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Toyota Matrix Engine Questions

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Comments

  • unskinatorunskinator Member Posts: 9
    I own an 03 xr with way over 100000 miles. regarding engine idle fluctuations, to me its pretty normal. If u read the owner manual u will find that matrix and many other toyotas for that matter have defrost control activated aircondioning. So regardless of temp, your ac will kick in if u have heater on defrost windshield mode. And when the ac compressor kicks in ecu automatically will increase the idle so as to compensate for the load. This feature improves the defrost a lot as the ac will dry the air before it hits the windshield. Hope this will put the matter to rest. And here is answers to couple of other matrix questions. Engine does not have timing belt but longlasting good old chain, and regarding the so called noisy serpentine belt idler, most times the noise goes away by installing a good aftermarket belt, regards. Unskinator
  • circuitsmithcircuitsmith Member Posts: 117
    They only improve power a little at full throttle. At other times they just let more dirt into your engine. They have to be oiled. Put on too much oil and it will foul the MAF sensor.
  • ne07fjcne07fjc Member Posts: 1
    I have a new (6k miles) Matrix 5-speed MT that intermittently exhibits a small (but noticeable) idle drop when stopped, in gear, clutch in. It happens very briefly -- feels like the car is going to conk out (although it never does) -- and then returns to normal idle.

    It's been doing it since day-one, but I chose to wait for the first (5k) service appoint to bring it to the dealers atttn. (I.e., It's not a big deal, it's just annoying and it doesn't seem right -- so I'd like to get this addressed while the car is still under warranty.)

    Note: this is a bit like the "idle surge" thread - but in reverse.

    The dealer's first attempted fix was to replace the "160251 V Belt" -- but this did not fix the problem.

    Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

    Thanks in advance.
  • astroguy1astroguy1 Member Posts: 3
    Hello Montreal3. This is a couple of year old post but I'm hoping that you can tell me if you've made any ground with toyota. I have an '07 Corolla with your exact problem....getting the royal run around from Toyota. Can you get in touch with me?
    Below is part of an email that I've sent Toyota Canada....

    I purchased a new '07 Corolla from Kingston Toyota Feburaury '07 . It ran fine until the 45,000km mark in December '08 . At this point my wife informed me that her car was reving oddly when the cold of fall arrived in '08. This was a new issue and didn't exist at all previously. The engine now hunts for idle after cold soaking of 6 hours or more in any temp below +3 deg C with 100% repeatability.

    The vehicle starts and runs fine for approx 1.5 km but for the next 4 km or so depending on the temperature it will rev hunt when rolling the car with the engine unloaded to our next local stop sign.
    The engine revs up to 2,300 rpm and cuts back to 1,200 rpm repeatedly every 1.5 seconds. It will do this as many as 30 X consectively. I have 5 videos (mpegs) of the condition showing the engine tach as the car rolls....... (I've been told by Kingston Toyota that they've sent these mpegs to Toyota Canada two months ago)
    In even colder temperatures, like -20 deg C range the vehicle will do this idle hunting/surging without needing to have the car rolling with the engine unloaded. At these temperatures it will do it at a standstill , you can get out of the car and walk around the vehicle as it surge revs. The colder it gets the worse it is and the longer it lasts. Basically the problem goes away completely after a good warm up. Whatever warped component seems to comes back into spec with the heat. The dealer has worked reasonably hard on the problem... first replacing the water pump Jan 9. '09, then cleaning the throttle body, then replacing throttle body, then replacing various valves an sensors, finally replacing the ECU itself. The problem still exists, it isn't intermittent at all, it is an everyday occurance through the entire
  • circuitsmithcircuitsmith Member Posts: 117
    Astroguy,

    Have they replaced the thermostat? If it's not closing completely it can slow the warm up process and throw things out of sync.
  • astroguy1astroguy1 Member Posts: 3
    Yes the thermostat and waterpump have both been replaced thanks.
  • ttropicalttropical Member Posts: 1
    I know this is a latent post, but I just had a Matrix head gasket blow for no reason one month out of warantee, at 68k miles. I have been a tech for 25 years and I maintain my car religiously.

    Toyota corporate did nothing about it. This is my first and last Toyota. Never saw this out of a Chevy.
  • yellowmatrix09yellowmatrix09 Member Posts: 2
    I have the same problem with my 09 Matrix XR. The standard fuel requirement in the manual was 87 octane. With the onset of the hot weather, the engine ping or knock has come out. No results have come out too from my dealership's computer diagnostics (whatever that may be...I don't see it). When I shifted to 92 octane premium gas, the ping lessened considerably but you could still hear a little bit of it especially when my aircon is on...This engine ping or knock can be deceiving to a mechanic if he doesn't roll down the windows and pass through a place where there is a wall on either side of the front seats. If you've got your windows rolled up, you will not hear them. I believe Toyota's body insulation helps in covering up this noise. I guess Toyota must have to admit that the XR's should be using premium 92 octane gas instead of the manual's 87 octane because of the high compression ratio...I don't like to live with using 92 octane because it is more expensive. If I knew it, I wouldn't have gotten this car....still up for a resolution on this case...
  • laserbluelaserblue Member Posts: 313
    Dear ttropical,
    I own a Chevrolet and the same thing happened to me.
    I don't want to brag about it but the "head gasket" on my 2005 Equinox blew at 29,000 K. That's 39 K's less than your Matrix.
    My warranty was over by 1 month (isn't that a coincidence) I called G.M. and they didn't do a thing about it, they almost told me to shut up and pay for my repairs.
    My 1999 Venture... the same thing, 3 months after my warranty was over.... "blown head gasket" at 42,000 k

    I'm like you, if I could bring my cars in the house I would. I drive my vehicles with love, I'm not a lead foot driver, follow the speed limits and always doing my maintenance regularly.

