BEST START on Fix Older Camrys

[rayboy7]

I have 1988 Camry Standard 4 cylinder. Have read many posts, and the Manual.

This is the BEST ADVICE you will get on older Camrys with Fuel Injection.

Before you do anything else. Clean all EFI (fuel Injection System) parts
except INJECTORs. (throttle body, sensors, valves, etc.)
Most important - REPLACE all rubber hoses (Vacuum, EFI, Emissions, Fuel)

Check Charcoal (vapor) Canister & replace if air won't go through it.

Now, check the timing. Mine had to be left at 15° BTDC (not 10° as recommended).

Now go on with most common problems checks (plugs, plug wires, distributor coil,
fuel filter, fuel pump, etc.)

Bad rubber vacuum hoses can cause the automatic timing adjust to be off, as well
as other things.

Hope this Helps EVERYONE,
rayboy7 God bless ya'll !

[boi_si]

why check filters. jus replace it.

[akinaspeedstars]

Hi,
Thanks for posting this advice. I'm not sure if it all applies to my 86, but I will certainly look into all these things. All my hoses are pretty good, not sure if I have a charcoal filter (where are they?), the engine is definitely starting to lag. It may just be the 230K miles, but I would like to have it back running clean the way it was about 50k ago. Thanks again.

-akinaspeedstars

[89 2wd]

My charcoal canister is just below the master cylinder, next to the fuel filter. My question is where would you expect to find a replacement?

[TBayToyotaBoy]

Would you believe the other day while I was at work (scrap yard) I picked-up an old (89) F150 with the loader to crush it and get it ready for shredding... when I had the truck pinched in the clam, I noticed something drop and roll from under the hood. I got down to pick it up, and it was a charcoal cannister. This thing was literally a tin can with two holes in the top--like Ford had taken an apple juice tin and filled it with charcoal for evap recovery. Even the corrugation on the sides of the cannister matched the juice tin type.

Talk about under-engineering...

[fredk]

thats not a charcoal canister, its a vacuum chamber, we used to call it the pork n beans can

[89 2wd]

interesting, so what's its purpose?

will an upgrade to pineapple juice size help?

[Zod]

It acts as a vacuum reservoir.

Manifold vacuum varies with throttle opening, the can levels it out to an extent. The design has a check valve between the can and the manifold, with the accessories on the other side of the can.

If you've ever driven an older truck with vacuum wipers, you know what it's like with out one. Put your foot on the gas, and they stop.

[disregard]

do these "charcoal" canisters ever go bad ? The only thing that goes thru it is air right ?