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Toyota Corolla Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • ryan16ryan16 Member Posts: 4
    how would the car act if the egr valve was stuck closed? for some reason i think i'm getting a bad fuel/air mixture. when i run the heater it smells gassy and when i finally do get my car to start after it stalls, it has a lot of exhaust and also smells of gasoline. If the EGR Valve is stuck closed, does that mean i'm not getting enough air? I'm not exactly sure how that part works. Also, the choke/butterfly plate thing on the carburetor is working properly, open at normal operating temp.
  • automan69automan69 Member Posts: 5
    IF stacked closed is as you disconected the Egr and plugged the vacum hole where it was located. Simptoms I think you would have pinging and it makes more pollution. Cause the Egr is an emission part to help cut down pollution
  • ryan16ryan16 Member Posts: 4
    Another person told me an Oxygen Sensor might be to blame. But would this result in the car not starting for a period of time? i don't mind if the car stalls, as long as it can restart, but when it takes 10-15 min or longer its a problem.
  • automan69automan69 Member Posts: 5
    If you already change all those parts its a good idea to change the Oxygen sensor because the aftermarket one is only warranted for 50k miles.
    Even if it doesn't trigger the Check Engine Light it does cause idle problems.
    Not sure if it makes the car run leaner or richer all the time when its too old. Also you won't pass Smog Check if it's not working properly and it will destroy your catalytic converter faster.
  • hawks1hawks1 Member Posts: 57
    My '01 Corolla (53K mies) is suddenly using excessive amounts of oil - 3 quarts every 800 miles! I checked the normal sources for leaks - drain plug, oil pan gasket, etc. - and found none. A friend of mine told me it could be a defective PCV valve. Is this possible? My worst fear is faulty rings and valves which could mean a huge repair bill. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks in advance.
  • 10sfan10sfan Member Posts: 136
    See my post #2713. This is usual and customary for this vehicles engine. Unfortunately, most do not find out about this major engine problem until it is well out of the factory warranty period. Sounds like a Lemon Law concern. I am waiting like to hear from other owners with this problem and how they addressed the issue with out spending huge amounts of money on an older vehicle.
  • petlpetl Member Posts: 610
    Actually, excessive oil usage with these vehicles is rare and unusual. More information is required before blanket statements like these are made (were oil changes made?).
  • star512star512 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for answering with a possible reason! I ended up finding the cause of the problem in an offhand way. I had my battery checked and found that I needed a new one. During the check they saw that I was somehow missing the tiedown as well. So the battery would shake and rattle when the car was still, but once the car was moving, the battery was held in place by the force. Thanks again!
  • 10sfan10sfan Member Posts: 136
    Unfortunately, the vehicle was purchsed with 53000. Who knows what the original owner did. However, oil and filter has been changed every 3000 - 3500 miles ever since (over one year now) At 60000 miles and now at 83000, it burns atleast a quart or more per 500 miles or less. Based on other posts on excessive oil consumption and what I have discovered locally with several used car mechanics its usual and customary for this engine.
  • nashesnashes Member Posts: 12
    Hi,
    I've just bough a used 2005 corolla LE auto. Every time I accelerate from a stationary position, I notice that the car does not respond quickly enough and it seems that it needs some persuasion to move. Previously had a Buick auto and it was always smooth and had an amazing pick-up. Is there some maintenance that I have do on the vehicle that would solve this problem? I have an oil change due after 500 miles.
    Thanks,
    Nash
  • soncvansoncvan Member Posts: 2
    I WAS PUTTING ON AN HID BLINKER LIGHTS FOR MY 06 COROLLA S AND I SUDDENLY FELL OUT AND INTO MY HEADLIGHTS!!! NOW IT IS JUST CHILLING IN THERE...IS THERE ANY WAY I CAN REMOVE IT FROM THE HEADLIGHTS BY MYSELF...I TRIED TO REMOVE THE HEADLIGHTS BUT I DO NOT KNOW WHERE THE LOCATION OF ALL THE SCREWS ARE CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!!!! :confuse:
  • donnie2494donnie2494 Member Posts: 14
    there is a sevice bulletin out to fix that problem. toyota replaces the defective parts
  • jlalorjlalor Member Posts: 3
    :mad: I have the same problem with my 1993 Corolla. MY mechanic suggested the EGR system, but a coworker (who is responsible for the company vehicles) said he thinks it is the catalytic converter. The EGR supposedly isn't supposed to kick in at idle (according to research online) so I am even further confused. Even my repair manual is filled with misleading information. If you have had any luck solving this problem, let me know. My husband and I are probably going to try to sell our Corolla as we are getting tired of the ever mounting repairs, but we want to get the inspection done before we do so. If you haven't heard anything yet or had the problem solved, let me know as well, maybe we can find a solution together (I also live in Texas and have been sharing one vehicle for the last few months which has become taxing).
  • bylaw30bylaw30 Member Posts: 8
    does anyone know how to fold the rear seats of a 99' corolla ve.
  • steve8596steve8596 Member Posts: 3
    I had the same problem with my 1991 Corolla. I posted the problem on here and no one came up with the answer. My Corolla doesn't even have an EGR valve and the solution to the problem isn't even listed in the possible causes for this problem in the emissions failure guide that the emissions test stations provide, which is really quite unbelievable. After testing every emission control device on the car and replacing the converter, the problem was a very small (2mm) hole in the front exhaust pipe. (the one that connects between the exhaust manifold and converter)The hole was hidden under the heat shield that protects the CV joint boot from heat and I couldn't even hear the small leak. At low rpms, the flow of exhaust would draw in oxygen and the oxygen entering the converter would stop the breakdown of NOx. So, check for an exhaust leak in that pipe or a loose manifold to exhaust pipe connection or a loose exhaust pipe to converter connection. I think if it was the converter, it would fail the test at all speeds. and by the way... no "check engine" light or error codes will come up with this type of problem on a '93.
  • broo117broo117 Member Posts: 1
    This 98 Corolla had a problem with the electrical near the lights relay. This was repaired by Toyota. A month later this problem started. The lights wont go off after the key is removed. If you can get them to go off after repeated tries, they can come back on at any time. I thought there was a tech bulletin on this problem somewhere, about the light relay? Anyone have the scoop on this?
  • dadof6dadof6 Member Posts: 61
    I don't think the VE came with fold down rear seats.
  • bhasinbhasin Member Posts: 11
    Hello,
    I have a 2002 Corolla with 80,000 miles. Replaced the OEM 175 tires (Firestone) at 48,000 miles with 185 (Firestone Potenza) tires.

