AE10* 4a-c service & 'tuning'... Serious question.

[stradlater]

My girlfriend has a AE10X with a 4afe in it. It's auto.

Seeing as how I've put my own toyota together, I said I'd service it for her. Seriously, how hard could it be to change the plugs, oil and various other bits...

But, then she said, "Yeah, but I'll need to take it to someone to get it 'tuned' ".

I then thought to myself, given it's EFI, and it has an ECU that no doubt keeps in check the vital bits and pieces, what on earth IS a 'tune-up' on one of these engines? Do we simply alter the idle stop screw for the throttle? Let's face it. Your average mechanic doesn't have a dyno, and more to the point wouldn't put a car ON the dyno for the minimal amount of money they charge for a service, so how on earth do they tune the thing anyway?

I figure given the fact that I probably have forgotten more than most mechanics actually KNOW, I should be able to do whatever it is that they do..

Anyone got any other ideas on exactly what it is I should be doing to service this car?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Strad..

NB: Please no stupid responses like "Throw it out and get a 4a-g.." That is simply not the purpose of this thread/car.

EDIT: Typos + Engine type

[slide86]

hey mate.
youre pretty much correct on the fact that the ECU wil control the vitals.Seeings as its no old school engine, there wont be points to adjust and mixtures on a carby to set.

So id just change the oil and filter, plugs, air and fuel filters, check the timing with a timing light and check out the idle. Give the car a good looking over (brakes, sus and the like)

I dont really think there is much else to do. If its running sweet after that, then all is good.

[RONA]

you sure its a 4ac in an AE10*, i thought they stopped using them in the AE92 and even then they were 4afc's. If it has an ecu it can't be a 4ac.

Regardless though, just do the general service and it'll be fine.

[stradlater]

That was what I thought... It reads 4a-c in the engine bay, but I may have missed the F bit.. It is indeed EFI, not Carbi, so 4afe would make much more sense.

Actually, come to think of it, it is 4afe.. not 4a-c

[Starfire]

Base timing and idle are all you can really adjust. Other than that it's just plugs, oil and filters...

If it's a new car you might want to change the break fluid, flush the coolant and change the clutch fluid, power sttering fluid and the like. God knows when they were last done and they really do tend to make a difference.

[stradlater]

Starfire - Thanks, that's makes more sense.. I had forgotten about base timing. I'll have a crack at it this weekend, She'll be apples.

[Starfire]

You can feel free to hand out some rep

[stradlater]

Ok, Positive REP if you can tell me how to lock the timing to check the base timing.. That is WITHOUT having to play with the ECU.

[Dale]

In the diagnostics connector you need to bridge terminals T and E1, disconnect both vacuum hoses from the distributor. Check/set the timing to what it should be, disconnect the jumper wire from the diagnostics box and recheck the timing - it should be between 10 and 16deg BTDC

[NeoNasty]

Check your fault codes on the engine. Someone can tell you how. You basically put a bridge between a few terminals, check out how many times the light in the dash flashes. That refrences a fault.. Then follow the reset codes procedures.

When youve completed the oil changes etc.. pull the EFI fuse out of the fuse box. Stay like that for 1 min. Put it back in. Take the car for a run. Let the ecu relearn stuff.

After that check the codes from the ecu again. See if anything new is there.

BAM! It will prob come up with nothing, sometime they have false codes. You have a nicely tuned engine, good for another 10Kms of trouble free motoring (hopefully).

[3sgte]

Some A series engines in the AE 10X series do not have adjustable ign timing.

If it has a crank angle sensor, then the timing is not adjustable using the distributor.

Jumping T and E1 as previously mentioned will at least allow inspection of the timing.

[stradlater]

Thanks for your input guys, BUT...

There were Three T ports.. Tt Ts and Tc.. I found E1 though..

None of them being jumped with E1 seemed to make it lock the timing..

That said, the timing at idle seems to hover around 8~12.. It jumps between that a lot..

[CILAchainsaw]

If my memory serves me correctly it is TE1 and E1 you need to bridge, will check when I get home

[CILAchainsaw]

yep, it's definetly TE1 & E1, if this is any help in future.