1st & 2nd Generation (1983–1986 & 1987-1991)Toyota Camry Discussion for years: 1983-1986 & 1987-1991.
Topics of discussion range from fuel economy, safety, modifications, performance all involving America's favorite family car, the Toyota Camry.
I have an 89 Camry 2.0 automatic with a sputter - hesitation problem. Car will start fine, idle OK, but when you press on the gas or drive it, there is a sputter or hesitation as if it were firing only on 3 cylinders. Let off the gas, and it will idle OK in neutral, but not really well if in drive with your foot on the brake. Engine also seems to have no power. Check engine light is not on. I pulled the plugs and they all look OK. I'm thinking something in ignition, but thought I'd find a fouled plug if one were not firing.
Friend said he had an old Maxima that did the same thing and it was the mass air sensor. Bought one from a yard to try out and it does the same thing so I don't think it's the MAF - I figured if it was, even if I bought a bad one, it would do *something* different.
Any suggestions? Car has 130K and is in pretty good shape - use it as my airport/beater, but if I have to dump $500 into it, might as well let it go.
Most hestitation problems under load like you are describing, are caused by faulty ignition system components. I would check or repalce the saprk plug wires, and the distributor cap, along with the distributor rotor. The OEM cap and wires are usually a 1-piece unit for your generation. While inside the distributor I would also check the coil for being out of range and also for cracks. The coils are a common problem on the first 3 generations of Camrys and with your age and mileage, I would consider it suspect. You will need a service manual and a digital volt/ohmeter to check the coil. If you don't have a manual you can download one for free at the top of the Camry forum over at AutomotiveForums.com. Heres' a link to the manuals:
Definitely get a new distributor cap and rotor, mine of the same year and engine did much better after receiving a new one.
If you know someone who has a code reader see if they can hook it up to yours and check your codes. That will tell you why the check engine light is tripped. Some mechanics will do this for a small fee as well, but others won't in the hopes you will just give them your vehicle to fix.
Thanks for the info. The check engine light is NOT on, so I don't think there's any codes. I have an OBD II reader, but the Camry is not OBD II.
I'll take the distributor apart and see what's up. I think it might be the coil. Had an 87 that would die if the humidity got high - cracked coil housing.
Another wrinkle - just started the car - runs and drives fine for about 1 minute - or around the block - then it starts acting up again. Clarify anything for anybody?
"Another wrinkle - just started the car - runs and drives fine for about 1 minute - or around the block - then it starts acting up again. Clarify anything for anybody?"
Weak coils have tendency to cause problems as they heat up.
"Yup but it is a lot easier to be able to look it up on an LCD screen that just plugs right in."Can you post a picture of that? It may not fit into Camry's second generation test terminal
"Yup but it is a lot easier to be able to look it up on an LCD screen that just plugs right in."Can you post a picture of that? It may not fit into Camry's second generation test terminal
Yup, fits in my 2nd gen 89 camry wagon just fine. I will update this once I know the name of the one he has.
Well, after taking apart the distributor, I realized that it was on this car, not the 87 I had, that I replaced the distributor, wires, rotor, and coil on about a year ago. I just changed the plugs to see what would happen and it does the same thing.
The stutter shows up as the RPMs go up when you give the car some gas, in park, neutral, or when driving. Car starts, idles, and drives fine until just about when the thermostat opens and the car comes off high idle. Then you get this stutter. Like I said, ignition components are about a year old with a little less than 10K miles on them.
Still ignition? Go ahead and replace the coil again? Cap and rotor show practically no wear. #2 plug was black when all the others were white, but I don't see how one plug is not getting spark when all the others are. If the #2 has lost compression, why does it run fine until it warms up?
Black plug (covered with soot) may indicate sticking open injector. Swap injectors beween 2 cylinders and see if the problem goes with the injector. If spark plug is covered with tar like stuff, suspect busted oil seal or piston ring. If that cylinder missing the spark at the wire end, the wire may be defective even if it is relatively new
I'm experiencing the same problem ! I though it would be the fuel filter but after replacing it, it did not help. I look somewhere else that the coil sensor inside the distributor so I got one of those and I will replace it... soon.
Did you get your car fixed? What did you do to fix it? Was it the MAP Sensor?
Lets not forget that these Camrys have carbon build up issues at
the valve seals inside the cylinder head combustion chamber. Most
dealers used to give you a can of BG44k cleaner and send you on your way.
This stuff runs some money but it does seem to eat away at the carbon build-up problems and give your engine more uniform combustion pressures
thereby causing smoother acceleration. Carbon can also cause sticky valve
operation if bad enough. Better to throw a can in the tank than remove the heads and grind the carbon off the valve seats. Just an idea, I've had Gen2
Camrys for some time now, been there!
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