Well, I had the check engine light come on in my little beater Corolla. There are also symptoms that have developed.

When started cold, the engine seems to start fine, but if you immediately go into reverse or first (basically putting some load on the engine) and give it gas the engine will start turning really hard, almost like it's kicking and trying to get out of the engine bay. It will kill itself unless you put it in neutral and take the load off.

After driving it, then parking it, then returning to the car (so the engine isn't cold), it seems like the engine doesn't want to turn, although it will start. It just doesn't feel like a smooth start.

When sitting at a light and it turns green, I kind of have to ease onto the pedal cause the car feels unresponsive and it feels like I will kill it if I give it too much gas.

I'm guessing it may be a bad O2 sensor causing the fuel mixture to be too rich? I was wondering if anyone else had any ideas what it might be. Thanks for any input.

One last thing, the car has been driven quite a lot even with these symptoms, but I would like to get it fixed. My point being that it wasn't just something that developed overnight but has been going on for a while.

 

i don't know why you're asking on a RX8 forum. but check your vacuum lines and intake boots. sounds like you have a leak. with the engine running spray brake cleaner around all the lines. if the engine stumbles, you have pin pointed the leak.

 

I'm sorry, but you must be mistaken. Toyota Corollas do not have problems of any kind.