dead 1999 Corolla of Pleasure - fare thee well

[tooSavvy]

Yes, m8, I'm in the 'cool as cucumber' camp mesell

I've been a Bzzy-B today.........

Clonk On [thumbup]

[500tops]

My 164,000 mile 1998 Starlet is still on its original exhaust and clutch. For cheap, reliable motoring, 90s Toyotas are hard to beat.

[MorrisItalSLX]

Well said @500tops.

It should be mentioned that my 29 year old Corolla is on its original exhaust too.

[dozeydustman]

1 hour ago, 500tops said:

My 164,000 mile 1998 Starlet is still on its original exhaust and clutch. For cheap, reliable motoring, 90s Toyotas are hard to beat.

Our one's clutch went at 160-something thousand. Was the original as well.

[00833827]

Recently got rid of my old carina e 1996. Original clutch and i had replaced silencer but the cat was gone. That said it had over 230 thousand miles on it

[Sir Snipes]

The only pictures we've seen of this have been close ups of the exhaust and it's heat shield. 

 

Jus' sayin' like. 

[Noel Tidybeard]

On 6/16/2019 at 9:20 PM, MikeR said:

wrong type of bulb been put back in a holder .....  ie a single filament bulb in a twin filament holder , they are not suppost to fit but ....

some one I know did this and caused a  similar   problem ...... 

in a mk1 carlton pressing brake pedal hard would keep engine running when key turned off- all due to single in twin hole!

[dozeydustman]

On 9/21/2019 at 9:05 AM, Snipes said:

The only pictures we've seen of this have been close ups of the exhaust and it's heat shield. 

 

Jus' sayin' like. 

Go to start of this thread where I install the dash cam for its full lovelyness

[dozeydustman]

Pair of Avon ZV7s fitted to this today having picked up 3 nails in one tyre. Spare was dated 2001 so the undamaged front tyre was put on this rim.

The droplinks now look very tired and the strut tops have started to rattle, so I will have a few jobs to do before the ticket runs out by the sounds of it. I'm still after a nice driver's side front wing so I can get her in smarter shape than she is. Failing that a pattern part and save for respray of whole car will have to suffice.

Current list of jobs:

1. replace o/s/f wing
2. regas air con & change pollen filter
3. Change water pump & flush out cooling system.
4. thoroughly clean interior.
5. save up for respray? unless I can get one in the same metallic blue
6. Unseize track rod ends for purposes of wheel alignment and future replacement.
7. Change drop links and strut tops
8. Locate another set of good alloy wheels (original Toyota) or save up for refurbishment of current set of wolfies.
9. New exhaust system - the current 20 y/o system is getting more and more rattly.

[Sir Snipes]

May be easier to replace the whole inner and outer track rod as a complete assembly if they're seized badly enough. I don't recall front TREs seizing on Toyotas, though they always were on IS200s and rear toe adjusters on just about anything Toyota  (both adjustable rods and eccentric bolts) such as Supras, Celica GT4s and SW20 MR2s

 

[Kiltox]

12 hours ago, Sir Snipes said:

May be easier to replace the whole inner and outer track rod as a complete assembly if they're seized badly enough. I don't recall front TREs seizing on Toyotas, though they always were on IS200s and rear toe adjusters on just about anything Toyota  (both adjustable rods and eccentric bolts) such as Supras, Celica GT4s and SW20 MR2s

 

Use loctite on inner track rods at the rack end or bad things happen 

No prizes for guessing how I know 

[dozeydustman]

Having been woken up at 5:15 to "Glen the car won't start" I awoke Mrs Dustman to get madam to work, 4 hours on charge has put enough life in the cheap lion battery fitted to it to start so I could investigate why it went flat.

Alternator is getting noisy. So is water pump. I have the latter, not the former so that's on the shopping list, though it's still pumping out a good 14.1 volts when first started and was at 14.0v after a 20 minute run up and down the A27 to Emsworth and back. Essential journey - checking to see if a key worker's car is ok. Voltage on return was a healthy 12.8v with everything off so another 20-30 minute run later when we pick madam up from work should see it fine, though I'll check the battery again before one of us picks her up.

Interior light was on as was door open light on the dash, all 4 doors and the boot shut firmly, but still on. That'll need looking at though halfway through my trip it went off, so I've got a dodgy or shorted out door switch, so interior light is now set to off. Will have to investigate which switch is iffy and replace in due course.

Also time to pull up last year's MoT certificate and rectify some of the advisories. The top end is ticking as well so I'm going to have to re-shim the valves I think. Once I've finished my garden project this car will get a service and when it goes for MoT they can re-gas the air con as well.

Still after a good o/s/f wing, preferably in Blurple, and going to attack the rust on the wheel arches this summer, I wanted to last year but with all the hoo-har that went on I didn't get round to it.

