Corolla maintenance check-list?

[photo_wed]

what should I check for regular maintenance?
engine oil, tires psi...what else? what's the coolant thing? what's the power steering fluid thing? it's low now....can i get these fluids at walmart? do i need to change my timing belt? i heard if it snaps it cost more than just changing the timing belt in the first place cuz they now have to take out the whole engine cause the timing belt snapped or something.... i see another tank under my hood but i don't know what's that for....what else do I need to check or keep an eye on? why do people add water into their engines? what's that for? thanks

[evil]

Hey man if ur driving a 8th gen corolla u dont need to worry about the timing belt as it has a chain which in most cases does not require changing. U need to chk ur oil brake fluid, transmission if automatic, steering fluid. Checking tire air pressure regularly as well.

[GaryGoatse]

1. Do an oil change every 5,000 km (not sure how many miles that is, like 2,300? i dno)

2. Inspect for any leaks on your car and if you see anything like oil just give it a rub down with Brake Kleen or some Anti-Grease compounds. (check these spots the next time you do an oil change so you know how badly it is leaking and if its a concern at all)

3. Check your brake fluid level. The fluid should be a clear honey colour, if it is a dark brown or close to very dark brown/black you should have it flushed either by doing it yourself (bleeding the brakes using a litre or two of fluid going through the lines to clean it up) or just take it to a shop and have them do the whole check for you

4. Check your power steering fluid level. The fluid should be a reddish colour because i am pretty sure it's Auto Transmission fluid (if anybody wants to prove me wrong feel free to do so lol). Don't worry too much if it is right at the low line because it fills up when you run the car but top it up just to be safe.

5. Check your transmission fluid, if it is automatic have the car running and then pull out the dip stick, wipe it, put it back in for a second, then pull it out and check your level. If the car is warm then it should be in the HOT range and if it hasn't reached operating temperature it should read on the COLD range. If you need to add any (you shouldnt unless you have leaks which you checked for earlier) just fill it through the tube you checked the level from. The fluid will go VERY SLOWLY because of how thick it is.

6. Check your timing belt for any frayed edges, coloured areas (like rust that could be coming from a rusty pulley), and cracks on the inside layer of the belt (not tiny ones, they should be fairly big but not too big). If you notice any noise while you are running your car like a squeeling sound that a belt makes, take off your belt and run the engine. If you still hear the noise it is something else, if it is gone it's either your belt or one of the pulley(usually the tensioner). If you do not know when the belt was last changed you should change it and make note of when you need to change it next(this is a good idea for any service you are doing on your vehicle).

7. Do a general inspection of all your lights (dont forget to have a friend check your brake lights for you) and your tire pressures (usually 30-35psi on these cars). Top up your window washer fluid.

8. Check your radiator for any leaks (should be green fluid leaks) and make sure the fluid is topped up. If it needs to be topped up just add water and then run the engine and check if the fluid looks green or use a Hydrometer(you can buy one cheap at a local auto parts place), this will measure how cold your coolant is good for. When your car is running and at operating temperature you should hear the fan turn on or if you turn on the a/c the fan should also turn on(this usually should only be checked if you have an over heating problem).

just do a once over after everything and make sure you have no leaks and nothing dripping on your driveway. BUT if you do have A/C don't be alarmed by the water dripping from the hose in the fire wall because that's normal, its just the moisture from the air, and yes, as stated above don't worry about your timing belt breaking because it is not timing the crankshaft and camshaft, they are chain driven.

Hope that helps, if anybody knows something i left out just bug me about it or post it :P

[TwoPageAfro]

thanks gary, that was really helpful!

[Kiwi-Corolla]

Gary summed it up nicely. But in addition to what he said about the automatic transmission fluid, it is also essential that you check the fluid if your Corolla is a 5-speed manual. This has to be one of the biggest things that people overlook when owning a 5-speed, mainly due to the lack of a dipstick like automatics have.

The best way to check it on a manual is to have the car sitting on a completely flat surface, jack it up, undo the fill plug and put one of your fingers inside the hole (while the car is off obviously, lol). The level should be just below the hole, if it's lower than that then it needs topping up.

Also, be sure to get your tires rotated every 8000 miles or so, and make sure all the pressure levels are correct. Be sure to check for any uneven tire wear as well. You can see this by just looking at the tires, pays to run your hand along the inner edge too.

Oh, and don't forget to check your air filter, making sure that it isn't filthy dirty or clogged with any debris. This is another thing that people often forget to check. There are other things you can check too, but those are the main ones really.

[2004]

Originally Posted by GaryGoatse

1. Do an oil change every 5,000 km (not sure how many miles that is, like 2,300? i dno)

2. Inspect for any leaks on your car and if you see anything like oil just give it a rub down with Brake Kleen or some Anti-Grease compounds. (check these spots the next time you do an oil change so you know how badly it is leaking and if its a concern at all)

3. Check your brake fluid level. The fluid should be a clear honey colour, if it is a dark brown or close to very dark brown/black you should have it flushed either by doing it yourself (bleeding the brakes using a litre or two of fluid going through the lines to clean it up) or just take it to a shop and have them do the whole check for you

4. Check your power steering fluid level. The fluid should be a reddish colour because i am pretty sure it's Auto Transmission fluid (if anybody wants to prove me wrong feel free to do so lol). Don't worry too much if it is right at the low line because it fills up when you run the car but top it up just to be safe.

5. Check your transmission fluid, if it is automatic have the car running and then pull out the dip stick, wipe it, put it back in for a second, then pull it out and check your level. If the car is warm then it should be in the HOT range and if it hasn't reached operating temperature it should read on the COLD range. If you need to add any (you shouldnt unless you have leaks which you checked for earlier) just fill it through the tube you checked the level from. The fluid will go VERY SLOWLY because of how thick it is.

6. Check your timing belt for any frayed edges, coloured areas (like rust that could be coming from a rusty pulley), and cracks on the inside layer of the belt (not tiny ones, they should be fairly big but not too big). If you notice any noise while you are running your car like a squeeling sound that a belt makes, take off your belt and run the engine. If you still hear the noise it is something else, if it is gone it's either your belt or one of the pulley(usually the tensioner). If you do not know when the belt was last changed you should change it and make note of when you need to change it next(this is a good idea for any service you are doing on your vehicle).

7. Do a general inspection of all your lights (dont forget to have a friend check your brake lights for you) and your tire pressures (usually 30-35psi on these cars). Top up your window washer fluid.

8. Check your radiator for any leaks (should be green fluid leaks) and make sure the fluid is topped up. If it needs to be topped up just add water and then run the engine and check if the fluid looks green or use a Hydrometer(you can buy one cheap at a local auto parts place), this will measure how cold your coolant is good for. When your car is running and at operating temperature you should hear the fan turn on or if you turn on the a/c the fan should also turn on(this usually should only be checked if you have an over heating problem).

just do a once over after everything and make sure you have no leaks and nothing dripping on your driveway. BUT if you do have A/C don't be alarmed by the water dripping from the hose in the fire wall because that's normal, its just the moisture from the air, and yes, as stated above don't worry about your timing belt breaking because it is not timing the crankshaft and camshaft, they are chain driven.

Hope that helps, if anybody knows something i left out just bug me about it or post it :P

thanks gary for another free lesson!

[noodlesoup]

Don't forgot to check your tires. That's the only part of the car that touches the road. Low tires kill your gas mileage and hurt handling.