Got an All Trac to add to my fleet...TURTCEL

[TURTCEL]

Well, I finally found another Yota wagon to add to my collection. I just purchased a 1988 Corolla All Trac DX (yes, this is the AT version) for a sweet $1700 (was asking $2k).

I know that most of us here are manual transmission lovers but believe it or not I was actually looking for an AT All Trac. We have a 1.5 old son and my wife loves our Terc but she has now decided that having the kid requires an AT. Less to deal with when you have a child hitting the famed terrible 2's. She has wanted an All Trac for a long time but the right one hasn't come along until now.

The car is light blue with the classic pealing clear coat and rusty wiper arms. Other than that, the body is straight and all glass is good. I am now the 3rd owner after the 2nd owner who only had it for about 6 months. He sold it because he bought a truck and no longer needed it. It runs absolutely great and shifts smooth as silk. Needs a driver's seat and a valve cover gasket. Other than that...she is good to go. Has 210k...old man original owner with an archive of receipts.

Any tips on this new addition would be awesome.

Peace

[irowiki]

Little bit of Seafoam Transtune perhaps!

[TURTCEL]

I am looking around for a factory service manual for my newly added 1988 corolla all-trac. All I am coming up with is factory service manuals that list it for a 1988 1/2 corolla all-trac. Is this what my car is considered or is there an actual 1988 manual and also a 1988 1/2 manual? I am guessing the 1988 1/2 is what I am looking for but just wanted to make sure.

Peace

[dlb]

congrats, john! i got your text last night and was hoping you'd post about it.

i have found the same thing about the 88 1/2 FSM's but mine is a '90 so it wasn't an issue for me. i have no idea what was changed at 88 1/2 but i can't imagine it was very much. all of these cars had the same 4-afe engine, and i don't know of any change in diff ratios or anything else so i *think* you should be fine with that FSM.

[TURTCEL]

I can't even find an FSM that just says 1988 corolla all-trac...only the 1988 1/2. I am guessing that this must be what I have.

My manufacturer's date is Feb of 1988 though so I would guess it to be a 1988 and not a 1988 1/2.
Peace

[irowiki]

It could be that they started the alltracs halfway through the model year!

[Petros]

I have owned an '88 also, they did start the all-trac half way through the model year, because they made the Tercel4wd in the first half of '88. they introduce the new model of '88 in fall '87, so I would guess that a manufacture date of feb would be half way through the year. This was the car that replaced the Tercel4wd, and frankly a mistatke. though a much nicer car with more room, better twin cam EFI engine, and more confortable (more quite too), it did not sell very well. The all-trac was replaced by the RAV-4 in '94 or '95. which sold like crazy, but they abandoned the small 4wd market in the North Amercia.

No matter, all of the model years All-Tracs are almost identical, that manual will work fine for you. Usually the manual will say what manufacture date rather than half year, as to the applicability for the service manual.

[TURTCEL]

Thanks for all the clarifying info guys. I will make an order for one of the 1988 1/2 manuals then.

What years were the all-tracs made from exactly? I am figuring 1988-199????

Peace

[dlb]

they were 88-92. the only differences i have noticed between years is a different grill on the '92s, and the US guys on the all trac forum have mentioned that the seat belts changed for them in 90 or something, they went to a passive restraint or something? i don't know what it's called. it's one of those weird ones where the top mount of the shoulder belt slides forward when the door is open and back when the door is closed, i think. those are the only differences between years i can think of.

be aware that the 4afe in the ae95's uses a different block from the 4afe's in every other car. it has a slight cutout to accommodate the center diff. so if you ever have to replace the engine, oil pan, or oil pan gasket, it must have that cutout. there are pics of this on the alltrac forum if you ever need more info.

[Petros]

the head is diffrent on the other 4afe and the all-trac. for some reason the all-trac does not have EGR, the other corollas had an internal passage in the head for the EGR, you can still use it though I would thread and plug the EGR passage.

I really hate that seat belt arrangement, it was a short lived federal requirement that the seat belts deploy automatically. the really stupid part about it was it was only on the shoulder belt, the lap belt you still had to reach across and click it manually. So if you left off the lap belt you actually risk greater injury to your neck. one reason it was discontinued after airbags became standard equipment. I just as soon has a simple manual seat belt that you manually adjust so you can cinch it down and hold you in your seat better.

[TURTCEL]

So I just replaces the headlight assemblies and driver's seat. Got manual adjustable mirrors to install as well. I did find a that exhaust manifold is cracked so I will be getting one of those now too.

The PO put in a new dizzy, plugs, cap, rotor, wires, and air filter. He said that his mechanic friend installed them for him. I find that when started up from cold the RPM's are a little high on the car...for too long of a time. I think I remember the PO saying that the mechanic messed with the timing a little. The RPM's go down after the the car warms up fully but to me that is too long. Any one know what I might look for on my All-Trac as far as a sensor or something else that controls cold start RPM's?

Peace

[dlb]

i think what you're describing is normal. mine idles around 2000 rpm on cold start up and gradually comes down as the temp goes up. once fully warmed, it idles around 900 rpm.

if you check the timing, you have to jump two terminals in the fuse box to temporarily disable the ECU. can't remember which ones but i believe it should say on the diagram under the hood. stock timing is 10* BTDC.

also, this might be useful to you at some point. it's a 'how to' and code list for checking CELs (check engine light) on all OBD1 toyotas.

http://www.troublecodes.net/Toyota/

[TURTCEL]

i think what you're describing is normal. mine idles around 2000 rpm on cold start up and gradually comes down as the temp goes up. once fully warmed, it idles around 900 rpm.

Yeah that seems to be what mine does...just guess it seems like a long time to me. Used to a carb system where tapping the gas pedal will drop the RPM's.

Any tips on what I could do to the paint since the clear coat is gone and the paint is pretty much screwed. I don't want to have a rattle can look to it but was considering something like that. Paint is bad hood and roof. Was also thinking I could wet sand it and then just shoot it with some clear coat and leave it be....?????????

Peace

[dlb]

if you're into that sort of thing, you could buff the whole thing and then wax it. you might have to repeat it every year but i think that would be the cheapest, easiest thing to do.

my ae95 warms up really quick, fully warmed in 3 or 4 min. if yours is taking longer, it might be time to replace the thermostat.

[TURTCEL]

New thermostat and radiator already. I was wondering if there was a thermal sensor that could also be a possibility?

Peace