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Help please? Misfires on all cylinders

Discussion in '2nd Gen Tundras (2007-2013)' started by bdubarbie, Feb 29, 2024.

  1. Feb 29, 2024 at 10:59 AM
    #1
    bdubarbie

    bdubarbie [OP] New Member

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    If any of you wonderful mechanically inclined members can help me, I’d sure appreciate it. I’m not a mechanic… I’m a Vet Tech! I can read your dogs bloodwork but the Freeze Frame data on my OBD scanner is like Chinese to me. I have a 2011 Tundra, 4.6L with 280K+ miles on it that has been having intermittent misfires on all 8 cylinders. Sometimes the MIL comes on after just one cylinder misfires. Sometimes it’s 4. Sometimes it’s all 8 plus a few “randoms”. Sometimes I start the truck and drive it 60 miles and no MIL and it seems to run perfectly. But about half the time (and usually within the first minute of a cold start) the MIL comes on and the traction control light comes on at the exact same time. They both go off with the next start up and they might come on, they might not. Once in awhile, the MIL comes on after the engine is warm. I read about using the Freeze Frame option on my scanner and decided to try it today but alas, it doesn’t help me because I don’t know what to look for! If someone can read it and help me diagnose the problem, or give me ideas as to what I can do to help diagnose the problem, I’d be most grateful! Before anyone wants to be rude, yes I know I should take it to a good mechanic, but I am terrified to try another shop as the last 3 that I went to with my vehicles all turned out to be really bad experiences. If my truck needs to go to one, I’d at least like to have a clue as to what they should really be doing to my beloved Tundra so I don’t get taken $$$$$
    I will post screenshots of my Freeze Frame Data. Please, anyone? Thank you in advance!
     
  2. Feb 29, 2024 at 11:01 AM
    #2
    bdubarbie

    bdubarbie [OP] New Member

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  3. Feb 29, 2024 at 11:09 AM
    #3
    bdubarbie

    bdubarbie [OP] New Member

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    More info:
    Spark plugs (Denso iridium) are only a few months old.
    Ignition coils (generic brand bought on scAmazon before I knew better) are also only a few months old.
    It’s not making any weird noises, overheating, or puffing smoke out the tailpipe.
    Sometimes it immediately misfires on all 8 upon a cold start and the MIL flashes and the engine shakes. I immediately shut it off when that has happened, give it a minute, crank it up again and it runs normally. What the heck?? WHY?! :confused:
    I have noticed coolant slowly disappearing and I don’t ever see it leaking from anywhere. Might not be connected to the misfires but just in case.
     
  4. Feb 29, 2024 at 11:37 AM
    #4
    bfunke

    bfunke Tundra Curmudgeon

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    Toyota ECUs don’t like Chinese electronics. I would go to Rock Auto and buy new Denso (OEM supplier) coils for any cylinder needing a Denso.

    Coolant leaks can be internal or external. There are various ways to test for leaks into combustion chamber. Also carefully inspect your radiator and cap, all coolant crossover pipes, coolant lid under intake and weep hole on water pump shaft.
     
    2mchfun and bdubarbie[OP] like this.
  5. Feb 29, 2024 at 11:58 AM
    #5
    bdubarbie

    bdubarbie [OP] New Member

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    Thank you! I was going to purchase some Denso coils after learning that they don’t like the generic sensors, but I read another forum on here where someone said it shouldn’t be the coils because surely they can’t all be rejected/bad. I think that if the Toyotas really are that picky, then they surely can all be “bad”. I’ll replace them and then I can at least rule out the coils if it continues to misfire. I’ll also check all those areas you suggested for coolant leaks! :fingerscrossed:
     
  6. Feb 29, 2024 at 12:06 PM
    #6
    abgiles

    abgiles New Member

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    Anytime there's an issue, figure out what you did right before it started. Were the coils swapped and then it started right after? Maybe it started right after spark plugs? Step back and consider when it started compared to what you changed, and that's usually the answer.
     
    bdubarbie[OP], 2mchfun and snivilous like this.
  7. Feb 29, 2024 at 12:10 PM
    #7
    snivilous

    snivilous snivspeedshop.com

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    That^ And if it started happening out of the blue, I would be suspicious of the wiring harness and something chewing on it. Even if you had bad spark plugs or coils, the likelihood every single one is bad is extremely low. If it was a bad part I would expect one cylinder somewhat reliably misfiring, not everything randomly.
     
    bdubarbie[OP] and 2mchfun like this.
  8. Feb 29, 2024 at 12:20 PM
    #8
    2mchfun

    2mchfun Cool story, but did your new TTV6 tow a shuttle?

