Really need help, asap. IS300 won't start after maintenance overhaul.

Shizukesa · December 21, 2021

Hi everyone. Well, I've just about had enough.

Over the last 10 days, I've replaced the following:

Cam seals
Water Pump
Thermostat
Timing belt
Aux belt
Idler
Tensioner
Spark plugs
Valve cover gaskets
Oil and filter
Air filter
Radiator and hoses
Cabin filter
Coolant

I've put everything back together very carefully since I've filmed everything in incredible detail for YouTube. However, the car cranks, but won't start.

I've remove the throttle body and reassembled everything. All connectors are in place. I've refitted the spark plugs and coils and still nothing. All the grounds are in place. I'm lost, freezing my ***** off and really ****** off with it after putting so much work in. It's my only car so I haven't been able to shop or anything for 10 days.

I've ensured that the vvti cam gear was set to all the way clockwise and everything lined up just fine.

Also, no codes showing.

I've pretty much had enough 😄

Basically, there's no spark. Any suggestions? I'm about to push it off a cliff 🤬 I'm supposed to be up north now with family and it's my only car.

Any help would be really appreciated.

Thanks.

Paul

Shizukesa · December 22, 2021

So there is power going to each coil pack, that I have tested.

I'm thinking maybe crank sensor? Would coolant gushing all over it from removing the water pump ruin it?

I'm 99% sure the timing is right because I have it all on film and have checked it meticulously.

There's definitely no spark. The EFI fuse is fine, haven't checked the EFI relay. I'm pretty sure I can hear the fuel pump.

There's 11.6V coming from the Battery.

I really don't know why there is power going to the coils but no spark. I've checked all the grounds and they seem fine.

However I did snap a clip off the connector to coil pack 1 and coil pack 2 already had a snapped clip on its connector. Not sure if that's having an affect on the ground link between the 3 coil packs.

If the crank position sensor is ruined and or not reading the right timing, will the ECU pull the spark?

Thanks.

Mihanicos · December 23, 2021

A good scanner would read all the codes. If your scanner is good and there are no codes displayed, then the ecu is probably without 12v supply or it has no ground. If it has power and ground then it may have packed up but very unlikely since it was working before. You need the circuit diagram of the car to locate an elecrical fault. A bad crankshaft position sensor will inhibit the engine from starting but you must check it before condeming it.

The ecu switches the coils to ground to produce the spark to each cylinder. There is always 12v supply to the coils when the ignition is On.

Check the mass air flow sensor.

Make sure when No1 cylinder is at top dead centre, both intake and exhaust valves of No1 cylinder are closed ( compression stroke ).

Chris.

Beamish · December 23, 2021

If the crank position sensor is OK you should see the Rev Counter registering the cranking speed as you turn the engine over.

If there is no response from the Rev Counter I would suspect the crank sensor or it's connection to the loom/ECU.

steve2006 · December 24, 2021

I take it you have had the Battery removed or disconnected during this work?

Is the security light going out when you insert the key and turn to ignition or does it continue to flash!

If it continues to flash

https://youtu.be/_bVDAYgbyPI

Shizukesa · December 24, 2021

On 12/23/2021 at 5:26 PM, Beamish said:

If the crank position sensor is OK you should see the Rev Counter registering the cranking speed as you turn the engine over.

If there is no response from the Rev Counter I would suspect the crank sensor or it's connection to the loom/ECU.

Very interesting... the rev counter does not move when cranking.

An update:

Checked resistance in all ignition coils and all seems fine. Some of the spark plug wires are kinked quite bad but the two long wires have around 830 Ohms and the shorter wire has around 400 Ohms.

There's continuity between the igniter and the three cables going to the ignition coil connectors. The ground linking all 3 is also testing good continuity.

I haven't yet tested the IGF from the igniter.

I think crank sensor may be the issue. I stupidly did all the maintenance without disconnecting the Battery. I wonder if the coolant gushing out of the block onto the crank sensor has messed things up?

Shizukesa · December 24, 2021

13 hours ago, steve2006 said:

I take it you have had the battery removed or disconnected during this work?

Is the security light going out when you insert the key and turn to ignition or does it continue to flash!

If it continues to flash

https://youtu.be/_bVDAYgbyPI

Nope 😐 and I know I should have. I just totally forgot as I started filming. I should have known better.

Also, the light disappears when I insert the key. So I suspect this means the immobilizer isn't the issue? I also tried the other key and the same thing happens.

