My Corona 1995 Vibrates When Stopped At The Light - Pre-1997 Toyota Corolla and Geo Prizm

from what I know that needs to be done is:

a.) needs timing belt replaced (car is still running and operational)

b.) needs new oil pan with gasket

I was kind of waiting a bit for these to fix because it is $$$, a.) is not so bad, was quoted "only" 310$CAD with all the taxes by the local stealership, and problem b.) is not so urgent since it is not leaking a lot lot, but I was told that it would cost between 500-600, explanation was given as it is time consuming.

now the car started to vibrate when it is put in drive, and makes some funny sound, like it is laughing but not loud, only when it is stopped and gear is in a "drive" position, when you shift in neutral all is ok??!??!

what could this be??, should I keep this car or get rid of it? it has 190000kilometers=118000miles, looks amazing no rust, can not feel bumps, and it is very clean

o yeah DX 1995 1.6 liter motor

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foobar Feb 9 2005, 07:05 PM Post #5

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Member No.: 5957

i have a 95 DX. mine start about 1600-1800 when it is cold. more cold = higher idle. when the car is warm enough, it idles around 600-800. sometimes there are noises from the engine like the thing is shaking. I just turn on the headlights and the rpm increases and

could IDLE SPEED be the culprit???

Becuase the noise pops up when the engine is under load - sounds like a worn pulley, worn belt tensioner, or belt itself is a culprit. High idle speed when cold is normal - switching over to a full synthetic oil or even a different brand of oil may help with that issue. Worn or loose motor mounts and bad bearing on accessories (alternator, water pump, power steering pump, etc.) are also other possible culprits.

Max

You have a CORONA?

You have a CORONA?

yeah do you have one?

Max

As you can see from my signature, I have a COROLLA. I sure thought Toyota stopped making Coronas decades ago.

i'd like to see pictures of coronas, especially the back view. I haven't found any while searching online. does anyone know of any sites with pictures of coronas (old and new)? thanks

Max

Here ya go, foobar. Try this:

http://images.google.com/images?q=toyota+c...b=ii&oi=imagest

VWGolfist, if you don't mind, where are you? We haven't had the Corona here in the states for a very long time. First thing I thought of when I saw your post was motor mounts, which I see Fish has also mentioned. In any event, hope you get it cleared up.

There are tons of sites with Conora info - just search with Google or Yahoo or similar.

For USDM, just think a 90% sized copy of the 1992-1996 Toyota Camry - that is basically what the mid 1990's Coronas look like to me (mid sized car that has the visual look of an oversized Corolla). I believe that they stopped production in 2000 overseas.

Coronas were pretty popular in the seventies (remember gas crisis) - was replaced in 1983 with the larger Camry, but the Corona were still sold elsewhere.

For older models - think the same way - Camry and Cressida, later to be repalced with bigger Camrys and Avalons.

Bikeman982

I have seen numerous Coronas in the junkyards. Apparantly people still have them and need spare parts for them that they can get at the junkyards. If they are still available in other countries, I hope they have been improved.

You might want to rule out an engine misfire. This could be a possible culprit. Have someone replicate the condition while you put your hand up against the tailpipe. If you feel it going putt-putt-putt-putt..., then you have an engine misfire. Let us know, and we'll be happy to talk you through the next steps to figure out what's causing it.

Bikeman982

I would recommend that if the timing belt needs to be replaced, that you get it done. You will be left stranded if it breaks while you are driving. You will have to have it towed somewhere because it will not move on it's own. My daughter had that happen to her car and lucky for her I had a car caddy to tow it for her.

Oil pans are easy to change and of course you should replace the gasket when it is. You can also find a good used one at the junkyards. If the oil pan is good but it is just the gasket causing it to leak, you can just replace the gasket. If none is available you can get similiar material and make your own. You can use the old one (if it is not too damaged after removal) as a template. You can also use the oil pan as a template.

As far as the shaking, could be any of the above items mentioned. Bad engine mounts, misfiring, out of tune, etc.

Hope this helps.

i like to joke when i say i have corona it is corolla dx.........

as far as the vibrations etc. here is the scoop. I plan to change spark plugs, possibly cables and distributor cap, maybe even fuel filter. I think I will go with fuel filter first (cheapest solution). 2nd would be spark plugs,

should i go with denso irridiums, or bosch platinum 4's??

thanks fish, bikeman, sallom for your input. I was told that oil pan is so hard to remove because it involves

lots of labour time...mechanic said it is rusty, I have not seen it. I kind of want to go under the car, and play with it, but it so cold man, it is like -20celsius now, I live close to Toronto, Canada default_ph34r

ok
i like to joke when i say i have corona it is corolla dx.........
as far as the vibrations etc. here is the scoop. I plan to change spark plugs, possibly cables and distributor cap, maybe even fuel filter. I think I will go with fuel filter first (cheapest solution). 2nd would be spark plugs,
should i go with denso irridiums, or bosch platinum 4's??
thanks fish, bikeman, sallom for your input. I was told that oil pan is so hard to remove because it involves
lots of labour time...mechanic said it is rusty, I have not seen it. I kind of want to go under the car, and play with it, but it so cold man, it is like -20celsius now, I live close to Toronto, Canada

Fuel filter would be a good thing to replace - since you are able to get at it relatively easily (1993-1997 Corollas had them under the hood - 1998+ Corollas are inside the gas tank).

