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Toyota Echo

5806 messages,  Last post on May 21, 2013 at 2:56 AM

You are in the Toyota Echo Forum.

What is this discussion about? Toyota ECHO, Sedan

Messages Page 344 of 581

#3429 of 5806 by coolguyky7

Sep 06, 2002 (7:40 pm)

www.toyota.com/echo
 
The American Toyota site has updated the ECHO page for 2003.
 
Wow, that black ECHO on the main ECHO page looks very sharp...reminds me of the last Tercel.
 
Actually, the site is partially up, but should be finished within the next day. Usually they don't leave it half finished for too long. The rear of the black ECHO looks fantastic with a crisp trunk lid. Don't tell the 2003 Accord fans, but I think the front of the ECHO is a little bit like it in light and simplicity of the grille. Also, I think the profile view of the head and tail lights make it look somewhat Lexus GS-like. Overall, I think this car is much sharper and likeable than the 2000-2002. I liked that one too but I think this one is more appealing. Toyota may have been looking to change it the most it could without a redesign to really boost sales. Does anyone know how current ECHO sales compare with those of the latest years of the Tercel? I wouldn't mind trading in my Corolla for this new car. I noticed an interior showed power windows...perhaps they will be more available now?

#3430 of 5806 by coolguyky7

Sep 06, 2002 (7:48 pm)

Looks like the new instrument cluster gets a TACHOMETER and another little screen of some sort containing fuel and other info.

#3431 of 5806 03 ECHO by mralan

Sep 06, 2002 (10:16 pm)

The 03 ECHO looks like a cross between the last Tercel and a Civic ... but I mean that in a good way.
 
According to the Toyota website you only have a choice of pebble beige interiors on the 03 until January.

#3432 of 5806 by coolguyky7

Sep 06, 2002 (10:21 pm)

To me it seems that only Pebble Beige is available now and the Dark Charcoal will come in January, then there will be choices available. The poor Seafoam Blue didn't make the transition. I wish Toyota would put up more interior pictures, especially of the beige fabric, along with more exterior photos of some of the options and body styles. And this year, there looks to be no black, only Phantom Gray Pearl.

#3433 of 5806 spark plugs, sfecho by wrgraham

Sep 06, 2002 (11:52 pm)

I dont know for sure, but from what I have read here I believe the 00 Echo (mine) has the
Iridium spark plugs, but the 01 Echo probably does not.

#3434 of 5806 for babyboomer re coolant by slugline

Sep 07, 2002 (10:36 am)

If you're going with the Prestone brand, seek out the newer formula in the silver bottles. It will not damage water pumps like the familiar yellow-bottle formula people have used for years.
 
Prestone, Havoline and Xerex all have "long life" coolant formulas available. The quickest way to tell is to see if the bottle says that it meets GM's "DEX-COOL" standard. Otherwise, look for silicate-free, phosphate-free coolants labelled safe for aluminum engines.
 
I got curious about this subject awhile back and even exchanged a little correspondence with a Havoline engineer, so I ended up learning way more than I needed to know!

#3435 of 5806 I'm psyched by mdrew

Sep 10, 2002 (8:34 pm)

about my favorite cotton-candy Seafoam Blue being discontinued next year. (Collector's item, baby.) The downside is, I tried some year-old touchup paint on some two year-old bumper scratches from when I first got the car; doesn't match too well. Still it's better than the original scratches that show through black and look like dirt from pretty far away; you have to look pretty hard to see the mismatched paint.
 
Not a single problem in two years...

#3436 of 5806 coolant details by wrgraham

Sep 14, 2002 (1:17 am)

A while back we had discussed do-it-yourself maintenance on the Echo, with regard to changing the air filter. That change worked nicely. Now there is coolant discussions ongoing, can someone just give a clear talk-through of changing the coolant?

#3437 of 5806 coolant change by kneisl1

Sep 14, 2002 (2:33 pm)

Well, I can tell you where the block drain is. It is on the back side of the engine, the part that faces the firewall. If you put the car on ramps and crawl under, you can see it ... its a little to the left of center and I believe a 10mm wrench will loosen it. It looks like a spigot. It can inly be accessed from the bottom of the car. I will look in my service manual when I get home and supply further details.

#3438 of 5806 coolant change by kneisl1

Sep 16, 2002 (5:09 am)

According to the official Toyota manual:
  
   Engine cold.
  
   Remove radiator cap
 
    Open the radiator drain and the engine block drain. You might want to remove the plastic underskirt from the nose of the car before draining the coolant out of the radiator. Otherwise, coolant is going to run over the top of the skirt and get all over the place. It looks fairly easy to remove. The location of the block drain is controversial. The offical manual shows it on the right FRONT of the engine between the pipes for the intake manifold. I have been unable to locate it there on my car. I have found something that looks like it on the REAR of the engine (see above post) On my motorcycle getting at this block drain involves three hours of removing the plastic fairing so I just remove the radiator cap and get an eighteen inch long piece of garden hose. I put the garden hose into the place where the radiator cap was and blow. Actually you dont have to plow just maintain a steady pressure and the coolant will be forced out of the passages and out the radiator drain. I do this same thing on my wifes Honda Accord and it works well. Except you dont need the garden hose for a car you can just put your mouth over the radiator fill. If someone can say for sure where the block drain on the ECHO is it would be good to post it.
    
 
Close the drain plugs.
 
Coolant should be mixed with plain water at a 50/50 ratio and the manual recommends using distilled water. (Availible at the drugstore)
The manual says fill slowly. 4.7 quarts MT 4.5 quarts AT.
  
The manual says to fill the system slowly, start the engine and bleed the system. There is no mention of a bleed plug however, so I guess its safe to assume that youll have to get the engine hot, let it cool down, and add more coolant until it is full. This isnt good. On other cars that cant be filled full the first time (and dont have a bleed plug) I just leave the radiator cap off and start the engine. Constantly weatching the level in the radiator, I add coolant until its full. You dont want to over heat the engine.
 
   The manual doesnt say anything about draining the coolant resivoir and refilling but I assume you need to do that also. For $125 dollars this is a lousy manual! If the coolant tank gets crudded up and you want to clean it out, remove the tank and fill it half full with ice cubes. Add some water and shake until it is clean.

Messages Page 344 of 581

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