97 Corolla idles fine, but bogs/stutters/dies when I touch the gas....

[Corksil]

Hey, I'm workin on a 97 corolla and I have an interesting problem. I think it's a simple fix, but I'm a honda mechanic so I dunno about this yota technology.

When I start the car, it starts up fine and idles. As soon as I apply any throttle at all, the car starts to bog and if you don't take your foot off the gas, it dies. I can shift into drive and reverse and neutral all fine and good, but in any gear -- as soon as I touch the gas the car starts sputtering.

From my perspective, it looks like I'm not gettin fuel. I was thinking this has something to do with the MAP sensor, I took it off and cleaned it but I don't know if that helped anything. If the MAP sensor was sending a bad signal to the ECU, there wouldn't be an adequate fuel supply.

If anyone has any ideas at all, please post. I don't have much money to throw at this car, so I'd like to get things figured out before buying all kinds of parts that -might- fix it.

Oh, and to complicate things, this problem is intermitent. A few times the car started up and acted normal enough to drive around the driveway. I didn't want to take it down the street in case it died on me.

Any ideas? thanks so much!!

[Bitter]

could be a bad fuel pump or a bad ignition coil.

[Rip The E Brake]

Look at the injectors... are they saturated? If so, replace the seals...

Check to see if your getting fuel through the filter... if its factory, you might as well change it... you'll need a few extensions to get to it though...

As for the pump, check it... its under the back seat...

[Corksil]

Thanks so much for the replies!

Fuel Pump: So to check this, I would remove it from the tank under the back seat and pull the fuel line off it and turn the car over to see if it spurts fuel?

I don't have a fuel pressure gauge or a tool to check the fuel pressure.

Injectors: I will pull them out one by one tomorrow morning and check to see if they spray fuel.

If the injectors are spraying fuel, is it safe to assume that my fuel pump/filter/fuel lines are all fine and nothing is clogged?

Final question: Could the MAP sensor tell the ECU not to spray enough fuel to rev up because of a faulty reading or bad sensor? Because if the car runs, it's getting enough fuel to idle atleast.

Another note - I degreased the engine bay a few days ago, drove the car home, and parked it. The problem started when I got in the car and tried to drive it after cleaning it. However it has been parked in the direct Hawaii sun for a few days, so nothing could be wet. Just wondering if I washed some grease down where it shouldn't be.

thanks so much for the help guys, i need this car runnin asap for work.

[Corksil]

One more question -- can I take out the ignition coil and have it tested somewhere? I don't want to throw money at a 400 dollar car.

[Rip The E Brake]

I am willing to bet something is shorting out... make sure all your electronic connections under the bay are dry... you should really tape that stuff off when you degrease...

Honestly... these cars are great... they will last for ever with basic maintenance... so what money you do spend, will be worth it...

To check the pump, you don't need to start it, just prime it.. just turn the key to the position just before you start cranking, you'll hear the pump go ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ and fuel should squirt..

Also, check the FPR, as if its bad, it can get clogged and not spray enough fuel, just because it started doesn't mean anything... since these cars will start on a teaspoon of fuel.

To check the coil/diz just remove a plug wire and stick a screw driver in it and crank it over,... if you see sparks, your coil/diz is good!

[Corksil]

ah yes, another wonderful reply.

I am well aware of the quality of these vehicles. I have a friend who runs a rental car business with just Toyota corollas. He owns 13 of them. He does all of his own work so I was going to call him up in the morning but it's too late now.

So I see it's just like a honda, you can hear the fuel pump prime before it starts. I shoulda known that.

How do I check the FPR, just disconnect the hose and see if it sprays when I turn the car on and the pump primes?

I'll be trying this first thing in the morning, thanks for the advice.

[Rip The E Brake]

I wouldn't hurt to remove it... its right on the fuel rail... hit it with some throttle body cleaner...

[Bitter]

replace cap and rotor.

[Corksil]

hey thanks again to all for the shouts.

I think the car is fixed, atleast for a while. I disconnected the map sensor and the bogging stopped. It threw a code so I disconnected the battery and cleared the ECU. After reconnecting everything, the same code came up, as I expected -- MAP sensor. I cleared the code, and it hasn't come up since. The car seemed fine on a test drive. I think the degreaser on the motor and the hose washed some grease into the map sensor plug. I took it off and cleaned it with parts cleaner and some black chunks were washed out. Hopefully it's that simple....

If the problem comes back and the car starts stuttering again, I will replace the MAP sensor. If that doesn't fix it, I'll be right back here asking more questions. Thanks again.

[Bitter]

check for electrical fretting or spread terminals in the connector.