Good for you! I intend to do the same. Have a name and an address? Safety items should be standard. Producing them in volume should lower costs. You are probably right about the price points. Cuts into Corolla territory too much.
I cannot figure out why the owner's manual does not say much about the recirculate position. There's a section that says, for example, "When you want to defrost, do X." Recirculate is never recommended!
I use recirculate 1) In very cold weather if I warm-up my car before getting in. Instead of having to warm fresh cold air, the car keeps warming the air it's already got. As soon as I get in, though, I set it back to fresh so the humidity won't increase.
2) Sometimes with the AC on. Not only does it not have to cool hot air, but it also does not have to dehumidify the hot air.
whenever i was able to afford a new car or a really good used one i would take my key and scratch it in a non obvious spot so that when it got scratched for real i wouldn't feel so bad. well i missed the boat. someone was faster and got to NIPPER first(and this is with only 1500 miles). when i came out today i noticed that the rear side lower moulding, which is really part of the bumper, was buckled out and standing away from the metal about an inch. apparently, from the marks, someone pushed on the bumper as they were leaving the parking spot behind me and deformed the plastic enough to pop it from its retaining clips. fear not all out there who this will probably eventually happen too as well. if you are careful you can pry the plastic a little and fit it back into its proper channel and push it back in until the retaining clips can again grab the indentations in the plastic. except for a very small bow it looks almost perfect and the only tool i needed was ironically-my key!
I know toyota thinks an Echo should not pull a trailer but I'm sure it could handle a small one. Has anyone got a trailer hitch on theirs and how much weight does it pull and how is the hitch attached? MP 2001 2Dr. ac pwr str ocean foam blu
In Europe the Toyota Yaris Verso (the equivalent of our Echo) is allowed to pull 800 Kgs (almost 2000 pounds) without extra engine cooling. Even the regular Yaris with a 1.300 cc engine can pull that much. One important observation though; in most European countries the top speed allowed when pulling a trailer is 80 kph (50 mph).
In europe we get the Yaris (hatchback) and the Yaris Verso ( the mpv-version). We can't get the echo/Yaris sedan.
I own a Yaris Verso 1.3. Both the 1.3 and the Verso 1.5 are rated to pull 900 kg (trailer with brakes) or 400 kg (trailer without brakes) (Manual transmission, don't know the ratings for an automatic transmission).
I use a dealer installed hitch with a removable head. I have to remove the head to open the backdoor!!
I recently bought a caravan, a Rapido club 31 TDL. At http://www.rapido.fr you can get an idea what kind of trailer it is. The trailer's weight is about 850 kg (loaded).
I never exceed 100 kph when towing. The car/trailer combination is quite stable at this speed. The Yaris Verso has a firm suspension setting.
The 1.3 engine is a bit small. Acceleration is slow when pulling the trailer, especially below 3000 rpm ( the Verso has a tacho).
When i pull the trailer i use headlight setting 3 to prevent blinding oncomming traffic. On empty roads i aim the headlights a bit higher (setting 2). I can do that while driving, i don't know if the echo has that feature.
To summerize: I think your Echo 1.5 is capable of towing a small trailer.
Unfortunately here in North America no one has thought of mandating car manufacturers to include adjustable headlights (to compensate for loaded vehicles and annoying oncoming drivers). As usual, Europe is far ahead when it comes to passive security in automobiles. Were just lucky that we don't have European gas prices!
I have an 2001 4 door / white with molding and spoiler, mats, i replaced the factory stereo with an JVC el kalmelion lx-10, and i put panther tinting on all the windows (very dark silver). I have a few comments and questions, I paid $13,900 for my car (with tax, title all that stuff), so is that pretty good?
also. on the air conditioning, is it just me or does all the echo's not let the dial go all the way to the bottom of the cold? like, it will stay at a 90 degree angle?
also: any sounds when you get out, like, bad shocks or anything?. and my heat doesn't work i guess i should take it back to get checked out, i've had it since december and haven't taken it, except for an oil change
It sounds like your car has some problems...the temp dial should be able to go to the 7 o'clock position. As for the 'bad shock' sound when exiting the vehicle...I have noticed a very subtle 'creak' on rare occassions...it hasn't been enough of an annoyance to have it checked. The Echo's body frame does flex a little more than I expected with a full load(5 pass.)over surface irreg.
