Hello, first post! 04 Corolla basic care.

[Trac_511]

Hello Toyota Nation and seasons greetings! First post here. I am recently caring for a 04 Corolla (23k miles, yes, 23k) which I know very little about. I hope to reverse this deficit around here. I'm fairly handy thanks to my type-A care with my Ford truck (hold the jokes please) and I'm eager to give the Corolla the same TLC.

First order of business is I'd like to know about any red flags with this model. What are some not so obvious things I need to look for? Second, the car is in bad need of detailing. I will start from the inside out beginning with the engine bay. I regularly clean my Ford's engine bay with a water hose, Simple Green, and dressing with no problems. May I do the same with the Corolla?

Some issues I've noticed so far are balding (rear) tires (probably OE and hardly rotated and it wanders to the left. Otherwise, no odd engine noise and no fluid leaks.

Thanks for reading and I'm looking forward to your input! Merry Xmas!!!

[Toyotamug]

Hello Trac welcome aboard, if the vehicle doesn't have maintenance records i would start with basics. Check all fluids.
Change oil and filter. Visually inspect brakes, check air filter.
Use your judgement on the tires, if you decide to replace the tires, have them check the alignment. I am not knowlegable enough to respond to the hose water and simple green on the engine to clean it. I am sure someone else here will have experience or knowledge on that. See if you can find out how old the battery is, if you can't may want to have that tested. Along with our corolla I also have a 2004 Tacoma, luckily for me the original battery died in my driveway with no advance warning, but got 7 years out of original battery. I am sure others on here will have additional info. Also here is a link to recalls and TSB's

http://www.alldatadiy.com/TSB/59/045937aa.html

[silver04rollas]

To be honest, I clean my engine bay once 3 - 4 months and that is how it has been for 8 years or so. Cleaning the engine compartment should not be a deal breaker. It is good to clean it every once in a while, but if you miss it, it is not a big deal.