Dear Kneist1 and Kaz6: the engine warning light came on for about a couple of days and now it has disappeared automatically by itself...I wonder why? Anyway, I will cancel my trip to the dealer tomorrow since the light is gone. The driver side door speaker now rattles a bit when I crank up the stereo volume slightly (note: I rarely use my 3 in 1 stereo). I plan to put power lock in the ECHO...has anyone put in his/her? How much? and where? Thanx.
30k maintainance will cost you plenty at the dealer, I would guess $300. All they really need to do is change the plugs, airfilter, and transmission oil. My neighbor has spent $1500 for Toyota service on his 95 Camry since it was new, and he has the extended warranty! (80k miles on the car now) That is just for regular maintainance! Most of the "work" is inspection, not actual service. You need to check the belts (probably replace at 60k) the boots on the CV joints on the drive axles for integrity (they tear open and all the grease comes out, ruining the joints, its what that CLICCK CLICK CLICK is you hear on some cars when they turn.) Check the ammount of brake pad thickness and how much tread is on the tires.See the owners manual to see what needs to be inspected .These inspections should take way less than an hour to do (and dealers post they get about $70 per hour to work on the car), but this "service" costs $300!
Do I spend $1,600 to fix my old '86 Corolla GTS sporty car, or put the money towards a new Echo?
My broken climate control temperature lever and worn-out clutch are certainly repairable on an otherwise fine old car. But a new car would be fun.
Is the Echo sporty/snappy enough to drive to keep me happy after being spoiled by zooming around in my GTS?
Will a dealer let me order one, or must you pick from existing dealer lots' inventory? (After reading hundress of messages on this board, I am still not clear on this. I know dealers are annoyed by factory orders, so they won't volunteer. Should I insist? And why are they annoyed by this? Seems like a sale is a sale one way or the other.)
I am considering using the Costco Auto Sales program. Any experience or tips? It promises to be low-cost and hassle-free.
Is the Echo cheap or inexpensive? Is it a good-value alternative to the Corolla (which is so deadly dull in every aspect lately), or is the Echo a cheaper knock-off with low entry costs but mounting long-term costs?
Does the Echo have an air (pollen, dust, etc.) filter for the climate control system?
Lastly, should I get air-conditioning? I hate they way all a/c units seem to grow mold & mildew eventually. Breathing output from a mold-making machine cannot be healthy! Do modern a/c units still suffer from this? Is there any way to clean out nasty a/c units? (My mechanic says 'No'.)
If you really like the car you have, I would say, put the $1600 into it and fix it. ECHOs are great little inexpensive cars and economical on gas. I would not call my ECHO sporty, but she goes when I ask her to. They are small on the outside and roomy on the inside.
Regarding factory orders. The cars are built in Japan and sent here. I believe that for the 2000 model they sent 50,000 here and that was it. I don't know how many 2001 models are allocated for the US. It seems that if a customer wanted something special, their dealer would check with other dealers around the country to find what their customer asked for.
Kaz 6 I do own a sedan 2001 echo with power windows abs and stereo and sport rims, but i live in singapore and it cost me 77 000, that is relatively cheap, opps and mine is a 1300cc model which means to say a little under powered but very suitable for the city driving done here in singapore. But i must say that the response from the vvt-i engine is so much better than my girlfriends 1300cc corolla 98 glx. I don't regret at all buying this car, i would surely recommend it to anybody.ECHO out
8k8mica: how about posting a pic of yours? It's funny how some of my friends get so defensive when they find out I have an Echo. I tell them I bought it for me and not to impress anyone. I think a lot of people think way too much of what others think when buying a car. Basil: as far as a/c unit having filter...no. At this price range it is not something that is common. I also don't know if I want to pay for filter replacements for the life of the car. Mold will still grow in units with a filter if you don't follow some simple rules to prevent it. *if you live in a damp area make sure you run the vent without the a/c on to help dry out the system. *run the a/c yearround to ensure proper function. Yes, even in the winter to keep the unit properly lubed and running. *if you have been using your unit a lot when it's hot out make sure to follow the first tip to ensure the condensation dries up. No one can tell you what would be best as far as repair or buy. I traded a very balanced and sporty ride for my Echo; ZX-2 w/5-speed. It's a matter of what's important to you. My Echo doesn't corner as well nor does it have the same power over tall mountain passes as my ZX-2 but it doesn't get 20mpg in the city (sometimes 18 w/ac on) The Echo is a very fun ride and has a lot of power for its intended role. I wasn't expecting much when I bought mine and am still happy I did 4 months and 6k miles later!
