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Toyota Corolla Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • terceltomterceltom Member Posts: 1,024
    Just in case you really want to find out much more about tires there is a forum on Edmund's devoted to just "Automobile tires", called "Tires, Tires, Tires"
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Thanks for mentioning that, terceltom. The link is here for TIRES TIRES TIRES
  • windgracewindgrace Member Posts: 84
    :o
    Wow, thank you for that! I must have missed that when looking around!
  • jim5016jim5016 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 1990 Corolla (bought used) in which none of the power windows work from either the master switch at drivers door or individual door switches. Had hoped this would be something simple like a blown fuse, but I can't even find a fuse labeled for power windows (or PW), and all installed fuses are good. Any ideas?
  • terceltomterceltom Member Posts: 1,024
    Could be very simple, how about the master window lock located on your drivers side arm rest? Is it unlocked? This has fooled me many times in the past.
  • jim5016jim5016 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks Tom,
    I did try the master window lock button, but it didn't work (unless there is a problem with the switch itself). I'll have to check into that a litle deeper.
  • windgracewindgrace Member Posts: 84
    Hey, just a quick update:
    I finally got sick of the OE Goodyears (wore down to 5/32nd" in 13k miles...ridiculous!) and I didn't want to go into winter driving on crummy tires (I figured if the traction was so poor that my ABS and traction control flared up on rough dry pavement then winter would be awful) I finally took the Toyota dealership's advice to replace my tires yesterday. Got a set of Michelin X Radials from Costco for just a hair under $450. They need a bit to break in, but already a huge improvement. My ABS doesn't kick in going down the usual roads like before, and road noise is pretty much nonexistent. Where the Goodyears howled at 65 mph I found myself going almost 75 before noticing my speed because it was so much quieter. A little firmer than the Goodyears, but they need to break in a bit more I think. I could actually get Hydroedges from Discount tire in the correct size (195/65-15) but it would have been at least $140 more for the tires. I spent hours researching tires and almost pulled the trigger on Cooper CS4 Touring but the Michelins came out to be cheaper so I couldn't say no to that!

    I took the car in to the dealership for an alignment today and asked the mechanic to check out the b-pillar rattle. After an hour I got the car back and I was told the rattle was diagnosed and fixed. Accelerated out of the service department and the rattle flared up. Turned around and drove with a different mechanic, who couldn't believe I've had a hard time diagnosing the problem because the rattle was so audible. He spent almost 2 hours trying to fix it and ended up ordering a replacement part for the interior trim. I think they have to replace the whole section that the seat belt comes out of, because he said the problem went away when he uninstalled the seat belt. Either way, it's covered by warranty and I hope that solves my issue!
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    >Got a set of Michelin X Radials from Costco for just a hair under $450. They need a bit to break in, but already a huge improvement. My ABS doesn't kick in going down the usual roads like before, and road noise is pretty much nonexistent.

    The road noise may come back on certain types of concrete pavements. I've noticed my Michelins tended to do that. Also as they start to wear down about 1/4 or 1/3 of the way some road noise reappears.

    But Michelins have stayed round and rolled round for me for decades. The only thing to watch is to use them up before they age--the rubber that gives the excellent mileage along with good traction tends to crack after some years. People who don't use up the 80+K miles of tread life in 4-5 years may see dry rot signs.

    Good choice.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • terceltomterceltom Member Posts: 1,024
    What did you do with the tires you replaced?
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    You said in another post that the car previously had dent repair - wonder if the rattle was related to the dent(s)?

    Michelin X - great tires. Expensive, but worth it, when you consider how important tires are safety-wise.
  • chejochejo Member Posts: 1
    yeah, that's I never try to climb 5 speed y rather use 4. It's not a big deal..
  • windgracewindgrace Member Posts: 84
    There are certain types of concrete that do make some tread noise, but otherwise I only hear the engine up to 75 mph most of the time. I am absolutely *shocked* at just how differently a vehicle can perform with different tires. I think the ride might be a tad firmer than the OE Goodyears, but with less than 100 miles on the tires it's hard to say. Probably need a good 1000+ miles to wear in. Car tracks perfectly after balancing and alignment was completed, as well.

    I have a question, can tires affect body roll? When I would go through some of the twists on my road on the Goodyears the body roll was so atrocious I was looking into a sway bar or suspension upgrade because I was getting tossed around in my seat. That's pretty much disappeared with the Michelins.

