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By Daerauku, March 23, 2007



My automatic 2001 Corolla LE just hit 60,000 miles. I've been getting poor gas mileage, an average of about 23 MPG for the last few tanks. The engine has been sounding a little rough and it's been shifting pretty hard. I do not think this car should be having these problems this early in its life. There are no check engine lights on or anything and I have no idea what's wrong with it. I'm going to rotate the tires and change the oil and oil filter, the air filter, the spark plugs, engine coolant, and possibly try to change the transmission fluid in the hope that this will solve some of my problems. I've only had the car since about 47,000 miles and have no idea if the spark plugs or the transmission fluid have ever been changed. Some of that is stuff that the scheduled maintenance guide that came with the car says to do at 60,000 miles, and some of it's not. I need to know whether or not I should attempt to change the transmission fluid myself, and if so how to go about doing that. I also need to know how often most people change the spark plugs in their Corollas, what kind of spark plugs to buy and what to gap them to. Also, if any one else has any other suggestions as to what to do about these problems, that'd be great.

My automatic 2001 Corolla LE just hit 60,000 miles. I've been getting poor gas mileage, an average of about 23 MPG for the last few tanks. The engine has been sounding a little rough and it's been shifting pretty hard. I do not think this car should be having these problems this early in its life. There are no check engine lights on or anything and I have no idea what's wrong with it. I'm going to rotate the tires and change the oil and oil filter, the air filter, the spark plugs, engine coolant, and possibly try to change the transmission fluid in the hope that this will solve some of my problems. I've only had the car since about 47,000 miles and have no idea if the spark plugs or the transmission fluid have ever been changed. Some of that is stuff that the scheduled maintenance guide that came with the car says to do at 60,000 miles, and some of it's not. I need to know whether or not I should attempt to change the transmission fluid myself, and if so how to go about doing that. I also need to know how often most people change the spark plugs in their Corollas, what kind of spark plugs to buy and what to gap them to. Also, if any one else has any other suggestions as to what to do about these problems, that'd be great.

When you buy a used car, you take the risk. I'd doubt the tranny fluid is causing the poor mileage. But do drain the tranny pan under the engine, it has a plug on it, just drain , measure and add through dip stick thesame amount. Do same with engine oil.

Also air filter , that may be causing the problem. Do change all the fluids.

good luck

Bikeman982

I recommend you purchase a repair manual such as Haynes or Chiltons for your year and model and follow their recommended service intervals.

Major servicings are required on all cars every 15k miles. When my car hit 60k, it also started to act really sluggish. I've known people who had cars (usually American) which crap out on them every 7k miles. Are you planning on getting your 60k servicing done at a shop, or do-it-yourself? If you plan on performing the tune-up yourself, do like Bikeman said and get a manual.

Rather than doing the whole list of things required for the 60k servicing, I just went to the dealer and paid them $400 to do it. Yeah it cost a little more to go to the dealer, but now my car performs in peak shape. Just don't pay the dealer to do anything other than the basics. When it comes to things like tires, brakes, belts, etc, I suggest going to a local, trusted shop or do it yourself.

Major servicings are required on all cars every 15k miles. When my car hit 60k, it also started to act really sluggish. I've known people who had cars (usually American) which crap out on them every 7k miles. Are you planning on getting your 60k servicing done at a shop, or do-it-yourself? If you plan on performing the tune-up yourself, do like Bikeman said and get a manual.

Rather than doing the whole list of things required for the 60k servicing, I just went to the dealer and paid them $400 to do it. Yeah it cost a little more to go to the dealer, but now my car performs in peak shape. Just don't pay the dealer to do anything other than the basics. When it comes to things like tires, brakes, belts, etc, I suggest going to a local, trusted shop or do it yourself.

400 !!, you give me that money, I wil service your car.

Sparkplugs on the Corolla with VVT-i (2000+) are the Iridium long life variants - designed to last up to 120K miles before they need to be replaced. Most seem to get about 90K -100K before they plan on replacing them (I did mine at 90K also, but the plugs were still good, just replaced for preventative purposes).

