Corolla pinging - old timing belt?

Hi,

'95 Corolla 4A-FE, 80k miles, pings under load (when climbing hill),
mainly on days when the air is dry. It also seems to have a harder time
climbing.
The car eats some 1/2 quart of oil between changes.
I tried several brands of fuel additives with no improvement.

Timing belt is the original. Could changing the belt fix the pinging?
Or maybe the timing needs to be adjusted?
How is this done on a 95 Corolla?

Thanks.

"Dan" <drnwnr@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1133544688.753335.53540@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
> Hi,
>
> '95 Corolla 4A-FE, 80k miles, pings under load (when climbing hill),
> mainly on days when the air is dry. It also seems to have a harder time
> climbing.
> The car eats some 1/2 quart of oil between changes.
> I tried several brands of fuel additives with no improvement.
>
> Timing belt is the original. Could changing the belt fix the pinging?
> Or maybe the timing needs to be adjusted?
> How is this done on a 95 Corolla?
>
> Thanks.
>[/color]

You should think about changing the timing belt although it will not have
any effect on the pinging.

Fuel additives rarely have any effect on pinging.

Some things to try or check: - Use a higher octane fuel to see if the
pinging is reduced.

Do you have a check engine light?

Check the knock sensor and spark advance.

Check the base timing.

If these all check out OK, then you may have internal engine deposits.
--
Ray O
correct the return address punctuation to reply

"Ray O" <rokigawa@tristarassociatesDOT.com> wrote in message
news:1d706$43908879$44a4a10d$25724@msgid.meganewsservers.com...[color=blue]
>
> "Dan" <drnwnr@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1133544688.753335.53540@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...[color=green]
>> Hi,
>>
>> '95 Corolla 4A-FE, 80k miles, pings under load (when climbing hill),
>> mainly on days when the air is dry. It also seems to have a harder time
>> climbing.
>> The car eats some 1/2 quart of oil between changes.
>> I tried several brands of fuel additives with no improvement.
>>
>> Timing belt is the original. Could changing the belt fix the pinging?
>> Or maybe the timing needs to be adjusted?
>> How is this done on a 95 Corolla?
>>
>> Thanks.
>>[/color]
>
> You should think about changing the timing belt although it will not have
> any effect on the pinging.
>
> Fuel additives rarely have any effect on pinging.[/color]

Actually. i have found either adding Techron or switching to Chevron (now
unavailable in New England!) helps quite a bit with pinging. About $7-9 a
bottle at CarQuest, AutoZone, etc.

Not sure if Wal*Mart (OH DAMN! I said Wal*Mart) has it or not.

[color=blue]
>
> Some things to try or check: - Use a higher octane fuel to see if the
> pinging is reduced.
>
> Do you have a check engine light?
>
> Check the knock sensor and spark advance.
>
> Check the base timing.
>
> If these all check out OK, then you may have internal engine deposits.
> --
> Ray O
> correct the return address punctuation to reply
>[/color]

> Fully agree that he should pay attention to the recommended change[color=blue]
> frequency for belts. A loose belt and or tensioner could make the car
> drivability poor.
>
> I suspect he has deposits in the cylinder , OR the spark plugs are carrying
> so
> much ash that he is getting preignition.
>
> Would we care to wager when the spark plugs were changed?[/color]

The spark plugs were changed 1 year ago.

Unleash the hounds of pre-ignition vs. detonation!

D

On 2 Dec 2005 12:05:01 -0800, "Dan" <drnwnr@hotmail.com> wrote:
[color=blue][color=green]
>> Fully agree that he should pay attention to the recommended change
>> frequency for belts. A loose belt and or tensioner could make the car
>> drivability poor.
>>
>> I suspect he has deposits in the cylinder , OR the spark plugs are carrying
>> so
>> much ash that he is getting preignition.
>>
>> Would we care to wager when the spark plugs were changed?[/color]
>
>The spark plugs were changed 1 year ago.[/color]


Don't Corolla's have a timing chain and not a belt?
Not sure about a 95, but pretty sure my 98 Corolla
is a chain.

--Ben

"Dan" <drnwnr@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1133553901.730284.180650@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...[color=blue][color=green]
> > Fully agree that he should pay attention to the recommended change
> > frequency for belts. A loose belt and or tensioner could make the car
> > drivability poor.
> >
> > I suspect he has deposits in the cylinder , OR the spark plugs are[/color][/color]
carrying[color=blue][color=green]
> > so
> > much ash that he is getting preignition.
> >
> > Would we care to wager when the spark plugs were changed?[/color]
>
> The spark plugs were changed 1 year ago.[/color]

You get an apology... A lot of people run the original plugs
80,000 miles...some are so bad you have to really be careful to
get them out.

Might be worth a look...Since you are burning a good bit of oil,
ash other plug related issues could be in effect.

