Questions and Answers

Toyota Carina Runs Bad When Hot Q. Dear Vincent, My car is 1995 Toyota Carina E. The problem it has is that it starts jerking after 25 kilometers. It jerks for 100 meters and continues smooth run. Sometimes it jerks intermittently and happens mainly below 60 km/hr speed. Someone said it could be an electrical problem. Please, what could be responsible for this problem? Chris

A. There are a number of reasons for this condition. Some are electrical and some are fuel related. One of the things I would check is the Throttle Position Sensor (TPS).

You can use an analog, needle type, ohmmeter to check the TPS. Connect the test leads to terminals VTA and E2. Slowly open the throttle and watch the needle. It should go up slow and steady. If it jumps or drops, the TPS is no good. Then check between VC and E2. There should be between 2.5 to 5.9 K ohms. If it's above or below that, it's no good.

Another good possibility is the Crank Angle Sensor (CAS). These go bad quite often and they only act up when they get hot. I've replaced a lot of them on all makes of Japanese vehicles.

You might be able to confirm it by letting the engine run for about 30 minutes with the hood closed. Parking it in the sun will help. After about 30 minutes, open the hood and tap on the side of the distributor. Don't beat it to death but do give it a good tap. If it stumbles or stalls, the CAS is no good. If it doesn't act up, that doesn't mean it's good.