Bought a 2005 Toyota Corolla

[Leo99]

Very nice! Reminds me of my old ones. My recommendation is to skip the timing chain cover reseal unless you really want to do it or it really needs it. It's tight quarters in there. The water pump can probably stay, too. But if you're disassembling that side of the engine... I'd replace the serpentine belt tensioner. The timing chain tensioner o-ring is a good idea. The intake manifold gasket was a weak spot on some years so I'd change that out unless you have the upgraded gasket. It's pretty easy and you can clean the inside of the manifold. I also needed to replace the valve cover gasket on mine. That's an easy job, too.

Inspect the transmission cooling lines that run along the radiator. They will corrode and cause a leak. I replaced them with ATF hose.

 

[mk378]

- Reseal the Timing Cover due to light seepage at the timing cover to cylinder head "t-joint." Will also replace the crank seal, VCG and timing chain tensioner o-ring in conjunction with the repair.

That's a lot of work over a little oil "seepage" on an old car. I would let it seep.

 

[Kira]

RTexasF said above: " The problem was that the steering wheel was offset to the side from the driver's seat, not directly in front of it. It drove me nuts!"

I remember seeing the offset steering wheel in a Renault 5 in 1971. The sales guy said, "After 5 minutes you won't even notice it."
Never drove it to find out.

 

[eljefino]

I'm here to pile on the advice to paint the wheels black. Just shove some playing cards down the sidewall into the bead area, LOL.

 

[atikovi]

I'm here to pile on the advice to paint the wheels black. Just shove some playing cards down the sidewall into the bead area, LOL.

Or if it needs new tires, do it then.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Nice car

 

[CharBaby]

If I have steelies (w/wheel covers) that need repainting, I‘ll repaint them just prior to getting new rubber. The covers will hide anything that I missed while painting.

 

[Elkins45]

I really regret selling my mundane beige 2007 five speed. I sold it after I retired and bought a new truck but I started missing it almost as soon as it was gone. That was the most boringly reliable vehicle I’ve ever owned. It had 178k miles when I sold it but I wouldn’t have hesitated to take it on a cross-country drive.

 

[eljefino]

Or if it needs new tires, do it then.

View attachment 83307

I need a black car to catch the overspray!

 

[JeffKeryk]

Let's see... Cheap registration, cheap insurance, good gas mileage (CA gas prices, ouch!), cheap parts and you got into it real right.
With today's inflated car prices due to low inventory vs demand, Sissy can drive this Corolla and wait out the price insanity.
Personally I would dump another grand into it and fix the paint.

Plus, the only way to kill one of these Toyotas is to wreck it. Don't ask me how I know...

 

[andyd]

My Daughter had a new '06 Corrolla. When it was totalled it had 160 kmiles on. Oil changes a set of front brakes and tires were about it for maintenance. It is the main reason I bought Camrys 5 yrs ago. So far, so good.

 

[The Critic]

How much are factory floor mats? I'd throw in some A/M pickup truck floor mats. They're larger than the ones for cars and can be cut to fit(better). And you can get'em for the rear too and probably save $60-$70 to use toward something else. In my area, OE matts are grossly overpriced.

$77 for the mat set. I am waiting to hear from my dealer this morning on availability.

1st Generation Scion TC Wheels bolt right up due to same 5x100 bolt pattern. Improve the look greatly. Also Subaru WRX/STI wheels have same 5x100 bolt pattern. Both are usually cheap on market place, often with like-new tires.

Unfortunately I already installed new tires. The tire shop was the 3rd stop after smog.

OP, is there something in the Corolla's history that says you should change the radiator?

Mainly for reliability. The cooling system parts will be 17 years old next year and she plans to take longer trips. There are signs of a prior front-end collision repair as well. A Koyo radiator is only $65 and Gates hoses are only an extra $28. The cooling system is already being drained for the timing cover reseal.

On the wheels, STAT.

My sister did comment on the rust, but I will leave that work to her. Thanks for the idea.

Very nice! Reminds me of my old ones. My recommendation is to skip the timing chain cover reseal unless you really want to do it or it really needs it. It's tight quarters in there. The water pump can probably stay, too. But if you're disassembling that side of the engine... I'd replace the serpentine belt tensioner. The timing chain tensioner o-ring is a good idea. The intake manifold gasket was a weak spot on some years so I'd change that out unless you have the upgraded gasket. It's pretty easy and you can clean the inside of the manifold. I also needed to replace the valve cover gasket on mine. That's an easy job, too.

Inspect the transmission cooling lines that run along the radiator. They will corrode and cause a leak. I replaced them with ATF hose.

Water Pump, Valve Cover and Timing Chain Tensioner will be removed in order to perform the timing cover reseal, so those are either getting replaced or resealed at the same time. Intake Manifold Gasket was replaced 15K ago with the updated orange one.

That's a lot of work over a little oil "seepage" on an old car. I would let it seep.

The timing cover reseal is actually pretty easy to do on the older 1.8's. There is lots of room in the engine bay compared to the newer ones.

 

[The Critic]

While waiting for the injectors to come back, I found a small water leak in the trunk. I think it was due to the trunk gasket being improperly seated.

