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Toyota Corolla Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • irismgirismg Member Posts: 345
    Well, if it were me, I'd take it to the dealer and tell them you want to find out what the burning smell is under the hood, and that you'd like an estimate on the cost to fix. Then take it someplace cheaper.
  • rideboyrideboy Member Posts: 7
    Did you ever find the cause for the engine light coming on?
    I have 1 2003 Corolla with 35,000 miles on it,and the light has come on 2 times, both times after highway travel.
    Thanks for any help you can give.
  • tjdepere2004tjdepere2004 Member Posts: 40
    Breaker on the harness wiring about to go, if it has not already done so. First you will notice some smoke coming from under the hood and then flames when you stop.
  • civilizedrebelcivilizedrebel Member Posts: 1
    I have a 97 Corolla. New Master Cylinder.
    The left side Front will not engage. Will replacing the Proportion Valve do the Trick? Is the valve right next to the master cylinder? HELP !
  • alex24alex24 Member Posts: 54
    Never heard of a proportion valve, All you have is your master cylinder, brake lines and calipars with brake pads, and option rear brake cylinders with brake shoes, If your front left side is not engaging, try bleeding the brake line with another person footing the brake peddle, if brake fluid shoots out hard, its ok, if fluid comes out slow or not at all while your holding pressure on the brake peddle then that short rubber brake line to the calipar is cloged or defected from age, and not letting fluid push out the calipar piston, if your rubber brake line is good then calipar may be bad from rust and piston could be stuck. As I repair my own cars for over 30 years, and replaced master cylinders, Lines, Rotors, calipars and all, but this proportion valve does not ring a bell, unless thats in your master cylinder which you would replace if bad, not rebuild it yourself, Hope I help ya, Alex
  • gchernyagchernya Member Posts: 11
    Corolla questions: Does anyone has experience with occupant classification system re-calibration? How much it cost (passenger seat was replaced on the used one from another car…) There are several warnings in the manual do not disconnect the battery… What will happen if I did disconnect it? Security light on the dashboard (left sub-panel) went off permanently… What the fix?…. Any source of dumb (non-transponder) keys for 2006 corolla on the net?
    Does anyone under impression that too many things on this car required dealer visit?
    If I wanted Mercedes (some geezers just love it for the sake of customers lounge with free doughnuts) , I would have gotten one…
  • gchernyagchernya Member Posts: 11
    Sounds like camshaft position sensor... Try to put one from the old engine onto a new one... Check any other sensors on the engine and swap them onto the old ones one by one...
  • gchernyagchernya Member Posts: 11
    Long shot, but sounds like torque converter lock fault after sufficient warm up... very hard to catch up when interminient... Try to brake in several hard jolts before the light... try to drive around with o/d off... lock occured on a relatively high speed like above 45-50... so if you drive under you might never encounter it... Try to do transmission flash, it might be due on the car of this age...
  • gchernyagchernya Member Posts: 11
    Unfortunately your estimate in about right... check the KYB struts, last time I've got them about $70 delivered, but installation will range from 50 to 100 apiece and, no it is not diy job... not complicated, but there number of very rusty bolts to unscrew, alot of high car lifting, possible axels disconnect, spring decompression/compression, and above all there is aligment after that... If you can find low milage car on salvage yard, and buy the 4 assemblies(with springs and bearings), then I would risc.. , but only if ever personally disconnected ball joints and steering rack... Btw while you there check the lover arms, you might want to replace those too...
  • leede1leede1 Member Posts: 1
    My car wont start...

    we put in a new distributor...new spark plugs....and battery..alternator..and yet it still dont work..

    anyone know why it wont start then?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well you're gonna have to start some diagnosis and stop throwing parts at it, or that will get expensive for you.

    A good first step is to test for fuel delivery (a fuel-pressure gauge is safest) and then test for spark (you can buy a spark tester real cheap at Kragens, Autozone, etc.) and if you have fuel injection (can't recall on a '90 model, sorry) then you can buy a noid light to test for impulse to the fuel injectors.

    One of those should reveal your problem.

    Are you quite sure the new distributor was timed correctly?
  • corollaownrcorollaownr Member Posts: 5
    I own a 2003 Corolla and the left headlight bulb is out. How complicated and expensive will it be to replace the bulb? Is is something I can do myself?
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    Directions are in your owner's manual. I have not done it, but I think it would be easy.
  • abu_nimfazabu_nimfaz Member Posts: 1
    I'm using 85 model corolla. some time missing my car engin
    on running slow. Also speed will reduce. please help me.

