Could It Be The Oxigen Sensor?

March 5, 2004

last november I purchased a 1999 corolla CE with 93k miles on it. (96k now) Since i bought the car I have changed the sparkplug and cables, pcv valve and air filter as well as transmission and motor oil.

Lately I have been noticing a sharp increase in fuel consumption and although the car idles and runs fine I have noticed that when I accelerate hard (ej. crossing a intersection) it feels somewhat slow like if it was "loaded" with people.

I have talked with a friend and we both came to the conclusion that it might be the o2 sensor but I am not fully convinced because I dont get a "check engine" light. Can the oxigen sensor be bad even if the check engine light does not show a problem?

Fuel economy is very important for me here in Honduras since we pay US$2.88 per gallon. Right now my car is making like 17mpg. So fixing this problem is a high priority for me.

thanks for your help

Hector David Salinas

1999 Corolla CE

March 5, 2004

Fuel economy is very important for me here in Honduras since we pay US$2.88 per gallon.

.... in the UK we are paying the equivelent of $5.26 for one of your gallons for standard fuel... count your self lucky !!!

March 6, 2004

sounds like it could be an air mass meter problem, but that would usually cause a bad idle too - but I guess it depends on how broke the sensor is. I would change the oil and filter, also air filter and fuel filter just to make sure everythings running ok. Might be worth using some injector cleaner stuff too.

im not too technical so not sure if this is right, but it cant hurt to try

G

March 8, 2004

:bookworm:

Hello from Puerto Rico.

Just to remind you that you should also check the basic stuff, like the wheel alignment, tire balance, and also that

the tires have the correct cold tire pressure as it is written

probably on a sticker located inside the driver's door area.

If that car uses a timing belt instead of the actual timing chain of the 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla, is time to replace it since many miles ago. And, I think a good Toyota dealer should have the equipment to diagnose and correct the problem quickly because it might be something else, maybe

even clogged fuel injectors of a clogged fuel filter.

Remember that you bought a used Toyota. If the maintenance was not performed correctly the engine will have several premature problems.

Find a good Toyota dealer and pay for an estimate of parts and labor, even if it is a little expensive and you decide not to let them repair the vehicle and go to an independent mechanic. 17 miles per gallon is 8 cylinders fuel efficiency; a disaster for 4 cylinders vehicle.

Good Luck :thumbsup: