Toyota Corolla Maintenance and Repair

tom3k · May 2002

Still no repeat on the dashboard lights. Had a scare earlier today when the remote lock wouldn't work on either fob. Turned out Mrs. 3k didn't close the rear gate properly.;-)

leafguy2727 · May 2002

O.k. I'm now up to 8200km

Got my first oil change at 7800. $32 at Whitby Toyota

On the milage I'd say it started doing really well after 5000km

RESS- Was told this is a result of the break-in period on new converters, I must say it is virtually gone.

CD - Yes exact problem, grinding when braking. My new one is on order, should only take a few days and 30 minutes was what I was told it would take to install, was happy to hear a "radio guy" was not being called in and that they do it themselves. Go figure, the one GM part doesn't work. God I hate GM, but anyways. So if they replace it and it has more problems I'd go right back.

On the armrest issue, I've have no complaints at all. I guess everyone has different opinions.

9051336 · May 2002

How much is that usually? My car is 98 corolla.
I am wondering whether the dealer is the best place for it or doesn't matter at all?

Any input is appreciated!

robertp4 · May 2002

I have a 2002 Corolla type S. 2 weeks ago while driving home, the engine shut off on the highway and could not be restarted. It was towed to a local Toyota dealer. I spoke to the mechanic the next day and he said he was able to start the motor, and checked the computer which had a code for the #1 spark plug misfiring. When he pulled the spark plug wire, the boot was covered with antifreeze. It was his opion that the spark plug tubes were leaking antifreeze into the #1 cylinder. However he could not explain why the car shut off and could not be restarted. The dealer ordered a new cylinder head and gasket, but after 2 weeks, the parts have not arrived. The car has only 15K miles. I was given a loaner car a 2003 corolla. (Much nicer and the seats are more comfortable). Has anybody else had this problem?

bxkid · May 2002

It's brand new 1150 miles and have a knock shifting on this auto tranny, especially from P to R. It is intermittent but appears to be getting worse. Just want to get heads up before Tranny expert takes it for test drive. I would not think it is normal!! Thanks for any advice.

dogtrainer · June 2002

Could you be a little more specific? Where does the noise seem to originate? Can you feel it as well as hear it? When you say getting worse, does that mean louder or more frequent or both? Is it a knock as in a single discrete noise or a grinding?

jdts · June 2002

No problems. No noises/vibrations/rattles/etc. No RESS, car smells new, in and out.

1st tank of gas 30 mpg - 2nd tank better.

Air conditioning a little weak - glad we didn't choose a dark color.

Stereo so-so, but no actual problems.

Overall, we love the car. We knew what we were buying and are not at all disappointed.

bxkid · June 2002

It is a single discrete noise and it is coming from tranny. It is like a loud click. Cant feel it. It can happen in any gear when car is standing still but usually from P TO R . Further use of car indicates that it may not be getting worse but is about same. Still happens in about 1 in 7-10 shifts. Auto tranny expert at dealership heard it and said that he wants to do further investigating, because he could not duplicate on another 2003! Let you know what happens next week. Thx for any advice.

nhepker1 · June 2002

Has anyone replaced the Toyota spark plugs in their Corolla with aftermarket plugs? I know that the Toyota spark plugs have a different design (two prongs, one on each side of the electrode in the middle). I was wondering if it would effect engine performance if I used something else. This is on a 99. I don't know if the generation before it had this kind of spark plug.

8u6hfd · June 2002

The 2 prong copper plug allowed a 60,000 mile life.

If you used a single ground "U-groove" from the dealership or any other copper plug, the spark plug life will be 30,000 miles.

A single ground platinum plug will last you 60,000 miles

If you spent the extra money on the iridium plugs, you may gain a little power, plus 100,000 spark plug life.

southpaw1 · June 2002

Anyone else having problems with defects and things not working properly in their Matrix? I already had to have a latch fixed, one from the spare tire compartment that wouldn't unlock. Now I discover my fog lights aren't working and therefore almost failed state safety inspection. Thankfully the guy was nice and passed me anyway. I've always had great luck with Toyota so this is very disappointing to me. I do love the car and hope my problems are an isolated blip in quality control.

dwbehrens1 · June 2002

The fuel filter in the Corolla is located near the fire wall, under the air box just like the man said. Follow the fuel lines, it is impossible to miss. Corollas have timing belts not chains, and if the belt breaks the car just stops. It does not have an interference engine (in the regular fuel models) so nothing hapens to the engine. It just sits there, cranks, and doesn't start.

