Weird behaviour when it’s cold

Hi Guys,

I have a 1989 Toyota Corolla, with a 1300cc engine, it uses a carburetor. Last winter it used to give me a lot of headache, but after replacing the battery and thermostat, I managed to get it to an acceptable level.

A problem that I have recently come across since the weather is getting colder, when I start the car I have to keep pressing the gas pedal on and off to get it to start (Not a big deal but I'd love to not have to do this, since I'd like to get a remote starter). The weird thing is, it runs fine for about 3 minutes, then it turns off

Anybody has an idea why this is happening? I guess a remote starter would be useless in a situation like this.

Thanks in advance

It's normal to have to pump the gas a few times on carbureted vehicles before starting the engine. If I understand you correctly, once the engine is started, it runs fine for about 3 minutes, then dies. An engine that small is probably warmed up after about 3 minutes. The choke may be stuck, and is causing the engine to die. Another possibility is the air filter is simply clogged. There are different possibilities, however, it sounds like the engine is starving for air, or getting too much fuel.

If you do get this gremlin sorted out, you might see if there's a throttle body injection kit available for your engine. That way you can install a remote start.

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My ex once told me I have a perfect face for radio.

Hi geepherder, thanks for the reply :)

Yes, you do understand me correctly. The thing is, the choke on this thing is manual, and when I turn it off, the engine revs down. IIRC this happens even when I don't use the choke at all, but I'll check again to see.

But I do remember that when I use the choke, the engine starts to go slower, and a few seconds later it just turns off, so you might be right.

What I can't understand is, my car has a carb, how can an injection kit help??

Thanks

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I only changed the Air filter about a month ago

Okay, so it's not the choke, but it still sounds like it's starving for air, or getting too much fuel. Those were just a couple possibilities. Have you done all the basic tune up stuff: plugs/wires, cap/rotor, etc? Check the timing as well. You might see if you can get a rebuild kit for the carb (even if you have someone else do the work). I'm not great with that kind of stuff, but if you have a buddy who is, have him/her set the float and the idle adjustment screw, etc.

What I meant was, if you get the running problem figured out, try and locate a TBI conversion kit. I've seen them before for some vehicles, but have never used one myself. The throttle body replaces the carburetor, and I believe you use the same intake manifold. You'll probably have to install an inline fuel pump along with some other add-ons, but this should all be explained in the kit. That way you'd be able to install a remote start.

Alternatives would be to perform an engine swap, or buy another car, both of which will cost a lot more.

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My ex once told me I have a perfect face for radio.

geepherder, thanks again

Well, I don't live in The States, and here we don't have rebuild kits or TBI conversion kits as far as I know, but I'll be sure to check.

I did the basic tuneup before winter started, but I think I do need to fix the timing, even though I did that about 6 months ago.

Does it seem that I'll be needing a new carb then? or should I just tune it? because it runs perfectly if I leave the car to cool for 2 minutes after it turns off, and turn it on again.

One thing, the radiator has a problem and it leeks, I keep refilling it every week, maybe it's because it ran out of anti-freeze, does that have anything to do with it ?

Thanks

It's quite possible that the carburetor is the problem if you think you've exhausted the other possibilities. Still, though, check all the simple stuff: O2 sensor, breather filter, pcv valve, timing, etc. You don't necessarily need to buy a rebuild kit, since it's usually just a bunch of gaskets. You may be able to buy some paper gasket material and make your own. If you're careful enough, you might even be able to use the old ones as templates to cut your new ones. If you have a buddy nearby that has experience with rebuilding carburetors, try to bribe him/her into helping you. Do this over a weekend when you're both off, that way you can take all the time you need. You basically just dissassemble it, clean everything, and reassemble with the new gaskets. Then make sure everything's properly set (float level, idle speed, etc.)- that's really what you're buddy's for. However, you can probably do some searching on Google and find some good tutorials on the subject.

The radiator problem may not be related, but it needs to be addressed nonetheless. If your cooling system is full of sediments/filth from years of neglect, either replace it, or take it to a qualified service center to have it rebuilt/pressure tested. If it's to this point, you should replace the heater core as well (which probably means pulling the dash) since it'll have the same junk/corrosion as the radiator. Decide whether you want to tackle this or someone else.

If you deem it to be okay, flush the cooling system, and replace the hoses before filling the system back up. Now would be a good time to check/replace the belt(s) if needed, too. Depending on the size of the leak, try running some stop leak. It doesn't stop the leak all the time, but I've had some good results in the past. Keeping up with your preventive maintenance will save you money in the long run, especially if you're a "diy-er".

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My ex once told me I have a perfect face for radio.