D.O.A. Camry!

[PAUL161]

I've always done my own work on my vehicles, but the new truck, other than change the oil, is a no no for any other wrench maintenance. I had to take it to the dealer for a scheduled transmission oil change. Everything has to be plugged into a diagnostic machine since everything is computer controlled! I like the truck, Chevy Silverado, but expensive to maintain, $195.00 for the transmission oil change, among other things all done by machine. Plug and Play! Microsoft probably has it's finger in it somewhere! Oh yeah, they will remind you when it's time to spend more money!

 

[mikephillips]

The Corolla I drive is nearly 20 now, been a great to and from work, run errands type car. And it does have a stick, since God gave us 2 hands and feet for a reason.. Can't complain about what I've gotten out of it over the years. But it isn't unique or different from everything else on the road.

 

[AngliaGT]

Does it have a "$" light that comes on when it needs maintenance?

I've always done my own work on my vehicles, but the new truck, other than change the oil, is a no no for any other wrench maintenance. I had to take it to the dealer for a scheduled transmission oil change. Everything has to be plugged into a diagnostic machine since everything is computer controlled! I like the truck, Chevy Silverado, but expensive to maintain, $195.00 for the transmission oil change, among other things all done by machine. Plug and Play! Microsoft probably has it's finger in it somewhere! Oh yeah, they will remind you when it's time to spend more money!

 

[DavidApp]

I gather some modern cars you need a scan tool (Not the Auto Zone one) to change the rear brake pads. I had to go to you tube to find out how to do my daughter,s Honda rear brakes.

David

 

[JPSmit]

I gather some modern cars you need a scan tool (Not the Auto Zone one) to change the rear brake pads. I had to go to you tube to find out how to do my daughter,s Honda rear brakes.

David

not the brakes but the brake change sensor gets triggered and needs to be replaced/ reset. Interestingly just the other day I was being entertained with tales of a mutual friend who wanted to change the sensor on his Golf - it was stuck so he thought a little heat would help - and promptly melted the wires - and all of a sudden a $50 job became a $300 one.

 

[DavidApp]

What I got from the video was the parking portion of the rear brakes has a motor to operate it and needs that scan tool to drive the motor back to the starting point. I may have missed something or he may have mis spoke on the video.
Way too many things to go wrong.

David

not the brakes but the brake change sensor gets triggered and needs to be replaced/ reset. Interestingly just the other day I was being entertained with tales of a mutual friend who wanted to change the sensor on his Golf - it was stuck so he thought a little heat would help - and promptly melted the wires - and all of a sudden a $50 job became a $300 one.

 

[Silverghost]

Sounds about like the guy I have been watching on you tube.

YouTube has saved us major $$$$$ over the last year. Our 2003 Honda Pilot started having some issues - alternator, key cylinder, then undefined stalling issue the dealer wanted $3000-3500 to start to fix, maybe. Dealer said the alternator was over charging which burned out the fuel pump and they would have to replace everything. Quick search of YouTube and the alternator was in, out and in in an hour, ignition cylinder also fixed in under an hour and the undefined stalling issue was a $50 relay replaced in 15 minutes. I'm a HUGE fan of YouTube.

 

[3798j]

What I got from the video was the parking portion of the rear brakes has a motor to operate it and needs that scan tool to drive the motor back to the starting point. I may have missed something or he may have mis spoke on the video.
Way too many things to go wrong.

David

You followed it correctly David. With electric parking brakes (EPB) a scan tool is needed to retract the pads. Otherwise there is no way to install new pads. I got this four years ago, it's the Autel Maxi Diag Elite 802 scanner. It's easy to use and back then was the cheapest I could find that had the EPB retraction feature.
https://www.amazon.com/Autel-MD802-...ons&keywords=autel+maxidiag+elite+md802&psc=1

 

[DrEntropy]

Been holding off getting a scan tool, but after this last adventure it looks like one is in my future.

YouTube saved me a visit to a shop a bit after we got the Toyota. I'd changed out the air filter(s) and replaced the "dogbone" top engine brace, removed the battery cables to clean the terminals. On the test ride it would stall out at stops. Baffled me, as it ran fine prior. YT had the answer: Disconnecting the battery reset the "brain" to defaults but the throttle body cruds up over time and the computer compensates for it. Cleaning the throttle body of built up dirt with a shop towel dampened with carb cleaner "fixed" the issue. I'd been messing with it for an hour with reading the factory shop manual to no avail, decided to google the issue and found the video. Ten minutes and a couple clamps!

