Toyota Corolla Maintenance and Repair

nippononly · November 2002

the engines are noisy like an old car. My Matrix engine is the same, as is every '03 I have driven. I can't think why they have made this engine noisy and "loose" sounding, but I will bet there is a reason, and I would doubt that the reason is cost-cutting, simply because one of the things Toyota is well-known for is quiet.

When you get this engine above 3000 rpm it sounds raspy like an engine that has been driven 150K already.

OTOH your gas mileage is very low - too low - unless you are driving the car like two miles at a stretch, then shutting it down. Don't forget, Daly City is hilly, so gas mileage will not be like that of someone in San Jose or L.A. or something. But if you can't get it into the 30s I would be surprised. Make sure you are letting the gas level drop before re-gassing. If you are only putting in 8 gallons at a pop, then you are getting about 31 mpg, which would be within a normal range.

Keep an eye on the oil level and check it at a standard place each time, so that you get a true reading. Always give the oil a few minutes to settle back into the pan before checking the level.

Your friend's car just sounds weird - haven't heard of anyone having any of those problems, perhaps it is a lemon, or perhaps he/she broke something? Maybe someone ought to check the fuses. Is there an aftermarket stereo or other electronic stuff?

fgf001 · November 2002

I switched mine over to synthetic oil @ 1000 miles. The engine noise was quieted immediately. Try it. For what it's worth Mobil 1 is the only true synthetic that can be purchased over the counter. There are others but they (as a rule) are mail order/internet purchases.

pandrus · November 2002

I bought a new Matrix XRS last Thursday night. I had a hard time adjusting to the 6 speed clutch and stalled it a few times even though I have drive a Tercel stick for 15 years. But it also appeared that the Matrix engine just stopped in very heavy rush hour traffic last Friday night on my way home from work.

I did not have the problem again until last night on the way home from work. This time it was at a street signal and I was going slow but put one foot on the clutch and the other on the brake to stop. The engine RPM's just dropeed to ZERO with no other noise or warning. I must have flooded it because I could not get it to start for about 30 seconds and had to use the emergency flashers.

I am afraid this is going to get me killed and has really made driving my new Matrix a scary event. Any ideas or suggestions?

Thanks a bunch, Perry

jeprox · November 2002

i suggest lots of practice!
i have a 03' corolla 5 speed and for the first 1-2 weeks, i had a hard time adjusting to driving the corolla 5 speed. i find the clutch and gas real sensitive compared to other 5 speed vehicles i drove. for the first 2 weeks, i was like you... scared and so careful when i drive my corolla. from the time i bought the car in august until now, car stalled 3 times.

the first time was i forgot i was driving a 5 speed and i just let go of the clutch when i was parked!

no idea why your matirx would just die suddenly. only thing i could think of is that maybe you didnt step on the clutch all the way.

jeprox · November 2002

i noticed on my 03 corolla that the black plastic frame around the cd radio seem to have popped out a bit at the top (just above the slot where the cd goes in). i assume it's coz of the cold weather.

anyone else notice this?

nippononly · November 2002

I agree, it sounds an awful lot like you hit the brakes while the car was at least partially still in gear, so that you stalled it. When you stall it in that way, with the ignition still turned on, it can sometimes take a few seconds of cranking to get it to start up again.

nippononly · November 2002

you could practice hitting the clutch first so that the revs drop to idle, then hitting the brakes. Then when your timing gets better, you could let it coast down in gear before disengaging.

boggse · December 2002

Actually, Mobil 1 uses Dino Oil as a base as of a couple years ago. There are other Synthetics out there. I use Castrol Syntec. Pennzoil makes one as well. Valvoline used to offer one, but I haven't seen it lately. That said, Mobil 1 is a VERY good choice. I personally like the Castrol becuase it is a little cheaper for the same benefit.