When my deal fell through (the dealer my guy was going to get the car from sold it after promising to hold it for me), the dealer offered to do an order for me, as did another dealer I contacted. 5-speed Echos in my area seem to be pretty rare with the options I was looking for. They claimed it would take 4-6 weeks if I was going with the standard build options, but when I asked about adding in side air bags, they said it might take 5 months. I was a little skeptical that it would actually make it in 4-6 weeks, though, so when another dealer found one that was on its way to a nearby dealer (due in a couple of weeks), I jumped on it. If the factory order had really come in 4 weeks, I maybe only saved a week, but I was concerned that it might take longer.
Make sure to ask your dealer what the build schedule is, though (they should have one for each month), so you'll know what options are readily available. If you're looking for something not on there (like side air bags on a 5-speed, for example), you'll be looking at a much longer wait.
I have a 2000 echo and it has a bird sound coming out of the dash. To get the sound you need to be going about 40mph and it seems to get more frequent and louder if the fan speed is set up. It will sometimes make the chirping sound with the fan off. Nothing else seems to affect it. It may be a malfunctioning chime module etc. Have any of you experenced this and if so what did you do to fix it. Thanks for any helpful information, Paul
Sounds like you have something in the fan like a piece of Reeces Peanut Butter Cup wrapper. I'll look in the manual tomottow and see how hard it is to remove the fan.
1) Remove the lower glove compartment door. Open the door and press the sides together and pull straight up. 2) This exposes the "computer" which controls the engine. Disconnect the three connectors and the two screws and remove the ECU. (hint:it might be possible to leave the connectors in place and just unbolt the ECU) 3) The fan is behind the ECU. Remove the three screws and the connector and pull the fan out then you can check for debris. 4) There is something called a two way flow heater. This squirrel fan similiar to the one way, but it has two fans one atop the other. It doesn't have three screws holding it in place. to remove: a) disconnect the control link b)disconnect the connectors c)disconnect connectors clamps d)disconnect wire harness clamps e)remove screw (1) f)release the claw (yes, the CLAW) and remove the air duct. I suspect that most ECHO models have the one way blower. Good luck and let us know what you find.
Im taking my ECHO in for her first oil change, Im wondering how much canadian it will cost at the toyota dealership. I am also going to ask how much a replacement hub cap will cost (scraped my front drivers side going thru a car wash) and Im also going to check out what accessories they have and the prices...Ill let you all know what I find out later this afternoon when I get back...Oh yeah I also want to get some touch-up paint for those little stone chips...Ill let ya know what I find!
Altogether with taxes my oil change came to $29 (plus some change, but I cant remember) The parts guy was on lunch so I didnt bother asking anyone about accessories but I did find a book with the 2001 accessories in it and a price guide and there is really nothing out there..The bug deflector (which is pretty much the only thing I dont have) installed was $107, dont know if it really is worth it, does anyone believe a bug guard is benefial????
My beloved wife spotted another Echo in our small town and assumed it was me. She saw a man and woman but could not tell who they were. Her interigation ended only when our son said he saw it too and it was not me. Now I want to know who has the second Echo, same color, 4 door, etc, so I can tell others honestly that it wasn't me.
Took my ECHO to the Toyota dealership for its 30K maintenance. Here's what they did. Checked everything, changed oil & filter, changed transmission fluid, changed antifreeze and rotated the tires. Air filter and fuel filter didn't need changing. It took a little over an hour and cost $119.00US. Not bad at all. Next major purchase will be tires. I'm considering Dunlop D60A2 as they are rated highly by Consumers Digest and are only $46 each. Anyone know anything about them? I now have 31,800+ miles on the car after another 3 day road trip averaging 40mpg at 70-75 mph. I love this little car.
I agree that $119 is a reasonable charge for the work done. (Although at 30,000 miles the owners manual says the sparkplugs and airfilter are supposed to be changed. Have they ever been changed before? If they did not change the airfilter even though it had 30k on it because it was still clean, I guess that shows they are honest) I wish I could show you the reciepts from my neighbors Toyota Camry and what they charged him to do the same work! It was $300!
125,000 miles?! Thats a lot for any plug. I think he means platinum though. Well, certainly sparkplugs today last a long time and even though the owners manual says to change them at 30k I was suprised to see that short an interval (and the plugs for the Camry etc get changed at 60k according to the manual) I'd be more suspicious of the dealer if he recommended a SHORTER interval for a maintainance item! This is something entirely new to me!
