My 2001 Corolla has started idling extremely rough when I'm stopped at traffic lights. It happens sporadically and unpredictably. The car shakes and jerks and, if the light doesn't turn green fast enough, stalls. After the second time this happened, the check engine light came on with code P0240 (Catalyst System Efficiency). I brought it to my usual shop who told me the engine was misfiring. They changed my spark plugs and told me I was good to go. The check engine light was off when they returned it to me and I drove it for over 100 miles (mostly highway) over the next few days without it coming back on. After a few days of driving, the rough idling and stalling came back. After having trouble replicating the rough idle I was experiencing, my mechanic eventually found two bad ignition coils. He replaced them, and after driving 2 miles from the shop, the car idled rough and stalled on me again. I brought the car back to the shop. Mechanic seemed baffled, cleaned a few things, repaired some brittle looking vacuum hoses, and told me to bring it back if it does it again. It did it on the drive home. I'm at my wits end, he's at his wits end....any ideas for what could be at fault with new spark plugs, two new ignition coils, and no diagnostic codes coming up? Thanks for your time
2001 Corolla Rough Idle/Stalling
- Thread starter zounds
- Start date
Sounds like the catalytic converter is plugged. What happens is the engine slowly builds up pressure there, you lose vacuum, then stall.
1. Find another mechanic. This current one is a complete idiot.
2. Have new mechanic hook up a vacuum gauge to the intake manifold and check the vacuum for signs of a plugged converter.
1. Find another mechanic. This current one is a complete idiot.
2. Have new mechanic hook up a vacuum gauge to the intake manifold and check the vacuum for signs of a plugged converter.
The, "mechanic", who worked on your car owes you all your money back and this is per law. The problem you brought the vehicle in for was not resolved by their, "repairs" and so they owe you your money back. Anyone can do the parts replacement routine and just hope it will fix the problem. That's not diagnosing.
Incorrectly repairing a vehicle and charging a customer for it, with the original problem they brought the car in for still being present is either incompetence, dishonestly or a combination of both. Fraud.
If you had a plumber come to your home to fix the leak in the kitchen sink, but instead went to the upstairs bathroom and replaced the shower, charging you $500, while the kitchen sink still leaked, would you pay that $500? Of course not. It's no different with your car.
Go back to that auto center and demand your money back. Google the Office of Consumer Affairs for your area and contact them and they can inform you regarding your rights. You can also contact the District Attorney's Office regarding the fraud you may have been a victim of. Contact your Better Business Bureau as well. You can rain fire and brimstone down on this auto center! Get your money back!
Incorrectly repairing a vehicle and charging a customer for it, with the original problem they brought the car in for still being present is either incompetence, dishonestly or a combination of both. Fraud.
If you had a plumber come to your home to fix the leak in the kitchen sink, but instead went to the upstairs bathroom and replaced the shower, charging you $500, while the kitchen sink still leaked, would you pay that $500? Of course not. It's no different with your car.
Go back to that auto center and demand your money back. Google the Office of Consumer Affairs for your area and contact them and they can inform you regarding your rights. You can also contact the District Attorney's Office regarding the fraud you may have been a victim of. Contact your Better Business Bureau as well. You can rain fire and brimstone down on this auto center! Get your money back!
Thanks for the plugged converter tip. Will look into that.
I agree about the refund. It's really ludicrous that they haven't offered one yet, as my family has been going there (with good results) for over 10 years. Thanks for the encouragement, as I wasn't really sure if I had any grounds for requesting a refund or if it was just tough luck for me and my car.
I agree about the refund. It's really ludicrous that they haven't offered one yet, as my family has been going there (with good results) for over 10 years. Thanks for the encouragement, as I wasn't really sure if I had any grounds for requesting a refund or if it was just tough luck for me and my car.
Don't request, demand. "I want a refund for the repairs you did on my car that didn't fix the problem I brought it to you for". They are going to hem and haw, saying they can't give you free parts and labor. Then tell them, "Fine. The parts you removed from my car, reinstall them and refund the money to me that you charged me in labor that didn't resolve the problem I brought the car to you for". They are going to hem and haw saying they don't have the old parts anymore. Then say, "Fine. Then you owe me a refund for the parts and labor you charged me that didn't resolve the problem I brought my car to you for. Period". Give them the plumber scenario I gave you above and ask them if they'd pay for the $500 shower replacement that didn't fix the leak in the kitchen sink! They may even say something really stupid like, "Well there's no guarantee that the repair was going to fix the problem", blah, blah, blah. Your response is, "You mean to tell me you don't warranty your work?!", which is of course an absurd position!
