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Toyota Corolla Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • petlpetl Member Posts: 610
    There may be a law against doing this.
  • edwin_redwin_r Member Posts: 4
    Yes, there may be a law against it but do you know how to do it (strictly for informational purposes only...)?
  • petlpetl Member Posts: 610
    Sorry, I don't.
  • kblackkblack Member Posts: 1
    I accidentally busted my windshield wipers, by turning it on as it was covered in ice.
    I know it’s not the motor cause I can still here it running when I try to turn it on. So, from my reading I'm thinking its worm gear.
    I was wondering if I could replace that myself or would I have to take it in. If this can be done as a home job can someone explain it to me?
  • nelbecknelbeck Member Posts: 1
    Could anyone tell me how to extend the tracks in my 2005 Corolla to move the driver's seat further back 2 to 3 inches? The passenger seat goes back another couple of inches, but there are stoppers intentionally put in on the driver's side. I think this is related to the hydraulic seat adjuster to make sure you don't tip too far back. I need to have this adjusted or will have to get rid of the car( which I don't want to do!) I am starting to have hip problems from longer than average legs.

    Thanks, NE
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,675
    hey gang, does anybody have an idea of what a catalytic converter should cost for an '03 Corolla? My uncle's had to go in for some servicing/brakes/etc, and the dreaded check engine light came on. It's the catalytic converter.

    I've been handling it for my uncle because he works long hours out on a construction site, so it's not convenient for him to deal with it. I got a message on the answering machine last nite from the service guy, and I knew it was going to be bad. The guy was actually stumbling over his words and pausing just a little too long in places as he was trying to get out what was wrong! So I KNEW it was going to hurt!

    Well, I talk to the guy today, and he says $1500!! :surprise: Now the labor isn't all that much, but supposedly the part itself is like $1300+.

    Does that sound right? The car has 103,000 miles on it, so unfortunately the warranty is a distant memory...
  • petlpetl Member Posts: 610
    Unless it was damaged while driving, this seems a little unusual for 2003 vehicle. This "emissions" part even has an extended warranty (at least in Canada). Maybe should get a second opinion. Good luck.
  • petlpetl Member Posts: 610
    Unless it was damaged while driving, this seems a little unusual for 2003 vehicle. This "emissions" part even has an extended warranty (at least in Canada). Maybe should get a second opinion. Good luck.
  • petlpetl Member Posts: 610
    Unless it was damaged while driving, this seems a little unusual for 2003 vehicle. This "emissions" part even has an extended warranty (at least in Canada). Maybe should get a second opinion. Good luck.
  • drsugarcultdrsugarcult Member Posts: 2
    i turn the key and it tries to but it wont start at all, i think theres no gas getting to the engine. or maybe a dead spark plug. PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME? its an automatic.
  • mcase2mcase2 Member Posts: 160
    Has any one else had this experience? Coming to a stop - took my foot OFF the gas and the applied brakes. The Corrola decelerated almost to a stop - Then began to accelerate on its own. My first reaction was to glance at my foot to make sure it was on the brake not the gas. IT WAS ON THE BRAKE, but the car revved up on its own. I had to really stomp the brake down to keep from hitting the car in front of me while the Corrolla pulled itself forward. Then after what were some very long seconds it dropped down. It has never done it before or since. I posted on the NHSA web and found half a dozen complaints of the exact same problem. Also someone there mentioned that Camrys have been known to do it too. Any input would be appreciated.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,675
    well, I went yesterday and "rescued" my uncle's Corolla from the Toyota dealer and brought it home. One of my friends has a code reader, and we hooked it into it and reset the codes. The check engine light didn't come back on, so I'm guessing that it's an intermitent problem? If it was constant, wouldn't the check engine light have come back on immediately?

    Anyway, it seems to be running fine. As for the warranty, I believe the emissions controls are warrantied for something like 8 years/80,000 miles, but unfortunately, my uncle is already past the 103,000 mile mark. :cry: He can't remember when it's due for emissions testing, but we're going to wait until then and see if it passes or not, and then just go from there.

