Toyota Corolla Maintenance and Repair

stevem7303

I am in the process of buying a 98 Corolla with this problem. The problem has occurred before and the owner had it fixed (said the problem was a sensor and the system had to be reset) and it is occurring again. At the time of repair the vehicle (leased) was under warranty. Could this be a more serious problem that the dealer doesn't want to deal with? The owner seems sincere and says she would rather sell the car than turn it back in to the leasing company (57,000 miles therefore a penalty). The clock also is flashing when you turn on the turn signals and sometimes goes out altogether only to come back on again intermittently or when you tap on the dash. The dealer says this is a result of the air bag light malfunction. Dealer also says this will not effect air bag performance. Suggestions?

anez

I'm looking into buying a Corolla LE 01. I'd love some feedback from anyone who has one about any problems you've had. (I'm also considering Honda Civic, or Mazda Protege.)

britton2

I've had my '01 Corolla LE for 4 months - it's been perfect - the gas mileage is even better than I expected (I have a 4-speed auto) I got 32.1 MPG on my last tank (city driving) - I also considered the Protege, Focus, Civic and Sentra - I think they are all good cars - I chose the Corolla because it had a better warranty than the Civic (the Civic was my second choice) and I was able to get a better deal...plus, I liked the interior of the Corolla better and I liked the 125 HP better than the 115 of the Civic - hope this helps - good luck

kbui

Would anybody have a good source for a shop manual for 2002 Corollas? I'm sure I can get it from the dealer, but I am trying to locate a less expensive source...
Thanks in advance.

jaybird44

My daughter was driving my '96 1600cc Corolla (57K miles) today and the "Check Engine" light came on. She didn't notice anything wrong with the car's performance at all. She came straight home and parked it (good girl!). I checked it when I got home and the light still came on when I cranked it. Looking under the hood, everything looked fine (oil, belts, connectors, etc.) I thought maybe it was one of those maintenance reminder things, so I disconnected the positive cable on the battery then reconnected it. The light didn't come on. Then I drove it at 45 mph approx. 3 miles and it came back on and stayed on, again with zero symptoms. I called my mechanic and he can't book me until next week. Anybody know if this might be something a shade-tree mechanic could deal with? My mechanic said it could be one of a host of things (oxygen sensor, throttle positioner, etc.). Thanks for any info you have. John, Durham, NC

vlady

Hi

Someone in this forum(??) had the same problem . The problem was a dead catalitic converter.

Stop by the dealer and ask them to check a car.

Good luck

damncool

I have a automatic 99 Corolla....

I shift to parking to parking before the car comes to a complete stop, there was some grinding noise coming from underneath my car. What consquences can this cause??? My car is still running fine, I think.... You guys think I should have it check out??

Can it have possibly damaged the transmission, or the engine by any chance???

scname

I did that twice in 10 years to my corolla. No problem.

robertp4

I have a 2002 Toyota Corolla type S. I went to the dealer stating that my a/c was not cold enough. The dealer evacuated the system and recharged the a/c to factory specs. However, the a/c is still only fair and the compressor is constantly turning on and off. Does anybody know what is wrong? This does not seem correct. The car is great and mileage has been 35 Highway.

vlady

What do you mean by not cold enough. Does it blow a warm air or cold?

A little tip When you turn AC on, put the Outside air intake to Recirculate.

toyotaguy315

anez

I have had my '01 Corolla LE for 7 months now and love it. I have the 4 a/t with Value package 2 and Weather Guard. It is getting 32-35 MPG around town and 38-42 Highway. There is plenty of storage space in the cabin as well as a spacious trunk. I did have to take it in for an allignment at 1,600 but it is doing fine now. BTW that was a warranty repair. The heater and a/c are excellent. The back seat is a little cramped for leg space if the front seats are all the way back but livable.

toyotaguy315

Cor98

As Vlady suggests try putting the outside air on recirculate. If the problem still persists you have most likely lost freon. A '98 would be using R-134a instead of the old R-12. It can be found at most auto parts stores along with the kit to install. a mechanic would be able to check for any leaks in the system. I believe some auto stores sell a dye you can put in the system to check for leaks. I have a 2001 and it is more than sufficient. It has been in the 90s recently and with the blower on high and recirculate it takes less than 5 minutes to chill the cabin. In less than 1 I have very cold air.