8u6hfd · June 2002

the ZZ engine in the Corolla should be a timing chain.

the previous A-series are timing belts

inki · June 2002

I was getting into my Matrix the other morning and I noticed a small tear in the driver's seat fabric. Upon closer inspection, I noticed there was some sort of wire/cable poking through the upholstery. It looks like this wire/cable inside the seat busted and forced its way through the fabric. My first trip to the dealer will be sonner than expected... this really bites. I assume they'll need to replace the entire seat. Anyone else have this happen?

raven18 · June 2002

kaunu, i know what your talking about. You could have an upholstery shop add a closed cell rubber, such as rubatex to the lid, and then cover with leather. It shouldn't be all that expensive. You could probably even do this yourself. Go to foamorder.com for the closed cell foam a quarter inch thickness will probably do you. I worked in an aircraft interiors shop for several years, and i'm familar with the closed cell foam (rubatex), it is very dense and cushiony, it also is resilient to liquid. The rubber is glued on with a 3M adhesive and the rubber can then be ground and contoured if you wish, and then covered.

dogtrainer · June 2002

I've just discovered the first problem with my Matrix. Today I noticed a bubble in the black tape covering the window frame. It will be a few weeks before I can get it in to the dealer, but it's definitely going in. Did someone here post that Toyota has issued a TSB on the door tape? If so, I'd appreciate it if you gave me the number.

saturnfan · June 2002

Had the base 5 speed CE for over a month now, and the only issue was that the stitching on the shift boot snapped.

Fred Anderson Toyota got the part in 2 days and installed it in 30 minutes.

Great car. Marvelous shifter & clutch.

Much better interior than my other car, a Saturn SL1 (2000).

cards_200 · June 2002

Just purchased a '99 CE w/ 42K miles.

Does anyone have insight to a good service manual for the more simple Corolla tasks?

The Haynes book seems to cover a lot of model years ('92-00). This concerns me that it may not be specific enough for '99.

Also, outside of oil change receipts, I'm not certain of the previous maintenance. Is there any maintenance in addition to that specified by owners manual (e.g. air filter, plugs). I should do?

Thanks.

lily888 · June 2002

Hi, It is my first time to buy a car. So a little scared.
I live in Detroit. I am I'm interested in 2002 Honda Civic HX and 2003 Toyoda Corolla CE. Which one will be fit for the snow weather in Detroit? I usually use my car to commute to work and occasionally drive 4 hours to Chicago on holiday. Could anybody recommend me which one I should buy?
BTW, some people told me that it is a better deal to buying a one or two years used car still within warranty than buying a new car? Could anyone also tell me your opinion on it?

lily888 · June 2002

Now another question: The ABS system is optional of Toyota Corolla CE. So could anyone tell me if it worth to add ABS? Thanks.

dogtrainer · June 2002

See my answer over in "What Did You Pay".

tom3k · June 2002

I think I have misread the dipstick and now may be a quart (or so) over the second mark. Am I safe to drive it the 5 miles or so to the nearest Toyota dealer? I don't really want to go crawling under it and looking for the drain plug this early on. Besides, I was so sure it was low before I put it in there, I now wouldn't be surprised that I still have it wrong and it is low after all.

Help!

tom3k · June 2002

Drove it to the dealer this morning. I had indeed over-filled it. I've never had this kind of trouble reading a dipstick before. Somewhere between my apparently deteriorating vision (which I didn't seem to know about before buying this car) and the shiny/silver dipstick (most of mine in the past were flat/grey - easy to tell where the level was) I just couldn't get a read on the oil level. I only drove it from home to the dealer that way and it's fixed now.

jsleesi · June 2002

Every morning when I start the car and drove off
I hear valve lash for a while and then goes away
about few miles or so.

It has 46,500 miles. Prior to 40,000 miles
the valve lash was not there?

How to fix the problem? Help

jrct9454 · June 2002

While many cars with this engine will go to 100k and beyond without needing to have the valves adjusted, yours may be the occasional exception. The owner's manual says that you don't need to routinely adjust the valves unless you hear noise - well, you do, so the first step is to get to a service dept and have it done.

The second step, if you are going to keep this car to the end of its service life, is to consider a switch to synthetic oil. We have been using Castrol Syntec 5-50 in all of our cars for the past ten years [it is also OEM for BMWs these days], or MobilOne, or whatever. The cost for this car adds less than $10-15 per oil change, depending on what you were paying for conventional oil, and is real insurance for any car you plan to keep a long time.