Still - pull the plugs and "read" them. Coloration, types of deposits, carbon or oil fouling, etc. can give you a good indication of what is going on in there. More likely, it may just be a dirty MAF sensor. Just do a search on the forums, been talked about quite a bit. A dirty MAF and IAT sensor, both in the airbox, can make the car drive and perform very poorly. Usually not a maintenance item - as most shops will replace them instead of clean them - but a quick easy solution that can, at the very least, eliminate possible suspects. Adding some decent fuel injector cleaner can also help, as most will pick up moisture in the tank and help with some deposits. Try the better, stronger varieties - like Chevron or Redline injector cleaners.

Changing the fluids will not hurt - fresh oil, coolant, and tranny fluid is always a good thing. Especially if the previous maintenance of the vehicle is unknown. The Corollas are particularly hard on engine oil, due to their running temperatures and timing chain design - atleast compared to earlier generations. Need to really stay on top of the oil changes. Coolant and transmission drains and refills (note - not "flushes") done at 30K intervals will ensure good operation. Flushes are for last resort measures - if you keep up with the changes at 30K intervals - flushes are not neccessary at all.

At the very worst case - could be a VVT-i malfunction. A potentially very costly fix, depending on what is wrong. Hard to say for sure, will need more diagnostic work to find out what is really the issue. Note that not all issues will trip a CEL - especially if the change was very gradual or sensor is on the fritz. Good Luck

Bikeman982

My automatic 2001 Corolla LE just hit 60,000 miles. I've been getting poor gas mileage, an average of about 23 MPG for the last few tanks. The engine has been sounding a little rough and it's been shifting pretty hard. I do not think this car should be having these problems this early in its life. There are no check engine lights on or anything and I have no idea what's wrong with it. I'm going to rotate the tires and change the oil and oil filter, the air filter, the spark plugs, engine coolant, and possibly try to change the transmission fluid in the hope that this will solve some of my problems. I've only had the car since about 47,000 miles and have no idea if the spark plugs or the transmission fluid have ever been changed. Some of that is stuff that the scheduled maintenance guide that came with the car says to do at 60,000 miles, and some of it's not. I need to know whether or not I should attempt to change the transmission fluid myself, and if so how to go about doing that. I also need to know how often most people change the spark plugs in their Corollas, what kind of spark plugs to buy and what to gap them to. Also, if any one else has any other suggestions as to what to do about these problems, that'd be great.
Doing some regular maintenance yourself will save you some money and will also improve your gas mileage.

 

 

Thanks. Saved me buying new spark plugs, anyway. I went and bought a bunch of stuff at Autozone yesterday. Five quarts of Castrol Syntec oil, a Botch oil filter, some engine coolant, and an STP air filter. I don't know that much about the difference between the various brands, if there is one, and any information on that would probably be useful in the future.

I also checked the transmission fluid, and it was a brownish color. Before I can buy the fluid and filter, however, I need to know what kind of transmission I have. It is an automatic and I am sure that it is a four speed, but my my step-dad seems to think it's a three speed. The guy at Autozone told me to look at the transmission and count the nuts around the outside. He said a three speed would have 15 nuts and a four speed would have 18. Mine seems to have 17. I counted them three times. If any one knows why that is, that would be great. I also need to know what kind of transmission fluid and filter to buy. Is it the fluid, the filter, or both that varies with the type of transmission? How do you change a transmission fluid filter?

Thanks for all of your replies. This has all been very helpful.

Thanks. Saved me buying new spark plugs, anyway. I went and bought a bunch of stuff at Autozone yesterday. Five quarts of Castrol Syntec oil, a Botch oil filter, some engine coolant, and an STP air filter. I don't know that much about the difference between the various brands, if there is one, and any information on that would probably be useful in the future.