[dozeydustman]

The last of the engine service items for this and the Suzuki have arrived this evening (thermostat & pollen filter for this car) so services should be carried out this week, along with giving anything perishable a check.

 

Only advisory last year was a distortion on a wheel rim, but I don’t recall the drop links having been changed (which were and advisory from 2018), so I’ll have to rummage through the paperwork before I order a pair. I’m hoping the thermostat housing isn’t a sod to do, I doubt it’s ever been replaced and I cannot run the risk of madam not being able to get to work. Pretty sure it’s the stat as the car takes forever to warm up when it’s cool.

[St.Jude]

You could bring it to Halfrauds and have them check the battery, as it's for a key worker.

[dozeydustman]

13 hours ago, sgtberbatov said:

You could bring it to Halfrauds and have them check the battery, as it's for a key worker.

I think I have found the cause - the boot lid catch needs adjusting (I think), as sometimes even when the catch has caught and is firmly closed, the door open light comes on. Either that or the switch is dicky; if the latter I'll just disconnect it until I get a good replacement. It did it again when I went shopping yesterday. It's in use today as stepdaughter (madam) was called into work an hour ago as they were short staffed. Hopefully I'll get time to check this and service it later today if she's back before dinner time.

Since we've had the interior light switched to "off" there's been no signs of drained battery. It's a new(ish) battery with at least 2 year's guarantee left so if it is kaput it can go back! Also telling wife and madam to not open the boot should help.

[St.Jude]

19 minutes ago, dozeydustman said:

I think I have found the cause - the boot lid catch needs adjusting (I think), as sometimes even when the catch has caught and is firmly closed, the door open light comes on. Either that or the switch is dicky; if the latter I'll just disconnect it until I get a good replacement. It did it again when I went shopping yesterday. It's in use today as stepdaughter (madam) was called into work an hour ago as they were short staffed. Hopefully I'll get time to check this and service it later today if she's back before dinner time.

Since we've had the interior light switched to "off" there's been no signs of drained battery. It's a new(ish) battery with at least 2 year's guarantee left so if it is kaput it can go back! Also telling wife and madam to not open the boot should help.

That's good! I'm glad you're on top of it. 

The interior light on my Corolla never ever works. And I only ever think to fix it during the winter when it's dark getting in and out of the damn thing!

[dozeydustman]

Oil change done today. Didn’t spill any. As I use a browser app called Honey it automatically applies discount coupons to the online shop, and ended up with 60% off Euro Crap parts. All Parts present and erect.

Hence the Bosch filter and Shell oil.

I have no idea when the Pollen filter was last changed. Replacement was a bastard to get in though as it needs rolling up and a precise aim because tight bit of footwell. Ventilation is a little better and much less smelly but sadly air con needs gassing up. Air filter didn’t get changed as 8 months old and still quite new looking.

Later this week I hope to dump all the coolant, change the stat and water pump. Takes a very long time to hit the normal area of the temp gauge, especially on a colder day, but struggles to stay cool in traffic - no airlock and original 185k mile pump. Clutch pedal has no free play either so that will be done. Want to do a full on pre-MoT checkover as well, brakes, bushes, bearings etc as there’s a but of a rattle over certain road undulations which I have failed to replicate - Strut tops?

[dozeydustman]

As you may have seen on the thread of grumps I started the coolant and thermostat change in the Toyota yesterday. A simple job that should take half an hour, maybe 45 mins? No.

Draining the rad was simple enough. Nice tap and some rather brown coolant came out, likewise Draining the block.

Getting this

in there

was a ballache and a half. I have huge hands and couldn’t get between exhaust manifold and oil filter. Manifold also prevented getting a ratchet on there and didn’t give a good line for an extension or UJ.

I did this in the end to get the bung back in. Filter back on, turn attention to ‘stat housing. Came off with no problem.

 

Stat is ever so slightly open and has a rubber ring around the spring; I would suspect it’s the original as installed by Toyota. New one installed.

 

stud sheared on torque up, was nowhere near the click for correct tightety. Cue farce trying to order a stud extractor from Halfrauds.

Workmate saw my plight on Faceb**k and popped over with a selection of tools. We got the broken stud and have swapped it temporarily for a 25mm machine screw with a smoll spacer (20mm too short, 25 too long!).

Test drive. Photo taken by passenger*

Car holds temperature lower than prior to dripping the coolant, and warms up a bit quicker than before due to new stat. I’ve only filled up with plain water as there is a lot of black and brown crap floating around this system, so going to run with just this for a few days and may pop a dishwasher tablet in the system to remove some major skank, flush out and refill with Toyota spec Pinky-red coolant. That will probably be early part of next week, along with a pre-MoT checkover and submitting for test.

[dozeydustman]

When I left this car last time I had to bodge a bolt to the thermostat housing while I ordered some 6mm studs. Studs arrived ages ago but a certain teenager has been working and seeing her boyfriend since the restrictions were eased and hadn’t had a chance to do the coolant change.

