got a brake problem in still in drive..

[coro99a]

First my brakes are weak.. like really weak and I was wondering if that's just the way they were set up?? Or is it something wrong?? No when I'm in drive and still like at a light or so the pedal vibrate hard and a noise is coming from the engine bay?? Do anyone know what's going on??
Thanks

[fishexpo101]

Not sure what you are after, your question is not clear - did the brakes work just fine before and now are not working? Or did you just pick up the Corolla and wondered if it was normal if the brakes are supposed to act that way?

What pedal vibrates when you are stopped at a light? Describe the noise coming the engine bay - does this coincide with braking (slowing down to a stop) or when you are just idling?

[coro99a]

Ok so I found out its not The brake it happen when its in drive and the rpm's get really low when I'm sitting still and the noise might be coming from the trans or The engine I was thinking about raising my idol up some.. seeing if that fix the problem also going to check the trans fluid level tomorrow.. and anybody know the maintenance I need done I don't have an owners manual.. I'm at 126xxx miles.. and yeah the brakes work just always been weaker than I thought they should have been..

[fishexpo101]

Well, they are sort of related. Brakes are vacuum assisted, so if the idle speed drops too much, you are not making as much vacuum and the brake assist is not as strong. Sort of like running with non-boosted brakes.

As for maintenance items - there is an exhaustive list on the Toyota main webpage - just go to the For Owner's link on the bottom of the page, select Warranty & Maintenance option, go from there.

There is also a lot of maintenance suggestions on this board as well. The "right" maintenance is generally dependent on the condition of the car and the driving conditions. For your low idle, I'd start looking at the simple stuff first:

- make sure the air filter is clean
- pull the spark plugs, "read" the ends and check for electrodes for wear
- clean the throttle body (bunch of DIY guides online)
- assuming you are a 1999 Corolla (userID) so this will not apply, otherwise, if you are a 2000+ Corolla/Prism, clean the MAF/IAT sensor
- check all fluid levels
- check vacuum lines for leaks/damages
- verify charging system is in good shape
- verify cooling and lubrication system are in good shape
- couldn't hurt to scan the ECM for stored trouble codes, just because the CEL is not on, doesn't mean there isn't anything stored on the ECM