95 Corolla wont start. - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

caladash · 01-10-2011, 03:56 PM

Here it goes, i was given a 95 corolla with a 1.8 i believe that used to run but recently quit. When I went to look at it the battery was dead and it needed a new pcv valve but it ran with a jump. Replace the pcv valve and my buddy drove it behind me to head home. Put 20 bucks in gas and continued our drive. Halfway i saw him pull over and went to the rescue. He said its started to sputter but when he let off the gas it would catch itself, give it gas then it would sputter again till it just died. Tried to jump it to no avail. So, new plugs went in and still no start. There is spark when trying to start and it seems like its getting fuel. I smell it when i try to start it and plugs smell like fuel. Common sense would say it should start but it doesnt. Tried to start with starting fluid and it doesnt work. Car has about 180000 miles on it and i dont know about its history. Help!!

speedy25 · 01-10-2011, 05:43 PM

Check the timing belt first. I also had a car where the distributor rotor came loose. Had spark, but of course not at the right time.

-SP

caladash · 01-10-2011, 08:20 PM

Is it possibleto check the belt without removing a bunch of stuff? Im guessing no!! Since it is getting spark wouldnt the starting fluid still try to make it sputter, crank or make a different sound? Even with potential off timing?

speedy25 · 01-10-2011, 08:40 PM

No and No.

DO the work so you wont be chasing your tail!

-SP

Suprawillis · 01-10-2011, 10:51 PM

You'll know if the timing belt snapped, because if you tried to start it with a bad belt, it would make a "spinning" noise rather than a normal turning over noise.

Yes you can check your timing belt by just removing the valve cover. By the way a bad PCV valve will not prevent your car from starting. Anyhow you can remove the 4 10mm nuts at the top of the cover, and remove the two 10mm bolts of the valve cover, and you may need to give it a little love before you lift it off. I would tap all sides of the cover with a rubber mallet or even gently pry on all sides of the cover with a flat head to get it to lift. Don't worry about draining your oil because it will be at the bottom of the pan. Just set the cover on some paper towels or newspaper.

If the timing belt is okay then proceed to inspect all the spark components as mentioned like the distributor cap and rotor. Then check fuel components such as the fuel filter and fuel pump. Either way all these issues are relatively easy to fix.

If the pump and filter are fine, proceed to check the ignitor. If you have the 7A the ignition coil is mounted on the distributor. There are a few occasions where the ground and positive wire connectors get brittle under years of driving under heated conditions (heat inside the distributor). The 7A ignitor is something to check as well which is located on the driver side strut tower. The 4A motor has the ignitor installed inside the distributor.

So for reference the fuel filter is on the driver side firewall under he EGR canister. The fuel pump is located under the driver side of the rear seat. The coil is held on by 4 8mm bolts on the distributor. The rotor is inside the distributor.

If all those check out, look for the crank position sensor which is on upper left hand side if facing the crank pulley. Installed with one 10mm bolt.

And remember, giving the car a good clint eastwood stare means serious business, in which case the car will usually fix itself.

caladash · 01-15-2011, 06:27 PM

Alrighty!!! Did everything as stated above up until checking fuel components. Timing belt looks pretty new with no dry rot or cracks. Wires look great and plugs are new. NOW...the distrubutor. I pulled the cap off of it and the first thing I noticed was oil in it. On the lowest side. How would it get in there? Seal? Would that cause my issues? So I wiped it up, put it back on and just bumped the starter. Sure enough it attempted to start. Put the valve cover back on and fired it up. Ran like a champ. Drove it around the yard and about 10 minutes of being running its started sputtering and tried to die a few times. I accelerated hard and it sputtered then caught itself. Idles fine. I do have a check engine light. Any tricks to check what it is? So....any ideas with what I got so far?

caladash · 01-18-2011, 07:39 AM

So any one have any tricks on how to check a non OBDII car such as this one?(pulling codes) Also what part does the CPS have in the working of the motor if the cam drives the rotor of the distributor?

speedy25 · 01-18-2011, 12:01 PM

Oil cooled distributors dont work!

