94 v6 camry now won't start

My car is a 94 camry, but has a 96 1MZ-FE engine from a avalon. Bought used and has been a great car for ~3 years. Just hear last couple weeks, it would start running and idling rough for a few minutes at a time. The last time I drove it home, it completly stopped on me on the side of the road. It finially started to make it home and now have in the garage. Now it will crank, but won't start. After you crank it, shut iginition switch off, then back to start position, you get a pop out the exaust pipe. From these forums and my haynes manual, I've checked the camshaft sensor, it appears ok (1.1k ohms), crankshaft sensor (2.0 k ohms), 3 of my coil packs, front side (1.4 ohms) manual says .5 to .85 ohms, so i'm not sure about this, the mass air flow meter (2.9k ohms), and it has the 5 volts to it, coolant temp sensor (2.3k ohms), replaced this last year. I haven't checked fuel pressure, since I have to go rent a tester. But I am running out of suggestions. Hope someone can point me in the right direction.

Check the codes. Many parts stores will allow you to check out a code reader and find out if your ECM is storing any trouble codes.

well I was able to rent a OBD2 scanner and it connected to my car. Every Auto parts store that I called said it would take the OBD1 scanner, except this one guy that worked at one of the stores. Any way it showed a P1300 code, i believe it would be "igniter malfunction #1". does that mean a need a new igniter? The car did start and run for about 1 minute and shutdown, wait a few minutes, and it would start and run about 20 seconds and shutdown again. In any ones experience, would the igniter cause this, auto parts store says this cost about $325, pretty expensive for a part that may not be it. any insight!!!! thanks

Yes, the '94 V6 was the first engine in a Toyota to use OBDII to report engine malfunctions. I forgot to warn you that other '94s (including the 4-clinder) are not OBDII compliant and it is difficult to get someone to read the codes in a V6 for that reason. Almost every other engine did not become OBDII compliant untill '96. OBDI codes are read by shorting out two pins in a connector, not with a code reader.

The engine shuts down because of the P1300 DTC. The ECM will shut down the engine if this code is set.

The problem may be in any part of the ignitor circuit. The code is set when there is no IGF signal received by the ECM from the igniter, confirming that an IGT signal was sent to the coils to fire the plugs. Therefore, the problem may be in the circuit from the igniter to the ECM, the igniter power circuit, the ignition coils, one of the ground connections to the igniter, or the ECM. The igniter itself can't be directly tested, so the only way to troubleshoot the igniter is to get a good one (salvage yard or other V6 Camry?) and connect it and see if it solves the problem.

I could tell you how to troubleshoot the circuits, but it is easier if you just download the repair manual here (http://www.turboninjas.com/camry/), and then refer to pages EG2 550-556 for the troubleshooting procedure for this DTC.

For now, just check the quality of the connections to the igniter and the wiring to these connections. If there is a loose connection or a broken/loose wire to a connector or in the wiring harness, that may be source of your problem. Check the connections to your ECM also.

Here's some additional information if you care to know more:

Ignition#1 - Ignition Overview w/questions.pdf
http://www.autoshop101.com/forms/h39.pdf

Ignition#2 - Electronic Spark Advance w/quest.pdf
http://www.autoshop101.com/forms/h40.pdf

Ignition#3 - Distributor / Distributorless w/qu.pdf
http://www.autoshop101.com/forms/h41.pdf

See also other documents linked in the following post in the FAQ thread:
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=3236470&postcount=31

If I may add, also check the ground point from the igniter as well. I think the troubleshooting for that DTC is EG2-550 to -556.

Hope this helps!

550-556 Check. Thanks for the correction :)

Well I checked per procedure eg2 pages 550-556. It appears that when I check IGT1-6 terminals, I don't get the .5v except on #6, the rest are very eratic. I checked them at 115 (black connector) disconnected at the igniter, that way I can verify the wiring harness. With this assumption, I suppose my ECM is bad.

It's not clear, but if you haven't, you need to test the IGT1-6 signal voltages at the ECM connector with the 115 ECM connector disconnected to isolate the ECM signal and eliminate the harness as a possible problem (step 8). This is after testing the harness in step 7 and doing all the previous test steps. If you tested at the igniter in step 8, you have not isolated the ECM signal.

It may still be your harness or connectors. Did you do all the other steps in order? It sounds like you skipped at least step 7. Do all steps in order, including step 7 to all connections IGT1-6 of ECM connector to IGT1-6 of igniter connector to test the harness (there is a missprint in step 7 of the manual in case you didn't notice....). Pages EG2 553-556.

Make sure you crank the engine for all the IGT1-6 ECM measurements in step 8 - Check the IGT1-6 measurements at the ECM.

Double check your connection to the body ground and connector with the voltmeter for the IGT1-6 ECM measurements.

Well I want to thank you guys for all your input. After several weeks, I was able to get my hands on another igniter and ECM (even though it came from an Lexus that had a 1MZ-FE engine, but the last few numbers of the ECM were different, the igniter had the same number). I tried the igniter, and the engine stayed idling for 30 minutes, revving the engine several times and it did not quit. So maybe my problem was my igniter, hope so. I also tried the ECM, and it allowed it to start and run for a few minites before I shut it off and put the original ECM back in and run it some more. Still have to take it for a test run down the road, hopefully by it idling for 30 minutes, it won't die on me out on the road. Again, Thank all that helped me with this issue. I'll let you know how she runs on the road!!!

I do have one more question, I am changing my valve cover gaskets, there leaking pretty bad, how do you change the seal where the spark plug goes through, there are little edges that stick out under neath the cover that prevent from removing. Do you bend them up or grind them away??? or what?

You bend up the tab and tap out the gasket with a screwdriver and hammer - then use needle nose pliers to pry out the gasket. Use a suitable socket and hammer to drive the gasket in flush with the valve cover, put a small amount of grease on the lip of the gasket, then bend the tab down.

Thank ya

Well my camry started giving me trouble again. Guess it wasn't the igniter, I installed the ECM from the Lexus. It's been running for about 2 weeks and no problems. The last 5 digits of the ECM are different, but it appears to be working fine. Any insight why this ECM should not work in place of the other one, even though the numbers are different. Hope it stays running. Thanks again for all your guys HELP!!!

The powertrains for both your v6 Camry and the Lexus ES 300 are the exact same, so no surprise the ECM works. But I am surprised that the ECM was at fault, as it is very rare that they fail. However, it may have been a cascading failure situation for you...the igniter failing causing a failure in the ECM through a bad short, voltage spike, etc.

In the end, we're happy you found the solution and shared it with us.

i had the same problem three years ago. i just now figured out how to fix it. new engine
how this helps :)