AE92 questions, please help me out!

[ser3100]

Hey all im a newb to this forum so i figure ill say hi first. Amid the rising gas prices i was able to get a 1992 corolla DX sedan from my cousin for FREE. Yes i said it, free! it has 280k miles on her but runs strong and no real aparent problems so far. I do have some questions about the car though. Here goes.

First off, when the car is cold or has sat for a few hours when i start it up and go it hesitates for a while then gets up and goes. I usually warm the car up for about 5min before i drive off but this isnt enough i guess. Once the car is warmed up, there is no problem. Only real way to describe this is when i step on the gas to go there is no power but after holding the gas on the pedal for a few seconds it starts to accelerate. Like i said, this only happens when the engine is cold. WHen warm, i have no problmes whatsoever. What is causing this? I replaced the spark plugs yesterday but that didnt help.

Second. This is a weird one. I have a small radiator leak that seems to be coming from what looks like a nipple or valve right under the radiator drain plug. The weird part is if the car has been driven on a day to day basis it does not leak but on weekends when i dont use the car and let it sit for about 2-3 days, i notice a small leak on the floor after that. Is this normal? Is my radiator too full? Please help.

Thrid and last one. Where is the bleed valve for the clutch? On occasion it hard to put the car into certain gears and im wondering if bleeding the clutch can fix this. Or can the clutch be adjusted. My cousin said the clutch was replaced but he said it needed adjustment. Is bleeding the system what he meant?

thanks for taking the time out to read about some of the issues im having. Please help if you can.

[Blof-fan]

Congrats on the FREE car! And a strong running Corolla with no apparent problems should last you a few more years, so good deal!

I'm guessing that you have a 4A-FE engine in your car (1600cc, 4cylinder, fuel injected engine)
On that car, there are 2 parts that work differently when the engine is cold. There is the cold start injector. This injects additional fuel when the car makes a cold start and does so until the engine is warm enough.
But since you say you always let the car warm up before driving, I don't think this is your problem.

The other is the Lambda (or O2 sensor) which is mounted in the exhaust somewhere before the cat. This needs to warm up before it starts to work propperly.There might be a problem with this sensor, which wouldn't surprise me with that milage.

A leak from the rad is never normal. How is the collant leven in the overfill tank beside it on the passenger side? Is it full or does the level vary when you have driven the car?
Does the bleed nipple itself leak?

The bleed for the clutch is located on the slave cylinder which is mounted on the front of the gearbox, next to the clutch lever which sticks out of the gearbox bell housing. When you stand in front of the car and look at the gearbox, you should see it right in front of you.
It is a hydraulic system that isn't really adjustable. You can adjust the clutch pedal. Your cousin might be reffering to that, but other than that, it should work as is.

With the milage your car has, you might have some wear on your synchromesh rings in the gearbox. Do you experience the problem in every gear? Or just certain gears?

Hope this helps!

[ser3100]

Wow thats alot of helpful info. Thanks. I have to work really early in the am so i really only set it warm up for about 3min max (i live in CA). Ill prob replace the 02 sensor in and go from there. Is that cold start injector hard to replace? I was thinking it had something to do with the gear synchros but it only really does it from 1 to 2 and sometimes 2 to 3. Ill check the clutch fluid level and go from there. I love this little car and its fun to drive around in. Its really a plus now that gas has gone up. I want to throw some performance parts in it but need $ first. Thanks.

[ayang951]

gratz on the car, if you have anymore problems or questions alot of guys here at TN will gladly answer and help you out, this truely is a great car and ive been playing with one recently, i actually had a 91 sedan as my first car, and now im back to my roots, just look at some of the guys and girls build here in the forums, mine is located on the link under my tag you can look at it and use it as reference too..

[lgene10]

congrats!... you got that corolla for free... mine i got it for about 500 dollars - P25,000..a few months ago.. and its my first car.... and its been seating for 1 yr and its a flooded car D: but its ok.. i clean the car, overhauled the engine change some internal parts, distributor etc... and my AE92 runs better now... im satisfied on my 4AF power... i like AE92... for me new cars are boring to drive.. some guy from our town says my car is just a piece of junk .. tnx ayang951 and all guys here in TN... you cheered me up... now i can tune my car and make it stronger no matter what they say..

@ser3100 about the radiator leak it happen to me when i change the radiator water to collant... a few leak from the radiator drain plug i put some Teflon tape... and now there are no leak.. ohh.. if u dont use the car for a few days... it create pressure when turning off the engine.. in that way you can see where's the leak .. i guess^^

[90 GP]

For your hesitation it might be a IAC valve sticking. This elevates the idle at start up on a cold engine. To clean and check it remove air intake tube going to throttle body. Once removed you will see a port just inside the throttle body (ahead of throttle plate) and on the bottom. With engine running (cold) if you put your finger over port should feel strong vacuum. Once engine is warmed up you shouldn't feel vacuum. To clean valve simply spray throttle body cleaner in port and let it soak in. Engine will run rough on restart till cleaner burns off. Since coolant passes through the valve if you have a bad thermostat that isn't letting the engine get up to temp the valve also will not function as intended. Also check engine for leaks at vac lines.

[ser3100]

This is some great information here. Thanks! I guess it makes some sense about the radiator building pressure after sitting for a few days but this should not be normal right? I have been driving it since Mon now everyday and what do you know? No leaks. Ill observe it over the weekend. I just picked up some new (non-OEM) front CV axles since mine are clicking on both sides. Are they hard to replace? They have a lifetime warranty so hopefully they will hold up long enough for me to save up some $ for a 4-AGE swap. Ill check all the precautionary stuff you guys have mentioned.

[lgene10]

ohh... about the radiator building pressure after sitting for a few days.. its normal... the important thing is.. there should be no leak..