Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!hao!noao!hsi!archer
From: archer@hsi.UUCP (Garry Archer)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Toyota Tercel reliability.
Message-ID: <318@hsi.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 25-Feb-86 09:17:06 EST
Article-I.D.: hsi.318
Posted: Tue Feb 25 09:17:06 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 2-Mar-86 06:03:08 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: Health Systems Int., New Haven, CT.
Lines: 50

I have two Toyotas... an '82 Corolla Liftback and an '84 Tercel Deluxe.  The
reasons I bought them was mainly for pricing and reliability.  Eventually the
styling grows on you as well!  Anyway, reliability has ALWAYS been a big factor
when shopping for a new car, and Toyotas have always been touted as being the
best at the bottom end of the market (ie, the only ones I can afford...).  I
have never had any problems with mine (43000 miles on Corolla, 23000 on Tercel).
Well that is, up until Saturday Feb 22nd.  

Scenario:
	The Tercel had had its 24month service at the local Toyota dealership at
the end of January.  I filled up the Tercel at a local Texaco station on 
Saturday afternoon.  I drove my wife and one week old son (his FIRST outing!)
to a nearby town for shopping.  We had stopped at several places.  Finally after
one stop, I couldn't get the car to start again!  The starter would turn over
fine, but the engine wouldn't have it.  After trying everything I knew, two
hours later I finally get towed to a local gas station who carry out repairs.
I figured it was bad gas, or water in the fuel line from when I filled up 
earlier.  Maybe the diaphragm in the fuel pump ruptured. Etc.

Cause:
	The mechanic, on the following Monday, replaced an "igniter", which
is part of the electronic ignition - "a glorified set of points", he called it.
Cost of part, $185.00 !!!  According to the mechanic, this is a common problem
on 1983 - 1985 Toyotas (hasn't happened to my '82... yet!).  With labour and
tax, a whopping $229.54 was my total bill.  The mechanic said that the engine
started fine on Monday morning, but stalled a little later when warmed up.
Hence why I could drive around a while before I couldn't restart later on.

Well, I'm upset.  I still think Toyotas are reliable cars... so why did this
part fail at such an early stage on a relatively new auto?  Alas, I rarely
trust mechanics... you never know if they are giving you bull or not.  Other
Toyota owners reading this... has the igniter failed on YOUR 1983 - present
car?  Is it REALLY an increasingly common problem on these cars?  The part
fits easily into the palm of ones hand - and is SO expensive!

Other questions:
	1)  Why do cars ALWAYS break down late on Saturdays... no mechanic to 
	    look at the problem until Monday and the auto-parts stores have
	    just closed?
	2)  Why do cars break down when you're freezing your buns off?

(I laugh because older cars I had ALWAYS broke down on late Saturday afternoons
in mid-winter, as well!)

-- 

		Garry Archer			ihnp4!hsi!archer
		Health Systems International
		New Haven, CT  06511
		USA