    [email protected]
  • magooomagooo Member Posts: 4
    I recently purchased an '07 Corolla LE~I am already thinking about the "scheduled maintenance"~Do I HAVE to take it to the dealer or can I have a certified mechanic perform it according to the maintenance guide? I don't want to do anything that would void my factory warranty but I am not interested in paying the dealers inflated costs either.
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    See your owner's manual for details on your question. Basically, it says you do not have to take it to the dealer. Just save all receipts and follow the guide in the owner's manual.
  • danielj6danielj6 Member Posts: 285
    Although you don't have to have the car serviced at the dealer, it could become tricky should the auto need repair work under warrantee at some point in the future.

    This happened to me when having to drop off my Corolla at a dealership for diagnosis and work under the basic warrantee. First I was informed that they will have to find out whether the problem is due to owner neglect, then the service adviser indicated that the actual diagnosis is not covered by the warrantee. I politely challenged both notions and left the car.

    Even though the fix was covered by the manufacturer, my hassle didn't end there. I never took my car to be serviced at a Toyota dealership before, therefore the dealer didn't have any loyalty to me as a customer. They tried to manipulate me and scare me into performing more work than needed and charge me accordingly.

    Your first scheduled maintenance svce. will not be costly, although it will be somewhat higher than an independent shop. It will behoove you to keep in mind that if your car ever needs repairs while under the three years/36000 guarantee, you may find yourself in a difficult situation. The owner's manual says one thing but the reality may be different. Once your vehicle is left with the service department, you're at their mercy. Of course the customer is not totally defenseless or without recourse.

    My 2 cents only.
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    Sounds like you need to go to a different dealer. Some are great, some are terrible. If you go to a good dealer, you will not have any problems, even if you do have it serviced at an independent.
  • jumper99jumper99 Member Posts: 1
    Wondering if someone can help me here.

    I have a 2003 Corolla. My battery has died down a couple of times. If I need a battery replacement, how much does it cost? Is it better to get it done at a dealer or a local repair center? Does anyone know of good places in Boston that I will not be ripped off at?

    Thanks!
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    Any autoparts store (Pep Boys, Autozone, NAPA), many tire stores, many of the Walmarts/Sears/Kmarts, the big box warehouses (BJ's, Costco, Sams).....pretty much a commodity item anywhere.

    Sure you'll pay more at a dealership.

    Pricewise......50-100 bucks
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,122
    At local Advance Auto Parts, Autozone, Walmart, they'll check your system to see if it's battery or alternator that's a problem for you. Advanced will recharge a low battery if you're driving isn't recharging it enough as a part of checking it.

    And they'll put in the new one for you!

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • matrameshmatramesh Member Posts: 3
    I am planning to buy a 2001 corolla CE which doesnt have the power windows and locks. How feasible/expensive it is to get new power windows and locks installed?
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    Not financially feasible. You'd be better off saving the money toward a replacement vehicle down the road.....or not buying that vehicle in the first place (if PW & PD are important).
  • petelinepeteline Member Posts: 8
    I own a 1991 Toyota Corolla 4WD wagon (All trac?) @ 238,000 km with a 1600cc engine that has been diagnosed with a sticking or burnt valve in the #2 cylinder. Compression is down by 40 psi in this cylinder (others are fine with 150 psi compression). Engine is still running but is noticeably "rough" and hesitant. Not sure how long I can still run the car around town in this condition?

    Wondering what my repair options are? My mechanic has advised that the cylinder head must be pulled (4hrs labour) and sent to machine shop for necessary work and for valve repair/replacement as required. Am told that re-assembly could take longer, perhaps 6hrs. In total about a $1000 job at best case scenario I am told! Was very impressed that my mechanic performed about 1hr of diagnostic work (test drive, checked timing, spark plugs, wiring set and compression tested each cylinder)at no cost to me, so trust his opinion.

    In past 3 years I have spent about $3000 to replace the clutch, fuel tank, fuel pump, brake & fuel lines front to back, alternator etc. so would really like to keep vehicle, but also don't want to open up a can of worms in the engine. Body is in good shape and I have mounted on rims summer & winter tire sets.

    In my local area have found the identical vehicle for just $300, running but body badly rusted with 397,000 km although no apparent engine problems and also a fairly new radiator that I could use (mine is original). Wondering how complex it might be to just switch cylinder head & valves between the two vehicles?