I would go with plain copper or plain platinum plugs on that particular generation of Corolla. Bosch Platinum +4 are decent - but your OEM ignition will only cause it to spark over one of the ground electrodes - rendering it as effective as a plain Bosch Platinum plug. Plus there have been reports of the Plat+4 electrodes breaking off and scoring the cylinder walls badly (brittle material - that's why they tell you NOT to gap those plugs + most don't have the proper tool to effectively gap those plugs).

Iridium is a good choice for long life - but I wouldn't see those running any better than plain copper plugs changed at regular intervals - cost layout would be about the same over the long run (Iridium retails for around $12 a plug, copper about a $2 a piece - Iridium lasts as long as 120K miles, Copper as long as 30K miles). For the 4AFE, 4AGE, 7AFE generation of engines - copper or platinum came OEM, for 1ZZFE, 2ZZGE engines - Iridium was OEM.

Oil pan is definitely tough to get off - not impossible - but real close. They used sealant from OEM to "glue" it to the block. But there are pry points around the circumference that you can stick a large screwdriver or prybar to pull the pan off. Definitely labor intensive. Timing belt is even more so - I'd recommend with that many miles to also replace the water pump. Don't want to risk having to take it all apart later when the water pumps decides to let go on you - will save you a ton of money in additional labor - since they will be down to the water pump to replace the timing belt anyway. Same goes with the accessory belts for the alternator, powersteering pump, etc - they will come off anyway when they change the timing belt.

thanks for your input, it is great! fish

as far as the noise/vibration when in gear (had my wife operate it while I was observing it) IT IS DEFINATELY COMMING FROM serpentine and/or timing belt

area....

fishexpo101 Jan 24 2006, 02:49 AM Post #3

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Becuase the noise pops up when the engine is under load - sounds like a worn pulley, worn belt tensioner, or belt itself

fish:

this belt looks fine (i think its called serpentine), can you manually adjust tension and how? also I did not have time to inspect timing belt, but I plan to do so. Ignition cables look fine, they are original, and distributor cap looks clean it has denso writen on it I presume it is original. I will put set of new spark plugs on the weekend along with new fuel filter and let you know what's hapenning...

There are pivot points by the alternator and power steering pump that you can loosen then adjust to desired tension and tighten them back up. Sometimes you have to put a prybar or large screwdriver behind the accessory to put enough tension on the belt. Don't want too much tension - maybe 1/4" to 1/2" deflection over the largest span between two pulleys.

Let us know how it turns out. Good Luck.

Bikeman982

thanks for your input, it is great! fish
as far as the noise/vibration when in gear (had my wife operate it while I was observing it) IT IS DEFINATELY COMMING FROM serpentine and/or timing belt
area....

Sounds like you have isolated the source of vibration. Make sure it is not one of the pulleys, instead of just a belt. You may change all the belts and find that it still vibrates.

Sounds like you have isolated the source of vibration. Make sure it is not one of the pulleys, instead of just a belt. You may change all the belts and find that it still vibrates.

how do you know when pooley is busted, belt looks (serpentine) fine, it may even be original, i was going to

try to tighten it...

Bikeman982

My manual says to check the condition of the dive belts and check the tension every 10-15,000 miles or every year. Check for signs of glazing or cracking. A glazed belt will be perfectly smooth from slippage, while a good belt will have a slight texture of fabric visible. Cracks will usually start at the inner edge of the belt and run outward. Replace the belt at the first sign of cracking or if the glazing is severe. Place your thumb midway between the two pulleys, it should be possible to depress the belt about 1/4 to 1/2 inch (6-13MM). It is best to use a drive belt tension gauge to check belt tension. If the belt can be depressed more than this much, adjust the tension, Inadequate tension will result in slippage and wear, while excessive tension will damage bearings and cause belts to fray and crack. Hope this helps.

so here it is

at the local dealership I had superb service, they changed:

1. timing belt

2. ps belt

3. alternator belt

all of this for $384.00 CAD around $336 usd

anyway benefits are here: no shaking, car feels tighter, no squeeling sounds or rattle

car feels A1 I am not joking!!!

only stuff left to do on my car (i am not rushing on this) oil pan apparently I was told by 2 mechanics

that it is completely rusted and needs to be replaced. It drips oil, but nothing major, yet. My problem is

parts. Pan is 135$cad gasket is $10 but they want for labour minimum 4 hours! I looked in the manual and it does not seem complicated at all. My problem is I can not lift the car and do it myself. If I could I would do it.