britton2

I'm also getting 32 MPG around town with my 4-speed auto - even though some doubt that this is possible - what color is your Corolla? Sounds like we may have the same car (same options)....mine is mystic teal

toyotaguy315

Mine is Impulse Red with the oak interior.. While the nay sayers may doubt the MPG, we know the truth . I have no complaints whatsoever. That little 4 banger also has lots of pick-up too. I also have Cruise and the V.I.P. -RS3000 security System. I know some people on here have had a problem with Toyotas using oil. Mine has not used a drop in 11,000 miles. I do however follow the severe service schedule. The biggest surprise to me was the lack of grease fittings on the suspension. One less thing to worry about.

britton2

Mine (LE model) has the following: Extra Value Pkg#2, cruise control, 4 piece floor mats, all-weather guard pkg, it has been great so far - no squeaks or rattles or anything - but I only have about 2150 miles on it - I have the pebble beige interior - I'm really glad I got the Corolla - feel like I made the best choice...

robertp4

My mechanic checked the system and found it to be 1/2 pound low. So in went the 1/2 pound. The problem seems to be that the compressor cycles on and off too often.Any suggestions?

terceltom1

I am having the exact same problem with my Toyota Tercel.I just had it in to get checked and they replaced some kind of AC sensor that they said was sticking but it didn't help any. Freon was ok or they would have told me.

mpyne

i bought a 2002 corolla le and the car has 750 miles on it, and so far since i had it its been in the 90's everyday (hot). this is the nicest car ive had (ive had geo metros before this) and was wondering if im causing damage to my engine by not following the under 55 mph limit for first 1000 miles set in the owners manual (i have to go around 65 mph but try to slow down when i can)i also try to keep the rpm's around 2 to 2 1/2 and speed up very gradually(dont take rpm's from 1k to 3k right away). and i also try not use the ac allot unless really needed. the reason im asking ive had 2 instances were it seemed like the car was struggling to start. the first time i had to stop and start the car again. the second time i had to wait a little longer than usual for it to start. is this something i should worry about or just wait to see what happens. i might sound over cautious but i want to take care of my car.
thanks

Mr_Shiftright

A 93 Corolla with 130,000 miles that burns a quart of oil every 1,000 miles is probably okay...that's to be expected for a car that is near the end (last 25%) of its engine life.

terceltom1

While I don't think going over the 55 mph is a problem I do think you have somthing else that could be a problem. The dealer told me when I got my new LE that as long as you vary the speed you won't have a problem. Its going the same speed all the time on the highway that can do damage in break in. But there must something else going on with your car because of the starting problem. I never experienced that and with a new car neither should you,get it checked.

groel

Hi

I got my '01 LE Corolla about a year ago. I never had more than 23 MPG while driving in a city, or more than 30 MPG in a highway.

Is there a problem with the car?

Thanks.

groel

oops, forgot to mention that I have 4-speed automatic...

vlady

Kinda low. Are you sure that you count mpg right?
Sounds like you drive a truck...

britton2

I also have a '01 LE 4-speed auto, I got 32.1 MPG on my last tank (city driving) - as vlady asked, are you sure you are figuring it correctly? Are you dividing the miles on your trip meter by the number of gallons it takes to fill up? If so, you might want to have the dealer or someone take a look at it - good luck

terceltom1

I also have a "01" LE four speed auto. I never got more then 24 mpg. city also. There is no problem with our cars. We are getting exactly what Consumer Reports tested also in their "01" Corollas. The problem is so many people do not know the true way to check gas mileage, therefore you get all these extravigant gas mileage figures stated by those people.

groel

I calculate my mileage exactly as britton2 described: dividing the miles on the trip meter by the number of gallons it takes to fill up the tank. The typical figures are 220-230 miles and usually I get 10 gallons.

