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Old 01-15-2017, 11:30 PM   #1
Chip Whitley
 
Drives: 2007 Auto Hatchback
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Just bought a 2007 Yaris hatchback and have some questions

I recently bought a used 07 auto Yaris hatchback with 165,000 miles and while I've really been enjoying the car, I have two concerns that I'm hoping you guys might be able to help me with. The first is that I don't feel I'm going as fast as the odometer shows. What I mean is that even when I'm going 60-65mph on a 55mph road, it "feels" like I'm going 40mph and there's always a ton of traffic behind me just itching to pass. My other vehicle used to be a Ford Ranger pickup so I'm not sure if going from a truck to a car just feels different at faster speeds or not.

Finally, the car randomly seems underpowered. I know it's not a rocket ship obviously, but certain times the Yaris simply feels faster than other times. One day I'll get in it and barely touch the gas and it will take off really quickly and get up to speed in a snap and other times it seems really sluggish to get going. Did any of that make any sense? I'm sorry if it didn't, but I'd really appreciate any advice you guys can offer.

-Brian
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Old 01-16-2017, 01:22 AM   #2
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60 -65 feels like 40? sounds like it might be showing the speed in kilometers per hour rather than mIles per hour. maybe check it against a GPS...
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Old 01-16-2017, 12:57 PM   #3
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Yeah, there are free apps you can download to your mobile that are quite accurate at telling you how fast you're moving.
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Old 01-16-2017, 01:56 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chip Whitley View Post
Finally, the car randomly seems underpowered. I know it's not a rocket ship obviously, but certain times the Yaris simply feels faster than other times. One day I'll get in it and barely touch the gas and it will take off really quickly and get up to speed in a snap and other times it seems really sluggish to get going. Did any of that make any sense? I'm sorry if it didn't, but I'd really appreciate any advice you guys can offer.

-Brian
The Yaris uses an electronic throttle, which feels very different from the cable throttle I'm pretty sure your Ranger uses. When you press the throttle, instead of pulling on a cable that directly opens the butterfly valve in the throttle body, it sends a signal to the computer, which decides just how far to open the throttle, and how quickly to open it. It can be sluggish, and it doesn't always respond the same way a cable throttle would, but you'll get used to it.
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Old 01-16-2017, 08:19 PM   #5
IllusionX
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Best to get a GPS or your smartphone to get accurate speed reading.

But it does seem you might be driving kmh rather than mph.. just need to confirm.

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Old 01-17-2017, 09:45 PM   #6
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My father recently drove my Yaris a long way and said he was "sure the analog gauge read at least 5 mph faster than he was actually going. The seating position in the Yaris is totally different than other cars so it can cause confusion. Grab one of those apps and find out.
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Old 01-18-2017, 12:38 AM   #7
David C
 
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My Yaris (same as the OP), drives accurate up to 30mph (50kmh) according to my Garmin Nuvi GPS, however up to 40mph there's a 2mph difference (car is slower than the cluster gauge) and at 60mph it's a 5mph difference. So in order for my car to go at true 60mph (100kmh), I have to do 65mph on the cluster. Now I believe that is due mainly to the angle I'm looking at the cluster, since if I position myself perpendicular to the gauge (aka my head above the center console), the needle then points almost directly to the right speed that my gps shows. I've also confirmed the 30mph/50kmh being accurate from the cluster against various street "your speed" display radars as well. I'm using the recommended tire size and my cluster mileage seems to match up my gps trips too.

If your speed gauge on the cluster only display one unit of measure (mph instead of both mph and kph or vice versa), then I'd be tempted to agree with the other members who suggested you could be driving using a kph gauge or at least the computer thinks your cluster is a kph main unit but sends a signal according to. Mine displays both, but I think Canadian and USA clusters are different (we have both kph and mph on ours as well as a tach).


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Old 01-18-2017, 06:19 AM   #8
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Speedometer error parallax A-pillar trap

Yes, you must move head to vehicle centerline to read the speedometer. Also to negotiate left bends in the twisties, though head-against (or out of) window may be the preferred advanced technique...giving a sort of joie de vivre appearance as you lean into the turn.
Also note effects of worn vs.new tires, different tire makes, inflation pressure (including gas-law deflation entering winter), and possible 3 percent speedo disagreement between factory 14 and 15 inch tire/wheel options.
(Speedometer error parallax A-pillar trap)
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Old 01-26-2017, 08:10 PM   #9
Chip Whitley
 
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Sorry for taking so long to get back to you guys, but I appreciate the feedback. I installed one of those MPH apps that uses my phone's GPS and it showed that I was going maybe 2-3 MPH less than what my speedometer was showing, but otherwise it was pretty close. Does that sound about right? Also, some of you mentioned looking at the speedometer at just the right angle so that might have something to do with it being 2-3 MPH "off" in my eyes.

Also, I just can't shake the feeling that the car is slower than it's supposed to be. It just can't seem to get out of its own way as of late. The good news is as of my last tank I got 37.5 mpg. I see first gen Yaris' on the road all the time and they're flying to say the least. Maybe I'm just being paranoid or maybe it's time for a tune-up?
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Old 01-26-2017, 09:04 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chip Whitley View Post
Sorry for taking so long to get back to you guys, but I appreciate the feedback. I installed one of those MPH apps that uses my phone's GPS and it showed that I was going maybe 2-3 MPH less than what my speedometer was showing, but otherwise it was pretty close. Does that sound about right? Also, some of you mentioned looking at the speedometer at just the right angle so that might have something to do with it being 2-3 MPH "off" in my eyes.

Also, I just can't shake the feeling that the car is slower than it's supposed to be. It just can't seem to get out of its own way as of late. The good news is as of my last tank I got 37.5 mpg. I see first gen Yaris' on the road all the time and they're flying to say the least. Maybe I'm just being paranoid or maybe it's time for a tune-up?
Like previously mentioned, the Yaris uses a computer controlled throttle instead of a cable pull throttle. In short, it's the car who decides how much gas the engine gets regardless of how you yank on the gas pedal. It will strive for the best air/fuel ratio and least waste in unburned fuel during acceleration. For example, in cold days (aka below freezing point), the car might feel jumpy but slow due to cold engine temp, cold dense air, cold dense fuel, etc. Then after a drive to the store which allowed the engine to warm up properly, you'll notice the car will still be jumpy, but won't feel as slow on accelerations due to the engine environment being more optimal regarding temperature. Even more noticeable if the ambiant air got warmer throughout the day.

I get the most stable throttle response in winter by letting the engine warm up to below 1200rpm before touching the throttle. When started cold, it's idling at 1500rpm, and when completely warm, it's about 500rpm (readings from my cluster tach, not actual engine scanner, yours may vary). If that's your case (aka you live somewhere where temperature drops in the winter months), try letting the engine revs down on cold starts before touching the gas pedal. Also make sure your shifter is on D and not 3, as the way the console is numbered may lead you to believe 3-D is a unique gear since your hand can't feel any difference when moving the lever between both. However the car will rev a lot more in 3 on highway than in D (overdrive) and it won't do any good to your transmission either.
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Old 01-27-2017, 09:40 AM   #11
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Just bought a 2007 Yaris hatchback and have some questions

Yaris is a pretty slow car if you compare it with the other cars in the same category. And that's because it has no turbo. And believe it or not turbo makes a huge difference. You can compare in the internet Yaris 1.3 vs vw polo 1.2. The polo has huge difference.

But that doesn't mean our car is slow. If you think about it, it has the most powerful natural aspirated engine in the production. No car (without turbo of course) has more power than Yaris at 1.3cc.
On the other hand it depends what engine do you have. Personally I have the 100hp engine 1.3cc and manual. So, firstly it's the most powerfull (the others are about 78hp and 90hp)
Also I have manual transmission. An automatic transmission in such a low power car really kills the throttle response. So if your older yaris was manual then that's why you feel it is slow. Also your older yaris might had more hp than your new one. It really depends on your engines. And lastly, maybe you think that it's slower cause it's quiter than your older one. Some times, noice from the engine makes you think that you go fast and in reality you are slow :p

An other thing you have to do is this: if you bought a used car, then make a proper good service. Change oils, filters etc. you will be surprised if you see how much hp you can loose if you don't maintain your car properly.

Check which engine you have. Make a good service. If you have automatic gearbox, then that's your problem. And there is always room for some tuning. If I had the money I would go for a small stealth turbo upgrade. It makes huge difference in revs.

