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2009 Toyota Corolla Problems and Repairs

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Comments

  • louie_jr2005louie_jr2005 Member Posts: 34
    I have 8800 miles on mine and have never felt anything like that. or anything at all, my car is the best, No problem what so ever
  • busirisbusiris Member Posts: 3,490
    I don't know the answer, but I have two thoughts:

    -It's highly unlikely that the system will "reprogram itself"


    Well, that's exactly what it does when you depress the reset button.

    The answer to your question is pretty easy. If you want the sensor feature to work, have them installed on the 2nd set of wheels with the snow tires.

    On more expensive cars, the TPS sensors have multi feature capability are are mounded in the center of the wheel and secured by a metal (steel) band. On less expensive cars, the sensors are part of the valve stem assembly, and much less expensive, simply because they are cheaper to manufacture.

    Once the 2nd wheel set is installed on the car, you should be able to hit the reset button, drive a few miles, and the wheel sensors should synch-up with the monitoring system.

    Remember, these systems are required by law, and since all the manufacturers want to keep cost as low as possible, its highly unlikely that they would install "serialized" sensors that were unique to each individual.

    But, just to be on the safe side, call your local Goodyear tire dealer and ask them...If its a reputable dealership, they should have the definitive answer.

    One last thought...I can tell you from personal experience that total reliance on a TPS warning system is foolish...periodically check pressures with a quality tire guage, at a minimum each time the seasons change.

    Let us know what you decide...Good Luck!
  • erikhaanerikhaan Member Posts: 29
    Thank you for this advice! I will check out the lug nuts.
  • avelichevavelichev Member Posts: 6
    For replacing oil filter on 2009 LE Corolla need to use SST (Special Service Tool). Toyota Parts Department not carries this tool. Does any one know what this tool is?
  • onhbronhbr Member Posts: 3
    2009 corolla. According to Toyota dealer service folks, the rupture of the fuel filter tube (profuse leakage, of course) was cause by road debris. There was none visible on the road (two lane highway, good condition, concrete road, no vehicle in front of me, I was driving 60 mph) - loud pop happens underneath (again no visible debris - but I felt something that could have been an impact). In any case, dealer says no warranty coverage because it was road debris impact. Maybe it was. The real issue is way beyond warranty coverage of the $400 repair bill. It is a safety issue if the design exposes the part to such damage for debris too small to see on the road. Any other experiences like this?
  • onhbronhbr Member Posts: 3
    The damage wa to the "fuel filler tube" not "filter tube"
  • sparklandsparkland Member Posts: 120
    If its anything like the tool for the Tundra--good luck. Even the Toyota filter changers (I hesitated to call them techs-since the tech are not the ones doing the oil changes) are having problems getting the new filters on without leaks. A strange design to be sure.
  • terceltomterceltom Member Posts: 1,024
    Is it true that the new 2009 Toyota Corolla is recommended to use synthetic motor oil?
  • louie_jr2005louie_jr2005 Member Posts: 34
    Yes you must use either 0w-20 or 5w20 synthetic oil. You can only get 0w-20 at toyota dealers. If you use anything else you will void you warranty. Plus you will lose mpg.
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    You can find 0w20 synthetic anywhere.
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    having problems getting the new filters on without leaks. A strange design to be sure.

    This is the first time I have heard of this problem with Corollas, and I follow the Toyotanation forums and the edmunds forums closely? Could you provide me with some links?
  • avelichevavelichev Member Posts: 6
    o'raily has this oil
  • louie_jr2005louie_jr2005 Member Posts: 34
    we have no O'Reilly up here in the Massachusetts, we have like 5 differnent places and no one has 0w-20. what about the filter and the tool to get it off? Thats the bigger problem, you can get the oil but it harder to gte the filter and get it off your car. I think it well worth the 60 bucks to have the dealer do it once every 5000 miles than try and get under my car with a 5" clearance or put it on ramps. They check everything, rotate tires, and top everything off.
  • rich505rich505 Member Posts: 33
    Vibration can also be cause by the wheels themselves being out of true. I had a Camry in which two of the four OEM steel wheels became out of round due to hitting potholes and curbs. I had replaced one before because of this. You can't see the out of round by eye but when spinning on a Hunter dynamic balancer you could see a slight wobble. The tire/wheel caused some vibration on the vehicle when on the front even though it is perfectly balanced.

