Toyota Repair: 1989 Toyota acceleration?, toyota camry, turning the key

Question
Hello Ted,

When I start my 1989 4 cylinder toyota camry car(135,000mi) in the morning for the last 4 days, it is slow to accelerate to a normal speed.  I have also been having choppy acceleration at starting around 45mph and stopping around 55mph.  This choppieness and slow acceleration may or may not match a fill up at a gas station, but right before the fill up, the funny coppieness started ever so slightly.  


Then I decided to replace the fuel filter and spark plugs.  It seemed a little better this morning driving to work about 10 miles away.  On the drive home, the acceleration from a dead stop got very bad.  It was also slow to accelerate at higher speeds with gear shifting seeming unusual in my 4 car.  When I got home, there was a smell inside my car that may have been a possible rubber like smell.  I don't think it was rubber though.  This smell could have been from me revving the engine trying to get the car to move faster...it gets a little scary when you think your car is not going to make it through an intersection fast enough.

I live in south florida where there has been relatively no rain and it has been about 85 degrees outside.  

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,

Jen  

Answer
Hello Jen, welcome to my expert page,
I'm trying to figure out if this is a transmission or engine problem,from your description I assume this is an automatic transmission,when you say that there is slow acceleration from a start, does the engine rpm go up high but the car won't move or does the rpm stay low, this is important,does the acceleration seem jerky? Does the engine seem to cut out, kind of like turning the key on and off real fast? If this is a manual transmission please let me know.