Newbie, Van died while driving! Help

[Rivvy121060]

So driving home my van just died as if it ran out of gas! Check engine light came on! Havent been able to get it to start. A friend started to work on it but then became ill so I am taking over! This is what I know: yellow fusible link was melted, the female end for I believe to be water temp sensor was melted and broken so poor connection ( this is by distributer), the fusible link that is under battery compartment has been replaced with a regular heavy piece of wiring and is very rusted and corroded! The grey fusible link has been removed! With that being said it had been running great as I drove it from Idaho to Wa and then daily for about a month. It appears that I have no spark, my friend said the coil tested fine but I am really unsure what all or how he did the testing so can you give me any advice as to the process of elimination? I have worked on my own vehicles since some mechanics felt is was easy to take advantage of a young girl but I am the type to like to read and understand everything before I start and my all mighty bible (service manual) was stolen within days of breaking down! So I am kinda desperate for direction! Any insight would make me the happiest van owner out there, miss my baby!

[Burntboot]

Do a search for "fusible link thread" all your answers will be found there.
Note that if the FL1.25 has been replaced with standard wire, that is an accident just waiting to happen (think FIRE)

Once you sort out the links you'll be able to diagnose your no-start condition, if indeed it still exists.

[Rivvy121060]

Thank you I have done that and indeed need to replace the fusible links! I will keep my fingers crossed that this solves my issue!

[Rivvy121060]

Thank you I have done that and indeed need to replace the fusible links! I will keep my fingers crossed that this solves my issue!

Also was curious what would be clicking when checking for Diagnostic codes?

[Rivvy121060]

Also was curious what would be clicking when checking for Diagnostic codes?

Do these plugs go to anything or just for accessories I dont have?

[Burntboot]

Rivvy - Now that your fusible links are corrected, you mentioned you tried to start and checked codes.
I assume that you are still in a "no-start" condition?
Does the starter crank the engine and the engine won't start or does the starter not engage at all?
Have you checked for spark yet?
Not sure what code 3 is but generally it (code) identifies a circuit that is causing issues, it may be ignitor or anything else within that specific circuit (wires, connectors...)

[originalkwyjibo]

Code 3 relates to ingnition signal. You can download the codes here: http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/c...gons-all-years
The clicking is a solenoid going through it's test procedure. The plugs appear to be for the vacuum vsv's that are mounted on the right side of the engine. I believe these are for a/c and maybe the vacuum 4WD switch on auto transmission vans.

[Rivvy121060]

Thank you so much for info as I started process of repairing a year ago July and then had a friend help and then he got ill and I moved out of town and my uncle, dad and another friend of his took a look pretty much no one had any ideas! I then found this amazing site and here I am back at it myself!
So for now I feel the plug wires need replacing for one is actually been pulled off incorrectly and separated, the cap I also feel is bad as at least one of the contact points is wore as if it a knife had been cutting the center lie a slice of pie! Sorry about the analogy, I didnt get a chance to check the coil today ran out of time! I do have one question about a connector right by radiator cap and then another I believe is to check timing by the distributor? I get kind of crazy about plugs that dont have a partner! . I still hoping it isnt ignitor, to me it totally reminded me of when I had a coil burn out on me but didnt seem to have nearly this much trouble but it also was older car too! Any tips you can send my way would be ever so grateful as I miss my baby and seems like everytime it is surfing weather they are all driving Toyota Vans!thanks again I love you guys!

[Rivvy121060]

Also sorry forgot to answer first post! Yes engine cranks but doesnt start!

[Burntboot]

So now that you have proper cranking its time to forget what everyone else has told you and start working thru the system in logical order.

First order of business is to verify if you have spark, if you don't, work your way backwards checking all various parts that would affect things.
Broken Ignition wires are never good, neither are ignition parts that are past their best before date.

Rotors and caps can and do fail, OEM parts last WAY longer than A/M and are machined to a much higher standard.

[Rivvy121060]

Thank you so much, I respect my dad so much as he is very knowledgeable about many more things than I but I also have maybe more experience with car issues as he is the type that can buy one and never had a single issue not the case for me it has always been one after another, with that being said I have had coils burnout on me before and he says coils never burn out and even if wires or cap is bad you should still have spark so must be ignitor or ECU! I know that he knows that cant be true! So I will start at the beginning and work my way back, prior to my changing all the fusible links and replacing the melted/broken connector for I believe temp sending unit? Right next to distributor. I had no spark according to others but will do myself I just seem to have a rough time understanding checking for resistance and ohms? But I think it may have been that mine was actually broken! So crossing my fingers!

