Author Topic: What did you do to your car today? (Read 3017686 times)

johngenx · « **Reply #10260 on:** December 21, 2018, 12:32:48 pm »

Noticed the timing chain tensioner on the Corolla is sweating a little oil. Homework finds that they have an o-ring that wears out over time and eventually begins to ooze a bit of oil. The part isn't expensive and looks pretty easy to replace. Unless it starts to leak more, I'll wait until spring or summer to replace it.

Kept the Rolla home yesterday and gave it a thorough going over before this warm weather goes away. That oil sweat is the only issue I found.

tortoise · « **Reply #10261 on:** December 21, 2018, 12:59:55 pm »

How many kms are on it now?

johngenx · « **Reply #10262 on:** December 21, 2018, 01:16:35 pm »

220K or so.

rrocket · « **Reply #10263 on:** December 21, 2018, 05:28:12 pm »

Barely broken in!

Seafoam · « **Reply #10264 on:** December 21, 2018, 06:14:40 pm »

I have a friend that has an 09 corolla. She has had it from new,but only has 85,000 km's. It is driven daily and has been well maintained. She keeps worrying
that it is getting old and will breakdown soon . I try to tell her that it is a corolla and that she can run it for many years if it well looked after.

quadzilla · « **Reply #10265 on:** December 21, 2018, 06:26:16 pm »

Quote from: Seafoam on December 21, 2018, 06:14:40 pm

I have a friend that has an 09 corolla. She has had it from new,but only has 85,000 km's. It is driven daily and has been well maintained. She keeps worrying
that it is getting old and will breakdown soon . I try to tell her that it is a corolla and that she can run it for many years if it well looked after.

You should be telling her she is right and you will take it off her hands for $5K so she can sleep at night.

johngenx · « **Reply #10266 on:** December 21, 2018, 06:48:38 pm »

Yeah, the number of repairs on that car has been staggering low in the just under 11 year we've owned it. The original water pump was a plastic impeller model, and they started making a metal replacement some time along the way, so I took preventative measures and installed the new style even though the original one was working perfectly and not leaking.

The alternator developed a very small noise, and it probably would have lasted years and years like that, but I'm OCD, so replaced it. The part was inexpensive and it took me about 10 minutes total.

The timing chain tensioner is the first leak of any kind, but I'd hesitate to call it a "leak" as the amount of oil is tiny. 99% of people wouldn't give it another thought, but I'm a "one percenter" when it comes to maintaining my vehicles. So it will get changed. The OE part is a little over $100 and the procedure is super simple. Anything to do with maintenance or repairs on that car is super simple.

Seafoam · « **Reply #10267 on:** December 21, 2018, 07:09:54 pm »

Quote from: quadzilla on December 21, 2018, 06:26:16 pm

Quote from: Seafoam on December 21, 2018, 06:14:40 pm
I have a friend that has an 09 corolla. She has had it from new,but only has 85,000 km's. It is driven daily and has been well maintained. She keeps worrying
that it is getting old and will breakdown soon . I try to tell her that it is a corolla and that she can run it for many years if it well looked after.

You should be telling her she is right and you will take it off her hands for $5K so she can sleep at night.

$5K would be a good deal for that one. Hopefully it will sink in and she will keep it.

Besides I don't need 5 vehicles and I already own an appliance in the civic.

johngenx · « **Reply #10268 on:** December 21, 2018, 07:22:18 pm »

For a car that cost $20K flat with taxes and everything, it's ridiculous how well made it is. Those ugly hard interior plastics wear like freakin' iron. The headlights are clear and have never been polished. The paint is barked up because the car lives at an elementary school 200 days of the year, but can actually shine up pretty well. Mechanically, it's basically like new. Drives and rides like the day we bought it. No rattles or creaks even. Maintenance is sooooo easy. Electric power steering means no fluid. The trans fluid is easy to do. Oil changes are simple if you're thin enough to reach under the car without raising it (I am!) and the air and cabin-air filters are super easy to access. The spark plugs last 200K and take 10 minutes to change. There's a timing chain. Other stuff is so well thought out and made for longevity.

Example... the serpentine belt tensioner is a beefy purely mechanical device that is easy to use, and looks like it would be at home on a WW2 battleship engine. There's all kinds of stuff like that. Each time I spend time poring over the car I find little stuff like that and think "damn, that's an over-built piece for a "cheap" car..."

The car has no fancy soft-touch interior bits or stitching, but back in 2008 if you wanted something built to last 400K and 20 years or more, this thing should have been right at the top of your list. The newest Corollas give you nicer interiors, even more safety gear, and (hopefully) the same level of over-built engineering. For not much more money than the 2009 models were priced at. Amazing.