I also checked the transmission fluid, and it was a brownish color. Before I can buy the fluid and filter, however, I need to know what kind of transmission I have. It is an automatic and I am sure that it is a four speed, but my my step-dad seems to think it's a three speed. The guy at Autozone told me to look at the transmission and count the nuts around the outside. He said a three speed would have 15 nuts and a four speed would have 18. Mine seems to have 17. I counted them three times. If any one knows why that is, that would be great. I also need to know what kind of transmission fluid and filter to buy. Is it the fluid, the filter, or both that varies with the type of transmission? How do you change a transmission fluid filter?

Thanks for all of your replies. This has all been very helpful.

why don't you listen to your engine or watch the tach, you can usually hear the shifts ,

to figure out whtether it is a 3 speed or 4.

If you drop the pan, you see a screen or a tranny filter, usually very easy to change.

Thanks. Saved me buying new spark plugs, anyway. I went and bought a bunch of stuff at Autozone yesterday. Five quarts of Castrol Syntec oil, a Botch oil filter, some engine coolant, and an STP air filter. I don't know that much about the difference between the various brands, if there is one, and any information on that would probably be useful in the future.

I also checked the transmission fluid, and it was a brownish color. Before I can buy the fluid and filter, however, I need to know what kind of transmission I have. It is an automatic and I am sure that it is a four speed, but my my step-dad seems to think it's a three speed. The guy at Autozone told me to look at the transmission and count the nuts around the outside. He said a three speed would have 15 nuts and a four speed would have 18. Mine seems to have 17. I counted them three times. If any one knows why that is, that would be great. I also need to know what kind of transmission fluid and filter to buy. Is it the fluid, the filter, or both that varies with the type of transmission? How do you change a transmission fluid filter?

Thanks for all of your replies. This has all been very helpful.

why don't you listen to your engine or watch the tach, you can usually hear the shifts ,

to figure out whtether it is a 3 speed or 4.

If you drop the pan, you see a screen or a tranny filter, usually very easy to change.

How fast would I typically have to be going before it stops shifting? It has been my experience that car shifts around 90MPH, which has always struck me as odd, because if that is fourth gear then I have only used it a very few times. Perhaps this is why he thinks it's a three speed. He has driven it, but I wouldn't think he's ever taken it past 90. I am almost positive it's a four speed. I'm going to use its VIN number to hopefully get its specifications, and if that doesn't work, I'll just take it to a freeway tomorrow and count how many times it shifts...

Thanks. Saved me buying new spark plugs, anyway. I went and bought a bunch of stuff at Autozone yesterday. Five quarts of Castrol Syntec oil, a Botch oil filter, some engine coolant, and an STP air filter. I don't know that much about the difference between the various brands, if there is one, and any information on that would probably be useful in the future.

I also checked the transmission fluid, and it was a brownish color. Before I can buy the fluid and filter, however, I need to know what kind of transmission I have. It is an automatic and I am sure that it is a four speed, but my my step-dad seems to think it's a three speed. The guy at Autozone told me to look at the transmission and count the nuts around the outside. He said a three speed would have 15 nuts and a four speed would have 18. Mine seems to have 17. I counted them three times. If any one knows why that is, that would be great. I also need to know what kind of transmission fluid and filter to buy. Is it the fluid, the filter, or both that varies with the type of transmission? How do you change a transmission fluid filter?

Thanks for all of your replies. This has all been very helpful.

why don't you listen to your engine or watch the tach, you can usually hear the shifts ,

to figure out whtether it is a 3 speed or 4.

If you drop the pan, you see a screen or a tranny filter, usually very easy to change.

How fast would I typically have to be going before it stops shifting? It has been my experience that car shifts around 90MPH, which has always struck me as odd, because if that is fourth gear then I have only used it a very few times. Perhaps this is why he thinks it's a three speed. He has driven it, but I wouldn't think he's ever taken it past 90. I am almost positive it's a four speed. I'm going to use its VIN number to hopefully get its specifications, and if that doesn't work, I'll just take it to a freeway tomorrow and count how many times it shifts...

it should shift into 4th if you go say 50 mph downhill and the accelerator pedal is not working too hard.

Daerauku

It sounds like you have a good handle on what should be serviced....Fish summed it up nicely (as usual).