    The tire place that I used said that the best quality OEM steel wheels for US-made cars (even Toyota, etc.,) go to the car factories here and the after-market ones may be slightly out of round.
  • avelichevavelichev Member Posts: 6
    well, do you know which oil they can put on your car 0W20 /synthetic/ or 5W20/syntetic on non-syntetic or 5W30/. Kip in mind that person who does do paper work in Toyota not have a kly what kind of oil has to be . At list the person I asked did not know.
    So this is a good question what service is better - home or dialer.
  • louie_jr2005louie_jr2005 Member Posts: 34
    Well if the people at your toyota counter don't know anything about your car, than thats a big problem. My dealer is Boch toyota, and when i walked in they knew what my car takes and everything else. Toyota service reps are just as good as the person working on the car. They should know everything about your car just like the guys that do the work...... my dealer is the #1 selling toyota dealers in the USA. Thats one reason you get good service! This dealer pays cash for all his cars and has over 3,000 toyota on his lot, you need to drive a car around just to find the one you want. It took them 3 hrs to get my car out of the mess of parked cars and trucks just so i could test drive it!! ( I know how long it took b/c i was there helping them find the only corolla s that i wanted) they had 50 different ones but only one that had what i wanted, because they sell like 200 cars a day.
  • erikhaanerikhaan Member Posts: 29
    Thanks for this info. Where do I take my car to be put on a Hunter dynamic balancer?
  • onhbronhbr Member Posts: 3
    Turns out it was not an exposed rubber tube at all (which is what I thought had been described) but a metal tube. It was clearly hit and perforated by some type of object - probably metal - perhaps a bolt or nut or something- picked up on the road. In in any event the tube is not - as I had thought - an exposed rubber part easily vulnerable to such damage.
  • nedzelnedzel Member Posts: 787
    Call up the better tire shops in your area and ask them if they have a Hunter balancer.
  • erikhaanerikhaan Member Posts: 29
    Will do. Thanks for the tip!
  • londonguylondonguy Member Posts: 1
    Hey there. Have an 09 CE in Canada. I notice sometimes it's harder to shift out of park, with or without the parking brake on or incline or not. It's never hard, but sometimes its like butter, other times you have to apply a little more pressure. Anyone experiencing this?
  • cpu8900cpu8900 Member Posts: 53
    1) As for the idling, mine's the same, that's just where their engineers want it.

    2) It uses a timing chain for the DOHC arrangement.
    So no need to worry about replacing the belt.
  • cpu8900cpu8900 Member Posts: 53
    The manual makes no mention that you must use synthetic oil....this car is not a Porsche or Lamborghini.

    There should be no problem using a good conventional oil like Pennzoil that's easily available in 5w-20.
  • louie_jr2005louie_jr2005 Member Posts: 34
    that is what the dealer said they use....i saw the jugs and it 0w-20 and also 5w-20 synthetic motor oil
  • cpu8900cpu8900 Member Posts: 53
    When I went to the dealer today the service manager showed me the SST (special service tool) for the oil filter canister. It's nothing more than a 10 sided oil filter wrench cap with a 1/2" drive ratchet attachment at the center that fits over the end of the canister.
    I could have purchased one for the economical sum of $40.....it probably cost Toyota $4 to make.
    A technician explained that when you unscrew the canister out of the block there are a couple of drain holes that allow the oil to drain out before completely unscrewing it. The O ring sits in a groove machined into the canister that allows it to seal to the engine block.
    He indicated it's critcal to replace the o ring each time the canister is removed and do not scratch the groove that it sits in during removal.
    During reassembly be sure to cover the new o ring with clean oil so it doesn't go together dry.
    Tighten cap to torque indicated on SST cap.

    The filter cost me $6.95.

    Both service manager and tech. said synthetic oil is not required.
  • louie_jr2005louie_jr2005 Member Posts: 34
    I called the dealer b/c i am having my oil changed tomorrow and it not full synthetic it semi synthetic he called it.
  • cpu8900cpu8900 Member Posts: 53
    My dealer charges $58 for the 5,000 mile maint. which includes: oil change, tire rotation, misc. insp. of undercarriage items.

    If you want just oil change it's $39.

    Thanks very much Toyota, but I'll save about $24 changing the oil myself. And I certainly know how to rotate the tires and inspect the undercarriage items.

