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1990 Toyota Camry

I currently use a 1990 Toyota Camry for all of my daily transportation needs, the engine transmission, clutch all of those major components seem to work great. BUT it does have some slight problems and hopefully someone can help me out, When idling the RPM's will go from 2000-2500 back and forth, and when it does that if you step out of the car you can smell fuel. It also seems to get much worse gas milage then it did before, it only gets 280 km to a full tank, which doesnt seem right. This vehicle does have 450,000 km on it, but anyones opinions would be very much appreciated.

Reply to
GraemJohn
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While I don't have an answer to the erratic rpm's, I would advise the poster not to drive the car if there's a strong gas smell and uses a full tank of gas to go such a short distance....sounds like there's a bad fuel leak, and there's likely gasoline all over the hot engine, a bad combination. Given the mileage of 450,000 km, it's probably old and getting cranky.

Reply to
mack

I have looked for any sign of a fuel leak, but i have never seen any sort of leak under the car, if that makes a difference.

Reply to
GraemJohn

Hmmm...it could be hitting something HOT and (so far) evaporating!

Is your Life Insurance paid up? :0

Look around the charcoal cannister, and the 'well' on the top of the engine. Also, with the car running (and your flame-retardant suit on) check and see if the injectors are spewing fuel anywhere...

Reply to
Hachiroku

I have looked for all possible signs of fuel leakage and still i don't see anything. Also when im on the highway the gas milage is fine, i can go 700 km on a full tank, it is just city driving when my RPM's are all over the place.

Reply to
GraemJohn

your idle engine speed is 2000-2500? does it ever go down to 800 sometimes? the smell maybe coming from the exhaust, since the engine is very hot due to constant high revolution and resulting in poor combustion and thus the strong odor of fuel. Is the odor present at startup or only when the engine is hot?

i heard of a similar symptom > I have looked for all possible signs of fuel leakage and still i don't see

Reply to
EdV

Yes, it sometimes does drop down to even 500 RPM, and if i give it any gas, it will stall out and it takes time for the RPM's to rise. Yes i do get the fuel smell, there is also dark smoke on start up.

Reply to
GraemJohn

From what you have said, it sounds like the injectors maybe too far worn to meter the fuel on light throttle, or in other words they are leaking fuel when they should be virtually off. There is another thing to check and that is the fuel-pressure. If the fuel regulator is allowing too high a fuel- pressure, the injectors will not be able to control the smaller metering that is experienced at lower speeds.

1- get the fuel-rail fuel pressure measured. The fuel-rail feeds the injectors, and is a bright-finished tube full of petrol, running along all the injectors.
  1. If fuel pressure is OK, consider getting the injectors leak-tested.
3- if injectors are OK, check the temperature sender is inidcatingOK on the dash as it also tells the computer what temp the engine is at, eg, cold = rich setting for the injector switching-duration times.

If they are OK,..then you get into more complex engine-management computer stuff. In which case, a competant, non-ripoff auto-electrical mechanic is required :-)

Jason

Reply to
Jason James

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