By your description, it certainly sounds like they didn't diagnose anything and all they did was the parts replacement routine at your expense.
Contact your Office of Consumer Affairs, District Attorney's Office and Better Business Bureau. Know your rights as a consumer!
If this is a nationwide auto center and they give you grief about the refund, contact their regional District Manager. If it's a privately owned auto center, contact the owner. Demand the refund that is due to you. Don't agree to any kind of 50/50 deal either, where they will refund you the labor and not the parts. Their misdiagnosis is not your fault, it's theirs.
If this auto center refuses to give you a refund, if by any chance you paid for the repairs with a credit card, you can contact your credit card company, tell them the situation, that you feel you've been defrauded and you want your money back. To be defrauded is theft. Many credit card companies will not pay a bill that is fraud/theft and they may very well credit your account and hash it out with the auto center.
I have run/managed auto centers for close to 30 years and I assure you that you do have these rights. An auto center can't just do anything they want to you car and then demand payment.
When a vehicle comes in for repairs, say a check engine light like in your situation, the auto technician is not allowed to say, "Hmm...I think it's xxxx, so let's replace xxxx and see if that fixes it". That's not diagnosing a car. That's just being a parts replacer and anyone can do that, especially at your expense! This is why competent auto centers don't do the parts replacement routine when it comes to diagnostic work, because they know the customer doesn't have to pay for the parts replacement if it doesn't fix the problem.
When a vehicle comes in an auto center for diagnosis, that is what you pay for, not an endless stream of new parts hoping it will fix the problem!
The Office of Consumer Affairs, the District Attorney's Office and the Better Business Bureau will all contact this auto center on your behalf informing them that they can't legally charge a customer for repairs that didn't solve the problem you brought the car to them for. The District Attorney's Office may be able to find them as well, (this varies from state to state). You have a lot of consumer protection laws on your side. Don't be afraid to use them!
Don't let them rip you off! You'll likely have to fight for your money, but that's worth fighting for, no different than someone who tries to steal your wallet!
Go get 'em!
By your description, it certainly sounds like they didn't diagnose anything and all they did was the parts replacement routine at your expense.
Contact your Office of Consumer Affairs, District Attorney's Office and Better Business Bureau. Know your rights as a consumer!
If this is a nationwide auto center and they give you grief about the refund, contact their regional District Manager. If it's a privately owned auto center, contact the owner. Demand the refund that is due to you. Don't agree to any kind of 50/50 deal either, where they will refund you the labor and not the parts. Their misdiagnosis is not your fault, it's theirs.
If this auto center refuses to give you a refund, if by any chance you paid for the repairs with a credit card, you can contact your credit card company, tell them the situation, that you feel you've been defrauded and you want your money back. To be defrauded is theft. Many credit card companies will not pay a bill that is fraud/theft and they may very well credit your account and hash it out with the auto center.
I have run/managed auto centers for close to 30 years and I assure you that you do have these rights. An auto center can't just do anything they want to you car and then demand payment.
When a vehicle comes in for repairs, say a check engine light like in your situation, the auto technician is not allowed to say, "Hmm...I think it's xxxx, so let's replace xxxx and see if that fixes it". That's not diagnosing a car. That's just being a parts replacer and anyone can do that, especially at your expense! This is why competent auto centers don't do the parts replacement routine when it comes to diagnostic work, because they know the customer doesn't have to pay for the parts replacement if it doesn't fix the problem.
When a vehicle comes in an auto center for diagnosis, that is what you pay for, not an endless stream of new parts hoping it will fix the problem!
The Office of Consumer Affairs, the District Attorney's Office and the Better Business Bureau will all contact this auto center on your behalf informing them that they can't legally charge a customer for repairs that didn't solve the problem you brought the car to them for. The District Attorney's Office may be able to find them as well, (this varies from state to state). You have a lot of consumer protection laws on your side. Don't be afraid to use them!
Don't let them rip you off! You'll likely have to fight for your money, but that's worth fighting for, no different than someone who tries to steal your wallet!
Go get 'em!
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