8u6hfd · June 2002

For Non-VVT-i Toyota engines, the valve clearance adjustment interval is 60,000 miles. Most people usually ignore the valve clearance adjustment (basically, measure and shim up the clearance)

laksj · June 2002

The air conditioning in my 2002 Corolla LE has been producing this intermittent whooshing sound lately. Ive taken it to the dealer who initially thought it was the belt tensioner. However, after replacing the belt tensioner, the sound still remains. The dealer said that the sound was normal and since its intermittent- that it was probably the A/Cs compressors intermittent activation that produces this sound. Now Ive had a 2000 Corolla prior to this one, which essentially had the same A/C system, but Id never noticed a similar sound coming out of it. The sound Im talking about is what youd hear if a belt were rubbing against something. I initially thought it was an airplane passing (I work near the airport), until I heard it in my buildings underground parking!

Has anyone else experienced a similar problem with their 1998-2002 Corollas and if so- was there a fix to it. I fear that, if there indeed is a problem with my A/C which my dealer cant diagnose, its getting worse since the noise in question is getting louder the more I use the A/C.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

jrct9454 · June 2002

...the compressor clutch, or pulley on the compressor. The pulley might be ever so slightly misaligned.

Noises are almost impossible to discuss online, since in fact the AC DOES make a faint "whooshing" sound when the compressor kicks in, on virtually every car I've ever owned. Obviously, the question is, how loud is it and if it is getting worse, then I would suggest taking it to another dealer, and pointing them in the direction of the compressor pulley. Also check the belt for edge wear, which is a sign that the path may be slightly off.

mralan · July 2002

I have a 2000 Corolla with beige interior. On both front door panels there are uniform spots bleeding through. I guess it's glue spots.

Anyone else experience anything like this?

daveghh · July 2002

I am thinking about getting the 1994 Corrolla and it seems to run really good except for two things....

1) Gas pedal is sticky when accelerating from 0 mph.
2) One of the rotors might be slightly bent because their is a very slight pulsing when braking. Brakes feel strong though.

How much below Kelly blue book do you think I should go? Are ether of these common problems for the 1994?

jrct9454 · July 2002

I responded to this in the main Corolla forum...

iwphill · July 2002

I've had mine for 2 weeks now, and so far, the car has been great overall. However, I have had some very minor problems. The day after I drove it home, I attempted to hang up the tonneau cover and discovered that one of the clips/loops was missing entirely, and another was missing the bolt that attaches it to the car itself. The parts were replaced under warranty a week ago. I also have a clip that came off of something near or under the dash, but I still can't figure out exactly where.

Also, the little compartment right under the shifter (cheap plastic bin with a flimsy latch) keeps popping open. It's annoying, to be sure, since it pops open with the slightest bump in the road. Anyone else have this problem?

tom3k · July 2002

I have the opposite problem - when there isn't anything with any kind of wieght in there (it's a perfect place for my sunglasses - the ones that keep me from seeing the odo and the temp ;-)), it won't pop open. If I hit the button just right it will finally give it up.

There seems to be a lot of cheap plastic in the interior IMO, but given the amount of car I'm getting for the money, it's a reasonable trade-off.

iwphill · July 2002

I agree.........for the money, I feel that this is the best deal I've ever gotten on a car. It does a little bit of everything and the car is a blast to drive. The problems I've listed are very minor, but can be a little annoying. As for the compartment problem, I think I'll wait to take it to the dealer until my first oil change and ask them if they can do anything about it. Have you tried anything to fix your compartment problem?

tom3k · July 2002

Nah. I figure it's the design - the latch just gives and it's supposed to fall open, but it's so light, gravity just doesn't apply;-). I might mention it when I take it in at 7500 miles.

noelcandido · July 2002

I have been to my dealer five times to remedy this problem. After the second incident, they replaced the charcoal canister (switch), and after the fifth incident, a diagnostic was performed that was inconclusive.
The other times, they have just noted and cleared the code.
They (dealership), in my opinion are in the dark!
I have been told by collegues that maybe the gas cap should be replaced, or the O2 sensor.
The car has 60,000 miles on it, and is mostly highway driven.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Noel

shamgotti · July 2002

I recently bought a 2003 corolla le, and i just love my car. Recently I have noticed a loud clicking noise when shifting from park to reverse. The noise is also heard during low speed acceleration,i.e. 10-25mph. Does anyone else have this problem ? Thanks for any help.

alcan · July 2002

What diagnostic trouble codes were retrieved?