    I also think that almost any tire from any manufacturer will start having problems with their rubber after 4-5 years. Considering the miles I put on a year I'll probably have a good 70-75k miles in 5 years so that'll put me right at a good time to replace them if all goes well!
  • windgracewindgrace Member Posts: 84
    I had Costco dispose of them. 5/32nds in 13k miles is atrocious wear. I was gonna replace them at 4/32nds before the real winter hit but I decided to utilize the Michelin deal before it ended.
  • windgracewindgrace Member Posts: 84
    There was a dent removed a few inches in front of the driver side door handle. You can see a very small ripple in certain light. It is interesting that the rattle is coming from an interior piece in the driver side B-pillar and from what I understand, they have to replace the whole column that the seat belt comes from. I do think it's kind of odd that the two are so close...either way as long as this new part fixes the rattle then I'm satisfied.

    I think that tires might be a bit more expensive where I am at, but after cross-shopping several tires (and spending hours researching) I had narrowed it down to Pirelli P4 Four Seasons, Michelin X and Cooper CS4 Touring. The Michelins were the cheapest, surprisingly enough! Couldn't say no to that considering their reputation.
  • circuitsmithcircuitsmith Member Posts: 117
    "can tires affect body roll?"

    It can feel that way if a tire's sidewall flexes excessively under side loads.
  • jyeejyee Member Posts: 1
    i have a 1998 corolla. i'm having problems with the one side of the brakes locking up.i have changed the brake line and the caliper and each time (3 times)after about a month it does it again.i'm stumped and so are 2 of my buddies which are part time machanics.need help with this

    1998 corolla
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    edited October 2011
    How 'bout the proportioning valve? When you first did the replacement, if the brake fluid that came out was dirty and brown, you could have sludged up the entire brake system. Brake fluid needs to be flushed every couple of years. I presume the slides on the calipers were greased properly and I hope that you used top quality parts and weren't tempted to use cheap rebuilt calipers from a chain store. God knows what they do to those things.
  • terceltomterceltom Member Posts: 1,024
    Asumming new brake fluid was used to eliminate moisture contaminated fluid and correct bleeding of the system was completed. Shiftright might have more.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Also a problem with the traction control module, if so equipped.
  • alex24alex24 Member Posts: 54
    That is strange if both brakes of one is locking up, but one thing I know for sure is when one brake locks up it is the rubber brake line to that wheel, note ,when it locks up, brake open the bleeder screw for that wheel, then see if the wheel turns freely, if it does, than it is a defect in the short rubber brake line to that wheel. if thats not it, than you need to flush out your brake lines as it sounds like you have a cloging somewhere in the lines.
  • daryll44daryll44 Member Posts: 307
    Tomorrow I'll have Hankook Optima tires installed on our 2010 Corolla S with 10,200 miles. The Goodyear tires were down to about 6/32nds and with winter coming here on Pittsburgh hills, I wanted something newer and with a good snow traction rating. The Hankooks rated well. I'll save the Goodyears for turn in at the end of the lease (2 years from now) in case the Hankooks are shot by then. I hope I made a good choice.
  • windgracewindgrace Member Posts: 84
    Yeah, the original Goodyears are cruddy tires...plain and simple. Mine were at 5/32nds at 13k miles...
    I utilized the Michelin $70 rebate and got the X Radials...it's like I'm driving a totally different car. The cornering/handling has improved exponentially compared to the Goodyears. Road noise is nonexistant. The ride is a little firmer, but it's definitely worth it considering how much better the car performs. The traction is much better...on roads where my ABS would (prematurely) activate it no longer does with the Michelins. If I can get 60k out of the tires I'll be ecstatic. I was looking at the Hankook Optimo H727, but I didn't get it because the Tirerack tests didn't give it the best wet traction reviews, which is important to me. I was looking at the Pirelli P4 Four Seasons, Continental ProContact w/Ecoplus and Cooper CS4 Touring. I would have preferred the Continentals, but they are backordered and the Michelins were (surprisingly) the cheapest out of the bunch.