    The tires are getting worn very fast with only 32k ,miles as opposed to the 65k mile life. My front left tire gets most worn.

    I do get tire rotated at costco per schedule.

    Does Corolla eat tires a lot ?
    What could be the reason:
    Bad alignment?
    Bad suspension?

    What is a good quiet tire model for the corolla? The bridgestones are horrible (maybe its the bad sound insulation in corolla..) and have lot of highway tire noise after 70 mph.

    Costco manager said he might give pro-rated discount the Michelin Mx4 they are currently carrying..How good is that?
  • thisbetomthisbetom Member Posts: 1
    Hello,

    Im new to these forums, but I tried searching and coudn't find anything about my problem... Also Im a noob when it comes to repairing cars...

    When I go to try to cold start my corolla, It turns over a good 5-10 times and then fires for about half a second and dies at which point the alarm is activated (but without the horn going off) (There is also a strange clicking noise as the engine light blinks on and off)... I have to then click the unlock button on my keychain before trying to start it again b/c it wont turn over... and if I take the keys out the alarm goes off fully.

    I showed my dad who suggested battery issues, but it wouldn't make sense

    After about 2-3 cycles of this the car finally turns over and starts... runs normal once started... Also, it only turns over 2-3 times if the car has run within the last 30 minutes and the engine is hot... it might repeat the cycle 0-3 times.

