Rep Power: 332

i know this is a civic forum but i need help with this car asap wheather its comming from a honda tech or w.e. but im in the process of "restoring" this toyota corolla 1988 CARB MODEL w/ 155k miles. not sure which kind but its a 4dr sedan. i have no idea who the previous owners were but i assuming they didnt take care of this little car too well. first off, the car was stored in a garage for 3-4 months without anyone driving it nor turning it on. now the car starts but has problems such as idle is rough and engine shakes at idle and will eventually shut off after few seconds.
heres the maintaince it received so far:
-motor oil change with 10w-30 castrol high mileage oil
-brand new battery
-alternator is fine
-filter is clean and still white
-new spark plugs


i thought it was the fuel since its been sitting on the same gasoline for the 3 months or so. i decided to go down a local gas station like those ampm/arco/etc places and fill it up with some 89. after $8 worth, the tank is half way full and the idle is still terrible. im not sure about the coolant but i checked the coolant its a little below MAX. but once i sniffed the coolant, it smelled like a prositutes vagina (seriously). it stank so bad. not sure if coolant has to do with anything though?

so i want to know anyones input, advice, suggestions, anything so i can get this corolla running well enough for my buddy cause he needs a temporary car to get to school/work for the next few months asap!

thank you.

 
Rep Power: 452

I am assuming the car uses a distributor. I dont know, but if it does, check the spark plug wires, distributor, and rotor and what not.

Also do change the coolant. Flush it out and put fresh coolant in there. The same with the gas. Dont mix new fluid in with old. It doesnt do much but give you still half shitty fuel.

Did you run a alternator output test? Even if the filter is still clean, replace it. If the car dies while running you probably have a bad alternator. Or you might need a new mass air flow sensor. I have seen these fail and the car either doesnt start, dies, or the car drives like ****. Check this and see what happens.

 
Rep Power: 310

Might need the carb rebuilt, try some carb cleaner first. Also get a timing gun and check the timing if you can get to idle somewhere close to where its suppose to be. How about the fuel filter? Might wanna check that out to.

 
Rep Power: 301

Check ALL the vaccum hoses around the carb. Check to make sure the choke works, and moves freely. If the car has sat up a while, give it some time to flush clean again. Lastly, it is possible the carb needs rebuilding. But keep that for last. Most of the time it will be a vacuum leak.