If you do change the coolant I would advise using the Toyota red coolant....excellent stuff.

Tuneup specs should be located on a decal under the hood...as Bikeman suggested, a Haynes manual is in order if you are going to DIY.

If the transmission has a drain plug by all means do it yourself and change it the next couple of engine oil changes so you know that most of the dirty fluid has been cycled out.

Good luck,

Jay in MA

I'm going to rotate the tires and change the oil and oil filter, the air filter, the spark plugs, engine coolant, and possibly try to change the transmission fluid in the hope that this will solve some of my problems.
Daerauku

It sounds like you have a good handle on what should be serviced....Fish summed it up nicely (as usual).

If you do change the coolant I would advise using the Toyota red coolant....excellent stuff.

Tuneup specs should be located on a decal under the hood...as Bikeman suggested, a Haynes manual is in order if you are going to DIY.

If the transmission has a drain plug by all means do it yourself and change it the next couple of engine oil changes so you know that most of the dirty fluid has been cycled out.

Good luck,

Jay in MA

I'm going to rotate the tires and change the oil and oil filter, the air filter, the spark plugs, engine coolant, and possibly try to change the transmission fluid in the hope that this will solve some of my problems.

I changed the engine coolant today. I should have thought about buying Toyota brand coolant, but unfortunately I didn't, and I put some coolant that I bought at Autozone in it. The coolant that drained out of it was what I think is the Toyota red you're talking about and was probably the same coolant that was put in it at the factory. After draining it, I discovered that it contained some disturbingly large pieces of metal and one piece of what I think was rubber. I am worried about this. Could the reason for the poor gas mileage be that there are pieces of the engine in the engine coolant?

You might want to start regular use of fuel injector cleaner. Put a bottle in the tank every 6000 miles or so (twice a year for me). I use Techron (sp?).

You might want to start regular use of fuel injector cleaner. Put a bottle in the tank every 6000 miles or so (twice a year for me). I use Techron (sp?).

I've been putting fuel injector cleaner into it every now and then for quite a while, not really bothering to keep track of exactly how long it has been since the last bottle, but at roughly those intervals. I figure too much of it or not enough of it isn't going to hurt anything... Not knowing much about any of the brands, I've tried a different kind almost every time. I havn't had much luck finding one that seemed to make any kind of noticable difference in the car's behavior. I'll try Techron next time I buy some...

Thanks. Saved me buying new spark plugs, anyway. I went and bought a bunch of stuff at Autozone yesterday. Five quarts of Castrol Syntec oil, a Botch oil filter, some engine coolant, and an STP air filter. I don't know that much about the difference between the various brands, if there is one, and any information on that would probably be useful in the future.

I also checked the transmission fluid, and it was a brownish color. Before I can buy the fluid and filter, however, I need to know what kind of transmission I have. It is an automatic and I am sure that it is a four speed, but my my step-dad seems to think it's a three speed. The guy at Autozone told me to look at the transmission and count the nuts around the outside. He said a three speed would have 15 nuts and a four speed would have 18. Mine seems to have 17. I counted them three times. If any one knows why that is, that would be great. I also need to know what kind of transmission fluid and filter to buy. Is it the fluid, the filter, or both that varies with the type of transmission? How do you change a transmission fluid filter?

Thanks for all of your replies. This has all been very helpful.

why don't you listen to your engine or watch the tach, you can usually hear the shifts ,

to figure out whtether it is a 3 speed or 4.

If you drop the pan, you see a screen or a tranny filter, usually very easy to change.

How fast would I typically have to be going before it stops shifting? It has been my experience that car shifts around 90MPH, which has always struck me as odd, because if that is fourth gear then I have only used it a very few times. Perhaps this is why he thinks it's a three speed. He has driven it, but I wouldn't think he's ever taken it past 90. I am almost positive it's a four speed. I'm going to use its VIN number to hopefully get its specifications, and if that doesn't work, I'll just take it to a freeway tomorrow and count how many times it shifts...

it should shift into 4th if you go say 50 mph downhill and the accelerator pedal is not working too hard.