You'll need a code reader or scanner to get any codes.

From your previous writing, another distributor should fix your trouble.

-SP

caladash · 01-18-2011, 12:05 PM

I have a code reader, Auto Enginuity but its for OBDII. Since this one is a OBDI are there any tricks to pull the codes without a reader, test lights or something like that? Also what does the CPS do? I know its for crankshaft position, but what role does it have when the car is running?

***Kiwi-Corolla*** · 01-18-2011, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by caladash

I have a code reader, Auto Enginuity but its for OBDII. Since this one is a OBDI are there any tricks to pull the codes without a reader, test lights or something like that?

To pull the codes on an OBD-I system, all you need is a paper-clip

Look in the engine bay and you'll see a small black box next to the left hand side strut tower that says 'Diagnosis' on it. Get a paper-clip or a small piece of wire and put one end into the port labelled TE1 and the other end into the port labelled E1 (the labels are found on the underside of the diagnosis box cover, much like a fuse-box).

Turn the key to the 'ON' position, but don't start the engine. If your connections are correct then the check engine light should start flashing. Keep note of how many times it flashes as this is the code it is giving you. For example, if the code was 35 it would flash 3-times, have a short pause, then flash 5 more times, then have a long pause. If it repeats the same code after the long pause then that means it's the only fault detected, but if it flashes for a different period of time then that means there is more than one fault. Take note of any codes it's giving you.

The meaning of the codes are as follows:

12 = RPM signal (no RPM signal to ECU within several seconds after engine is cranked)
13 = RPM signal (no RPM signal to ECU with engine speed above 1,500rpm)
14 = Ignition signal (no ignition signal to ECU)
16 = ECU control signal
21 = Main oxygen sensor
22 = Coolant temperature sensor
24 = Intake air temperature sensor
25 = Oxygen sensor or circuit (lean)
26 = Oxygen sensor or circuit (rich)
27 = Sub-oxygen sensor
31 = MAP sensor
41 = Throttle position sensor
42 = Vehicle speed sensor
43 = Starter signal
51 = Switch condition signal
52 = Knock sensor signal
53 = EGR system

For further details, refer to my posts in this thread:

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/t364322.html

caladash · 01-18-2011, 01:43 PM

FANTASTIC!!! Thats what I was looking for! I thank you!! I will report back with my findings!!

caladash · 01-18-2011, 04:02 PM

Heres what I got, jumped the two pins and only had one code: 27...Sub-oxygen sensor. Where is this one located? Im by no means a dummy when it comes to cars but Im mostly a diesel guy!!

***Kiwi-Corolla*** · 01-18-2011, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by caladash

FANTASTIC!!! Thats what I was looking for! I thank you!! I will report back with my findings!!

You're welcome

. No need to thank me though, just click the little 'Thanks' button to the bottom right of my post if you like

Quote:

Originally Posted by caladash

Heres what I got, jumped the two pins and only had one code: 27...Sub-oxygen sensor. Where is this one located? Im by no means a dummy when it comes to cars but Im mostly a diesel guy!!

The sub-oxygen sensor is located in the exhaust pipe, just after the catalytic converter. In order to unplug the wiring connector, you must remove the front passenger seat.

caladash · 01-18-2011, 04:55 PM

WHAT!!! I've dealt with some hard to reach stuff but this one tops it!! I will take a look tomorrow!! Any more insight on the CPS? Also is there a seal or packing I can replace on the distributor regarding the oil?

***Kiwi-Corolla*** · 01-18-2011, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by caladash

WHAT!!! I've dealt with some hard to reach stuff but this one tops it!! I will take a look tomorrow!! Any more insight on the CPS? Also is there a seal or packing I can replace on the distributor regarding the oil?

The CPS basically just tells the ECU the exact angle/position of the crankshaft. Along with information from other sensors, the ECU computes all of the information and then tells the spark plugs when to fire. As for the distributor, there's a rubber o-ring between the distributor and the valve cover.