    As for the sudden acceleration problem, interesting that it got brought up. I just noticed for the first time last night now close the brake and gas pedal are together on this car, and how they're almost at the same plane. I was thinking that it's suprising that more people haven't accidentally hit the brake and the gas pedal at the same time. It seems very easy to do.

    On older cars, often a stuck cable, spring, or whatever could cause sudden acceleration, but I dunno about these newer ones. I guess the computer could get confused and go into fast idle mode when it's not supposed to, or do something else to make it surge even faster?
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    I assume that the 1,000 idle speed is when the engine is still cold. Normal idle speed should be about 600-700. Anyway, this is just like any other car with a manual tranny. Reverse is the lowest gear ratio, lower than first. You have to partly release the clutch (only briefly), then push back in and coast back, then if you need to, release again, etc. Is the 1,000 idle speed when the engine completely is warmed up? Is this your first stick? :confuse:
  • grimyfacegrimyface Member Posts: 27
    "Dr. Sugar",

    This venue doesn't work very well with "won't start" conditions, since most people can't wait for an answer.

    I assume, since you're saying it "tries to" start, that the engine cranks when the key is turned. Can you smell gas after several unsuccessful cranks?

    If you can't, it's a sure bet the engine isn't getting fuel. One possible problem is the fuse that governs the fuel pump. It could also be a loose or corroded connection to the fuel pump.

    Corollas don't often have bad fuel pumps, but of course, this is also a possibility.

    A failed spark plug seems *very* unlikely, since not only is this unusual, but you could probably still start with three good ones.
  • goldencatgoldencat Member Posts: 1
    i have a 2002 toyota corolla. last week the radio and clock
    display are out of power. i thought it maybe some fuses problem. but i checked all three fuses box in front. nothing wrong. anyone can help me where is the radio fuse locate? or what else could be wrong?
  • brb972brb972 Member Posts: 7
    When you push the button on the remote does the car make a beeping noise or do the lights just flash.
  • rollaboyrollaboy Member Posts: 11
    no beeps, just flashing lights (i wish it did beep, cus that adds a level of coolness to it).. if you want noise, hit the Panic button :D
  • garycalgarycal Member Posts: 1
    Both my low-beams went out at the same time. High beams all fine. I checked all the fuses: the 40 amp master, the two 10 amps for each low-beam plus the one inside the cabin for the DRL system. All are fine. I doubt both bulbs blew at the same time. Could it be the DRL sensor?
  • jmaxejmaxe Member Posts: 198
    I have an '03 Corolla LE and lately the heater/AC blower motor doesn't always come on when I start the car. When it does fail to come on, cycling the ignition switch a couple of times may help or sometimes it will come on after a few minutes of driving and then works fine. Any ideas what may be the most likely culprit?
  • joey0708joey0708 Member Posts: 39
    since the corolla and the matrix are suppose to have the same engines do they both have the same problems when it comes to starting ? i f i am buying a new car i don;t want that problem , and they can;t find an answer to the problem .
  • joey0708joey0708 Member Posts: 39
    CAN ANYONE TELL ME ON THE 2005-OR2006 does your AC get cold enough? i hope the AC works better in the corolla then the matrix
  • donnieskittlesdonnieskittles Member Posts: 1
    My 03 corolla headlights come on in the middle of cold nights running down the battery. Any solutions? :confuse:
  • tireirontireiron Member Posts: 3
    I have the exact same car with the exact same problem. I have found that the motor in the sunroof is broken due to a few of the teeth chipping off (plastic gear). I am looking for a new motor, but a dealer wants over 200 bucks for this motor!! Anyone know where I can find another motor, other than a junkyard?
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    ebay?