    Other strange occurrences:
    > I have an aftermarket stereo that has since begun asking me to enter the security code once the car has started... Didn't start happening till this issue came up... And it only happens ~75% of the time.

    Thanks in advance,
    Tom
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    i would take the vehicle to an autozone or other car parts store that can place your vehicle's battery and alternator under a load-test to see if both are working properly to rule them out.

    see, it's possible your alarm and also radio are getting into an initialized state because the voltage is dropping very low, below some threshold when you are trying to start the car.

    is it very cold where you live? do you run only short distances with the car lately? (vehicles need to be driven some distance at speed for the alternators to re-charge the battery).

    if the alternator of the battery were marginal, it's possible when the starter is engaged, it's pulling too much current and causing the system to drop voltage very low.

    then again, perhaps you have some issue with the fuel pump failing to supply adequate pressure to the fuel rail.

    have you tried turning your vehicle to the on/acc position for a few seconds, say the count of 5 or 10 before you turn it all the way to start? that might give the pump a better chance to prime the system and get pressure to the fuel rail.

    good luck.
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    it could just be that you have a short from the installation of either the alarm or the radio. Sometimes those take a little time after installation before problems begin to manifest themselves.

    bhasin: I don't believe that Bridgestone Potenzas are 65K-mile tires, and I wouldn't be surprised if their average life is more like 40K miles, so you are probably doing about as expected with that brand. They are noisy tires though. If the tires are not wearing evenly, that is usually an alignment issue (they ARE all the same size though, right?)

    The Michelin is a good tire but even with a discount may cost you more than the Bridgestones cost new. I would stay with the Bridgestones until they are worn out. And I am curious why the Costco manager is so eager to offer you discounts on Michelins. There may be something fishy there...

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    it could just be that you have a short from the installation of either the alarm or the radio. Sometimes those take a little time after installation before problems begin to manifest themselves.

    very good point. poor wiring, causing one or the other to short out could be at root cause. even if fused, it could still be causing a short. were these recently added to the vehicle?
  • jorusfettjorusfett Member Posts: 3
    Both my wife and I have a 2007 Corolla S. Mine is a Manual, and hers is an Automatic. We have a similar noise when starting off. The dealership told me it was the solenoid, but I don't buy that. Does anybody know what could possibly be going wrong, as it doesn't sound good for the car.

    Thanks.
  • grandtotalgrandtotal Member Posts: 1,207
    The dealership told me it was the solenoid, but I don't buy that.

    The dealership whose staff work on Corollas all day long tell you that the noise is the solenoid, but you don't believe that. Instead you come to a forum such as this and are prepared to accept a total stranger's opinion.

