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I suppose the fuel filter is the next item that could use replacement.
I've only heard one other Echo that has made a similar sound but didn't have time to stop the driver to ask.
Other news: the remote switch for my driving lights works fine and the added light is great for night desert driving!
The search feature on this site is great, but I can find nothing wrt RV dinghy towing and recommended cars. Does anyone have any experience towing an Echo behind a motorhome?
ISSUE: After driving about 4 hours with the a/c on in mid-80s(F) and high humidity, a/c looses efficiency and cooling ability. Fan also becomes quite loud. Problem initially occurred in summer of 2000 on a long trip. After insulating low pressure line, problem did not repeat until this week (also first long trip since summer 2000). Both times, after turning off the a/c for a half-hour or so, it worked fine thereafter for the couple of hours remaining of the driving day.
Any help/suggestions would be much appreciated, since more trips are planned this summer. Thanks.
The problem is that the a/c, in the process of cooling the air, causes the moisture in the air to condense out. If you have enough moisture in the air, you'll get ice on the coils, which makes the air conditioner work less efficiently since ice is such a poor conductor of heat.
In effect, your a/c is also acting as a dehumidifier. So high humidity would definitely make the problem worse. Running it in fresh-air mode rather than recirculate-mode would normally help the situation, unless of course the outside humidity is itself so high that it's higher than the humidity inside the car.
I think the only solution is to just cycle the a/c off periodically, while keeping the fan on. You need to let the ice melt.
The problem might be less severe if the ambient temperature is higher, because then the air conditioner would have a difficult time getting cold enough to actually freeze the water.
......
Interestingly, home dehumidifiers work this way; ice periodically builds up on the cooling coils, and the unit automatically turns off the compressor (i.e., the thing that's doing the cooling) and lets the fan run so as to melt the ice that's formed.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraida/pb3f469f1ca1d18656167fec0e86126d7/fdd53d55.jpg.orig.jpg
We tested one of the last of the old-style Corrolas and found it cramped, clumsy, uncomfortable, and doing a really bad job of acting above its station as an economy car.
The Echo's ride is not among the best, but the car's airy cabin and spartan trim speak of a cheeky efficiency redolent of the great French small cars. Why pretend?
It's the first and only US version of this design theme, widely available in every other industrialized democracy. Egg-shaped bodies on skinny tires, with little engines (often diesel) can move a lot, for little fuel. Notice also this body style's very strong crash test performance.
Old small car designs can't do this.
Wayward handling in crosswinds is a fair trade for the car's great aerodynamics. I like the traction-A, temperature-A rated Bridgestone tires too. We like having a good radio and AC, without power windows.
Modernity permeates the engine bay too. Toyota does not lead Honda in baby engine technology, but Echo's 1.5 liter variable valve timing motor still revs delinquently high. The cable-actuated shifter has a very short and accurate throw, overlooking its dead-fish handshake feel.
Bang for the buck, it's a good car. State of the art sub-Civic sized cars were a lost art in America. Echo shows the way, until BMW brings in the Mini.
In regard to the extended warranty, from reading the other posts on this msg board, it seems like a waste of money. Consumer Reports 2002 Automotive issue (in newstands now) lists the Echo as a reliable car. From my prior experiences with Toyotas (I've owned 2: '79 Corolla & '89 Tercel), the cars were very reliable. However, it is an individual decision, and every make & model has lemons.
Compare that cost to the cost of warranty coverage, and you quickly realize how companies increase earnings by offering warranties - the odds are in their favour. It's not quite Casino de Hull, but it's going in that direction!
Well, I haven't towed an Echo nor do I own one. However, I know our local trailer dealer quite well, and often found him to be a wealth of information. He's an owner/manager of the operation, not a salesman, and just a regular guy who knows his stuff.
It might be worthwhile asking this kind of person's opinion - he might even be able to refer you to some local person who's doing this. He'd know who's car he put a front hitch on, right?
On that trip I went 414 miles before filling up with gas. It took 10.5 gallons to fill the tank (165 miles city driving, the rest on the hiway) When your gas gets that low a little gas pump icon comes up flashing to the right of the odo. Anybody else ever seen this icon?
Ouch, that last part hurts. The key words there are "young drivers."
The article states that the Matrix or the Scion brand (to be launched in California next summer) could be the winner (get the young to buy them).
The article ends by stating that the company has its roots in Japan, but Toyota's destiny is all-American.
Maybe Toyota should consider marketing the Echo to that 45 year old customer base? Anyone know the average age of an Echo buyer?
I'm debating between upgrading to 15" steel or alloy wheels. The weight diff is negligible so the decision is more of a cosmetic one. Anyone get 15" wheels for their Echo? I priced out a set of alloys and 195/15 Bridgestones for $562...the steel set would be about $250 less.
The accident scene sounded gruesome -- a tragedy for the families involved. I wonder what the accident investigation will conclude about the cause of the accident.
