@ Poster:
Let ur mechanic check ur gear transmission. Are u sure u have been checking the level of ur transmission fluid?

From your explanation above, it shows that; when you attempt to move by pressing the accelerator, the car will stop. This is an indication that your exhaust system is blocked and the engine cannot breath.

It happened to my car just today and we have to call in the panel beater t o open and clear either the exhaust pot at the back or the one at the middle.

nezan pls give more explanation here

very much needed

Danchiks:

Dear Nairalanders, I observed a problem with my 96 Toyota Camry Car recently.
When you start the engine of the car and u are about to engage the drive gear
in readiness to move, it stops immediately. When it is started again, it comes up
and when ure ready to drive after engaging it, it stops.
What could be wrong with the car?

Call these guys Ben-08057777961 and Kunle-08038292296. They will help you out.

IT COULD BE A TIMING PROBLEM, RESET OR REPLACE THE TIMING BELT.

If it is timing problem, the car will not start. If it is transmission fluid problem, the car will not enter gear. From his explanation, these two aspects are not the problem.

tonye-t:

nezan pls give more explanation here

very much needed

call the numbers i gave you yesterday

the guys are the one's that anchor this programme auto medics on radio continental 102.3fm. they will try and tell you what is wrong with the car and what to tell your mechanic to check for.

@tonye-t, check ur transmission oil level, burnt smell, and colour. it must be redish brown in colour.
or else check d gear it self to see if the fibre is burnt out.
good luck

@danchich, since u hav tune it up to 1 and the problem persist i will advice u give the car a good mec to check/regulate the Airflow meter.
maybe the Air in take is not consistent.
Goodluck

@Danchiks

Your problem can be solved by a simple elimination process - this is what experienced mechanics do.
I will advice you to listen to @Yemstrad - he is the only one that is analytical and seems to know what he is talking about!

It seems likely that you have a blocked exhaust system and the breathing of your engine is inhibited. Luckily this is a problem that is easily tested for and eliminated without costing you a lot. I do not want to write a story, but go back and read what @Yemstrad said. It can neither be transmission nor timing (this people don't have a clue about cars)

We will start by eliminating the possibility of an exhaust block. To mitigate the problem for blocked exhaust, you should follow the instructions below.

Here is what to do:
1) Start your car but do not engage the transmission, however I want you to rev up the engine several times (in short bursts)
2) Go ahead and rev engine and sustain the rev at 4000rpm for 2 minutes  (I hope your car has a tachometer)
3) If your engine cuts off, cannot rev up, revs up with much difficulty, doesn't sustain the rev or creates massive exhaust backfire , then go to (4)
4) Turn engine off, Open up the exhaust system before the catalytic converter (where the flexi-pipe or pipe is bolted to the Catalytic converter)
5) Once you open up or disconnect the front pipe at the catalytic converter (CAT), you can go ahead and start the cars engine again
6) Repeat steps (1) and (2)
7) Engine will certainly be noisy (cos exhaust is disconnected before CAT), but ignore noise and check if engine revs freely without hesitation the way the car use to rev.
If engine revs freely and without hesitation, then you have your answer!
9) You could then do two things: re-attach the CAT but detach the muffler at the back and try steps (1) and (2)
10) If your car is now doing the same thing: Not revving or cutting off, then you know the muffler is not blocked and it can only be the CAT
11) If you car is revving fine and not cutting off, then it was your muffler that was blocked not your CAT
12) If your CAT is blocked there are only two things you can do:
             a) Replace your catalytic converter (CAT) with either a new one or a used one.

             b) The most likely thing to do in Naija is to have your mechanic remove the CAT and knock out all the factory installed honeycomb impediments inside and simply
                  re-attach it back as an empty shell. You will get away with that in Naija cos there is no emission standards or emission test plus your engine output may
                  increase by 5Hp.

* The purpose of a CAT is to improve exhaust emissions according to government standards in developed countries. Removing your CAT or hollowing out your CAT is illegal in the US but is nobody's business in Naija. A hollowed out CAT won't change the sound of your car and you may gain a little extra power!

Let me know what you come up with. Goodluck.