vlady

Well if you do only city driving(traffick jams)-24 mpg sounds pretty normal, but 30mpg on highway-is not right.
I'm getting on my 98 corolla 29-31 city, about 40mpg highway.
There are so many reasons about low mpg, scroll up in this forum and read about

britton2

Here's how I check my gas mileage - if I'm doing it wrong then I will certainly own up to that, because I have no reason nor does it serve me any purpose to exaggerate: when I stop for gas - I set my trip meter to zero, the next time I need gas, I take the number on my trip meter (say, it's "375") and divide that by how many gallons it takes to fill up my car (I don't top it off, just stop when the pump stops automatically) say it's "12.1" gallons - so 375 miles divided by 12.1 gallons is 30.9 - so I figure I got 30.9 MPG on that tank - I'm not the only one who is getting better than 30 MPG - others have reported this as well, I do almost all city driving - and the window sticker on my '01 Corolla LE stated that the MPG would be 30 city and 39 highway...needless to say I am pleased with the mileage....and the car!

terceltom1

If you read my posting of #474 I don't believe I accused you of not calculating correctly. But you must admit when first got your Corolla you were awfully confused as to how to calculate gas mileage. I also go on to say that the gas mileage groel and I are getting is the norm. and figures like yours and some others are high for city driving. Please don't take to it so personal, I hope you continue to have the best of luck with your Corolla and continue to get those GREAT mpg.

britton2

You are right about me being confused about how to calculate my mileage when I first got my Corolla, but once I was educated (thanks to several on this board) I was pretty excited to be getting slightly over 30 MPG/city - after posting my findings (this was a while back, not recently) I believe you said "I have a hard time believing..." which I assumed was directed at me since I had just posted my 30+ mileage in a post or two before your post in which you said this - anyway, toyotaguy315 also said he was getting over 30 MPG/city, so I am not the only one - no offense taken on my end and I hope none taken on your end - wish I knew more about cars then maybe I could help you determine why you're only getting 24 MPG - that just doesn't seem right - when I reported my mileage to my salesman he said that what I was getting was what his other Corolla customers were getting - thanks for the good wishes and good luck with your Corolla as well...

mpyne

I have a black sand pearl corolla (I will never buy black car again) 2 months and my front end has a couple paint chips already. the car i had before(geo metro) didnt have chips until about 4 yrs. I know its not uncommon to get chips, but is toyota paint of poor quality. I try to take really good care of my paint(zaino). But Im getting sick of caring about my car. Anyone try the black sand pearl touch up paint. If so what kind of luck have you had using it

vlady

First Toyota's paint sucks.
Second Get a front end mask
Third You don't need a skills to use a touch up paint.

Good luck

terceltom1

I have a 2001 with the black sand pearl and have had no problems at all yet. I did use the touch-up paint on my door edge where I scraped the bottom of the door on the sidewalk. It blended in fine. The only thing I don't like about the black is it needs to be washed frequently or it looks bad. I don't agree with vladys suggestion of a front end mask. If you don't keep it very clean behind the mask dust and grit will collect under it and mar your glossy finish like fine sandpaper would.

britton2

I too have some paint chips (3) on my '01 Corolla (mystic teal) - I read somewhere that Toyota's paint was better quality than the Big Three's - I don't know - I have 2 on my hood and 1 on the side of my car - love the car but it's pretty aggravating to get these paint chips after only having the car for 6 months!

lynne8

Have had a vibration problem in my 2000 LE Corolla since day one. When driving 65mph and above you can see and feel wheel jiggling. Went back to dealer at lest four times - tires were balanced (at least twice!), rotated and then I had four new tires put on (upgraded) and it still vibrated. Those were taken off and balanced - they took two away and put two different new ones - still the same thing. They obviously were obsessing with the tires and would not look at anything else. Went to another dealer and they test drove it and said they couldn't feel anything. I was totally disgusted and tired of taking the car everywhere and gave up. Just thought I'd check it out here to see if anyone else has had this problem or would have any ideas.

sandman46

I had the same problem with our Camry back in '93. They did everything they've done for you. Ask them to try some other wheels from another Corolla, the problem could be with the rims themselves and not the tires. Keep all your receipts as proof. Lastly, send a certified letter to the offices in Jacksonville or wherever in your region. I did that and within 2 days of them receiving my letter, my problem was solved. The local dealers hate this sort of thing, going over their heads. Try this and it might help with your problem! Good luck and please let us know if you have any success.

mpyne

thanks for the response about the paint. i bought some langka (the blob remover) to help with my touch up work, any reviews on langka?? also hows was every ones service if they took into the dealer and they sales person when then bought their car. im from michigan and so far ive been disappointed. i bought my car form carsdirect but the dealership salesman was a jerk. also when i took my car in for the first oil change they got oil all over the inside of my door.
any other stories..

