96 Tercel weak engine and vibration
joerogrz
09-29-2010, 04:04 AM
I've had this car for a couple of years now and it's been doing great aside from losing oil somewhere and being a 3 speed auto, but recently it's been going through phases where the engine vibrates at idle and there is also a loss of power. It also has a high idle which has been there since I bought it, but I don't think that's contributing to the vibration and weakness. I don't think it's the plugs either as I have checked them when it did it before. This problem comes and goes, but it's a little more serious this time seeing as how it's having a harder time starting. Any ideas what's going on with it?
EvilTim
12-21-2010, 11:21 AM
I've had this car for a couple of years now and it's been doing great aside from losing oil somewhere and being a 3 speed auto, but recently it's been going through phases where the engine vibrates at idle and there is also a loss of power. It also has a high idle which has been there since I bought it, but I don't think that's contributing to the vibration and weakness. I don't think it's the plugs either as I have checked them when it did it before. This problem comes and goes, but it's a little more serious this time seeing as how it's having a harder time starting. Any ideas what's going on with it?
I'm kinda just now breaking the surface on toyota as it is a new brand for me. But i'll help you out the best i can.
Not familiar with the '96, but on the intake manifold passenger side, there should be your Idle Air control valve that can be tuned with a simple flat-head screwdriver or in an emergency your car keys can suffice. Rotating this to the right will limit how much air your tercel gets at idle and should eliminate the High RPM problem. As far as your loss of power being intermittent and your steering problem, that may be indicitive that your powersteering pump is about to fail. Increased resistance in the pump's mechanical parts will make it harder for both you to turn the wheel and your car to turn the pulley, which means more power will be devoted to getting that sucker to pump more ATF. Try putting it in the air, removing the belt from the P/S Pulley, putting a socket on the end of your pump and turn it to see how much resistance you encounter. As old as your car is, it may be about that time to replace the pump, and it's not a costly part at that.
Good Luck! ^^
I'm kinda just now breaking the surface on toyota as it is a new brand for me. But i'll help you out the best i can.
Not familiar with the '96, but on the intake manifold passenger side, there should be your Idle Air control valve that can be tuned with a simple flat-head screwdriver or in an emergency your car keys can suffice. Rotating this to the right will limit how much air your tercel gets at idle and should eliminate the High RPM problem. As far as your loss of power being intermittent and your steering problem, that may be indicitive that your powersteering pump is about to fail. Increased resistance in the pump's mechanical parts will make it harder for both you to turn the wheel and your car to turn the pulley, which means more power will be devoted to getting that sucker to pump more ATF. Try putting it in the air, removing the belt from the P/S Pulley, putting a socket on the end of your pump and turn it to see how much resistance you encounter. As old as your car is, it may be about that time to replace the pump, and it's not a costly part at that.
Good Luck! ^^
Automotive Network, Inc., Copyright ©2024