    And with the great facilities of the auto hobby shop at the nearby military base I can use one of their drive-on lifts and any tool you can think of for a very economical price.
  • daisondaison Member Posts: 1
    Guys, I was using a 2006 Toyota Corolla till date and got it changed with a 2009 Toyota Corolla. It has central lock system but no remote control. I love the ride in this even more than the Prado that I used between the vehicles got changed. Only problem is - the front passenger door cant be opened from inside or outside door handles after a ride. One has to take the vehicle key and open the the door with the key from outside - my wife is stuck inside till that is done. Anybody has the same problem? I am concerned for safety and convenience. If anybody has the same problem and has fixed it please let me know.
    Thanks :confuse: ;)
  • pennyarcadepennyarcade Member Posts: 5
    :) Sorry, SmallCar1 ! I haven't been online recently. (New job, new car, nice weather...) I have now had my 2009 for 4 mos and 5000 miles and I still love it. I am averaging 34-35 mpg which is better than the '93 Altima. As for the pickup, I think it's pretty comparable, unless the AC is on! I've been reading this evening about rattles and other problems that other '09 owners are having. I'm not. My moonroof is solid, no rattles anywhere in the vehicle. I was pleased to learn the '09 has a timing chain instead of a belt, like my '93 Altima. My '09 was built in Fremont, CA, if that matters. I'm happy. I'll probably keep it longer than I had originally planned because it's a great little car.
  • cpu8900cpu8900 Member Posts: 53
    Well forget some of that stuff I wrote up above this about how to change the filter.
    Turns out it's much easier than it looks, especially since I just did it.
    Took the car to the base hobby shop and put it up on the drive-on lift. The filter is right on the bottom of the engine next to the drain plug. No special tool is needed to remove the canister....just use your standard metal band type adjustable filter wrench and it will easily come off. There is a small detent type stop that needs to be depressed during removal. This is used to drain the canister before complete removal.
    Remove the old paper cartridge, O ring and clean cannister....install new cartridge and O ring and reinstall canister assembly and tighten, then refill with oil.
    Start engine and check for leaks.
    I found it much easier than my Malibu was, albeit slightly more expensive since the Corolla filters for now are only available from the dealer at about $7.
  • slscanadaslscanada Member Posts: 1
    I have the exact problem... :cry: I bought my 2009 Corolla CE 4 months ago, and has 4500km on it. The engine oil level has already felt below low. I have checked twice after I shut off the engine and the next morning. Since the oil is like dark brown, I am pretty sure it's the correct reading.

    Tire pressure light is constantly on - all tires are with 30 psi (as written on the side of the door).

    I am bringing my Corolla to dealership tomorrow morning. Will update.
  • mnfmnf Member Posts: 405
    I would be worried and concerned about the oil have you seen and leaking or puddles in the garage or maybe burning smells.

    Good Luck
    MNF
  • slowlearner1slowlearner1 Member Posts: 35
    There is a small detent type stop that needs to be depressed during removal. This is used to drain the canister before complete removal.

    I like to change my own oil...can you explain this part a little more? I'm not sure what you're referring to.
    thanks
  • erikhaanerikhaan Member Posts: 29
    I thought the low engine oil was true of my Corolla, too. I checked the oil a few times and hardly even saw any oil on the dipstick. But I took the car in for an oil change at the scheduled time and the mechanics didn't say anything about it. I think the design of the dipstick is poor, and that maybe the oil is getting scraped off before the dipstick is fully pulled out of the engine.

    Your tire pressure is too low. I spoke with a Toyota technician, who recommended the tire pressure be at 40 PSI. The 30 PSI you see on the side of the door is for when the car has been sitting overnight in ice-cold temperatures (in other words, this is the lowest the tire pressure should ever get). Try increasing the pressure to 40 PSI. I'm willing to bet the TPMS light will turn off. ;)

    Erik Haan
    Massachusetts
  • avelichevavelichev Member Posts: 6
  • cpu8900cpu8900 Member Posts: 53
    Just look at the oil filter cannister and you'll see
    what I'm talking about......similar to some bottle
    cap tops where you have to depress the catch
    to permit the complete unscrewing of the cap.

    I've already changed my oil and filter and
    it was very easy. Forget about trying to change
    oil and filter without raising the car.....there's only
    about 8" clearance from bottom of filter to ground.
  • cpu8900cpu8900 Member Posts: 53
    The first time I checked my tires while cold they were 40 #...... lowered them to 30 like the door jam says....40 while cold is too high and they won't wear properly and might affect proper handling and stability......I'll trust the manual and door jam before what the dealer says.
    After lowering the pressure I didn't get the TPMS
    light but still followed the procedure in the manual
    by resetting the TPMS button under the dash and the system works fine.