I haven't been in this forum for quite a while, but it is nice to come back and see the new Echo owners being happy (for the most part) with their cars. I passed one year as an owner recently and we now have 25000 miles on our green 4 door standard Echo. Love the car, it's a roomy scooter in my mind. No problems at all with the car, I've bought the Echo oil filters and done my oil changes at 6000 mile intervals. My wife hit a curb hard once and ruined the right front tire, but no suspension damage at all. And a small kid scratched the door with his bicycle while I was parked. But here's a very minor drawback that I bet others can duplicate. If I drive at about 60mph and have only 1 window open (full or mostly open), I get a heavy drumbeat throbbing. It's enough to make you change your window setup. I think it is strong with a rear window, and not so strong with a front one. Try see. (We now have 6 Echos in our town of 5000 people.)
Thought you might like to hear how my ex-Echo held up in a recent crash. Not to send bad vibes out, but after all, these things do happen...
While driving on a small, slow back-country road (i.e., I wasn't even up to 25 mph yet) I had to brake suddenly to avoid a pair of foxes that ran out in front of me from an adjancent field. The initial braking and swerve were just dandy, but then I had to avoid a car coming at me from the other direction like a bat out of hell, and had to swerve again. Somewhere along there, I hit a mud puddle, which didn't help, and much as I tried, I couldn't stop the car from fishtailing. (And there was someone behind me, so I just couldn't throw on the brakes.) I held on as long as I could because I had to do everything possible to keep the car from going off the rough road into a canal, but after several seconds I realized that I really had no say in the matter.
The car flipped and rolled to the left; it landed on its roof. I'm one of those drivers who sits ALL the way back in the seat, and since I had my seat belt on, I was exactly where I should've been--except upside-down. I was able to reach up and unfasten my seatbelt easily, and as my window was completely broken out, I simply crawled out of it.
I didn't realize what sort of shape the car was in until the next day when I saw it at the body shop to get my personal things. Here's the lowdown: the entire roof was crushed, except for that part of it directly over my head--otherwise it had gone down into the headrest of the passenger seat. Three of the four pillars supporting the roof remained almost completely intact. All of the windows were broken out, but for the windshield, which crumbled into bits but somehow hung together in place. The right side of the car looked as though it had been hit by something. The trunk and hood both popped hopelessly open; the battery exploded, and the passenger door was jammed shut.
Maybe this doesn't sound good--but I'd buy this car again in a heartbeat. One of my main reasons for getting it in the first place was the interior room and the really phenomenal headroom. Had it not been for such a roomy interior, all that headroom, and the fact that the interior of the car remained completely intact (but for part of the roof...) I wouldn't be here today. Honestly, to look at pictures of the car, seeing the external damage to the front end and sides, you'd expect the worst. The man who witnessed the accident told me he didn't expect to see anyone get out of the car, and yet I was taken to the hospital with nothing but minor cuts on my hands (since at the last moment I held them up over my head). After the fact, I realized I'd actually hit my head and had a concussion--and had some minor bruising--but this car did a darned fine job of absorbing the shock in a freakish situation.
I love my Echo, but it terrifies me to drive on windy days! The car gets blown around so bad that I have to fight to keep it under control. Also, when it rains, the car hydroplanes really bad. And if it's windy and raining, well, I just stay home!!If anyone is thinking about getting this car, take this into consideration. I used to drive a small Honda CRX, and I never had this problem. Of course, the Honda was shorter in height, so I'm sure this had a lot to do with it's stability. Other than the fact that it's bad in wind and rain, it's a good car.
I just read in todays newspaper that there were 55 lemon-law claims in Hawaii last year. Toyota sells more vehicles in this state than anyone else, yet they had only one claim. GM had 13, Ford had 12, Honda had 10, and Chrysler had 6. Mazda had 4 claims and Nissan had zero.
njecho: glad to hear you're all right! I hope this anecdote puts to rest the concerns of the Echo's size has on its safety. While a larger car is always safer, the Echo is as safe as almost every other car in its class save for the Civic. In fact, it's rated identically to the much heavier/larger Focus 4-door. raeby: sorry to hear you are having so many frights driving your Echo! While I only have about 6k miles on mine, I've never had the car hydroplane. Are your tires set at or below 32psi? You may benefit with a tire upgrade; I had Michelin MXV4 Energy Plus tires on my last car and they had great wet traction. A wider profile tire may help witht the directional stability issue as well. I have driven through some pretty bad winds (35+mph) and find that as long as my speed is not above 60mph the weaving is not bad. Any light car/high-profile will do that.