    did you try googling it? perhaps an online parts supplier or used parts outfit.
  • rollaboyrollaboy Member Posts: 11
    My 2004 corolla runs about 32 MPG (get about 350 miles before I refuel 11 gallons). Typically I get about 200 miles when the meter hits Half Full, but then begins to rapidly fall and in another 130 miles the gas light comes on. Anyone else noticed this? I don't know if there is something faulty with my gauge or if this is normal for the way the system is calibrated. :confuse:
  • salina02ussalina02us Member Posts: 6
    I brough a New Corolla 05 Le model with options package, it is less than 4000 miles.
    I wash the wheel because it covered by dirt and saw the both front alloy wheel's paint seem melt off and the dirt on it; it won't wash away, I bring to service dept and ask it will be cover by the warranty, the service guy told me - because front wheels close by the brake so always happen like that; and he told me to buy a wheel cleaner and a brush to wash it; then it should go away. Do you thinks that is true?
    I like the Alloy wheel because it look nice and easy to clean, I saw other cars with alloy wheels doesn't have this problem on their alloy wheels. Anyone have an information for me?
    Thanks
    Salina
  • westsidewestside Member Posts: 7
    The gas gauge measures the height of the gas in the tank, and the tank is usually narrower at the bottom, so the upper part of the gas tank usually has more volume than the lower part, depending on the shape of the gas tank. My gauge in an '04 Camry LE behaves similarly, your gauge is probably functioning normally.
  • pamedicpamedic Member Posts: 2
    I bought a new 2006 Corolla S, Feb 1st, brought it home for ONE week and it will be in the shop longer than that in another day. It was leaking oil, upon further investigation and returning it to the dealer. They have now all but welded the gasket to the oil pan, to find out that now... it is the "rear main seal" that will take a few more days to repair! At this rate they should have thrown the extended warranty in for FREE! I wondered why they were so open to talk about the lemon law during the sale. They even sent me a letter to introduce me to the service department on the 21st of Feb. I already know the service department on a first name basis after day #7 of ownership. Isn't a new car suppose to run longer? I sold a SUV for a road sniffer... WHY? Does anyone else have these problems this early on? Think I didn't ask the dealership for a different "new" car, think again! They said "NO". Toyota is a toy that breaks, and this one will be for sale shortly! Peg in Carlisle PA">link title
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    Sorry, but it sounds like you are the victim of someone on the assembly line making an error!! It could happen to ANY car, or car maker. Toyota is the most reliable make, so the chances of this happening are EXTREMELY small. When there is a human involved, things can go wrong. No dealer or maker would give you a different car. I am truly sorry to hear about your bad luck, but I know you will not find a better maker than Toyota. We all make mistakes, even the assembly line workers! I have not ever heard of this happening to a Corolla, but again, the human being makes mistakes.
    I would try to get the extended warranty thrown in for free for your suffering. If no luck at the dealer, contact Toyota directly. If they do the repair right, you will have nothing to worry about.
  • pamedicpamedic Member Posts: 2
    This is a update to my 743 miles. I was notified last week that the car will now need and Whole ENGINE! I make a car payment Tuesday on a brand car this month that I drove 1 week that has the transmission torn out and now a new engine! Where I don't fall under the lemon law is they never gave me back the car for the first 4 things they fixed and the engine makes #5. The car MUST go in three seperate times for the fix, doesn't matter if they fixed 5 different things already! How do ya like that!
  • mallan1mallan1 Member Posts: 3
    Can anyone help, i have a 2001 Toyota Corolla and want to know how to fit rear speakers. I have located wires either side near where the speakers should be fitted but these appear to be dead. Any ideas?
  • tireirontireiron Member Posts: 3
    How do these wires appear to be dead? Are they the factory wires? Is there a factory head unit in the car? If there is an aftermarket head unit, they may have run new wires. Give us some more info if you can.
  • mallan1mallan1 Member Posts: 3
    The wires appear to be factory fitted as they come out of the wiring loom and stop just short of where the rear speakers should be fitted. The wires have a black rectangular shaped plug attatched. I am unsure as to whether they are connected to the rear of the radio as i do not know the proceedure for taking the built in radio out as this is obviously factory fitted as well.
  • cannyscotcannyscot Member Posts: 2
    I have an 98 Corolla with about 104000 kms on it - just recently hearing a knocking noise that appears to come from the left rear of the car - only happens on bumpy roads and there is a lot around here what with the snow and ice were experiencing - imagenyone have or had a similar problem, Cannyscot
  • screamingtiresscreamingtires Member Posts: 2
    my rear tires start to howl at 40 mph and gets louder the faster I go, I have the goodyear integrety tires that came with my 2004 corolla, went to a tire shop and they said my tires are coupling and that I should change them to eliminate the noise, any one else have this problem or is road noise just an issue with this car? didn't have this problem before. I don't want to change my tires cause to me they still look good,lots of tread and good wear since I rotate them regularly and align as well. my car just turned 20k miles.
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    Plausible, but I think the term is "cupping" not coupling...Cupping will do this => i had a set of continentals on a VW Jetta that did this and made major amounts of noise. I don't remember what caused the cupping in the first place it was so long ago, but I don't think I had alignment or suspension issues. I think it was poorly balanced tires to be honest... and my tires probably did a bit of bouncing as a result. I think you might want to research that more.

