1987 Camry Ran Absolutely Lousy, Found Cure!!!!

Hi, I have read lots of posts and have gotten alot of very good information but I would like to relay my story to anyone who has problems like mine with my 87 toyota Camry.
First it was hard to start when engine hot so I changed the air cleaner. No difference. Then over a period of time it wouldn't idle properly. As time went on it wouldnt climb a hill without having to shut down the overdrive at 55 mph or less. Then it wouldn't idle at a stop sign, would just die. Dies out on take off unless you baby it and give it very little gas pedal. Simply ran like crapola and almost undriveable.
I decided to buy a manual and read. I have found so many sensors I thought I was driving an airplane, not a car. So I took it to a small shop. They were not equipped to test on the anaysist scope and referred me to Toyota. Reluctantly went to Toyota and they simply jerked me around and I will never go back to the Toyota dealership ever again. In the mean time, I put on new ignition wires, distributor cap (all one piece) rotor and spark plugs and a used mass airflow sensor. No change. Did the Fuel Filter next. No change. Then went to Canadian Tire service center (National chain store very much like Walmart). They put it on the scope and installed 4 new spark plugs. Told me Champion plugs were no good for my car, put in Nkg or whatever they were. No change and that alone was $157. So far I spent like about $300 and the same thing. So today I take it over to a back yard mechanic, friend of ours. We fooled with it for a bit and he took out the Oxegen Sensor. He wirebrushed the sensor and blew it out with air. Put that back in. PROBLEM CURED. I do have to buy a new oxegen sensor I know but it was by guess and by golly that we found the problem. All the other stuff, wires, dist cap, fuel filter etc are good for my car but I phoned Canadian Tire back and told them I want all my money back the whole $157 minus the cost for the 4 new spark plugs or I am going to cancel my Canadian Tire Options Mastercard Credit Card and write a letter to the head office.
Seems the service manager there is more than happy to oblige!!!!
Problem cured for an $80 some odd dollar oxegen sensor after all that expense. Hope someone else can benefit from the problems I had. Good Luck!

Thanks for the information. Those oxygen sensors can create quite a havoc in drivability. Even a little off can really affect mileage, too. Glad to hear your problem is solved.

I had a similiar problem with my old 86 Camry a few years back. This was the older 2SFE engine. My car would run fine for a few minutes when first started from a cold morning start, and then after a few minutes I would get bucking and sputtering upon acceleration. There were no codes stored in the computer. I tried everything I could think of (plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor, coolant temp sensor, etc.) and then tried a dealer. The dealer tried everything that I did and then a new coil and a different air flow meter. Nothing helped. I got back all the money the dealer charged me and stopped by a friend who was an ex Toyota tech. He had some old Toyota parts still in his tool box. He had a different O2 sensor that had the right connector but was supposedly for a different application. We just pluged the different sensor in to my connector and hung it over the fender (the O2 sensor is in a hard to reach location on the back of the engine on the older 2SFE engine) and then went for a ride. Problem solved. I then went out and bought a new universal sensor and spliced it in to the old connector to permanently fix the problem. I had been talking to a tech at Toyota corporate about the on-going problem and called him with the cure to follow up. I asked him why the computer did not show an O2 sensor code. He said some of those early computer systems were a bit hit and miss. The fact that it ran fine when morning cold should have been a clue; the single wire O2 sensor is out of the loop until it reaches a certain operating temperature.

Glad you able to find your problem as I found mine.

Mike

Hi, yes that certainly was the problem. I bought a new sensor today, list cost of $85 + tax but I got it for $65 + tax. Expensive things. I would just like to add that we found it possible to clean the sensor and replace it, possibly just for temporary use but it can be done.
I have to say that it has been a very hectic and expensive last 7 or 8 days just because of this problem and being my car is an 87 I would guess that newer models like 95 or 97's would be that much more complicated. I think I am going to search and find an old late 70's or early 80's car or truck. Something that I can work on and at about 25% of the cost for repairs. The good old days of the water and fuel pump on the outside of the engine. This idea of having these parts buried in the gas tank or behind the timing belt cover are simply insane and only make the parts suppliers and automotive repair shops rich. JMO