    Any advice that might be provided from this forum would be much appreciated.
    Thanks
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    If someone is going to go to the trouble and pull the heads.....I'd have the head redone as opposed to putting on some other unknown status head. Who knows how long that will last, and how good it may or may not run.

    I've had head jobs done on two different vehicles in my early days, both went on to run many many carefree miles.
  • petelinepeteline Member Posts: 8
    Hi Kiawah,

    Thanks for the quick response and advice. Yes, it is probably better to stick with the "devil I know" than introduce other cylinder head/valve parts with about 150,000 more Km's on it.

    My mechanic estimates that to re-do the cylinder head at the machine shop and replace valves could run around $500, plus around 10 hrs of labour for dis-assembly/re-assembly @ $60/hr (shop rate) = $600, so fairly expensive job on a 17 yr old vehicle, although I have already put $3000 in these past 3 years. To find an engine mechanic working from home for less hourly wage and no tax (15% here)would be an ideal solution.

    The mechanic who did the diagnostic work did indicate that when you resolve a "top end" compression issue in the cylinder head, it sometimes puts more strain on the "bottom end" which can create further issues down the road. Would you agree with this? You seem to have had good luck with your cylinder head repairs down the road!
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    After having heads redone, I've not had a problem show up with crank or piston rings, but I don't beat the cars either so wouldn't expect problems.

    But you are into the whole debate, at what point do you throw in the towel and stop fixing an old car. Some will say never invest more than the car is worth on trade in. Others will say okay to make some big dollar expenditures, it's still cheaper than buying something new, or pre-owned newer. Reliability and Safety come into play as well.

    I personally work on my own vehicles, tend to keep stuff forever, and have more garage space and vehicles in the household than drivers so it doesn't matter if one starts to have a problem that needs worked on at my convenience. The girls get the newer reliable cars, I putz around on the older ones.

    I happen to like the style of the old wagon you have, and would buy a new one if either Honda or Toyota made it (Matrix and CRV aren't quite the same). So, if I were in your shoes I'd have the head rebuilt since it sounds like you've kept up the other aspects of the vehicle.

    On the other hand, the Matrix,CRV, or Subie Outback are somewhat tempting, and if you need the higher reliability and can afford it....certainly now would be the time to consider stop throwing money into the Corolla and upgrade to the newer safety platforms (Side curtain/knee airbags, VSC, disc brakes all around, etc).
  • petelinepeteline Member Posts: 8
    I just spoke to the machine shop where my cylinder head would be sent by the mechanic. Their costs are actually not too scary - $100 to re-do the head, $100 to replace valves /guides in problem cylinder. They would prefer to re-do all valves & guides for an extra $150 which seems to make sense given 10 hrs of labour are involved by mechanic in asembly work.

    Regarding "letting go" of a vehicle, in hindsight, I should probably have done this about 3 yrs ago (before spending $3000!), but this Corolla wagon (only made for 3 yrs I believe) it is a great commuting car and very good in winter conditions with the AWD/4WD + two sets of good mounted summer/winter shares. I have been the sole driver of this vehicle for 17 yrs and have also not "beaten" the engine. It is also safety inspected until June 30th, 2008 so if I get the head work done successfully I should have at least 9 mths of trouble free driving ahead of me before next inspection. At my last MVI the mechanic commented on how "tight" everything was for an old car and the body still very solid.

    I have 5 daughters (6-14 yrs old) who just returned to school, so this has already been an expensive few weeks for our family and this was the last additional expense I needed at this time. We really require 2 cars though with a very hectic busy family schedule.

    While I procrastinate on a repair decision, do you have any idea on what additional damage I might be causing the engine driving a little around town on 3.5 cylinders? It runs but is "rough".
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    Well if you do it, have them do all of the valves and guides. No idea on additional damage, probably a better question for the mechanic you does the heads that you just talked to.

    Well another thing to consider is you eldest daughter of 14. Not sure what state you are in, in NC here kids get their permit at 15 and drive with a parent for a year before off on their own. Voting to replace it is the fact that a newer vehicle would have airbags and safety features. Voting to keep it would be that you'd have low insurance, and it's a great sized and stable car to learn to drive on (and have minor fender benders, if they happen). With 5 girls coming up, you are going to have your own fleet of vehicles before long.
  • petelinepeteline Member Posts: 8
    For an alternative opinion, I just visited the local Toyota dealer which is only 2 min drive away. Their "official" book price for a cylinder head/valve job is 16 hrs! They indicate that if you were to replace all valves & guides this would bring the compression up to 165-170 psi in each cylinder, which could cause strain on the piston rings likely causing excessive oil burning.