    There may be a tire warranty that came with the car that you can leverage here.
  • sharlenesharlene Member Posts: 1
    Interesting to read your posting. I have a 01 Corolla LE that is making a clicking noise when I turn corners as well. It just started making this noise a few days ago and I am a bit concerned about saftey etc. I had mine checked this past weekend and the auto dealer told me it may be my power steering pump that needs to be replaced and/or my tension belt. My power steering fluid was fine. Did you ever get it fixed? If so, what did they fix and how much? I live in the CA, so not sure if the cost varies from state to state.
  • screamingtiresscreamingtires Member Posts: 2
    Hey, thanks for the help, turns my right rear bearing was shot, changed it for $279 plus $50 labor. it's an expensive part because the hub and bearing are attached, you can't just take out the bearing and repack a new one. thanks again
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    cool. yeah, when i researched the topic, a bearing problem was mentioned in a few web page hits.
  • tireirontireiron Member Posts: 3
    I would purchase a repair manual for your car. It will tell you how to do just about any repair for your car. I bought my repair guide from autozone for about 18 bucks. It has helped greatly with numerous fixes i have used. This should tell you how to remove your speakers and factory head unit.
  • mallan1mallan1 Member Posts: 3
    We have been unable to locate a manual for this model.
  • twinkietwinkie Member Posts: 1
    I want to change a light bulb in a 1994 Toyota Corolla DX. The bulb is behind the radio, heater and A/C cover panel. I don't know how to get that panel off. There are two screws on the underside but those seem to hold something below the panel for the controls. I went to the library and pulled a Chilton's book but that book covers a lot of model years and there really is no good explanation on how to remove the panel.

    Help!

    Thanks.

    :confuse:
  • cmatt2cmatt2 Member Posts: 17
    I have a 1996 corolla -83,000 miles.The car drove just fine.Next day i went to start it-nothing.I checked the battery it was ok.Just to be sure I installed a new battery-samething.I don't know where to start checking-starter,wires,engine computer etc.I'm hoping that maybe there is a common solution for this problem-I hate to take it into a shop without some idea of what it could be.
    Any suggestions would be appreciated.
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    does it crank?
  • dreyfusdreyfus Member Posts: 24
    My 2 month old Corolla's cloth seats attract lint like no other car I've ever seen. The tan fabric is now covered in dark lint just from normal use and looks awful - especially the center arm rest. None of my other Toyotas with fabric seats have this problem.

    I can clean it up with a lint roller, but the problem reappears within a few days.

    Would a ScotchGuard-like aftermarket treatment help this? What's the deal?
  • cmatt2cmatt2 Member Posts: 17
    No,the car will not crank.When the key is turned nothing happens.It's like the battery is completely dead.Battery has been replaced,so i know that's not the problem.
  • larrythehatlarrythehat Member Posts: 1
    The contacts on the starter may be worn. The dealer can check this out and replace just the contacts. Elsewhere they will replace the entire starter.
  • cmatt2cmatt2 Member Posts: 17
    The car is completely dead-no lights,no radio etc.Would a bad starter cause this?
  • ksorensonksorenson Member Posts: 1
    Hi. I bought a 2005 Corolla that came without an owner's manual and am curious about the little red security light on my dashboard that blinks when my car is parked. Any ideas?
  • calvinycalviny Member Posts: 13
    The weather is getting warm now; but, I still get 2000rpm at the start & it takes quite a while to drop to 15000rpm , then 1000rpm... it is not correct...

    I am anticipate that the cold choke is something wrong..Should I check the airflow meter??? or any others suggestion

    Please help...
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