Distributor Question - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

Stuck In MN · 02-19-2006, 09:34 PM

I have a 1990 Corolla with about 110,000. I've been having a hard to time getting the car started in cold weather here (I'm from California) but eventually can get the car started. Today I got it going but then a couple of blocks later while waiting at a light it died. Towed to a mechanic I'm not familar with and they tell me I need a new distributor. Never been replaced before. Does this sound correct, and what should I know or ask before they make the repair?

AVANT · 02-19-2006, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuck In MN

I have a 1990 Corolla with about 110,000. I've been having a hard to time getting the car started in cold weather here (I'm from California) but eventually can get the car started. Today I got it going but then a couple of blocks later while waiting at a light it died. Towed to a mechanic I'm not familar with and they tell me I need a new distributor. Never been replaced before. Does this sound correct, and what should I know or ask before they make the repair?

Were the distributor cap and rotor ever replaced? If not, I would change those first, it'll run you $20 bucks at your auto parts store. If you're afraid of touching the engine, get a car friend to do it for you as it is rediculously easy to do. Getting a new distributor will cost you much more and is more labor intensive.

While the proble could be the distributor, it's much more likely to be just the distributor cap and rotor if it's never been replaced. If you go the distributor route, the mechanic will be putting in a new cap and rotor anyways.

Stuck In MN · 02-19-2006, 10:00 PM

It's still at the shop since I can't start it. Do I just ask them to try that first? Of course, shoouldn't they have already tried the simplest thing?

AVANT · 02-19-2006, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuck In MN

It's still at the shop since I can't start it. Do I just ask them to try that first?

You already answered yourself there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuck In MN

shoouldn't they have already tried the simplest thing?

Depends on the mechanic. Many factors influence their decision.
1) They work on cars for a LIVING, labor (not parts) is what puts food on their table. Replacing the distributor takes much more labor than changing just the cap and rotor.
2) Different mechanics have different philosophies, some want to make sure you leave with a solid car (so replacing things that may not necessarily be needed to ensure reliability is not uncommon). While others want you in and out asap, so they will do the bare minimum, etc.

List goes on, but that's enough from me.

karazy · 02-20-2006, 03:34 AM

The distributor is designed to last the life of the engine. If there is no physical damage to it, then there is no reason to change it. Make sure that you get to see the old one. He may have meant the cap and rotor, which could easily fix your problem.

Stuck In MN · 02-21-2006, 01:27 PM

I took the car to another mechanic and they said that it was also the distributor itself that needed to be replaced. But the first place wanted to charge for a coil in addition to the new distributor, but the second one said that it is already included in a new unit. I've been looking for a diagram somewhere on the net that explains this.

Flashmn · 02-21-2006, 01:40 PM

Sounds like it might the ignition module, small part but failure causes shitload of problems.

90 GP · 02-21-2006, 05:13 PM

You probably only need the coil which is a separate part mounted within the distributor. The rest of the distributor should not need to be replaced. Replacing the coil is easy as you remove 2 nuts and remove wires attached to it and remove a couple screws that hold the coil in place. Just make a note of the colors of the wires and the terminals they are mounted to when you reassemble.