8u6hfd · December 2002

it's more like a blend of PAO and synthetic esters.

bja4 · December 2002

I too have blown-up the engine on our 98 Corrola (5spd.) with 43K miles on it. For some reason this engine did not like being down-shifted into second gear at 65 mph. Actually, I thought I had put the car into 4th gear while slowing down for a construction zone. The transmission never even made a sound (smooth). Before I took it out of second gear, the damage was all ready done. The valves had floated, knocking holes in the #2 and #3 pistons. I guarantee my 2000 Dodge Dakota would have bit your hand off and locked up the rear wheels in the same situation. Engine was replaced some-what under warranty. The dealership only provided a rental vehical for a week, even though the repair took over 5 weeks. I decided not to push the issue since they were replacing the engine under warranty. The 60k mile drive train warranty states that a rental vehical is to be provided during a extended repair times (over 24 hours). Some thing like that. I went ahead and paid for a new clutch out of my own pocket since they had it apart ($110). The technician found the old clutch worn, but not abused. I had complained about the clutch since it was new (very weak).

The car now has 57K miles on it. The clutch is a hell of a lot better than it ever was. I am convinced there was problem with the clutch sine day one. This might have been why the transmission went into second gear so eaisally at 65 mph. in the first place.

nippononly · December 2002

if you knowingly admitted that you mis-shifted and caused the damage to the engine yourself, I think it is somewhat impressive that Toyota paid all the parts and labor for a new engine anyway.

Good idea paying to put the new clutch in at the same time!

fgf001 · December 2002

Sorry, Mobil 1 IS a true synthetic, Castrol is not. Look it up.

pandrus · December 2002

thanks to all of you for the suggestions. one of the gents at work also told me to push the clutch all the way in.
i did practice in a big empty colege parking lot on thanksgiving day and so far i have not had any more problems with the engine just shutting off.

pandrus · December 2002

When I wear my sunglasses I have a rather hard time reading the red lite gauges in my Matrix so I have to take them off. This is somewhat dependent on the direction of travel relative to the sun. Anyone have any suggestions on sunglasses that don't have this annoying little problem?
Perhaps I need non-polarized glasses?
thanks

jrct9454 · December 2002

...everyone likes to dump on Castrol as "not a true synthetic".

Regardless, it is what BMW uses in all of their cars now, going up to 15k miles if conditions are right. I've been using it in all of our cars for the past 8 years, because the 5w50 viscosity does a good job of handling both our relatively mild winters [30F is a good average min] and blistering summers [105F is not unusual] in the CA Central Valley.

But don't expect to get any respect from the synoil "community" - for them, there are only the one or two "pure" concoctions. I only care that the engine is well taken care of, and I don't have to worry about dumping the crankcase every time the seasons change. BMW's endorsement came many years after I started using Syntec, so that wasn't much of a factor.

We currently drive a W203 Mercedes C Class ['02 C240 sedan] - both Mobil and Castrol are on the approved list for oils to use in a car that is "synthetic only". Apparently MB also believes that Syntec is adequate to the task, notwithstanding its lack of approval from the synoil folk.

friendly_jacek · December 2002

While you referenced the definition of "synthetic", you did not reference your bashing of Mobil 1.

What is your agenda?

If you had any diligence in your research you would find that acctually Mobil 1 is one of few fully synthetic (in the strict meaning of the world) products on the US market. IT IS SYNTHETISED from basic molecules by polymerization (group IV).

Your Castrol and many other "synthetic" oils on the market (group III) are chemically modified mineral oils so there are "synthetic" in loose meaning of the word. This is what marketing people in oil companies use to hype them as "Synthetic". They do a good job since they confused you and many others.

Just do some more reading. Try http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/

or something similar and then come back with some educated statements.

jrct9454, don't get me wrong, your oil is good for your car, but is has group III base oil while Mobil 1 is group IV. And this is what started the discussion.