britton2 · July 2002

you might want to also ask your question at corolland.com - lots of '03 owners there - good luck

tagger18 · July 2002

response to message 614. i picked up my brand new 2003 corolla one week ago and i also noticed a 'click' noise shifting from park to reverse. the 'click' is not too loud and there's no noise during acceleration (yet). but i do have the infamous rattling noise coming somewhere from the dashboard/instrument panel area. the 'ticking noise' is fairly loud and it is continuous while the vehicle is moving. it's really really annoying. i took it back to the dealership and they took the entire dashboard/instrument panel out. They then drove the vehicle around the parking lot and the 'clicking noise' was even louder. after driving around, they still cannot pinpoint where the clicking was coming from. all they told me was that it is not the instrument panel nor the dashboard that was making the noise. so after 6 hours of waiting around, they put the dashboard back in place and told me that they will have to call toyota head office and make arrangement for my vehicle to go in for a major inspection/repair. what a major pain!!! if there's any new 2003 owners with the same problem had their 'clicking'/rattling noise fix, i would like to hear from them. thanx.

tagger18

coolguyky7 · July 2002

For all those who have complaints about the CD player of the Matrix, you can thank GM for that. The stereo unit along with all the squeaks and raddles are General Motors' contributions to the Matrix/Vibe joint venture. :-)

patches69 · July 2002

I have had my 2003 Corolla in twice to work on the rattle - still have it. Mine is on the passenger side and it is not constant - comes and goes, louder and softer!! I just wrote to Toyota. I love the car otherwise - what a shame! They took the whole dash out.

I would like to know if those people who have rattle problems have an automatic or standard shift. The man questioned that. I have a standard (manual) shift.

I also wonder if the cars were made at the same place. I don't know where mine was made,
but I know it wasn't Japan. I am going to find out.

Would appreciate any responses.

britton2 · July 2002

This is a great board but another good one is corolland.com - I saw where the rattle issue was addressed there as well

dave594 · July 2002

My 02 Corolla S's painted bumper is starting to flake and peel off by the right wheel well. Anybody know if this is a warranty issue or how it can be fixed?

rlander01 · July 2002

While driving to work this morning my brake light came on for about 20 seconds. I was going around a sharp curve (exit ramp) to the right. Light came on during turn, then turned off after straightening out. Had no loose of braking. Could this have been the brake fluid level tipping to one side of the reservoir and making the sensor kick on. My Corolla is only one week old.
Anyone have any advice? Manual says that if the light comes on and then off there are no problems.

tagger18 · July 2002

The rattling noise in my corolla is extremely sensitive in regards to the surface that I travel on. The only time when there's absolutely no noise is when I travel on freshly paved asphalt!!! In another words, very very smooth surface. A few years old asphalt with slight bump will cause the rattling. I like the car a lot but I am very disappointed. I traded in my 2000 VW Jetta (reliability issue) for the corolla hoping that I will have trouble-free motoring. In less than a week of owning the car, it's already causing a lot of grief! I will also be writing a letter to Toyota expressing my concerns. My corolla is the 4 speed automatic transmission, and it was built in the Cambridge Toyota plant in Ontario Canada. I think there is two Toyota plant that built the corolla in North America. One in Cambridge Ontario Canada near Toronto and the other one in California. So I persumed that folks living in the east coast of North Amercia will get their corolla from the Cambridge plant, and folks living in the west coast of North America will get their corolla from the California plant. I could be wrong so if anyone knows for sure please correct me. Patches69 : look at the Vehicle identification number located on the driver's side windshield. If the V.I.N number starts with the number '2' (meaning Canada) then your corolla was build in the Cambridge plant in Canada. If the V.I.N number starts with the number '1' (meaning U.S.A.) then it was probably built in California. Furthermore, if the number starts with a 'J' then it was built in Japan.

Tagger18

jrct9454 · July 2002

- have a look at the brake fluid reservoir and make sure it is up to the correct marked level. Personally, I wouldn't be concerned unless this started to happen regularly...

iwphill · July 2002

rlander: The same exact thing happened on my Tacoma, and I took it to the dealer. Turns out that the brake fluid was low so when I would take a sharp turn, the light would come on because the fluid level dropped below the sensor. The dealer topped off the fluid and the light never came on again.

rlander01 · July 2002

I looked at the brake fluid level after writing my post. The level was at the minimum. I called the dealer and told the service manager the problem. He said he was sure that the problem was the low level. I brought the car to the dealer and he topped it off.
I drove in this morning and took the same turn. This time I took it faster to try to make the fluid move to the left. No light. No problem.
Thanks for the two replies above!!!

leafguy2727 · July 2002

That little compartment is driving me crazy, it pops open all the time. If anyone takes it to the dealer let me know if they can fix it. i.e. move the latch up a 1 or 2 mm.

CD player,

Thanks GM, it was defective from the factory and has been replaced, no problems since.

Toyota Corolla Maintenance and Repair

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