When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Well it turns out the car isn't fixed after all. It ran perfectly for about a week and now that stupid 'dropped cylinder' is back. Quite frustrating as nothing was touched, hadn't even popped the hood prior to the new round of issues.
I had almost made it home from a 200+ mile drive and a block away from the house I noticed my fan started increasing and decreasing (no a/c). Seconds later the engine started a slight misfire, and within a block there was zero power again, though zero codes....
I checked the voltage and at rest it was 12.4 and 13.6 while idling. Not great, but also not the problem.
So the quest continues to find out why the car runs perfectly one day and almost not at all the next.
As I had already ordered new hoses and thermostat I went ahead and installed them and of course it makes no difference to the problem but at least solves another future problem in waiting.
I believe the only thing I have not replaced yet is the distributor itself, fuel injectors and wiring harness. I've checked all the connectors and wires and they seem to be in good shape. As the car spent most of its life in the Pacific Northwest with no sun, there is very little heat damage to anything on the car, so I believe the wiring harness is not the answer I seek and will save it until everything else is tried first.
**Does anyone know if Toyota or Lexus has a computer they can plug in that will actually identify the problem if there are no codes showing on my obd2 reader?
I had a similar problem to what you described with my Honda Civic (EG) that I used to daily drive.
Turns out that the solder on the main fuel relay on the ECU board broke off and begin to cause an intermittent signal issue with the fuel pump. Look for any broken solder connections on the board. It started out running rough at cold start and completely dying 1 day out of the month, and then slowly progressed and the solder got thinner and thinner as time passed by, till it finally broke off completely and the car wouldn't start.
Even though it's been a few months I have not given up on this build.
Since my last update, I have gotten the car running properly, installed new steering rack and sway bushings. Added a front strut bar and have been collecting all new suspension components. As mine was a 96 california car that was moved to Washington shortly after purchase, it seems I got lucky and all the bushings in the car are actually in decent shape. In fact I wish they were worse off as it was a pita to get the old rack bushings out. Doesn't matter though as everything is being replaced.
I did spend a few months looking for the matching supra tt rear brakes without luck. I am so glad that the right set never came up as it turns out for my application it would have been a huge mistake using brakes as weak as the tt's for track use. I found a thread over on sf talking about using the 2012-2014 Jeep grand cherokee srt8 brembo 6pot fronts and 4pot rears with an adapter. You use the is-f rotors and longer stainless lines and your set.
Well, here are the new 4 pot rears...
The adapters will be here shortly, with the fronts hopefully soon to follow.
btw, gotta give a shout out to Lou!
The information and knowledge you shared with me today was invaluable and won't be forgotten. Getting the chance to drive down and meet a fellow forum member was fantastic. It was amazing getting to watch your supra tear up the track today. I just wish I could have gotten some decent race pics for you. While I'm not a supra, with a little luck and hard work I'll be out with you there next season trying to chase you down.
Finished the Jeep SRT8 4pot rears. Turns out the rota rims that came with the car are a perfect fit so that is a huge bonus for now.
There is about 1/4" of clearance between the caliper and the barrel of the rim. There is more than sufficient room between the caliper and the front of the rim.
There is an enormous size difference between the stock and Jeep rotors. Pic pretty much sums it up.
The fronts will be finished when the last parts arrive. Surprisingly it isn't that bad having 4pot rears along with the 4pot Supra tt fronts. Best guess is that the prop valve must be doing its job really well. I'm not sure what I was expecting the drive to be like with bigger rear brakes than front, but in this case the car is quite decent and will work until I replace the fronts.
The install was pretty much exactly as described on the supra forums and only took a few hours. For now we cut the rear dust shields completely off as now that we know it all fits and works, we are going to build custom brake cooling ducts. We've already picked up replacement mkiv subframes so the plan is to take those knuckles, replace the spindles and bearings, and while that is being done we can mount the custom ducts properly the same way as from the factory only with bigger plates and ducted openings. Goodrich stainless lines are used throughout. Every component on the new subframes will be refreshed with new bushings and aftermarket upgrades where available.
The only real downside is that these calipers just scream 'steal me' to everyone around. For that reason alone I can't imagine keeping them the brembo red and will powder coat them black to match the car. Final step will be to source a good deal on the 2 piece rotors as that will be critical to keeping things cool on the track.
