The 1994 Toyota 22RE engine was used in the Toyota pickup and 4Runner. The 22RE was a 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine with a single overhead cam and electronic fuel injection. The distributor in the 22RE sends spark through the plug wires to the spark plugs in a sequence called the firing order. Spark plug wires must be replaced in the proper order or the engine will misfire because the plugs are firing at the wrong time.
Park the Toyota on a level surface and set the parking brake.
Look at the distributor cap. You will see the number “1” molded into the cap. This is where the No. 1 spark plug wire goes.
Remove the spark plug wire from the distributor cap by grabbing the boot – not the wire – and pulling it from the cap. Trace the wire from the cap to the No.1 spark plug, removing the wire from any retaining clips along the way. The No.1 spark plug is the first plug at the front of the engine.
Remove the wire from the spark plug by grabbing, twisting and pulling the boot – not the wire – to remove it from the spark plug.
Match the wire – if replacing wires – to a new wire from a new set that is the same length. Wires sets are custom cut to length. Apply a little dielectric grease to the inside of the spark plug boot. You can do this with a cotton swab or just smear some inside the boot. Push the boot onto the spark plug. It should click into place. Follow the same path back to the distributor cap that you took when removing the wire, fitting the wire into any clips along the way. Hold the end of the wire by the boot and push it into the distributor cap.
Move to the next wire on the distributor cap in a clockwise direction from No. 1. This will be the No. 3 spark plug wire. The spark plugs are numbered “1-2-3-4” from front to rear, so tracing this wire should lead to the next to last spark plug on the engine. Replace the wire – if replacing wires – in the same manner as the first one, engaging any clips along the way.
Repeat for the next wire, moving clockwise on the distributor, which is the No. 4 spark plug, and finally the No. 2 spark plug.
