anyone familiar with toyota corolla diesels?

[ChugBug]

my bf has an 84 toyota corolla diesel he is very attached too that has been sitting at his mother's house for a year. he found out today it must be moved by tuesday or it will be towed. we went over to check it out today. it has a new battery, full tank of fuel, and he added oil to it. it wouldn't turn over. we hooked up my beetle tdi to it and it still wouldn't turn over. his headlights would come on. we looked under the hood some more and saw a couple of fuses were corroded and a wire was chewed through. we are hoping that once we replace these fuses tomorrow and splice the wire, it will start.

is anyone familiar with these old diesels who coudl offer some advice? i honestly didnt' even knwo they existed until i met my bf.


thanks!!

 

[DPM]

Yup.
Toyota starters give problems. Is there a click from the starter when you turn the key? If so, pull the starter and r&r the contacts inside the solenoid.
No click? Well, you'll have to trace back. The wiring will depend on age location and transmission ( there may or may not be a starter relay, inhibitor switch, clutch switch etc)

The engine is an 1800cc IDI unit, with a Denso VE clone injection pump. Engine code is 1C. Turbos are known to warp and crack their heads at the drop of a hat, NA units are pretty understressed in comparison.

If you want to work at it, you can order the engine manual from your local dealer. part number RM025E covers everything you'd need mechanically, should be under $20. (If your dealer denies it's existance, it's available mail-order from the UK...)

Common engine in europe, I drove a townace (Van) for four years with the 2- litre turbo version. So any questions, holler...

 

[ICNTDRV]

Manual Tranny? Push it off.

 

[Bob_Fout]

Manual Tranny? Push it off.

Can't you do the same thing if it's an auto, just put it in N?

 

[ChugBug]

it is a manual, i guess we could try pushing it. it doesn't have a turbo as far as i know. We'll be going back over there to look at it again today and will check the starter too, thanks for all advice!!!!

 

[ICNTDRV]

Can't you do the same thing if it's an auto, just put it in N?

From what I've been told, pushing off with an automatic is a whole lot more effective at breaking things than actually starting a vehicle.

 

[DPM]

Unless the auto has a second (output shaft) pump- like the early versions of the Mini- no, you can't.

If it's a manual yes you could push it. But be warned that you'd need to check glowplug operation first, they'll take a lot of turning over without glow...

 

[christi]

don't push start it in 1st gear, i smashed a trans doing that once because a diesel is so hard to turn over
a much gentler way is to tow it behind another car at say 30mph in 4th
just leave it in gear and drag with the ignition on, and after a couple of minutes it will start even if the glowplugs are dead

 

[eetsoot]

Christi, that's pretty funny. Either way I guess the car will be moved.

In my youth I unseized a motor that way. It was a beater 4x4 that was parked for about 5 years. I drove it with no mercy for 2 years till a piston went through the block. What do you expect for $500.