Shizukesa · December 24, 2021

On 12/23/2021 at 4:33 PM, Mihanicos said:

A good scanner would read all the codes. If your scanner is good and there are no codes displayed, then the ecu is probably without 12v supply or it has no ground. If it has power and ground then it may have packed up but very unlikely since it was working before. You need the circuit diagram of the car to locate an elecrical fault. A bad crankshaft position sensor will inhibit the engine from starting but you must check it before condeming it.

The ecu switches the coils to ground to produce the spark to each cylinder. There is always 12v supply to the coils when the ignition is On.

Check the mass air flow sensor.

Make sure when No1 cylinder is at top dead centre, both intake and exhaust valves of No1 cylinder are closed ( compression stroke ).

Chris.

Yeah my scanner is a cheap ****ty one from amazon.

MAF sensor has been cleaned with CRC mass air flow sensor cleaner and it plugged in.

I redid the timing and the vvti cam gear wasn't rotated all the way clockwise even though I was sure I did so, I have it on film. I was 1-2 teeth out. Regardless, the car still doesn't start. I'm thinking crank position sensor.

JamesIS220 · December 24, 2021

On 12/22/2021 at 6:34 PM, Shizukesa said:

So there is power going to each coil pack, that I have tested.

I'm thinking maybe crank sensor? Would coolant gushing all over it from removing the water pump ruin it?

I'm 99% sure the timing is right because I have it all on film and have checked it meticulously.

There's definitely no spark. The EFI fuse is fine, haven't checked the EFI relay. I'm pretty sure I can hear the fuel pump.

There's 11.6V coming from the battery.

I really don't know why there is power going to the coils but no spark. I've checked all the grounds and they seem fine.

However I did snap a clip off the connector to coil pack 1 and coil pack 2 already had a snapped clip on its connector. Not sure if that's having an affect on the ground link between the 3 coil packs.

If the crank position sensor is ruined and or not reading the right timing, will the ECU pull the spark?

Thanks.

If not a misprint, then the Battery is well flat. Ie only 20% charged. See table.

Shizukesa · December 24, 2021

29 minutes ago, JamesIS220 said:

If not a misprint, then the battery is well flat. Ie only 20% charged. See table.

Is this while the ignition is off or on?

Could this really be the issue? If the starter motor is cranking then I thought it would be okay to initiate spark. Perhaps not... 😄

Mihanicos · December 25, 2021

The igniter plug should have three wires, one is the +12v, the other is the ground and the third is the control wire which has the pulse to connect the 12v through the coil to the ground. A power transistor within the igniter does the switching. The coil and the transistor are connected in series. Make sure you have power and ground to the igniter when the ignition key is On and check that you have a pulse, about 5v dc when cranking. You need an oscilloscope to do this or a good scanner. You can connect a multimeter to detect the pulse, it may register something or a 6v lamp with a resistor in series to limit the current to just light the bulb.

There should be a fuse controlling the power to the coils. Check that fuse.

The Battery should be well charged because when cranking a lot of current flows to the starter thereby causing a voltage drop. On cranking, the Battery voltage should not fall below 10 vlolts.

Turn the engine clockwise and check that the timing marks alighn and also check that No1 cylinder inlet and exhaust valves are closed. You can still set the timing to the marks but be 180 degrees out in which case the engine will never fire. To check this, remove the spark from No1 cylinder and put a long screw driver in it. As you approach TDC the screwdriver will rise following the piston stroke.

Chris.

PS

Merry Christmas.

Shizukesa · December 25, 2021

10 hours ago, Mihanicos said:

The igniter plug should have three wires, one is the +12v, the other is the ground and the third is the control wire which has the pulse to connect the 12v through the coil to the ground. A power transistor within the igniter does the switching. The coil and the transistor are connected in series. Make sure you have power and ground to the igniter when the ignition key is On and check that you have a pulse, about 5v dc when cranking. You need an oscilloscope to do this or a good scanner. You can connect a multimeter to detect the pulse, it may register something or a 6v lamp with a resistor in series to limit the current to just light the bulb.

There should be a fuse controlling the power to the coils. Check that fuse.

The battery should be well charged because when cranking a lot of current flows to the starter thereby causing a voltage drop. On cranking, the battery voltage should not fall below 10 vlolts.

Turn the engine clockwise and check that the timing marks alighn and also check that No1 cylinder inlet and exhaust valves are closed. You can still set the timing to the marks but be 180 degrees out in which case the engine will never fire. To check this, remove the spark from No1 cylinder and put a long screw driver in it. As you approach TDC the screwdriver will rise following the piston stroke.

Chris.

PS

Merry Christmas.