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    Welcome to the forum! Intermittent or varying electrical issues can be caused by a bad or loose ground. Check out all of the ground connections really closely.
     
    bdubarbie[OP] likes this.
  9. Feb 29, 2024 at 12:23 PM
    #9
    G10dra

    G10dra Not a New Member

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    From personal experience, I'd never buy crucial auto parts from Amazon. Amazon auto parts are 99% chinese knock off's.
     
    tyr0981, fixnfly and bdubarbie[OP] like this.
  10. Feb 29, 2024 at 12:28 PM
    #10
    blackdemon_tt

    blackdemon_tt Battery Slayer

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    Put your old ones back in.. Also check your battery ground for damaged wiring. I had a misfire and it was a broken wire. The other time I had misfires were cheap plugs.
     
    bdubarbie[OP] likes this.
  11. Feb 29, 2024 at 2:00 PM
    #11
    bdubarbie

    bdubarbie [OP] New Member

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    I know what caused the initial misfires and it’s not something that I can change (unless we can turn back time. If that’s the case, yes please! lol) My teen son has changed the oil on several vehicles in the past and said he’d do an oil change on my truck. He made the mistake that, according to this group, many have made, and he drained the tranny fluid thinking it was the oil. Then he added 8qts of oil. I had checked the dipstick prior to the change and it had about 7qts in it. So that makes 15qts. Yup. Ugh. I know!!! I drove it for awhile (before it misfired and I had no clue what had happened) until it misfired and then when the scanner suggested new plugs as the repair, I replaced the plugs (most of them were oil fouled and yes I cleaned as much of the oil out that I could before putting the new ones in.) I drained the copious amount of oil, changed the oil filter and added fresh oil. I drained the rest of the tranny fluid and added Toyota transmission fluid to the tranny according to the repair manual, and it started right up and ran well. It seemed to be unharmed but I had only driven it around the block. Then next drive, it misfired. P0300 and all 8. It was misfiring much less frequently than before but then I got another MIL for an ignition coil. I thought they had probably got ruined along with the plugs and decided to replace them all. Dumb mistake. I had intended on keeping the old coils but when I asked my son where they were yesterday, he said he threw them away! Another dumb mistake.
    Anyway, I performed a compression test and compression is surprisingly good. Nothing stands out as an issue to me…except the fact that Toyotas are fussy and I bought cheap ignition coils. I have checked the wiring harness and unless something is cut or frayed inside the wrapped areas, it looks intact. I checked the ground wires that I could find, but I know there are several locations. Does anyone have a photo or a diagram that would show me where all of the ground locations are? Awhile back, I got an ABS system code, C1241-low or high power supply voltage. Could a ground wire cause that and misfires along with being why the traction control light came on (at the exact same time as the MIL for misfires?) Thank you all for your help!!! And thank you for not being mean. I have learned a lot but still have a long way to go!
     
    Last edited: Feb 29, 2024
  12. Feb 29, 2024 at 2:27 PM
    #12
    blackdemon_tt

    blackdemon_tt Battery Slayer

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    Check this wire brother, ground battery terminal. notice the clamp, straight up Mickey mouse, JDM or zip tie mechanic, but its been solid for over a year. 1st cause for multiple and cyl 4 misfire..
    Screenshot_20240229_142339.jpg
     
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  13. Feb 29, 2024 at 2:59 PM
    #13
    bdubarbie

    bdubarbie [OP] New Member

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    Nice! Hey, if it works, it works!
     
    blackdemon_tt[QUOTED] likes this.
  14. Feb 29, 2024 at 3:42 PM
    #14
    2mchfun

    2mchfun Cool story, but did your new TTV6 tow a shuttle?

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    Not what you want to hear, but unfortunately too much oil turns into foam from the contact with the spinning crankshaft. The engine then loses lubrication and that leads to significant damage. On top of that, it also causes seals and gaskets to go prematurely which isn't good either. At this point it might be basically toast.
     

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