Asked about this in previous post... know a little bit more about itnow. Its an 88 Camry wagon with 4-cyl engine. After about ten minutesof driving the engine loses power. It is not really cuttingoff/dying, but it will get to where all you can do is walking speed. I have determined that it is NOT the coil. I got one of thoseinductive testers with the LED light, and checked each plug wire withit when it was barely running....the high voltage is still there! Ithink whats' bad is the water pump. There is a noise coming from theright side of the engine compt, sounds like a bad bearing. Typicalwhirring/grinding sound of a bearing. I do know that if I take the capoff of the radiator, start the car, then rev the engine, water willshoot out of the radiator...so the pump is definitely working to anextent. But last time I drove the car, when it lost power, I lookedat the temp gauge, and it was only about 3/4 in from the bottom of thered area. IE, referenced to the little temp symbol in the center, theneedle was right at the top of it. I don't think it should be runningthis hot! Its only in the 80s outside, and I was only driving onresidential streets. Something else that is suspicious is that the former owner just hadthe radiator replaced. I don't think the engine is damaged.... notyet, as once the car sits and cools down, it runs fine again...for awhile. It has never gone up into the red area. The other possibility is that something in the cooling system isblocking water flow. Anyway, if I have to replace the water pump,the part alone is 89.00 and I will have to replace the timing belt,that is another 100.00 for the kit...so I want to be real sure that anew water pump will fix the loss of power problem. What else can I do to test for bad water pump? Inadequate circulation?Wait tilll the engine loses power and turn on a hose on the radiator?That would at least confirm that it is losing power from overheat. I guess like other engines there is a thermostat...

The water shooting out of the radiator is a bad sign I'm afraid to tell you.It only happens when there is compression leaking into the water-jacket,pressurising it and then under this extra pressure, the water literallytries to get out where ever it can, and an open radiator cap is where itwill gush out.The water-pump is designed to *circulate* or move the water around thecooling system. In a normal cooling system, bring the engine revs up willactually cause the coolant in the radiator to drop slightly as the watercools more and the water reduces in volume.As to the engine itself, the fault maybe a blown headgasket, and-or acracked head. If the compression loss is great, the level of coolant in theoverflow storage resevoir will fill up when the car is running, and thendrain itself back into the motor to replace loss coolant which has beensucked into the cylinder. A blown head-gasket works both ways ie on thecompression stroke, compressed air/fuel and exhaust will be forced into...

88 Camry: is engine cutting out from overheat?

Apr 16, 2006 22 Replies

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m Ransley 20 years ago

If you mean it can also die and missfire a secondary short in plug wire or wires will do this, but it still runs on 3 cilinders but poorly. And an ignition coil can have the same symptom, it usualy starts ok then as the condensation heats off it shorts the coil, but the main difference is the coil symptom usualy goes away after it has sat for 15 min to 1 hr, cleaning the coil wth alcohol usualy helps, It could still be the coil. replacing it means removing the distributor. Coils are a common issue and poor=A0design on camrys. When this happens try reving the motor and pull each plug wire one by one to see if it is the wires or electrical. Still hard to say without being there, a mechanic could put it on a score and rule out an electric wire issue, but coils are usualy guesswork but a very common issue, a distributor cap not tightened Real tight was my issue.

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geronimo 20 years ago

Is it possible for a fuel pump to be flaking out like this? Pumping OK for the first mile or so, then after some minutes of driving, not pumping much? I guess if its at or in the fuel tank, heat woudn't be an issue with that, though. Seems heat-related the way normal op comes back after the car has sat for a while. As soon as I get a tee with schrader valve installed in the fuel line between the filter and the fuel rail, I will test fuel press, and know if is loss of fuel press causing it. But again, when the engine had lost power, barely running, I put myinductive ignition testing pen on each plug wire, and the flashing lite was just as strong and regular as ever. I guess if there is not a drop in fuel press occuring, I will remove and clean coil or replace.

When the engine has lost power, punching the accel. sometimes cause a "cough" or backfire into the air intake. There is a muffled bang and strong vibration within the air intake line going to the air filter...if that is any clue. Whatever the malfunction is, it is something that does not cause the chk engine lite to come on.

Thanks, Geronimo

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m Ransley 20 years ago

You are right about the pump temp since it is cooled by fuel, what regulates fuel pressure? What you describe sounds like the coil, Im not sure your inductive pen is sensitive enough to let you see anything worthwhile, a scope is, try cleaning the coil and tighten the cap real tight, there is a rubber gasket inbetween the cap and distributor, or replace the coil.

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