i have a 1994 Toyota corolla. it has been taking really long to accelerate?

Its a real shame that I am hearing more and more women afraid to go to the mechanics because they feel they will get ripped off.....guess what, they will rip us men off too if they know that we have no knowledge about cars either. That applies to anyone you do business with banks, insurance companies, car sales, etc.

Now unfortunately because of your paranoia of mechanics you may have skipped out on a lot of routine maintenance work that is affecting your cars performance now. This will surely cost you big bucks bringing your car up to date. Are you replacing your car's oil between every 3-5000 miles? Have you had your spark plugs and wires replaced recently? Engine air filter replaced? Fuel filter replaced? Inspect all hoses for any air leaks? Timing belt & waterpump replacement? You could also have them clean your throttle body plate which is probably covered in carbon build up. Your transmission oil and filter filter will most likely need replacing BUT a vehicle that old is probably not a good idea to do a full flush but a drain & fill instead.

If you go to your owners manual there is a section regarding your cars service maintenance which lists all of the service work that needs to be done at each interval. This should give you some knowledge when you go to the mechanics as what needs to be done everytime you bring it in for service. Also, your owners manual will also list all of your fluids and capacities which will tell you exactly what type of fluids are required for your car like oil, transmission, coolant, brakes & power steering with the quantity amounts required for your car. The service schedule will give you some knowledge on what exact services needs to be done and what not needs to be done....for example....if you change your oil regularly and they insist you need an engine flush well that would be a classic example of a useless service that not only is not needed but can also harm your engine and you would know that because it was outlined in your owners manual. If you are ever presented with a repair from a mechanic that you are skeptical about you have every right to drive away and go get a 2nd or even a 3rd opinion from other mechanics to see if they reach the same diagnosis.

That is the end of my rant!

Many parts of the engine and transmission if not maintained per the schedule written up in the owner's manual will deteriorate in performance over time.

I suggest that you get these things done first (its called first aid):

1. Change the fuel filter, purge the fuel lines to remove sediments inside the fuel manifold.\

2. Clean the throttle valve, and the idle speed control valve.

3. Change the automatic transmission fluid (ATF fluid) and its strainer assembly.

These jobs if not performed at all every 40,000 km will render bigger repair cost.

Wish you good luck. Remember that your Toyota is a workhorse. Other brands may require more tender loving care and attention.