    Well here's my opinion from your description. I think you both need new engines.
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    If you have ABS, it is the normal test that the system goes through. You could be a little more specific and tell us what solenoid, if you asked the dealer.
  • johnny2004johnny2004 Member Posts: 2
    I have the same problem. around 5k miles it started. when cold i pull out of space a ping or squel. only the begining of the day only. strange. did you find the problem. the dealer said it was my cold belts. i dont think so. i also park in a garage and it is warm in there.
  • jemsocutejemsocute Member Posts: 1
    Sppanki, we have the same problem.... the idle problem occurs when the engine already heat-up... did you fixed the problem? can you give me an advise on how did you fixed it? thanks!
    Other members if someone got an idea.. please advise. :sick:
  • alex24alex24 Member Posts: 54
    My 98 corolla 4 cyl, with 3 speed automatic transmission,this car ran perfect and had no oil leaks, has under 100000 miles, as I was driving on the highway a loud engine noise, I pulled over, as I did some testing I found my number one piston or piston rod is broke and put a small hole in side of block, and out where all the oil was gone, what could have cause this ? Has any body had a major problem like this with this engine ?
  • 10sfan10sfan Member Posts: 136
    Had similar problem on 12/25/06,on a 2001. Had just checked the oil 40 miles prior to the incident. At 83,000 miles, the engine went, piston rod broke on the highway. The oil pan was filled. Have had excessive oil consumption and also would it not keep oil pan or valve cover gaskets which were replaced several times in past 12 months. Replaced the engine with a used one. Not sure if it will develop a similar problem. Numerous bearing were found in the bottom of the pan as well as other major damage when the engine was removed. I had posted the information on the excessive oil consumption earlier in 2006 to see if others had similar problems. Unfortunately, the vehicle was purchased used with 53K on it. Toyota would not offer any support whatsoever...
  • brad35309brad35309 Member Posts: 1
    Both the passagener seat doors on my 91' are messed up. on the drivers side, the window either sliped off the track or something to that meaning because the window roller wont make it move. also, when i move the window roller clockwise, it locks up, and if i move it counterclock wise, it clicks. Also, how do i take off the window roller on a 91', because i tried to take everything off but was unscuessful in taking it off. as for the passagener side door, when you open the door handle from the inside, it stays open, as if there was something wrong with the spring. any insight on either of my problems?
  • magihmagih Member Posts: 3
    230,000 miles and purring. I gave her to my son. He can't start her. Lights go on with key but no starting. There is
    a little red light on below dashboard and steering wheel.
    He says he took out a "key" like they use in motel rooms,
    that look like credit cards. Somebody told him to do this
    so car couldn't be stolen. But....he can't find the card "key". :confuse: Help!!! what is this about? I never saw the light on before. What to do? magi
    He needed a reliable car or I'd never have given her up!
  • celenacelena Member Posts: 7
    I have a 2000 Corolla with 130k. The CEL has been on for a couple of years now. The codes coming up before were "bank one too lean" and "cylinder misfire." After much research, I decided that the lean code was due to a bad MAF, which we finally replaced last weekend. We cleared the codes and now it's throwing a P0420, which is "catalyst system efficiency below threshold, bank one." However, I'm not getting a misfire code. The more I read, the more confused I get. The basic answer seems to be to replace the converter, but apparently this does not always work. I don't want to spend even more money and be stuck with the same problem. I am becoming increasingly desparate. Any suggestions?
  • urnsturnst Member Posts: 3
    What is CEL? and where are you seeing these codes?
  • dgauldgaul Member Posts: 2
    My Toyota owner's manual says to use the Toyota brand ATF only, or damage could occur. My Haynes Repair Manual states to use Dexron III ATF. What's the difference, and will damage really occur if I use Castrol Dexron-III ATF?
  • urnsturnst Member Posts: 3
    i had taken my corolla 00 to my dealer for routine oil change and he came back saying that my water pump was leaking on it and if left alone would destroy the engine. he also added that there my drive belt is probably cracked. The cost would be around 650 for replacing water pump and around 100 for the drive belt. I took it to the local gas station and he was ran a cooling system diagnosis and found no problem with the water pump. He did recommend to change the driving belt.
    I was surprised to get different diagnosis in the same week from two different facilities. Have any one of you ever experienced this where the toyota dealer is wrong in his diagnosis? :surprise:
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    CEL = Check Engine Light a.k.a. MIL = Malfunction Indicator Light.

    I presume the person is using an OBD-II (On Board Diagnostic II "reader").
  • shekharshekhar Member Posts: 23
    All tires are inflated to same pressure (regularly serviced, balanced and rotated). Tire pressure warning light comes on after a few minutes of driving, especially on a highway. Is there anything I could do (other than a trip to dealer)?
    Thanks
  • johnny2004johnny2004 Member Posts: 2
    My 06 corolla has a metal tweek sound when it starts off cold the for the rest of the day no sound unless it is parked for a few hours. The dealer said it was the belts and the cold. I will wait till spring to see. Do you have the same sound? Does anybody have an ans. for this?
  • jorusfettjorusfett Member Posts: 3
    The noise I have has occurred since I picked up the vehicle in early September 2006. It was still pretty warm out at that time, and doesn't no matter if it's warm or cold.
  • electrobuzzelectrobuzz Member Posts: 47
    I've had the sound before (after some deep snow)... and found it to the the whisper thin (made of tin?) heat shield vibrating between the exhaust and chassis.
  • john170john170 Member Posts: 3
    Just purchased a new 07 Corolla LE. The low beam headlights are dim and weak, in fact they are so bad I consider this dangerous. I have perfromed minor vertical adjustments and tried different bulbs (including Silverstar),all without much change or success. I will be taking this back to the dealer but dread the drive and situation. Does anyone else think their low beams are weak? They are like flashlights compared to my other vehicles. The highbeams are good. Comments and suggestions.
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    is it the lenses? maybe going aftermarket...
  • wildswing1wildswing1 Member Posts: 1
    Hi guys, newbie here with my first post...and it's not even for me. I'm asking a question for my brother in law. I hope I've posted in the right place.