Acctually, every SH-SL oil on the market does a good job protecting the engine while changed frequently. The adventage of good synthetic oils comes when you want to have long drain intervals like the maximum 7500 miles still touted by Toyota.

boggse · December 2002

In fact, I said "Mobil 1 is a VERY good choice." In the interest of avoiding a synthetic oil brand war, I have deleted my previous post. Forget I ever mentioned it.

fgf001 · December 2002

You're right of course. This has been flogged to death. As mentioned I doubt there are any bad oils today. Some are better than others when oil analysis is used as proof. As for Castrol, I have used it for more decades than I care to remember, or CAN remember! Use whatever toots your horn.

friendly_jacek · December 2002

Please, no brand wars. I just wanted to clarify misinformation.

Actually, the most vivid description of the differences between group III and IV synthetic oils I found was on http://www.dirtroad.com/oil2.htm

"Hydroprocessed Mineral Oil [group III] is a more recent fluid used for synthetic engine oil. This fluid is actually just conventional oil, which has been processed to remove more of the small and large molecules. In the end, the fluid is much more stable at high temperatures and provides good service for high temperature engine operation. Unfortunately, it provides little or no improvement for low temperature operation since it still contains wax. Since this fluid provides good performance at a lower cost than PAO/Ester formulations [group IV], it has found its way into the marketplace as synthetic oil. It is somewhat questionable how synthetic this fluid is."

nippononly · December 2002

all the professional car reviewers have said the same thing in their write-ups...I haven't seen anyone post a good solution for this problem yet.

mallickai · December 2002

Does anyone know how to change the map light bulb in a '03 Corolla? I've got a "S" with the sunroof so it's the light that's integrated with the roof's controls, above the rearview mirror. This problem is somewhat trivial but I can't believe it blew already!

I bought my Corolla in early November and already put 2.9k on it. It's an S w/ man trx. I currently get about 32 MPG and do mostly highway driving (~90-95%).

I've not had any troubles w/ the car currently. I've only performed 2 minor adjustments:

A) A rubber pad added onto the clutch pedal where the start sensor touch in order to fix the problem of having to smash the clutch pedal into the floor before being able to start the car. It subtracted about 1/4 - 1/2" of distance needed from where it was before, which is much more comfortable for me.

Backed out the brake light sensor on the brake pedal so I didn't have to depress the pedal so far that the car actually started braking before the brake lights would come on (or disengage the cruise). I'm use to cars that'll have the brake lights come on when you just touched the brake pedal. I went from needing to depress the pedal about 3/4 - 1" of travel to about 1/16" travel before the brake lights come on now. Consequently, this also applies for when the cruise disengaged via brake pedal.

I really like this car, particularly the fuel economy -I came from a large domestic SUV. Now, everytime I'm at the gas station, I squeeze out a "Yoohoo!!!" when I see the $$ on the pump after fill. Okay, I can't tow a boat with the Corolla but going from $35/fill to $13/fill over the same miles for everyday driving is an inspirational experience, every time.

I'm also looking forward to experiencing Toyota's famed reliability. Thanks in advance for any responses.

rxsorent · December 2002

I had my 2003 corolla for about 7 months now and there is one thing that really annoys me which is an intermittent slow to start (takes sometimes 7 or 8 turns on the starter before the engine turns over). Has anyone else experience this problem. I have taken it to the dealer and they stated this is common for the 2003 corolla taking longer to turn over. My wife has a 2001 corolla and it turns over almost immediately. If I don't keep the key in the start position long enough, it will not turn over at all. Please advise anyone.

olcay · December 2002

We bought our 2003 Corolla LE 3 weeks ago. It was OK for 2 weeks than engine started sounding like my 89 Accord (It has 210K miles).
It is not exteremely loud but stil it is a lot more than the first two weeks.

In the first two weeks millage was around 37 (highway) now it is around 30.

What may be the problem? Did anybody else have similar problem?

mallickai · December 2002

I believe I have nearly the same behavior from my 2003 Corolla, bought in Nov 02. I've noticed during cold starts, it'll usually fire up quick and smooth, reving up to 1800-2000 RPM for a minute or so before settling to below 1000 RPM.

