Hi Scotty I’m a big fan, been watching your videos for a few years and watch just about everyday! I’m in a big mess here with this car and I really hope you can help.. I bought a 2009 Toyota Yaris sedan 1.5 L engine with an automatic transmission. The car had 64,500 miles on it and now has 82 thousand 2 years later (today) . It was a one owner car ( old lady) and I got it from carmax. I love my car it’s simple and a Japanese product but I’ve put a lot of time and money into it.
Problem 1: when I start the car it’s fine. But when I put it in drive it vibrates under the hood. To confirm this I recently had to replace the alternator. Mind you this car has done this since I got it) I put the hood up and watched under while the car was on and the entire engine shakes along with everything connected to it. As I said earlier ^ above when it’s in drive and I’m stopped at a red light or stop sign it makes an awful sound under the hood. And you hear it from inside the car. Toyota can’t figure it out and my honest mechanics can’t either... I don’t wanna wait till something brakes to figure out what’s wrong. I rely on this car so badly.
problem 2: I’ve replaced spark plugs, all 4 tires, all the brakes, all the fluids in the car ( oem hoat pink coolant, brake fluid, oil change every 3k, Toyota atf fluid drain and fill at 68k miles) all air filters oem) fuel filter, engine mount, transmission mount, throttle cleaning, maf sensor cleaning, new battery, new alternator, new starter. I’ve basically done everything to this car and I keep a full gas tank it never goes under a quarter tank. I drive very well, I don’t floor it, I’ve put 20 thousand miles on this car and driven it on the highway quite a bit to Michigan, Missouri, other states as well In the past two years. This alternator going out while I was heading to Michigan from Chicago to my dads birthday at a camping trip really woke me up. Not sure how my car made it home when I was in Michigan city on my way to Michigan . Battery light came on 3 weeks ago I immediately turned around back to Illinois (136 miles back home ) with battery light on. I turned my ac off. Radio. Lights. Everything. I make it back somehow and mechanic says “ alternator is 13.1 it’s fine and it’s new, battery has full charge. I’ll just turn the light off I’m sure it’s fine” and the vibrations are getting worse.
PLEASE HELP I HOPE THIS MESSAGE MAKES IT TO YOU OR SOMEONE... I am 22 years old and support myself and have had to since I was 18 I’m on my own here in Illinois and this is worrying me this car and my apartment are all I have. Scotty I trust you and love your videos I’m a huge fan. I honestly hope even if my car can’t make it to you one day or your videos I hope I can at least figure out what’s going on in my poor Yaris... I take such good care of her. Thank you for your time sir! God bless you.
On a side note about the old lady. People at Carmax lie. I would never buy a car from them. Dealers like them, Carvana and others have been caught selling flood cars, cars that were wrecked and repaired. It’s not uncommon for people with cars having problems to dump them on Carmax’s well buy your car program. Have you ever done a lookup on the history of your cars VIN?
If you put it into neutral at a stop light does it still shake? I’m assuming it doesn’t shake when in park. What about reverse?
Also please clarify your statement about the alternator please? Didn’t quite understand what you meant by “to confirm this I replaced the alternator”
If there is anyway you can have someone put it into drive while you record a video with the hood up going from park to drive, ti neutral to reverse and upload it to youtube, post the link here that would help us maybe figure it out for you. I’m surprised a Toyota dealership couldn’t figure it out. But then there’s good ones and bad ones.
Problem 1: Have you checked the engine and transmission mounts? If they check out ok, check to see if you have shake when you put in Park. If so, odds are that your torque converter is acting up.
Problem 2: Load test the alternator.
