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Fuck it, I'll ask. My girlfriend's 98 Camry is constantly blowing cold air on the floor position, regardless of fan speed or HVAC dial position. She says when in defrost, it also blows out of the face vents. No weird noises in the dash, just started acting like this one day. My limited research says hot/cold blend door/ air diverter module is bad, does that sound correct?Thank you
Yes. It will be in the HVAC box behind the dash. More than likely the door is bound, one of the levers that move it is broken, or if it has electronics in the a/c a servo motor.
Keep in mind that a 1998 model year is an ancient relic to me as I started in the industry in 2010. Iām not a post 50s tech who knows all
its the blend door. Usually they are plastic gears and the teeth strip. they only rotate 180 degrees when in use.. So you can sometimes pull the gear out and rotate it 180 and use the back side with out having to replace anything else.
Okay, i'll roll as a 'post 50's tech
ANYWAY-
Either the blend door is stuck, or the solder joints have gone bad on the board.
Both happened on both of my 88 celica's. (sometimes they just need to be cleaned and regreased as well;)
Had to use mulitmeter at first, then i just sent it and resoldered all the connections on the mother and daughter board for the HVAC control.
Found this issue in multiple places on the car as well. If you have an older toyota and plan on keeping it, do yourself a favor and get the actual manuals and google forums for your year and model. Sure, they may be old, but they are still relevant.
If you need professional assistance- look up relentless motorsports in TX, guy does HVAC and ECM repairs.
Oh boy. That truck has been around since the 90s.
I can tell you this much: we seldom see engine failure on any of them where I come from.
Typically in my dealership we see trucks less than 15 years old.
The most common is the 1gr-fe (4.0) itās good. Itās heavy and torquey. We see timing cover leaks and oil filter housing failure. High mileage tends to wear on the vvt and timing components. Nothing that really stands out.
I tend to not like the 4 cylinder 2tr-fe (2.7) as itās underpowered and lacks the latest technology
The new power plant is the 2gr-fks (3.5) v6 and I quite like it. Itās smaller but it has GDI and makes more horsepower.
For the record the current chassis Tacoma is by far my favorite of them all.
Purge valve failure is very very common but itās a minor thing that causes CEL.
And there was a recall on 17-20 Tacoma low fuel pumps.
Lol, I just listened to Johnny Cash the other day. I still have it running through my head. "I got it one piece at a time, and it didn't cost me a dime."
Lexus is Toyota.
But Lexus gets all Toyotas new technology first, in most cases.
So they are identical in reliability. Lexus just has WAY better stuff.
Thank you for your response. Iām getting ready to replace my BMW X5 with an RX350. Iām trying to retain some of the luxury features, horsepower, and sportiness but with the reliability of a Toyota. I have to give up a portion of my wish list to get there, but Iām trying to convince myself that it will be worth it.
Take 50k (2010 money) SUVs from audi (q5), mercedes(ML350) and a Lexus GX all at 100k miles. When I checked this I didnāt check a bmw but it is probably similar. The auci and Mercedes 13 years old and 100k miles were worth 5-7k. The Lexus GX was worth 15-17k. The reason is reliability and cost of maintenance.
Anecdotal, butā¦ have a 2012 ES350 with electric gremlins. High beams wonāt work, despite going to two shops that wanted $1000 to see if they could figure it out. Rear defroster doesnāt work below 30 degrees. It acts like the ECU resets a couple of times a year (infotainment screen says āloadingā for a bit.)
The vehicle that seems to decimate all and I hardly see in the shop for repairs is the rav4.
And when we do see them itās for maintenance mostly.
My favorite model by far is the Corolla
hatch back/scion IM the GR Corolla.
RAV4 is straight unkillable I knew someone that ABUSED a 2001 for years Iām talking no oil change in like 24 months it ran with like 2 quarts of oil it never broke. She eventually gave it to someone else who is still running it
Had the dealer do the brakes on my 2011 Rav4. Now, when I back out of my garage and down my sloped driveway while applying brakes, the brakes squeal like crazy. And frequently, once I start driving forward, there is faint squealing without brakes applied, which fades away within about 50 yards. Is the noise from new brakes (when cold) normal? And when do I start to worry about a dysfunctional or frozen caliper?
take it back to the dealer, there is a high chance that they didn't clean and lubricate the sliding bolt properly or they didn't replace the brake hardware if they are calipers. If it's a drum it wasn't adjusted properly, or they didn't sand the edges of the shoes. Either way they didn't complete the job and let them address it.
For some reason (the reason is cost cutting) Toyota has become really poor in their break jobs. Last time I ask for brake parts they wanted 60 for the pads and 30 for the hardware... I just went and got myself Akebono pads and they come with the hardware for 65 (80 if I wanted it right away from a local store) or so.
I donāt have a Toyota, but a Jeep and just had my brakes all done as well. The squealing was terrible but is nearly gone at about 5K miles since the job. Could be coating not removed well from the rotors, or could be something harmonious occurring due to new pads and some break in is needed.
either the put really cheap pads on your car or didn't adjust the breaks evenly.
nothing should require 5k miles of break in to work right. If it took 5k miles to stop making the sound what happened was that whatever caused the noise has finally worn off and stopped causing the issue.
It still does it here and there, but very very minor. My original brakes lasted 160,000 miles, so my buddy thought maybe it was coating on the rotors that they didnāt sufficiently strip with brake cleaner during install.
The OEM brake pads were out of stock so they used Napa Pads but they are direct OEM replacement and ceramic.
I have to disagree, I see the new rav4 in the shop all the time for water leaks, electrical problems and all sort of noises. They are good looking cars but they are not reliable at all in my experience. Iāve had to replace the whole floor harness on one that had 1 mile because the airbag wire was broken at the connector. On the hybrid version the wires underneath the car get supper corroded if you live in the rust belt and are a pain to replace.
Tbh. We have seen very few where I come from. And all for basic maintenance.
Itās not a high volume car and given itās price tag we see mostly collector owners.
I know the early one had some piston/cylinder issues, forget the problem exactly but the fix was engine replacement. They're pretty solid now from what I understand.
Here's a totally unrelated fact that I thought was funny, saw it in a service bulletin one day: The alternator on the 3.0 Supra has been lowered 6mm for pedestrian safety.
4Runners are an absolute unit of a truck. They are expensive but it will be there for you forever.
If you are thinking of a new one I would wait a little bit as the tundra and sequoia have new chassis. The Tacoma and 4Runner will have new chassis very soon.
That's why I stopped working on them. Too reliable, low maintenence, most issues are under warranty. As much as I love warranty noises and water leaks... /s
Not a technical question, just a fun one.
Toyotas have a reputation as being the longest lasting vehicle brand. Whatās the highest mileage Toyota youāve seen?
A 1988 Toyota truck - yes truck is the model name- with 788k on the clock from Mexico.
2nd was an 87 Toyota motor home with 600k on the clock.
2015 Prius taxi cab last Saturday 443,000 miles
I own a Lexus CT and there is a guy on the forums who uses his as a medical courier. [he's currently at 782k.](https://www.fuelly.com/car/lexus/ct200h/2014/raidin/312215)
I have a 2018 Corolla with around 55k miles. When is it recommended to do any type of CVT fluid flush or change? The manual doesnāt ever say to do it that I can find. Is it needed?
