1992 Corolla Sled

cleaning the maf sensor is always a plus

try these, they're simple, cost effective, and something you should do even if your car isn't messed up

Diy Info - Some Uncommon Maintenance Items - Corolland Forums

iirc not a dirty maf kinda car, try changing plugs/wires/cap/rotor to start.

that years engine has a timing belt, i hope its been changed a couple times already...

Before you do any of this stuff, you need to find out if it's even worth working on. The mechanical condition needs to be checked first for a car with this many miles, meaning an engine compression test or even hooking a vacuum gauge somewhere will give you an idea of the engines health. Then from there if everyhting is fine a general tuneup- plugs, wires, cap, rotor, etc.

iirc not a dirty maf kinda car, try changing plugs/wires/cap/rotor to start.

Bitter's right about that car not having the MAF.

And he's also right that the plugs/wires/cap/rotor are an excellent start and a very cheap replacement if you do it yourself (unless it's obvious those are already new, then don't worry about changing them). A bad distributor cap can cause all kinds of havoc, although in some cases the car can idle like a dream and it's only when you're accelerating that you have problems.

It may also be that the wires for two of the cylinders are swapped, or maybe the wires just aren't seated well. Firing order is 1342 on that engine-- make sure the wires are routed properly. Timing itself could be off, too. Someone with some experience can reset to the idle timing without a timing light (it may be a little bit closer to top-dead center done that way, but if the idle improves with a hand adjustment that'll let you limp along a little better).

You might be surprised at how much life is left in an old car like this. Unless you see plumes of smoke or steam coming out the back, it'll probably be serviceable for some miles to come.

It's hard to find a good local mechanic, but if you can find one, latch on to him (or her). Explain your situation, and try to work out a payment plan with them rather than going with a payday loan company.

It's situations like yours that I wish public transportation were more available in most of the US, though...

iirc not a dirty maf kinda car, try changing plugs/wires/cap/rotor to start.

Bitter's right about that car not having the MAF.

And he's also right that the plugs/wires/cap/rotor are an excellent start and a very cheap replacement if you do it yourself (unless it's obvious those are already new, then don't worry about changing them). A bad distributor cap can cause all kinds of havoc, although in some cases the car can idle like a dream and it's only when you're accelerating that you have problems.

It may also be that the wires for two of the cylinders are swapped, or maybe the wires just aren't seated well. Firing order is 1342 on that engine-- make sure the wires are routed properly. Timing itself could be off, too. Someone with some experience can reset to the idle timing without a timing light (it may be a little bit closer to top-dead center done that way, but if the idle improves with a hand adjustment that'll let you limp along a little better).

You might be surprised at how much life is left in an old car like this. Unless you see plumes of smoke or steam coming out the back, it'll probably be serviceable for some miles to come.

It's hard to find a good local mechanic, but if you can find one, latch on to him (or her). Explain your situation, and try to work out a payment plan with them rather than going with a payday loan company.

It's situations like yours that I wish public transportation were more available in most of the US, though...

Some good points here. Got ahead of myself with the compression testing. Also, check the plug wire ends to make sure they're not corroded, as well as under the distributor cap, make sure the cap and rotor contacts aren't burned. Maybe pull or have someone pull the plugs and check to see if they're burned or have deposits on them. Look for obvious things first as to why your car is running so bad. Maybe while the plugs are out get a quick compresson test. I'm sure others have some easy things to check for as well. Try to nail down why the car is running poorly before you start swapping parts. That could get costly.