But, if I'm running errands and need to stop at several places, restarting it while warm makes this "long start" behavior become more apparent. It takes at least 5-7 turns to start. At times, when it turns over, it's not all that smooth, if you know what I mean. Not sure how to exactly describe this but it kinda skips a beat (?) before or while turning over.

I've observed that the behavior seems to disappear as I wait longer between stop & starts. So, 5 minute stops will get this every time but > 30 min stops, probably not.

I don't know why the engine does this. I thought this was just how the car behaves.

rxsorent · December 2002

Thank you mallickai for replying back to my message. I thought it was me first. You describe it perfectly in that sometimes it even doesn't have a smooth turn over like skipping a beat. Taking 5-7 turns to start a vehicle is to me excessive. I have called different dealers and gave me excuses like it is common, cold cranking fuel injectors have to warm up enough, different gas needed, etc. It sounds like they don't know what causes it so they try to blame it on other things. I hope they produce a technical service bulletin soon so they know how to fix it. It even did it the past morning when it was sitting over 24 hours and cold outside which was unusual for it to take longer to turn over. Thanks again for a reply to my message.

terceltom1 · December 2002

It seems like this starting problem is just another to be added to the list of problems with the new 2003's I hope Toyota certainly works all these bugs that I am reading about out before the new 2004's hit the market. I am glad I got my 2001 Corolla when I did. 12K miles on it and has never been back to the shop at all since the day I bought it.

fgf001 · December 2002

Mine is the same but I just don't find it objectionable. It's just the nature of the beast. If I am experiencing the same that others are describing... so it takes another 1.5 seconds to start?! NOT a problem in my book.

dkuch55 · December 2002

I have a 1993 Toyota Corolla LE, 5 sp. manual, with 115,000 miles. Two times in the last month it has lost all power while being driven. After the first time, I took it to the dealer and they said the battery was shot and they replaced it. Two weeks later while slowing down to enter a toll booth it happened again. This time there was absolutely nothing working. Not even hazard lights. We jumped the car to another and it started right up. I took it back to the dealer and they tested all the electrics including alternator, starter, fuses, electrical harnesses, battery and terminals, etc. and nothing tested bad. They have no idea what the problem is. The only clue to anything being wrong is that prior to the power loss the needle on the tachometer started jumping up and down but no warning lights went on. Any suggestions? It's too dangerous to drive this car and the dealer doesn't seem to have a clue.

toyotaken · December 2002

One other suggestion that you didn't mention, but I've seen many times. Have them check the ground wire for the alternator. If it has some corrosion, it may be making intermittent contact. It may not be visible, so have them disconnect it, clean it and then reattach. In circumstances such as yours, I've seen this be the problem frequently. Unfortunately, it is often after alot of other diagnostic work being done. No gaurantees, but just a suggestion.

Ken

jeprox · December 2002

if all your electric components are ok, it's worth a try and check the fuel pump or your battery connection

mallickai · December 2002

I'm not sure if this posting is proper for this discussion but it looks like the '03 Corollas have improved crashworthiness over the past model, according to IIHS. They gave it the "best pick" classification but only after a Toyota modification to the carpet's padding, available on '03 Corollas to be manufactured after 12/03. I hope Toyota does right to their current '03 Corolla customers who may want this modification for improved crashworthiness by making it available either thru a recall or tsb. Here's the link to the IIHS report for those interested:

http://www.highwaysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/0223.htm#3

jeprox · December 2002

if there's one thing i hate about the 03' corolla - i would have to say the cheap plastic parts on the dash!

the little rectangle door that hides the cd's just fell apart last night in my 03 corolla. the little door just popped out when i opened the bigger door just above the ashtray! the car is only 4 months old too, i wonder if this problem would be covered by warranty.

anyone else have this problem?

fgf001 · December 2002

You bet it's covered..take it in. If it is indeed broken they will likely have to order it and call you.

friendly_jacek · December 2002

This illustrates the principle of not buying the car in its first year of production (outch!).
The question is how to lobby Toyota to make this retrofit.
Has anybody talked to dealership yet?

einacio · December 2002

I noticed that several of you have mentioned about the rattling in the dashboard. I have taken my XR to the shop twice in the last couple of weeks. It's scheduled to go back in Saturday, it still rattles.

