Toyota Solara

Without specifying your Solara year and engine type you're going to have to settle for a generic answer. The best way to "charge" your air conditioning system is to drive the car to a shop and whip out the old Amex, Master or Visa card. If your system isn't working it generally means there's something wrong. A seal is allowing refrigerant to leak, something is wrong with the pump, a fuse has blown or maybe some kind of creature just built a nest in a duct. There are do-it-yourself kits available. They all use small cans of R134a and most are available at auto supply stores. Some include a pressure gauge so you know exactly how much coolant to add. The simplest just use a hose to connect the can to the low pressure side (larger of the two metal tubes from the compressor) of the system and you empty the can. That will either work or kill the system with too much pressure (ruin seals). Cheers

I believe this question has been answered previously (maybe stated a little differently).

The "Check Engine" light means a fault has been detected someplace in the computer controlled systems. The fault can be as simple as a loose gas cap or as complicated as a faulty sensor or even a clogged catalytic converter. The only way to know for sure is to plug an ODB II code reader into the port under the dashboard (to the right of the steering column). The code reader will tell the user exactly what the problem is. Code readers can be borrowed (free) from many auto supply stores.

Cheers

The Solara is the two-door coupe version of the Camry, and is also available as a convertible. If it's a 4-door, it would not be a Solara, but rather a Camry. The Solara coupe was discontinued at the end of the 2008 model year and the convertible was only produced in limited numbers after that.

For the six cylinder Solara, premium fuel is recommended. The four cylinder specifies regular. That said, you 'can' run regular (87 octane ron/mon) in the six cylinder. The engine control computer will detect any pre-ignition that might be caused by the lower octane fuel and will retard timing or make other adjustments until it stops. There's a price for this. Retarded timing generally means less power and higher fuel consumption so you need to carefully weigh whether you're actually saving money by using slightly cheaper fuel. Cheers

Good question and certainly one you don't want to find the answer to with your own engine. Actually Toyota probably has a pretty good idea as do those who've had to foot the bill when the belt failed. The 04 and later V-6 is known as an "interference" engine meaning if the belt fails, valves and pistons can collide with catastrophic (and expensive) results. The earlier Generation I Solara V-6 (through '03) was 'non interference' so if the belt happened to fail the engine would stop but no serious damage would occur.

So, to answer your question (and save your engine) the service recommendation on the belt is 90-thousand miles or ten years whichever occurs first. When replacing the belt, it's also a wise move to replace the water pump. Everything that's removed for the belt is also removed for pump replacement and why pay that labor bill twice?

If you don't have a service interval listing for your car (obviously you don't) it can be downloaded from Toyota's website. Or download the factory service manual or purchase a Haynes or Clymer's manual for your car.

Cheers

By "silent recall" I'll guess you mean factory authorized repairs. Those are done when a vehicle owner shows up at a dealership with a specific complaint. The dealer will have an authorized (usually free) fix recommended by the auto manufacturer. That information is available online. Go to Toyota's website and look for the FAR's for your vehicle.

For recall information visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website and navigate to your car for a list of recalls. http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/recallsearch.cfm.

Cheers

Check to see if your 12V port (cigarette lighter) and side mirror adjustment is also dead, their all on the same circuit. Check the fuse for this circuit, if blown replace. Everything should come back. Now check the wiring at the hinge point for the Driver's door. On mine the door opening and closing wore a hole in the insulation and shorted out. A simple piece of electrical tape should solve your problem. Hope this helps everyone out there.

There could be many causes ranging from a bad spark plug that fails when combustion chamber pressures rise to frozen half shafts. If the vibration is only felt when you accelerate from the same speed or when passing through the same speed you might suspect tire imbalance.

Of course if it's a Generation I Solara convertible then the answer is "they all do it" to some extent. The early ragtop is known for its shimmies and shakes so the issue could even be a road surface.

Hopefully someone who owns a Gen I Solara will come along with an edit saying "mine did that and it was ......"

