by Sonix, June 21, 2013
I have a 98 rolla that I dont want to sink (98's have issues) some more cash into. One cylinder has no compression so a mechanic disabled the corresponding coil,and I've been using it for 4 months! now. Less power, but runs, except when it's hot with the ac on!
It seems like that if I increased the idle rpms it may not stall. Yes, no, maybe, and how. It idles (when hot abut 600), but after it cools down it's a little higher.
OMG... You're running it on 3 cylinders. What a novel idea. 
Don't you have an idle stop set screw on your throttle body? You can try adjusting it there and see if it works. It might be harder to start with the throttle a bit more open, especially when cold.
I have no idea, thats why I'm asking for the location to try it.OMG... You're running it on 3 cylinders. What a novel idea.
Don't you have an idle stop set screw on your throttle body? You can try adjusting it there and see if it works. It might be harder to start with the throttle a bit more open, especially when cold.
Btw, I'm going with a 97 from now on, this oil thing on the 8th generation is for the birds!
1997 TOYOTA COROLLA RELIABILITY RATING
Have you looked at your throttle cam's idle stop on your throttle body? It's right there on top of TB, where your throttle cam sits at idle position. You can see it here beside the spring, and there's yellow paint on it.
Apply penetrating oil or WD-40 on threads first. Loosen lock nut with 8mm closed-end wrench, and turn set screw in clockwise to open thottle plate with 3.5mm Allen hex key while holding nut with wrench. Start by 1/4 turn, then 1/4 turn more if needed, etc, to see how much difference it makes, then settle with ideal setting for best idle quality. Tighten locknut while holding set screw in position with Allen key.
You should also disconnect the corresponding fuel injector. No need to spray fuel in that cylinder if you're not gonna spark it. 
Get yourself a nice new 2014 Corolla already, or at least a well maintained 2004 with manual tranny.
Cool beans, I can see it now, I was looking at it and thought you had to adjust the linkage a bit, using two wrenches. Glad I was wrong. We are in the middle of hurricane ( 
) season around here, so as soon as I can go out and not get drenched, I spray her down.
The fuel injector is already disabled, I figured that one out. And btw, these rollas are all bought at auctions to be used as backup driver cars. They buy them too. I drive a Camry that has no issues at all. But you don't get any history on the cas as far as maintenance.
8th gen rollas aren't as good as 7th get ones, but you have no timing belt to replace. Now after reading another forum, I see that those belts can last 200,000 miles!!!! I also just learned that Maryland is just behind NJ and N Carolina as the highest cost of maintenance and fleecing of customers.
Wow - 4 months on 3-cylinders. Pretty tough engine.
I don't know about a timing belt would hold up on most 7th gens for 200K miles. Many a few here or there, but that is not typical. Waterpumps generally would go before that and the timing belt tensioners will not last that long (ask owners that didn't replace the tensioner when they replaced the belt - majority of them probably shredded the second belt). The timing belt on my 3rd gen Camry got changed out every 60K miles - looked like new. Pushed it to 120K miles, now it starts to look a little rough. To push it 200K miles, even with mostly highway cruising - would be very sketchy.
That said - I do agree that the older cars were built better - that 3rd gen Camry with the 2.2L 5S-FE - bulletproof. Got 385K miles and still rolling - consumes less than 4 oz of oil every 5K miles oil change, body has almost no rust - even living in the saltbelt (Ohio), original engine and transaxle, all major replacement parts were OEM, everything else aftermarket.
I do agree that the A-series engine is well respected and known to be near bullet proof. But you also have to think that they had lots of time as well, close to twenty years of refinement and design, for the 4A series. The A-series in generally were developed as a K-series replacement in the 70's. The 1ZZ-FE had a complete paradigm shift in design - had to light, compact, fuel efficient, and more powerful. Aside from potential for stuck oil rings and EVAP related issues - the 1ZZ-FE is actually pretty solid for a new design. The 9th gen fixed the oil and EVAP issues, but I personally fell backwards with the DBW implementation. Could have been better, especially with the ones they already had on the Lexus product line.
UPDATE:
Can't kill it, just won't die! 25,000 more miles on three cylinders, and running (~) fine! 30MPG too.