Do you think that Toyota will do a recall since so many owners are complaining about it?

I love my car, but the rattling is driving me crazy, even though it doesn't do it all the time.

I just don't think that a brand new car should do this. Other than that, I have not had no rotten egg smell, no problems with the red lighting, or anything else.

mallickai · December 2002

I've emailed Toyota directly but haven't spoke w/ a dealer yet. I'll keep this discussion updated on what I hear, if I get a response. Thanks.

nippononly · December 2002

rattles in this car are not something that can be recalled...they are just an inevitable consequence of designing in so many plastic parts.

Apart from the stupid twilight sensor, which according to Toyota is functioning properly (I hope they fix this faulty design soon, then whatever next year's model gets to fix it, I am going to have done to mine too), the only thing mine has been in to the dealership for is the rattles, and believe me, they will get most of them if you give them a couple of tries.

And I still believe that this is the only thing it WILL be back to the shop for in the first 100K miles, except for maintenance. Crossing my fingers!... :-)

So hang in there, and give your friendly neighborhood dealership a visit!

trzep · December 2002

I took my new Matrix back to Carmax Toyota to fix the wandering problem. I got the car back and now the steering required twice the effort. This made the wandering problem twice as annoying. I guess they figured if I didn't like steering the car all the time to counteract the wandering, I'd really hate it without power steering. They replaced the rack with no effect. Now they and Toyota won't fix either. They claim all the Matrixes wander and don't have much power steering assist. Anybody agree with them?

nippononly · December 2002

the feel of it is supposed to be heavy by American-car standards, but that is why I like it so much.

It is very precise. I don't think you should be hauling it around like some '49 Chevy pick-up though - if it is that heavy, then something is wrong.

Mine doesn't wander, but if you are talking about freeway squirm, that is probably just the tires that are on it, and if you change them for a different kind it will go away.

somedude · December 2002

I had a paint chip on the edge of the hood (just above the left front lights) on my 2003 Corolla for about 4 months now. The chip (which is 1/4 inch long and about 3 millimeters wide)was deep enough to expose the bare metal, but I was lazy touching it up since it was the 4th or 5th stone chip the car has had in the space of 2 months! I got a scare yesterday when I found the metal exposed by the chip rusting already! Now I have the following questions:

1- What do I do to get rid of the rust? It appears to be only on the surface (or at least I hope so!)

2- Has anybody else experienced this kind of problem? Do you think that the 2003 Corolla's paint job is particularly easy to chip? I had a 2001 Corolla before, which I used on the same roads, but I've never noticed such proliferation of stone chips and certainly no rust in the stone chips it had!

I'd appreciate any feedback for this nagging and potentially serious problem. Thanks!

blegs · December 2002

Hello

If anyone could provide me with some input, I would appreciate it.
In July '00 I had a rattling noise in the car (at the time I thought it was the engine) I took it to my dealer where I was told it was the belt and tensioner and also the power steering pump was leaking fluid and they stated that they put a new power steering pump assembly in. At that time, my car had approximately 35,300 miles and was under warranty. Now, I am having the same exact noise again (car has 42,700 miles)- its the same exact noise and i can't understand why its happening again. I took it to a mechanic and was advised that it was the power steering pump (actually he showed me exactly where it is located) has this happened to anyone? Now the service manager told me this may not be under warranty?? Any feedback would be appreciated.

terceltom1 · December 2002

Just another thing to add to the growing number of problems with the "03" I also have a "01" and have never experienced this paint problem or any of the other problems I am hearing about with the "03"s

toyotaken · December 2002

If you had it replaced under warranty, the parts should be covered by Toyota for 12mos/ 12K miles from the time of the replacement.

Ken

pandrus · December 2002

that work with the gauges & dials on my new Matrix. I went to Big 5 Sporting Goods today to pick up some sale items including Bill Dance Fishin' Vision Sunglasses for $7 with a coupon. They only had brown and they work great in my Matrix.