    Before embarking on this road, they would like to attempt a valve adjustment and conduct a WET/DRY? compression test, to possibly try and improve the #2 cylinder compression up from 110 psi, closer to the 150 psi of the other three. This would cost around $200. They say if you were to pull the cylinder head it is better to just replace the affected valves in that #2 cylinder to prevent the oil burning issue that I mentioned above.

    They also indicate that no further damage will be caused by running the car short distances around town in the meantime. When I brought one of my daughters to an early morning swim practice yesterday, on a cold engine, I noticed very little "miss" in the engine, but it developed more later in the day on a warm engine. On the hwy I have no problem maintaining the 110 km/hr speed limit.

    I live in New Brunswick (NB) Canada and the age to start driving on a graduated license, accompanied, is 16 yrs old, so extra vehicles will no doubt become an issue for our family in the near future. With the "graduated" license the child can drive the car alone sooner, assuming they pass the applicable written & driving test if they take a course of instruction from a designated driving school.

    Regarding vehicle maintenance, I never compromise what I consider safety issues related to brakes, steering, tires etc. but could live with "cosmetic" issues like a rust spot fixed up or a pin-prick hole in the exhaust system etc. To pass annual MVI must have no holes in exhaust system or rust perforation holes, but in between MVI's I would let some these things go.
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    I suspect you'll gets lots of differing opinions before all is said and done. I can only relay what I would do, and the rationale for why I'd do it. Each persons's situation is totally unique and different, and for the same exact problem statement could have a different correct solution.

    Certainly if there was a chance that by simply adjusting the valve you could get the compression up in that cylinder, that is the thing to do as it is non-invasive. If on the other hand the valve is burnt or valve guide noticeably worn, and you are going to have to take the head off (to have 'something' done) (and financially in your circumstances it makes sense to fix as opposed to dump), then you have a risk situation decision to figure out. Is it riskier to a.) only fix the one valve, minimizing any potential unknown ring situation, but maximizing the potential 'other valves have a problem risk' ....or b.) fix all the valves, minimizing valves ever causing a problem in the near future, and increasing the risk that you may have piston ring blow by.

    I personally am a proponent of preventive maintenance, and if one valve has a problem, it is reasonable that since all the other valves have gone thru the same mileage/oil/pressures/temperatures over the years, they all are reasonably worn at a similar rate, and are not too far behind. Since it is incrementally cheap to do and have the financial means, I'd do it. If it turns out the rings become a problem, dump the car. Likewise if you only repair a single valve, if you later have another valve problem, dump the car.

    If you knew the odds this would be an easy decision. Otherwise, you're taking a chance no matter which alternative you decide. If financially you can afford to replace, spend the 200 bucks to try to adjust the valve if they can and you think you'll get that much more back in selling the car, then dump it before you run into additional problems.

    Good luck with whatever alternative you choose. It's only a car and at some point it's going to the junk heap, you've certainly got your money's worth out of it up to this point.
  • petelinepeteline Member Posts: 8
    Re: "It's only a car and at some point it's going to the junk heap" - that's exactly what I tell my kids when they swoon over late model fancy vehicles and complain about what Dad is driving (with no mthly payments, paid off many years ago!).

    This evening on a relatively short 15 min drive in traffic I noted a "hot" smell coming from the engine when I stopped, although water temp is normal, but the tunnel to the rear axle was also becoming noticeably warm and also around the gear shift.

    So things are definitely not improving, and it would appear that in that in cylinder #2 where the valve is sticking, it is perhaps getting well and truly cooked!
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I don't think you can have a sticking or burnt valve with 110 psi compression. I think the diagnosis is not correct.

    110 psi should fire the cylinder just fine. Yes you might have a lumpy idle but if you had a burned valve or a sticking one your compression would be much lower than that.

    Your valves might merely be tight or you could be heavily carbonized.

    I wouldn't pull the head just yet, not by any means.

    First I'd try a valve adjustment

    Second I'd try to de-carbonize the engine.
  • petelinepeteline Member Posts: 8
    Thanks for your input. I have a valve adjustment scheduled for next Monday morning at the Toyota dealer. Then I can decide where I go next.

    Yes, the idle is a little "lumpy", but not stalling, and acceleration has some "hesitation", but overall performance at cruising speed only somewhat compromised.

    I will ask about your suggestion to possibly de-carbonize the engine. Is this a major job? Could using higher octane premium gasoline have contributed to the engine issue I am having, or perhaps after 17 years 238,000 KM this is just "par for the course". I have regular oil changes every 6,000 KM and use Castrol GTX 10W30 oil.