weilun

I just got 01 Corolla S with 4 speed auto. I have followed the instruction of driving 55mph in the first 1500 miles. However, I sometimes feel that the battery or the ignition sys is not powerful enough to start the car. One time it took me a few sec to start the car. The outside temp was 60 deg F. It was a week ago and my car now has 2600 miles. May be I am too nervous. But does it sound like a problem to any of you? Everytime when I start my car (the car is "cold"), the rpm jumps up to 1600 or even 2000 rpm and then gradually drops down. Is the starting rpm too high?

mpyne

i too had a similar problem with the ignition. this issue seemed to have resolved itself though. my engine revs high when i first start my car. my opinion is that it may be something with the all weather guard package and the heavy duty starter( i may be wrong) i would mention it to my dealer if they cared, but im sure they dont. ps sorry if i sound annoying but the buying/service experience has left a bad taste in my mouth. if i dont find a good dealer here in Michigan it will be my last toyota.

terceltom1

Higher RPM is normal with any car when starting it. My "01" Corolla does the same thing. I wouldn't bother mentioning that to the dealer.

britton2

My '01 LE with 4-speed auto starts right away each time - I'm amazed that I don't even have to touch the gas pedal to start it (unlike my '86 Honda) - even if I don't drive it for a day or two it starts right up - I have the all-weather guard package on mine - I haven't taken note of the RPM's when starting it - I'll try to remember to do that next time -

bobs22

Hi:
I have 01' toyoto corolla and has 7000 miles on it. I observed a problem that over 65 mph speed steering wheel starts vibrating. I took my car to dealer twice and he said he balance the wheels but problem still continues. I talked to dealer again and he said he can't test drive car above posted speed limit.Anyone has similar experince or idea what to do in such case or what might be the problem?

Thanks

Mr_Shiftright

He doesn't have to drive the car over 65 mph, he can balance the tire for that speed and also check tire run-out and if the rim is bent.

vlady

What tire you've got? If Firestone-this is normal for them(I was told by "expert" @dealership). It has something to do with the cord. I had my tires balanced a million times and still have a vibration at speed over 75mph.

Anybody has problems with tie-rod ends. My 98 Corolla with 35K sounds like old wagon when turning and going over bumps. I'm afraid to face a complete front suspension replacement.

timmyt425

My '01 Corolla 'S' is getting approximately 32 mpg in the city and approximately 38-39 on the HWY, similar to the window sticker. I wonder if the weather affects the gas mileage. I live in Arizona where the air is drier and thus allowing the fuel to burn much better.

shortlid

All Toyota engines are Non-inetrefearnace motors, if at HIGH revs you can damage valves but not like a interfearnce motor that WILL take out the valves!

shortlid

Can people please tell me when you first replaced you front wheel bearings on your Corolla's. I just had to replace teh Pass. side at ony 105,000 miles, that seems early to me?

britton2

Does your Corolla "S" have an auto tranny or manual? I have a '01 LE with 4-speed auto and am getting about the same MPG as you...thanks

autonov

Hello folks, This is my first post to this board. I have a 98 Corolla LE which is in a good condition. Since last week I started noticing that the steering wheel vibrates while accelerating at higher speeds (maybe around and above 50 mph).

Any suggestions as to what the problem could be and who would be best able to fix this (dealer or otherwise) ?

Thanks in advance,
Autonov.

terceltom1

I want to make two comments about my 2001 Corolla which I now have had for 15 months and currently have 6552 miles on it.
First, I must state that my car has never back to the dealer for any imperfections or problems of any kind since the day I took delivery on it 15 months ago. I think that alone tells a lot about the quality and workmanship of the Toyota.
Secondly, I have changed the oil in the car for the first time yesterday since I own it. The oil was changed once before that but that was by the dealer only because it was free. I have always changed the oil in all of my cars that I have ever owned and this car is by far the easiest I have ever encountered. The perfect positioning of the oil plug makes for a complete emptying of the oil pan when draining when the car's front end is on ramps. And the oil filter is almost directly next to the oil drain plug making changing the filter so simple. Some cars oil never drains completely because of the drain plugs location and some filters are so hard to get to it is ridiculous Thanks Toyota for thinking about "do it your self'er".