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Comments
The "Req maint" light was lit up after my first 5000 miles. I guess it is trying to tell me my first schedule maint. is due. Is this normal? But then I changed eng. oil and filter myself. It is still lit up. Do I have to bring to the dealer for them to do the maint? Do any of you know is there a way to fix this?
the best way for you to avoid damage to your vehicle and maintain and operate it properly (and safely) is for you to start with a read (front to back) of your owner's manual. it is amazing how many people avoid doing this - but the information can be very important...
sure there's going to be information which won't be new to you like "always buckle up" and here's how. but there will be some specially good information specific to your ride on instrument panel indicators and warnings, how to check proper fluid levels, location of fuses and relays, how to jack your vehicle up to replace a tire, what are the manufacturer recommended maintenance intervals.
you will always be the very first person who will notice the vehicle not operating properly, possibly it's indicating a problem with a warning light, or maybe it's running rough, or you have noticed it lacks the proper level of some important fluid when you look under the hood, like anti-freeze, power steering, brake, transmission, or engine oil.
(everyone should be periodically checking these things when filling up (not all the time, maybe every 5 fills and specially before a long trip... noticing a change early can save you serious money and inconvenience.))
sorry - don't mean to preach but it is amazing that people just get in the car and go, and don't familiarize themselves with the vehicle first...not saying this is you. they'll spend time and effort getting it shiney on the outside, but have little interest on what goes on under the hood.
true story: my wife and i in mexico rent a vehicle in cancoun (at the most popular of rental agencies) to navigate the yukatan penninsula. first thing i do before leaving the rental lot is check the engine fluid levels. wife and i were glad i did. i discover no oil (none, not even at the minimum mark). lucky we checked this before embarking on our trip, right? imagine we had a breakdown in the middle of who knows where exactly (they mark private roads with sticks and plastic bottles or other materials), where spanish is not our native language, where they measure in kilometers, not miles, where a down-pour is serious, with service stations located far apart, where there is probably poor cell coverage, and even if you could make a call, who would you call? ... you get the point.
to your question - more than likely the MRL is normal and comming on at a preset mileage interval, and as mentioned there probably is a not-so-obvious procedure described in the manual to allow you, the owner to turn it off after being reminded of the periodic maintenance interval's passing.
enjoy your vehicle.
The Sandman
someone once told me in the Grand Caravan (i think that was the model vehicle), his motor wasn't bad, it was the wiring harness to the motor...
just another thing to check if possible to narrow the root cause.
if the door window sometimes works, and it isn't an issue with motor thermal over-current protection (say a vehicle that has trouble with a window when left in the sun) or there isn't a mechanical binding problem, i would suspect wiring first and motor second.
ok, is there a way to remove the door panelling (to get at the motor), and to verify you don't have any mechanical binding of the window glass against the door?
seems like the motor is perhaps going into some over-current protection mode.
if there is no mechanical binding, then i'd agree with you - sounds like time for a new motor.
one thing you can do is scope or put a volt meter across the terminals of the motor which get supply when switch is activated. if you activate the switch and the window starts to move and the volt-meter indicates you have voltage at the motor, then the window stops, but the volt meter still indicates power to the motor, i'd say the protection inside the motor is bad.
also you could set the voltmeter to current, and you could activate the switch and watch the current draw as the window is in motion. presumably right when it stops, there will be a decent up-tick in current draw.
your vehicle is a popular one. not sure where you live, or your mechanical inclination, but i suppose you might check a pull-it / used parts yard for a replacement.
there must be some debugging tips on the web, maybe even installation instructions. also - there's got to be aftermarket or rebuilt window motors (i think they call them window regulators) for sale.
maybe an independant would toss it in there for a decent price if you weren't inclined to do so yourself.
if I'm going in, I might as well make sure everything is good so I won't have to do it again.
"As always, should you or any of your I. M. Force be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions."
"good luck jim".
Can you tell me how long the temporary spare tire is rated to last?
Also if the spare tire area can handle holding a full size tire instead of just the smaller temporary spare?
Thanks for any help as we are considering buying a new Corolla but are concerned about the spare tire issue.
Thanks.........Ken
1 - brakes are making a terrible noise - not when apply them (it actually stops then) just when the car is coasting (below 10 MPH) - had them checked out and they are telling me nothing is wrong
2- passenger side headlight keeps going out - I've replaced the bulb (twice) - stays on for a couple of weeks and the next thing you know, it's out again - not sure why
3 - driver's side window has fallen - started making almost a cracking noise when opening - now the window does not go up straight - the front has fallen - how do you remove the door panel?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
1. Get a second opinion! :mad:
2. Have you noticed any evidence of cracks or leaking in the headlight housing? I had a similar problem on my old '91 Dodge and it turned out to be water getting into the headlight assembly. :surprise:
3. According to #2281 above, the procedure is in the manual.
(BTW, wouldn't a 2003 still be under warranty?)
