data-csrf="1711671384,6a3d47b359208b9b5e085ef5de0a70b1" Taco Tune-up | As Real As It Gets

Taco Tune-up

Nail

Well-known member
Feb 8, 2008
778
5
48
Mississippi
My '02 Tacoma (144000mi.) started sputtering pretty bad yesterday after work. Check engine light was on so I went to the parts house and let them hook it up to the diagnostic thinger. "Cylinder 1 misfire" was the diagnosis. I had a set of plugs so I dropped a new one in and, as far as I can tell, it is running normaly now.

I have decided to replace the others first chance I get but I am thinking about changing out the coil packs too. Neighbor said he had seen some that looked worse but mine didn't look great by any means. Also had a guy at work who had the same issue in a different truck who changed only the plugs and then had to do the coil packs a few weeks later as the problem came back.

What say ye? Change the coil packs or not?
 

cwh

Administrator
Nov 18, 2007
4,574
99
Anchorage
I've never changed coils/packs preventatively.

Doesn't hurt to have a spare with you, but generally it is fairly easy to locate the cylinder that has an ignition problem. If they were cheap, I'd replace them, which is why I do plugs that way. As I recall from my F-150, coil packs were $80-100 each though.
 

Chesapeake

Well-known member
Aug 24, 2010
1,287
14
SW Washington
I traveled your road. Coil pack followed closely...... Only 3 of them, but they aint cheap. I did them all and a wire set.

I was a touch over 200K though.

How about your timing belt? Do the waterpump with it, and a fuel filter and maybe an O2 sensor.......

You could bump up to the Tundra V8 231mm 13WL front brake calipers/rotors while your playing if your tired of dealing with the front brakes yet.

Lots of fun stuff to spend money on. Or just drive it like you stole it and fix what fails when it fails.
 

Nail

Well-known member
Feb 8, 2008
778
5
48
Mississippi
I went ahead and changed the rest of the plugs. Will wait on the coil packs. If need be, I can get them for $60ea.+shipping online.

A couple of the plugs....suppose I shoulda took a pic of the new plugs for contrast.

 

cwh

Administrator
Nov 18, 2007
4,574
99
Anchorage
I did new plugs and wires in the 4runner last summer because of a weird occasional miss. It had different plugs on the left 3 cylinders than it had on the right 3. All were factory plugs. Apparently that is the norm for 3.4s, at least in that time period. Weird....
 

16Bore

Well-known member
Feb 11, 2010
3,272
1
Virgina
My '02 Taco is at 204k and on it's 3rd set of plugs. I change them every 100k, religiously. Only second set of brakes, but it's a 5-speed and I drive like granny...
 

Nail

Well-known member
Feb 8, 2008
778
5
48
Mississippi
I purchased the plugs a few years back and put them in the glove box. About a year or so ago I had every intention of changing them all out but never got around to it. Lesson learned.
 

Buck Snort

Well-known member
Jun 2, 2010
590
0
Plugs look like normal firing and wear ... as for coil packs, dont replace what aint broke.