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Carbureted '89 Corolla stalling on cold starts

Hi folks, There must be a simple answer to this problem, but I can't think of it offhand...

'89 Toyota Corolla. 128K miles. 4A-F engine, 2bbl carb. Factory spec idle speed is 600 rpm. Automatic transmission. On days below 50 degrees, right after it starts it'll drop the RPMs low (like 400-500) and then stall. This also happens more often when I throw the car from Park into gear. I have had the car for 4 years and am pumping the gas pedal the appropriate # of times before turning the key to start it.

I dunno if the carb/choke are dirty, or it's from too many years of using cheap gas, or if there's something else going on.

One thing that sticks out: the cold idle on the car is about 3000 rpm. I haven't been seeing 3000 rpm on cold starts this year though. Could there be a sensor problem somewhere whereby the car's failing to initiate a fast idle?

The spark plug/wires are in good condition, and I changed the air/fuel filters this year, so I highly doubt that the problem's with any of these things.

Many thanks for your help, especially as winter's approaching, John snipped-for-privacy@caregroup.harvard.edu John

Reply to
John Yang, MD
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The linkages just plain get dirty, maybe a spray with carb cleaner is in order.

A pinhole leak in the suction side of the pump can also cause cold start issues. It can let air in when it sits and starve it for gas before the pump comes up to pressure.

It won't leak on the ground, but it will leave a stain on the gas line where the leak is.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

"John Yang, MD" wrote:

Reply to
Mike Romain

Sounds like a stuck choke linkage to me. Have you even had the air cleaner off to check to see if the choke butterfly moves freely, or sprayed its pivots with carb cleaner? Could also be a broken choke element if the butterfly moves freely but there's no pressure forcing it closed when cold.

Reply to
Steve

This is an electronic carb, is it not? If I recall correctly, it doesn't have a conventional choke but uses an idle enrichment solenoid for cold starts. The ecm controls the solenoid based on input from the temp sensor. I went through the same thing many moons ago. The thing wouldn't idle until it got to operating temp. I'm not sure but I think a code 22 led me to the temp sensor as being the culprit . Don't let me mislead you based on scant memory. Pull the codes. You can check the temp sensor in a pan of water on the stove ,checking the resistance as it warms. I have no idea what the values were. Get a book. Also look into that 3k cold idle thing. Thats way too high. Check all the hoses for cracks.

Reply to
TOLYN9

Hi Steve, I probably last took the air cleaner off and cleaned everything underneath with carb cleaner a year ago. Sounds like it's time to do this again.

Interestingly, the car did fine today-- did its usual 3000 rpm fast idle when cold (colder today than past days). To clarify, it's about

3000 rpm in Park when I first start in on a cold day. In Drive, it probably maxes out at around 1500 rpm when cold. Actually, I'm not sure about this, as I remember that the car'll go up to 20 mph in Drive (the automatic transmission having shifted to 2nd gear by then), without my pressing on the gas, when the engine's cold.

Many thanks, John

Reply to
John Yang, MD

Reply to
Bob Hetzel

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