I saw that somewhere too! You can use the Jeep SRT8 or Charger R/T brembo calipers. They are on ebay a lot actually. Could I ask where you got the brackets or if whoever made them would make another set?
I saw that somewhere too! You can use the Jeep SRT8 or Charger R/T brembo calipers. They are on ebay a lot actually. Could I ask where you got the brackets or if whoever made them would make another set?
I don't know anything about the Charger R/T conversion, just the SRT8. I purchased them from the developer pkop2jz over at supra forums.
Seriously tho! I'm having the same problem. Stereo removed or attempted to be removed and now my wiring is ****ed. Half fuses are drawing power when the car is off. The blower motor only come on when the car is off. So I have to unhook the battery when I'm done driving it or its dead the next time I go to use it. Smh. I totally don't have anyone to fix that mess. Good luck
QUOTE=scblackout;8883703]Lesson number one:
Never EVER EVER EVER buy a car from anyone under 40 again. I'm guessing this is about the age of 'auto' maturity for most people and my most recent car purchase just goes to help prove my point.
You see my assumption is that anyone under 40 figures they can do it all themselves without relying upon professional help. Anyone over 40 and it is normally either time for a new car when things break, or a trip to the professionals to get it fixed.
Unfortunately it turns out that I ended up with exactly one of those cars. It seems that every time I turn around and decide to fix something that should be quite simple, I find the prior owner screwed things up so bad that a quick fix is going to now take a lot more effort to get right.
I think many people are going to have a huge laugh at the following sequence of pictures and can probably relate to exactly what I am talking about.
Problem to fix: Missing beauty ring for ignition key.
Easy enough to fix, but as the keyhole does not look lined up right, I decided to straighten it out. But to do that you really have to remove the panel that holds it together. Now to do that right, I needed to remove the center console.
After removing the aftermarket radio and climate control, look at the mess I am left with.
O.M.G.
I can now see that the antenna not going up when the radio is on is the least of my electrical worries. As I can see the prev owner had run a number of wires up the passenger side of the dash, it seems appropriate to follow them to see where they go.
At this point I run into the issue of my glove box key not working. I had already been to the Lexus dealership, had a new key cut, had service try to get it open and after an hr they gave up. Long story short, a butterknife ends up doing the job just fine.
Even more is removed.
I pull the carpet back on the passenger side and right away notice a huge wire harness that is not being used.. can't be right... Nothing is plugged into the large white clip along the floor.
Maybe someone knows what that white plug is supposed to be used for?
I assume it is for the factory stereo in the trunk, only a guess, so I decide to follow the speaker wires that the owner ran to the back of the car.
This job keeps getting worse:
Not only has the owner taken the changer/amp out of the car, but he wired in a lousy aftermarket amp for the sub. Only it is much worse than that....
Take a close look at the picture above and you will see the speaker output wires, large gauge, connected via electrical tape to small gauge wire. Only look close, he used home speaker wire with a metal female connector on the end and simply taped it together.
So I now have a high power feed ending in a weighted speaker connector right up against the gas tank.... stupid, stupid stupid...
Could it get worse?
While digging around the trunk, I pull out the liners and notice the back right wheel well is full of water, an inch or so. Well the owner moved the drain hose when he installed the wires, and simply left it in the trunk instead of putting it through the wheel well grommet. Must have been recent as at least there is no rust. So I dried it off and sprayed it with black primer/paint.
Well I ask myself about the power wire for the amp, and sure enough he ran 2 power cables directly to the car battery with NO INLINE FUSE!
Because 2 power wires are run to the trunk, it is obvious that the owner had a dual amp setup and decided to remove the large amp and simply put this small one for the sub. He didn't even bother to secure the amp to the car, so it was free swinging via the wires.
Well the power wire that I was following was on the passenger side and ended under the seat. So I decide to follow the live power wire which means pulling carpet on drivers side.....
Well glad I did, as the carpet on the drivers front is totally soaked. The liner is so deep that you can't feel it with your hands unless you pull the carpet. So, had I not done this, I would have ended up with mildew and a bad smell.
What was supposed to be a quick fix on a nice sunny day is now going to become quite a project. The seats and carpet come out tomorrow so that I can find the leak and get the carpet dried out properly. Only then can I begin to fix things properly.
btw,
The prior owner attached the entire dash together with 3 zip ties, 2 bolts, and 1 screw. NO wonder it rattled so badly. Calling this car a Lexus at this point is just so wrong. I've got a long week ahead of me.[/QUOTE]
Picked up a USDM TT auto ecu + map-ecu2 + harness for a decent price today. Looks like the electrical system is the next to be upgraded on the car. Going to re-read the tt-ecu thread to see what else I need to purchase so that I can use the new setup.
