'89 starting issue

[BCbear]

Hi folks, first post here!

I have a 1989 corolla (base model; manual trans; 298,000 km; carb. model) and recently I have had a slight problem with starting it twice. Normally it starts without any hesitation. The first time I thought I flooded the engine but I couldn't smell any fuel. The starter sounds like it is working. I had left it for the day and after work it started as usual. The second time similiar circumstances but I stayed with it for a bit, then it started. Both were when starting in the morning.

I guess I should go out and buy a voltmeter and check the alternator/battery, but I was wondering if someone here can send me down a likely path. For financial and pride reasons I try to do the work myself, I am always learning so I may ask for some clarification at times.

Thanks ahead of time!

[Gmann]

Hmmm we've owned two corollas of that vintage 1989 and 1991 and when we started having intermittent starting problems, the obvious things were looked at....fuel pump, distributor, wires etc.... but after all those checked out we narrowed it down to the starter, specifically the starter contacts. These are about thirty bucks Canadian at the stealership and are fairly straightforward to repair..... Our 1991 also developed this problem around the 200,000km mark but since we already went through the same jazz with the 89 we knew what the problem was and fixed it right away. Of course it can be other things as well...but if you think it might be your starter, instead of replacing the whole unit and a nice chunk of change, changing the contacts is the best way to go

[BCbear]

Thanks Gmann. Is there a way to test the fuel pump. Where is the fuel pump located on the Corolla?

I have had to replace the distributor cap and button twice on this car so far, but the usual symtom it is going has been the car bucking as it was being driven.

[Gmann]

It's been awhile since I replaced the fuel pump on a Corolla, but I just did it last year on my Gen 3 Camry and that was pretty straight forward. Lift the bottom portion of the rear seat (literally pull at it to get it off of the clips) and there you will see a squarish cover plate in which is housed the fuel pump. Unscrew the bolts, and voila....you can see the inside of your gas tank and the fuel pump itself (mental note.....don't dropping anything in or have sparks or any heat source near the gas) I'm not 100% sure if Corollas are the same, and if you feel this maybe a little beyond your realm of mechanical comfort, take it to a pro and let them take care of it. As for another issue, If it happens in the morning, and starts up fine the rest of the day (i.e. after it's been driven) then that would lead to a moisture problem possibly......I'm sure other posters will come along and be helpful in diagnosing your problem. Good Luck and keep us posted

[reym]

A toyota carb has a reserve gas of 5 minutes which means at starting the engine uses the gas from the carb reserve and not from the fuel pump yet. To test if your problem is fuel related, pour some gas on the carb intake and try starting it, if its fuel related it would start with at least 1 full rev. If it does'nt, its not fuel related.
Disconnect the high tension wire at the center of the distributor and bring it close to the engine ground (without touching the ground). Have someone crank it and check for a spark, if the spark is colored orange then it is time to change contact point and condenser.It should be colored white or blue or light yellow. If there is no spark, check your high tension wire for leak.

As for the starter, if the starter is rotating fast enough then it is not the problem, but if it is rotating very slow you might have a problem with your battery or cable connections