'm not entirely sure why I was looking or listening for. So any tips or suggestions would be handy. (Car repair is not my normal area of knowledge) I do know I do not, or do I have access to the required set up to do the fuel pressure test on this car. I have a setup I've used on other cars in the past, but it seems this car has a less than standard setup. But in a stroke of luck (or not) I found the following quote online: Now does that sound legit? Because I feel real good that it is getting plenty of fuel to fire up, but then the fuel goes away, either via the pump not pumping, the injectors not injecting, or maybe the fuel pressure regulator not regulating. Or something else, I am sure there could be a half a gross or more possible reasons that XYZ is happening to the car, but sooner or later I'll eliminate everything, or I'll be picking up that rag and a lighter. Well not really then I'll be tow dollying it to the Toyota place and hoping that the bill isn't insane or anything.

Ok An update, because well I'm still not winning at life. So I suspected the ECU, I pulled it, which is not the easiest job for large people because you must bend in ways that are unnatural. But I succeeded. And then I put it back in. And... Car is still doing what its doing in the video. So I put on the new alternator I had picked up. And... Car is still doing what its doing in the video. I thought maybe somehow it is the MAF, so I picked up a new MAF. And... Car is still doing what its doing in the video. So I decided maybe I should see if I can throw a code, and see if that is function as it should. So I unplugged the MAF, And the car did what it did in the video, but when I then plugged up my code reader It pulled two codes. That are both related to the MAF, so I replugged them up, and the codes went away, and the car still did what it did in the video. So the car is not throwing any Codes. SO I got a rag that had some gas spilled on it... Held it up near the air filter. The car ran for about 5 seconds. The fuel line does get hard (indicating its pressurized) when turning the key, but it gets less hard almost immediately. I know from other tests the fuel pump is sending fuel out when turning the key, and is doing so at normal pressure. SO where I am, and what I'm hopeful from the quality humans around here. Suggestions and ideas of what would turn off the fuel pump, or disable the injectors or something in the fuel delivery system. As in it works for a moment, then shuts off. Because it seems like that's whats happening. Its been just shy of 2 months, and I miss my car functioning. Thoughts, please.

Car not so much into the whole driving thing at the moment. Got the guy from a local parts house to bring out his scanner and hook it up, same thing says no codes, but the CEL is on. Pretty much the idea now is the ECU has took a dump.

Well more stuff to add to this topic. Got the ODBII reader finally. Amazon sorta went screwball with shipping it. So I plugged it up as instructed, and followed the letter of the instructions... Told me NO CODES. Even though the Check light is still on.

An ODBii reader is on the way to me, but I'm unsure of when It shall get here. I know the problem it was having, the original one, was if the battery wasn't being charged, and it running just on the battery until it became too weak to run, and would go dead. Waiting 30ish minutes the battery would then have enough power to again start the car, and move it some. Either the alternator was working for a bit then giving up, or something else was telling it to turn off or who knows what. I know we checked all the fuses and they all tested fine, even the cartridge fuses beside the main fuse block.

Before I say anything else, I just wanna agree with you about how hard it is to diagnose things from a distance, I sometimes/often happen to be the guy that is called for computer tech support, and well I know how that goes, so again Massive thanks for taking the time to try to help me out. On to what I've learned today. I misspoke, the battery only drops down to about 10.4ish when attempting to crank, then it goes back up to 12.45ish. I checked at the posts and on the connectors, and there was no difference between the two. I did it via the headlight check, the voltage did go down and was around 11.8 after 11 minutes. Using a timing light, we confirmed that on both sides it is getting fire. Also observed that the fuel line gets firm with fuel when turning the key. I took a video of what happens, complete with sound, that I'm currently uploading to youtube. Will post again with the video url and whatnot. Thanks again.

I know the last time I watched the voltage while attempted to crank the car, it dipped down to I want to say about 9.26V. But Tomorrow I will check again, I've ordered an ODBii reader, but am unsure when it will arrive. Someone suggested that the Positive battery cable on these cars sometimes go bad due to battery corrosion, Could that maybe be something? I've checked various fuses and relays to see what I could see, but all looked like they should.

I still haven't been able to get ahold of an odbii reader, and it rained a number of days after my first posts. Without the required stuff to legitly check the fuel pressure. My friend had an idea. So Here is where I am. Disconnected the flare nut end of the fuel filter. Turned key to on position, nothing happened. Turned Key to cranking/starting position fuel squirted out. It appeared to be quite a bit. So the key was turned off. My question is that normal? Other cars I've drove when turning the key to on, the fuel pump does something, this one is only doing something when attempting to start the car, and its putting out a Healthy dose of gas.

Now I'm not the most mechanically enclined person, I'm more a computers and chemicals guy. So Checking the fuel pressure at the fuel rail would entail what? I didnt see a schrader valve, but with a little info suspect I can do that. ODBii reading sadly will have to wait, I can't get it to a parts house, and I do not own a reader or know anyone that does. Or at least off hand I dont. But I shall figure out a way to get the Code.

I guess the phrase "when it rains it pours" is apt here. I was thinking it was just the alternator that was needing replacing, then whatever happened with the fuel system. Hopefully it is the fuel filter. I have a spare, I may try that out in just a bit. Thanks much for the ideas so far folks. Its helpful,

I have't cleaned the injectors, the air filter was done maybe 6 months back. Yeah I don't have the tools to test it, and I'm quite a ways from anyone to do any testing. It's starving for fuel as best I can tell, but I'm not sure if the fuel pump went out, or where along the fuel path I have an issue. I do know that spraying the starting fluid will keep it going until all the starting fluid is used up.

I've not changed or cleaned the plugs/injectors nor the air filter. How do I go about testing the computer? I've not noticed any smell out of the ordinary.

I have a 1996 LS400 that is giving me some troubles. Here is a rundown of whats going on. About four months ago, sometimes it seemed like at night the headlights would sorta dim, but wasn't sure thought maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me. Two weeks ago starting the car up, the dash lights/radio etc slowly fade out, and the the car dies. Wait about 20 minutes, car will start back up. Five minutes later dies. Checked the battery with a multimeter, it has 12.58ish when at rest, starting the car, the voltage of the battery is just steadily going down, until it doesn't have enough power to keep it going, and it dies. Decide this means the alternator has gave up working. Take off alternator, take the parts houses, they put on the testing machine, both places that tested it, it comes back fine. So I decide, maybe the battery is the issue. Test the battery, its fine. Try another battery in car, it works fine until having drove the car a bit, and then it's not charging the battery anymore. An alternator specialist said that it's likely the alternator is about completely dead, but will still pass the tests on the machines, would need to open it up and look at it to really come up with a firm answer. Decide to just pick up a rebuilt alternator. So Yesterday I go to move the car up on the ramps to make it easier to do the alternator removal and replacement. Car fires right up, and I start to get it in position, and it dies. It acted like it would when the battery was too run down, so I let it sit for awhile and tried again, but the car will not stay running/start. Basically I turn the key, and it sounds like its going to crank, and then it doesn't. But when spraying starting fluid into the car, it will start and ruin until the starting fluid is used. So I feel like it is not getting any fuel. I listened for the fuel pump to come on, and did not hear it. I checked the fuel pump relay and also checked out the fuses, and they looked ok. Sorta out of ideas. The CEL is on, and has been, last dozen times it got checked either via parts house or dealership they all declared it was the oxygen sensors needing to be replaced, that it wasn't a DO RIGHT NOW issue, but just do it at some point. Any ideas?