Can something get out of whack while changing out the factory audio that might impact the temperature knob operation? I have no idea if that is possible, but thought it might be something to check. Why did you take out the Toyota system? Did you have the 3-in-1 CD player with 6 speakers or was it a different system?
Hi everyone. I haven't checked out this site in a while. I took my Echo in for it's first oil change. Unfortunately, I also have to take it in for body repair too . Haven't been in a car accident in 15 years. It happened in a Target parking lot. A Ford truck hit me. Nothing happened to his truck while I have a significant dent. I'm kinda concerned about how easy it crumpled and also that it started rusting after only a few days. Any suggestions or comments?
i love to be in my echo tooling around the city watching the gas gauge stay put but if you asked me where i would want to be in a ford truck vs echo confrontation i'd be outa the echo in a heartbeat. it's like the old A6M zero of WW2-fast, agile and very fragile. you didnt want to be in one when some Hellcat came down on you with their .50's blazing. i have an explorer and have gotten more then a few tickets for not wearing my seat belt. i just never felt compelled to buckle up. in my echo that belt goes on before i pull away from the curb. the echo is safe because it is engineered to self destruct around you sacrificing itself to protect you. this can go pretty far but it has a limit and physics is physics. the echo will run out of crumple room before a ford pickup. to paraphrase Dirty Harry, a driver has got to know his limitations. just be happy your lesson is only going to cost you a few bucks.
The fact that your ECHO is rusting is normal..the protective paint has been chipped away exposing the sheel steel which WILL rust very quickly once left unprotected. The body shop will soon put it right...at a price however. Look at it this way...how many people can say theyve gone 15 years without an accident they had to pay something to fix?
I dunno, weird thing with the A/C dial. I changed out the radio because 1) I had a JVC el kalmeleon which on a scale in quality and sound depth to toyota is jvc 10 and toyota 1. the ac and heat were like that before i did the radio though. also i noticed my driver seat is loose from the floorboard and the back part is loose from the rest of the seat, i guess i'll just write toyota a letter I live in gainesville florida which is pretty much a college town, and a lot of people have echos, mostly students, and the ones they have are all messed up because college students can't drive. but i went to that cousedparts.com web site and looked at those poor wrecked echo, they aren't echoooooing anymore
Aftermarket power window button was positioned on front passenger side in an awkward location. Right knee resting on door will activate so that window lowers. Can't think of an easy solution to this annoyance. So learn from this and tell installer where you want that button before he starts cutting.
Does anyone here know the Canadian MSRP prices for the Toyota Echo? I am assuming at least one of you went and paid to see what it was, and I'm thinking about buying an Echo this weekend. Unfortunately, I do not have my credit card with me to check the site myself. Any and all help will be GREATLY appreciated
Lucky enough, I recieved my new Visa card today. For the rest of you Canadians out there, you can go to http://www.RobertBlake.net/echo1.html to see the MSRP/Invoice prices on the car I'm going to obtain, and http://www.RobertBlake.net/echo2.html to see the prices of all features. This saved you $25, so you guys owe me one
Lucky enough, I recieved my new Visa card today. For the rest of you Canadians out there, you can go to http://www.RobertBlake.net/echo1.html to see the MSRP/Invoice prices on the car I'm going to obtain, and http://www.RobertBlake.net/echo2.html to see the prices of all features. This saved you $25, so you guys owe me one
Lucky enough, I recieved my new Visa card today. For the rest of you Canadians out there, you can go to http://www.RobertBlake.net/echo1.html to see the MSRP/Invoice prices on the car I'm going to obtain, and http://www.RobertBlake.net/echo2.html to see the prices of all features. This saved you $25, so you guys owe me one
I have a 2001 echo with a 5spd. Runs very well but have an anoying problem. When I hold the rpm steady in gear a little past idle there is a screeching sound similar to brake pad wear indicators. It's not terribly loud but loud enough to annoy me when I'm driving around town with the windows open and the radio off. I took it to a dealer and the tech was able to reproduce it but said they all do that. He said it was some sort of vacuum valve or something. Anyone else notice this? Anyone get this repaired? The car is fine otherwise.
brecko, i am not sure what you are doing. I sure don't get any screeching sound at any time with my 2000 5 speed echo. You say you hold the rpm steady in gear a little past idle? Well idle is down at 1000rpm or below. Are you stepping on the gas when your revs are way down like about 1500rpm? If the revs are low, don't give it much gas. If you need to give it gas then get in the proper gear first. At least that is my take, and the way I have always driven. But I might be misunderstanding your situation.