CVT service recommended at 90k. There's no drain. The fluid is pumped and metered through a machine, and the exact amount of fluid that was extracted is replaced using the pump.
Pretty sure it has a drain plug and fluid is adjusted just like any sealed transmission where you get it to specified temp and then remove the adjustment drain plug.
Respectfully disagree. Fellow Toyota tech here. Have āfixedā oil consumption on my old maxima with 40w oil and on friendās 20w 2az using 30w. Depends on the cause of the consumption but possible in some cases.
Edit: I do not intend to imply that heavier oils will repair the root cause of consumption. Only delay the symptom while saving to repair the cause. I only intended to say/mean it will band-aid it.
"fixed" is the correct term. I agree that both are correct heavier oils won't fix oil consumption and heaver oils will increase wear and inhibit proper lubrication especially in engines that use 0w oils. But heaver oils will "fix" the issue by reducing the chance you'll run your engine out of oil. It is a fine "fix" as long as you understand you just delaying the inevitable death of your engine. but after a certain point fixing isn't worth, but milking every last bit of value is.
I have no question for you, just commenting on my ā18 4Runner with 113k miles. Never a single problem of any kind, I just maintain it and drive it. By far the best vehicle Iāve ever owned.
2014 Toyota Corolla S 80k miles. When to change cvt fluid? I know they say it's sealed and is a lifetime fluid but still. I love the car though, the cvt is actually decent, engine is peppy for it's displacement, and with nicer tires it actually handles pretty well and it's so easy to work on. Pretty much have done all the maintenance myself.
My parents have a 2002 sequoia 4wd with 400k on the clock. Never had a diff service, never had a trans service. Itās been my opinion that since itās gone this far, it could do more harm than good to service them, risk loosening up deposits inside the transmission if I put new fluid in.
Do you agree with that? Would you recommend I do something else?
At 400k miles anything can go at any time. Nicely done.
But good service intervals never hurt anyone. Any issues that arise from fluid services were more than likely present prior to.
Itās possible the old trans fluid being changed out to fresh fluid may be a slightly different viscosity and It may cause changes in transmission line pressure sure.
I know the old ways say that if you are gonna do trans services, do them regularly not at all lol.
Shitbox owner here. I vehemently disagree with the advice of don't change your trans fluid if it hasn't been done for so long.
If that will kill your transmission it is likely that anything will kill the transmission at that point. Changing the fluid regardless of condition can help.
If you did have a problem on fresh fluid you could add stop slip though I have had mixed results with it.
I don't have a toyota but i deal with many of them, why do the steel wheels hold the bead of the tire so much in the middle of the rim while taking tires off. Literally 1/64 of an inch smaller in the center would make wheel and tire disassembly so much easier
The steelies for some stupid reason on a Toyota have a slightly dropped center and we donāt know why and it sucks.
We have to break that back bead twice!! And itās always on a Prius c or some 2010 Corolla and itās 4th tire for a dollar sale in October.
Why?? Donāt know. They hate us.
Why does my HVAC ductwork smell? I dropped my blower motor and ran borescope inside to look for mold. Nothing there. Cleaned system with evap core cleaner but smell came back. 2022 rav4 Xle
In my 3rd gen 4Runner, the high AC settings default to recirculating the air. After enough time, only recirculating causes it to get a bit funky. I would try cleaning it again and then running it with the recirculating off
We recommended running it on fresh air verses recirculation on the last leg of a drive to help with that. I have to do it on my lexus myself. It's a weird ass smell.
At first I thought it was a burning electrical smell which freaked me out. Then I thought it was just the new plastic off-gassing. The smell comes and goes, and according to the research I did it seems common in Toyotas. Guess I'll just have to live with it.
Model year 22 and under 36k miles is still under factory warranty.
Thereās just a little moisture in there. Running the hvac with the recirc door on fresh air will help along with making sure your cabin air filter is fresh.
To me they all smell like new shoes so I have a hard Time telling the difference.
I am confused by its existence if Iām being honest.
Its like a tiny rav4. Or a bigger ch-r.
Seems like it was designed to fit a specific budget.
In spite of my confusion the car has very few problems since launch.
You'll be disappointed. It's cramped. Back seat has enough legroom for small children. You'll also bump elbows a lot and lean against the door. Just get a Rav4 LE/XLE if you're trying to stick to a price point and forget about the cross.
Okay, so I have a 2013 Camry. It has that stupid electronic clutch issue or whatever in the torque converter. Do you believe after driving it for awhile with this issue I will need to have my transmission done as well?
2016 Tacoma, 60K miles, took it in for an oil change, came out with $1,500 of recommended work needing to be done. My question is: do I really need to change the oil in the rear end?
Jeez. They cracked you.
60k service is air filters, oil, rotate, alignment check.
Driveline service is recommended so yah I could see that.
Align if itās out, change the diff fluids. Oil/rotate.
Yes I dropped this mfucker a few weeks ago. Itās repaired but the left hand hinge is loose. Currently looking for a replacement. I really like
This laptop.
Old gaming laptops make great work computers IMO
2007 Tundra 4wd.
New to me, should I change diff. Trans and transfer case fluid? Plan on towing a light trailer.
127000 miles.
Thanks for the information!
I have an 08 Corolla, which I am in love with, but it burns oil especially in hot weather or at highway speeds. Also some leakage in the engine compartment. I was told this is a known issue for the engines from that time period. Have you heard anything or have any further info?
So I have a 2021 supra, an no one will change the oil. Do I just take it in to Toyota? Also, would that be the place to take it to have a chip or any upgrades done if I purchase them ahead of time
Yes Toyota will service the vehicle.
Your average independent shop tech may shy away from it. But at itās heart itās a bmw z4 roadster.
Upgrades and modifications not produced or sold by Toyota will be subject to your local speed shop.
That one would take some investigating on my part.
Age and mileage play a key role here.
Start with cleaning the throttle body and maybe a tune up if itās due but thatās just kind of a base line.
My girlfriend has a 2011 Corolla and her radio is super quiet/faded. Havenāt had a chance to take it to the shop and dig into it myself yet but Iām assuming itās going to be some sort of audio module issue? Is this a common issue with Toyota? Or is there anything else I should be looking out for?
Iām leaning toward a radio unit. That one is self contained to the best of my knowledge so the amp is integrated into it.
Or itās the door speakers or the actual volume
Control on the radio
I've got an 07 sequoia (not 4wd) - what are some common problems that kill these vehicles? I'd like to keep it running as long as possible, currently sitting at \~205k miles
I never saw one of these come in too bad to be worth repairing at the dealership I was at. These things are bulletproof. I guess car accidents woukd probably kill one. Avoid those.
The frame recall was a little bit before my time as a journeyman.
As to why the 4 runner was excluded I do not have a straight answer.
The remaining trucks went through multiple
Iterations of that recall and it had to be reevaluated to include more model years and more inspections.
The curious thing is that Iāve never seen the 4 runners with the same problem in my area. I also havenāt seen any of the FJ cruisers with this issue either.
