Rev Limiter / Governor

i have a 2004 toyota corolla ce 5 speed manual..
the rev limiter isn’t supposed to kick in until 6600
rpm which is where the red line starts on the
gauge.. i can’t get up over 4200 rpm, even when in
gear. it almost seems like there’s a governor
installed but on the rpm’s instead of the speed.. it’s
really frustrating and i have no idea what it could
be.. yes the check engine light is on but i was told
by the shop that it was on because of a minor evap
leak.. any suggestions??