Replacing the new muffler was the first thing you should have said.
The length of muffler you replaces is clogged, or bent to prevent flow.


Midas02 has been right on on all his analysis.
Exellent for a non autotech?

If ever you have a problem, you should state whatever you did/changed prior to that, or what you noticed to be unusual

It helps a lot in narrow it down to system involved.

If you can, take pics and post it.

@Danchiks:   Your recent statements just revealed a lot of stuff that should have been revealed earlier.

I will give you a very likely scenario: You said that you steam cleaned the engine huh? Now I know that you have just blasted a lot of moisture into the ignition system and your distributor is the most likely culprit. When professionals steam clean engines here they take special precaution to keep the distributor dry and clear from the blast of the pressure cleaner. I am 99.95% sure the guys in Naija did not do that. So Here is what to do:

1) Instruct your mechanic to remove the distributor and to replace it with a 'borrowed' used one or new one (whichever one you lay your hands on, make sure it is a good one!)
2) Start car and check it out for the same symptoms
3) I am now 90% sure that car will run fine, if not, you can re-install your old distributor and return the borrowed one
4) If car runs fine, then you could either buy the 'borrowed' distributor OR see if yours can be dismantled, cleaned and refurbished before re-installation
5) If car is still not running right then you could try the exhaust check

What you installed on your car is not a muffler!. From what you explained and just showed in the picture, I can deduce that what you installed is an 'Exhaust Tip'.
And did you say your muffler is new?? - that eliminates the muffler as a culprit. However, permit me to talk just in case there is confusion about what we are both refering to as muffler.
Muffler is the big oval boxy portion of the exhaust system that is at the rear of the car, before the exhaust tip. If your muffler or the entire sytem is old and was disturbed during the installation of the exhaust tip, it is quite possible that weak or old inner components of the exhaust system may have been knocked loose and the debris can easily block or severly restrict exhaust vents and thus impede free breathing of your engine (I am not just talking, I have seen and I have dealt with similar problems in the past). However, if your muffler is new, then this is most unlikely.

What I took the time to instruct you about is designed to help you narrow down to the exact issue. You cannot go messing with things like Throttle position sensor (TPS) and Airflow meter (MAFS) if you haven't even eliminated the cheapest, most basic and easiest possibility!! But,,  what do I know, I am just a 200Ibs talking gorilla!. Perhaps,,  it may truly be best to talk to Wale.

Once again, I am 90% sure that it is the Distributor. I wish you the best!  Let me know.

@ Poster:
U failed to elaborate ab initio. Midas02 has however filled u in, lol.

Take pictures of your engine bay(different sections so that Midas02 can see if anything is disconnected.

I don't think its the distributor, sounds like a loose battery terminal

See if something is off, use the pix as a reference

@Danchicks,

You better come and give us feedback here oooo!! I am curious, I want to get to the bottom of this.

I have a similar problem with my 98 Toyota Camry, when i start it in the mornings and engage it in gear and move, the car goes off. But if i rev the engine to 4000-5000rpm for like 20 seconds, it stabilises. It does same thing in the afternoon when i close from work( i think after the engine has fully cooled down). I serviced my injector nozzles and changed the 2 oxygen sensors thinking it would solve it.
Also the check engine light is on and i got these codes using an INNOVA 3110 scan tool.

P1135- AIR FUEL SENSOR HEATER CIRCUIT MALF
P0171-SYSTEM TOO LEAN (BANK 1)
P0401 EXHAUST AIR RECIRCULATION FLOW INSUFFICIENT DETECTED

Following the advice by Midas02 above, my mechanic removed the CAT and knock out all the factory installed honeycomb impediments inside it. I noticed same kind of honeycomb impediments in the front section of the exhaust line (i.e after the manifold) that attached to the cylinder head. I was told to get a new one cos this honeycomb cant be knocked out.

After removing the honeycomb and re-attaching the exhaust to the car, it improved only to start the problem again the day after. I rescanned the car and i got this code 2ce
P0401 EXHAUST AIR RECIRCULATION FLOW INSUFFICIENT DETECTED (CAT,EVA and EGR flashing on the scan tool)
and this P1135- AIR FUEL SENSOR HEATER CIRCUIT MALF.