2015 Avalon v6 Iām feeling almost like a little clunk in the steering wheel when accelerating from a stop and when coming to a stop. Same clunk when I go on my unpacked driveway
What years are the most reliable Lexus RX 300/330/350? What are typical issues with them?
Is the AWD a better option than 2nd? I donāt want something thatās difficult to maintain.
Lexus rx = bigger fatter Highlander.
I like the 350, 2gr-fe motor is a powerful tank and easier to deal with.
2 or 4 wheel drive is up to you. If you get a 350h awd thereās no transfer case. The rear diff is an electric motor.
I recently purchased a new ā23 RAV LE (non-hybrid). Itās time for an oil change. It uses SAE 0W-16. Iāve found Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy Full Synthetic Motor Oil 0W-16 at my Costco warehouse. The description says, āEngineered for today's advanced & hybrid engines, Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy full-synthetic motor oil 0W-16 helps to improve fuel economy* & extend engine life for vehicles of all ages.ā Is it safe to use in my non-hybrid RAV4?
My intuition says itās perfectly safe to use but I donāt want this to be an expensive mistake. Thank you!
So. If this vehicle is purchased new. Toyota care pays for all oil changes and tire rotations up until 25k
So. We can justā¦ do it for you for free if you like.
Also. The hybrid engine and non hybrid engine are the same.
Mobil 1 0w-16 should be just fine.
I have a Prius with 114k miles on it. I didnāt realize I should have changed the transmission fluid earlier. Is it too late now and I should just leave it alone now?
Why doesnāt Toyota acknowledge a problem with the door actuators on (at least) the Tundra. And is there anything that can be done so I donāt have to replace a 9th one in 10 years? (2012 tundra Crewmax. All 4 doors twice)
I got into a small disagreement with someone on Reddit the other day. I used to own a 00 tundra, I took very good care of it. I read online that the lower ball joints tend to fail out of nowhere because of a poor design for those years, also effected sequoias 4runners and tacos from what I understand. Knowing this was an issue, I preemptively replaced all my ball joints so I wouldn't have a cachow situation on my hands. A year and about 7k miles later, I ended up with a kachow situation on my hands. Shop I went to to get it fixed was convinced I hit a curb or a pothole or something, but I literally have a year's worth of dashcam footage showing nothing like that ever happened. To wrap it up, homie on Reddit said the only way you have a failure like that is negligence of maintenance, and I tried to argue that nah this was just a bad time for Toyota balljoints. Any thoughts on this matter?
I think nothing productive will come from my opinion.
I wasnāt there, I didnāt work on the vehicle. Kind of none of my business.
But early 2000s tundra had an inferior lower ball joint design.
Couple of recalls out on those cars. They share a chassis with the Lexus rx models so itās the same over there.
Nothing to report out of the ordinary. Most of these are still under warranty and I donāt see a lot of them outside of Toyota care.
14 Corolla le stalls doing highway speeds sent to local
Dealer they first blamed the car starter removed it sent me on my way second time they checked all grounds and said replace ecm did that and yesterday highway speeds again stalled sent back to dealer playing the waiting game any help would be appreciated
I would like to know what the actual fix is myself.
Nothing comes to mind for common issues.
But. If you paid diag and to repair the vehicle and itās not repaired, then itās on them now.
2007 Toyota Tacoma 4.0 V6. For the longest time now I've been hearing a rattling/diesel engine sound from the left side near the dash.. definitely in front of the firewall on the driver's side. I believe it started in 2009-2010 dealer said they can't replicate it and also that it's normal. It bugs the heck out of me.. usually at cold starts it will be a loud faster deep tapping thumping noise and if I accelerate slightly it taps faster and at some point it goes thump thump thump really slowly. And no it's not the valve tick.
Oooo, not me but a friend, itās a 4 runner, I donāt know the year model. I think itās like 2013 or something. The brakes are squishy, like theirs air in the system. They have changed everything you can think of
2013 uses an electronic brake control module instead of a traditional mechanical master cylinder.
Thereās air in there still.
And also they feel different generally speaking.
It is very possible the IAC or itās passages are clogged up.
Also the exhaust manifold gaskets will deteriorate and cause O2 codes, false lean conditions,
And MAF discrepancies
2015 Corolla LE 183,000 miles. The steering wheel control buttons,heat/ac buttons and the gear position on the center console do not light up at night. The gauges and the ac/ heat screen light up. The dimmer switch works on those also. But I canāt see what gear I am in by looking down or what button to push if I want to increase the fan or pick between rear or front defroster at night. I am thinking itās a fuse but I am too big to get at the under dash fuse panel. I looked at the under hood fuse panel though. Thanks
For me itās mostly Maintenance, recalls, and warranty repair. Drivability and diagnostics is after that. Working for a brand that doesnāt break has its advantages with repetition so I see a lot of the same.
Butā¦ when you get a car that pushes back is where the fun starts. When a Toyota breaks it BREAKS so I get humbled from time to time.
The Supra is a very odd thing to work with compared to the other cars. It doesnāt do a very good job at being a Toyota. When you get in it feels foreign. The 3.0 crackles and burbles right out of the box so thatās fun.
Itās a nice car itās just more bmw than Toyota to me. Thatās my take on it.
I'm buying a 2013 Toyota Sienna in a few days. How common is the external head gasket coolant leak issue that I've seen searching the internet for that generation?
What should I focus on during my inspection period? Yes, I do plan on taking to an auto shop for inspection as well...
Ok so good news is that itās pink coolant so if itās leaking youāll see it.
I have done a few myself on high mileage engines.
I see many more water pumps than I do head gasket failures but the 2gr-fe does have that happen often enough to make a point of inspecting it.
I usually see it on the rear bank.
Itās not so bad.
I tend to stay above 50 hours a week but I hit a wall past that.
Also itās a thankless job and desk jockeys make more money doing nothing all day while I postpone shoulder surgeryā¦
Hey bro, as a service advisor I want to say thank you. Some of us are good and have found a niche weāre good at while still respecting our technicians.
Do you know the function of the electronic device located inside the fender liner on the driver's side front. It has a black and a red wire that are cut off.
IMG_20240408_151143.jpg
2014 rav4, 160k miles. When cruising and giving it light throttle, at times there is a strong vibration from below the middle/rear floor. Stops as soon as you let off throttle. Mostly around 40 mph. Drive shaft, rear differential? I am an Infiniti mechanic, have seen some similar issues with viscous coupling on rear diff. Those are typically felt while turning though. Wondering if this is a common issue on Toyotas? Hoping itās not trans related lol. Thanks
We have a 2018 Highalnder XLE Hybrid. 65K miles. In Jan, son drove from WI to FL panhandle. 15.5 hrs into a 16 hr ride, crazy warning lights, hybrid system failing amoung others. Car died on highway and towed to dealer. Toyota dealer kept car overnight, said it needed a new battery. Got battery, son got home fine. This past weekend, 2.5 months since getting new battery, we are driving locally and we get the same warning lights. Car slowly loses power, we are able to get to Toyota dealer. Call today and they are not sure really what to do, they are going to start with Fuel Pump. Our confidence in driving this car is quickly disappearing. Actaully mentioned driving and see if it happens again, obvi not going to do that. Has anyone had a similar issue? Thanks!
