I have 1988 corolla fx carburetor engine 45000 miles only, I stalls after warm up at idle or after highway time upon letting of the accelerator. It then starts only intermittently until it cools off. I changed the fuel pump, fuel filter, fuel hoses and clamps under the hood, but the problem still persists. Can you help Me!!!

SYMPTOM 1: ROUGH IDLE IN THE COLD

The engine will not idle smoothly, or it stalls during idle when the engine is cold. When the engine is cold and you take your foot off the gas pedal, the engine runs very rough and may even stall. When you run the engine at higher speeds, it seems to run fine, or at least it runs more smoothly.
Possible causes:

1. If you have a carburetor, you may have a bad accelerator pump or power circuit.
   The Fix: Replace accelerator pump or replace the carburetor.
2. There may be a vacuum leak.
   The Fix: Check and replace the vacuum lines as required.
3. There may be some type of ignition problem.
   The Fix: Check and replace the distributor cap, rotor, ignition wires, and spark plugs.
4. The ignition timing may be set wrong.
   The Fix: Adjust the ignition timing.
5. There may be a fault in the computerized engine control system.
   The Fix: Check engine control systems with a scan tool. Test the circuits and repair or replace components as required.

1. The EGR valve may be bad.
   The Fix: Replace the EGR valve.
2. The engine may have mechanical problems.
   The Fix: Check the compression to determine the engine's condition.
3. Idle speed is set incorrectly.
   The Fix: Set idle speed to the car's original settings.
4. The fuel injectors may be dirty.
   The Fix: Clean or replace the fuel injectors.

SYMPTOM 2: ROUGH IDLE WITH WARM ENGINE

The engine will not idle smoothly, or it stalls during idle when the engine is warm. When the engine is warm or hot and you take your foot off the gas pedal, the engine runs very rough and may even stall. When you run the engine at higher speeds, it seems to run fine.
Possible causes:

1. If you have a carburetor, you may have a bad accelerator pump or power circuit.
   The Fix: Replace accelerator pump or replace the carburetor.
2. There may be a vacuum leak.
   The Fix: Check and replace vacuum lines as required.
3. The fuel pressure regulator may be operating at too low a pressure.
   The Fix: Check the fuel pressure with a fuel pressure gauge. Replace fuel pressure regulator. (This is not really a do-it-yourself kind of job.)
4. Idle speed set incorrectly.
   The Fix: Set idle speed to specs.
5. There may be some type of ignition problem.
   The Fix: Check and replace distributor cap, rotor, ignition wires and spark plugs.
6. There may be a fault in the computerized engine control system.
   The Fix: Check engine control systems with a scan tool. Test circuits and repair or replace components as required. (This is not really a do-it-yourself kind of job.)
7. The EGR valve may be bad.
   The Fix: Replace EGR valve.

1. The engine may have mechanical problems.
   The Fix: Check compression to determine engine condition.
2. The fuel injectors may be dirty.
   The Fix: Clean or replace fuel injectors.

SYMPTOM 3: FAST IDLING

The engine idles too fast. After the engine has run long enough to become warm, the idle speed does not come down to normal. You really notice it when you come to a stop and must have to push ******* the brake pedal to keep the car from moving.
Possible causes:

1. If you have a carburetor, you may have a bad accelerator pump or power circuit.
   The Fix: Replace the accelerator pump or replace the carburetor.
2. The engine may be overheating.
   The Fix: Check and repair the cooling system.
3. The fuel pressure regulator may be operating at too low a pressure.
   The Fix: Check fuel pressure with a fuel pressure gauge. Replace fuel pressure regulator. (This is not really a do-it-yourself kind of job.)

1. The ignition timing may be set wrong.
   The Fix: Adjust the ignition timing.
2. There may be some type of ignition problem.
   The Fix: Check and replace the distributor cap, rotor, ignition wires and spark plugs.
3. There may be a fault in the computerized engine control system.
   The Fix: Check the engine control systems with a scan tool. Test the circuits and repair or replace the components as required.
4. There may be a vacuum leak.
   The Fix: Check and replace vacuum lines as required.
5. You have a bad idle speed control unit.
   The Fix: Replace the idle speed control unit.
6. The alternator may not be working properly.
   The Fix: Replace the alternator.