Very sorry to hear about your misfortune with your ECHO. But I'm glad to hear that you are OK and that your ECHO sustained the dammage and you didn't. Also, I hope that the insurance covers what happened and that they total out the car and you wind up with a new ECHO! Your accident reminds me of a similiar one a few years ago here in NJ where a teenager swerved to avoid a deer. Unfortunately he hit a tree and he and his three friends in the car were killed. The instinct to swerve when an animal crosses your path in an automobile is a strong one, but my Dad (who worked in an emergency room) always told me "Never brake brake for an animal" Which in my head I modifyed to "If you brake or swerve suddenly to avoid an animal you might hurt someone else." When taking my flight exam for my private pilots liscence I was landing with full flaps. Some instrutors recommend landing with half flaps, because if you have to add power and go around, the aircraft can become a handfull with full flaps down. But landing with full flaps makes the airplane slower and easier to control. I saw the examiner look at the lever in the full flap position before he said to me "I see you are landing with full flaps. What would you do if a child ran out onto the runway and you had four people in the aircraft?" I told him "If MY child ran out onto the runway and he was hit by an aircraft, it would be MY fault." He thought about that one. But I got my liscence.
I bought the same car you have and I also live in Aldergrove and commute to Vancouver daily (128 Kms). Had the car undercoated by Ziebart. Where had you done yours? You don't live on 26th Ave, do you?
Changed my id to be shorter. Used to be pulgomaus. I made a mistake and didn't review my profile. Santiago, Chl is where I was born and I thought the flag doesn't look bad either.
So, do you live on 26th? I've seen a silver ECHO almost at the end of the road. (Rottweiler neighbour). HE HE
My beloved wife borrowed my Echo to go shop in Valdosta mall last weekend. It's about 60 miles one way. She must have hit all the bugs between here and there since they were all over the front. She filled up the Echo to capacity since Carolina Pottery is closing at that location.
Today she asked for my Echo for another trip to a wedding this weekend. I told her okay but to try to give those remaining bugs a chance to live. I must not forgot to tell her to avoid any more bargains.
My Echo during the week. Her Echo on weekends. I was glad bugs washed off okay.
I was taught not to swerve around animals in the road. You go to the right and end up in the ditch. You go left and you hit someone head on. And the poor animal may go either direction and you hit him anyway. One night only two yards in front of us was a deer running in place since it could not get traction on the hard road. Luckily we were able to come to a dead stop so no vehicle or deer/dear damage. And wear those seat belts!
Have been using my silver ECHO for target practice. I park under a maple tree and I do get a few splats of poo occasionally, but this spring it looks like a whole flock (or one bird with diarrhea) resided in that tree and took careful aim.
Animals v. cars... I think it's a natural reaction to brake or swerve when something walks or runs in front of moving vehicles. From some of the stories I've heard about deer collisions, I would rather end up in a ditch than hit one. I've heard of the deer coming through the windshield and killing the driver. Had an acquaintance who had a Dodge Omni and hit an owl that flew at him. Had to have the front grille and radiator replaced.
Beacause I live on 25A I've seen your car on my evening walks and I was surprised to see your messages on this board. I have the same kind of commute and drive 128 Kms (80 miles) everyday. I work downtown Vancouver (Georgia and Bute) and I am extremely happy about the mileage my ECHO is achieving (48 Mpg). And it is not even fully broken in. I love the little car and don't miss driving my Caprice one bit. I'm not worried anymore about gas prices going up this summer!
This past weekend I went to Upstate NY for the first day of Trout Fishing Season and the ECHO averaged 42.75 mpg, my best ever! NOT ONLY THAT...while driving on the Garden State Parkway an interesting thing happened. I was on the part of the Parkway where there are like six lanes in each direction. Sometimes people drive 60 mph in the left most lane instead of going 80 like they should. So once in a while you have to go to your right to get around this slow moving traffic. I was doing this searching for a way through when two things became immediately apparent. 1) It was necessary to cut three lanes back to the left to get around slow moving righthand traffic. 2) There was a Porsche Boxter right behind me who realized the same thing at about the same instant I did. I MIGHT have had a slight jump on him, but we both floored it and cut three lanes over at the same instant for the leftmost lane. I had an idea he was going to try and cut around me and accelerate by me and thats what he tried to do. HE NEVER GOT THERE! The little ECHO outaccelerated him and out cut him and got to the leftmost lane before he did! Perhaps he did not give it his all. He wound up right on my tail with his lisence plate filling my rearview mirror. When there was a gap I pulled over and slowed down from 90 back to 75-80 and he roared by looking over his shoulder and flipping me the bird! You just have to let egomaniacs like that have their little victory, you know.