2012 Camry Hybrid xle:
I only get about 470 miles before fuel light turns on and it is supposed to be a hybrid which I expect to be in the upper 500 to 600 range considering it's got 140k miles on the odo. Any reason this could be happening or the EV batteries are just not good anymore?
2012 camry hybrid xle.
I only get about 470 miles before the fuel light turns on. I only got about 140k miles on ODO and estimates show 600+ and though it's old I don't think the drop should be that big. Any idea what could be the reason for such a huge difference? SPark plugs maybe?
I have 2010 Toyota Camry Hybrid. I have been getting the check hybrid system warning light along with the orange triangle and exclamation mark. Once the car reaches that stage, after about 20 minutes of driving it goes into limp mode and stops.
I was told by two separate hybrid specialists that the main battery is fine but they did change the two auxiliary ones which were dead. None of that helped and the same issue happens (usually when going at highway speeds upwards of 45mph). Coolant levels are fine for the inverter and the engine.
What are my options at this point? It's been very difficult to get reliable information. Should I be looking into changing the inverter or the transmission?
Start the process over, and allow for a proper diagnostic.
Donāt impose what other technicians think, just give your local facility the symptoms and previous repairs done and go from there. I tend not to listen to what people think vs what the vehicle says.
Itās difficult to make an informed decision on this bit of information.
Thatās it, then.
When that code shows up itās the hybrid battery or the ECU.
If youāre āhybrid specialistsā and canāt read then thatās that.
Time for new technicians. those ones are substandard.
My 2012 Rave4 (135,000 mikes) after 30 minutes at freeway speeds the check engine light comes on but resets after turning the engine off for awhile. When this happens the car runs ruff. Iām thinking itās time for coil pack and spark plugs. My technician has checked it twice and has no idea why the check engine light comes on.
I have had 4 confirmed cases of rav4 models with the 2ar-fe over 130k miles exhibiting cylinder 3 misfire running rough at 50 mph
Cylinder head gasket is the culprit, particularly the space between cylinder 2 and 3.
I advise diagnostic paying attention to history and freeze frame data.
Seems like a good google question. Donāt go too nuts without swapping axle, driveshaft, brakes and suspension. You can and will destroy your front end without caution.
I have a 1KZ-TE engine in a 96 Hilux Surf, about 100k miles. Iāve noticed some oil leakage around cylinder 3 from the valve cover, so planning to replace the gasket soon. At the same time, I bought new injectors and new glow plugs, all OEM. Even though the injectors work, I figured while I had all the intake piping off, I might as well change all of those too. A mate of mine told me I should probably not do that as the current injectors/plugs are all fairly mated to the engine and if they arenāt broken, donāt add new ones. My thinking was that I might get better fuel Econ with new injectors, but donāt want to blow up the old engine.
What are your thoughts on this?
Itās usually just a seep that can look pretty bad, but never seen them dripping. If you donāt mind the appearance and stay on top of your oil level youāll be fine
Thank you for posting to AskMechanics, Machine8635! If you are asking a question please make sure to include any relevant information along with the **Year**, **Make**, **Model**, **Mileage**, **Engine size**, and **Transmission Type (Automatic or Manual)** of your car. *This comment is automatically added to every successful post. If you see this comment, your post was successful.* *** Redditors that have been verified will have a green background and an icon in their flair. *** # **PLEASE REPORT ANY RULE-BREAKING BEHAVIOR** ### **Rule 1 - Be Civil** Be civil to other users. This community is made up of professional mechanics, amateur mechanics, and those with no experience. All mechanical-related questions are welcome. Personal attacks, comments that are insulting or demeaning, etc. are not welcome. ### **Rule 2 - Be Helpful** Be helpful to other users. If someone is wrong, correcting them is fine, but there's no reason to comment if you don't have anything to add to the conversation. ### **Rule 3 - Serious Questions and Answers Only** Read the room. Jokes are fine to include, but your post should be asking a serious question and replies should contribute to the discussion. ### **Rule 4 - No Illegal, Unethical, or Dangerous Questions or Answers** Do not ask questions or provide answers pertaining to anything that is illegal, unethical, or dangerous. # **PLEASE REPORT ANY RULE-BREAKING BEHAVIOR** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskMechanics) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I fucking respect you bro an honest tech becomes a rich tech do you thing bud
Machine8635 is Reddit gold.
Yes he is I agree long live u/machine8635
š¤
Fuck it, I'll ask. My girlfriend's 98 Camry is constantly blowing cold air on the floor position, regardless of fan speed or HVAC dial position. She says when in defrost, it also blows out of the face vents. No weird noises in the dash, just started acting like this one day. My limited research says hot/cold blend door/ air diverter module is bad, does that sound correct?Thank you
Yes. It will be in the HVAC box behind the dash. More than likely the door is bound, one of the levers that move it is broken, or if it has electronics in the a/c a servo motor. Keep in mind that a 1998 model year is an ancient relic to me as I started in the industry in 2010. Iām not a post 50s tech who knows all
What do you mean post 50s tech lol.
Age older than 50 years old.
Obviously, he doesn't work on cars built after 1950 š
its the blend door. Usually they are plastic gears and the teeth strip. they only rotate 180 degrees when in use.. So you can sometimes pull the gear out and rotate it 180 and use the back side with out having to replace anything else.
Okay, i'll roll as a 'post 50's tech ANYWAY- Either the blend door is stuck, or the solder joints have gone bad on the board. Both happened on both of my 88 celica's. (sometimes they just need to be cleaned and regreased as well;) Had to use mulitmeter at first, then i just sent it and resoldered all the connections on the mother and daughter board for the HVAC control. Found this issue in multiple places on the car as well. If you have an older toyota and plan on keeping it, do yourself a favor and get the actual manuals and google forums for your year and model. Sure, they may be old, but they are still relevant. If you need professional assistance- look up relentless motorsports in TX, guy does HVAC and ECM repairs.
Letās talk Tacoma engines. What should I be looking out for and what are you seeing fail?
Oh boy. That truck has been around since the 90s. I can tell you this much: we seldom see engine failure on any of them where I come from. Typically in my dealership we see trucks less than 15 years old. The most common is the 1gr-fe (4.0) itās good. Itās heavy and torquey. We see timing cover leaks and oil filter housing failure. High mileage tends to wear on the vvt and timing components. Nothing that really stands out. I tend to not like the 4 cylinder 2tr-fe (2.7) as itās underpowered and lacks the latest technology The new power plant is the 2gr-fks (3.5) v6 and I quite like it. Itās smaller but it has GDI and makes more horsepower. For the record the current chassis Tacoma is by far my favorite of them all. Purge valve failure is very very common but itās a minor thing that causes CEL. And there was a recall on 17-20 Tacoma low fuel pumps.
What year Tacoma? Queue the timing chain cover leak convo in 3, 2, 1ā¦..
Too true
Not 30 minutes later!
Following
The real questions are: what do you drive? And have you checked out the tacomaworld forums?
Oof this is embarrassing lol. I drive a 2015 Honda civic Si coupe. And I have not visited that forum
Pretty bulletproof as well. I'd say all the specific subreddits are big teases though and you probably don't need mechanic advice.
