2009 Corolla Idle-Hunting During Cold Starts

Hello and Welcome to the forum.

 

Some of the earlier 9th gen Corollas also had an idle-hunting issue. Some where related to physical issue, like vacuum leaks from a faulty intake manifold gasket or warped intake manifold. Others were an ECM calibration issue - which in some 9th gen DBW (drive-by-wire) throttle controlled Corollas. All the 10th generation (2009+) will have the DBW system, some haven't showed any idle hunting, but I wouldn't be surprised is some did.

Might need to run a DBW calibration - should be in the owner's manual or the dealership can talk you through it. I believe it revolved around turn the key to on, stomp on the gas pedal and hold it to the floor, turn off the key - or similar effect to that. Since the car is still under warranty - take it in and have them scan the ECM, other makes that have shown similar behavior (new Nissans, New Hyundai Genesis, Lexus models, etc.) - ended up getting flashed with revised ECM parameters, all covered under the manufacturer's warranty.

Very enlightening. Thanks for the quick reply. I'll run the DBW calibration tomorrow morning and start the engine. If this doesn't solve the problem, I'll take it in for the ECM scan.

We bought our new 2009 Corolla last February. I noticed that the engine tends to idle-hunt coupled with a "woh woh woh" sound during cold starts (lasting about 15 seconds) but thought nothing of it because I thought the engine was brand new and just breaking in. In the next 8 months, my wife and I took a couple of road trips: Arizona and San Francisco. We racked up about 9000 miles. However, the idle-hunting and strange sound during cold starts are still there, again lasting about 15 seconds.

 

Anybody else experiencing this? Would it cause engine problems in the long-run? Does anybody have a solution?

Here is the letter that I've sent last spring to Toyota Canada ....<BR itxtvisited="1">I purchased a new '07 Corolla from Kingston Toyota Feburaury '07 . It ran fine until the 45,000km mark in December '08 . At this point my wife informed me that her car was reving oddly when the cold of fall arrived in '08. This was a new issue and didn't exist at all previously. The engine now hunts for idle after cold soaking of 6 hours or more in any temp below +3 deg C with 100% repeatability. <BR itxtvisited="1"><BR itxtvisited="1">The vehicle starts and runs fine for approx 1.5 km but for the next 4 km or so depending on the temperature it will rev hunt when rolling the car with the engine unloaded to our next local stop sign. <BR itxtvisited="1">The engine revs up to 2,300 rpm and cuts back to 1,200 rpm repeatedly every 1.5 seconds. It will do this as many as 30 X consectively. I have 5 videos (mpegs) of the condition showing the engine tach as the car rolls....... (I've been told by Kingston Toyota that they've sent these mpegs to Toyota Canada two months ago) <BR itxtvisited="1">In even colder temperatures, like -20 deg C range the vehicle will do this idle hunting/surging without needing to have the car rolling with the engine unloaded. At these temperatures it will do it at a standstill , you can get out of the car and walk around the vehicle as it surge revs. The colder it gets the worse it is and the longer it lasts. Basically the problem goes away completely after a good warm up. Whatever warped component seems to comes back into spec with the heat. The dealer has worked reasonably hard on the problem... first replacing the water pump Jan 9. '09, then cleaning the throttle body, then replacing throttle body, then replacing various valves an sensors, finally replacing the ECU itself. The problem still exists, it isn't intermittent at all, it is an everyday occurance through the entire winter. The problem is easy to reproduce and I had even my 12 year old daughter notice it and state "I guess it's still not fixed eh?" as I drive her to swim practice! <BR itxtvisited="1">I've now been told by the Service Manager at Kingston Toyota that this might just be "the nature of the beast". To me this is a very unprofessional statement from a mechanic and a real 'kiss off' that I'm unwilling to accept. Seems to me like I've been told to basically 'suck it up' and 'we're done with you'. I've paid plenty of money for this vehicle and I can't even conceivably resale this Corolla with this problem unless I want someone chasing after me. I have extended warranty but I'm concerned that I've done damage with all this most likely lean burn for the first minutes of every sub zero start.....heat damage to the pistons and valves and possible damage to the catalytic converter as well.<BR itxtvisited="1"><BR itxtvisited="1">I've noticed the problem in Dec. 08 and started with the local dealer for repairs on Jan 9, '09. <BR itxtvisited="1">The car has been in for no less than 5 overnight/next day repairs so that they could have a cold soaked engine block. I have had good rapport with the head mechanic and he has tried ernestly to fix the vehicle and he clearly shares my frustration....he is a good person in Toyota and he is _not_ the employee who told me about "the nature of the beast." The head mechanic has suggested that the problem could be the intake manifold gasket....see below.<BR itxtvisited="1"><BR itxtvisited="1">Two months ago I was told by the Service Manager at Kingston Toyota that the problem has been kicked up to Toyota Canada and that they will get back to me. At that point Kingston Toyota was apparently 'done' with me as they have done no followups since dispite me phoning them twice since. I was repeatedly told that Toyota Canada is 'looking into it"....... then when I called Toyota Canada after patiently waiting for another two months since they were notified I was told that the problem was looked into but it didn't make the front page news with them either apparently as they didn't respond to me in any fashion. Now I'm being told that it's too warm to fix the car because the problem cannot be reproduced in the summer temperatures. Apparently patience isn't a virture afterall....all I did was wait to hear nothing.<BR itxtvisited="1"><BR itxtvisited="1">That is some of the story Stefanie and there is my rant, sorry you have to put up with me but this is where I'm at...what would you do if you were me? ........A Corolla that revs like this is not 'the nature of the beast' and please tell your service managers not to use these terms on vehicles that still have years of monthy payments left owing. It's embarrassing frankly. I didn't expect this from Toyota.