I noticed on the Toyota web site, under build your own toyota, upgrade package # 3 with power windows and keyless entry.Anybody have an Echo equipped with this package? I noticed many of the online car buying sites don't even mention such a package - just #1 and #2.
Hello I'm new to this site. I'm interested in getting an Echo...it will be my first car. The positive comments I read about it were encouraging. After I calculated the cost of the 2000 model(including dest.fee and options) using invoice prices it came to $11731. Would it be okay to say I won't pay more than $12300 for the car? It's probably a stupid question, but you know how we college students are.
I went to Barnes and Noble yesterday. I really wasn't paying too much attention when I went to my car. I got into my car and put the key in the ignition. As I was doing this, I raised my head and could not believe what I saw. Parked directly in front of me was a black four door Echo just like Major. I found something to write on and wrote a little note. I got out to put the note on the windshield and to take a look inside. The other Echo also had both the CD player and the cassette player. It was an automatic though. Having put the note on the windshield, I went back to my car and started it up.
As I was driving along the road in the parking lot, I saw a light blue four door Echo. I parked near it and found some more paper. As I was writing the note, the owner came back to her car. She was a sweet lady and spent about fifteen minutes with me talking about our cars. I gave her a suggestion to check out Edmunds.com and this comment section. Hope Edmunds gets the remodeling done so people who do not know their way around can find us.
I let the lady go finally and started my drive home. As I was passing under an overpass, I saw a silver four door Echo driving on the overpass.
Three Echo sightings in one day. Looks like more people are getting smarter around here.
It's really funny, but one day I saw four ECHOs in the same area within a 5 minute time period (two reds, a white and a gold). Then for weeks no sightings at all. Then out of the blue I'll see one here or there. They're almost always driving in the opposite direction I'm going. I almost never see one parked. I guess the owners like driving them too much.
About a week after I got mine, I was passed by a young lady in an ECHO. We both caught the light up ahead. She was stopped in the turn lane and I passed her. I looked back, we both grinned at each other and waved. Most other ECHO drivers I've passed don't seem as friendly.
As far as I know, my ECHO is the only one residing in my neighborhood.
I don't see alot of them on the road in the Baltimore/DC area. My best friend has one, as does another friend's sister. They both love their cars, and never have had problems with them. Of course, we are talking about Toyotas here.
I keep reading in different car pricing books (like Consumer Guide and stuff like that) that the Echo is not selling too well. I find that hard to believe. It seems like every other day, there is another new owner on this forum alone.
Acording to the NHSTA consumer complaint database, there has been 477 complaints logged against the 2000 Ford Focus, and only 14 complaints logged against the 2000 Toyota Echo. Keep up the good work Ford.
Hi guys... I've been voyeuring here for a while, so I thought I'd ask a question... I'm thinking of leasing an Echo next month (my mind's already made up... my first car!!!), and I was wondering if any Canadians out there had gotten a better deal than $199 a month on a 4 door... that's the quote that the newspaper ads have been running, but I also see some fine print that says "Dealer may lease or sell for less"... is that just a legal disclaimer, or has anybody actually gotten lower rates? Thanks alot...
I drive a 5 speed Echo - not only my first new car (at 17) but also my first full time stick shifter. I have a few questions for those of you in a position like mine; the one that's been bugging me is how strictly do you follow the guidelines in the manual? If my memory serves me, I think it said 1-2 at 15, 2-3 at 25, 3-4 at 40, and 4-5 at 45 or 50. Of course, this varies on road conditions and hills and whatnot, but in general I think these are a bit conservative. I usually push 1 to right under 20 mph, take 2 to 30, and 3 to 35 or 40.
It seems that 3rd is geared for lower speeds - it really 'screams' (relatively, of course) at 40, and 4th is much better sounding from 35 up. I usually end up taking 1st to 20, like I said, but the car really lets me know it when I do. I reserve 5th for anything on a 45 Speed Limit (50-55 actual speed highway.
Where do you guys normally put the shifts in? Is there anything going on under the hood that I haven't figured out quite yet that I may need to learn?