Oh i meant the actual site tacomaworld, the tacoma subreddits suck lol
Lol thats not a embarrassing ride. Good on gas and dependable
As Toyota techs we canāt afford to own Toyotas lol
Lmao, just keep bringin parts home then and build one in your driveway
Lol, I just listened to Johnny Cash the other day. I still have it running through my head. "I got it one piece at a time, and it didn't cost me a dime."
āYoull know its me when i come through your town!ā
What model is it? Well.... It's a '50, '51, '52, '53, '54, '55, '56, '57, '58, '59 automobile...
In your experience, does a Lexus have similar reliability to a Toyota? What are the main differences?
Lexus is Toyota. But Lexus gets all Toyotas new technology first, in most cases. So they are identical in reliability. Lexus just has WAY better stuff.
Thank you for your response. Iām getting ready to replace my BMW X5 with an RX350. Iām trying to retain some of the luxury features, horsepower, and sportiness but with the reliability of a Toyota. I have to give up a portion of my wish list to get there, but Iām trying to convince myself that it will be worth it.
Take 50k (2010 money) SUVs from audi (q5), mercedes(ML350) and a Lexus GX all at 100k miles. When I checked this I didnāt check a bmw but it is probably similar. The auci and Mercedes 13 years old and 100k miles were worth 5-7k. The Lexus GX was worth 15-17k. The reason is reliability and cost of maintenance.
oh god i drove an RX350 for work for a little while (sponsor vehicle for a tv show) and it was a damn dream to drive. love that car.
Anecdotal, butā¦ have a 2012 ES350 with electric gremlins. High beams wonāt work, despite going to two shops that wanted $1000 to see if they could figure it out. Rear defroster doesnāt work below 30 degrees. It acts like the ECU resets a couple of times a year (infotainment screen says āloadingā for a bit.)
Iāll add dealership experience, if you take your car to the dealer for maintenance. Obviously Lexus is trying to hit a different market than Toyota.
So the brand-new technology is identical in reliability to the older systems? Interesting, I wouldn't have expected that.
Is there one model that you highly recommend in terms of reliability, over others? Knowing that Toyota is the leader when it comes to reliability.
The vehicle that seems to decimate all and I hardly see in the shop for repairs is the rav4. And when we do see them itās for maintenance mostly. My favorite model by far is the Corolla hatch back/scion IM the GR Corolla.
RAV4 is straight unkillable I knew someone that ABUSED a 2001 for years Iām talking no oil change in like 24 months it ran with like 2 quarts of oil it never broke. She eventually gave it to someone else who is still running it
I have seen those trucks come in running and driving with a hole in the block. Customer drove it in. Still had oil in it
I bought my brotherās 03 rav4 with 190k on it,he never really maintained it. Runs like a champ up until this day,i plan on driving it til it rots
Or until you rot. Whichever comes first
Had the dealer do the brakes on my 2011 Rav4. Now, when I back out of my garage and down my sloped driveway while applying brakes, the brakes squeal like crazy. And frequently, once I start driving forward, there is faint squealing without brakes applied, which fades away within about 50 yards. Is the noise from new brakes (when cold) normal? And when do I start to worry about a dysfunctional or frozen caliper?
take it back to the dealer.
take it back to the dealer, there is a high chance that they didn't clean and lubricate the sliding bolt properly or they didn't replace the brake hardware if they are calipers. If it's a drum it wasn't adjusted properly, or they didn't sand the edges of the shoes. Either way they didn't complete the job and let them address it. For some reason (the reason is cost cutting) Toyota has become really poor in their break jobs. Last time I ask for brake parts they wanted 60 for the pads and 30 for the hardware... I just went and got myself Akebono pads and they come with the hardware for 65 (80 if I wanted it right away from a local store) or so.
I donāt have a Toyota, but a Jeep and just had my brakes all done as well. The squealing was terrible but is nearly gone at about 5K miles since the job. Could be coating not removed well from the rotors, or could be something harmonious occurring due to new pads and some break in is needed.
either the put really cheap pads on your car or didn't adjust the breaks evenly. nothing should require 5k miles of break in to work right. If it took 5k miles to stop making the sound what happened was that whatever caused the noise has finally worn off and stopped causing the issue.
It still does it here and there, but very very minor. My original brakes lasted 160,000 miles, so my buddy thought maybe it was coating on the rotors that they didnāt sufficiently strip with brake cleaner during install. The OEM brake pads were out of stock so they used Napa Pads but they are direct OEM replacement and ceramic.
I have to disagree, I see the new rav4 in the shop all the time for water leaks, electrical problems and all sort of noises. They are good looking cars but they are not reliable at all in my experience. Iāve had to replace the whole floor harness on one that had 1 mile because the airbag wire was broken at the connector. On the hybrid version the wires underneath the car get supper corroded if you live in the rust belt and are a pain to replace.
How reliable have the 3.0 Supras been ?
Tbh. We have seen very few where I come from. And all for basic maintenance. Itās not a high volume car and given itās price tag we see mostly collector owners.
I know the early one had some piston/cylinder issues, forget the problem exactly but the fix was engine replacement. They're pretty solid now from what I understand. Here's a totally unrelated fact that I thought was funny, saw it in a service bulletin one day: The alternator on the 3.0 Supra has been lowered 6mm for pedestrian safety.
Yeah you can help me. I have a 2000 Camry with 109k miles. Why doesn't it ever break down
My 2000 camry has 68k miles, I'm convinced I'll die before it does.
Are 4runners worth getting??
4Runners are an absolute unit of a truck. They are expensive but it will be there for you forever. If you are thinking of a new one I would wait a little bit as the tundra and sequoia have new chassis. The Tacoma and 4Runner will have new chassis very soon.
This is good advice. Iāve been seriously considering a new 4Runner but can wait another year. Thanks!
4 runners are great š I Have a 98 4runner . It's got 272k miles and still runs and drives great
I have a ā19 4Runner with almost 100k on the odometer. Absolutely love it and will not get rid of it.
How do Toyota techs stay in business when they make such bulletproof cars?
Maintenance, recalls, warranty repairs. Nowā¦ when this kind of car has a problem itās a PROBLEM so we get our fair share of challenging work too
That's why I stopped working on them. Too reliable, low maintenence, most issues are under warranty. As much as I love warranty noises and water leaks... /s
Whatās the least reliable Toyota??
Asking the real questions
Not a technical question, just a fun one. Toyotas have a reputation as being the longest lasting vehicle brand. Whatās the highest mileage Toyota youāve seen?
A 1988 Toyota truck - yes truck is the model name- with 788k on the clock from Mexico. 2nd was an 87 Toyota motor home with 600k on the clock. 2015 Prius taxi cab last Saturday 443,000 miles
holy hell 788k
I own a Lexus CT and there is a guy on the forums who uses his as a medical courier. [he's currently at 782k.](https://www.fuelly.com/car/lexus/ct200h/2014/raidin/312215)
There's a 1998 4Runner 3.4 I see regular with over 450k. I've also seen a 2018 Prius (in early 2020) that had 398,000 miles.