    Toyota would also like to do a "WET/DRY" compression test. The other mechanic who performed the initial diagnosis indicated that his was a "DRY" test and the actual cylinder compressions were 110 psi (Cyl 2), 145, 155 & 160.

    This is the 1600 cc 16 valve OHC engine. The mechanics book time to remove/re-install the cylinder head is 8.4 hrs (@ $60/hr) + about $350 for machine shop to re-do the head and replace all valves & guides.

    It has been explained to me that my concern over the "hot" smell coming from the car is just the catalytic converter burning off the excess fuel products not being properly combusted in cylinder 2. Mechanic says no issue in driving vehicle for short trips around town until the valve adjustment is attempted.
  • brittafbrittaf Member Posts: 1
    I just went to the dealership yesterday to get repairs done relating to a TSB (the sulfur/egg smell issue). When my car was at the shop, they told me that the drive belt tensioner was making noise and was cracked so it had to be replaced. It looks like there were 2 TSB's released regarding this issue but I can only appear to get summaries on the matter and would like to get further information without ordering copies of the TSB. TSB #'s are 02107 and 04004. 02107 states ACCESSORY DRIVE BELT/ BELT TENSIONER ASSEMBLY NOISE. ( NHTSA ITEM NUMBER - 10021536 ) and is from April 2007. 04004 states ACCESSORY DRIVE BELT SQUEAL/ BELT TENSIONER RATTLE. *NM. Any help at all would be much appreciated. I spent about $430 on repairs yesterday that I do not think I should have. Thanks again.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I think a cylinder leakdown test is really your best test here.

    If 110 lbs is accurate, that shouldn't result in non-combustion of fuel either. Again, it doesn't add up.

    Perhaps the dry compression test is WRONG (it often is) and you have lower than 110 psi---in which case your symptoms make more sense to me.

    Sometimes a couple cans of very strong fuel additive (decarbonizer) and a long hard run at high speed will do the trick.
  • kelsey6kelsey6 Member Posts: 1
    I have a question regarding my new 2007 Toyota Corolla LE. I just bought it in April and it has been a great car so far as I expected, except for one thing. Just recently I was driving on a hwy going about 75mph and all of a sudden I heard this high pitched noise that seemed to be coming from my front window. I felt around the front of my window and didn't feel a leak or anything so I pulled over on to a rest stop. As I slowed down the noise stopped. I opened the hood and found nothing else out of place or wrong and checked my tires as well to make sure they had air and weren't rubbing on any metal weird. So I got back on the road and drove. Eventually the noise stopped. The next day when I was driving on the same Hwy at the same speed as before I didn't hear the noise again and thought that it must have been something that worked it self out, maybe a wet belt of something. Well again today I was driving on the hwy and all of a sudden the noise was back, then it stopped and then was back again. Well being very frustrated I started to push on everything that I could to see if I could figure out where this vibrating high-pitched noise was coming from. As I was pushing on the inside of the roof of my car I noticed that the noise changed. I started to press on the roof area in front of my visor where the window meets the roof and the noise changed again. Then the noise stopped. I tried pushing on the same spot again while I didn't hear the noise to see what would happen. When I did this I could make the noise on my own. When I got into my town and slowed down I tried pushing on the roof area again and I couldn't make the noise. I think that it will only make this noise at high speeds of 60 or higher. What can I do to make this stop? Do I need to be my window resealed or is there something else wrong and I am totally off base? Any help or advice would be great. Thank you so much!
  • corollaownrcorollaownr Member Posts: 5
    I have manual door locks that are supposed to all lock when the car is put into drive. The passenger and driver front doors lock, but the back two don't. Also, three of these locks seem to be sprung and won't lock at all when the car is parked. Any suggestions on how I can get these fixed without spending a fortune? Is there something I can get from a auto parts store? :confuse:
  • grandtotalgrandtotal Member Posts: 1,207
    Sounds like your windshield may not be installed correctly. That happens sometimes, and is easily corrected (under warranty).
  • petelinepeteline Member Posts: 8
    PROBLEM SOLVED - Toyota mechanic has examined my car this morning and their compression test showed all cylinders close to spec in the 195 - 205 psi range. The problem was a bad spark plug wire, which is split. The distributor cap/spark plug wire set is only a year old and is covered by the NAPA lifetime warranty.