We bought our new 2009 Corolla last February. I noticed that the engine tends to idle-hunt coupled with a "woh woh woh" sound during cold starts (lasting about 15 seconds) but thought nothing of it because I thought the engine was brand new and just breaking in. In the next 8 months, my wife and I took a couple of road trips: Arizona and San Francisco. We racked up about 9000 miles. However, the idle-hunting and strange sound during cold starts are still there, again lasting about 15 seconds.

Anybody else experiencing this? Would it cause engine problems in the long-run? Does anybody have a solution?

Here is the letter that I've sent last spring to Toyota Canada ....<BR itxtvisited="1">I purchased a new '07 Corolla from Kingston Toyota Feburaury '07 . It ran fine until the 45,000km mark in December '08 . At this point my wife informed me that her car was reving oddly when the cold of fall arrived in '08. This was a new issue and didn't exist at all previously. The engine now hunts for idle after cold soaking of 6 hours or more in any temp below +3 deg C with 100% repeatability. <BR itxtvisited="1"><BR itxtvisited="1">The vehicle starts and runs fine for approx 1.5 km but for the next 4 km or so depending on the temperature it will rev hunt when rolling the car with the engine unloaded to our next local stop sign. <BR itxtvisited="1">The engine revs up to 2,300 rpm and cuts back to 1,200 rpm repeatedly every 1.5 seconds. It will do this as many as 30 X consectively. I have 5 videos (mpegs) of the condition showing the engine tach as the car rolls....... (I've been told by Kingston Toyota that they've sent these mpegs to Toyota Canada two months ago) <BR itxtvisited="1">In even colder temperatures, like -20 deg C range the vehicle will do this idle hunting/surging without needing to have the car rolling with the engine unloaded. At these temperatures it will do it at a standstill , you can get out of the car and walk around the vehicle as it surge revs. The colder it gets the worse it is and the longer it lasts. Basically the problem goes away completely after a good warm up. Whatever warped component seems to comes back into spec with the heat. The dealer has worked reasonably hard on the problem... first replacing the water pump Jan 9. '09, then cleaning the throttle body, then replacing throttle body, then replacing various valves an sensors, finally replacing the ECU itself. The problem still exists, it isn't intermittent at all, it is an everyday occurance through the entire winter. The problem is easy to reproduce and I had even my 12 year old daughter notice it and state "I guess it's still not fixed eh?" as I drive her to swim practice! <BR itxtvisited="1">I've now been told by the Service Manager at Kingston Toyota that this might just be "the nature of the beast". To me this is a very unprofessional statement from a mechanic and a real 'kiss off' that I'm unwilling to accept. Seems to me like I've been told to basically 'suck it up' and 'we're done with you'. I've paid plenty of money for this vehicle and I can't even conceivably resale this Corolla with this problem unless I want someone chasing after me. I have extended warranty but I'm concerned that I've done damage with all this most likely lean burn for the first minutes of every sub zero start.....heat damage to the pistons and valves and possible damage to the catalytic converter as well.<BR itxtvisited="1"><BR itxtvisited="1">I've noticed the problem in Dec. 08 and started with the local dealer for repairs on Jan 9, '09. <BR itxtvisited="1">The car has been in for no less than 5 overnight/next day repairs so that they could have a cold soaked engine block. I have had good rapport with the head mechanic and he has tried ernestly to fix the vehicle and he clearly shares my frustration....he is a good person in Toyota and he is _not_ the employee who told me about "the nature of the beast." The head mechanic has suggested that the problem could be the intake manifold gasket....see below.<BR itxtvisited="1"><BR itxtvisited="1">Two months ago I was told by the Service Manager at Kingston Toyota that the problem has been kicked up to Toyota Canada and that they will get back to me. At that point Kingston Toyota was apparently 'done' with me as they have done no followups since dispite me phoning them twice since. I was repeatedly told that Toyota Canada is 'looking into it"....... then when I called Toyota Canada after patiently waiting for another two months since they were notified I was told that the problem was looked into but it didn't make the front page news with them either apparently as they didn't respond to me in any fashion. Now I'm being told that it's too warm to fix the car because the problem cannot be reproduced in the summer temperatures. Apparently patience isn't a virture afterall....all I did was wait to hear nothing.<BR itxtvisited="1"><BR itxtvisited="1">That is some of the story Stefanie and there is my rant, sorry you have to put up with me but this is where I'm at...what would you do if you were me? ........A Corolla that revs like this is not 'the nature of the beast' and please tell your service managers not to use these terms on vehicles that still have years of monthy payments left owing. It's embarrassing frankly. I didn't expect this from Toyota.