I put the Battery on charge because it was quite low. The car had the Battery connected for 10 days with the bonnet open while I did all the work. Since I filmed it all, this was 12 hour days. I really should have disconnected it. If the Battery was the issue this whole time, i'll kick myself. I actually hope it is, because it's annoying me quite a bit now. The car is on my parents driveway.

Can the car crank but not give spark due to the Battery being low?

I've turned the vvti cam gear all the way clockwise with the dots aligned. Is this correct? The instructions I used said to do the timing belt at BTDC, not at TDC so that's what I did. Autodata.

I redid the timing and I was 1-2 teeth out due to the vvti cam gear not being fully clockwise. It definitely won't go any further now but it's a lot stiffer than when I refitted it the first time after removing it to do the cam seals.

Merry Christmas to you too! 🙂 Thanks a lot for your input!

Mihanicos · December 25, 2021

If the battery cranks the engine reasonably well, it should be able to produce a spark.

I am not sure about the timing of your engine, I have a different model to yours. But the reference used, as far as I know is always the crankshaft at TDC. Never before I have seen a BTDC point as the reference and how many degrees BTDC is Autodata referring to anyway? It may be a print mistake, Autodata is reputable.

Confirm the engine timing from another reliable source. If you have an interfetence valve timing, the valves may hit the piston with catastrophic consequences.

Chris.

Shizukesa · December 26, 2021

6 hours ago, Mihanicos said:

If the battery cranks the engine reasonably well, it should be able to produce a spark.

I am not sure about the timing of your engine, I have a different model to yours. But the reference used, as far as I know is always the crankshaft at TDC. Never before I have seen a BTDC point as the reference and how many degrees BTDC is Autodata referring to anyway? It may be a print mistake, Autodata is reputable.

Confirm the engine timing from another reliable source. If you have an interfetence valve timing, the valves may hit the piston with catastrophic consequences.

Chris.

Page 18 shows BTDC:

https://www.2jzgarage.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Engine-Mechanical-EM.pdf

Mihanicos · December 26, 2021

I have checked the timing marks of my engine from Lexus original factory repair manual.

The crankshaft is set to TDC and No1 cylinder on compression stroke with all intake and exhaust

valves of No1 cylinder closed. The camshafts timing marks are all adjacent to the timing chains on their either sides, not on the vvti gears.

Normally a manufacturer follows the same marking and identification system in the factory.

Chris.

Shizukesa · December 26, 2021

13 hours ago, Mihanicos said:

I have checked the timing marks of my engine from Lexus original factory repair manual.

The crankshaft is set to TDC and No1 cylinder on compression stroke with all intake and exhaust

valves of No1 cylinder closed. The camshafts timing marks are all adjacent to the timing chains on their either sides, not on the vvti gears.

Normally a manufacturer follows the same marking and identification system in the factory.

Chris.

I think the non vvti is different. It's set to TDC for those, but vvti 2JZ engines are done at 60 degrees BTDC. All manuals I've found say the same. 🤷‍♂️

Shizukesa · December 26, 2021

Update:

So I checked the crank position sensor today.

I set the multimeter to 20k and didn't get a reading.

I then set it to 200k and got 12k which gave a slow exponential decline to 6k at which I stopped.

I set the multimeter back to 20k and got a stable reading of 4.4k Ohms.

According to the testing parameters of the sensor as shown in the picture, the range of resistance is between 1,630 - 2,740 Ohms.

I took another reading and the multimeter stayed at 1 on all resistance settings every single time I tried, indicating an open circuit.

Hence, I believe the crank position sensor is the issue here. I have no idea why because I haven't actually touched it or removed it. I did disconnect the connector to replace the water pump, but that's it. Also, as stated before, the Battery was not disconnected.

So I guess this is my problem? I'll look for a part number and order a new one from Toyota/Lexus.

I also check the cam position sensor, and got a reading of 740 Ohms, which is slightly below spec, but I don't think is causing the issue?

Just to be sure, I'm going to remove the valve covers again and reset the vvti cam gear and redo the timing for a third time.

Thanks!

Mihanicos · December 26, 2021

Thanks for the update and the information. I would replace the crankshaft position centre. The camshaft position sensor should be ok.

I am very impressed about the engine timing. I have never seen anything like it on any engine I worked before.

Chris.

Shizukesa · December 26, 2021

25 minutes ago, Mihanicos said:

Thanks for the update and the information. I would replace the crankshaft position centre. The camshaft position sensor should be ok.

I am very impressed about the engine timing. I have never seen anything like it on any engine I worked before.

Chris.