    I do have an annoying problem. It sounds like there's a bee in the trim garnish piece that the driver side seat belt comes out of in the B Pillar. It alternates from buzzing at lower speeds to creaking at higher speeds. I've been to the dealership like 5 times. They ordered a new part and put it on today, and did some other work (apparently the new part didn't fix it so the mechanic called Toyota and did some more work to repair the problem) and I test drove the car with the mechanic and I didn't hear the buzzing. Drove it home and it started all over again. Any suggestions? My 15k service is coming up soon, I'm wondering if I should just drop the car off and say that I won't drive it home until I don't hear this buzzing anymore because it's seriously driving me up a wall. :sick:
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    Yes, tell them to fix it. You said earlier that there was damage in this area (a dent or something like that), that I bet caused it. They need to fix it, so tell them to get it right!
  • windgracewindgrace Member Posts: 84
    I was just thinking...I found a service bulletin for Corolla/Matrixes from 09-10 regarding a garnish piece on the B-pillar of the car. I even brought it in to the dealership, but they disregarded it because it was a problem with the lower part of the B-pillar (the buzzing is at ear level).

    Looking at the Invoice it says the mechanic called TAS and was supposed to add felt somewhere because there was a problem with the lower half of the B-pillar that was causing the sound to radiate upward, making it sound like it's at ear level. That's a little suspicious, no...? I might bring back that service bulletin...

    Yeah, there was a small dent removed from the driver side exterior door handle...I'm sure this is a cause of that. So frustrating!
  • daryll44daryll44 Member Posts: 307
    Windgrace, when you say you got the (Michelin) "X" tires...the only such tire I can see on TIRERACK is a winter snow tire. Is THAT what you are talking about? Do you plan to run it yearround?
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    Really sounds like you should go to another Toyota dealer, as the one you have been going to is not doing their job!
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    http://michelinman.com/tire-selector/category/passenger-car-minivan

    Check out the Michelin "X" which is last on the page.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • daryll44daryll44 Member Posts: 307
    Impressive. Perhaps had I seen this, I would have gotten them instead of the Hankook. Well, the Kooks are on the car now and they appear to be "good too". Good going on your Michelin deal!
  • daryll44daryll44 Member Posts: 307
    I am wondering what the top speed is on my 2010 Corolla "S"? The reason I ask is because when I ordered tires from TIRERACK, they called to "warn" me that the tires I ordered "only" had a top speed of 118 versus the top speed of 130 on the stock Goodbad tires that came with the car. Can a Corolla REALLY get up to 118 MPH, let alone 130?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    They're covering their butts legally on that.
  • j06j06 Member Posts: 90
    edited October 2011
    I own 2009 corolla with Bridgestone Turanza EL 400-02 OE tires. Now @ 14,900 miles. Never rotated the tires and the dealer never recommended the tire rotation. Recently for the 15K service the advisor yelled at me that the tires are worn out... he said the customer must request for a rotation. The dealers are not responsible for it. They only do what the customer recommended service. Upon his advice rotated the tires. Now the front driver side tire gives me a bump every rotation. Feels like driving with nail on the tire.

    Called Bridgestone, the advisor told me that the tires do not have any warranty. Bridgestone expects the tires to be run average 25-30K. Because of low miles on the car I am qualified for up to 45-50% discount on a new Turanza W/Serenity tires. He told me to go and take tread read at nearest BS dealer. I went and the store manager told me that there is no tread left on the tire. It’s due to lack of tire rotation. You should complain this to the dealer.

    I have to call and find out how much Bridgestone will offer me.. I have to options which one is better…

    Bridgestone Turanza w/Serenity (70K warranty) with 50% discount total $417 with tax

    Hankook Ventus V4 (50K warranty) buy 3 get one free at Pep boys total $410 (after $85 rebate) with tax >> this come with free lifetime tire rotation
  • terceltomterceltom Member Posts: 1,024
    Yeah, I haver the same original tires on my 2009 and they're crap. I have 17,000 miles on my car and rotated them once but they're now shot. It's a really soft rubber that gives an excellent ride but doesn't last. I always buy harder rubber tires with a treadwear warranty of 40 or 50 K miles.
  • windgracewindgrace Member Posts: 84
    That's odd...my Toyota dealership told me that rotations were a part of the service every 5k miles. I'm surprised that all these car makers put on tires that perform so poorly and have no tread wear warranty. You'd think putting on a set of decent Yokohamas or Kumhos (relatively cheap and decent tire brands) would be worth it.

    Just from what I've read about tires (and I have read A LOT the past few weeks) I would go with the Bridgestone Turanza w/Serenity tires. They have some of the best wet traction in the all-season category (if that's a priority) and everyone comments on the smooth, quiet ride. If Bridgestone was having a rebate I would have gotten those for my Corolla, but Michelin had their $70 rebate and the X Radials from Costco are some of the best rated tires out there. The Yokohama Avid TRZs are also very popular tires with a decent warranty, too.
  • daryll44daryll44 Member Posts: 307
    A few thoughts: First of all, the Badyear OEM tires on my 2010 Corolla were about half-shot at 10,000 miles when I changed them out, EVEN WITH rotation. I suspect your tires wouldn't have done that much better even if you had rotated. Second, the Badyears also have no warranty and are junk too. I suspect that Toyota, esp on lower end cars like Corolla, get the cheapest crap the manufacturers will make that meet the bare minimum requirements.

