Is This The End Of My First Car?

[shambe80]

I have just bought a 1999 toyota corolla 130 through tender from my employer. The car has actually stayed for one year without moving. It was initially in good working order except that it needed replacing tie rod ends which were not in good shape. The problem I am encountering with this vehicle is that it is having idling problems. When i start it, it idles for some 2 minutes and then the engine dies. This is unlike when i have driven it for some minutes and the engine is hot, where the idling does not die although the idling gets abnormally high. I tried to clean the cabulator considering that it has overstayed without moving but to no avail. Right now i am at a loss as to what could be the problem. I am really very worried that I have lost my money through the drain. Please help me sort out this problem.

[RedNeck 92 Gti-16]

This is definately not the end of your motor. You do not have a big problem. The engine fires and runs, so there is nothing majorly wrong.

The main problem's ive encountered where a car has been left standing for a year or more, is generally, the brakes are locked and the fuels gone bad. Its worth giving all vacuum pipes a blow through. Clean the gunk out of the carb, i assure you, there will be gacky fuel in there, it may have blocked something.

Really you should use fresh petrol to start with, it may have turned to jelly(by evaporation). Things tend to stick when left standing.

Do you know what engine you have there?

[Twincam.GTi]

You state that you have cleaned the carburettor this confuses me as every Japanese car by about 1992 across the range has an injection system (you state 1999) model year. Unless…

..In your part of the world carburettors are still used (and thus no Catalytic converter/emission regulations in force?)?

Incidentally what mileage has it done? What engine size is it?

Again to have tie rod ends replaced is unusual on such a recent corolla (1999) unless of course car is high mileage for year or you have bad roads or the car has been fitted with big wheels (17inch is popular with the customing/modifying scene) and thus does prematurely wear front suspension components on a Corolla. So this problem makes me wonder what sort of life (hard?) your car has had?

So to begin with I would change the spark plugs, followed by air filter (do you live in dusty climate?).

What are garages/repair shops like where you are? If decent, get them to replace the fuel filter (not always a nice job to do at home as fuel can sometimes spray out and make everywhere smell!).

Also as a side note (and nothing to do with your running problem) it might be a good idea to give the car an oil change anyway in view of it having stood for one year with out moving (old oil in an engine can absorb moisture slightly – not a good thing if intending to keep the car a while!)

And yes as RedNeck 92 Gti-16 has said modern Unleaded fuels seem to 'go off' after 6-8 months of standing still, almost like a sort of varnish.

[shambe80]

The car is really a corolla 1999 model. It was originally bought from Toyota Malawi who are the official sole distributors of Japanese Toyota's. For sure the car has a carburettor and not fuel injection. The car has actually cloked 180,000 kms.

I agree with you, this part of the world i am staying in is very dusty and very hot.

I take your advice to change the spark plugs and the air filter and see the change. Thanks for your help, am really worried as this is my first car and i wouldn't want to lose out on it.

You state that you have cleaned the carburettor this confuses me as every Japanese car by about 1992 across the range has an injection system (you state 1999) model year. Unless…

..In your part of the world carburettors are still used (and thus no Catalytic converter/emission regulations in force?)?

Incidentally what mileage has it done? What engine size is it?

Again to have tie rod ends replaced is unusual on such a recent corolla (1999) unless of course car is high mileage for year or you have bad roads or the car has been fitted with big wheels (17inch is popular with the customing/modifying scene) and thus does prematurely wear front suspension components on a Corolla. So this problem makes me wonder what sort of life (hard?) your car has had?

So to begin with I would change the spark plugs, followed by air filter (do you live in dusty climate?).

What are garages/repair shops like where you are? If decent, get them to replace the fuel filter (not always a nice job to do at home as fuel can sometimes spray out and make everywhere smell!).

Also as a side note (and nothing to do with your running problem) it might be a good idea to give the car an oil change anyway in view of it having stood for one year with out moving (old oil in an engine can absorb moisture slightly – not a good thing if intending to keep the car a while!)

And yes as RedNeck 92 Gti-16 has said modern Unleaded fuels seem to 'go off' after 6-8 months of standing still, almost like a sort of varnish.

[shambe80]

I am not so familiar with cars to be honest, but when i checked the engine i found somewhere written 2E, which i assumed could be the engine type.

This is definately not the end of your motor. You do not have a big problem. The engine fires and runs, so there is nothing majorly wrong.

The main problem's ive encountered where a car has been left standing for a year or more, is generally, the brakes are locked and the fuels gone bad. Its worth giving all vacuum pipes a blow through. Clean the gunk out of the carb, i assure you, there will be gacky fuel in there, it may have blocked something.

Really you should use fresh petrol to start with, it may have turned to jelly(by evaporation). Things tend to stick when left standing.

Do you know what engine you have there?