Carina E Automatic Problems

[Aadil]

Hello everyone. I have a 1997 Carina E automatic, with a couple of problems that I could use some advice on! The first problem is that when the car is cold eg. overnight, when I start it the engine turns over, but then cuts out after a few seconds. The workaround I have found for this is to unplug the sensor connected to the idle control valve, which then allows the car to start and stay started. However once it's warmed up it begins idling erratically, so I need to plug the sensor back in which generally fixes that problem. I'm guessing that the valve is at fault and am hunting down a replacement at a scrapyard.

The other problem is that the car doesn't seem to have any power when going uphill, because no matter how much I press the gas pedal, the revs won't go higher than 2k and the max speed I get is 20 mph. This problem only happens when going uphill because on a flat the car will accelerate like normal. Also if I am on a flat road going over 20 mph and the road becomes steep I'll gradually lose speed until I'm going about 20. It's a strange issue and I'd heard it may be something to do with the transmission but I'm not sure.

I'm reluctant to go to a garage just yet since my regular one has closed and it's hard to find someone you can trust, without paying through the roof! And I'm on a tight budget at the moment so would like to fix the problem myself if possible. Any help and advice is much appreciated! Thanks