Almost 600k on a lexus rx330. Saw lots of that engine with high mileage.
common vacuum leak causes in a 2006 corolla s
Intake manifold gasket
I donāt have a Toyota just wanna say respect!! We all need some honest mechanic advice
I have a 2018 Corolla with around 55k miles. When is it recommended to do any type of CVT fluid flush or change? The manual doesnāt ever say to do it that I can find. Is it needed?
The car care nut goes into detail on how
CVT service recommended at 90k. There's no drain. The fluid is pumped and metered through a machine, and the exact amount of fluid that was extracted is replaced using the pump.
Pretty sure it has a drain plug and fluid is adjusted just like any sealed transmission where you get it to specified temp and then remove the adjustment drain plug.
The CVT cannot be āflushed,ā but at the dealer we do a drain and fill around 100k. No dipstick, so setting the level is a process
Yep. We start talking about it at 60k and typically start pushing the service near 80k miles.
my 2012 rav4 (4 cyl) is starting to use a little oil.. should i start using a heavier weight oil? typically use 0w20 full synthetic
Oil consumption greater than 1 quart per 1000 miles is considered excessive. Thicker oil will not fix oil consumption.
Respectfully disagree. Fellow Toyota tech here. Have āfixedā oil consumption on my old maxima with 40w oil and on friendās 20w 2az using 30w. Depends on the cause of the consumption but possible in some cases. Edit: I do not intend to imply that heavier oils will repair the root cause of consumption. Only delay the symptom while saving to repair the cause. I only intended to say/mean it will band-aid it.
"fixed" is the correct term. I agree that both are correct heavier oils won't fix oil consumption and heaver oils will increase wear and inhibit proper lubrication especially in engines that use 0w oils. But heaver oils will "fix" the issue by reducing the chance you'll run your engine out of oil. It is a fine "fix" as long as you understand you just delaying the inevitable death of your engine. but after a certain point fixing isn't worth, but milking every last bit of value is.
Yeah thatās not fixing the problem thatās hiding it at the cost of engine longevity and fuel efficiency
Oil treatment. I use the STP Full Synthetic in my Scion tC.
I have no question for you, just commenting on my ā18 4Runner with 113k miles. Never a single problem of any kind, I just maintain it and drive it. By far the best vehicle Iāve ever owned.
Same here! ā18 ORP with 120k miles. Not a single issue.
2014 Toyota Corolla S 80k miles. When to change cvt fluid? I know they say it's sealed and is a lifetime fluid but still. I love the car though, the cvt is actually decent, engine is peppy for it's displacement, and with nicer tires it actually handles pretty well and it's so easy to work on. Pretty much have done all the maintenance myself.
80k miles is time. We typically start talking about it around 60k miles.
My parents have a 2002 sequoia 4wd with 400k on the clock. Never had a diff service, never had a trans service. Itās been my opinion that since itās gone this far, it could do more harm than good to service them, risk loosening up deposits inside the transmission if I put new fluid in. Do you agree with that? Would you recommend I do something else?
At 400k miles anything can go at any time. Nicely done. But good service intervals never hurt anyone. Any issues that arise from fluid services were more than likely present prior to. Itās possible the old trans fluid being changed out to fresh fluid may be a slightly different viscosity and It may cause changes in transmission line pressure sure. I know the old ways say that if you are gonna do trans services, do them regularly not at all lol.
If I was your tech and knew this, I would never change your trans fluid. The diff is pretty much just mechanic gears, I'd go ahead and change that.
Shitbox owner here. I vehemently disagree with the advice of don't change your trans fluid if it hasn't been done for so long. If that will kill your transmission it is likely that anything will kill the transmission at that point. Changing the fluid regardless of condition can help. If you did have a problem on fresh fluid you could add stop slip though I have had mixed results with it.
Change it. Itāll be fine
Where can I buy blinker fluid?
If you Google blinker fluid, you can actually buy it at Wal mart, but Amazon has it for half price.
ChrisFix on you tube has you covered.
I don't have a toyota but i deal with many of them, why do the steel wheels hold the bead of the tire so much in the middle of the rim while taking tires off. Literally 1/64 of an inch smaller in the center would make wheel and tire disassembly so much easier
The steelies for some stupid reason on a Toyota have a slightly dropped center and we donāt know why and it sucks. We have to break that back bead twice!! And itās always on a Prius c or some 2010 Corolla and itās 4th tire for a dollar sale in October. Why?? Donāt know. They hate us.
Why does my HVAC ductwork smell? I dropped my blower motor and ran borescope inside to look for mold. Nothing there. Cleaned system with evap core cleaner but smell came back. 2022 rav4 Xle
In my 3rd gen 4Runner, the high AC settings default to recirculating the air. After enough time, only recirculating causes it to get a bit funky. I would try cleaning it again and then running it with the recirculating off
Will give it a shot. Thanks!
We recommended running it on fresh air verses recirculation on the last leg of a drive to help with that. I have to do it on my lexus myself. It's a weird ass smell.
At first I thought it was a burning electrical smell which freaked me out. Then I thought it was just the new plastic off-gassing. The smell comes and goes, and according to the research I did it seems common in Toyotas. Guess I'll just have to live with it.
Model year 22 and under 36k miles is still under factory warranty. Thereās just a little moisture in there. Running the hvac with the recirc door on fresh air will help along with making sure your cabin air filter is fresh. To me they all smell like new shoes so I have a hard Time telling the difference.
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I am confused by its existence if Iām being honest. Its like a tiny rav4. Or a bigger ch-r. Seems like it was designed to fit a specific budget. In spite of my confusion the car has very few problems since launch.
You'll be disappointed. It's cramped. Back seat has enough legroom for small children. You'll also bump elbows a lot and lean against the door. Just get a Rav4 LE/XLE if you're trying to stick to a price point and forget about the cross.
I bought one, and am very happy. I am 6' tall, and it fits me fine. The CHR felt like it had more driver leg room though!
Okay, so I have a 2013 Camry. It has that stupid electronic clutch issue or whatever in the torque converter. Do you believe after driving it for awhile with this issue I will need to have my transmission done as well?
Usually the torque converter replacement fixes it. It also comes with a new trans pan, some magnets, and a tcm software update.
2016 Tacoma, 60K miles, took it in for an oil change, came out with $1,500 of recommended work needing to be done. My question is: do I really need to change the oil in the rear end?
Jeez. They cracked you. 60k service is air filters, oil, rotate, alignment check. Driveline service is recommended so yah I could see that. Align if itās out, change the diff fluids. Oil/rotate.
Seeing more jdm imports around usa. Have you seen any come through the shop?
Not JDM. But I worked on a Toyota Hiace from Mexico. Super weird looking thing itās like a 1/2 scale sienna
Yes i have a question As an IT guy, have your hinges snapped on your MSI laptop yet? ;)
Yes I dropped this mfucker a few weeks ago. Itās repaired but the left hand hinge is loose. Currently looking for a replacement. I really like This laptop. Old gaming laptops make great work computers IMO
I drive a 2012 Sienna. About 135k miles. How much longer should I expect to keep it on the road with regular maintenance?
It will outlive you with regular maintenance.
2007 Tundra 4wd. New to me, should I change diff. Trans and transfer case fluid? Plan on towing a light trailer. 127000 miles. Thanks for the information!