Cheers

This is a frequently asked question. After opening the hood stand directly in front of your car and look down at the engine. On the 'front' (in actuality the left side) of the engine you can see a heat shield covering the exhaust manifold. The filter is directly beneath the manifold roughly in the center. Caution, do 'not' try changing your oil after you've just run and parked the car. The exhaust manifold is extremely hot and you 'will' burn yourself trying to turn the filter. All the engine to cool awhile. Also (having been there, done that) after removing the old oil filter, make sure the gasket came off with it. Occasionally the gasket will stay stuck in place and, since you can't actually 'see' the surface, you could spin the new filter on leaving the gasket in place. You'll have a guaranteed mess on your hands if this happens. Cheers

Check engine light has nothing to do with oil change. The check engine light staying on indicates the computer has detected a problem that is effecting the emissions controls. Now if you are referring to the maintenance required light, open the owner's manual and read it.

You're going to have one of those "Doh!" moments here...

1. Remove the tire/wheel combo

2. Remove the caliper (2 bolts) and suspend it from the spring with a piece of wire so it isn't dangling from the brake hose. If a brake pad falls out just put it back in unless you're replacing them at the same time as a rotor (good idea).

3. Pull the rotor toward you. It just slides off the wheel studs.

Done! See? Doh! ;)

If you're replacing pads at the same time, press the brake piston back into the caliper using a C-clamp and the old brake pad. If you don't have a C-clamp large enough try using your thumbs. Remember you're pushing brake fluid back up into the reservoir so keep an eye on it. If it's been refilled since the old pads were installed there's a chance it'll overflow. Brake fluid is one of the best paint removers ever created.

Cheers

under the hood one of the black fuse boxes has a relay labeled "circuit opening relay" that's the one

1. Open the hood

2. Peer into the darkness at the front of the engine compartment on the drivers side. You'll notice a fairly large black box with a large black tube (the air intake) between it and the throttle body.

3. At your option, remove that tube (takes more time but makes the rest of the job simpler) or just loosen the clamp nearest the box.

4. The big black box has two, 10 mm bolts on one end (nearest the fender). Unscrew those bolts.

5. Unplug the Mass Airflow Sensor (connector on top of the tube at the box end)

6. Lift the box lid from the side the bolts were loosened and flip it over so it's resting on the engine if you didn't remove the intake tube. Just set it aside if you did.

7. Remove the original filter and check inside the box for heavy collections of dirt, critter nests or anything that might contaminate your brand new filter. Wipe them out.

8. Put new filter where you removed the old one and reverse the process to re-assemble the airbox.

By the way, if it's time to replace the engine air filter, it's also time to replace the cabin filter. You'll find that behind the glove box door. Just remove the door, pull out the tray containing the filter, remove the old one, put in a new one and re-assemble the door.

Cheers

I think $36 plus $2 for the sticker. But I'm not entirely certain.

In the brake industry this is referred to as TAPER WEAR. It is almost always the result of a poor caliper design. Basically there is a lot of Math & Physics behind caliper design for ever car and if they forget something, it will unbalance the system resulting in a uneven amount of wear. The two types of taper wear are Tangential (left to right) and Radial (up and down). If the difference in wear is more at the ends than in the middle you have one of these types. This effect will come back if you replace the pads, but it can be better or worse depending on the wear life of the pad (i.e. if a pad last longer, the taper wear will take longer to develop). FYI....Some pads have angles ground of them at the front and back ends of the pad called "chamfers" which are noise solutions during development. Please don't consider this a design flaw. -Brake Engineer

Your owner's manual and the sticker on the driver's side doorsill will provide alternative tire sizes (if any) offered from the factory.

You're talking about a substantial change moving from a 215 to a 235. You'd go from a tire that's 8.46" wide to one that's 9.25" wide. The sidewall difference is even more massive going from an overall diameter of 26.31 inches to 29.02. You might want to consider the effect the difference would have on many things ranging from speedometer error to gearing (your off the line performance would suffer a bunch). A wider tire also means more rolling resistance so could affect fuel mileage.