SYMPTOM 4: STALLING UPON STOPPING

Car stalls when stopped quickly. You are driving along and everything is just fine ... until you let off the gas pedal and apply the brakes. The engine starts shaking and may even stall. Not a good thing to happen because you lose power steering when the engine dies and could risk an accident.
Possible causes:

1. There may be a serious vacuum leak.
   The Fix: Check and replace the vacuum lines as required.
2. There may be a fault in the computerized engine control system.
   The Fix: Check the engine control systems with a scan tool. Test the circuits and repair or replace the components as required. (This is not really a do-it-yourself kind of job.)
3. Broken linkage.
   The Fix: Repair or replace the linkage as required.

Idling issues can be very frustrating, but with some patient troubleshooting, you'll have a real chance at figuring it out. Remember to always check your engine idle with the air conditioning and defroster turned off, as both of these systems are designed to change the idle when they are on due to the air conditioning system's demands on the engine.

BOY,that sounds like the EGR is too far open!Un plug it and see.
Maybe getting the wrong signal from the '88 computer.

Also my be a fuel delivery malfunction.
Fuel pump,filter,fuel pressure regulator.

I need to ask more questions,here.

If this is the model with the variable venturi, it has a little green vacum box claped under the air filter box, theyplay up a lot, results in bad starting, bad idle, or stalling.

Hope this helps

Engine stalling issue at low speeds

This problem is commonly caused by a dirty automatic idle speed control valve and throttle valve. Buy a can of throttle valve cleaner from NAPA or Carquest (made by CRC chemicals) and spray it into the air intake while the engine is running, use up about 1/2 the can, engine will try to stall hold the speed up, shut it down and let it soak for 30 minutes, restart and blow out the remaining fluid, shut it down and disconnect the negative battery cable for 5 Min's to reset the base idle control

I Have a couple of questions. First question does engine surge when idleing cold? 2. Does engine start quickly without a lot of cranking, Cold or warm? 3. Do you have funny smell at highway speed, or after you stop? With out this info and your imput, I would only be guessing. I am retired mechanic of 25 years. and would like to help if u need me.

air leak.check your hose to the servo.

IF YOU HAVE CARBURETOR. IDLE SPEED TOO HIGH NEED ADJUSTING. CHECK ACCELERATOR LINKAGE OR CABLE COULD BE IN A BIND CAUSING HIGH IDLE SPEED.MAKE SURE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL FLOOR MAT NOT IN THE WAY.CHECK CARBURETOR MOUNTING BOLTS.RETIGHTEN TO MAKE YOU DONT HAVE A VACUUM LEAK BETWEEN CARBURETOR GASKET AND INTAKE MANIFOLD THAT WILL CAUSE HIGH IDLE SPEED.IF YOU HAVE FUEL INJECTION ENGINE LET A GARAGE SET THE TIMING AND IDLE.

I would look at the fuel delivery system. Change the fuel filter if it hasn't been done lately. Also get the fuel pressure checked. I don't have the specs but it could be that your fuel pump is getting worn and occasionally has trouble pumping enough fuel to the carb. It's also possible that your carb may need to be overhauled. They do wear and get build up in the pasages over time. Also check to see if your warm air valve in the air cleaner is working. It is possible that your carb is icing up in the cold weather and it is more likely to happen at highway speed.
If you need to get the carb overhauled take it to a shop that specializes in this type of work. You will be glad you did when you get it back.
Hope this helps.

the egr valve could be sticking causing this issue put a vacuum gauge on the egr valve to draw a vacuum then release it to see if it sticks

Check throttle position sensor (TPS) is a sensor used to monitor the position of the throttle. The sensor is usually a potentiometer, and therefore provides a variable resistance dependent upon the position of the valve. The sensor signal is used by the engine control unit (ECU) as an input to its control system. The ignition timing and fuel injection timing (and potentially other parameters) are altered depending upon the position of the throttle, and also depending on the rate of change of that position. For example, in fuel injected engines, in order to avoid stalling, extra fuel may be injected if the throttle is opened rapidly (mimicking the accelerator pump of carburetor systems). the cost about 50-75 bucks.