2010 Corolla Constantly Beeps

[postal]

My 2010 corolla beeps exactly once every 60 seconds. Not only does it beep while running, it beeps sitting in the garage. Once every minute a faint "Beep" emits from somewhere behind the glovebox (or maybe center dash controls area?)

I get no visual warning lights....it just beeps.

It started doing this after I had a leaky tire down in Kansas with 37,000 miles or so...the low tire pressure light was on and it beeped once a minute (although a tech told me there is not supposed to be an audible beep with low pressure, that's when it started). The tire was repaired and aired up but the beeping has not stopped since but for one short time. My son sat in the passenger seat one day and LO! There was no beeping! He's heavier than my wife and when she sits there the car still beeps every 60 seconds. The seatbelt indicators work fine and the airbags arms properly. The seatbelt alarm is a quickening beep that is different from the "once-a-minute" thing that is ongoing. I don't believe this was or is related to the seatbelt switches but it might be.

The car now has 47,000+ miles on it and it still beeps. My hearing is not too good but it bugs the heck out of my wife and she wants it fixed.
Of course, the service manager at our Toyota dealer says to bring it in for a scan, but it's out of warranty so I'm sure I'd pay for this...and I'd just as soon fix it myself. I'm a retired Electronics Tech so I have some knowledge and some testing equipment.....
I noticed the Matrix had some problems with bad batteries that wouldn't take a charge but this one seems fine.

Anyone have an idea that might give me a good starting point? Better yet....anyone have an identical problem and a solution?

Thanks.

 

[Scott O'Kashan]

I've never come across this before. Have you tried turning the, "Beep", switch off?

In all seriousness, it might be an idea to call your local Toyota dealers Service Department and see what they have to say. It sounds like something in the tire pressure monitoring system has gone awry. Maybe check the owners manual about the TPMS system and see what it has to say? I know that if a tire/wheel from a car is taken too far away from the car, that the radio signal connection between the tire/wheel and the car can be lost and possibly might need reprogramming.

 

[corolla_mike]

postal, you may want to check into resetting the low tire pressure indicator. Pretty sure you have to do that. Information on how to do it should be in your manual somewhere. Good luck with that, too, as the Corolla's manual is waaaay different than what we're used to seeing in past domestic cars.

By the way, if your car's beeping continues even after you reset the pressure indicator, post this problem over at Corolland (www.corolland.com). Sorry to have to refer you to another forum, but it's a good one, and someone over there may be able to help you.

 

[postal]

As I originally posted, the service writer at my local Toyota dealership said that there is not supposed to be an audible warning for the tire pressure system, but that's when it started....perhaps a coincidence? He said to bring it in for a scan but as I said, it's out of warranty (unless this would be considered part of the engine/drivetrain....I think not. I have had no "service" lights anyway, so doubt if any codes would be in the system anyway.

My compressor is upstairs for a baseboard project so I need to haul that out to the garage and air up the tires before resetting that system.
It's been cold the last couple days so I've been reading the manual from front to back and figured I'd try a complete master reset (disconnedt the battery and let all residual power die off. I figured I'd clean battery connections and ground straps who\ile waiting and air up the tires, then after reconnection I'll need to reset the inflation system anyway so will be ready to do that.
I hate "shotgun approaches" and would rather do one thing at a time but it's easier this way when it's 15 degrees outside ;(

I've only driven the car once in the past few days, and that was kinda weird in itself....maybe I have other problems going on here (took it to the store and the idle at stop signs was up around 1600 to 1800....really high! I know the idle goes up when the compressor runs but I turned all that off and it still ran fast. Popped the throttle a few times and it ran up to 3000 and kinda "hung there" for a moment, then came back down.....weird sh-t!
After I came out of the store, I restarted it and it ran fine......
My idle has always been higher than I considered normal.....once in awhile it runs at 650 BUT most of the time it's at either 800 or around 1050 with the compressor on. I've had it in twice for this and was told that these ALL idle like that.

ANyway, not wanting to inject another problem or set of symptoms into this post....I'll let the forum know how the MASTER reset goes.

Beginning to have doubts about buying this car.....

 

[corolla_mike]

This is gonna sound weird, but after all, the subject is electronics: Is it possible that the beeps are somehow generated by the locking mechanism? If we late-model Toyota owners use our key fobs to open the doors, they'll automatically lock themselves exactly 60 seconds later, and go "beep". You may have an ECM issue. Like I advised before, you may want to post this problem at www.corolland.com. There is a guy named "fishexpo101", and he knows quite a bit about Corollas. Just tryin' to help...