Ps I felt obligated to report you what is going on default_wink

o yeah mechanic said auxillary belts (ps and aletrnator belt) were cracked.........and needed to be replaced!

water pump and oil pump looked fine (not replaced). default_wink

Bikeman982

so here it isat the local dealership I had superb service, they changed:

1. timing belt
2. ps belt
3. alternator belt

all of this for $384.00 CAD around $336 usd

anyway benefits are here: no shaking, car feels tighter, no squeeling sounds or rattle
car feels A1 I am not joking!!!

only stuff left to do on my car (i am not rushing on this) oil pan apparently I was told by 2 mechanics
that it is completely rusted and needs to be replaced. It drips oil, but nothing major, yet. My problem is
parts. Pan is 135$cad gasket is $10 but they want for labour minimum 4 hours! I looked in the manual and it does not seem complicated at all. My problem is I can not lift the car and do it myself. If I could I would do it.

Ps I felt obligated to report you what is going on

o yeah mechanic said auxillary belts (ps and aletrnator belt) were cracked.........and needed to be replaced!
water pump and oil pump looked fine (not replaced).

Another satisfied Toyota owner! You could do the oil pan and gasket yourself. It is not too hard. If you cannot jack your car, park one side on a sidewalk and that will give you enough room to get under it. You could also get some large pieces of wood and lay them down where the wheels would go and carefully drive up onto them. Insure it is very stable before getting under to wok there. Hope this helps.

If the timing belt needs replacing it's also possible that it needs the timing adjusted. If the timing is off a little, it could be causing it ot idle a little lower, higher and/or rougher than usual. A simple tune-up can smooth out a engine greatly.

However, I think the vibration your feeling is just a resonance in the engine mounts. Most cars have a particular RPM betwwen 500-1000 that makes the chassis vibrate. In my '04 Accord it's aroudn 900RPM, so when the engine is still cold, it's idling high and vibrates when in "Drive". IF I put it in neutral, it goes away.

When the car is in "Drive" the transmission puts a load on the engine. THis puts more energy into the engine mounts which will cause the chassis to vibrate. The noise associated with it is probably a body panel or other part that also resonates at the same frequency as the idle speed in gear. Does that make sense. It's hard to explain how resonant frequencies work. It's the same principal that a guitar uses to makes sound. A string that is shorter, thinner or tighter, will vibrate at a higher frequency. A car that has a stiffer chassis will vibrate also at a higher frequency. In reality a chassis may vibrate at multiple frequencies. The first is usually around 40-80Hz. The second is 500-1000Hz. The third is 3000-5000Hz. This is why the car will vibrate at a certain engine RPM on the freeway. You may have noticed that airplanes will do the same thing when the turbine is at a certian RPM. It's more noticable on properller driven aircraft.

Bikeman982

If the timing belt needs replacing it's also possible that it needs the timing adjusted. If the timing is off a little, it could be causing it ot idle a little lower, higher and/or rougher than usual. A simple tune-up can smooth out a engine greatly.
However, I think the vibration your feeling is just a resonance in the engine mounts. Most cars have a particular RPM betwwen 500-1000 that makes the chassis vibrate. In my '04 Accord it's aroudn 900RPM, so when the engine is still cold, it's idling high and vibrates when in "Drive". IF I put it in neutral, it goes away.
When the car is in "Drive" the transmission puts a load on the engine. THis puts more energy into the engine mounts which will cause the chassis to vibrate. The noise associated with it is probably a body panel or other part that also resonates at the same frequency as the idle speed in gear. Does that make sense. It's hard to explain how resonant frequencies work. It's the same principal that a guitar uses to makes sound. A string that is shorter, thinner or tighter, will vibrate at a higher frequency. A car that has a stiffer chassis will vibrate also at a higher frequency. In reality a chassis may vibrate at multiple frequencies. The first is usually around 40-80Hz. The second is 500-1000Hz. The third is 3000-5000Hz. This is why the car will vibrate at a certain engine RPM on the freeway. You may have noticed that airplanes will do the same thing when the turbine is at a certian RPM. It's more noticable on properller driven aircraft.

He did say that his timing belt has been replaced. It is definitely true about cars vibrations. Good point, although some cars seem to vibrate a whole lot more than others, possibly due to their being in or out of tune and also wear condition.