02 Corolla - hood stay shut, Serpentine belt, brakes?

[sammy1]

Hi All - I'm brand new to the Forum. I could really use some advice on my corolla.

On my 2002 Corolla LE the hood won't stay shut. I shut it when the car is parked and then after I drive the hood pops up an inch or so. It's weird since it seems the hood still fits fine when it is shut by hand. Any clue what is wrong and/or what can be done to fix it? How much should it cost to fix the hood, it's bothering me!

Also, I was quoted the following prices for a few things:

1. Serpentine belt tensioner leaking and belt glazed - $465.00 plus tax
2. parking and rear brakes dirty and out of adjustment - $118 plus tax
3. battery failed load test - $125 plus tax

Do these prices seems right? What is fair value for these repairs?

[Bernie3]

Regarding your hood latch, I am guessing that you've never had it lubed. The latch is spring loaded and forced open by pulling on the handle inside the car. The handle connects to the latch by way of a cable similar to that of a bicycle brake cable. If the mechanism is not properly lubed, the spring cannot hold the latch in the closed position.

The other possibility is that the cable, which comes from the driver's side of the car at a really tight angle, does not fully retract after being pulled. If that is the case you should see some play on the latch handle inside the car.

Use a light mineral oil like WD40 and spray it well into to the latch mechanism, then work it a few times. Add a light coat of white grease once everything is free. If that does not work, you'll have to remove the mechanism from the car, clean and lube it. I believe the latch assembly is held on by two bolts. Be careful not to bend the tip of the cable where it connects to the mechanism, it has a plastic tip that is apt to break and the mechanism won't work without it.

You might want to get a service manual for your car from an auto parts store. Much of the work you need done is within your power to do. The serpentine belt should be easy to replace. I haven't worked on the Corolla belt tensioner but typically that's not something that can leak. The tensioner is a pulley on a spring loaded bracket, so what's there to leak? The parking break you can adjust yourself from the inside of the car. The battery you can replace yourself in 10 minutes. If you are not inclined to do the work yourself, you can get much better prices from a local mechanic.

[pdq]

You should do the serpentine belt and tensioner yourself. You can buy the parts for <$100, and you can rent a belt tensioner tool from AutoZone. You'll need a basic socket wrench/socket set as well. And buy a Haynes manual for $25 at the store too -- very handy reference.

I'd wait until you are having trouble starting the car before getting a new battery. No sense in replacing a working battery.

A quick test for your parking brake is to get the car in drive on a level ground, hold the brake pedal down so the car is stopped, pull the parking brake up, and then let go of the brake pedal (at the floor). If the car stays stopped or barely crawls forward, your parking brake is fine. If not, you probably need to adjust the rear brakes.

[Schubeedoobee]

FYI... WD40 is a solvent, not a lubricant and especially not an oil. It has lubricating properties because it maintains it's liquid state... but it's not an lubricant.
I'm just sayin...

[Bernie3]

Originally Posted by Schubeedoobee

FYI... WD40 is a solvent, not a lubricant and especially not an oil. It has lubricating properties because it maintains it's liquid state... but it's not an lubricant.
I'm just sayin...

You are correct though it is a combination of light lubricating oil and a sort of mineral spirits. According to Wikipedia "WD-40's formula is a trade secret. The product is not patented to avoid completely disclosing its ingredients. WD-40's main ingredients, according to U.S. Material Safety Data Sheet information, are:
50% Stoddard solvent (i.e., mineral spirits: primarily hexane, somewhat similar to kerosene)
25% Liquefied petroleum gas (presumably as a propellant; carbon dioxide is now used instead to reduce WD-40's considerable flammability)
15+% Mineral oil (light lubricating oil)
10-% Inert ingredients
The German version of the mandatory EU safety sheet lists the following safety-relevant ingredients:
60–80% Heavy Naphtha (petroleum product), hydrogen treated
1–5% Carbon dioxide
It further lists flammability and effects to the human skin when repeatedly exposed to WD-40 as risks when using WD-40. Nitrile rubber gloves and safety glasses should be used. Water is unsuitable for extinguishing burning WD-40.
There is a popular urban legend that the key ingredient in WD-40 is fish oil. However, the WD-40 web site states that it is a petroleum based product."