Here's the story: our 2000 sport has 218,000 miles on it and has been perfect all of its life. Today we drove it from Flagstaff to Phoenix about 2.5 hour drive and it did fine until we pulled into a restaurant for dinner. It started chugging for lack of a better word and sounds sorta diesel-like. When braking or taking off from a stop it bucks a little bit but is fine and smooth after 20 mph. After 30 mph the Check Engine light flashes until 40. Just recently had a full tune up and oil change, coolant level is normal/full and so is oil. Ran normal temp the whole way. It's still stock everything with a light load if that matters. Any help would be appreciated since we have to get home eventually lol

 

Maybe time for an ingnition system tune up?? When was the last time you did your plugs, wires, cap, and rotor?

 

About a week ago, had our shop do plugs,wires and coil pack

 

Are all your plug wires and connections on your coils hooked up nice and secure?

 

2000 don't have plug wires! Has the coil rail, it sounds kinda like heat soak soon as you can get the codes pulled and post them here then we can tell you more

 

Gonna throw in some fuel treatment tomorrow before we drive it to Oreilleys to get the codes pulled. Will post codes up after.

 

Hmmmm really now? So how does spark from the coils travel down to the spark plug?

 

The coils are attached to the plugs

 

Via plug wires

 

There are four (I think) bolts that hold the coil pack rail to the spark plugs. Toyota uses the same idea on 2000 and newer Corollas, the only difference is that each plug on the Toyota has its own single coil. No coil rail for them.

 

Nope no wire, the coil rail touches the plug. If you do not believe me, go to any automotive parts web site and look for spark plug wires for a 2000 4.0, you will find that spark plug wires do not exist for that application.

 

I apologize, I misspoke, I have a 98 as well so I often mix and match lol

 

Are you kidding me? I did not know that!! Well Im sorry OP for the wrong info and my bad 98 xj and mdnov i am misinformed...

 

So is your problem with the 98 or the 2000?

 

Not a problem. : )