[yosuke]

this problem all started after i left my car at a friend's house for 3 months since i had to go on a business trip. my friend was supposed to start the car every week, the last 2 weeks he forgot. The battery was dead (optima yellow) and i had to jump it.

it was all fine until a few days later i was driving on the freeway and my car turns off. my car is an auto tranny so i popped it into N and started to crank the engine. The car didnt start, but when i pulled off to the side of the road and let it cool, it started just fine.

i figured it was bad plugs, i changed the plugs and went for a test drive. the car pulls harder but when the engine/tranny/cooling system gets hot, i noticed that it hesitates. it bogs big time, and the car barely accelerates. the rpms do not rise unless i really floor the gas pedal at times. the engine tries to die as well. when i hit the gas, it seems like it goes, hesitates, goes, and hesitates... this only starts to occur when the vehicle starts to get hot.

im running a phr stage 1 with map ecu and a stock auto tranny.

my question is, how do you know when a auto tranny is slipping?
can this be an issue with the battery?
does this sound like an ignition/fuel problem or a drivetrain prob?

any replies are greatly appreciated. thank you SF

 

[lis2k]

Coil pack connector clips ever been replaced? They fall apart over time. They are real cheap tp replace.

 

[93SupraTT]

Agreed. Exact same things happened to me. Check your harness and get back to us.

 

[chupacabra]

Water in the gas? This might not be the problem, but it happened to my old SUV. And the symptoms were the same as you are describing.

If there is water in the gas tank, it can coat the filter after the car runs for a while, since water wont go through the in-tank filter. Then the car stalls out. After sitting a while, the water will fall off the filter and the car will again start and run normally...until enough water gets back on the filter to impede fuel flow, then it starts bogging and stalling again.

Bear in mind that this was on my old Isuzu SUV and i am not sure that they both have the same kind of in-tank filter.

I think there is a chemical additive you can get that will allow the water to pass through the filter, but on my SUV I ended up dropping the tank to get the water out.

 

[Epik]

I was thinking the same thing. 3 months is long enough for the gas to begin to separate and change. Get some isopropyl (DryGas) to put in the tank and get a fresh fill up of 93 octane.

could also be a plugged up catalytic convertor. Stil have one? Would explain why it gets sluggish as it warms up and the cat lights off.. it expands and cuts exhaust flow.

Try letting the car just sit and idle and see if it starts to sputter as it warms up. Check the exhaust for pressure out the tail pipe cold and then when it is warm.

 

[yosuke]

thanx for all the quick replies guys.

- coil pack connectors were just replaced, brand new from Toyota, as well as the coil packs, and spark plugs (denso ik24).

water in the gas tank seems logical, ive filled up the gas tank already last week, with 91 octane (california) and the tank is at 1/4 full right now. is that isopropyl stuff safe for the sensors and engine? i have a wideband 02 sensor on the car, when the car starts to bog, is there any way to tell there is water in the engine by looking at the numbers?

No cats on the car. the car is fine at idle, and at initial take off as well. the hesitation problem happens anytime after the vehicle is warmed up. i dont know why but it almost feels like a drivetrain problem.

i understand this problem is very hard to distinguish, and i appreciate all your input.

 

[KingCobra]

have you pulled codes?

Another possibility (I own both a 1JZ and a 2JZ tt), after my 1JZ swap, I experienced similar hesitation. It turned out my problem was one of the 2 knock sensor wires was grounded out. It would pull timing each time it saw code 51 until it was basically in safe mode. It felt like I was towing a trailer full of bricks with no wheels.

Im not sayin that is your problem, however if your ECU is retarding/pulling timing you could exhibit the symptoms of hesistation you are describing. There are many sensors that the ECU reads (knock, tps, cps, speed), to determine spark advance.

Pull the ECU codes, see if there are any in memory. If the ECU is retarding timing, it's got a code as to WHY it's doing so I'd be willing to suggest. If you are pre-ODB2 --> (Short E1 to TE1 on diag connector either under the hood, or under the drivers side dash). If your ECU is ODB2, you'll need a code reader.

 

[Rotarytoy]

have you pulled codes?

Another possibility (I own both a 1JZ and a 2JZ tt), after my 1JZ swap, I experienced similar hesitation. It turned out my problem was one of the 2 knock sensor wires was grounded out. It would pull timing each time it saw code 51 until it was basically in safe mode. It felt like I was towing a trailer full of bricks with no wheels.

Im not sayin that is your problem, however if your ECU is retarding/pulling timing you could exhibit the symptoms of hesistation you are describing. There are many sensors that the ECU reads (knock, tps, cps, speed), to determine spark advance.

Pull the ECU codes, see if there are any in memory. If the ECU is retarding timing, it's got a code as to WHY it's doing so I'd be willing to suggest. If you are pre-ODB2 --> (Short E1 to TE1 on diag connector either under the hood, or under the drivers side dash). If your ECU is ODB2, you'll need a code reader.

Agreed. If u haven't pulled codes, do so.

This is not typical, but I had a problem with a cracked injector resistor a while ago causing similar problems. You never know.

 

[yosuke]

ok, before i put the isopropyl in the gas tank, ill pull some codes and post them up.

 

[yosuke]

code 21...

ok, i got the CEL code.. its a code 21, it blinked twice fast and once after that. with about 5 seconds after, it blinks the same code again. that's a 21 correct?
i dont have the second o2 sensor plugged in.

ihave a video of it.. but dont know how to post vids.

assuming that it is code 21, according to the chart, it states that its the main heated oxygen sensor signal. im wondering if the o2 sensor needs to be replaced...?

its either these two....

1.) open or short in heater circuit of main heated oxygen sensor (fr) for 0.5 sec. or more.

2.) main heated oxygen sensor signal voltage is reduced to between 0.35v and 0.70 v for 60 sec under these conditions
-engine coolant temp: betweenm 80 C (176F) and 95C "(203F)
-engine speed: 1500 or more
-load driving (ex.at in o/d , a/c on, flat road, 50 mph)
-main heated oxygen sensor signal voltage: alternating above and below .45v

does the second choice make more sense according to my symptoms? is a o2 sensor off of a 2JZGE the same as a GTE?

 

[yosuke]

any input is greatly appreciated... goin to toyota to buy a new o2 sensor.. hope thats the culprit. =/