Power steering and other problems

[Kaylee1987]

Hi I'm new to the group my names kaylee I live in st Helens. I've just brought a toyota yaris 2000 plate having a few problems. So basically power steering is stiff as anything so brought some fluid but can't find where it goes 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️. Then a couple of days ago i kept losing power was telling me i had 2 bars left in petrol but never it was dead. Getting alot of white smoke from my exhaust (i know its cold but even when cars warmed up its still doing it and its alot). Its the toyota yaris s vvt-i model. Just looking for some advice much appreciated. 

Thanks 

[FROSTYBALLS]

Hello Kaylee - welcome to Toyota Owners Club.

Moved to the Yaris club.

[flash22]

Is it plumes of white smoke ? Has the water level dropped ? Does the oil look milky - if so, it's a bad head gasket

If it's an early 2000 car, it will be a Japanese built car, it may not even have power steering if it does there will be a reservoir on top of the pump, left hand side at the very front of the engine (1.0L)

 

Did you buy the car private ? did you check the MOT history, does it have an MOT ?

[Stevie J]

Early mk1 models had a power steering pump mounted at the front of the engine bay if indeed it was fitted as an option - the reservoir is in the picture shown circled in red - unscrew the black round lid and use the small dipstick attached to the lid to check how much fluid is in there. If there is no reservoir as shown here, then there is no power steering fitted. Later models used an electric assistance motor built into the steering column I believe so only the earliest models from the first couple of years of production had the belt driven pumps.

White smoke from the exhaust and low power is not a good thing and often means there is a serious problem - usually head gasket failure. As the post above says you need to check the radiator coolant level - from the yellow cap at the front of then engine shown in the picture - no coolant in there means trouble i'm afraid. Also check the oil filler cap - remove it and check the underside of it for slimy white milky residue - if its there then its almost certain that its a head gasket failure, and checking the oil dipstick - if that has the same white milky fluid on it, then thats also a sign of head gasket failure.

Sounds like you were sold a bad car, but with it being from 2000, then it is 21 years old, and it may not be worth spending out having the head gasket replaced, as you dont know what other damage has been caused. It can cost several hundred pounds having the head gasket replaced and for a 21 year old car, is it really worth it.

[Cyker]

If you just bought it and it was from a dealer, document/make a list of all the problems you are having and take it back to them - They need to make the car work properly, esp. if such faults were not disclosed to you when you bought it - As it stands it's "not fit for purpose" and they have to give you a full refund for it if they can't repair it. The UK has strong consumer protection laws for this sort of thing so may as well take advantage of them.

If it was bought privately, that's a bit trickier... however, again, unless the seller disclosed such faults they have missold the car so technically you should qualify for a refund, but with a private seller it's usually much harder to get that without going to the small claims court or something.

There are enough petrol Mk1 Yarises floating around it's not worth spending loads to repair it - Easier to take a refund and hunt around for a decent one if it comes to that.

[flash22]

I think the previous owner may have used some head gasket in a bottle, sealed it up and sold it on, A head gasket will be costly if you cant do it yourself - more than the cost of the car, if it has a "new" MOT, I would be surprised if it's a legit one

[Kaylee1987]

It was sold from a dealership have been in touch with them taking it up today for them to look at it with me luck! It has been fine since im finding its only doing it when im running low on petrol. It tells me i have 2 bars but i actually have nothing in it. But will let u guys know the outcome, thanks everyone  xxxcc

[Cyker]

Well, hopefully they can fix the power steering and the fuel gauge problem first. Weird that the white smoke only happens when you're low on fuel!

The fuel gauge problem sounds almost exactly like the one I had in my Mk1 D4D - Would either show full to half tank, but no lower, or empty to half-tank but no more! Never figured out why before I exchanged the car.

I've never run my cars that low on fuel so don't know if e.g. any stuff floating in the tank might have gotten sucked in to cause that white smoke?! Normally white smoke is a sign of water getting into the combustion chamber, and the usual cause of that is headgasket failure allowing the water-based coolant to leak into the cylinders.

 

[Catlover]

Take note, Kaylee, of what’s been said above. Don’t let the dealer fob you off. You may need to get an independent mechanical report on the car, especially engine, to get your money back.

When you say you bought the car from a dealership, do you mean a main Toyota dealer (or some other manufacturer dealer, of some independent dealer.?

[Stevie J]

I mentioned this in another thread, but I am wondering if being an old Yaris, the fuel filler neck pipe has corroded into a hole, and with this pipe being behind the rear wheel and having no protection from spray and water ingress, then water has got into the fuel tank, and this is what is causing the bad running issues, as water being drawn into the cylinders will cause white smoke and low power. Putting more fuel in the tank may improve the matter as it is mixed with the water in the tank, but essentially, water is more dense than petrol so the water will sink to the bottom of the tank and more likely to be drawn into the fuel pickup pipe if the fluid level in the tank is lower - ie, putting more petrol in the tank improves the situation. Check the filler neck pipe from the tank to the filler flap on the rear wing, and check its smaller diameter breather pipe. Any holes from rust in these pipes will allow water from road spray into the fuel tank and the more water that gets in the tank, the worse the engine running problems will be.

[stantheman1]

@ op, did you manage to take it back to the place of purchase? Oh, be careful when removing the radiator cap to inspect the level, only do this when the engine is cold otherwise you may be seriously injured.

The early mk1 Yaris all came with power steering as standard excluding the base model ('S' variant) but was an optional extra and if chosen an EPS (electric power steering) system was fitted.

Hope that helps.