I guess I wasn't very clear describing this. I can reproduce the sound if the car is in neutral and I bring up the rpm slightly and hold it. It also happens while I'm driving and holding a consistant speed. When I said it was a little above idle I meant It wasn't while I was accelerating and it doesn't happen if I hold a higher rpm. I don't labor the engine. Sure wish the Echo had a tach.
Any help appreciated. Looks like I might need to go to a different dealer.
Sorry for the slow response, I was in the Quebec City area on business for several days. I just wrote Toyota Canada via their website, and they responded (a specific response too, not a form letter) to my concerns. Wasn't the response I desired, i.e. they are not going to offer ABS at that time at least, but all very civil and respectful on both sides.
you wrote: "...i have an explorer and have gotten more then a few tickets for not wearing my seat belt. i just never felt compelled to buckle up."
Seatbelts keep you from running into the interior of the car when it comes to an abrupt stop, the vehicle in question doesn't really enter into it. When a vehicle stops, the passengers are still moving forward. If there is adequate friction on the seat and backward force from the passenger's arms and legs, the passenger's position in the car is maintained. If not, the passenger will slide forward until (s)he hits something - a seatbelt, windshield, dash, steering wheel, baby sitting on the lap, whatever. Physics isn't picky.
I saw one fellow brake hard trying to avoid hitting a deer (he didn't hit the deer) . Even at around 40mph, he still managed to do a face plant in the windshield and steering wheel: broke his nose, cut open his forehead and really messed up his teeth. No impact, that was just the force of his face hitting the windshield and steering wheel - the car stopped, he tried to hold himself back (bent the steering wheel pretty well) and couldn't completely. That's why they're called accidents - you didn't expect them to happen.
But of course, it's your well-being, and you have to decide for yourself what it's worth.
Having lived in the desert southwest where almost everyone has a truck or suv(I did too)I couldn't believe how many people were killed in rollover accidents because they weren't wearing seatbelts. True, the Echo is small and light and the law of physics aren't on its side. HOWEVER, the best safety equipment in any car are the seatbelts AND an alert driver. 10,000 miles and I LOVE my Echo!!!!
My Echo came with the standard am-fm radio. I'd really like to add cd and possibly cassette function. I checked with the dealer and the 3in1 from Toyota is $1300 even though it's only a $350 option! I'm partial to using Toyota accessories for fit and appearance but wonder what others have done in this situation.
I bought the Toyota CD player on an eBay auction for $102.50, including the radio which I already had, and paid the dealer to install it. Now I have an extra radio.
Well, I've got reeeeaaally low mileage -- I got my 2001 4-dr. 5-speed in mid-April (don't recall the exact date, would have to go check the sticker or someting), and I just rolled 800 miles today. I carpool to work with my boyfriend, so up until this week it has been a weekend car. But now I'll be the one driving, so my miles should start to creep up (about 5-6 miles to work). Just finished my second tank of gas -- 38 mpg in city driving. I got 42 on my first tank (mixed driving) so I was a little disappointed... :-) Who can complain with this mileage, though?
Merci. I know they want to hold the price down, but ABS and side air bags would be a nice safety touch. The ABS I could probably live safely without, but the side air bags could be important. Maybe 02 will bring some availability.
Chris my echo came with the same radio and i wanted a cd changer that would connect directly stock radio i did not want a fm modulator i inSTALLED A FUJITSU TEN ECLIPSE 8 disc changer and i use the controls on stock radio to control changer i paid about 350 installed
Oh Oh my catalytic converter has the rotten egg smell! What does this mean? Is the converter bad or is this normal behavoir? Ive read about this in the past, but I forget what it means. Id like some opinions before I take it to the dealer and get told: "They all do that"
to all who wrote re; wearing seatbelts-you are all correct and i wear them regularly. a good habit developed in the echo and carried over to everything i drive. now another word of caution. when i was dealing with the dealer i brought up the subject of a full sized spare. boy did he change the subject fast. now that i have 2000 miles i decided to get a regular spare so i got a used dunlop and rim and had them mounted and balanced. VOILA! i now have a full sized spare that doesn't fit in the well. genius? by the way all you 42-46mpgs-i drive the streets of brooklyn. all stop and go traffic. rarely over 35mph. i get 28mpgs. i am dying to actually drive nipper on a real highway and see what she does under more normal conditions.
