Questions and Answers

Corolla Starts Hard Q. Dear Sirs, I have a 1989 Alltrac Toyota Corolla Wagon, Automatic Transmission, 4A-FE Engine, 140,000 miles. Problem: I have difficulty starting car (usually takes at least 2 tries) if it sits overnight or for more than about 5 hours, especially as weather has been getting colder.

Recently I changed ignition cables, distributor cap, and rotor but it didn't help.

Thanks for your help.
Alan

A. It sounds like the check valve in the fuel pump has gone bad. The check valve is supposed to hold fuel pressure overnight to make starting easier after the engine has been turned off. Hooking up a fuel pressure gauge and letting it sit over night will tell if the pressure is holding or not.

Another way you can test this is to turn the key to the on position and wait about five seconds and turn the key off. Do this three times and see if the engine starts faster. If it does, you have a fuel pressure loss. The valve is built into the pump so to replace the valve you'll need to replace the pump.

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