Hi there, everyone. I'm supposed to go check out this 96 Corolla for this girl to purchase. Car is meant to be a Daily Commuter for her. I will be inspecting it with her. Is there any issues that are prone to this model? Please list any! I'm a total noob when it comes to automatic transmission. I have a pretty good idea how to repair almost any part of my Tercel 94. Can Corolla have Electrical issues? Common Rust spots? Stuff I cant repair easily? Any dealer or professional auto repair person's tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone!
Last edited by HudsonTercel; 10-10-2011 at 07:01 PM.
Common Rust Spots/Hard to Fix Stuff: Brake/Fuel lines tend to rust out... and to get them replaced you need a shop to custom bend and fit them as there are no off the shelf replacements. The fuel filler neck also tends to go at about the same time but can probably be done yourself.
AT: Make sure the fluid is a reddish color and doesn't smell burnt. After driving it for about 15 minutes it should be up to the "hot" line, or around the cool line after a cold start and cycling through each gear with a pause. the 3 speeds have separate differential fluid reservoirs that need serviced separate, 4 speeds have it all in one unit.
Electrical: The main thing is the vehicle speed sensors/speedometers tend to crap out. Not major fixes but the VSS can be a PITA to get at. The 96 being OBD does have more electrical parts on it though, with Cam/crank position sensors occasionally causing issues.
Otherwise, just do the normal plugs/rotor/dist. cap/wires unless they've been recently serviced, along with the oil and coolant. If it was left up to me I would get a 93-95 non-california model simply because they don't have the EGR, more complicated OBD II system, and make a couple extra horsepower, but if the price is right go for it. I would say about $2000 is fair if the body and engine are good and the miles are low. Like the Tercels if you change the oil and regular items they'll go forever.
EDIT: Also, the 4 speed electronically controlled units on the 1.8L motors are a bit smoother than the 3 speeds that came with the 1.6L too, offering slightly better MPGs to boot due to the overdrive gear.
Last edited by cipher93; 10-10-2011 at 08:25 PM.
The Following User Says Thank You to cipher93 For This Useful Post:
Thanks a lot guys. I will post updates, the owner is asking around 1000$ so i'm not expecting great condition, but shouldn't be bad either. Looks very promising.
Thanks a lot guys. I will post updates, the owner is asking around 1000$ so i'm not expecting great condition, but shouldn't be bad either. Looks very promising.
Get it if runs, the body is solid, and it only needs minor work. Even in fair condition they're worth around $1200 (IE needing paint).
check for excess pressure in the gas tank, the charcoal canister is famous for getting clogged, also the door handles tend to break easy on these cars, especially the inside handles...but they are easy to replace and can be found in the junk yard
Common Rust Spots/Hard to Fix Stuff: Brake/Fuel lines tend to rust out... and to get them replaced you need a shop to custom bend and fit them as there are no off the shelf replacements.
These cars are usually pretty easy to work on. Having recently replaced these lines on my car, I can only imagine a transmission replacement being more time consuming.
They rust out at the back edge of the gas tank. Lie on your back with your chin under the rear edge of the rear drivers side door. You can easily see the five lines. They seem to rust out where they exit the black horizontal track and bend to vertical behind the gas tank.
The dealer has off the shelf fuel lines for not outrageous for a dealer prices. Just over $100 for all three IIRC.
If you get SUR&R "EZ" brake line or CUNIFER brake line you can easily bend it with your bare hands. A 25' spool will do it, but just barely. I'd be more comfortable if they sold 26' spools instead of 25' or 50'.
The Following User Says Thank You to lrak For This Useful Post:
Thanks, owners son is dicking around too much, i dont know if the inspection is gonna happen anytime soon he told the girl that "his dad took it to mechanic" Why would they do that if the car is to be sold? It should be able to limp a bit shouldnt it? Even in non drivable condition? What can the mechanic do? Is there a VIN number on the ENGINE anywhere? that i can check against body? Is there any kind of shaddy stuff that can be done to car before being sold?
Last edited by HudsonTercel; 10-13-2011 at 02:07 PM.
VIN will be on the front of the block, look at the distributor, then look straight down around where the transmission meets the engine. Have a rag handy to wipe it off. It's on a blackish, vertical plate. If it's just made a trip to the mechanic though, I would be nervous. It could signal that either something is wrong, or that they want a clean bill of health of the car... problem is, I wouldn't like someone doing that if we've not agreed on the mechanic first to do the look over.
The Following User Says Thank You to cipher93 For This Useful Post:
Yeah, exactly, maybe hes a dying breed of those REALLY REALLY nice folks who wants to change the transmission cv seal so it doesnt leak, because hes friend is a mechanic and might not even charge him shit, so the girl gets a drivable car.(Thats what girl was told on phone by guys "Stepson") But i think not, we gonna look into other cars, nice Crysler V6 convertible with leaking top for 700$, Hopefully a neglected old peoples car. Those are beasts. Thanks a lot for info, will post progress
Last edited by HudsonTercel; 10-13-2011 at 10:01 PM.
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96 Corolla Inspection Checklist
he told the girl that "his dad took it to mechanic" Why would they do that if the car is to be sold? It should be able to limp a bit shouldnt it? Even in non drivable condition? What can the mechanic do? Is there a VIN number on the ENGINE anywhere? that i can check against body? Is there any kind of shaddy stuff that can be done to car before being sold?
Thanks a lot for info, will post progress
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