    The Toyota mechanic said the split on the plug wire to the #2 cylinder was quite bad and noticeable since it was arcing. I cannot believe that the non-Toyota mechanic didn't pick up on this and was suggesting that a $1000 valve job might be necessary!

    Thanks for your help and others on this forum in trouble-shooting this issue.
  • lostwrenchlostwrench Member Posts: 288
    I think that's it. The seal around the windshield glass.
  • hcs37chcs37c Member Posts: 1
    The same problem just developed in my Corolla. My wife thought a drink had spilled back there but it just rained and quite a bit of water made it in. How did you resolve this?
  • baltychenbaltychen Member Posts: 50
    Anyone experience this? When I cranked down my driver side window 2 inches down, the door panel (above my arm rest) makes sheet metal rubbing noise. Once I crank up all the way then the noise goes away.

    How to remove the door panel and check it out??

    Any information helps and thanks.
  • tiger18tiger18 Member Posts: 4
    Had a starter problem for a while before replacing the battery. Turned out that battery was about 20% below cranking par. With a new battery installed, the car started properly except only once when the dreaded click-click occured. So I figured the problem was fixed. Boy, was I wrong!

    Last weekend, after starting the car normally, a cracking noise came from under the hood and the battery warning light came on. After turning the car off, a billow of white smoke exited from under the hood. The engine continued to slowly try to crank and finally died. Upon opening the hood and waiting for the smoke to clear, I noticed that cable from the positive battery terminal to the starter had melted about half the cable insulation. Also damaged was some of the injector wires. The battery was super hot. It seemed like the starter cable grounded out, but I don't know that for sure. Has anyone else had this experience and determined the cause?

    Fortunately we were already thinking about buying a new car anyway, however the old Corolla was a total loss except for salvage value. A mechanic mentioned that it wasn't worth fixing since a new wiring harness alone would have to be ordered from Toyota at a cost over $1000. So I got rid of it, as-is.

    Oh, by the way, if this fire happens to you, don't open the hood until it's cooled off, just in case the battery explodes. I was very lucky not to get injured and didn't realize how dangerous this fire could have been.

    The good news is that I bought a new 5-speed CE Corolla for under 14k out the door. What a way to have to get a new car. However, I love my new candy-apple red car!
  • jlawrence01jlawrence01 Member Posts: 1,757
    A mechanic mentioned that it wasn't worth fixing since a new wiring harness alone would have to be ordered from Toyota at a cost over $1000.

    First, you should always carry around a ABC fire extinguisher. These come in real handy when you have smoke under the hood and are usually available at auto and discount stored for under $20

    Had you taken it to an independent shop, the shop would have called around to a junkyard and FOUND a USED harness. I have done this on several occasions with good success.

    You might have a claim against on your comprehensive due to the engine fire. Did you call your agent?
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    First I have heard. Since a new battery was put in, and it sounds like a new starter also, I am a little skeptical that someone made a mistake with the electricals?
  • tiger18tiger18 Member Posts: 4
    Very good advice:

    I plan on buying a fire extinguisher soon.
    We were planning on getting rid of the car within a year, otherwise I would have pursued fixing it. My schedule just got moved up.
    Unfortunately, I don't have comprehensive coverage anymore, so I'll just take my lumps and move on. A mechanic offered me the equivalent of a used motor, so I sold it to him for that price. Yeah, I know I lost money but the aggravation is gone.

    Thanks.
  • tiger18tiger18 Member Posts: 4
    I'm thinking of advising Toyota about it, in case there is a flaw in their system. (one of those one in a million shots - rare but possible)

    Thanks.
  • hsmdhsmd Member Posts: 1
    I had this problem a few months ago. At first the car would not start at times, so i replaced the battery. It was OK for about a week, then the same thing. While out for a ride one day i noticed that the starter was running after i turned the ignition off. I restarted it and turned the key off, but the starter kept on running. Finally, the positive wire to the battery melted and being as i had no tools with me to disconnect the battery from the starter i was left with the only option to call AAA. They came out and towed my car and ended up replacing the starter as it had developed a short in it and was the cause of the whole problem.
    I guess i have no real complaints as the car has over 200K miles on it and keeps on going. With 35+ MPG a little "meltdown" from time to time isn't bad although i am happy that it didn't catch on fire.
    I have my tool box back in my car as a result...
  • c2cpc2cp Member Posts: 11
    I have a 2001 corolla s and when I am driving in a heavy rain I get a loud noise from what I think is the exhaust and I notice a lost in power. My father has a 2002 corolla and he said his does the same thing. Does anybody else have this problem and know what the problem is?
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