It is a four speed, as I thought. From being parked along side an access ramp to a freeway and accelerating onto the freeway, it shifts for a fourth time at roughly 55MPH.

A friend told me that I should replace the transmission fluid, but that I probably didn't need to bother with the filter for now. This will be the first time I have attempted to change the transmission fluid in a car. Is there anything I need to know about transmission fluid before I go buy it?

Thanks. Saved me buying new spark plugs, anyway. I went and bought a bunch of stuff at Autozone yesterday. Five quarts of Castrol Syntec oil, a Botch oil filter, some engine coolant, and an STP air filter. I don't know that much about the difference between the various brands, if there is one, and any information on that would probably be useful in the future.

I also checked the transmission fluid, and it was a brownish color. Before I can buy the fluid and filter, however, I need to know what kind of transmission I have. It is an automatic and I am sure that it is a four speed, but my my step-dad seems to think it's a three speed. The guy at Autozone told me to look at the transmission and count the nuts around the outside. He said a three speed would have 15 nuts and a four speed would have 18. Mine seems to have 17. I counted them three times. If any one knows why that is, that would be great. I also need to know what kind of transmission fluid and filter to buy. Is it the fluid, the filter, or both that varies with the type of transmission? How do you change a transmission fluid filter?

Thanks for all of your replies. This has all been very helpful.

why don't you listen to your engine or watch the tach, you can usually hear the shifts ,

to figure out whtether it is a 3 speed or 4.

If you drop the pan, you see a screen or a tranny filter, usually very easy to change.

How fast would I typically have to be going before it stops shifting? It has been my experience that car shifts around 90MPH, which has always struck me as odd, because if that is fourth gear then I have only used it a very few times. Perhaps this is why he thinks it's a three speed. He has driven it, but I wouldn't think he's ever taken it past 90. I am almost positive it's a four speed. I'm going to use its VIN number to hopefully get its specifications, and if that doesn't work, I'll just take it to a freeway tomorrow and count how many times it shifts...

it should shift into 4th if you go say 50 mph downhill and the accelerator pedal is not working too hard.

It is a four speed, as I thought. From being parked along side an access ramp to a freeway and accelerating onto the freeway, it shifts for a fourth time at roughly 55MPH.

A friend told me that I should replace the transmission fluid, but that I probably didn't need to bother with the filter for now. This will be the first time I have attempted to change the transmission fluid in a car. Is there anything I need to know about transmission fluid before I go buy it?

drain and fill 3 qts,, actually just alittle over 3 litres, OEM

Daerauku

It sounds like you have a good handle on what should be serviced....Fish summed it up nicely (as usual).

If you do change the coolant I would advise using the Toyota red coolant....excellent stuff.

Tuneup specs should be located on a decal under the hood...as Bikeman suggested, a Haynes manual is in order if you are going to DIY.

If the transmission has a drain plug by all means do it yourself and change it the next couple of engine oil changes so you know that most of the dirty fluid has been cycled out.

Good luck,

Jay in MA

I'm going to rotate the tires and change the oil and oil filter, the air filter, the spark plugs, engine coolant, and possibly try to change the transmission fluid in the hope that this will solve some of my problems.

I changed the engine coolant today. I should have thought about buying Toyota brand coolant, but unfortunately I didn't, and I put some coolant that I bought at Autozone in it. The coolant that drained out of it was what I think is the Toyota red you're talking about and was probably the same coolant that was put in it at the factory. After draining it, I discovered that it contained some disturbingly large pieces of metal and one piece of what I think was rubber. I am worried about this. Could the reason for the poor gas mileage be that there are pieces of the engine in the engine coolant?

I'm not sure if what you found (metal and rubber frags) in you radiator drain pertains to your rough shifting, etc, but I definately would be concerned at your findings. I've heard of oxidation buildup in radiators, but nothing like you are describing. Kind of unusual to say the least-I'd take your car off the road, and get it examined by a mechanic if I was you....

Bikeman982

Pieces of your engine in your coolant is not a good sign.

If it is just part of your radiator it would not be as bad.



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