Engine Light

[NancyH]

Our toyota is a 2003 Corolla LE. The engine light continues to stay on and yet at the dealership they said it was because the gas lid is sensitive and it has to be on just right. everything has been tried and yet it remains on, we had this problem with our toyota van in 86, came on and never left and noone at the dealership can fix it. My question is, is this a common problem with toyota? Only my second toyota and it seems it is common with the only 2 we've had and our nissan or saturn never did. In the van it eventually affected the engine by just suddenly stauling, we've had the corolla only 2 months and this is already starting, the van took a couple years to get engine light sensor problem. Do we have a dud or what?

[TheNissanMan]

Sounds bizarre...

I can't help with a solution, would hope someone will be along shortly. All I can suggest is keep chasing your Dealership, if the car is 2 months old it should not be having problems like this. If you keep getting unsatisfactory results from the dealer try call Toyota GB, someone will post the number in a bit I'm sure.

Oh and welcome to the club :D

[dosenöffner]

Could be the sender from the alternator. Lights can work off seeing a voltage generated by them as the engine has to be running for this to happen.

Name and shame the dealership.

[Gally]

This doesnt sound like its your engine light thats on, more like an emission problem. Too much Co2. Most cars are now fitted with a lambada, (alongside your catayalitic converter). Basically it keeps your engine running economically especially when engine is cold. They can become troublesome, very sensitive, even any oil or dirt gets at it, the chip will blow. Just tell your dealer to attach the leads and check it out on their laptop. They are straight forward to replace.

[spwolf]

before we start with some crazy ideas about why would check engine light go on, lets remember that when dealer connects computer to the car obd they will see what the error code is and find out the issue... so make sure your dealer did get it on computer, has checked the code and has fixed the issue no matter what it is... and no, it is not a common issue with Toyota.

and guys... Corolla LE -> US sedan model, very much different car from euro models (including sedans), so the guy is probably in the states

[justvisiting]

I'm getting the impression that the Check Engine light problem can happen for a variety of reasons, so I'm not going to suggest that my reason is THE reason. On my '91 Corolla, the Check Engine light came on a couple of years ago and has remained on ever since. This is especially tricky because here in California we can't pass a smog test with that light on. Grr.

My mechanic said it was an error with the EGR temp sensor (basically a sensor that tracks the engine and whether it needs to be 'checked'), and when he replaced it, lo and behold, the check engine light went off. For about 2 days. When it returned, he took a look at the new EGR temp sensor, and it was full of oil. He pulled it out, cleaned it up, dried it off, and stuck it back in. It worked for maybe half a day. Apparently, I have some sort of oil leak that's covering the EGR sensor, and causing it to malfunction.

So, I guess the moral here is to make sure the sensor is actually functional (replacement cost me about $150), and that a competent mechanic should be able to help you with this, though it might take a few visits.

[jimma]

Our toyota is a 2003 Corolla LE. The engine light continues to stay on and yet at the dealership they said it was because the gas lid is sensitive and it has to be on just right. everything has been tried and yet it remains on, we had this problem with our toyota van in 86, came on and never left and noone at the dealership can fix it. My question is, is this a common problem with toyota? Only my second toyota and it seems it is common with the only 2 we've had and our nissan or saturn never did. In the van it eventually affected the engine by just suddenly stauling, we've had the corolla only 2 months and this is already starting, the van took a couple years to get engine light sensor problem. Do we have a dud or what?

Its not up to the dealership to offer crap excuses, it's up to the dealership to sort the problem, end of story. Consumer law says this and if they can't fix it it's up to them to replace your car, they will of course deny this and it will take some effort on your (and Office Fair Trading) part. If anyone knows different, let me know but this was definately the case when I had consumer probs (admittedly, not a car).

[mattlee]

I have a similar problem with my Avensis 2.0 TD, R reg. The engine light periodically comes on and stays on ( 4 times in the last six months). Fluid levels are normal, engine performance smooth as silk. The light usually operates normally after the next warm start. What sensors does the light interact with? It is going to be difficult to reproduce the fault at a dealership.

I hired a Corolla in Johannesburg a few years ago, and again the light came on and stayed on. This time the hirer changed the car before we ventured into the bush

[cutesalmon]

I recently purchased a 2000 Camry LE with 38,000 miles. check engine light came on, went to dealer, said it was gas cap issue and reset it, came on again so they said bring it in. They NOW tell me it needs a charcoal canister which will cost $900 !!??? which is NOT covered, even though I got an extended warranty.

Went to talk to my regular mechanic who told me to buy a new gas cap, He said that canister should definitely last much longer, even the life of the car.

Any suggestions??

[LBOCEAN]

Just in the process of going through similar steps with my 93 Corolla LE.

First things First.

If your Check Engine Light is on, then you need to define what code(s) are currently being stored within the ECM (Engine Control Module). By doing an online search for Toyota and Check Engine and Codes, you should be able to locate a list of codes that breaks down the various numbers related to the emission part failure as well as what two contacts you need to jump in order to read the check engine light codes.

Generally what ends up causing the code (most of the time) is either the O2 Sensor or in my case, the EGR Temp Sensor.

The "forward" O2 sensor, located at the exhaust manafold, usually has a life expectancy of about 60,000 miles. However, in my case, mine lasted much longer and only up till now, after testing did I find that it was failing, but had not yet completely failed. Currently I have a 179,000 on the car. I'd say I got my monies out of the first one, and I will be replacing it in due time.

Regarding the Canister comment above. Just a note to help prolong the Canisters life, Don't fill your tank past the first click! I know for me, owning earlier model cars, it's been a difficult thing not to do, and especially with today's gas prices, you may find yourself trying to Top-Off (if you will)... Don't !

Excess fuel heads straight to the Canister and thats one major thing that can kiss the life out of the canister in a heartbeat.

A few more tips;

Perform EFI's at least once a year. They can run anywhere between $50 at your local auto repair shop, to $125 at the dealer. EFI's help remove gum and deposits within your intake manafold and carbon buildup on your pistons. By investing alittle every year, you can keep your car running smoother and maintain better gas milage. (I've managed to go for 11 years without ever swapping out an Emission part simply because of the routine maintenance I've performed.)

Another good habit to get into is changing your trans oil about every 40-50 thousand miles. I simply let the dealer do a trani-flush service (alittle more than just replacing the oil, about $125.00). Again, I've got 179,000 on the car right now and it still shifts positive, no slippage.

The same goes for engine oil. Although you really don't need to change it out every 3000 miles (like some service places advertise). Somewere between 5000-7000 is sufficiant for most. If you do more in town driving, then change sooner. If you do more highway driving, then change alittle later.