The Matrix seems to be a hit around Houston. I've seen several on the streets already. In contrast, it only seems only recently that the ECHO has been taken off my "rare sighting" list. While I'm sure that Toyota doesn't mind selling to the mature market (they tend to have money after all), I think that they are concerned about becoming what Buick or Lincoln was not too long ago -- a brand associated too much with a mature image.
It's a crying shame if the Echo goes the way of the Paseo. I love my Echo, but the vehicle wasn't marketed to my age group (53) and maybe it should have been. I have had several people ask about it, both young and old. I think Toyota needs to push its attributes such as easy entry and exit, huge trunk, great gas mileage, uniqueness (center dash, which, by the way, I find a great safety feature!) and maybe fix a couple of things like non-remote mirrors.
I have over 32,000 miles on my 2001 Echo and he is still running great and still getting great fuel mileage numbers.
This last part is great since gas is $1.32 a gallon around here and projected to go even higher soon.
Hey Grn, do you know what happened to the Echo board over on Yahoo? I tried going there after an extended time away and Yahoo tells me there is no such club.
Happy Echoing all.
I wonder how Edmunds is reacting to the new Saturn Ion which also has a center mounted instrument cluster.
Apparently Yahoo recently changed their different "clubs" into "groups"- I don't remember the reason, but I had been a member of 2 clubs, one the echo club, and I also had difficulty accessing them, once they became groups.
This past weekend, while doing laundry, some jerk keyed my Echo- big criss crosses on the hood, and a straight line down the driver's side and across the trunk. Guess I'll have to do some research on the repairs and maintenance board to see how to handle the scratches. The ones on the hood are the worst, because they are so "decorative" and are deep, down to black. I am especially annoyed since I am so careful to park far away from other cars, and walk the extra distance!
1. Compared to a Prius, [same general size and shape] the mirrors are slightly smaller. But that smaller difference is significant.
2. The echo mirrors would sag or drop from their original adjustment over time. Readjustment and tightening the screws for this purpose helped a lot.
3. The best thing that helped was placement of one of those $1-$2 convex mirrors in the outside corner on the driver's side and I think on the pasenger side also. This eliminated a dangerous blind spot and gave better overall visibility. Mirror problems went away basically after this.
Hope that helps some.
Don
Nashville TN
I had rented an Echo for one day, and I found the mirrors were too small for safe merging into traffic. I am used to my Jetta though, and its mirrors are pretty big and also blue tinted to reduce glare of headlights from behind. Although that was not a problem in the Echo, because I drove it during all daylight.
I have the rectangular convex lenses mounted on them as they afford a view across lanes and down to the rear tire. The round ones tend to give a fish-eye view that's hard to judge position. I got started using those when riding motorcycles and have never had to look back to compensate for blindspots.
The mirrors were small (to me, anyway) on the rental Echo I had. And it did have the remote mirrors.
But what is your total price with fees & taxes (TTL) ?
With the options that you've given, shouldn't the invoice should be $12237 ?
With the $1000 off instant rebate savings, it'll be $11237 ?
Has anyone had any mechanical failures with the 2000 Echo; if you have, was it standard/automatic, and how many miles were on it?
Thanks,
Ryan
I'll let you all know how the mpg and handling are once they're on.
Regarding extended warranties...I think overall it's a waste of money as at 37k miles, if something was defective it sure would've made itself known by now. Unless the warranty covers items needing replacement due to wear and tear I would pass. I spent $1700 on my last car's extended warranty but it covered the a/c compressor for wear and tear as well as the cooling system.
Maybe the Echo's mirrors seem small due to the large greenhouse...they are about the same as all other Toyota cars in size.
Isn't it great that the only thing we're talking about now is the size of the mirrors as opposed to recalls and defects?
What I mean is your "total on paper" with taxes and fees. What is it ?
Are you saying that your total is
$11275
+ 50
+ 500
-------
$11825 (your total w/ tax & fees ?)
A typical Echo at the invoice of $12237 (or $11237 w/ $1000 cash rebate applied) should come with the following options (4dr, 5spd):
- Air Conditioning
- All Weather Guard Package
- Auto Idling Control
- Quarter Stone Protector
- Radiator Cover
- Sports Body Cladding
- Power Steering
I didn't know that Echos come with cruise ?
I checked and they don't have it as an option.
Is yours the 2003 Echo ?
Yes, there was a $1000 instant cash rebate on 2002 Echos about a month or two ago on top of the negotiated invoice price.
I think that with the MSPR price that you've listed as $11900, is with the $1000 cash rebate applied.
With gas mileage : I'm currently getting an average of 44 MPG (80% city & 20% highway). I'd notice that by adding a "gas treatment" bottle to a full tank of gas has increased my MPG by an extra 4 MPG.
I've just changed the oil and oil filter myself (two days ago) and it I may get higher than 44 MPG (probably a couple extra MPG above 44 MPG).
I will post it in the next few days.