Topic: Check engine light kills engine.

[Burl]

My 1985 4Runner passed smog with flying colors back in October and has been pretty much sitting unused since then.  When I started it up this week to drive it about 10 seconds into running the check engine light came on and the truck turned off automatically.  So i tried to start it again and it sputtered but wouldn't stay running.  I let it sit for a few minutes then tried to start it again and it ran for a few minutes then the check engine light came on again and killed the motor.  After playing this game for a bout 10 minutes the check engine light stayed off and the truck runs pretty good.  The next couple of days in a row the same thing happens when I go to start it up check engine light comes on and kills the truck a couple times then quits and runs ok.  This is weird, I guess I could pull the codes tomorrow, but I was wondering if anybody has any suggestions as to what might be happening.  Has this happened to anyone before?  I'm thinking it might be ignition related.

[Rocksurfer]

Sounds like it is doing this when it is cold only, maybe be the cold start injector is clogged from non-use. My sons 4Runner had a little sputter at start after it had sat for almost 6 years and that's what was causing it. I Just ran a can of injector cleaner through it and cleared it up.

[stackz]

pull your codes.  some critical component or sensor apparently didnt survive the long sitting spell too well and is farting all over the place.

[santa cruz crawler]

Idk , sorry

[BoG-ToY]

sounds like possibly a short? I had a short that my exhaust had to be hot for it to be a problem.

Mine did not kill the engine, but mine had an O2 sensor wire rubbing an exhaust flange.... when it cooled off... the plastic formed just enough of a barrier, then it would take warm rubbing agian to make it short again.

Yours could be like they said, a component that did not like sitting, but could also be a short somewhere, either a bare wire that has to hit the right spot... a bare wire that has to hit the right temp because of current flowing through it, or a short thats touching another part thats getting hot?

[Burl [OP]]

I pulled the engine codes and I'm getting 3 and 6 I did a search for the codes and the links that I found don't go to an archive or anything showing what those codes are.  If anyone has any info on those two codes that would be most helpful.

[Burl [OP]]

I found some info on these codes not from the marlin site just wondering if anyone can give some credibility to this info.  Code 3 ignition signal, code 6 RPM signal.  If these are correct should I replace the Ignition and coil unit that is on the inner fender driver side?

[BoG-ToY]

could be the pickup coil in the distributor... I believe those are a semi-mechanical part too?
also check the plug-in thats clipped in the coil....

Maybe even try plugging in another distributor...
I know that some of those wires ride right over the exhaust manifold to?

[4RunnerChevy]

If you have a service manual, those parts can be checks with a meter.

[BoG-ToY]

sounds like his problem is intermittent though?  I mean I guess if he got it to the point where it died... then tried testing?
 

[4RunnerChevy]

sounds like his problem is intermittent though?  I mean I guess if he got it to the point where it died... then tried testing?
 

Gotcha, that kind of stuff is a litter tougher.