(Now I saw you said that you see older yaris on the road. I thought you had own one so I got confused. Also keep in mind that an older yaris has more chances to be tuned by someone. It's an old car the most old cars now days are getting tuned by the teenagers they buy them)



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Old 01-27-2017, 11:04 AM   #12
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speed perception velocity Prius sloping windshield A-pillars

It was at least ten years back that I had my only drive ever of a Prius. It felt like I was going down a very familiar road much slower than the speedometer read. Maybe the windshield way out there has A-pillars framing out the brains attention to peripheral vision...where things are effectively going by the fastest.
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Old 01-29-2017, 08:49 PM   #13
Chip Whitley
 
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I guess the reason I'm so concerned with the power of my Yaris stems from the Ford Ranger that I drove for years. It was a 4 cylinder with over 350,000 miles and it got so slow I ended up taking it to my local mechanic before I sold it. He concluded it was only making maybe 70-75 hp and was simply wore out. My Yaris feels about the same power wise. I can't really get going fast enough to pass other vehicles on the highway and going up this big hill next to our home is a major struggle.

Pedal to the floor I can barely climb the hill at 5+ mph. I know this might sound odd, but I’m actually fine with the car being slow since the gas mileage is so amazing. At the same time though if something is wrong, I'd love to know so I can get it taken care of. Should I just schedule an appointment with my mechanic to ease my mind?
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Old 01-29-2017, 09:25 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chip Whitley View Post
I guess the reason I'm so concerned with the power of my Yaris stems from the Ford Ranger that I drove for years. It was a 4 cylinder with over 350,000 miles and it got so slow I ended up taking it to my local mechanic before I sold it. He concluded it was only making maybe 70-75 hp and was simply wore out. My Yaris feels about the same power wise. I can't really get going fast enough to pass other vehicles on the highway and going up this big hill next to our home is a major struggle.

Pedal to the floor I can barely climb the hill at 5+ mph. I know this might sound odd, but I’m actually fine with the car being slow since the gas mileage is so amazing. At the same time though if something is wrong, I'd love to know so I can get it taken care of. Should I just schedule an appointment with my mechanic to ease my mind?


Something you could try is reset the computer to start over the "learning" of the engine fuel control. Basically since the computer monitors and adjust the engine parameters to match the car to the environment it's being driven in, it may have been in a bad loop from the previous owner's doing. You would reset it when changing or modifying components like the air intake, turbo, etc so it can learn to optimize itself to the new parameters.

To do it, simply unplug the battery for at least 10 minutes (could be less, I don't remember exactly, hopefully someone will confirm if you can wait less than that), then plug it back on. Set your clock and radio settings and the car should respond like the day it came out of the factory, throttle-wise. After an few hours of driving, it should have completed its learning and then you could compare how it drives on roads you've been concerned about the performance so far.

Speaking of air intake, is the filter clean ? Are all hose clamps tight, no tears in hoses, etc ? Make sure the hand brake isn't sticking either. Check your tire pressure and size to make sure it's in check with what the car should be equipped with (specs on the sticker of the driver's door pillar). Check your tail pipe for obstructions.


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Old 01-30-2017, 05:46 AM   #15
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You'd probably have a code for this but I had a toyota echo that the vvti solenoid wasn't doing its job right and it caused the car to slow way down. Maybe an issue on yours?
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Old 01-30-2017, 08:32 AM   #16
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Automatic transmission shift point logic slugggish Yaris hillclimbing noisy engine

re: sluggish hillclimbing observation.
Are you flooring it to kickdown the trans? (I have a manual and no knowledge of any Toyota auto's behavior.) Does it still feel sluggish if you move the PRNDL stick to L (lowest low if it has notches for L1, L2 whatever) and tromp it?
The 2007 Yaris is noisy,so people will tend to shift the manuals early because of all the racket?
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Old 01-31-2017, 05:56 PM   #17
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did you get any of the maintenance records with the car? Do you have any idea when the oil was last changed? Did you have your mechanic look it over before you bought it?
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Old 02-01-2017, 08:34 PM   #18
Chip Whitley
 
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did you get any of the maintenance records with the car? Do you have any idea when the oil was last changed? Did you have your mechanic look it over before you bought it?
Yes, I had my local mechanic check it out before I made the purchase. The only thing it needed was a new muffler which I had put on the day after I bought it. It's got the little window sticker from Grease Monkey which shows the oil was last changed in December and I've got roughly 500 miles to go until the next service. The air filter looks almost new and I don't see any cracks or leaks in or around any visible hoses. I'll try resetting the computer and let you guys know if I see any improvement. Thanks again for the advice so far guys.
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