Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see May lease deals!
Options
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
Anyway, you have to remove the valve body from the transmission...if you are prepared to do that, I can list instructions, but really you should have step by steps with diagrams, and for that you should subscribe to www.alldatadiy.com for a year--it's only $26 bucks and you can consult it for any repair on your car for the coming year.
I bought the 2010 Corolla with 9500 miles on it last summer (original warranty intact). I have brought it to the dealership 5 times for a rattle in the driver side B-pillar. I have also complained because I found that there was a dent removed from the driver side door and I was displeased with discovering several small bumps from the tool used to remove the dent. I have a feeling that the two are related somehow. When I was shown the Carfax the report was clean (no-accident history).
My car has been at the dealership for over a week now and each time I call they say they cannot figure out the rattle. They can hear it, though.
I'm starting to get rather worried. What are my options if they claim they cannot solve the rattle? Can I demand they buy the car back, trade it in for a similar vehicle, give me a good price on a trade-in...? I need to know because this is absolute b.s. and I refuse to accept an "irreparable" 2010 Corolla with an excessive and unnatural rattle I dropped $15k on (and bought new tires for!!) just a few months ago.
If/when I get the car back and depending on the response from the dealership I'll take it to a body shop. I've been told a large dent was removed without re-painting it from the driver's door (odd that the rattle is coming from the driver side seatbelt pillar, no?) and now I have a feeling that the dealership avoided an accident repair/history by doing sub par and inadequate repair work. But we will see...all-in-all I'm pretty disgusted. If I was going to trade in the vehicle because of this I will have lost $4k in just the past 5 months plus what I'd need to spend on the vehicle I'd trade it in for. I shouldn't have irreparable rattles with a car that has less than 15k miles on the odometer.
Got a call from the dealership a few hours later saying my Corolla was fixed. Apparently there was something amiss with the side curtain airbag that caused the rattle. I seriously hope they fixed the problem, I'll be picking it up tomorrow!
What other years/cars use the same rims?
I believe they are 15x6J rims and I was told by an auto salvage yard they are 5x4" bolt pattern.
A Toyota parts department said the rims are the same as the 03-09 Corolla and 93-97 Celica.
Then I read in your forum that they are 5x100mm bolt pattern...
I have the above car and always did timely oil change. Recently I picked it up from a shop where the bumper was being repainted. Upon leaving the shop i drove quarter mile and the oil light came up, and the temp gauge went up to about 40% (normally it is at 25%). I checked the oil and the dip stick showed very very low. So I added one and half quart and brought the oil level to slightly above normal level normal. However, the oil light still remained on and the temp. gauge continued to show at 40%. I slowly drove home about 6 miles away. Next day I towed the car to the dealer who, after inspecting told me that there may be too much sludge so it would be too expensive to repair. They would have to open the engine and then clean it out and reassemble. This would cost more than the value of the car.
1)My question is how could the sludge build if I did regular oil changes?
2) If I have them take off the oil pan and clean the screen would this help?
3) Can anyone think of any way (besides dismantling the engine) to confirm that the sludge is the problem? If that turns out to be true than I will have to junk the car.
4) I was wondering about foul play. The guy who had it for 3 days to paint the bumpers, was quite unhappy because I had insisted that he do the paint work again because the bumper color did not match the rest of the car. The car was in excellent shape and very well maintained, therefore I was puzzled this happened right after I left the body shop.
T
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated?
But before making huge decisions like this you need really good verification.
Typical oil sludge is shown here: notice how thick and black it is.
Thanks.
I do agree with you though, that the repair shop's explanation doesn't sound right.
Why do you think removing the valve cover is a guessing game? I mean, if you want to see sludge, what better place to find it?
Actually I suggested removing the valve cover in order to challenge the diagnose of the repair shop. So let's put it this way---if there's no sludge in the valve cover, there still could be some in the oil pan (and how would the repair shop know that?) And if there IS sludge in the valve cover, than you know for sure there is sludge in the rest of the engine.
So, given the "verdict" that his engine was no good, I think removing the valve cover will either verify the repair shop's diagnosis, or put them on the spot to do some explaining.
Well that's why I posted the photo so he knows the difference between some dirty oil and real sludge. If his engine looks like that photo, that engine is done for IMO. I agree, I didn't want him to get fooled by just looking at a dirty valve cover.
You can sometimes reset the engine light on an OBD-II car if you can drain the capacitor completely from the Stay Alive Memory module. (one trick is to hold down the horn button after you disconnect the battery). Otherwise, just disconnecting the battery and re-connecting it usually will not work on an OBD-II car.
In any event, it's not a good idea to do this on an OBD-II car. For a mechanically minded guy like you, you can deal with the effects, but most people could end up making things worse for themselves.
Yesterday I asked the dealer to take the oil pan out and clean the sludge (if any). Today i went to pick up the car and the mechanic had already left so I could not talk to him. However the service person told me that he cleaned out the sludge from the pan and the screen. He changed the oil and the oil filter then he took the car for a test drive and the oil light did not turn on. This is all I got from the service guy, of course its a second hand. This all sounded very nice to me. But i am going to talk to the mechanic and get all the details tomorrow. I did not pick up the car because I want to discuss the benefit of taking off the valve cover and look for the sludge.
