Recently purchased a 1990 Celica GT - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

toe_knee · 08-20-2004, 12:53 AM

I think I got totallly ripped off by people these days......I thought I had a good deal buying this car at a price of $1700 dollars.....The problem followed with bad gas mileage.....I've been getting 10 miles to a gallon.....That is just sad.....I check some of the problems.....One thing I found out about this car was it had two holes in the piping near the converter, and one near the muffler.....I replaced those with racing ones.....I didn't see a much difference in the gas mileage....Maybe slightly.....So, I followed up with the fuel injector......I saw a little bit better proformance of mileage....Then I changed the Air filter and put in a new 02 sensor.....Now, I am at 12 miles to a gallon....Isn't that just damn amazing.....This car should be doubled that......Is there any suggest you guys can give me.....I just want atleast 17 miles to a gallon atleast.....

canadiancelica · 08-20-2004, 06:53 AM

Well you've started, try replacing the fuel filter, check for leaks (you'd smell em), maybe the timing. You should always have the timing belt changed when buying a used car. Might want to get yourself a can of KLEENS from your local GM dealer, its the gear for cleaning your intake manifold, TB and combustion chambers. Air filter could be clogged, as could your catalytic convertor.

Those are pretty much all tune ups, plus you could do plugs, wires, distibutor cap and rotor button, check the coil resitance and last but certainly not least, check your coolant for oil and your oil for coolant, head gasket could be nearing the end of its life !!

John

thats seems like alot, but it won't cost a whole lot, well the timing belt might, unless you do it yourself !!!

Pineapple · 08-20-2004, 09:02 AM

Do a oil flush and start to use Mobil 1 Syn oil. It could be so much crap in the engine that you're wasting gas. That's what mine is anyway.
Also flush and fill tranny. If its a manual, check/replace the clutch. A slipping clutch waste gas too.

toe_knee · 08-20-2004, 11:27 AM

I'll check on those, but I also recently changed my spark plugs.....and it seems like the tips are black.....any reasons for that.....Is that a build up of carbon deposit in the cylinders?

Another thing with this bucket....I have other problems....the car studders when I accelerate...Then the RPM doesn't stay still when I am warming up the car....It jumps a little here and there...Is that due to the TPS.....Throttle something like that sensor?

Pineapple · 08-22-2004, 02:09 AM

That's the Idle Control Valve. Remove intake pip and clean everything. Also ignition coil may be bad.
Black plug means burning oil.

toe_knee · 08-23-2004, 12:51 PM

Ok, I went to an auto repair place.....It's going to cost me 65 dollars for a diagnostic......The auto repair guy is assuming that the MAP.....seems to be the reason why my car is running rich, which means I wouldn't be able to past smog......He is saying that cost of the MAP would be 400 dollars....and after that.....labor cost too! and smog cost of 40 dollars.....Does that seem to be a rip off?

Pineapple · 08-23-2004, 04:30 PM

Clean the intake first and see what happen. Most mechanic will miss diagnose these problems. I paid $400 for a ICV I didn't need. A $5 can of TB spray fixed everything.
You don't have to trust me but a $5 clean up job won't hurt anything, right?

Since you're at it, drop a bottle or 2 of fuel system cleaner in the gas tank with full tank of gas.