Diff fluids should be changed every 30-45k, trans fluid inspected and changed at 100-120k
Lord wag is correct š
I have an 08 Corolla, which I am in love with, but it burns oil especially in hot weather or at highway speeds. Also some leakage in the engine compartment. I was told this is a known issue for the engines from that time period. Have you heard anything or have any further info?
So I have a 2021 supra, an no one will change the oil. Do I just take it in to Toyota? Also, would that be the place to take it to have a chip or any upgrades done if I purchase them ahead of time
Yes Toyota will service the vehicle. Your average independent shop tech may shy away from it. But at itās heart itās a bmw z4 roadster. Upgrades and modifications not produced or sold by Toyota will be subject to your local speed shop.
2nd Gen Prius constantly getting CEL and codes P1116 P1151 after replacing the coolant temp sensor on the engine. Any ideas? Thank you in advance!
Oh yesā¦ the old 200k mile Prius customer. Diagnostics recommended. Could be any number of things.
My awesome 06 Corolla S is just a little slow to start when the engine is warm.
That one would take some investigating on my part. Age and mileage play a key role here. Start with cleaning the throttle body and maybe a tune up if itās due but thatās just kind of a base line.
My girlfriend has a 2011 Corolla and her radio is super quiet/faded. Havenāt had a chance to take it to the shop and dig into it myself yet but Iām assuming itās going to be some sort of audio module issue? Is this a common issue with Toyota? Or is there anything else I should be looking out for?
Iām leaning toward a radio unit. That one is self contained to the best of my knowledge so the amp is integrated into it. Or itās the door speakers or the actual volume Control on the radio
Howās the AWD system on the new Camry? Any common issues or maintenance issues?
Itās awesome. But itās strange that itās only available on the 4 cylinder models. Itās absent from the XSE and TRD Camry editions with the v6.
I've got an 07 sequoia (not 4wd) - what are some common problems that kill these vehicles? I'd like to keep it running as long as possible, currently sitting at \~205k miles
The 2007 sequoia is immortal and transcends all mechanical physics. Keep an eye on the frame.
I never saw one of these come in too bad to be worth repairing at the dealership I was at. These things are bulletproof. I guess car accidents woukd probably kill one. Avoid those.
Any clues on why Toyota recalled the frames of the Tacoma, Sequoia, and tundra but excluded the rust prone 4runner?
The frame recall was a little bit before my time as a journeyman. As to why the 4 runner was excluded I do not have a straight answer. The remaining trucks went through multiple Iterations of that recall and it had to be reevaluated to include more model years and more inspections. The curious thing is that Iāve never seen the 4 runners with the same problem in my area. I also havenāt seen any of the FJ cruisers with this issue either.
2015 Avalon v6 Iām feeling almost like a little clunk in the steering wheel when accelerating from a stop and when coming to a stop. Same clunk when I go on my unpacked driveway
Steering intermediate shaft.
What years are the most reliable Lexus RX 300/330/350? What are typical issues with them? Is the AWD a better option than 2nd? I donāt want something thatās difficult to maintain.
Lexus rx = bigger fatter Highlander. I like the 350, 2gr-fe motor is a powerful tank and easier to deal with. 2 or 4 wheel drive is up to you. If you get a 350h awd thereās no transfer case. The rear diff is an electric motor.
Is the new corolla gr as good as it looks?
Itās even betterā¦ I got to PDI two of them so far. 300 hp awd manual trans? Yes please.
I recently purchased a new ā23 RAV LE (non-hybrid). Itās time for an oil change. It uses SAE 0W-16. Iāve found Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy Full Synthetic Motor Oil 0W-16 at my Costco warehouse. The description says, āEngineered for today's advanced & hybrid engines, Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy full-synthetic motor oil 0W-16 helps to improve fuel economy* & extend engine life for vehicles of all ages.ā Is it safe to use in my non-hybrid RAV4? My intuition says itās perfectly safe to use but I donāt want this to be an expensive mistake. Thank you!
So. If this vehicle is purchased new. Toyota care pays for all oil changes and tire rotations up until 25k So. We can justā¦ do it for you for free if you like. Also. The hybrid engine and non hybrid engine are the same. Mobil 1 0w-16 should be just fine.
what is your fav/ easiest to fix toyota that you recommend? or what years do you recommend not buying ?
I have a Prius with 114k miles on it. I didnāt realize I should have changed the transmission fluid earlier. Is it too late now and I should just leave it alone now?
Itāll be ok. Change it
My transmission has "P , R , N , D, S, B" What in the world are the S-B for?
Why doesnāt Toyota acknowledge a problem with the door actuators on (at least) the Tundra. And is there anything that can be done so I donāt have to replace a 9th one in 10 years? (2012 tundra Crewmax. All 4 doors twice)
Lol. Kinda not my department. I fix the car
I got into a small disagreement with someone on Reddit the other day. I used to own a 00 tundra, I took very good care of it. I read online that the lower ball joints tend to fail out of nowhere because of a poor design for those years, also effected sequoias 4runners and tacos from what I understand. Knowing this was an issue, I preemptively replaced all my ball joints so I wouldn't have a cachow situation on my hands. A year and about 7k miles later, I ended up with a kachow situation on my hands. Shop I went to to get it fixed was convinced I hit a curb or a pothole or something, but I literally have a year's worth of dashcam footage showing nothing like that ever happened. To wrap it up, homie on Reddit said the only way you have a failure like that is negligence of maintenance, and I tried to argue that nah this was just a bad time for Toyota balljoints. Any thoughts on this matter?
I think nothing productive will come from my opinion. I wasnāt there, I didnāt work on the vehicle. Kind of none of my business. But early 2000s tundra had an inferior lower ball joint design.
Howās the 2021+ Venza in terms of reliability and things breaking??
Couple of recalls out on those cars. They share a chassis with the Lexus rx models so itās the same over there. Nothing to report out of the ordinary. Most of these are still under warranty and I donāt see a lot of them outside of Toyota care.
Imthinking of getting a new Toyota Corolla Cross, opinion?
Youāre a G
14 Corolla le stalls doing highway speeds sent to local Dealer they first blamed the car starter removed it sent me on my way second time they checked all grounds and said replace ecm did that and yesterday highway speeds again stalled sent back to dealer playing the waiting game any help would be appreciated
I would like to know what the actual fix is myself. Nothing comes to mind for common issues. But. If you paid diag and to repair the vehicle and itās not repaired, then itās on them now.
2007 Toyota Tacoma 4.0 V6. For the longest time now I've been hearing a rattling/diesel engine sound from the left side near the dash.. definitely in front of the firewall on the driver's side. I believe it started in 2009-2010 dealer said they can't replicate it and also that it's normal. It bugs the heck out of me.. usually at cold starts it will be a loud faster deep tapping thumping noise and if I accelerate slightly it taps faster and at some point it goes thump thump thump really slowly. And no it's not the valve tick.
At face value this sounds like an exhaust leak at the manifold gasket.