Being a lay person I am not sure (after reading all the posts from you both) whether I should have the valve cover removed or not. Or drive the car and see if and when the light comes on again.
Thanks a lot for all your help.
I have done some searching on the net and came up with the following websites.
I hope you all take some time to read the Toyota sludge website below.
1)Center for Auto Safety - Oil Sludge http://www.autosafety.org/getcat.php?cid=28
2)Dodge Durango sludge http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/dodge_dur_oil.html
3)Volkswagen sludge http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/vw_sludge.html
4)Lexus sludge http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/lexus.html
Hyundai sludge http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/hyundai_sludge.html
5) Toyota sludge http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/toyota_engine.html
The Toyota sludge website has numerous stories of Toyota vehicles having same situation as I had with my above ref. 1998 Corolla. They all have similar tales about oil light coming on and little or no oil in on the dip stick and subsequently the dealer telling them that the engine needs overhauling due to sludge.
It seems that this is not uncommon for Toyota vehicles. My car being 14 years old had his problem so late in its life. The other anecdotes are with newer Toyota vehicles. I am sure my 14 year old car will not have any warranty claims.
I suggested taking off the valve cover to *verify* this claim of sludge. So far you have no evidence whatsoever that what they said was true.
if we presume they did what they said---If they cleaned the oil pan and there's still sludge like in the photo up in the cylinder head area, well then nothing permanent has been accomplished.
Just want to give an update. As i mentioned above the dealer cleaned the pan, the pick up tube and the screen. He also opened the valve cover and cleaned the sludge. I am driving the car for the last 2 days and 50 miles and no oil light has come on, however the engine temperature stays at 40%. There are no guarantees, but i got some time to buy another car.
The question i have is
1) whether Toyota has solved the problem to trust them and buy another Toyota?
2)Have you heard of failures in 2011 or 2010 model Corolla?
I have posted the same question under the new topic, 'excessive oil use'. Hope to catch most responses.
Thanks
Yes the temp. gauge is at a little less than half way. Before the problem started it was at around 25%. I do not have oil light but the temp. gauge is higher. I am checking the oil level and does not appear to be losing oil. There still may be some problem.
As i mentioned in the update above that i am driving my 98 Corolla and the oil light has not come on, but the engine temp. is still at 40% mark (previously was always at 25%). I was wondering if I should change the thermostat, and see if the engine temp. comes down. Thermostat should not cost much.
Appreciate your comments.
I'd recommend finding a radiator thermometer to see what the actual coolant temperature is. Could be your gauge is not accurate, too. Nothing wrong with running 190-210 degrees.
Regarding the radiator thermometer should be easy to find. Do i run the engine for a cerasin period and then read the radiator fluid temperature and if it is 190 - 210 F, should consider it to be OK?
Just want to clarify.
thanks
On some cars you can read coolant temperature through the scan tool.
As for temperature, under pressure most cars seem to run about 190--210.
More info:
http://www.toyotapart.com/M.I.L._ON_DTC_P1349_-_VVTi_ACTUATOR_T-EG009-03.pdf
http://engine-codes.com/p1349_toyota.html
You may have to bite the bullet and take it to the dealer.
I would have to think if it were 'normal' you'd find more info on the net about this issue. The fact you had to post here about it IMO means you got something going on an should figure it out.
Whilst driving in a straight line, when I start turning the steering wheel to the left sometimes the radio dies and when i attempt to return the steering wheel to its original position it refuses to turn back and the car continues to turn left. turning off and on the engine eliminates the problem for a while but it happens again intermittently.
Thanks
PAt
Once the pump jams up, the engine will start to stall because of the drag from the inert pump belt on the engine pulleys.
Check your p/s fluid!
I recently went to a Toyota dealership for my maintenance for some minor issues, and decided to have the multi-point inspection done. Car has been driving well, and have done all maintenance religiously, incld oil changes, freq tire rotation, alignm. etc. Surprise - I was recommended to to the following ( due to some leaks):
water pump
valve cover
intake gasket
BG fuel
battery (already changed last year)
plugs
BG transm
I browsed the forum, and some rec changing the water pump and transmission belt at 130k miles. I took the quote to a neighbor of mine who owns a repair shop and he said if the car is fine, don't do anything at this time. Please let me know what your recommendations are since I am concerned and do not want to pay 1500 in those repairs, unless absolutely necessary.
Thank you much.
water pump -- easily diagnosed with a coolant system pressure test--it's either leaking or it ain't.
valve cover -- based upon what? Oil leak? How bad? could the valve cover be gently snugged up by tightening the bolts carefully (not too much!)?
intake gasket -- if this were leaking, the car would not be running well--rough idle.
BG fuel --upsell, forget that
battery (already changed last year) -- a battery shouldlast 5 years. If your battery hasn't been "load tested", then nobody actually knows its condition.
plugs -- if it's time to do them according to the book, then okay.
BG transm -- I never recommend additives in the transmission.
Thanks again,
Patrick
I know that converting to power windows will be a huge expense, so I am not so worried about that. However, does anyone know how costly it would be to convert the car to electric door locks with a remote? On some cars I have heard they are nearly or fully pre-wired for such conversions.
Can anyone provide any help on this?
Thanks!
Thanks