'96 Toyota Corolla Seca (hatch) Lack of power.

[TrueRush]

Hello everyone!

The car is a '96 Toyota Corolla hatch automatic with 220km (136k miles) on it. Initially, I thought it was a transmission problem, went to C.A.T.S in Rosebery, Sydney Australia and the manager there test drove it and said nothing was wrong with the trans. I highly recommend the buisness if you have any trans woes(they saved me $180.00aud - trans service).

He said it needs a tune-up. The car lacks power when putting the accelerator pedal down. it'll rev high but the power isnt immediately there. if i slowly press the accelerator pedal down over time it gradually increases without problems. around 80km (50mph) if the gas pedal is pressed down for higher speeds this is when its most noticable with lack of oomph. for the size of the engine a 1.8L my mileage has been very poor so i'd like to find a solution to fixing this asap. Any ideas would be appreciated. i have a booked an appointment with a auto tune shop in Artarmon from the manager at C.A.T.S recommendation but they are flat out so the wait time is 2weeks. If i can get an idea of whats going on maybe i can go else where with an idea of what i want and not get ripped off else where.

Thank you.

[ganda1f]

1. Your air filter might be dirty and clogged.
2. Ignition timing might not advance as it should when throttle is opened.
3. Clogged catalytic converter.

Does the car run fairly smooth otherwise? No misfire, shaking, CEL (CheckEngineLight)?
If it runs smooth dirty air filter is a likely cause.

[TrueRush]

The car runs fine other than the lack of power 3rd or 4th gear revs high before there's adequate acceleration. There's no fluid leaks from engine compartment and the car is smooth otherwise. No noise other than interior rattle from time to time. The air filter is new or looks it it's pretty white.

Thanks for the advice!

[TrueRush]

btw, gandalf is the ignition timing or catalytic converter big jobs? as far as for a mechanic is concerned?

[speedy25]

Dont throw away good money. DO a leakdown test first. If that confirms that your engine internals are OK and not totally worn out THEN you can spend money on other bits to help.

A clogged converter would be my next guess. The hard part of that job is removing the old one because of rust. If you suspect its bad, knock the guts out, re-install and go for a test ride. IF it runs better you found your trouble.

[TrueRush]

Thanks for the heads up Speedy, I don't have the tools nor the time to sort it out. I don't mind spending some money to get it fixed for convenience. Hopefully it's not going to be expensive here to fix. crosses fingers!