Purchased the complete IS300 vvti coil setup with the 7m cps from another great member here. I believe that the only missing pieces to this aspect of the build is an OBDI lower runner in order to change the injectors and the upgraded injectors themselves. At least I hope I am not missing anything else prior to starting this project. Is an aftermarket fuel rail needed or worth the funds here?
I'm taking a huge complicated jump myself here as I have zero electrical experience. In fact it's the stupid electrical issues in the car as to why I am doing this upgrade now in the hopes of solving some possible issues the car has had.
Now being a 96 obdII, I decided to go the USDM TT OBDII ecu route in order to maintain the OBDII compliance. I've read the ecu-upgrade thread but I am still a little confused. Am I supposed to remove the sc300 maf and put on a supra tt maf? Or am I supposed to add in a map instead? The ecu-mod thread talks about using an ecu to remove maf if you want to be OBDII as it never runs right otherwise. If so, I'll have a brand new 20ish miles on it sc300 maf for sale, wasted money, hate that.
Cross posting this into my build thread in the hopes that more people see it rather than getting lost in the long tt-ecu mod
Car is a 96 5sp NA (someday NA-T) and I am planning on starting with replacing the ignition system first. I want to maintain OBD2 compliance.
Here is what I have so far:
1. 96 USDM Supra TT auto ecu obd2
2. map-ecu 2 with full patch harness
3. IS300 VVTI coilpacks + wires
4. Lexus igniter (DH61)
5. Custom coilpack harness
6. 7M CPS
7. Iridium plugs
What I believe is still needed
1. 92-95 obd1 lower runner
2. 550cc injectors -- would rather just purchase the 1000's as that is end goal
3. Supra TT maf
4. Supra TT map ? (unsure if needed believe the map-ecu makes it's own?)
Is my list missing anything?
Here is where I need a little more info:
Just an update, for those using the US maf with a single turbo, it doesn't run that well until you delete the maf by using either a VPC or a map ecu type unit. its well documented on supraforums.
you can try the maf but I wont be helping troublshoot stuff that doesn't work right, plan to convert to map on the USDM ecu. its worth it if you have to keep obd2, otherwise just use a JDM ecu.
ultimately it should be a 2jz map sensor wired in for the US map sensor, and for the US maf sensor you have a map ecu or vpc wired to that.
so technically you have 2 map sensors, but the only one that is used for fueling on a US ecu is the one which was converted from being a maf.
The car is currently NA, so when running trial, is it better to only add in the Supra ecu and skip the entire map-ecu?
My assumption is that if I do that first, then I have to purchase both the TT maf and map and install it into the car, where if I add in the map-ecu I then won't have to purchase a TT map?
I have never used a piggyback before, still reading the guide, but is it right to assume that it could be easily added into the system where it will replace the maf without the need of a custom tune for NA?
Also, the plan is to run e85 only. I read a few posts here that going up to the 1300cc injectors would then be a better choice with the tt-ecu/map. Is that correct?
What would be considered the BEST injector option for this build for max e85 power without going standalone and still idling and driving properly?
Probably the only NA running on R888's 275\40\18 front - 295\30\18 rear
Removed for the rainy winter months.
Purchased a set of 315\30\18 Hoosier r7's for the rear and 275\35\18 for the front's. Could not fit 12 tires in the car so they are being delivered this week. I've never run slicks before but being sticker at a crazy price, couldn't say no. Looks like it's a good thing I kept those 12" rims that came with the car. Now it's widebody time. Was hoping to avoid going that route, but it seems that everyone is just spinning 275 or smaller when around 600ft/lbs.
Now that I have the track tires setup for next season, what would be considered the absolute best all weather street tire as it rains here more often than not and the r888's are HORRIBLE in standing water. I purchased some 'mid level' winter tires but they're not much better.
Today I received the ecu + mapecu2 and there was a sticker on the outside that peaked my interest. It said OBD1 9500 rpm + fuel + speed and a bit more information. Now I was under the assumption that I was purchasing an OBD2 USDM 96 TT auto ecu but I don't believe this is what I ended up receiving. There is no outer sticker with a serial that I can look up so hoping that someone may recognize the inside of the ecu and might have a better idea of what it actually is. I may be wrong, but I don't remember seeing daughter boards on other ecu's.