BWII · « **Reply #10269 on:** December 22, 2018, 08:38:26 am »

Replaced the wiper blades on the Sonic...$45...fack. Didn't want to buy a new car! Stupid thing is, the 21" driver side cost exactly the same as the 15" unit on the passenger side. WTF? Just put 2 - 21's on then!

(be wiping off half the roof then) Probably could've waited 'til we hit Costco or Cdn Tire...but I'd spend as much on gas then just to save $10 on wipers.

carcrazed · « **Reply #10270 on:** December 22, 2018, 08:56:10 am »

Quote from: BWII on December 22, 2018, 08:38:26 am

Replaced the wiper blades on the Sonic...$45...fack. Didn't want to buy a new car! Stupid thing is, the 21" driver side cost exactly the same as the 15" unit on the passenger side. WTF? Just put 2 - 21's on then! [emoji14] (be wiping off half the roof then) Probably could've waited 'til we hit Costco or Cdn Tire...but I'd spend as much on gas then just to save $10 on wipers.

The Michelin blades are $10 each at Costco. I got mine for $7 when they were on sale a few weeks ago.

Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk

Firm · « **Reply #10271 on:** December 22, 2018, 12:22:10 pm »

Replaced the door mirror on the Ram that someone broke for me...

Then I went and looked at an 89 Iroc Convert that I've been after for the last 15-20 years or so. First saw this car at a seafood restaurant with my dad when I was maybe 13-14 years old, we were driving the 84 Camaro and stopped in, found the owner and asked if he wanted to sell it. Of course, he didn't so we chatted a bit and we left. Maybe 5 years or so after that, I spotted it sitting in front of this gated mansion in Etobicoke, huge grey stone house, but the house and car were looking pretty run down. So I stopped again and asked, no sale.

Then about 6 months ago it showed up on kijiji for a ridiculous price, I ignored it, and then finally decided to low-ball the other day. The owner responded with some interest, so I went to look at it.

Unfortunately, the car has been used, abused and neglected well beyond reasonable repair. It's got 300,000kms on it, and the original 350 TPI still starts and runs good; but that's where it ends. The underside is totally rotten; front frame rails are full of cracks and holes, carpet is falling through the floor pans, interior is trashed, body got a respray maybe 10 years ago but rust is bubbling through in places. It's a parts car now

Really a shame because if I could have any 3rd gen F-body this is exactly how I'd spec it; 89 iroc convert, 5.7L TPI, auto, white on red leather, every option available....One of only ~3900 iroc convertibles made in total, ~1300 in 89, and probably only a handful in this spec with the larger motor.

The fuzzy looking stuff here is rust stained underpadding...

Seafoam · « **Reply #10272 on:** December 22, 2018, 12:53:50 pm »

How much was he asking for it?

Firm · « **Reply #10273 on:** December 22, 2018, 12:55:45 pm »

$10K. Which is 'fair' for a presentable, drivable car. I said I'd be interested at half of that, but after seeing it I wouldn't want it at any price

Seafoam · « **Reply #10274 on:** December 22, 2018, 12:58:08 pm »

Quote from: Firm on December 22, 2018, 12:55:45 pm

$10K. Which is 'fair' for a presentable, drivable car. I said I'd be interested at half of that, but after seeing it I wouldn't want it at any price

10 k wow . He obviously didn't look underneath it. That's crazy.

Firm · « **Reply #10275 on:** December 22, 2018, 01:26:23 pm »

He tried to play it off like he didn't know the underside was that bad - but he knew. I think he's just in denial / ignoring the fact that it's as bad as it is.

OliverD · « **Reply #10276 on:** December 22, 2018, 03:31:42 pm »

Yikes, that's really bad. No regular inspections in ON, right?

ArticSteve · « **Reply #10277 on:** December 22, 2018, 11:16:23 pm »

Correct

ChaosphereIX · « **Reply #10278 on:** December 22, 2018, 11:39:36 pm »

Installed the Spring Booster in the Mini. I can now see why people buy these things, the already alert Cooper S pedal is now quite hyperactive. I like it.

Did some Xmas shopping for the Mini too. Bushings, CV boot kits, and some interior amenities along with an OBD2 scanner. Because of course it threw another CEL. Probably for "biweekly checkup that the CEL light still activates" CEL.

Tidied some wiring as well so the leads for the aux input, Sprint Booster, and exhaust cutout switch are all hidden under carpet and trim. Previous job was rather lazy and did not jive with my OCD propensity for "cable shui"

rrocket · « **Reply #10279 on:** December 23, 2018, 08:55:22 am »

^^^^ Am a big fan of throttle controllers...