2000 Corolla Ce Pings When Warmed Up - Toyota Corolla, Chevy Prizm (1998-2008)

Guest Markle

I purchased a used Toyota certified 2000 Corolla CE with 44,000 miles 3 weeks ago. It is making a pinging noise when I accelarate between 25 to 45 miles an hour when the engine is warm(makes the most noise when tac says 2000). The head of the used car department said it was probably an oxygen sensor and that they'd fix the problem. I've had the vehicle in each Saturday with them checking the noise. The head of the service department said the techs cannot find any problem.

IT RUNS WITHOUT PINGING WHEN IT IS COLD. Great sounding car if it never warmed up. After driving about 3 or 4 miles, when it gets warmed up, is when it starts pinging.

They said maybe the previous owner only did in town, stop and go driving. So I've taken it out on the highway(65/70 mph) for 700 miles and put premium (octane 93) through it. Now they want me to switch back to regular(octane 87) and run another tank of gas through it(150 miles so far). If that doesn't help they are saying fill it up again and add a bottle of injector cleaner. I feel like I'm the only person out here purposely running gas through my car, when everyone else is trying to conserve gas because of the higher prices.

That did not change anything. Now they are saying all 2000 Corollas have a ping. That doesn't sound reasonable to me. Any one with a 2000 Corolla CE, does your car have a ping or as the service tech called it, an octane knock? If it does or did, were you able to fix it?

The check engine light has been on 3 times. Told me it was evap codes. First time they ran diagnostics on it they said it was probably a lose gas cap. They turned off the light, I drove home, and the next day when I started it, the check engine light came on again. I had seen a discussion about evap codes and going to Autozone to have them check the codes. It was P0440, P0441, and P0446(2 times). Took it back to Toyota again, they ran diagnostics again. They have ordered a charcoal cylinder(cannister), supposed to put it on next Saturday. Not sure why they didn't see that the first time, instead of suggesting a lose gas cap.

So they've run diagnostics on it a couple of times, and turned off the check engine light. Is there some other kind of diagnostics that maybe they haven't done??? Any chance putting on the charcoal cylinder will fix some leak that is causing the pinging?

Check out this site: It for a Lexus, but the same codes and fix applies to almost all of the Toyotas.

http://www.clublexus.com/index.php/article/view/1839/1/115/

I've run into the same set of trouble codes on my car - very early on (~30K-34K miles). All your codes relate to the EVAP system - this doesn't just affect your vehicle, but may also span the rest of the line. Not just Toyota - almost every other make out there has similar codes pop up every once and a while.

Dealer wanted to change the charcoal canister and a tank vent valve - said I ruined it (filled up the tank way past full) - wanted me to shell out $350+ for repairs. Car was still under warrany - but said part was not covered. Was total BS - found out later it was a bad rubber gasket on top of the tank - cost me about $10-$16 and about half a day to change it myself. 85K miles later and no more problems.

If the dealer is willing to do this for no charge - I'd let them. Running tanks of gas through it is a pain, but the only way to be sure that it wasn't a bad tank of gas. I get one every once and a while. But the 8th generation Corollas do not ping - they really decent knock sensors (10:1 compression on 87 octane, has to) - a bottle of injector cleaner may help, but probably won't do anything. O2 sensor would have also been on my list as a possible - but not with 44K miles on the clock - that is a bit sson. EVAP system problems (from the codes) more likely to cause your problems, but are a lot tougher to crack. Chances are it is also ECU related.

I did notice slight pinging when I accelerate through the same range - but at cruise speed, city or highway - there is no pinging. If the pinging is just brief - your probably OK. There is only so much the engine can do - timing wise - on regular gas. I have the VVT-i - which may be different from your situation - since it kicks in from off idle to redline. EVAP problems are hard to pin down, even with OBD-II codes, problems could originate from the gas cap all the way through to the fuel injectors.

Chances that fixing the charcoal canister will stop the pinging, unless you notice any gasoline odor in and around the car after a fill-up, probably less than half.

Good Luck.

Do the 2K models have knock sensors?

I've never heard pinging in 93K miles on my 2002. This is to be expected, since the knock sensors are far more sensitive than ears.

If the engine is badly carboned up, it could make pinging worse. This is probably why they're having you run the fuel injector cleaner and expensive gas through the engine. A quick look at a plug would help tell you if there's a lot of carbon buildup in the combustion chamber. I'm guessing even 44K miles of stop-and-go wouldn't be enought to cause this, unless the evap system problems made the engine run rich for a while.

I believe the Corollas with the 1ZZ-FE have the same knock sensors on them. Even the older 7A-FE and 4A-FE had them - my Camry with the 5S-FE had them as well. I guess it varies from car to car - some ping - and some do not. But I've heard the pinging on my Corolla and on some Celicas and Matrixes that I rented or used as loaners. Different brands of gas don't seem to change the behavior - but sometimes, I'll get a tank of gas that makes the car feel as strong as a Polar Bear and no pinging.

Guest G. Galvin Gunhold

The simplest thing that could be causeing a pinging noise....loose heat shield on the exhaust system. Quick fix (if it is the problem), remove it. Never heard of an O2 sensor causing a pinging noise, if anything it'll make the car act sluggish, like it's not getting it's fuel.

Are you paying for the charcoal canister or is it a warranty item? Just for your info there is a vacuum switching valve on the canister that can be replaced instead of the whole canister. Much cheaper I would imagine. I know of several instances that a check engine light has been caused by the valve acting up.

A bad O2 sensor will - if the A/F ratios are off. You are correct, that a bad O2 sensor will usually turn up as poor drivability. But with the 1998+ Corollas with the 1ZZ-FE with 10:1 compression on pump gas - will ping like nuts, if the ECU is not reading the correct oxygen content from the exhaust gas.

I also ran into a problem with the VSV on the charcoal canister very recently - among other emissions related problems on the is car - cost me about $45 new from a dealer (dealer wanted about $585 for caniste and all). I have read reports that a bad VSV will eventually lead to the oil gelation problem argued by some owners. Though - I'm still skeptical of the exact cause of those issues.

I just posted about this in another thread.

My car ('01 CE) was making a pinging noise and the check engine light came on.

The pinging happened whenever I accelerated. First only at higher speeds. But eventually at all speeds. But only when sufficienly warmed up.

Eventally I had trouble accelerating the car up hills right after it was started.

I had the car in for an oil change and the guy hooked it up to the computer and said that the O2 sensor was reading lean.

The Toyota dealer I just took it to said it was the Air Flow meter ($321 p/l).

I'll have to see what happens.