I have a couple of questions that I hope someone can answer. I have a 1993 Toyota Corolla 4dr sedan. My problem started a couple of days ago. One of the guys was following me to work and he said he noticed that all of my brake lights were staying on (back window light, and all of the red lights in the rear). This only occurs when the headlights are on. If the headlights are off, the brake lights work normally (all of them only light up when the brakes are depressed). BTW, I have checked the parking brake numerous times and I also assume if it was the parking brake, the brake lights would stay on when the lights were off.
Anyways, now I am noticing that when the lights are on and you depress the brakes, the dashboard lights light up and the radio lights will dim (odd!). I called a mechanic and he said he thought one of the lights might be grounded and thus causing an electrical problem. All of the lights seem to be illuminating. Has anyone else had this problem?
I tried to check the rear brake lights, but I can't seem to get the light case off. I undid the two screws on the light, but I can't seem to pull it out and I can't find anymore screws. Am I missing something? Thanks in advance for any help.
Tomorrow she is bringing it to a Toyota dealer for a diagnostic evaluation. Has anyone experienced such a problem with their Corolla or have any ideas as to what it may be. Thank you.
There is no idle problem on our new 2006 Corolla S. Starts up and runs smooth each day.
any chance you're taking your vehicle through a car wash, and applying a wax to the entire vehicle?
my thinking is perhaps there is a surface film on the glass partially at root cause.
if you think you do have a wax film on the windshield, i wonder if cleaning it with a good solvent or glass cleaner might quiet down the blade chatter. perhaps i'd try cleaning the blade rubber as well.
The symptoms you describe could be due to a failing battery, which is a *lot* easier and cheaper to replace than a starter.
In my area, AutoZone will do this for free.
Thank you.
I got 2001 corolla CE, 5speed, 67000 miles.
When I shift from 3rd to 4th gear, I hear rattling noise.
It's louder after an driving it for a while. I hear it only when I am pressing accelerator, in gear 3 or 4, little bit on 5th gear. No noise on 1st or 2nd. gear.
This noise is coming at around 2000 rpm, on 3rd and 4th gear, noisier when warmed up, noisier after 20 miles of driving.
I took it to transmission shop, they could not make
anything of it. They lifted the car, engaged gears, but I could not hear the noise outside of the car. The mechanic could hear it inside, but only slightly. The transmission oil was fine, the color it should be; they "kind of" excluded transmission/differential problem. They told me that the clutch may not be the problem either.
They actually did not know what it is. 3 mechanics looked at it, 2 of them drove it.
When in neutral, I hit gas pedal, I hear no rattle noise.
I thought it could be the engine valves or something loose in camshaft area, needing to adjust. Another shop (over the phone) told me that the valves don't need to be adjusted, they have hydraulic system (I dont understand that). From what i told this shop guy, over the phone, he thinks it may be a throw bearing. Could it be aslo the timing chain? I am hopeless, I am about to take it to a shop for diagnosis. The CV joints look OK, no noise when I turn the wheel. Thanks ahead for advices or opinions.
I bought the car 1100 miles ago, started noticing this 500 miles ago.
Starter would click several times, until i got the right moment to engage it. The it started.
There are 2 cooper "things" inside your statrter (the head
portion of it) where the wire from battery connect.
The copper parts one on the upper one on the lower portion of the head are worn out so much. The engagement portion of the starter (the little teethed wheel - solenoid did that). Sorry I don't know the technical terms for these.
The 2 metal copper parts cost me $22 from toyota dealership and I replaced it myself. It was very thight place to get to (the upper one), but I did it.
For novice, you might get frustrated, as long as you can rwach the darn upper nut - very difficult to get to.
Patience.
Please, don't go out and spend all that money for a new starter unless you absolutely positively need one!
Oddly enough, I have been told that this is a problem with your alternator brushes. Have it checked out.
for my 2003 corolla, the dashboard, headlights etc. don't turn on until 5-10 seconds after i start my engine and release the parking break...
this to me is very annoying..
what option should i change to if i don't want this to happen? (i.e. do i switch to all manual with no automatic lights? will the car beep if i forget to turn of my lights?)
i would like to keep the daytime running lights, so can i just switch my headlights on manually at night and they will still automatically turn off or do i lose all the automatic options when i do that?