1990 Camry DX - car with a mind of its own - help please!

[thehpgreg]

This is my first time working with this forum, but I've got a real riddle with my 1990 Camry DX sedan, and I'm hoping someone out there can help me figure out what's wrong.

I just bought this car a couple of months ago (had 195K miles on it). It had a bad oil leak when I bought it (I had the seals and gaskets replaced and changed the oil -- oil leak seems mostly fixed now), and it didn't look like it had been run a whole lot prior to my purchasing it (i.e. spider/cob webs under the hood). It runs good overall, but some days has problems on take-off from a dead stop and intermitantly while driving on the highway. Best way to describe it is that it feels like its either not getting any gas and/or its trying to start up in too high a gear when I press the accelerator (car has automatic transmission, 2.0L 4 cyl eng) -- really sluggish and acts like it is going to stall (and actually has stalled once). Solution up to now has been to floor the gas pedal with hopes of the car coming right before it dies. Problem usually resolves when I do this, but the problem resurfaces as soon as I stop and start again (this pattern keeps happening until I have been able to drive the car around for awhile without stopping--then it goes away). On the highway, it acts similarly, though it hasn't completely failed/stalled while driving -- usually feels more like a car would if it had water in the gas -- a little jerking and sputtering (have added HEET and a fuel enhancement additive to take care of any water and bad gas effects, but doesn't seem to fix the problem). Also, I notice that if I can keep the car going for about a half hour or so on the highway, the problem goes away completely for the rest of the day -- and here's the weird part -- it isn't continuous (only happens intermittantly) AND it doesn't come back again on any regular basis -- sometimes goes away for as much as a week or so before coming back--kinda like a bad dream--when I least expect it. Doesn't seem to make too much difference whether the car has had a chance to warm up or not. Car also seems to have to really work to get up to speed -- might just be the small engine for the car size(?) Had the spark plugs checked - fine. Changed spark plug wires and distributors. Transmission oil replaced as well. Changing gears from OD to drive to one of the lower gears doesn't change anything. Can't get the problem to present itself when my mechanic looks at it -- he suspects it may be the fuel pump, distrib coil, transmission solenoids, O2 sensor, and a list of other stuff -- if only it would have the problem when he's driving it -- DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE THIS PROBLEM WITH THEIR CAMRY!? If so, what have you done to fix it?

[Toyrolla]

Originally Posted by thehpgreg

This is my first time working with this forum, but I've got a real riddle with my 1990 Camry DX sedan, and I'm hoping someone out there can help me figure out what's wrong.

I just bought this car a couple of months ago (had 195K miles on it). It had a bad oil leak when I bought it (I had the seals and gaskets replaced and changed the oil -- oil leak seems mostly fixed now), and it didn't look like it had been run a whole lot prior to my purchasing it (i.e. spider/cob webs under the hood). It runs good overall, but some days has problems on take-off from a dead stop and intermitantly while driving on the highway. Best way to describe it is that it feels like its either not getting any gas and/or its trying to start up in too high a gear when I press the accelerator (car has automatic transmission, 2.0L 4 cyl eng) -- really sluggish and acts like it is going to stall (and actually has stalled once). Solution up to now has been to floor the gas pedal with hopes of the car coming right before it dies. Problem usually resolves when I do this, but the problem resurfaces as soon as I stop and start again (this pattern keeps happening until I have been able to drive the car around for awhile without stopping--then it goes away). On the highway, it acts similarly, though it hasn't completely failed/stalled while driving -- usually feels more like a car would if it had water in the gas -- a little jerking and sputtering (have added HEET and a fuel enhancement additive to take care of any water and bad gas effects, but doesn't seem to fix the problem). Also, I notice that if I can keep the car going for about a half hour or so on the highway, the problem goes away completely for the rest of the day -- and here's the weird part -- it isn't continuous (only happens intermittantly) AND it doesn't come back again on any regular basis -- sometimes goes away for as much as a week or so before coming back--kinda like a bad dream--when I least expect it. Doesn't seem to make too much difference whether the car has had a chance to warm up or not. Car also seems to have to really work to get up to speed -- might just be the small engine for the car size(?) Had the spark plugs checked - fine. Changed spark plug wires and distributors. Transmission oil replaced as well. Changing gears from OD to drive to one of the lower gears doesn't change anything. Can't get the problem to present itself when my mechanic looks at it -- he suspects it may be the fuel pump, distrib coil, transmission solenoids, O2 sensor, and a list of other stuff -- if only it would have the problem when he's driving it -- DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE THIS PROBLEM WITH THEIR CAMRY!? If so, what have you done to fix it?

I would first check the fuel filter (clogged?) as well as the fuel pump first.

If your O2 sensor was faulty, the most common symptom is that your car would be running rich. Faulty O2 sensors relaying bad readings would more likely instruct the ECU to dump more fuel.

If you changed your distributor, check your timing. (10deg BTDC). Then again if your timing was off, you'd be experiencing a misfire when the car is at idle. You didn't state if this was happening, so I will safely assume no.

Hope some of this helps and I wish you well in resolving your problem.

[Brian R.]

Check your fuel flow rate and pressure at the injectors. You could be on the ragged edge of low pressure or delivery. Pressure=pump or regulator. Flow=filter or pump.

Could also be the ignition coil. Check the resistance of the primary and secondary circuits.

[don24mac]

I have to second Brian R's suggestion on the ignition coil. On my 90 DX 4 cyl. Camry, I had to replace the coil at about 75,000 mi, and again about 155,000.

The symptoms were the same as you describe. The car would run, but with not enough power, especially up hills or on the freeway. Sometimes it seemed to be running OK, other times, it barely run. The first time, after checking all the things that you seem to be looking at, I finally brought it to Toyota and they found the problem. The second time it occured, I replaced it myself. Sure enough, the coil was burned to the outside.

By the way, I think I might have damaged it myself when I did a compression check on the engine. If the coil is left connected with no spark plugs attached, and a compression check is done witout grounding the spark plug wires, then a burned coil is the result. Now I always make sure I disconnect the primary leads to the coil when doing this.

[ProMan]

It sounds sure like a electronics issue. I suspect it's the throttle position sensor. To check is easy, just disconnect the wire and measure the resistances. See if the numbers are within the spec.

[thehpgreg]

Thanks to all of you for your help -- I had my mechanic check the stuff you guys suggested -- fuel pump/filter seems to be working okay (he didn't actually open up the fuel line to check the filter, but he said the one I have on it is fairly new, and the fuel pump is drawing 4 amps), coil appears to be working like it should, fuel injectors are good, 02 sensor is good -- forgot to ask about the throttle sensor -- I'll have to remember that one for next time. I thought about taking it into Toyota for a diagnostic check, but I don't know if the car computers back then would find a problem like this (and ideas?). Anyway, I'm in the process now of trying to use process of elimination on some of the smaller components to try and find what is causing me trouble. Since the problem my car is having only happens on an intermittant basis, it's taking time. Since I got my car back last weekend, it hasn't caused any trouble (I've disconnected a vacuum hose to one of the less-important (according to my mechanic) valves/sensors -- (the ECV...EGV...ECG...EGC? -- I can't even remember the acronym! All I know is that it has to do with exhaust regulation and it opens and closes using a vacuum hose connection). Like I said, I don't know if it has fixed the problem or not -- I'll just have to see what happens.

Thanks again for your help!