    Yes the same thing happens in Chevrolets.
    (By the way, seriously, I was thinking of trading for a 2010 Matrix next year).
  • etnpnysetnpnys Member Posts: 3
    Yes! Exactly! Wow... You can't know how much of a relief it is for me to see that somebody else knows what I'm talking about. Like I said: I had one guy at a Toyota dealership tell me that it was the belt tensioner - that he'd seen them have to replace a few of them around 30k-40k miles.

    ...But that doesn't make sense; that thing shouldn't have any moving parts at all. And if you check very closely under the hood you can almost pinpoint it to the furthest left cylinder (the one on the passenger side - I forgot the cyl #) right under the head.

    For what it's worth, the car is still running great at 155k. I put 89 octane into it regularly and, like you said, the ping is lessened.

    ...Now I have an airbag light coming on that's driving me crazy - but I really think that everybody on this board is just going to say "you need to get it serviced and have the airbags looked at." Well duh. But they're just mechanics - and so is half of my family. What are THEIR mechanics going to find wrong? I did a diagnostic myself by shorting two pins on the OBDII connector and getting the error code. I looked up that error code and it said something about my passenger side airbag isn't initializing properly - but it doesn't come on consistently! Perhaps a fuse that needs to be replaced? I dunno.
  • toyota313toyota313 Member Posts: 2
  • toyota313toyota313 Member Posts: 2
    2003 Toyota Matrix idles rough after engine warms up. Diagnostics code shows it misfiring on all 4 cylinders. It started after I washed engine compartment. Could this be a coil problem or arcing of the spark plug boot? I have taken it to the dealer and they stated it was a fuel problem and run a few tanks of good fuel through it. This did not help. Any suggestions?
    Thank you
  • angelfryangelfry Member Posts: 1
    :lemon: I want to tell you I own a corolla 2009 ce with manual and it does the same thing I have 7000 miles on car GULF STATES TOYOTA TECH tells dealer to erase ecm update re learn customer habits they are fishing I still have problem . It does this not all the time but when it happens it's alway when coming to astop. It feels like when you take off like the clutch engages but the opposite you are coming to a stop The tach shows the nedle about 900 rpm's then it drops also slight miss not smooth right I believe toyota knows there is an issue but won't admit and hope you just fade away I believe there promblem is electronics and these car are built here with crap parts from americans I have a toyota truck made in Japan 1995 she been faithful no promblems in 15 year and also when thru a flood totaly submerged just passed inspection after all this since 2000 Please respond back I LIVE IN TEXAS
  • matrixowner68matrixowner68 Member Posts: 1
    Wondering if anyone has come across this problem: At speeds between 60-70 mph, without letting up on the gas pedal, the engine will lose about 3 mph of speed. After 10 seconds the engine will either come back at the original speed I was on OR it will increase to the point where I have to either let up on the gas pedal or tap the brake. This problem started in October, 2009 when the car had 24,980 miles. Took it to dealership, they said the computer didn't show any error codes. Problem kept occurring. Took it in again in February, 2010 and told them I was having same problem. They wanted me to ride around with a tech, didn't have time. Had them do the 30,000 mile service hoping that might clean it up. It has not. Any suggestions? :confuse:
  • nosman180nosman180 Member Posts: 1
    hi i had a similar problem with my 04 toyota matrix i could hear a knocking noise and couldnt figure out where it was coming from i had it looked at, and had it tested and not one place or person could figure it out on what it was. i got mad and took motor out and took the whole thing apart come to find out it was a main engine bearing that came lose and got chewed up some how my piston bolts came lose on the 4th cylinder so now begins the process of putting it back together. so figured maybe if any one had a similar problem so mine maybe this would help
  • h2oskierh2oskier Member Posts: 1
    h2oskier
    I have a 2003 vibe stick with 208k and have just started having this same problem. when cold as engine warms up it starts to hunt just as you discribed. would like to know how to fix if possible.
  • rodyarodya Member Posts: 1
    I'm putting back together a 2007 matrix, but there is one plug I cannot find any receptacle for....

    It's a plug leading from the wiring harness which feeds the ignition coils. At the timing-chain-end of the engine, a smaller wiring harness extends from the #1 ignition coil...it's about 16'' long and end in a plug that I can find no receptacle for. Can someone please look under their hood and tell me where this plug is supposed to go???

    Thank you so much....in advance
  • 06matrixrider06matrixrider Member Posts: 1

    Hi there!

    My 2006 Toyota Matrix just passed the 100k mark before Christmas. I'd like to keep it going as long as I can. Anyone have any ideas on what I should be looking at, concerned about, etc?

    It does need a new Alternator, not immediately but soon. Other than that, ideas?

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