[email]spamTHISbrp@yahoo.com[/email] wrote:
[color=blue]
>Unleash the hounds of pre-ignition vs. detonation!
>
>D[/color]

Right!...everyone...DUCK!!!....
--

-Gord.
(use gordon in email)

Ben Phlat wrote:
[color=blue]
> Don't Corolla's have a timing chain and not a belt?
> Not sure about a 95, but pretty sure my 98 Corolla
> is a chain.[/color]

I believe '98 was the first year that the Corolla had a timing chain.

"Ben Phlat" <bphlat62@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:4mb1p11raogamsj1ab24d5ure8mholr5s8@4ax.com...
[color=blue]
> Don't Corolla's have a timing chain and not a belt?
> Not sure about a 95, but pretty sure my 98 Corolla
> is a chain.
>
> --Ben[/color]

Would have to look it up..( in fact, I will)
Chains certainly have their advantages,
but they can stretch too.

"Ben Phlat" <bphlat62@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:4mb1p11raogamsj1ab24d5ure8mholr5s8@4ax.com...
[color=blue]
>
> Don't Corolla's have a timing chain and not a belt?
> Not sure about a 95, but pretty sure my 98 Corolla
> is a chain.
>
> --Ben[/color]

According to the listings I found, that unit uses a
belt and tensioner..

High Tech Misfit <me@privacy.net> wrote:
[color=blue]
>Ben Phlat wrote:
>[color=green]
>> Don't Corolla's have a timing chain and not a belt?
>> Not sure about a 95, but pretty sure my 98 Corolla
>> is a chain.[/color]
>
>I believe '98 was the first year that the Corolla had a timing chain.[/color]

But aren't interference?...I thought that an engine with a chain
was interference...with a belt wasn't...?
--

-Gord.
(use gordon in email)

"Dan" <drnwnr@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1133553901.730284.180650@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...[color=blue][color=green]
>> Fully agree that he should pay attention to the recommended change
>> frequency for belts. A loose belt and or tensioner could make the car
>> drivability poor.
>>
>> I suspect he has deposits in the cylinder , OR the spark plugs are
>> carrying
>> so
>> much ash that he is getting preignition.
>>
>> Would we care to wager when the spark plugs were changed?[/color]
>
> The spark plugs were changed 1 year ago.
>[/color]

If you did not use Nippon Denso or NGK plugs, consider changing to Nippon
Denso plugs. Toyotas tend to have ignition problems with other brand plugs
and ignition parts.
--
Ray O
correct the return address punctuation to reply

Dan wrote:[color=blue]
> Hi,
>
> '95 Corolla 4A-FE, 80k miles, pings under load (when climbing hill),
> mainly on days when the air is dry. It also seems to have a harder time
> climbing.
> The car eats some 1/2 quart of oil between changes.
> I tried several brands of fuel additives with no improvement.
>
> Timing belt is the original. Could changing the belt fix the pinging?
> Or maybe the timing needs to be adjusted?
> How is this done on a 95 Corolla?
>
> Thanks.[/color]

The pinging could likely be caused by either too advanced ignition
timing or an inoperative EGR valve, or both.

Your 4A-FE probably has an EGR valve, but since I don't know what
emissions package you have, you will have to tell me if it does.
Emissions components are listed on the VECI label on the underside of
your hood: look for "EGR". Or you can look for the valve under and
behind the throttle body, or look on the vacuum diagram under the hood
for it. I would suspect the EGR valve is plugged (if you have one).

You need to check timing too. I almost always find timing out of spec
on OBDI Toyotas that fail our state's emissions inspection program.
Use a paperclip or whatever and short E1 to TE1 in the small black
diagnostic connector near the strut tower. Start the engine in park
with the A/C off. Make sure your check engine light is continuously
flashing about twice per second; any other behavior indicates a stored
code or you didn't jumper the terminals correctly. Check the timing
marks with a timing light. Adjust to 10 degrees BTDC (there's a large
raised mark on the timing belt cover for 10 degrees) by loosening the
two 12mm head ditributor holddown bolts and turning the distributor.
If you can't get the timing to adjust to 10 deg. within the slotted
adjustment range then the timing belt is probably one tooth off.

Toyota MDT in MO

"Ben Phlat" <bphlat62@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:4mb1p11raogamsj1ab24d5ure8mholr5s8@4ax.com...[color=blue]
> On 2 Dec 2005 12:05:01 -0800, "Dan" <drnwnr@hotmail.com> wrote:
>[color=green][color=darkred]
>>> Fully agree that he should pay attention to the recommended change
>>> frequency for belts. A loose belt and or tensioner could make the car
>>> drivability poor.
>>>
>>> I suspect he has deposits in the cylinder , OR the spark plugs are
>>> carrying
>>> so
>>> much ash that he is getting preignition.
>>>
>>> Would we care to wager when the spark plugs were changed?[/color]
>>
>>The spark plugs were changed 1 year ago.[/color]
>
>
> Don't Corolla's have a timing chain and not a belt?
> Not sure about a 95, but pretty sure my 98 Corolla
> is a chain.
>
> --Ben[/color]

I have a '95 with the 4A-FE. It has a timing belt.