My 03 manual CE had this problem for over 4 years until Toyota finally issued a TSB reprogramming the engine computer to clear up the idle hunting in cold weather warm up.

It was discussed in the forum a few years ago when Toyota was stonewalling owners claiming that the hunting idle was cosmetic and could simply be ignored.

Surprised this came up again in the Gen 10 Corollas.

[

My 03 manual CE had this problem for over 4 years until Toyota finally issued a TSB reprogramming the engine computer to clear up the idle hunting in cold weather warm up.

It was discussed in the forum a few years ago when Toyota was stonewalling owners claiming that the hunting idle was cosmetic and could simply be ignored.

Surprised this came up again in the Gen 10 Corollas.

Well I've got my '07 Corolla in for the 6th time for idle hunting and last year the service manager said 'it was the nature of the beast' and today the same guy said that Toyota said "this is normal warmup issue"

BTW my chech engine light came on today....we'll see what they say.

Dave

I know this is an old post, but I've been struggling with this problem for years, and finally fixed it. My 2005 Corolla CE with manual transmission also had this "out-of-control" revving when it was cold outside (like 20 degrees F). As I would pull up to the first stop sign or red light, the engine would rev between 800 and 2200 rpm, back and forth, like I was challenging the other drivers to a race. Once the engine warmed up, it would quit this behavior. The check engine light finally came on one day (15 degrees) while at a red light. It was a P0171 code (too lean). I had already replaced the MAF and front oxygen sensor, but problem continued. A post on ToyotaNation clued me into the intake manifold gasket. A $10 part which was fairly simple to install (about 1.5 hours to pull off intake manifold, clean and replace gasket, then put it all back on. Torque bolts to 15 ft-lbs). The old rubber gasket was hard as a rock, and on cold days, it shrunk up and let air get sucked into the engine without going past the MAF (this is known as unmetered air - and confuses the computer as it makes decisions). Hope this will help others. I bought this car in June 2004, and the problem started showing in December 2007. The problem is more pronounced on a manual transmission car, as you push in the clutch at a red light, the engine starts to "hunt" as you sit there. The problem would go away after the engine warmed up.