I am sorry I made a separate thread for this, but since this is a new problem, I wanted to avoid confusion.
My 2000 corolla VE just had an engine swap (1zzfe from a 2003 Corolla), engine is good, it runs fine, no oil loss, oil looks clean.... but
I have a distinct hesitation at speeds above 65MPH, if I try accelerating beyond that point, the hesitation increases and the whole car shakes erratically.
Engine swap mechanic diagnosis based on one test drive and spark plug checkup (not certified technician)
1. Fuel filters are bad
2. Fuel injectors are bad
3. Perhaps bad gas
Since then I filled tank with 93 octane BP gas and poured one can of Valvoline Synpower fuel injection cleaner, have about 100 miles on car after that, no improvement yet.
Brought the car to my trusted mechanic, he checked coils, spark plugs, everything seems fine. He was able to reproduce the problem while driving in gear 2 (automatic transmission) and also by revving the engine up when parked. He told me he did not have equipment to test this further and that I should take it to local dealership to get it diagnosed.
Now, I don't want to get ripped off at the dealership. They want $85 plus tax for diagnosis and I want to make sure that if I am paying that much, the problem is actually diagnosed correctly.
How should I proceed? How would you guys troubleshoot this problem? Can someone suggest a checklist?
I have absolutely no trouble codes right now. Last week there was a random misfire P0300, but I cleared it and has not come back in over 100 miles, so I think it was a random thing. I was wondering if dirty MAF sensor could create the hesitation problem, but I do not have any MAF codes set. Should I still try to clean it?
Any and all suggestions very welcome. Thanks for your time.