    Finally, I DO think that knowing to rotate was YOUR responsibility, not the dealers. To be fair to the dealer, they get accused all the time of upselling. I actually prefer a dealer who does exactly what I request and doesn't bother me with sales pressure. Perhaps IF YOU HAD ASKED WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE at 5000 miles or 7500 miles, they were negligent for not suggesting tire rotation. But honestly most people know to rotate at 5 to 10K and they might have assumed that you had it done on your own. So don't blame the dealer for this. It's your fault. Suck it up, man! Again, either way you'd be buying tires sooner rather than later. Be sure that the new tires, even if you go for the Bridgestone deal, has some sort of mileage warranty...or don't take the deal...so you're not farked if they new tires only last as long as the old tires.
  • windgracewindgrace Member Posts: 84
    edited October 2011
    It's strange how tire experiences differ...my mother had the same Bridgestones on her 2010 Legacy. She rotated them once and at 19k miles had enough tread life to probably make it to 37-38k miles. But the tires performed so poorly last winter up here in the Sierras she didn't want to go through next winter with the same tires. Traded them in to Discount Tire ($100 for the four Bridgestones) and she utilized Michelins $70 rebate and got a good price for a set of Primacy MXV4s.

    The OE Goodyears on my Corolla did have a really soft rubber and the ride was very soft. I put on the Michelin X Radials and it's a much harder compound and the sidewall doesn't seem to flex as much...which I actually like. I don't feel like I'm getting tossed around in the driver's seat now when I take some of the corners down these windy roads up here. Plus, an 80k warranty from Michelin is totally worth it. If I get 55k+ I'll be pleased.

    I will be ecstatic if Toyota actually fixes this obnoxious rattle. I was looking at trade-ins and used cars, that's how frustrated I am with it!
  • j06j06 Member Posts: 90
    I only put up 6K per year…. Both are good rated tires.. I am confused which one to choose from. Hankook is v rated. Is there any problem going from H to V rated ?
  • j06j06 Member Posts: 90
    I understand its my mistake.. but without rotation the tires are worn out at 15K.. no tread left :( ..

    my confusion is which one to choose from Bridgestone Turanza W/Serenity or Hankook Ventus V4 ..

    any one have experience with Hankook Ventus V4 ??
  • windgracewindgrace Member Posts: 84
    If you're going with H rated tires I'm guessing you have the 16" alloys on your Corolla. Going up to a V speed rating won't harm anything.

    I'd recommend the Bridgestone Turanza w/Serenity from those two tires.

    I don't want to inundate you with information, but there's a lot of other options. It depends on what you want. Do your tires see snow? Do you see rain? Do you prefer handling over comfort? Do you value traction or could you utilize a low-rolling resistance tire for some improved MPGs? How important is tread-life to you? As I read online, with tires you have these options: Comfort, Tread life, traction. Pick two.

    The Goodyear Assurance ComforTred Tourings get very good reviews. If you don't need the best traction the Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max are decent low-rolling resistance tires that should improve your MPGs. Yokohama AVID TRZ (H rated) are probably some of the most commonly bought tires for a Corolla with good traction and tread life. The General Altimax HP sacrifices some tread life for excellent traction in all conditions. The Sumitomo HTR A/S P01 and Yokohama AVID ENVigor are a cheap high-performance tires that performs very well.
  • j06j06 Member Posts: 90
    edited October 2011
    Price is one of the main factors. Checked with dealer, they are running over priced buy 4 get one free deal. $145 for GY Eagle & $165 for Comfotred.

    Average drive is 6K per year. Looking a set for the next 5 years. If I get 50% discount will definitely go with Turanza. $100 for road hazard, $50 for installation. But for every 5K I have to spend another $20 for rotation :cry:

    Regarding Hankook Ventus V4, $85 per tire. Buy 4 get one free. $80 for installation with free lifetime tire rotation. $40 for road hazard. From 60 reviews from 1010tires Ventus V4 is a surprise tire. Smooth, quiet ride, good dry/wet traction.
  • windgracewindgrace Member Posts: 84
    Do you have a Discount Tire around you? I think dealerships overprice tires. Discount Tire has some pretty competitive prices. If you have a Costco membership they have excellent prices on tires (that's where I got my Michelins).