I have been reading all your posts. Just got my Silver Echo with pkg #1 A/C, CD/Tape w/6 spkrs etc. For $12,888 plus tax and license. Included is free oil and filter for life plus free smog tests for life($60 here in CA). Thought I got a great deal. Had the windows tinted and what a great look. Love my Echo. HANED (have a nice Echo day) TOM
I also have the 5 speed Echo, have had manual trans cars all my life. First off, if you are In the first few thousand miles, don't rev it up high, it's not broken in enough yet. Once you are well broken in, then here is a pretty close rev counter. 1K revs is 5mph in first, 10mph in second, 15mph in 3rd. The Echo is made to go just above 6000 rpm, so your very max revs would correspond to 30mph in 1st, 60mph in 2nd, and 90mph in 3rd. In 4th you can go to the 105mph max without hitting top revs. ....When I want to make a fast highway pass, say from 55-75 mph I don't hesitate to put the Echo in 3rd and it'll do that in a hurry. Anyway, don't rev up your Echo unnecessarily and often, or I suppose it will just wear out sooner. But I flex it from time to time, you sure can. Use your own good judgement. Also, don't rev it highly when it's not well warmed up. Finally, giving it gas when the revs are too low is definitely not good for it. Don't give it a lot of gas unless you have at least 2000rpm going, that's my rule of thumb. (You can figure those numbers for the individual gears.) ...I'm up to 27,500 miles now, it sure runs strongly and smoothly.
Comments
The driver side door speaker now rattles a bit when I crank up the stereo volume slightly (note: I rarely use my 3 in 1 stereo).
I plan to put power lock in the ECHO...has anyone put in his/her? How much? and where? Thanx.
My broken climate control temperature lever and worn-out clutch are certainly repairable on an otherwise fine old car. But a new car would be fun.
Is the Echo sporty/snappy enough to drive to keep me happy after being spoiled by zooming around in my GTS?
Will a dealer let me order one, or must you pick from existing dealer lots' inventory?
(After reading hundress of messages on this board, I am still not clear on this. I know dealers are annoyed by factory orders, so they won't volunteer. Should I insist? And why are they annoyed by this? Seems like a sale is a sale one way or the other.)
I am considering using the Costco Auto Sales program. Any experience or tips? It promises to be low-cost and hassle-free.
Is the Echo cheap or inexpensive? Is it a good-value alternative to the Corolla (which is so deadly dull in every aspect lately), or is the Echo a cheaper knock-off with low entry costs but mounting long-term costs?
Does the Echo have an air (pollen, dust, etc.) filter for the climate control system?
Lastly, should I get air-conditioning? I hate they way all a/c units seem to grow mold & mildew eventually. Breathing output from a mold-making machine cannot be healthy! Do modern a/c units still suffer from this? Is there any way to clean out nasty a/c units? (My mechanic says 'No'.)
--Basil
And thanks for contributing all the informative discussion on this board.
--Basil
Regarding factory orders. The cars are built in Japan and sent here. I believe that for the 2000 model they sent 50,000 here and that was it. I don't know how many 2001 models are allocated for the US. It seems that if a customer wanted something special, their dealer would check with other dealers around the country to find what their customer asked for.
Can't really answer any of your other questions.
Basil: as far as a/c unit having filter...no. At this price range it is not something that is common. I also don't know if I want to pay for filter replacements for the life of the car. Mold will still grow in units with a filter if you don't follow some simple rules to prevent it.
*if you live in a damp area make sure you run the vent without the a/c on to help dry out the system.
*run the a/c yearround to ensure proper function. Yes, even in the winter to keep the unit properly lubed and running.
*if you have been using your unit a lot when it's hot out make sure to follow the first tip to ensure the condensation dries up.
No one can tell you what would be best as far as repair or buy. I traded a very balanced and sporty ride for my Echo; ZX-2 w/5-speed. It's a matter of what's important to you. My Echo doesn't corner as well nor does it have the same power over tall mountain passes as my ZX-2 but it doesn't get 20mpg in the city (sometimes 18 w/ac on) The Echo is a very fun ride and has a lot of power for its intended role.
I wasn't expecting much when I bought mine and am still happy I did 4 months and 6k miles later!
Make sure to ask your dealer what the build schedule is, though (they should have one for each month), so you'll know what options are readily available. If you're looking for something not on there (like side air bags on a 5-speed, for example), you'll be looking at a much longer wait.
To get the sound you need to be going about 40mph and it seems to get more frequent and
louder if the fan speed is set up.
It will sometimes make the chirping sound with the fan off.
Nothing else seems to affect it.
It may be a malfunctioning chime module etc.
Have any of you experenced this and if so what did you do to fix it.
Thanks for any helpful information,
Paul
2) This exposes the "computer" which controls the engine. Disconnect the three connectors and the two screws and remove the ECU. (hint:it might be possible to leave the connectors in place and just unbolt the ECU)
3) The fan is behind the ECU. Remove the three screws and the connector and pull the fan out then you can check for debris.