Mine has had that smell since it was new, 36,800 miles ago. It seems to be worst when I drive a short distance and with BP gasoline. The dealer service dept said it should go away with some more mileage when I brought it up at 1,000 miles. It never did go away but I'm always too busy to take it in and deal with them.
Generally, the cat converter will produce this smell when there is excess gasoline in the combustion chamber at ignition that is consequently dumped "raw" into the exhaust system and the cat converter. The converter works overtime and the excess chemical reaction causes that smell. It will eventually lead to the catalytic converter becoming ineffective and the car will produce lots more emissions and definitely would not pass a smog test.
Good thing we don't have smog tests here, clothespins for the nose would help too on short trips to the grocery store!!
I noticed the passenger side door housing would flex outword when I opened the door. If I had the door locked and pulled on the door handle, the housing would flex quite a little.
I took the car back to the dealer who told me that he could not fix the situation and that it was a design flaw that the manufacturer needed to deal with.
It does not prohibit the door from opening nor does it cause any other problem, but the outward flexing.
When I first got my Echo I found the tire pressure to be 45 psi. The dealer lowered it to 35, the oil change place said use 40. The book says 32. Does anyone set theirs at 40? Did it help the mileage?
The tires are set at 45 at the factory to prevent flat spots during transportation. The dealer is supposed to lower them to the 32 that is listed in the book. Your oil change guys are idiots and probably just read the side wall which only tells you what the maximum pressure of the tire is and has nothing to do which what the car was designed for.
I too noticed that both of my door handles were loose just as you described. When I first came to this forum a year ago, anytime I mentioned a problem with my Echo I would get flamed for "thinking it was a Lexus". Some of those people are gone and some are still here....good to see people talking about their problems though.
Also, I have the page about the armrest ready to post but I had to switch service providers all of a sudden and I haven't found one to carry me that has enough space to add anything new to my site. I will email you directly (Jhall7) when I get my situation fixed. You'll probably already have yours installed by then!!
I took my mom out the other day in my echo and as she was getting into the passenger side she noticed the handle seemed a little loose, I thought that was odd considering that I dont have many passengers..I will mention it my next oil change (sept) but its kinda nice to know Im not the only one.
Mine is fine but are your Echo's '00 or '01? Mine is '01. Re: Tire pressure...yes as stated 32 is the correct pressure(listed on glove box door) I have noticed that the Bridgestone Potenza's are wearing rather quickly for such a light car. OR it may just be I have too much fun driving it!
Comments
I use recirculate
1) In very cold weather if I warm-up my car before getting in. Instead of having to warm fresh cold air, the car keeps warming the air it's already got. As soon as I get in, though, I set it back to fresh so the humidity won't increase.
2) Sometimes with the AC on. Not only does it not have to cool hot air, but it also does not have to dehumidify the hot air.
you left....... Have a great week
Topic: Those Little Annoyances - what really bugs you?
Has anyone got a trailer hitch on theirs and how much weight does it pull and how is the hitch
attached?
MP
2001 2Dr. ac pwr str
ocean foam blu
In europe we get the Yaris (hatchback) and the Yaris Verso ( the mpv-version). We can't get the echo/Yaris sedan.
I own a Yaris Verso 1.3. Both the 1.3 and the Verso 1.5 are rated to pull 900 kg (trailer with brakes) or 400 kg (trailer without brakes) (Manual transmission, don't know the ratings for an automatic transmission).
I use a dealer installed hitch with a removable head. I have to remove the head to open the backdoor!!
I recently bought a caravan, a Rapido club 31 TDL. At http://www.rapido.fr you can get an idea what kind of trailer it is. The trailer's weight is about 850 kg (loaded).
I never exceed 100 kph when towing. The car/trailer combination is quite stable at this speed. The Yaris Verso has a firm suspension setting.
