4AGE Misfiring - possible Cam Belt slip?

[darkman0101]

Hey there,
my poor 1990 AE92 FXGT is not behaving in the high reving manner she usually does.
While accelerating yesterday it started missing very badly, (bad enough to make it undriveable).
The car will start and run provided the revs are kept up, but allowed to idle or under any load the engine will die.

I suspect that perhaps the cambelt has slipped a few teeth or stretched maybe. Would these symptoms be indicative of this being the case?
I have had the car since 50000kms, it has now done 136000kms. I am unsure if the cambelt has ever been replaced since new.

I am having someone come over tonight to try their ignigtor and coil to rule them out.

Assuming that it is the Cambelt having slipped... how hard is it to set the cam timing given that the gears will now not be aligned correctly to start with? (setting the cam timing from scratch I guess).

Cheers in advance,
Jas

[Bling]

so you haven't done the cambelt??????

i wouldn't have thought when u got it at 50,000 it will be on its second belt....which means its 36,000 over recommended changing interval....i'd just get a new one put on eh

[ee904age]

Im sure this could be found with a quick SEARCH, but i'll post it anyway. To set the timing:

Set the crank pulley at No.1 TDC (0 deg on pulley)
Match up both marks on the outer ring of the cam sprockets up with the lines on the plate behind them.

Slap the belt on and release the tensioner and bingo.

Cheers.
Shay

[evil_si]

sounds a bit like plugs to me,
wouldnt have thought it would slip
but with out seeing the car cant diagnose properly.

[TrouserFxGt]

ill take a stab at plugs too.

whip em out end check them.

[pc]

Change the HT leads. Easy to do and it may be the cause.

[Dr-X]

How can you not know fi the cambelt has been done if you've owned it since 50,000kms? Obviously is wasnt done BEFORE then, so has it been done or not?

[evil_si]

Change the HT leads. Easy to do and it may be the cause.

could possibly be,
but there are steps to take and checks to do rather than just replace random stuff,

[darkman0101]

What I meant by stating that I dindn't know it the cam belt had been replaced since new was that I didn't know if it was replaced prior to it being on the yard where I bought it.

For all I know the Cambelt could have been changed at 50000kms. I know that it hasn't been replaced since. Sorry didn't word it very well.

Just the circumstances that the problem happened in lead me to think that it is something that has just let go real suddenly.

Like I'd imagine that if it was a HT lead that it wouldn't just let go out of the blue like that. She was running like a dream all the way back to Aucks from Rotovegas the night before.

Plus I'm not sure but I'd suspect that she'd run better even on 3 cylinders than she is now.

[85AW20v]

Also look at replacing the fuel filter - could be not enough getting through.

[ee904age]

Change the HT leads. Easy to do and it may be the cause.

could possibly be,
but there are steps to take and checks to do rather than just replace random stuff,

Id start with the ECU fault codes and see if that sheds any light.

[TrouserFxGt]

have you checked anything yet?

[Fuct Munkey]

lol, my fxgt is running on 3 cylinders at 404,000km at the mo, if urs is running worse, i really do pity u, that must really suck, but regardless, get the cambelt done before any other damage is done, and u mite as well do plugs while ur at it, its a cheap option neways, and it cant do anything but help

[pc]

ECU fault codes would be a good place to start. If there are any intermittant sensors/connections it should keep the fault code. You might want to reset the ECU first tho so that you are sure that you aren't looking at any old codes.
When I said change the HT leads, I actually ment 'borrow' them off a mates car. That way it is easy (1min) and doesn't cost anything if it's not the cause.[/quote]