....... The car has only power-tran warranty left, which may not cover the fix, but since i just bought the car, I have a 30 day bumper to bumper warranty. I hope they wont just tell me that there is nothing wrong.
By the way this morning I started the car at -5 C. It started making the sound at about 80 seconds after start and ended at roughly 120 seconds. My car does not rev up and down as fast as in the audio clip, it's about 5 or 6 seconds per cycle (not as annoying). So it only does it about 7 or 8 times per start.
The engine computer should be part of the 5 year powertrain warranty, and since it also plays a key role in controlling pollution, it may be argueable that it should fall under the 8 year pollution control component warranty.
As for the number of "pulses" and the delay between each one, that is variable with the temperature and viscosity of the engine oil. This varies throughout the winter and it is not unusal to find that as the outdoor temperature gets colder, there are more pulses occurring and they are spaced more seconds apart.
As weather turns colder and then warmer, it takes several days for the computer's adaptation processs to fully take place, so symptoms may be newly appearing and disappearing when least expected.
The key to stopping this is to get the peak rpm to never go above the nominal range of 1800 to 2000, and that can only be achieved through the re-calibration software.
Now for the news we all have been patiently waiting for since 2 years.
The long awaited software patch was installed on my car last friday morning, February 9, 2007.
It works. Yes, Toyota fully understood the problem and came up with an authentic solution.
The installation of any software version in my car was the equivalent of doing an ECU reset in that with or without this patch, my car would be expected to immediately operate properly, and it did. It would take several days for me to begin to sense any durable improvement.
Following the installation, I left the city for a weekend trip to ski country, a hundred miles north of Montreal.
The car spent its first night with a low of about minus 14 F, colder than I can ever recall in the last 5 years. The next morning the car started and the peak idle never went above 2300 with no pulsing at any time. The rate at which the rpms dropped progressively over the next 3 minutes was quite impressive. Later that day, I started the car for the second time, and the results were similar.
The car spent the second night with a low of about minus 15 F. The next morning, the motor raced above 2500 within 10 seconds, followed by 4 pulses, after which, the engine quickly slowed down progressively without any pulses.
I am going to suggest that the 2500 rpms peak was triggered by the excessively cold overnight temperature and by the fact that the ECU had not completed it adaptation process which usually takes several days. It would appear that where the safety limit used to be 2300 rpm before the motor would be temperarily cut, it has now been revised upwards by 200 rpm to 2500. The car was restarted one more time that same afternoon without the peak rpms hitting 2500, and with no pulsing. I then brought the car back to the city last sunday night.
The coldest it has been this week where I live is minus 9.5 degrees F. , this being relatively warmer than the minus 15 degrees of last weekend.
The car has stayed outdoors and been started at least twice each day for the last four days. At no time has there been any pulsing.
I conclude that the ECU recalibration has solved the problem.
At this point in time, there are at least 19 other car owners in Canada (14 Toyota/5 Pontiac) and at least 17 other car owners in the United States (13 Toyota/4 Pontiac) which share this problem.
Most of you are anxiously awaiting news about how to obtain the same fix.
I have received so far mixed messages directly and indirectly from Toyota Canada as to whether or not a technical service bulletin will be eventually published. Publishing is expected to add several months to any rollout.
I have no doubt that you would like to receive your ECU update while it is still cold enough for your cars to demonstrate that the fix is indeed working rather than being obliged to wait until next autumn.
I hope you will approach your dealerships being respectful of the fact that a little patience with Toyota and Pontiac will be necessary, as they are still in the preliminary stage.
I have updated the beginning of the first post of this thread to draw attention to the official release by Toyota of bulletin TSB2754, designed to solve this problem.
Oh my god, I just found this posting and my 03 Corolla does the EXACT SAME THING! I have no idea what to do or where to go, can anyone help? I'm going to call the 800 number and I'll take the poll. I can't thank you enough for publishing all that info!
Last edited by atoyot1978; 01-26-2008 at 07:05 PM.
I've had Toyota do the "ECU recalibration" for me this winter. They did not really care for the TSB number. I just told them whats wrong and they decided that the recalibration should be done. The fix is good. The car seems to idle a little lower now and never reaches 2300 RPM (with the rare few exceptions). Since the fix the RPM has gone over 2300 and cut off just a few times, and never more than once in a row.
Make sure you get it done before 130,000KM so you don't have to pay.
I have an '04 rolla 5 spd and it can be between 40F and 50F and it will get up to 2300 and cut out once, maybe twice and gets worse the lower the outside temp is. I will probably now have to wait until fall and cooler temps b4 I take this in for the ECU flash.
Wow, I wish I had found this forum sooner.....got 160K on my '03 Corolla so I'm sure they'll want me to pay for it. But it sure is an annoying sound so I'll be getting this taken care of closer to wintertime. Thanks for all the hard work in finding a resolution with Toyota!
Is anyone still viewing this thread? I hope so...I was wondering if this ECU software patch was still available?
I'll put my hat in now as a new member to the Toyota rev hunting problem. I have a 2007 Corolla manual tranny. At approx. 45,000km the car started to hunt revs when cold. If the temp is +4 C or less and the car has sat overnight the engine starts and idles fine and after 1.5 km of driving if I unload the tranny and coast to the stop sign the engine starts hunting revs between 1,300 to 2,300 rpm every 1.5 seconds or so. It's worse the colder it gets. The car will do this at idle as well only in -15C after overnight cold soaking. Starts fine, problem starts after 1.5 km....and if cold enough I can get out of car and walk around as it hunts. If temp is any warmer the car only will do it when the engine is unloaded and rolling to a stop sign but usually stops when the vehicle stops. In all cases the problem is an every time problem...it always does it if below -4....it isn't intemittent...then it always goes away after vehicle travels about 4 or 5 km.
Dealer has replaced many sensors, the throttle body, the CPU. Nothing changes. The dealer said that maybe that is what that car is supposed to do?? "the nature of the beast" I can recall him saying!!!! As I sit beside my $24,000 out the door cost of my Toyota I can't imagine that I would have touched this car sounding like it does. I gave them the TSB number you gave and they said that was an old one an would have been fixed by 2007 vehicles so it didn't apply. Does anyone have a newer model Corolla doing this. Any help or any specific words to get them to fix this? This is not the "nature of the beast" I'm sure.
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
ToyotaNation.com is an independent Toyota/Lexus enthusiast website. ToyotaNation.com is not sponsored by or in any way affiliated with Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. The Toyota, Lexus and Scion names and logos are trademarks owned by Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.
Linear Mode