    As to your oil problem I never have any problem getting an accurate reading from the dipstick.....be sure to wipe it off before reinserting it then allow several seconds before removal.
  • cpu8900cpu8900 Member Posts: 53
    I'm very happy with my Corolla so far and the only complaints are what many others say about the clock and having to push thru all the info. to get to the mpg, etc.
    I just leave it on avg. mpg and it brings a smile to my
    face as it usually hovers at 40.3 mpg as I cruise by
    the gas stations.

    I'm at home with the way the steering feels now and
    enjoy the way I can easily make a U turn in such a small
    area.

    I already have some 15" custom alloy wheels picked out
    that I'll be installing to replace the stock black wheels in the next month or two.
  • sep1078ussep1078us Member Posts: 6
    Hi, I am new to this ...I brought Toy Corolla 2009 3 months back and allready 3200 miles on it. It is great car, but now adays i am haveing a problem with my milleage, i am driveing with in the city driveing at 45-50 Speed and i see i am getting gas milleage of just 21-22, why is it, i just noticed this when i filled my gas at Shell gas station .Earlier it used to give atleast 25 in the city and on high way it used to give me more than 30 when i used to maintain 65 not more at all, please help....
  • terceltomterceltom Member Posts: 1,024
    I wouldn't necessarily say it's a problem at all. I would just guess that your getting comfortable in your new car and might be changing your driving habits slightly as you do. So stop the worry and enjoy your new Corolla. My Corolla consistently gives me no more than 23 mpg. in 90% city driving but get it on the highway and I can get 39 mpg. no problem.
  • louie_jr2005louie_jr2005 Member Posts: 34
    After you put gas in it did you reset the avg MPG numbers? The range setting resets on it own, but you have to reset the other info numbers. To reset the numbers just go to the one you want and push and hold the buttom till it goes to 0. Then it reset and should show the correct mpg.
  • erikhaanerikhaan Member Posts: 29
    louie...

    Are you stating that there is a way to view MPG in my 2009 Toyota Corolla? :surprise: How do I do this, if so?

    Thanks,
    Erik Haan
    Massachusetts
  • louie_jr2005louie_jr2005 Member Posts: 34
    Yes, You know where the clock is. If you push that buttom it shows all kinds of info like outside temp, avg mph, instant mpg, avg mpg, range felt on tank of gas, hours the engine been on. You just need to push the clock buttom to see them. the mph and instant mpg sucks. for you avg mpg so need to reset itafter ever fill up. The range will reset itself. Its cool you can see what you mpg is. my is always around 38-42. I get about 440-470 on a 13 gal tank!
  • slowlearner1slowlearner1 Member Posts: 35
    It could be that you are running the AC more...spending more time at red rights or just "not babying" your car now that some of the new is gone. Always look way ahead to try and avoid stopping. Every time you stop you will experience bad mpg as you get the car back up to speed.
  • toledo2tokyotoledo2tokyo Member Posts: 1
    I just bought an 09 Corolla and noticed that when I have the rear windows rolled down, even half way, and go over 40 mph there is a loud, almost unbearable bass-like noise that reverberates throughout the car. It's impossible to drive that way so I have never been able to roll the back windows down. Any ideas on why this is happening? Thanks!
  • erikhaanerikhaan Member Posts: 29
    Why did you state the following?

    "the mph and instant mpg sucks."

    Thanks,
    Erik
  • slowlearner1slowlearner1 Member Posts: 35
    It does that in every car I've owned. Don't know why, but I guess it has to do with air trying to enter and exit the car at the same time through the same openings. That would set up an oscillation like a sound wave. Experiment with other windows down a bit or uneven lowering of the backs and see if that helps any. I know when I lower both the windows on the drivers side it greatly reduces the buffeting for the drivers window.
  • terceltomterceltom Member Posts: 1,024
    WIND !
  • louie_jr2005louie_jr2005 Member Posts: 34
    i said that because if you look at the numbers they go crazy. the number never stay close. the instant mpg goes from 100 to 20 to 50 to 80 it all over the map. the avg mpg works great.
  • bimmer4mebimmer4me Member Posts: 266
    I like to have my seat at the hightest setting when maually adjusting the drivers seat. Occasonally, I find that the seat drops down a little and doesn't keep its postion and have to pump up the seat to its original position. Is this normal on manual seat height adjuster? I'm the sole driver of this car.
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