# 1988 TOYOTA COROLLA LOSES POWER WHEN i PUT IT IN GEAR **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** corolla, toyota\ **Created:** [October 13, 2013, 12:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1988-toyota-corolla-loses-power-when-i-put-it-in-gear/81764 "2013-10-13T00:03:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![olly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@olly](https://community.cartalk.com/u/olly)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2013, 12:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1988-toyota-corolla-loses-power-when-i-put-it-in-gear/81764/1 "2013-10-13T00:03:02Z")
THE CAR HAS GRADUALLY LOST POWER OVER TIME, FIRST IT WOULD TAKE TIME TO GET UP TO SPEED AND NOW IT WILL IDLE BUT AS SOON AS YOU PUT IT IN GEAR YOU HAVE TO PUSH THE GAS PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR JUST TO GO 2 MILES PER HR…i CHANGED THE FUEL PUMP AND FILTER, GAVE IT A TUNE UP WITH NEW PLUGS, WIRES, CAP, ROTOR…BYPASSED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER…IT HAS A CARBURETOR ON IT …AT A LOSS ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2013, 12:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1988-toyota-corolla-loses-power-when-i-put-it-in-gear/81764/2 "2013-10-13T00:10:14Z")
Does this **Corolla** have an automatic transmission or a manual trans? When you are pushing the gas pedal to the floor and going only 2 mph…What is the RPM reading of the tachometer? (Translation=Is the engine racing, or is it still idling?) If the engine is racing, then the first things to consider are… …a trans problem, if it has an automatic transmission or …a severely slipping clutch if it has a manual transmission ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2013, 12:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1988-toyota-corolla-loses-power-when-i-put-it-in-gear/81764/3 "2013-10-15T00:52:52Z")
Hmmmm…Were the questions that I posed too difficult in nature? ??? ---
**Author:** ![jesmed1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/jesmed1/32/2097_2.png) [@jesmed1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jesmed1)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2013, 6:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1988-toyota-corolla-loses-power-when-i-put-it-in-gear/81764/4 "2013-10-15T18:16:15Z")
Sounds like maybe you need a carburetor rebuild. A bad accelerator pump in the carburetor, or a bad float, could cause those symptoms. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 6:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1988-toyota-corolla-loses-power-when-i-put-it-in-gear/81764/5 "2013-10-16T06:16:38Z")
There’s at least a dozen possibilities. If my own car first thing – after checking for any CEL codes and making sure all the suggested engine and tranny maintenance is up to date – I’d check that the throttle cable isn’t frayed, moves the throttle mechanism smoothly and freely when you step on the gas, and hasn’t too much slack at idle. After that, I’d test timing, compression, vacuum, and valve clearances. Still a no-go? The carb is probably the next suspect after all the above has been ruled out. Best of luck. ---
**Author:** ![BustedKnuckles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bustedknuckles/32/25_2.png) [@BustedKnuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BustedKnuckles)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 6:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1988-toyota-corolla-loses-power-when-i-put-it-in-gear/81764/6 "2013-10-16T06:27:21Z")
If it is an '88 with a carb, there is no ECU to pull codes from. Time to find an Old Timer that remembers how to diagnose without computers. With a carb, the vacuum gauge is a good friend. Need a timing light, too. But, I once knew a guy that could set the timing by ear within 1 deg. of spec. He taught me a lot, but passed away several years ago. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 6:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1988-toyota-corolla-loses-power-when-i-put-it-in-gear/81764/7 "2013-10-16T06:35:06Z")
I have an early 90’s Corolla and it has codes. Just OBD I codes is all. I think an 88 – only a few years older than mine – even tho a carb’d engine, it probably has diagnostic codes that can be read by blinking them out on the dashboard. ---
**Author:** ![BustedKnuckles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bustedknuckles/32/25_2.png) [@BustedKnuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BustedKnuckles)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 1:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1988-toyota-corolla-loses-power-when-i-put-it-in-gear/81764/8 "2013-10-16T13:04:28Z")
The '88s with a carb only had a glorified relay box to trigger a couple of vacuum solenoids. The carb was completely mechanical, no CEL. Only the CA-smog version may have had a ECU-controlled carb in '91, but even that is rare, since they were switched completely to EFI and finally ditching the carb.