4) There is something called a two way flow heater. This squirrel fan similiar to the one way, but it has two fans one atop the other. It doesn't have three screws holding it in place. to remove:
a) disconnect the control link
b)disconnect the connectors
c)disconnect connectors clamps
d)disconnect wire harness clamps
e)remove screw (1)
f)release the claw (yes, the CLAW) and remove the air duct.
I suspect that most ECHO models have the one way blower. Good luck and let us know what you find.
our small town and assumed it was me.
She saw a man and woman but could not tell
who they were. Her interigation ended
only when our son said he saw it too and
it was not me. Now I want to know who has
the second Echo, same color, 4 door, etc,
so I can tell others honestly that it wasn't me.
but no suspension damage at all. And a small kid scratched the door with his bicycle while I was parked. But here's a very minor drawback that I bet others can duplicate. If I drive at about
60mph and have only 1 window open (full or mostly open), I get a heavy drumbeat throbbing.
It's enough to make you change your window setup. I think it is strong with a rear window, and not so strong with a front one. Try see. (We now have 6 Echos in our town of 5000 people.)
Thought you might like to hear how my ex-Echo held up in a recent crash. Not to send bad vibes out, but after all, these things do happen...
While driving on a small, slow back-country road (i.e., I wasn't even up to 25 mph yet) I had to brake suddenly to avoid a pair of foxes that ran out in front of me from an adjancent field. The initial braking and swerve were just dandy, but then I had to avoid a car coming at me from the other direction like a bat out of hell, and had to swerve again. Somewhere along there, I hit a mud puddle, which didn't help, and much as I tried, I couldn't stop the car from fishtailing. (And there was someone behind me, so I just couldn't throw on the brakes.) I held on as long as I could because I had to do everything possible to keep the car from going off the rough road into a canal, but after several seconds I realized that I really had no say in the matter.
The car flipped and rolled to the left; it landed on its roof. I'm one of those drivers who sits ALL the way back in the seat, and since I had my seat belt on, I was exactly where I should've been--except upside-down. I was able to reach up and unfasten my seatbelt easily, and as my window was completely broken out, I simply crawled out of it.
I didn't realize what sort of shape the car was in until the next day when I saw it at the body shop to get my personal things. Here's the lowdown: the entire roof was crushed, except for that part of it directly over my head--otherwise it had gone down into the headrest of the passenger seat. Three of the four pillars supporting the roof remained almost completely intact. All of the windows were broken out, but for the windshield, which crumbled into bits but somehow hung together in place. The right side of the car looked as though it had been hit by something. The trunk and hood both popped hopelessly open; the battery exploded, and the passenger door was jammed shut.
Maybe this doesn't sound good--but I'd buy this car again in a heartbeat. One of my main reasons for getting it in the first place was the interior room and the really phenomenal headroom. Had it not been for such a roomy interior, all that headroom, and the fact that the interior of the car remained completely intact (but for part of the roof...) I wouldn't be here today. Honestly, to look at pictures of the car, seeing the external damage to the front end and sides, you'd expect the worst. The man who witnessed the accident told me he didn't expect to see anyone get out of the car, and yet I was taken to the hospital with nothing but minor cuts on my hands (since at the last moment I held them up over my head). After the fact, I realized I'd actually hit my head and had a concussion--and had some minor bruising--but this car did a darned fine job of absorbing the shock in a freakish situation.
raeby: sorry to hear you are having so many frights driving your Echo!
While I only have about 6k miles on mine, I've never had the car hydroplane. Are your tires set at or below 32psi? You may benefit with a tire upgrade; I had Michelin MXV4 Energy Plus tires on my last car and they had great wet traction. A wider profile tire may help witht the directional stability issue as well. I have driven through some pretty bad winds (35+mph) and find that as long as my speed is not above 60mph the weaving is not bad. Any light car/high-profile will do that.
I bought the same car you have and I also live in Aldergrove and commute to Vancouver daily (128 Kms). Had the car undercoated by Ziebart. Where had you done yours? You don't live on 26th Ave, do you?
If you live in Aldergrove why does your profile say you live in Santiago Chl.
Changed my id to be shorter. Used to be pulgomaus.
I made a mistake and didn't review my profile.
Santiago, Chl is where I was born and I thought the flag doesn't look bad either.