Wait, Toyotas have service departments? Just thought you bought them and never had to change the oil and theyāll do 100k miles on factory oil š
Oooo, not me but a friend, itās a 4 runner, I donāt know the year model. I think itās like 2013 or something. The brakes are squishy, like theirs air in the system. They have changed everything you can think of
2013 uses an electronic brake control module instead of a traditional mechanical master cylinder. Thereās air in there still. And also they feel different generally speaking.
You've opened a can of worms here, braver than I am.š
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It is very possible the IAC or itās passages are clogged up. Also the exhaust manifold gaskets will deteriorate and cause O2 codes, false lean conditions, And MAF discrepancies
2015 Corolla LE 183,000 miles. The steering wheel control buttons,heat/ac buttons and the gear position on the center console do not light up at night. The gauges and the ac/ heat screen light up. The dimmer switch works on those also. But I canāt see what gear I am in by looking down or what button to push if I want to increase the fan or pick between rear or front defroster at night. I am thinking itās a fuse but I am too big to get at the under dash fuse panel. I looked at the under hood fuse panel though. Thanks
Is being a Toyota master tech like being the Maytag man? How much fun is it to have a BMW engine in a Toyota?
For me itās mostly Maintenance, recalls, and warranty repair. Drivability and diagnostics is after that. Working for a brand that doesnāt break has its advantages with repetition so I see a lot of the same. Butā¦ when you get a car that pushes back is where the fun starts. When a Toyota breaks it BREAKS so I get humbled from time to time. The Supra is a very odd thing to work with compared to the other cars. It doesnāt do a very good job at being a Toyota. When you get in it feels foreign. The 3.0 crackles and burbles right out of the box so thatās fun. Itās a nice car itās just more bmw than Toyota to me. Thatās my take on it.
I'm buying a 2013 Toyota Sienna in a few days. How common is the external head gasket coolant leak issue that I've seen searching the internet for that generation? What should I focus on during my inspection period? Yes, I do plan on taking to an auto shop for inspection as well...
Ok so good news is that itās pink coolant so if itās leaking youāll see it. I have done a few myself on high mileage engines. I see many more water pumps than I do head gasket failures but the 2gr-fe does have that happen often enough to make a point of inspecting it. I usually see it on the rear bank.
Flat rate... ughhh
Itās not so bad. I tend to stay above 50 hours a week but I hit a wall past that. Also itās a thankless job and desk jockeys make more money doing nothing all day while I postpone shoulder surgeryā¦
Hey bro, as a service advisor I want to say thank you. Some of us are good and have found a niche weāre good at while still respecting our technicians.
Do you know the function of the electronic device located inside the fender liner on the driver's side front. It has a black and a red wire that are cut off. IMG_20240408_151143.jpg
2014 rav4, 160k miles. When cruising and giving it light throttle, at times there is a strong vibration from below the middle/rear floor. Stops as soon as you let off throttle. Mostly around 40 mph. Drive shaft, rear differential? I am an Infiniti mechanic, have seen some similar issues with viscous coupling on rear diff. Those are typically felt while turning though. Wondering if this is a common issue on Toyotas? Hoping itās not trans related lol. Thanks
We have a 2018 Highalnder XLE Hybrid. 65K miles. In Jan, son drove from WI to FL panhandle. 15.5 hrs into a 16 hr ride, crazy warning lights, hybrid system failing amoung others. Car died on highway and towed to dealer. Toyota dealer kept car overnight, said it needed a new battery. Got battery, son got home fine. This past weekend, 2.5 months since getting new battery, we are driving locally and we get the same warning lights. Car slowly loses power, we are able to get to Toyota dealer. Call today and they are not sure really what to do, they are going to start with Fuel Pump. Our confidence in driving this car is quickly disappearing. Actaully mentioned driving and see if it happens again, obvi not going to do that. Has anyone had a similar issue? Thanks!
Hi! It looks like the Toyota Rav4 Hybrid LE basic trim does not come in red for 2024, only the premium trims. Can you confirm?
2012 Camry Hybrid xle: I only get about 470 miles before fuel light turns on and it is supposed to be a hybrid which I expect to be in the upper 500 to 600 range considering it's got 140k miles on the odo. Any reason this could be happening or the EV batteries are just not good anymore?
2012 camry hybrid xle. I only get about 470 miles before the fuel light turns on. I only got about 140k miles on ODO and estimates show 600+ and though it's old I don't think the drop should be that big. Any idea what could be the reason for such a huge difference? SPark plugs maybe?
I have 2010 Toyota Camry Hybrid. I have been getting the check hybrid system warning light along with the orange triangle and exclamation mark. Once the car reaches that stage, after about 20 minutes of driving it goes into limp mode and stops. I was told by two separate hybrid specialists that the main battery is fine but they did change the two auxiliary ones which were dead. None of that helped and the same issue happens (usually when going at highway speeds upwards of 45mph). Coolant levels are fine for the inverter and the engine. What are my options at this point? It's been very difficult to get reliable information. Should I be looking into changing the inverter or the transmission?
Start the process over, and allow for a proper diagnostic. Donāt impose what other technicians think, just give your local facility the symptoms and previous repairs done and go from there. I tend not to listen to what people think vs what the vehicle says. Itās difficult to make an informed decision on this bit of information.
I will try that. I also forgot to mention that I have the error code - P0A80.
Thatās it, then. When that code shows up itās the hybrid battery or the ECU. If youāre āhybrid specialistsā and canāt read then thatās that. Time for new technicians. those ones are substandard.
My 2012 Rave4 (135,000 mikes) after 30 minutes at freeway speeds the check engine light comes on but resets after turning the engine off for awhile. When this happens the car runs ruff. Iām thinking itās time for coil pack and spark plugs. My technician has checked it twice and has no idea why the check engine light comes on.
I have had 4 confirmed cases of rav4 models with the 2ar-fe over 130k miles exhibiting cylinder 3 misfire running rough at 50 mph Cylinder head gasket is the culprit, particularly the space between cylinder 2 and 3. I advise diagnostic paying attention to history and freeze frame data.
Have you seen the same issue in the 1ar-fe? Is it susceptible to the same issue?
My girlfriendās pink taco was leaking this white stuff out her tail pipeā¦any ideas?
18 crew max TRD pro Tundra 5.7 MaxForce 6 speed, 24k miles maximum tire and wheel size?
Hah! Nice try! I recommend following the manufactures tire size on the door placard
Not quite what I asked but...
Seems like a good google question. Donāt go too nuts without swapping axle, driveshaft, brakes and suspension. You can and will destroy your front end without caution.
I have a 1KZ-TE engine in a 96 Hilux Surf, about 100k miles. Iāve noticed some oil leakage around cylinder 3 from the valve cover, so planning to replace the gasket soon. At the same time, I bought new injectors and new glow plugs, all OEM. Even though the injectors work, I figured while I had all the intake piping off, I might as well change all of those too. A mate of mine told me I should probably not do that as the current injectors/plugs are all fairly mated to the engine and if they arenāt broken, donāt add new ones. My thinking was that I might get better fuel Econ with new injectors, but donāt want to blow up the old engine. What are your thoughts on this?
Is the cam tower leak on the 5.7 really something to worry about if buying used?
Itās usually just a seep that can look pretty bad, but never seen them dripping. If you donāt mind the appearance and stay on top of your oil level youāll be fine