The 1.3 engine is a bit small. Acceleration is slow when pulling the trailer, especially below 3000 rpm ( the Verso has a tacho).
When i pull the trailer i use headlight setting 3 to prevent blinding oncomming traffic. On empty roads i aim the headlights a bit higher (setting 2). I can do that while driving, i don't know if the echo has that feature.
To summerize: I think your Echo 1.5 is capable of towing a small trailer.
I have an 2001 4 door / white with molding and spoiler, mats, i replaced the factory stereo with an JVC el kalmelion lx-10, and i put panther tinting on all the windows (very dark silver). I have a few comments and questions, I paid $13,900 for my car (with tax, title all that stuff), so is that pretty good?
also. on the air conditioning, is it just me or does all the echo's not let the dial go all the way to the bottom of the cold? like, it will stay at a 90 degree angle?
also: any sounds when you get out, like, bad shocks or anything?. and my heat doesn't work
Jon,
my e-mail is smonk59@hotmail.com
As for the 'bad shock' sound when exiting the vehicle...I have noticed a very subtle 'creak' on rare occassions...it hasn't been enough of an annoyance to have it checked. The Echo's body frame does flex a little more than I expected with a full load(5 pass.)over surface irreg.
on front passenger side in an awkward location.
Right knee resting on door will activate so that
window lowers. Can't think of an easy solution
to this annoyance. So learn from this and tell installer where you want that button before he starts cutting.
-Gunny
-Gunny
-Gunny
Live Happy,
Chris
idle is down at 1000rpm or below. Are you stepping on the gas when your revs are way down
like about 1500rpm? If the revs are low, don't give it much gas. If you need to give it gas then get in the proper gear first. At least that is my take, and the way I have always driven. But I might be misunderstanding your situation.
farts.
Any help appreciated. Looks like I might need to go to a different dealer.
Sorry for the slow response, I was in the Quebec City area on business for several days. I just wrote Toyota Canada via their website, and they responded (a specific response too, not a form letter) to my concerns. Wasn't the response I desired, i.e. they are not going to offer ABS at that time at least, but all very civil and respectful on both sides.
Seatbelts keep you from running into the interior of the car when it comes to an abrupt stop, the vehicle in question doesn't really enter into it. When a vehicle stops, the passengers are still moving forward. If there is adequate friction on the seat and backward force from the passenger's arms and legs, the passenger's position in the car is maintained. If not, the passenger will slide forward until (s)he hits something - a seatbelt, windshield, dash, steering wheel, baby sitting on the lap, whatever. Physics isn't picky.
I saw one fellow brake hard trying to avoid hitting a deer (he didn't hit the deer) . Even at around 40mph, he still managed to do a face plant in the windshield and steering wheel: broke his nose, cut open his forehead and really messed up his teeth. No impact, that was just the force of his face hitting the windshield and steering wheel - the car stopped, he tried to hold himself back (bent the steering wheel pretty well) and couldn't completely. That's why they're called accidents - you didn't expect them to happen.
But of course, it's your well-being, and you have to decide for yourself what it's worth.
10,000 miles and I LOVE my Echo!!!!
Live Happy,
Chris
Generally, the cat converter will produce this smell when there is excess gasoline in the combustion chamber at ignition that is consequently dumped "raw" into the exhaust system and the cat converter. The converter works overtime and the excess chemical reaction causes that smell. It will eventually lead to the catalytic converter becoming ineffective and the car will produce lots more emissions and definitely would not pass a smog test.
Good thing we don't have smog tests here, clothespins for the nose would help too on short trips to the grocery store!!
I took the car back to the dealer who told me that he could not fix the situation and that it was a design flaw that the manufacturer needed to deal with.
It does not prohibit the door from opening nor does it cause any other problem, but the outward flexing.
Has anyone else noticed this?
Thanks,
Jack
Does anyone set theirs at 40? Did it help the mileage?
Also, I have the page about the armrest ready to post but I had to switch service providers all of a sudden and I haven't found one to carry me that has enough space to add anything new to my site. I will email you directly (Jhall7) when I get my situation fixed. You'll probably already have yours installed by then!!
Re: Tire pressure...yes as stated 32 is the correct pressure(listed on glove box door)
I have noticed that the Bridgestone Potenza's are wearing rather quickly for such a light car. OR it may just be I have too much fun driving it!