 

[JPSmit]

What I got from the video was the parking portion of the rear brakes has a motor to operate it and needs that scan tool to drive the motor back to the starting point. I may have missed something or he may have mis spoke on the video.
Way too many things to go wrong.

David

that is a whole other level - sounds like another use for the scan tool I had not anticipated.

 

[DavidApp]

At the moment I just have a dumb code reader. Looks like I may have to upgrade to something better. Our Impala had a Traction control problem a few months ago. The code was very generic and could have been the throttle position sensor or the throttle pedal position sensor. I changed the throttle pisition sensor and reset the code. Everything was fine for a few weeks then it came back so I changed the pedal assembly. So far so good.
Who knew the Impala was fly by wire. No throttle cable.
A better scan tool may have pinpointed the problem or not.

David

 

[sail]

When I got a VW Eurovan I discovered that it had no transmission fluid dipstick or drain (possibly why so many fail.) You've got to use the OBD to read transmission fluid temperature to set the correct level with an overflow valve. A ScanGauge (about $120) allows me to read this value plus read and reset codes. I also use it while driving mainly in mountains or hot conditions to keep an eye on things.
Since then I got an ELM ODB WIFI interface plug (around $20) and various downloadable free app's for the phone which I take on all trips in all the cars except the TR. Many of the programs are more focused on trip and fuel milage but others are more diagnostic. The plugs can be either for Mac or android.

 

[Alfred E. Neuman]

I think the trans filling procedure you describe is pretty universal now. It's been that way with Mercedes on their true automatics since the .9 transmission was introduced. They originally considered the fluid to be "lifetime", meaning it was never meant to be changed. They've now amended that to 40k intervals. I'm guessing the original "lifetime" they used was warranty period . Seems that what a customer considers lifetime and a design engineer consider lifetime are two different things.

I'm also surprised there's no way to get the electronic parking brake to retract to the pad fitting position without having a computer hooked up to it. On Mercedes, there's a menu that's reached through some button pushing on the steering wheel that gives you access to a maintenance screen. From there you can select the pad fitting position for the parking brake.
I've talked to BMW techs, and they tell me you have to have the car hooked up to a computer to change the battery. The battery control module will give a bunch of fault codes if a new battery is put in without telling it. Has to do with the control module adapting to the old battery as it degrades over time, and it's a shock to it's system to have a new battery give proper readings it isn't expecting. Can't even put a battery in a car without a computer.​

 

[mikephillips]

Not surprising, it brings a few more dollars in the door. Let's face it, if it was practical to require a reader of some sort to refuel, someone would require it so you come back for gas.

 

[AngliaGT]

I think the trans filling procedure you describe is pretty universal now. It's been that way with Mercedes on their true automatics since the .9 transmission was introduced. They originally considered the fluid to be "lifetime", meaning it was never meant to be changed. They've now amended that to 40k intervals. I'm guessing the original "lifetime" they used was warranty period . Seems that what a customer considers lifetime and a design engineer consider lifetime are two different things.

I'm also surprised there's no way to get the electronic parking brake to retract to the pad fitting position without having a computer hooked up to it. On Mercedes, there's a menu that's reached through some button pushing on the steering wheel that gives you access to a maintenance screen. From there you can select the pad fitting position for the parking brake.
I've talked to BMW techs, and they tell me you have to have the car hooked up to a computer to change the battery. The battery control module will give a bunch of fault codes if a new battery is put in without telling it. Has to do with the control module adapting to the old battery as it degrades over time, and it's a shock to it's system to have a new battery give proper readings it isn't expecting. Can't even put a battery in a car without a computer.​

Makes my '67 MGB GT look great! - no computers,etc.

 

[pdplot]

One more reason to lease rather than buy a new car and keep it. Problem for us will come when our '02 Accord decides to give up.

 

[DrEntropy]

Not surprising, it brings a few more dollars in the door. Let's face it, if it was practical to require a reader of some sort to refuel, someone would require it so you come back for gas.

That's coming... "charging stations" are here now. A software upgrade and Cuthbert's th' parrot of your great aunt.

 

[3798j]

Not sticking up for BMW (or any car manufacturer), but there are scanners that can register new batteries to the BMW's charging system so the owner isn't tied to the dealer. https://www.foxwelltool.com/wholesa...-with-one-fre-car-brand-software-and-obd.html
I also think that make/model specific forums are just as important for the late model owner as they are for us in the old car hobby. Otherwise you're visiting the dealer or the independent.