Here are the 2 web sites shown on the package: www.lurenet.com & www.guidesnet.com.

Happy Holidays

saturnfan · December 2002

Had the same confusion re the clock under the light dimmer switch. One place in the manual seems to tell you all Corollas have the delay while another doesn't.

Dealer confirmed that CE doesn't have the delay feature.

Have had only a few trim issues with the CE in its first 5K miles. So far am very pleased with it.

Only gripe is that I wish the auto headlight feature was an option. Don't like it at all.

Found the Weathertech trunk liner is much better than Toyota's offering since the Weathertech's made from rubber, not carpet.

My CE 5 speed idles 2,000 on cold days until warm. Dealer confirms it's normal as stated in this board. No bang into gear, so guess it's performing as intended.

saturnfan · December 2002

The trim at the top of my radio looks the same as you describe. Don't have any rattles, however, so might be better to not have dealer mess with dash.

corolla03 · December 2002

Our three-week old 03 Corolla LE also is giving off a bad sulphur smell. It was built in Japan. Could it be that all the Japanese-built models give off the sulphur smell, because the catalytic converter installed there was for Japanese low-sulphur fuel?

footie · December 2002

Corolla 03 - there have been numerous sulphur smell postings here.

You should go to your dealer immediately and either get the problem fixed or the car swapped.

All gasoline contains sulphur. In Canada they are now running tighter standards than here in the U.S.

In any event, any sulphur ( hi or lo levels ) should be coming out of the exhaust pipe and into the air. I DON'T THINK THAT YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SMELL IT INSIDE YOUR COROLLA!

Have you seen a Toyota ad that says "Hey, Toyotaton Sulphur Time. Some new Corolla owners get to breathe the sulfur from their exhaust gas".

Gasoline goes into the engine. You can't smell it when it is going in, unless your fuel system is leaking.

Burned gasoline (including sulphur) comes out the exhaust. You can't smell it inside the car unless it's leaking somewhere.

I think sulphur leaks are coming from either:

1) The exhaust (this would be very troubling since the carbon monoxide which is very dangerours would be in there too! And it's ODORLESS!)

2) The EGR system (often accompanied by rough idle).

3) The EVAP system. ( This is a good suspect for a new car. ) I think yo can have a certified Toyota mechanic (non-Toyota dealership) check the OBD-II computer for this. It won't tell you where the leak is but that there's one.

I got most of this informatin from:

http://www.thesmokemachine.com/TechTips.html

Good luck

jrct9454 · December 2002

...but little of the above is true. These cars will all pass both a national and state smog test, and there is nothing dangerous going on here. Yes, it's coming from the exhaust, and has absolutely nothing to do with the level of CO being emitted.

And I repeat, for the fourth time: NOT all fuel contains as much sulfur as is common in certain parts of the USA and Canada. Here in California, our RFG standard calls for something on the order of 15-30 ppm of sulfur, whereas it is not uncommon for there to be 300 or more ppm in fuel in other parts of North America.

The problem has nothing to do with where the car was assembled, and nothing to do with smog regulations. Toyota DOES have some work to do here, and they need to hear from owners who are unhappy - clearly they need a new mix of metals in the cat to deal with the high-sulfur fuel which is so common [BUT NOT UNIVERSAL] in North America. But there is nothing that is malfunctioning in the EGR, the evap system, or anywhere, for that matter...the cat just can't cope with the level of sulfur in a lot of our gasoline. Does that need to change? Obviously, a lot of folks think so, and they need to contact their dealers and Toyota to let the corporation know how you feel. But I wouldn't take the stance that the cars are not meeting regs or are hazardous to drive or be around - that is simply not true, and won't get you far with either the EPA or Toyota.

vishalthorat · December 2002

I have a 99 Corolla with 33000 miles. Recently the steering has started making a creaking noise when it is turned a lot. Has anyone had this problem?

Toyota Corolla Maintenance and Repair

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