    Have you priced either of the Yokohamas I mentioned? They both get great reviews, and the Sumitomo's get very good reviews and are some of the cheapest tires via Tire Rack.

    The Bridgestone Turanza w/Serenity gets great reviews everywhere, I think that should be the 1st choice here.

    I've called Discount Tire and Tire Rack (the latter I called on 2 separate occasions to get two opinions) and nobody really recommend Hankooks. They said for a little more money you can get much better performing tires. But, many have had great experiences with Hankooks. But I don't know much about that specific tire, either...

    http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Hankook&tireModel=Ventus+V4+ES+- H105
    Is this the tire you were looking at? Looking under the "Survey" tab I see some issues, and under the "Test" tab I see the tire placed 4th (last) in TireRack's tests.
  • j06j06 Member Posts: 90
    edited October 2011
    Thanks…

    Yes, I think it’s the same tires. I know it might be rated low by tirerack. But according to personal reviews by 60 users @ 1010tires, they are really good considering the price.

    Found online.. $160 mail in rebate for Good Year comfordtred with Sears Card. $116 per tire, $70 for installation but they charge $23 per tire for handling :sick: .

    I have to check with the local store for their price. If they don’t charge handling it will be great.
  • windgracewindgrace Member Posts: 84
    Yeah, the 'Survey' tab is based on user reviews on Tirerack and it looks like you could get some better performing tires, but that's just my opinion. Finding a tire recommended by several sites is hard...For example the user reviews of the Hankook H727 are excellent. Tirerack rates it as one of the poorest performers in their testing, and Discount Tire said they'd recommend Yokohamas before the Hankooks. Tires are just a crapshoot, I think!

    Shopping with different stores for tires is tricky. tirerack has cheap prices but you have to add shipping. Some shops charge less for installation but more for other things. It's insane. :mad:

    Like I said, I'd price the Yokohamas and Sumitomos. These also rate very well outside of tirerack. Michelins are probably the safest bet, but they are veery expensive. The Bridgestone Turanza Serenity would still be an excellent choice, so if they price the cheapest I don't see why you wouldn't get it.

    Also, look up cooper tires. The Cooper CS4 Touring gets great reviews everywhere, they probably have them in your size and speed rating. If Michelin didn't have the $70 rebate when I bought tires, I would have bought the Coopers because they were the cheapest from what I priced.
  • maganmagan Member Posts: 18
    '05 Corolla-exterior molding/trim-grey plastic runs from under driver's door to rear door. Need to know name of part to order online

    TIA
  • j06j06 Member Posts: 90
    Never tried sumitomo.. Yokohoma Geolander is on my 06 Highlander.. very smooth, quiet, but horrible in snow... :mad:

    Read many reviews on GY Comfordtred. All the good reviews were posted by users with less than 10K miles. Majority of them with more than 20K miles have many issues with the tire. Sidewall, not good one for highway.. I think it's good for 4 to 5 years..
  • j06j06 Member Posts: 90
    Any one in this forum tried Good Year Eagle RS-A?
  • daryll44daryll44 Member Posts: 307
    Isn't tha the OEM junk that I took off after 10,000 miles?
  • j06j06 Member Posts: 90
    With $160 rebate Sears is adding handling fee of $25 per tire for Assurance Comfotred. For Eagle only $5 per tire. Without road hazard after rebate only paying $320 bef. Tax. I am scared to put GY without road hazard.
  • pinkylizardpinkylizard Member Posts: 1
    we just got a corolla sport got a pretty sweet deal on monthly and the down but now we're kinda wondering if we got gypped on the service and extended warranties. just to explain it briefly we got extended 5 years for service, ding and dents, gap thing and lojack for an additonal $13 for 5 years. i don't think it was really a bad deal we kinda did bait and switch but i duno if it really is worth it still. total after 5 years is less that 800 lojack alone costs 500-625 but of course i'm trying to justify the extensions we got any thoughts?
    thanks.

    paperwork as titled:

    Toyota extra care vehicle service agreement application platinum coverage level

    toyota care plus

    perma plate warranty registration

    dent guard paintless service agreement
  • charlie130charlie130 Member Posts: 1
    Where do I locate the shift solenoid valve DSL & how do i replace it?
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    Yes, don't buy extended warranty, service agreement, etc. All that stuff is how dealers make tons of extra money.
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