'94 Camry losing power

[tmarsh]

I recently had a loss of power. I am hoping it is related to the EGR valve/system. I have had a check engine light on for awhile, Checked the codes and they were 25, 26, and either 71 or 72...I can't remember. I was low on oil, and am hoping it is not a head gasket issue. I don't see anything in the coolant that might indicate a head gasket leak though. The car will stall when slowed down for a turn or stop. It feels like it is being choked. There is also a higher pitched chirping sound that coincides with acceleration. If I put the gas on nice and slow it doesn't ride quite as rough.

I was told a few months ago that the engine has a bad piston ring, as the compression on one of the cylinders is low, and the engine sucks. I spoke to the Service manager of a toyota dealer and he seemed to think if I just kept some high mileage synthetic oil in there, I would be ok. Not sure if any of this is related to the current problem.

Any help would be awesome.

Aaron

[somick]

You need to start with basics: get rid of the code (black tape over the lamp will not work), fix it.

What is the maintenance history: plugs, wires, distributor cap?

Sam

[jdmccright]

25 is a lean air/fuel ratio, 26 is a rich air/fuel ratio, 71 is a EGR system malfunction, 72 is a fuel solenoid signal fault. Sounds like your EGR needs to be cleaned out and/or replaced. Do this, clear the codes, and then see if they reappear. Good luck!

[tmarsh]

Thanks. Going to check/clean the EGR valve. Any suggestions on a best method?

[jdmccright]

Here's a thread link...it's not step by step but gives you a decent idea on how to go about it:

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/t457540.html

Good luck!

[tmarsh]

So, I cleaned the throttle body and the EGR valve. The EGR valve had a large ball of carbon residue stuck to it. So that solved the problem with dying, no power.

Something is still not right with the car though. When I apply acceleration there is a chirping/squeaking. I still seem to be with less power. Any other ideas on what I can check on?

[jdmccright]

I'll refer back to somick's reply...check the basics. I'll highlight the need to check and clean the distributor cap and rotor terminals and contacts. The internal contacts attain a crusty build-up of oxidation. Scrape this off to shiny metal and remove all the crust by blowing it clean with compressed air. Same goes for the metal edge of the rotor.

Then check your spark plugs. If they're worn, replace and gap them properly. Fancy $15 plugs aren't necessary. Standard NGK or Autolite platinum plugs are fine. Do not get Bosch platinum as they are not gap adjustable due to the design of the middle ceramic insulator. If the plugs show fouling, damage, or overheating, then you have other issues.

Finally, check your timing. Two large bolts hold the distributor down. Loosen them, hook up your timing light and use the jumper wire as described in the FSM stickied at the top of the forum.

If these items needed attention, then afterwards you should hear and feel a noticeable difference in power and response.

[Brian R.]

The power and noises may be unrelated. For the noise, see if any of your accessory belts are loose, cracked or unable to properly grip the pulleys.

[RIP]

Just to clarify, you noticed the loss of power well after the mechanic told you about the low compression on one cylinder correct? Could that loss of compression have gotton worse? Your loss of power could be low compression on that bad cylinder. Here's where we need the original readings and another compression check to compare.

Has the check engine light stayed off?

[tmarsh]

I will try and check the plugs and other things this weekend. I have a feeling the piston ring has worn down and the loss of power is directly related to that. In such a case, what can I do? I was told by the mechanic that I would need a new engine. Is this true?

[RIP]

That would depend on how bad the cylinder walls were scoured. If it's not too bad a shop may be able to rehone the cylinder and replace the piston and install oversized rings. Course you won't know until you disassemble it and if it's beyond repair you'll have to pay the labor that let the mechanic determine that. That plus the age of the car may put that option out of reach.

You can get rebuilt engines installed for under $2000. Also, not sure if this is still true but, a while back I read about some wacky law Japan has. When the car hits 50k miles you must change the engine. That puts a lot of decent used engines on the market. There's supposed to be sources on the internet to buy them. Maybe someone can fill in the details.

The longer you drive it that way the better chance you'll need a new engine. If it comes to that, the age of the car becomes a major point in the decision to fix it or junk it. Selling it wouldn't be out of the question. There are plenty out there who love to tinker.

[tmarsh]

New development: My check engine light is now intermittent, where as before it was on. Sometimes it goes off completely, other times – blinks. I also noticed the chirping like sound seems to be coming from the tailpipe/rear of car. It is directly proportional to applying gas. So I am wondering if all the carbon residue that I found in and around my EGR valve could have clogged up something else, like a hose (if so, which one?) or the catalytic converter. I noticed the cat conv. Was smoking the other day, not sure if it was oil that leaked on it, or a leak within itself. Any ideas?

Oh, and the loss of power seems to have subsided slightly, it seems intermittent now. Would a vacuum leak make some of these noises I am hearing from the tailpipe?

[jdmccright]

If you can, use a long screwdriver (tip end on the cat, handle against your ear) to listen to the cat as a friend revs it. If the whistling is loud, then I'd say the catalyst inside has broken down and is causing a partial obstruction. Sometimes you'll hear a rattling inside too when it is bumped or hit.

[tmarsh]

Would this contribute to a loss of power?

[RIP]

Will a clogged cat kill power? You bet.

If the check engine light is giving you a steady flash it means something is malfunctioning to the point it will damage the cat converter. You are already seeing evidense of that. It's time to fix it or...