Corolla 2003 Engine Heat And other questions - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

smichael7 · 07-03-2009, 01:25 PM

Hi,
I just bought a used corolla 03 and it is my first car. Just wondering how much heat level is ok for the car?

My car heat meter rises to half way when i drive and kinda stays there. Is that ok?

Also how do i find out if the radiator fan runs? I know it is supposed to when the car reaches a certain temperature. But how do i know for sure.

This may be a silly question (pardon my amatuerishness). Do you put water in the radiators or is the engine coolant all you need for the 03 model. I used to see my dad put water in radiators in our 94 Corolla when i was a kid. So much has changed since then.

I will go for oil change and tuning soon. How can I tell if I need to top up any fluids? Do i just pop up the fluid holder covers and eyeball it?

Thanks,

TrdSpeed140 · 07-03-2009, 01:42 PM

your temperature gauge is right where it should be. you can find out if your fans are working by just leaving your car running and just open the hood and sit and watch the fans until they turn on. you do not need to put water into the radiator, there should already be the right amount of coolant in it. Also, you should never pour JUST water into the radiator, you always want a 50/50 mix of distilled water and coolant.

JasonA · 07-04-2009, 03:59 PM

With the air conditioning on, the radiator fan should kick in when the A/C compressor kicks in. It should be pretty obvious. It's best to add a 50/50 mixture of coolant to the car. I'd recommend the Toyota coolant from the dealership; it should already be mixed 50/50 so you don't have to do anything. There are a lot of "universal" coolants out there, but I try to never use anything universal if I can help it.

smichael7 · 07-05-2009, 12:01 AM

Thanks a bunch guys. I will take the car for a tune-up tomorrow.

Few more questions:

In an auto shop, mechanics i heard check the fluids and top it up if necessary. Is that all right or should i get specific fluids and tell the mechanic to put them in?

A friend checked the transmission fluid and said that it seemed a little dirty. Should i have it flushed and replaced? If so is there any specific Toyota recommended fluid i should buy? Mileage on the car is 114,000 k.

Is Mobil 1 Synthetic motor oil a good engine oil? I have decided to stick with synthetic.

Thanks a lot again guys.