[mhamor]

Hey all,

‘03 n/a 3.3 4x4 se

not sure if anyone will respond before I either figure it out or what, but I changed my fuel injectors, fuel pressure regulator, spark plugs, and drivers side valve cover gasket yesterday. I put it all back together today, and I payed very close attention to everything and don’t see any sort of ground or plug that I may have missed. But right now it won’t turn over. I sort of banged up my distributor while working so I’ve been testing that but I have spark, and my plugs are currently flooded and I’m letting them dry out. So there is spark and there is fuel but what the hell, it won’t start. I guess next thing would be compression but I’m pretty sure I have that cuz it’s a fairly new timing belt and idk what I would have done to cause a problem there. Any help would be awesome everyone! I’m in a bind and I’m just gonna keep testing new things when they come to me.

 

[RawkerStatus]

Did you put the spark plug wires back in the right firing order?

 

[mhamor]

Yes but I will doublecheck all of that. It would still give me something tho even if they’re off right?

 

[Mrbean]

I do remember when i did my own there was ground wire on the injector electrical loom that I forgot and it wouldn't start until I reconnected it????

 

[mhamor]

Dang for real, like under the plenum? I’ll go check it all over but I only remember the ground from the main harness on top being disconnected

 

[Mrbean]

No, not under the Plenum, been a while but if I remember- the loom for the injector electric plugs has one small brass type crimp eyelet that needs to be bolted to the plenum it's self too the closest 10MM bolt available. It's out in the open and easy to find. Good luck.

 

[mhamor]

Thanks Mrbean, I’ll have to look again in the morning, didn’t see anything right now. For anyone else willing to help, plugs are all in the right place and last I checked they were making spark. The plugs are getting really wet each time after only a few seconds of cranking it, maybe the injectors or fuel pressure regulator are flooding it and causing this. It sort of sounded like it wanted to turn over but barely, so I’m a bit confused. If I can’t figure it out I may be taking it all back apart and putting everything old back in with only a new valve cover gasket to show for three days work!

 

[mhamor]

Maybe I figured it out but would like some input. I think it was the IAC plug or something under the plenum and it just wouldn’t click into position the way I wanted it to and that may be preventing air from getting into the cylinders

 

[mhamor]

Thanks for the help people, but I could use a bit more in the morning. It was the plug I mentioned, snapped right in this time when I pressed on it, took a bit to start cuz it was flooded but started up and now it’s idling pretty rough and being funny when I throw it into gear. I’ll be going over everything and tightening everything up in the morning hoping I figure it out

 

[Mrbean]

Re read your post and I think you already covered my answer with your "I’ll go check it all over but I only remember the ground from the main harness on top being disconnected". I should have paid more attention my bad. As an aside my IAC was bad when I bought it and threw the iac code but it never really hurt performance, it was plugged in though. After I replaced it it did idle a little better is all.

 

[mhamor]

For anyone still interested in helping, I’m very lost! Got it started but it takes some throttle opening and a lot of throttle opening when cold, then it runs very rough with tons of white smoke pouring out tailpipe. What does white smoke mean?! I don’t see how I could have blown a head gasket in a matter of two days without driving, and there are no bubbles in the radiator when it’s running. But it’s pouring out white smoke. I imagine this is it running rich because it smells like it is, but if so what would be the cause. It’s idling at the proper rpm, although it jumps around a bit, and doesn’t take well to acceleration, drops rpm a lot when I let off the throttle. I’m going through and finding no vacuum leaks, which makes sense because it seems like it’s struggling for air. I’m confused and don’t know how to get to work tomorrow please help!

 

[Mrbean]

Well wispy white smoke is often just condensation that has formed over few days and leaves the tailpipe as steam as it starts to get hot, should disappear though after five minutes. Do you have any thrown codes? Specifically an IAC code? Did you connect all the Vacuum hoses correctly? Have you checked the oil dipstick for dreaded while emulsion? ARE YOU absolutely sure the wires go to the correct plugs? Is the Fuel control valve still connected to the vacuum port on the Aft of the plenum?

 

[mhamor]

I got p0505 initially when the cord wasn’t connected but also got it again one more time when I first started it up. There are only two cords on the plenum and they can’t be mismatched cuz they won’t fit. I’ll have to check all vacuum lines at the back again to make sure they’re in the right spot but I’ve always been comfortable with these vacuum lines so I don’t see that being a problem. It’s tons of white smoke, more when I accelerate, reeks of gas and pretty sure gas dripping from exhaust (my cats must love me right now), I put in a new neck/arnley FPR, and all new but remaned beck/arnley injectors. I feel that either the fuel is flooding the system, or I’m having trouble getting any air in to balance it out. Oil looks good smells good. Your last question, do you mean the FPR being connected to its vacuum hose? Because it is

 

[mhamor]

Vacuum lines all check out. Plugs all in their proper spots. Something I will do shortly if nobody else has ideas is put my old fuel injectors on bank 1 and see if theres any difference, potentially all of the injectors I got are trash! But after that, maybe its a bad FPR and I gotta put the old one back on. Still if none of that works, maybe I banged up the IACV or something else under the plenum/maybe letting the plenum sit upsidedown overnight caused something funny to happen. I'm not sure but these are the things i plan on checking next. Also, I put a new EGR valve gasket on and tightened up the metal egr tube as best I could because there was initially smoke coming from it, I think it was just WD-40 coming off but I think the EGR valve gasket helped a wee bit with how rough it's idling, but didn't help with the white smoke.

 

[Mrbean]

When I bought mine it had the Air Intake Valve Code, I bought a new one and replaced it. It did help the idle a little but really didn't improve to much. I imagine if it doesn't work and is stuck closed then the engine would run rich but surely not that rich? I think you're idea with the old injectors is sound! Good luck.
PS is the distro' still in time? I'm thinking maybe too far advanced? I know the plugs are brand new but how does one look?

 

[mhamor]

Mrbean thanks a bunch for your time. For now, it was the injectors. The ones I got were remanned and for whatever reason they were dumping fuel in. It’s running normal now, still getting shit out of the exhaust and what not so it’s occasionally white smoke. Is condensation under the oil fill cap while it’s running a bad thing? Is gas getting into the oil a bad thing? Coolant looks good although it wasn’t coming out the bleeder bolt hole when I bled it so I’m not sure what’s up with that, but it didn’t overheat when it got to temp at a stand still so for now I’m happy

 

[Mrbean]

Iv'e had lots of bad parts past couple of years .Frankly yeah change the oil it's really thin now, the bleed screw show lose coolant if you bleed it with engine running. Good luck.