I hope someone can help me with a little insight to this problem I am having with an 01 Corolla CE. This is our first experience witha Toyota.
I bought a used 01 Corolla CE for my college age son 2 weeks ago from a Honda dealership. I picked it up on Friday the 9th. Saturday morning I noticed a huge puddle o' something in the driveway and also had very hard shifting (manual trans.) so took it back to them. They replaced the "timing belt tensioner seal" and said there was no other leak and checked the fluids, and then took it across the street to a Toyota dealer where they replaced the clutch and also looked for an oil leak which they couldn't find. They gave it back to me on Tuesday the 13th. I left with the car from Arizona to take it to my son in Illinois, but broke down in Amarillo Texas (about 700 miles). There was no oil at all in the car, so put a few quarts in it and took it to a Toyota dealer in Amarillo. They replaced a front axle seal, but also could not find an oil leak and said the level at that point was fine after I had added it the night before so on I went. Drove it the rest of the way to the St. Louis area, about another 750 miles. Delivered the car to my son this past Sunday, and lo an behold, he calls me today and says there is no oil in it. He has looked around and there doesn't seem to be a puddle on the ground. He said it smokes from the exhaust in 1st and 2nd gear, and has no power. So my question to this long winded story is - WHERE DOES THE OIL KEEP GOING and why couldn't two seperate Toyota shops find it? What is going on with this car?
Thank you in advance for your help !
Thanks for your prompt response!! Tried that. The car came with a "1500 mile 30 day" warranty. They knew full well that I intended to drive the car to my son in IL after I bought it. They covered the repairs done at the Toyota dealer in Arizona (about $680), and the repair in Texas (about $220), and are now saying it's over 1500 miles and my problem. This car had this problem from the beginning, but neither Toyota service center found or fixed it. I haven't a clue as to what it is or what to look for? I told my son (since he now has the car in IL, I am in AZ) to the Toyota dealer there, I guess I am now stuck with the repair bill, but I don't want them to come back and not be able to find the problem like the previous two shops (three if you count the Honda shop initially). What could this be?
your son says it smokes when he accelerates? does blue/grey smoke come out when startin it? I cant imagine a car bruning up that much oil so fast. and this problem must be detectable if you can loose that many quarts of oil.
Well, seeing as he saw a puddle in the morning, I'd say it's quite possibly a combination of both.........(the latter only because now, the motor's probably takin' a hit).
Somehow, somewhere oil's gettin' out.
However............
Rest assured that at least you took it back to the dealer when you saw this tuff happening. That's your ace in the hole!!!!! You actually went to them to find out what was wrong. If this motor grenades because of this, then it's on them. I'd tell your son to stop driving it ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have THAT dealer tow the car back at THEIR expense and explain EVERYTHING that's happened again so far. If they don't listen, just grab a lawyer!!!!!!!!!!
Once you explain that you went to them 'cuz you were "losing oil" and now your son says there's "no oil" in the motor, AFTER they worked on it, that should be cut & dry, black & white, no bones about it..........that dealer's got a problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's my thinking too. thanks. However, the Honda dealership that I bought it from is saying that I had it looked at their expense by two different Toytota dealers that couldn't find a problem, so they have done their part, end of story. Problem is, they were looking for an oil leak, found a couple, fixed them and thought they were done, they never looked for a consumption issue. I woudl just love to give the car back to them for a refund and call it even, but the car is in IL and I and the dealership is in Arizona. My son took it to a Toyota dealer there to try to find and fix the problem, whatever it may be, and I hope that the Honda dealer has enough integrity to stand up and take care of it. Otherwise, Iwill just have to pay becuase I didn't intend to gift my son with an $8000 flower planter.
Thanks. Would that explain why we don't see copious amounts of oil dripping out of the car as you would think going through 4 quarts of oil in < 500 miles and would it be an expensive repair to have done at a Toyota shop?
Thanks. Would that explain why we don't see copious amounts of oil dripping out of the car as you would think going through 4 quarts of oil in < 500 miles and would it be an expensive repair to have done at a Toyota shop?
yes and yes. it very well might be burning enough oil to cause what your describing. find a mechanic you trust first and foremost.
What does the "out of oil" situation mean? Was it low or all the way below the end of the dipstick? In a used car, always check that to see if you have an OEM dipstick. If not you should at least calibrate the aftermareket dipstick against an OEM dipstick.
If you want to diagnose an oil leak you will probably have to remove the engine undercovers and get a good look at the bottom of the engine. If you see oil, it is a good idea to clean everything up with soap and water and see where it reappears. An old leak can drip into crannies where there is no real leak.
Everything I know about all things mechanical could be written on a matchstick, but when it was "out of oil" in Amarillo, the dipstick was dry, literally. I ran my fingers down it, and nothing. It is now at a Toyota dealer in IL, and they will diagnose it tomorrow. I spoke with the GM of the dealership that I bought it from here in AZ, and he will take a look at all the facts and let me know tomorrow if they will cover the repairs. I think they are honor bound to do so, as they sold me a car that literally cannot be driven. They knew I was going to drive it to IL from AZ and run out the 1500 mile warranty in two days.
I chose to buy the used Corolla for my son based on the reputation for reliability and economy, but don't have any personal experience with Toyotas. Did I make a huge mistake, or just inadvertantly get caught with a huge lemon?
True. Unfortunately I have always had Honda Civics, and that's why I was at a Honda dealer. I was looking for a used Civic to buy, but they steered me to this cute little Corolla they had on the lot (can you say "pidgeon"???) It looked like a fantastic car, a 2001 model, in pristine condition interior and exterior, the CarFax indicated only one previous owner and no claims or accidents, looked like exactly what I was looking for. It was $7665 OTD, and I couldn't even get close to a Civic 5 years old or less for that. I trusted them when they said they had inspected it and it had no mechanical issues. HA!
Well, you probably *did* get a lemon, but under unusual circumstances. In the case of a Corolla, you're pretty much talking a bullet proof automobile.
It's kinda' weird and, to be honest, I just can't imagine how the dealer didn't catch the leak. It isn't that hard to track that stuff down...........especially on a newer car. Most things should be rather clean so it should have been easy to track back to the source.
That said, if it is a rear main seal leak or something internal like that, it should still spill out somewhere in the bellhousing....(where the engine & trans meet).....so it should have been visible there or somewhere.
I think you were on track for a good deal ($7665 is a good price for an '01 from a dealer) but you just got a lemon and I say that lightly because it's probably more of a "lemony situation" which should have been cauht by the dealer long before selling the car to anyone.
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