Toilet moves around

Please excuse my ignorance on these matters. While I can try a murder case I know next to nothing about plumbing hence my question. This is so basic that I am sure most of you will laugh but I need to ask it.

I noticed yesterday that my toilet actually tilted slightly. My other one is a firmly attached to the bathroom floor. I am assuming that some attachment screws or bolts have come loose but before I do anything I wanted to ask my question here. There are little white caps over what I expect to be some kind of attaching mechanism. Do I need to remove these caps and tighten a bolt? I haven't tried to remove the caps because I am not sure if you pry them off or they screw off. I did turn one several rotations and nothing seemed to happen but I did not want to force one off by prying it if that is not the way they are removed.

Again, I apologize for this pathetic question but if you have any questions about your Miranda rights I will be glad to help.

Thank you.

The little white caps should just pop off. They may be held also with a gob of caulking, but still should pop off.

Now the bigger problem......the odds are low that your problem is just a loose nut. It is possible, but the more likely scenario is that either the T head has slipped out of the slot, or the flange broke or rusted out, or the bolt was not brass and it rusted and broke. In this case, the toilet has to be pulled off for further inspection.

Under the toilet is a wax ring that seals the connection. This is a onetime seal that once it moves is no longer effective. What caused it to loosen will not be known for sure until the toilet is lifted up and the connection is visible.

You have the right to check the two nuts and bolts,one on each side of the toilet.
They should be snug but do not over tighten them as you could break the toilet.
If you have the little white caps,they snap on and off.Good luck.

toilet

Your bolts could have loosened. OR, the flange could have broken. OR, the bolts could have rusted off. OR, the flange could have come loose from the floor. ALL of these would have the same symptoms, but the remedies for each would be entirely different so you have to know the problem before we can give a cure.

It could be a shim worked its way out somehow, or if it had been installed with a steel shim, it could be a shim rusted out. I know guys use electrical box knockouts and junk like that as shims sometimes.

OK. Thanks. I will not try and do anything myself. I popped off the cats and the bolts seemed tight.