1st Corolla post/question from new Corolla owner!

[1967c10]

Hello all, well I have been a part of this forum for awhile but only asked some questions and did some lurking in the Camry section before we purchased a car for my wife. But now I'm back with a slightly used '10 Corolla, Magnetic Gray with the Manual trans. I had to retire my much loved Mercury Grand Marquis that had the police package treatment and had 187K miles, owned since 34k miles. I drive 100Miles round trip 5 days a week to work and wanted something that got good mileage and was as reliable as my Mercury, so here I am.

Very happy so far, my first fill up I got 39.3mpg, nearly 15 more than the merc it replaces, very cool. Only issue so far is the radio display going bad and the buttons not working all the time. Took back to the local dealer this morning and a new radio is on the way under warranty.

Also living here in the frozen tundra of Minnesota I picked up a set of Michelin Xi2 snow tires for the stock steelies which leaves me in a dilemma. Now that I am using my stock steelies for the winter I will be doing my first custom touch by adding some nice summer wheels. Found some TRD 5 spoke 18" wheels and tires on CL and may take a look at them. Seller says they were off another Corolla, would there be any concern of these not fitting? If the seller was not telling the truth, and they are like a 5x114 pattern would I be able to tell that by test fitting.

Well sorry for the rambles, hope I can get some nice wheels soon and hope to see you all around on the forum, thanks!

[FlawedLegacy]

they should fit, but make sure they are 5x100 lug pattern. Heck, test fit them! If he wants the sale bad enough, they should let you.

[cabur]

There' a TPMS issue also. Not sure about US pricing. In Canada it's not cheap. Also Corolla does not store 2 sets of codes for them so have to visit Dealer.
TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System).

[jeepnuts311]

or build a pipe bomb and never worry about TPMS ever again

-Tim

[1967c10]

Originally Posted by cabur

There' a TPMS issue also. Not sure about US pricing. In Canada it's not cheap. Also Corolla does not store 2 sets of codes for them so have to visit Dealer.
TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System).

Hmm this is interesting, I knew that if the set of rims does not come with TPMS sensors that I will need to put them in, but having to go to the dealer every time I switch rims for the season kinda bums me out, does this sound right? Every thing has to be so complicated If anyone has any more info on this to help out a newb that would be great. I don't really have much of a choice if I want a dedicated set of snow tires.

[cabur]

Originally Posted by 1967c10

Hmm this is interesting, I knew that if the set of rims does not come with TPMS sensors that I will need to put them in, but having to go to the dealer every time I switch rims for the season kinda bums me out, does this sound right? Every thing has to be so complicated If anyone has any more info on this to help out a newb that would be great. I don't really have much of a choice if I want a dedicated set of snow tires.

This have been discussed extensively since 2008 when the 10 gen first came out. Solution seem to be putting a piece of electrical tape to cover the TPMS warning light and forget about TPMS.
Do a search of post by "Jeff Lange" around August 2008 and you'll find it.
Good luck.

[SuperchargedMR2]

Originally Posted by 1967c10

Hmm this is interesting, I knew that if the set of rims does not come with TPMS sensors that I will need to put them in, but having to go to the dealer every time I switch rims for the season kinda bums me out, does this sound right? Every thing has to be so complicated If anyone has any more info on this to help out a newb that would be great. I don't really have much of a choice if I want a dedicated set of snow tires.

I just run my winter wheels/tires without the TMPS sensors. The light stays on but I get used to it quickly. It doesn't affect the car in any way other than the light being on.

And to TN!

[1967c10]

Originally Posted by SuperchargedMR2

I just run my winter wheels/tires without the TMPS sensors. The light stays on but I get used to it quickly. It doesn't affect the car in any way other than the light being on.

This sounds perfectly fine to me, I was just worried I was going to have to deal with an annoying chime or dinging noise too, but just a blinking light don't bother me a bit. The only thing I hope now is that the dealer does not try to throw a fit and try to void a warranty or something, I guess if I had to I could always switch to the wheels that have the sensors in them for a trip into the dealer

[1967c10]

Oh and as if none of you have seen a totally stock '10 Corolla here ya go. After a good wash, wax before winter and installing the factory mudguards. This thing needs some nice wheels and tint BAD!

[SuperchargedMR2]

Originally Posted by 1967c10

This sounds perfectly fine to me, I was just worried I was going to have to deal with an annoying chime or dinging noise too, but just a blinking light don't bother me a bit. The only thing I hope now is that the dealer does not try to throw a fit and try to void a warranty or something, I guess if I had to I could always switch to the wheels that have the sensors in them for a trip into the dealer

The light doesn't even blink, it is steady. My dealer told me to do it that way, it won't void anything!

[1967c10]

Originally Posted by SuperchargedMR2

The light doesn't even blink, it is steady. My dealer told me to do it that way, it won't void anything!

Sounds great, guess thats what I will be doing then. Thanks for all the help so far, I am sure this won't be my last question

[SuperchargedMR2]

Originally Posted by 1967c10

Sounds great, guess thats what I will be doing then. Thanks for all the help so far, I am sure this won't be my last question

You are most . Just click on the "thanks" button on the lower right of the post that you are thanking.

[1967c10]

Hey SuperchargedMR2, I was in at the local Toyota dealer getting my radio replaced (display went out) and getting a block heater, so I chatted with the service guy about it. He said pretty much the same thing, either pick the set of wheels that I want the sensors in or get a second set and have it reprogrammed for a fee each season. He says no worries on the warranty being voided too, so just need to decide which set of wheels to put them in, I'll most likely go this weekend to get all my tire swapping done. Decisions decisions.

[jeepnuts311]

Originally Posted by 1967c10

Hey SuperchargedMR2, I was in at the local Toyota dealer getting my radio replaced (display went out) and getting a block heater, so I chatted with the service guy about it. He said pretty much the same thing, either pick the set of wheels that I want the sensors in or get a second set and have it reprogrammed for a fee each season. He says no worries on the warranty being voided too, so just need to decide which set of wheels to put them in, I'll most likely go this weekend to get all my tire swapping done. Decisions decisions.

Nah dude, save yourself a lot of money and do it this way. You have owned cars for how many years and never needed a dummy light to tell you to keep air in your tires, right?

Take the sensors out of your wheels, and put rubber valve stems in your wheels.

Make a "pipe bomb"
need
- 6" section of 3" pvc pipe
- 2x 3" pvc cap
- screw in valve stem
- bubble wrap
- Pipe dope

-drill a hole in one end of te pvc pipe and install screw in valve stem.
- glue one cap on the pvc pipe with the purple pipe dope
- wrap your TPMS sensors in bubble wrap and throw them in the pipe
- glue the other cap on
- fill the pipe bomb to 40 psi
- throw it under the trunk floormat
- forget about tpms forever.

I did this on my tundra and it worked indefintely, all this does is keep your sensors in the car reading the proper psi at all times. you can change your wheels and tires as much as you want and the light will never come on.

Just keep air in your tires like you normally would as if you drove an older vehicle.

-Tim

[spideyatwork]

Interesting... I called around looking for steelies and the tire shop I spoke to wanted to know what model and year of car. I told him and he said "do you know about the TPMS"? With which I said, "I am not worried about that". He laughed under his breath and said "we do". Apparently up here the employee can be fined up to $40K for circumventing the TPMS and the shop can be fined up to $100K according to him. Now I have not looked into that but it sounded ridiculous. I plan to research this but I just thought I would put it out there.

I ended up buying a real nice set up rims and tires off of craigslist.