Guys, what do you think?

@Auto freak

You can't just apply some advice for another person's car to your circumstance! You knocked out all the Catalytic converter filter without even remembering that I said that you should check that this is the problem first! - this is why I listed those steps in (4), (5), (6), (7) and (!.

Your problem seems very different fron Danchiks' problem. Your check engine light is on for a reason and the codes you specified strongly suggests to me that you have an EGR valve (Exhaust gas recirculating valve) and MAFS (Mass Airflow Sensor) problem. Your MAFS is the one that determines the Air to Fuel ratio and it doesn't seem to be functioning well at lower temperatures and this is why your car keeps cutting off when cold.

Essentially, your engine may be burning too rich or too lean (depends). Since the EGR valve is largely controlled by the MAFS information output to the ECU, I will suggest that you replace your EGR valve first (also EGR valve is much cheaper than MAFS). I will also advise you to clean out your Air intake/inlet manifold and your MAFS with cleaning fluids while you at it. If you are lucky, it is probable that your MAFS is not faulty or damaged, and you will not need to replace it.

If all these fails, then you may simply need to replace your MAFS (Mass Airflow Sensor) with a new one. Goodluck.

PS: Make sure you use a Mechanic with a modicum of common sense and NOT a crude slowpoke!!

I am appreciating as many that made one comment or the other as regards the problem highlighted.
You are all great. I know many would want to know what eventually happened to my car engine, was the problem solved or not? The problem was solved, but without visiting any mechanic, one morning when i was ready to go
to work, i started it, and engaged the drive gear immediately and moved, it didnt stop, subsequently, i did same, and observed that the engine was no longer stopping after the gear engagement.
I feel there was water contents entraped in the distributor, but constant heat generated by the engine when in use, licked it up.
I say thank you to all once again.
have a blissful week ahead and God bless you all.

@ Midas, sent you a mail now. Pls reply.

I changed the EGR valve over the weekend and stil have the same problem with the car. Still have these code showing twice when i scan the car- P0401 EXHAUST AIR RECIRCULATION FLOW INSUFFICIENT DETECTED( one with freeze frame the other with pending)
Please where is the MAFS in a 1997 toyota camry located( thot this would help: http://videos.streetfire.net/video/How-to-clean-your-MAF_80603.htm). I will like solve this asap. Also noticed that the A/c wont cool up unless the RPM is above 1000 or when the car is in motion. When you mentioned in the above quote that the engine could be burning too rich or lean, what does that mean?


Waiting to hear from you.

Thanks

@Auto Freak,

I got your mail. The video you sent me is perfect - that is far more explanatory and visual than I could ever accomplish with words alone! The car being serviced there is a Nissan Maxima engine. Essentially the same thing applies to the Toyota engine.

Since you say that you have replaced the EGR valve then next, you need to clean out your MAFS as explained in the video (I will advise you once again to use a reasonable mechanic)

Finally, you need to clear the code on the Car's ECU (computer) by using the Scan tool. This is becos many times these codes are hard-coded into the computer's memory and the computer system won't dynamically re-adjust it's reading to the current state. Consequently, the ECU may still be using the hard coded information to perform evasive survival procedures, as has been programmed into the computer, without realizing or having the means to dynamically re-adjust to current state. If the problem persists, the ECU will notify you by showing fresh codes and 'Check Engine' light will come on again.

So, here are the steps to follow:

1) Replace your EGR valve (if you haven't)
2) Clean out your MAFS sensor and your Intake (as shown in the video)
3) Use a Scan Tool to clear out the code
4) Observe car for the next few days to see if problem persists. Also watch to see if the 'Check Engine' light comes back on.

Let us know what happens.

Midas, how was ur weekend?
I sent you another mail last week.
I still have the problem after replacing the EGR valve ( though there is a slight improvement).
The check engine light came back on after a while.
I rescanned the car and still got the same P0401 code twice.
What is the way forward?

na wa o! i hope una no go direct person to blow him car one day. you dont proffer solution without carrying out basic standard check. learn to advise peeps with issues to do basic checks before guessing what d issue is. blocked exhaust very hilarious. how? when? na tiger gen?