My box has about 31,xxx miles on it. I just got in a month and 21 days ago. This is the first time it has given me any problems and I don't know what's wrong. Here are the issues I am having.

First of all the only "mods" I have done is I removed the snorkel 3 or 4 weeks ago and put a new exhaust tip on like 2 days ago.

Yesterday I got in my car and started it up and the idle was really rough. It wanted to keep dying but if I gave it a little gas it would keep running. If I put it in neutral it would do a little better. I sat there for a few minutes and when I went to take off the car barely moved. I pushed the gas in at least half way and it didn't hardly move then all of a sudden the rpms jumped up and it took off only to bog down once again. It did this for a couple min. then it seemed to straighten out. It was driving ok but then it seemed to be "missing" cause you could feel it jerk every so often. Never paid much attention to the "Maint Req" light when starting the car but it seems to be flashing a little longer now, but it doesnt stay on. When I just went out to check on it I also noticed a little more smoke coming out the exhaust than I have ever seen. It is under warranty so I will take it to the dealer but I can't get there until Fri. Anybody have any idea what this could be?

 

did you put all those miles on since you got it? if so did you change the oil? and other reg maintenance? if it's been maintained correctly then the dealer should fix whatever is wrong there otherwise you may be holding the bag if the car wasn't maintained

 

No, it had like 28,xxx when I got it. Next oil change isn't schedule for about another 200 miles. I haven't had any of the maintenance done yet, don't know about before I got it.

 

based on my limited knowledge of fuel injection, sounds like it may be a throttle position sensor. i had one go out on me on a different car. same symptoms....

 

thanks for the replies so far guys. One more question. Does Toyota give out loaner cars while your car is being fixed? I have heard from one person they do and another they don't. I didn't think so but this guy was telling me he went in to have something fixed and they gave him a loaner.

 

Toyota does not give out loaners--Scion DOES if they have to keep the car overnight. It sounds like it could be the MAF sensor. Look in the tech section and see about resetting the ECU also. Good luck.

 

Sounds like somethin with the fuel system. My dad always told me start with the simplest things first so... it could be bad gas (water in it or other contaminants) or the fuel filter could be partially clogged. The previous owner may have routinely run the tank almost dry which can cause more crud than normal to build up in the filter. Just my $.02. Let us know what it turns out to be.

 

Same to me. Had a friend who's car had some little piece of plastic in the fuel line partially blocking it. Symptoms sound very similar. I'd dump in a bottle of fuel injector cleaner maybe some gas dryer too and see if it gets better. Or take it back to where you bought it and tell them to fix it.

 

KISS - check the fuel line and fuel filter first, before going off the deep end. Should be able to do that yourself if you're slightly handy.

"Maint Req" light is tied to odometer, not any engine sensors. Flashes before oil change is due, stays on when it's due. Doesn't mean the computers sensed anything. That'd be the "check engine" light.

Stupid idiot lights.

 

MAF or TPI X2. If it's under warranty let them deal with it and please report back with details.

 

Well took it to the dealer this morning. After two hours of the run around I asked for the service manager and he said they hadn't figured it out yet but there was definitly a problem. DUH! He said he would take it out personally and drive it to see if he could tell what was wrong. I told him I needed a loaner and I was going home. He gave me some BS about not having any loaners, they cut the fleet from thirty down to only a few. Soon as they come in they are reserved and go right back out. So I called and got a ride home. Haven't heard from them yet and they have had it for almost 4 hours. I am getting ready to call them and see what they found out. After I started it this morning after work it ran for a few seconds and died with alot of white smoke coming out the exhaust. It also had a really wierd smell to it. So I will update when I hear back from them.

 

White smoke? Did it smell sweet?

I hope, for your sake, that coolant isn't getting into your motor, but white, sweet smelling smoke means coolant.

Oil is blue smoke, for referrence.

 

Ugh... coolant in the engine means blown head gasket. Major pain in the a$$!

 

What dealership did you drop it off at?

 

white smoke as far as I know is automatic transmission fluid. Cars of old (not sure about newer ones) have a vacume seal that gets pressure from the exaust. If it goes transmission fluid leaks into the exhaust and you get puffs of white smoke.

(edit.. not a sylenoid, it was a vacume line. The seal gets broke and tran fluid pulses into the exhaust. HUGE white plumes)

 

watching

 

I think the word you are looking for is "Modulator Valve"
If it is white it is most likley anti freeze/ Anti boil.


Scott

 

Richmond Toyota.

Ok just got back from the dealership and the problem was....

"Contaminated gas"

They couldn't tell me what the contaminate was only that it had a strong odor and was really oily. They asked me if I had put E85 in it and I told them no I only use 87 octane from Shell or Marathon. I haven't added any additives or anything to the fuel system. My exhaust tip now has a black gunk all over it now to. Anyway they drained the tank, flushed out the entire fuel system, and replaced the air and fuel filter. I just drove it home and no problems at all runs just like new. I wish there was a way to figure out what it was that got in there. They said they checked everything out and there were no other systems leaking into the fuel system so their guess was that the tanks at the gas station just had something in them. I told the service manager that it just started happening when the tank was below 1/4 tank and when I filled up again it kept happening and he said it was because the contaminate was heavier than gas so it didn't effect it until the gas got low enough.

Oh yeah they said since it wasn't a manufacturers defect it wasn't covered in the warranty so I had to shell out $170 plus a tank of gas (cause I had just filled it, they drained it and put enough in to get it to E, which is what I expected) I was also without my box for 9 hours, and I was so worried.

 

Almost sounds like diesel got put in by mistake. That would explain alot of the symptoms.

 

Glad your baby is back on the road! :D