[Burntboot]

Not sure how they were checking for spark but I always start with a spark plug, plugged into one of the wires, ground the electrode and crank the engine.
If you have spark at the plug, you've just ruled out everything upstream.
Doing it this way also lets you see the quality of the spark (strength and colour)

As far as checking the resistance of the wires, as long as they are relatively close to spec you should be good, what you're really looking for is an open circuit (infinite resistance) blaming the ignitor because you don't have spark ignores all the other parts of the system that may be contributing.
Ignitors are fairly hardy, coils do seem to fail more often but all of the hard parts are fairly robust.
Given the age of our vehicles though, nothing is beyond suspicion.
The other annoying thing I have found that more often than not, MY problems are usually a combination of 2 or more things working together to mess up my life.

As to the other comments about bad ignition components not being the cause, it may well be true if there are close to being within spec, but anything that is way outside of normal should be replaced.

Side note - meters have internal batteries that can die and make the meter appear to be non-functional.
The battery comes into play when checking resistance.
Testing your meter is easy, set the meter to reading "ohms", cross the probes and the meter should read zero (no resistance), separate the probes and the meter should peg off the scale (infinite resistance)

There are also a significant number of wiring splices within the factory harness that can and will cause trouble over time.
While I would consider that the last avenue to interrogate, it is worth visually inspecting the wiring while you're in there.
On mine, I found that wires that were discoloured and/or abnormally stiff, indicated issues within.
Lets hope that isn't a place you have to go and your solution is a simpler one.

I believe the 87 manual is available on line (it will apply to your 86 just as well) and will give you the procedures you need to test the various components.
At this point, given all the cooks that have been tending the soup, you're really best to verify each part/system as you go and ignore the advice from the sidelines, while it may be right, it may also be wrong and its your money you'll be spending on parts, not theirs.

Sometimes I can be a tad mistrustful of others work, but not without good reason.
If I am going to plunk down hard earned cash on replacement parts, I want to make sure that none of it is wasted.
It would suck to replace the ignitor only to find you still have a no-start condition.

[Rivvy121060]

Ok well I still have no spark at the wires/plugs, as far as coil that has still been up for debate! We did however agree or noticed that the coil looked pretty corroded on one of the ends that it fires from but we are going to check it tomorrow and see! Been a rough day! Is there any links that show how to check the coil and other areas that could be preventing spark! Better rule that out before I go with my gut and replace cap, rotor and wires! Coil/Distributor if it does turn out to be this! Are they expensive and hard to get too?

[Sir Goofy]

I have been working on my van for a while now, reading multiple forums and using the knowledge gained. The fusible link thread and the alternator thread has saved me hundreds already. After dropping a new alternator in I thought my problems were going to be solved when the engine started to kick over but then died again. This time when I jumpered the check engine light it gave me an error code 12 and I could hear some clicks like the starter. From looking up the code it said to check the distributor, the distributor circuit, the igniter, the igniter circuit, started signal circuit, and the ecu. So I checked the fusible links, battery terminals, made sure connections were tight everywhere then I looked at the distributor. I took off the cap and some connections looked worn away but not too bad. After putting it back on I tried to start the engine again because I'm a real optimist and got an engine code 51 instead and the starter stopped clicking so ???? I have replaced the distributor cap, rotor and putting new spark plugs after I'm done writing this.

[Rivvy121060]

Was curious there is a little condenser that has wires going to distributor and it also goes to the coil inside anuway one of the wires has the wire showing wear ig attaches to the condensor, this could cause problems or not?

[Rivvy121060]

Well great news after only two years and a few disagreements I finally got the parts needed for my van. Then another delay due to illness, and injury
I put parts in and hooked battery up and turned the key and she fired right up!
I screamed so loud you could hear me 10 miles away!
Now the fun begins of putting it back together so many bolts and no manual, ugh!
any tips?

[1985supraman]

What was your problem?

[Rivvy121060]

Just as I had suspected it was my coil! Should have went with my gut in the first place! But guess I got to know my baby on a personal basis, but not sure I want to go there again!

[Kermit]

man I have a Toyovan 86 I left on foot after 10 or 15 minutes it started and ran for 10 minutes and it turned off by itself I cannot find a solution I changed the coil distributor cap the rotor clean the gasoline pump and still does not spark

[Andywear]

new plugs & wires?
good charge on the Battery?
any other electrical issues that may point to a bad ground?