So my Camry was... "gifted" to me right at the age that sensors and the like would be failing in a chain, one after the other. It's been getting really bad mileage (about 16.6mpg) and I've begun cleaning what I can. Pulled the MAF sensor out, cleaned it. While it was out, I took a good look at the rest of the air system- The TPS was unplugged. Plugged it back in and my idle began surging, quickly. Quick up and down, but closer to a drop and comeback. It'll sit at normal, drop to about 400, and come back. Sometimes this happens just at idle, sometimes it only happens when I'm on the brakes. When it only happens when I'm on the brakes, I must be moving or it doesn't happen. All I can think of that would cause this, though, is the TPS- After all, that's the only thing that changed... And then I had the problem. Why would the brakes cause a surging idle just because I plugged in the TPS? Anyway, I might go to a u-pull-it style junkyard this weekend and pick up a new TPS and a new MAF. The O2 sensor is new and I've checked all of the coolant temp sensors- they're all in spec. Can only think of maybe the TPS and MAF causing my bad mileage.

Ideas? Do you think I'm right with this one?

Edit: I forgot to specify. This is a 1991 Camry 4-cylinder (3S-FE)

 

tps is bad. surging is a common issue for a bad tps. and using the brakes uses vacuume which will cause it to run diff. also when your on the brakes, the ecu is in deceleration mode and cuts fuel. if its getting a whack signal from the tps, it might not be able to tell if your decelerating or not.

 

Sweet, thanks. Tomorrow I am going to pull a new TPS and a new MAF just because the junkyard has them cheap- I've done a bit of exhaust work (nearly doubled my crappy mileage) and I'd rather hear that than the MAF sensor... fluttery thing making a ton of racket.


Edit: As you can tell, I'm used to much simpler machinery like you would find in a MPFI-equipped Tracker or Sidekick... Easier design, user-serviceable, all that good stuff. Thanks again, glad I found this place.

 

whats not shared_user serviceable about the camry?

 

Not so much that the Camry isn't user-serviceable, my problem is that I'm used to my Suzuki where every single part comes out and I can replace individual pieces of each part or clean the individual pieces of each part- The way the MAF on the Camry is designed, as an example, means that once it starts causing a ton of intake noise it's gotta go. None of the individual parts of the housing can be replaced or fixed by the owner. Gotta buy a whole new MAF housing. No big deal, I'm just used to not actually having to buy stuff to fix other stuff. The Camry is just fancier than my old Suzuki, is all!