Because I am using this for the NA-T upgrade, I need to know if this is JDM or USDM and whatever else may be important as the parts I need to purchase to complete the project change depending upon the ecu I end up using.
*Wouldn't a 96 US supra automatically be OBD2 just like every other US licensed car in 96?
Well turns out I hit the lottery on this one. An OBD2 Gforce 9500 rpm everything moded. Was actually originally from a great build in supraforums years ago and the new owner simply upgraded to proefi. Guess it was a case of right place right time. I actually had no idea it was a gforce until the seller contacted me and hooked me to the orig sale thread.
Now off to do some homework and see what is needed to safely hit 9500 without worry of breaking everything.
There is no way that 12" rims with 315 hoosier r's are ever going to fit on this car by just pulling the fenders. After doing a lot of digging around reading it seems that the only way it is going to work is with a widebody kit for the car. I quickly found that finding a real vertex ridge kit was going to be very expensive. It actually costs more than the original price of the car before this project began so that was not going to happen. The next best thing I could find was the extreme dimensions vertex kit. So there is now a new pile of parts in the garage.
Have any of the currently active members added a kit to their car? I'd love to find a good build thread so that I can learn to do this the right way. I know there are a few builds but the ones I've found don't really document the steps involved with prepping and installing the kit.
btw.
I could still use some advice on the tt-ecu/cop conversion post I made a few posts up from here. Mostly just need to know what still needs to be purchased for this setup.
Well this car never stops kicking my butt. I noted earlier in my thread that I sent the ecu in for preventative maintenance as I read that the caps go bad with age. Prior to sending the ecu in, I had a couple of o2 sensor codes, but other than that the car ran fantastic.
The real problems showed up after installing the ecu back into the car. The first time trying to fire the car, it would run, but horribly. Some days it ran great, and other days it either wouldn't make it out of the driveway or left me stranded on multiple occasions. Cam sensor, crank sensor, o2 sensor, lean in bank 1, you name it codes were all over the place. I was told it was impossible that the ecu was the issue as every other repair they did was perfect. So, believing the hype I replaced every single aspect of the ignition system other than the distributor itself. Nothing helped. The car spent days at the Toyota dealership only to return with virtually no charge as they could not figure out the problem.
So, I send the ecu back in for a second go around. Received the ecu back last week, installed it, and the car won't fire. It cranks, but no fire. Tow to Toyota to find out that the car cannot even see the ecu. Now told the ecu is doa.
It goes for it's 3rd trip for repair next week. I figure there is no way it can get any more screwed up than it is now as it's totally useless.
There may be some good news though, as I found a 96 5sp ecu (not sure if cali like mine) and it should be here early next week. I'm simply hoping to plug it in and see if the car runs as it should. There is NO WAY this new ecu is going anywhere near the repair facility. Twice bit... yeah I've learned my lesson.
*If your wondering why I am even bothering with this after having purchased a gfroce tt ecu, it is simply because I wanted to get the car running perfectly before attempting such a huge ecu change. That way if problems show up it will be due to the new equipment and not an old hidden problem that I never solved.
The "new" ecu arrived yesterday and unfortunately it is not going to work. The car did fire but will hardly keep an idle and giving it any gas at all simply floods the engine and it stalls. The seller was kind enough to send me the vin# and after research it turns out it is indeed from a 96 5sp federal. There is obviously some type of major difference between the cali and federal model at least for the 96 model year. So to confirm for anyone that finds this info online, the 96 5sp federal ecu will NOT work in a 96 cali spec 5sp car.
Now the plan is to finish acquiring the parts needed for the full tt ecu upgrade. I still need an obd1 lower runner, tt maf and map sensor and I believe at that point I will have everything needed for the upgrade. I did get some info in the ttecu thread that there is a possibility that since I have a mapecu2 that I may not need either the maf or map as the car is still NA at the moment. I'll work to confirm this before tearing everything apart to only find later that I need more parts to finish this. As I noted earlier the only real choice I need to make is on the injectors. So far I haven't had any luck tracking down a cheap set of id1000's which seem to be the best choice for the goals of the project.
07-06-15, 11:33 AM