So I took the opportunity to clean out the spare tire well, inflate the spare, and thoroughly clean the nasty trunk floor carpet.

Rinsing (after scrubbing with super clean diluted 1:1)



After 12 hrs of drip drying:

 

[addyguy]

Yo are really taking her to the cleaners for stuff that ‘might’ fail, eh?

Rad - these can last the life of the vehicle. If no leaks or seeps, why replace?
Injectors - these can also last the life of the vehicle. If no loss of performance, no need to touch.
Slight oil seep - try tightening the cover, or maybe a hm oil. If not actually dripping, will not cause a problem.
Spark plugs - are they actually due? Some are designed to go 80k.

But, you work for a dealership. You guys are pretty bad for scaring people about what might become a problem.
I manage a retail garage for a living, and I pride myself on only repairing for customers what needs to be done.

 

[addyguy]

Correction, you are not doing the spark plugs, but the water pump, unless failing, is also unnecessary.
Yes, peace of mind to non-car people can be expensive, but this seems excessive.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Yo are really taking her to the cleaners for stuff that ‘might’ fail, eh?

Rad - these can last the life of the vehicle. If no leaks or seeps, why replace?
Injectors - these can also last the life of the vehicle. If no loss of performance, no need to touch.
Slight oil seep - try tightening the cover, or maybe a hm oil. If not actually dripping, will not cause a problem.
Spark plugs - are they actually due? Some are designed to go 80k.

But, you work for a dealership. You guys are pretty bad for scaring people about what might become a problem.
I manage a retail garage for a living, and I pride myself on only repairing for customers what needs to be done.

Actually, @The Critic does not operate that way. Is he through? Yes. Is he honest and fair? Yes. Helpful? 100%.
By the way, I lost a Honda Accord transmission due to a bad radiator; my driveway had the dreaded strawberry milkshake.

Actually, thanks for reminding me! Our old Tundra, well over 200K, has the original radiator. I sure as heck don't wanna damage another tranny.
Plastic radiators can bite you!

 

[OilUzer]

Please remember that somewhat ocd, mild ocd or excessively ocd people visit bitog and could also work on space shuttle.

he is also doing this for a family member and not profit.

 

[supton]

Timing cover had to come off. Not sure if water pump has to come off to do that, if it does then I'd think it a prime thing to replace while in there. If it's just in the way, it's probably not big work to remove at this point.

If sis is not mechanically inclined and not living local, I'm not sure that this is over the top.

[Alternatively this is payback for being oh so annoying when younger. If given half the chance I'd soak my siblings too--and I haven't lived with them for more than 25 years now. Payback's a... well let's leave it at that.]

 

[Nick1994]

Yo are really taking her to the cleaners for stuff that ‘might’ fail, eh?

Rad - these can last the life of the vehicle. If no leaks or seeps, why replace?
Injectors - these can also last the life of the vehicle. If no loss of performance, no need to touch.
Slight oil seep - try tightening the cover, or maybe a hm oil. If not actually dripping, will not cause a problem.
Spark plugs - are they actually due? Some are designed to go 80k.

But, you work for a dealership. You guys are pretty bad for scaring people about what might become a problem.
I manage a retail garage for a living, and I pride myself on only repairing for customers what needs to be done.

Since when does The Critic work for a dealership? And how is that dealer prices? Sounds like it’s being done for pretty much the cost of parts.

A radiator is only $72 for a Denso.

 

[The Critic]

Yo are really taking her to the cleaners for stuff that ‘might’ fail, eh?

Sure, that is one way to look at it. But I currently have the ability to proactively address known weak points for the cost of parts only. This luxury may not be available if she breaks down somewhere during a long trip.

Rad - these can last the life of the vehicle. If no leaks or seeps, why replace?
Injectors - these can also last the life of the vehicle. If no loss of performance, no need to touch.
Slight oil seep - try tightening the cover, or maybe a hm oil. If not actually dripping, will not cause a problem.
Spark plugs - are they actually due? Some are designed to go 80k.

Radiator is almost 17 years old. I think we can agree that plastic tank radiators have a finite life. A new KOYO radiator was $67.

Clogged injectors are somewhat of a known issue on older 1ZZ engines. New injectors are $150/ea. Having the injectors cleaned on an ASNU machine was $120. New seals was $20. For $140, we know these are now working properly (and slightly more efficiently) for less than the cost of a single new injector.

I agree the timing cover reseal is not completely necessary. There is a moderate seep at the timing cover to cyl head "T-joint" and there are a few other areas where minor seepage exists. But I can do the work for her and it is under $60 in parts to reseal and maybe 4-5 hrs. The water pump must be removed in order to remove the timing cover; didn't see a point to re-using the old pump when a new Aisin one is $45.

I manage a retail garage for a living, and I pride myself on only repairing for customers what needs to be done.

Are you suggesting that you do not make your clients aware of all potential issues? I have found that educating your customers and allowing them to make informed decisions builds trust. For the record, I do not work at a dealership.

Since when does The Critic work for a dealership? And how is that dealer prices? Sounds like it’s being done for pretty much the cost of parts.

A radiator is only $72 for a Denso.

$1650 barely buys the parts for all of the items...