Also, take into account the width of your rims (unless you'd swap to something aftermarket.) The stock 215/55 will fit a rim ranging from 6-to-7.5". The 235-65 tire needs a rim between 6.5 and 8.5" wide.

Lots to consider even before you get to whether the larger tire will even fit inside the wheel well without striking bodywork when the suspension compresses.

Cheers

Although there are many possible reasons for it, in my experience it more often than not results from a condition where either the fuel cap isn't tightened, (always turn past the "clicking" sound, 1/2 turn at least) or the fuel cap is dead and needs to be replaced. (yes, they DO wear out, much to most peoples surprise) I didn't hear you say anything about a check engine light, so that's the first place I'd look.

I have a 2008 Toyota Solara that I just changed the engine air filter in. It may be the same, or approximately the same. Had to call the dealership where I bought to get the answer since it isn't even mentioned in the manual. When you lift the hood there should be an air intake vent somewhere close to the grill. Follow the duct work to the first large rectangular box. In my model there are two bolts on the right side of the box; one in the front and one in the back. Loosen both bolts and lift on the same side, as the lid is hinged on the left. You don't have to take it all the way off. Just reach in with a few inches of clearance and pull filter through. Replace with the filter recommended by the charts provided in the store and be sure to follow the directional arrows on the filter showing "up" and "front". Once it is seated inside, wiggle the top back down until all the notches around the edge are fitted back together. The Toyota tech informed me to be sure to tighten the bolt in the back first or it can be rather difficult to seat once the front one is in. Additionally, while I was replacing my filter a small hose on top of the filter box disconnected, so be sure to check all before you finish up. Good luck!

You may need to be more specific with your question. I've searched the generation II Solara service manual and there is no reference to a "vent solenoid". It would help to know what year or which generation Solara you need information for and whether this has something to do with the heating/air conditioning system or some other part of the car. Another alternative is to download a factory service manual from Toyota Information Services or pick up a Chilton manual for your car from a local auto supply or Amazon.com Cheers

I am not an expert in auto mechanics, etc., just a consumer, but I recently bought a 2002 Solara and I have been tracking the mileage, and so far I get about 22-23 miles per gallon. I had some highway traveling in this estimate, but mostly just local traveling.

There could be hundreds of reasons although the choices might have been narrowed a little if you'd specified the type accident and specific damages. Possibilities range from something as simple as a damaged battery or battery cable (if you don't even get lights on the dash when turning on the key it's a possibility) to a damaged alarm system (starter lockout) or even a damaged transponder in your ignition key. There are plenty of things in between. When you make an appointment with the insurance adjuster tell them the car hasn't started since the incident. They'll arrange to have the vehicle towed to a repair shop (that you specify if you have a favorite) for the accident repair and 'won't start' diagnosis. Cheers

There are two of them. One is in the traditional location. Look under the far left bottom of the dashboard. You'll see a fuse box cover tucked up against the dashboard edge. When you remove the cover you'll see a key for the fuses. These are mostly interior items like lights, accessory etc. The second fuse/breaker box is under the hood. Look on the left (drivers) side. It's clearly labeled. Similar to the interior box there's a key indicating what each fuse or breaker is for printed on the underside of the lid. All this information is in your owners manual. Try page 294. Cheers

the vss wire is located as the purple/white wire above the radio, the harness plugging into the clock. tap into the purple/white wire for your aftermarket headunit vss wire.

5W-30. Synthetic is very much worth the price.

Check your owner's manual. You'll find specifications there. If you own a Gen II Solara you'll also find a (basic) recommendation on the oil cap for 5W-30. It's an energy conserving oil that will produce incrementally higher fuel mileage than a heavier oil.

As mentioned above, if your wallet can take the hit and unless you have high mileage on the car, go with synthetic if only for extended change intervals.

The Toyota Turbo diesel engine horsepower can range between 180 horsepower and 350 horsepower. The horsepower can be adjusted by the injector pump.