2nd Oct 2007, 17:15

First off, I'm an amateur mechanic, but I know how all the systems work in today's EFI cars. I turboed my 98 Eclipse GS, and built the car from the ground up as a hobby.

I didn't know the Celica had so many issues. Most cars with a malfunctioning IAC (idle air control valve) will have an erratic idle and will almost stall. If any Celica owners want to try to remove the valve and soak it in carb cleaner, that should help your idling problems.

If anyone has the time or money to invest in a pocket logger that plugs into the OBD-II port on your car, you can test to see what is happening when it's sluggish in 1st gear. Even an air/fuel gauge will tell you if you're running lean or rich. You should test the compression and see if it's within service specs. You should also make sure there are no vacuum leaks.

Over time the heat from the motor will make the little vacuum hoses brittle and fragile. Cracks can form in the hose, and you can have a very small vacuum leak that will affect the idle and performance of your car. All vacuum lines come from the back of the intake manifold on your car. Just follow them around and look for old hoses with cracks.

I'll bookmark this page and check back later. If anyone tries what I mentioned above, please post a comment.

7th Oct 2007, 22:30

Sooo...Just bought a 2000 Celica GT, love the car, but I'm having ALL SORTS of problems.

While driving it will kick as if it's struggling then once I slow down or come to a stop it will stall. It has an after market cold air intake and exhaust, I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it???

16th Oct 2007, 12:06

My fiancee has an automatic 2000 Celica GT with around 90k miles. It is constantly and has always run low on oil although there is no oil on the ground and no smoke from burning oil. She took it to Toyota and was told "it uses that much oil because it's so efficient." I have know idea where they got THAT from.

Now, the check engine light has been on for close to a year. Same hesitation, sputtering, etc. as has been mentioned by others. After the initial start-up, it is still SLIGHTLY rough, but runs fairly well. Got codes for multiple random misfire and system too lean.

I replaced the PCV valve, air filter, spark plugs and checked the vacuum tubes because all needed done whether that was the problem or not. Problem was still there. Took it to Toyota. They checked the injectors, coils and plugs. They said it was because we used platinum plugs instead of iridium. I replaced them with the suggested Denso Iridium plugs, but the problem was still there. Next took it to a private mechanic that specializes in Toyotas. He suggested replacing the heat sensor. She paid him to have that done - same problems. Back to the Toyota dealership who told her "it's a bad engine, you'll have to replace the entire thing."

Next took it to a friend of a friend who is a mechanic at a dealership. He ran the code scanner and determined that cylinders 1 and 4 were misfiring. He checked the coils and injectors and determined the problem was the injectors for cylinders 1 and 4. We replaced those and it ran perfect for about 2 weeks. Now the problem is back and is worse. It isn't just hesitating now, but nearly stalls. Last week she started it, floored the gas and it would just sputter like it was dying. After it sat for 5-10 minutes it ran okay again.

Anyone find any solutions yet?

8th Nov 2007, 11:35

I have a 2003 Celica.. It dies every time I fill it up with gas! I have taken it in 12 times to the dealership and they have replaced everything you can imagine including the transmission.. The check engine light has been on for over a year... no one has ever been able to find a solution to the problem... so I finally found a solution!!! I SOLD IT!!!

11th Nov 2007, 00:33

I just purchased a 2000 Celica GT 6 speed about two months ago. It has about 100,000 miles. Just last week while driving I noticed that while shifting to third gear it started grinding. It only grinds when I shift to third gear. It doesn't pop out of gear or get stuck in gear. Does anybody have any idea what the problem could be?

12th Nov 2007, 17:22

I have a 2002 GT Celica. I also have the same problem of the check engine light. Though it runs fine, perhaps a bit sluggishly, but other than that no noticeable problem. I have an appointment with my mechanic so he can check it out. Though does anyone experience difficulty putting in first gear? It seems that it does not like to go in, and the only way I can get it to go in is by slowly pushing it in as am slowing down. Otherwise it makes a grinding noise or it just feels like its stuck.

21st Nov 2007, 15:08

I have at 2000 Celica GTS with 95,000 miles. I love my car, but it has been giving me problems. The first time I went to fill up with gas, I freaked out. My car died as I drove away from the station. After it was warmed up, the car ran fine. This happens every single time I get gas so I sit there and help my car idle for a few minutes. Yes I do use Premium fuel.??? Also my check engine light has been on since I bought the car, but I have never taken it down to get plugged in. My dad changed the O2 censors, but the light came back on. I have also replaced a seal and a few other parts, but nothing major. I really want to get these things fixed now because I need to sell the car. I now need something family friendly :) One more thing... I have also had the sluggishness problems when starting out, but that seems to go away once the car is warmed up.

If anyone has suggestions please email me at sheenad10@hotmail.com. Thanks!

4th Dec 2007, 11:55

Hi, I have a 2002 celica gt it has about 87,000 miles on it. My service engine light keeps coming on, I have changed the gas cap, after a code check and told to do so. They cleared out the code only to have it come back on 4 days later. Any suggests? The car runs great. So I am lost to why it keeps coming on. Started at about 85,000 miles. All fluids are good, spark plugs good.Help!

20th Dec 2007, 16:36

Just took my 2000 GT automatic in for an oil change and to have the CEL diagnosed. Apparently it was the MAF sensor which my mechanic cleaned out and so far the car is running fine. I never noticed any idle problems before, but the car was a little sluggish until it warmed up. I assume that's because it's cold out now and the engine just needs a few minutes to warm up. The CEL had been on for about 2 months, but I never had any problems or anything, but it's better to have it checked out before anything major happens...