    Anyhow, he has a beater (well...looks more like showroom new) '84 Corolla RWD Coupe. He says he's having a helluva time finding winter steelies (steel rims) for his winter tires. He says the specs are really unique. He's sending me the specs tomorrow. He found this out when the tire shop where he bought his winter tires sold him steelies that didn't fit quite right. They rub on the inside. Are the specs really that unique?

    Since then, he's tried every tire shop and bone yard in the city he lives in and has resorted to the wrecking yard network search but is still having trouble finding some. He found some at a wrecker in my home town that I'll check out and pick up, but he needs to find 2 more at least.

    Does anyone know of a Toyota specific pick n pull or someplace that I could direct him to or maybe give him the correct specs? Any info you guys can provide would be very much appreciated.
  • john170john170 Member Posts: 3
    Reference above post concerning headlights and low beams. Problem resolved by adjusting the verticle aim. There is an adjustment screw on the back of the light fixture--turn counter-clockwise to "raise" the low beams. There is no side-to-side adjustment. Adjustment did not seem to alter the high beams. Had to turn the screw about four turns to get the low beams into proper adjustmemt. Original factory adjustment had low beam pointing down about 15' from front of car.
  • micomarkmicomark Member Posts: 11
    Has anyone experiences seat problems. I have a 2006 Corolla and experience seat back noise and slopiness in the seat back hinge mechanism's. When stopping and starting the movement of the seat occupant causes the seat to crack/pop apparently due to excessive play in the seat mechanism's.It is very annoying when starting, stopping and even when turning corners. This give in the seat back causes noises that are not like the quality in the rest of the vehicle.
    :(
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    A couple of posts were moved to this link: amm625, "Toyota RAV4 Maintenance and Repair" #462, 25 Jan 2007 8:31 am. Thanks mcdawgg!! :)
  • dadof6dadof6 Member Posts: 61
    My Corrola did this same thing at about 10,000 miles. I had the seat frame replaced which cured the problem only to come back after another 12,000 miles. This was all about a year ago so maybe a permanent fixed has come down since then? The repair is under the 3yr/36,000 warranty.
  • jorusfettjorusfett Member Posts: 3
    Well thanks for the great response there...very helpful.

    Do you give this type of helpful advise all the time? If you don't have anything constructive to say, then don't say it at all.

    I was hoping to find other people out there that may know what the problem could be since I don't trust most dealerships. Example: I had a problem with VW shops where I would get two totally different answers from different shops about the same issue. One said there was no problem, the other said it would cost $350 to repair it. At that point, who do you trust since they work on VW's all day long.

    And if I did get a stranger's opinion on this, I would look into it further and not accept it at face value. Basically I am doing research. This is what smart people do.

    Dealerships have you cornered when it comes to stuff like this because they control everything and the auto makers don't make things easier by making cars simple like they used to. So you have to rely on the dealer shops to keep you informed and be truthful, which I believe in 90% of the cases they are not when it comes to repairs other than oil changes.
  • grandtotalgrandtotal Member Posts: 1,207
    Happy to help. I suggest you keep on researching the problem until you get the answer you want, whatever that is.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Okay, tell us your EXACT symptoms and we'll try to help. Be sure to note the difference between "crank" and "start".

    If an engine cranks over but doesn't start up, that's one thing. But if it doesn't even crank over, that's another.
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