So, do you live on 26th? I've seen a silver ECHO almost at the end of the road. (Rottweiler neighbour). HE HE
Today she asked for my Echo for another trip to a wedding this weekend. I told her okay but to try to give those remaining bugs a chance to live. I must not forgot to tell her to avoid any more bargains.
My Echo during the week. Her Echo on weekends. I was glad bugs washed off okay.
I was taught not to swerve around animals in the road. You go to the right and end up in the ditch. You go left and you hit someone head on. And the poor animal may go either direction and you hit him anyway. One night only two yards in front of us was a deer running in place since it could not get traction on the hard road. Luckily we were able to come to a dead stop so no vehicle or deer/dear damage. And wear those seat belts!
Yes its the one on 26th. Where are you.
Animals v. cars... I think it's a natural reaction to brake or swerve when something walks or runs in front of moving vehicles. From some of the stories I've heard about deer collisions, I would rather end up in a ditch than hit one. I've heard of the deer coming through the windshield and killing the driver. Had an acquaintance who had a Dodge Omni and hit an owl that flew at him. Had to have the front grille and radiator replaced.
I'm new to this site. I'm interested in getting an Echo...it will be my first car. The positive comments I read about it were encouraging. After I calculated the cost of the 2000 model(including dest.fee and options) using invoice prices it came to $11731. Would it be okay to say I won't pay more than $12300 for the car? It's probably a stupid question, but you know how we college students are.
As I was driving along the road in the parking lot, I saw a light blue four door Echo. I parked near it and found some more paper. As I was writing the note, the owner came back to her car. She was a sweet lady and spent about fifteen minutes with me talking about our cars. I gave her a suggestion to check out Edmunds.com and this comment section. Hope Edmunds gets the remodeling done so people who do not know their way around can find us.
I let the lady go finally and started my drive home. As I was passing under an overpass, I saw a silver four door Echo driving on the overpass.
Three Echo sightings in one day. Looks like more people are getting smarter around here.
Off to work.
It's really funny, but one day I saw four ECHOs in the same area within a 5 minute time period (two reds, a white and a gold). Then for weeks no sightings at all. Then out of the blue I'll see one here or there. They're almost always driving in the opposite direction I'm going. I almost never see one parked. I guess the owners like driving them too much.
About a week after I got mine, I was passed by a young lady in an ECHO. We both caught the light up ahead. She was stopped in the turn lane and I passed her. I looked back, we both grinned at each other and waved. Most other ECHO drivers I've passed don't seem as friendly.
As far as I know, my ECHO is the only one residing in my neighborhood.
I keep reading in different car pricing books (like Consumer Guide and stuff like that) that the Echo is not selling too well. I find that hard to believe. It seems like every other day, there is another new owner on this forum alone.
Keep up the good work Ford.
Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards
My ECHO has 29,400 and going strong!!
It seems that 3rd is geared for lower speeds - it really 'screams' (relatively, of course) at 40, and 4th is much better sounding from 35 up. I usually end up taking 1st to 20, like I said, but the car really lets me know it when I do. I reserve 5th for anything on a 45 Speed Limit (50-55 actual speed
Where do you guys normally put the shifts in? Is there anything going on under the hood that I haven't figured out quite yet that I may need to learn?
Thanks for your time,
Peter
Just got my Silver Echo with pkg #1 A/C, CD/Tape w/6 spkrs etc. For $12,888 plus tax and license.
Included is free oil and filter for life plus free smog tests for life($60 here in CA).
Thought I got a great deal.
Had the windows tinted and what a great look.
Love my Echo.
HANED (have a nice Echo day)
TOM
In the first few thousand miles, don't rev it up high, it's not broken in enough yet. Once you
are well broken in, then here is a pretty close rev counter. 1K revs is 5mph in first, 10mph in second, 15mph in 3rd. The Echo is made to go just above 6000 rpm, so your very max revs
would correspond to 30mph in 1st, 60mph in 2nd, and 90mph in 3rd. In 4th you can go to the 105mph max without hitting top revs.
....When I want to make a fast highway pass, say from 55-75 mph I don't hesitate to put the Echo in 3rd and it'll do that in a hurry. Anyway, don't rev up your Echo unnecessarily and often, or I suppose it will just wear out sooner. But I flex it from time to time, you sure can. Use your own good judgement. Also, don't rev it highly when it's not well warmed up. Finally, giving it gas when the revs are too low is definitely not good for it. Don't give it a lot of gas unless you have at least 2000rpm going, that's my rule of thumb. (You can figure those numbers for the individual gears.)
...I'm up to 27,500 miles now, it sure runs strongly and smoothly.