This was thermostat housing bodge bolt.

Whipped it out and thankfully the housing remained firm thanks to a bit of assembly gloop I put one the mating surfaces.

Bolt then went back in as I could not now find the studs.

The flush got a bit more crap out but most of that came from the horrid block drain point. I must change that to a tap one day. It’s a ballache to get to and my fat hands mean I need to either remove the oil filter or the exhaust manifold.

Filled up with Toyota original spec ready mixed coolant. Need to put a label on the rad to say what’s in it just in case a garage or someone else does a top up.

15 minutes idling to burp the system and then a good run plus some town traffic and the level didn’t go down when I got home so can only be a good thing.

Aside from a stop/tail bulb changing It does need drop links for the MoT. It’s got its Boris extension but I’m rather reluctant to have 2 cars with tickets expiring within a couple weeks of each other. Can’t find much else wrong with it but I don’t have a ramp nor a decent jack at the moment, so have only found what I can with the car sitting on the deck.

Here she is smiling in the sun.

[dozeydustman]

Bit of pre-mot work this lunchtime. Had to do on the road because no electrics in garage and needed the angry wheel of death.

 

I got caught in a short sharp shower and abandoned for 10 mins.

 

I think this drop link is bollocksed

[dozeydustman]

What’s nice about the replacement link Is the ball side of the thread has a spanner flat on it as well. Hopefully when these next need doing in 21 years they’ll be easier to remove.

Repeated on O/S as well.

Cuppa, lunch then adjust handbrake and I think all got for the MoT

[dozeydustman]

Pissing hard with rain, handbrake can be done tomorrow!

book says 5-8 clicks, it’s on 9 so may just chance this at test time.

[dozeydustman]

An afternoon out has revealed all the knocks and rattles are now gone save a little bit of pad rattle when the brakes aren’t applied. Pads about half worn but will be replaced in about 6 months or so along with discs, as they are starting to make a lip, and one has a bit of a score in it. Will also get shoes and drums as no idea how old they are (2011 is newest rear brake invoice I can find)

On 1/20/2020 at 9:19 PM, dozeydustman said:

Current list of jobs:

1. replace o/s/f wing 
2. regas air con
3. change pollen filter - done
4. Change water pump
5. flush out cooling system - done
6. thoroughly clean interior - I did this, then madam went out and filled the car up with junk again, so needs another clean.
7. save up for respray? unless I can get a wing in the same metallic blue
8. Unseize track rod ends for purposes of wheel alignment and future replacement.
9. Change drop links - done
10. Locate another set of good alloy wheels (original Toyota) or save up for refurbishment of current set of wolfies.
11. New exhaust system - the current 20 y/o system is getting more and more rattly.
12. new brake consumables within next 6 months - drums/discs/pads/shoes and flexi hoses.

MoT station can regas the air con, a lot of the ticking noises went after the cooling system was flushed so not going to change alternator or water pump until they fail. I’ll also ask them to try a free off the track rod ends; the rubber boots are starting to crack but still keeping dirt out for time being. No movement in the strut tops so they can wait until I get new front struts, bushes (would like to go poly if possible).

I’m popping over to the friendly MoT station after work tomorrow to book it in.

[dozeydustman]

This old dollop has booked the blurple pleasure machine for it’s MoT next Wednesday first thing. Also getting the air con gas done.

If it fails it will be on something pathetic.

[dozeydustman]

Stepdaughter ran me to say a tyre has gone flat. She’s picked up a nail or screw in the centre of the tread so hopefully that’s pluggable. Not wasting a nearly new tyre. By time I got to her she’d managed to change it but hadn’t torqued the wheels up sufficiently.

Going to pop to tyre place after work tomorrow see if they can plug the hole, it’s that or fit the spare Passio I had taken of the Suzuki (same size and rating, but absolutely no wet grip)

[dozeydustman]

Another year of merely satisfactory motoring has been granted, no advisories.

[DanGleables]

Got to love a clean sheet MOT pass, makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside doesn't it? ?

[St.Jude]

23 minutes ago, DanGleables said:

Got to love a clean sheet MOT pass, makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside doesn't it? ?

In any other car, yes.

But in a Toyota Corolla? You don't get that feeling. You just feel overwhelmingly smug about it. 

[paulplom]

1 hour ago, DanGleables said:

Got to love a clean sheet MOT pass, makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside doesn't it? ?

Maybe, but you'd proper shit yourself if it failed.

[dozeydustman]

Tbh every failure this car has had since I got together with mrs dustbinwife has been minor. Petrol cap seal, blown bulb, headlamp aim save one year when the emissions wouldn’t go right, which was a poor connection on the lambda sensor & fixed with a 50p crimp spade.