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Problems with an EJ22 motor


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I have been having problems with my 92 EJ22T.

 

It would crank with out starting for about 2 mins or so and then it would start.

 

I had a friend crank while I checked the engine during one of these episodes and found that there was no spark from the coil pack.

 

I pulled the following CEL codes

13 Cam Angle sensor

14-17 injectors 1-4

21- Coolant temp sensor

22- Knock sensor

23- Airflow meter circuit

24- bypass air control valve

32- O2 sensor

41- Air/Fuel ratio control system

45- Pressure sensor duty solenoid.

 

Car runs fine once it’s started. It will drive about 10 miles or so at highway conditions and then the CEL will light up. If I cut the engine off and then start it again, the CEL goes away.

 

I don’t believe all of these sensors would go out or go bad all at once. There must be a common thing that is causing the error. Hopefully, it's not the ECU.

 

Any ideas on where I should start?

 

Thanks

 

BW

Edited by s'ko
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spent some time today working on the car.

 

The error codes are coming from moisture shorts. The harness is pushed through the body through the driver side fender and I did not waterproof the area well. when it dries up I will take some sealant and get it sealed up nice and tight.

 

BW

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  • 2 weeks later...

additional diagnosis.

 

Bad main ground to rear of the engine.

 

The thick ground wire from the battery to the starter bolt was loose and causing intermittent shorts with the vibration of the car driving.

 

YEAH.

 

BW

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  • 3 weeks later...

The saga continues:

 

The gaggle of CELs have been cleared. Engine is still running erratically. In first gear it would accelerate and then hiccup at around 4k-5k rpm and then continue to accelerate. Doing a corner and downshifting to 2nd and gunning it will produce stumbling. It would also lightly stumble a bit when cruising at freeway speed.

 

Only error code I found was number 32. O2 sensor.

 

I tried unplugging the sensor to see what it would do and the condition did not change.

 

Replaced the O2 sensor last night. Initial test drive around the block was great. No hesitation and no bucking. I was a happy camper at 11:30 last night.

 

This morning going to work. Felt very sluggish. I tried a full throttle run and the boost spiked to the top of the gauge and the car just made a lot of engine noise. I am guessing it was roughly 20 lbs. :eek: stumbling like a drunk sailor.

 

The bucking got a little worse and I noticed a cloud of smoke behind me. Slowing down, I smell burning oil and the smoke started to bellow through the hood scoop.

 

Pulled over and the smoke was all over the place and there was a huge pool of oil in front of the car. I am thinking blown HG, or worse rod through the block. I removed the spark wires from the coil and cranked the engine and there was no scary knocking sounds, maybe there's hope.

 

AAA came and towed me home, when I looked underneath, I noticed that the oil return line from the turbo to the head had come lose. So this is why it was hemorrhaging oil before. Re-connected the return line and filled it w/oil. Started car. Ran ok. Revved it to 4k. No knocking, so looks like I didn’t kill my engine. :banana:

Now idle is a over the place. It goes from 2k down to under 1k and then it jumps around to the point where it will almost stall and then it will recover.

 

Took it for a brief test drive and it stumbles pretty badly while under 3k. Once above that, it drives ok. Will not go into positive boost.

Ohh and the oil that was chilling on the exhaust/down pipe makes it look like it’s on fire.

 

Where to start looking, Grounds are good.

TPS?

 

BW

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coolant temp sensor.?

not sure. it's the one that was on the 200k motor I got. Will check it when I get home

timing belt on dead on correct?
new belt and pulleys with the rebuild. pretty sure they are dead on, but I can always check
maf sensor cleaned. do you run a K&N air filter, those throw oil on to the MAF and cause this. what kind of plugs and plug wire

have new OEM style filter and running new denso plugs, wires unknown, will look into replace them.

 

Will add them to my list of items to check

 

BW

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its the T belt......will put money on it. yep.

my 92 was sold to me with this problem. He said, that he checked the belt, no matter what, he could not get it to run, many new parts, new ecu, injectors, wiring, even the shop said t-belt was okay as it was newer.

 

Well, I didn't trust anything, and checked it myself the right way. Yep, fixed that, and well, soon after, the clutch let go......

thing screams.

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its the T belt......will put money on it. yep.

my 92 was sold to me with this problem. He said, that he checked the belt, no matter what, he could not get it to run, many new parts, new ecu, injectors, wiring, even the shop said t-belt was okay as it was newer.

 

Well, I didn't trust anything, and checked it myself the right way. Yep, fixed that, and well, soon after, the clutch let go......

thing screams.

 

I am reluctant to call it a t-belt problem b/c it ran really good before the ground problem developed. It passed smog and pulled strong all day long.

 

Sunday will tell me more about what is going on.

 

BW

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  • 11 months later...

I know it's a year overdue, but someone asked me the outcome of this problem.

 

The first problem was due to a bad ground. The wire behind the starter was loose and would vibrate causing an intermittent short.

 

The second problem with the erratic acceleration is not completely resolved. Switching the O2 sensor helped, but I think it is due to some wires getting damaged by the turbo up pipe. It doesn't happen often enough to warrant a complete rewiring of the harness near the lower radiator support. Some times, I will get a stumble when I have the right turn signal on and I accelerate at the same time.

 

The third problem where it was driving retarted and then blow the oil return line was due to a retarted mechanic (that being me). Forgot to connect the boost sensor.

 

Other than that things are running great w/the RX. Took it to Las Vegas on Thanksgiving weekend and even drove it home on Sunday after Thanksgiving :eek:. The traffic is so crazy, it makes a 4-5 hour drive into a 8-10 hour crawl. Never overheated and ran like a champ. :banana:

 

BW

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