Still need to clean the corrosion off.

 

Here it is all cleaned up. I am iffy on the exposed copper around the OD of the eyelet. Will this be an issue?

 

use some of the dielectric grease.. the expose copper will just rust later..(turns green)

 

Dielectric grease works or battery terminal paint. Apply after tightened to the battery. Dielectric grease is non conductive. Works great as an insulator.

 

use some of the dielectric grease.. the expose copper will just rust later..(turns green)

Will it also neutralize any leftover crusties?

 

The absolute best is baking soda and water. Soak that terminal in a solution of that and there won't be crusties.

 

From what I can see, crusties were only on the terminal itself. If I can't cure it, then I will just replace it.

Damn stealership wants $35 for just the terminal! Thieves!

 

I took on my biggest challenge yet to date. Finally getting to replace the starter cable to the positive battery terminal.

It's still in progress. As of now, trying to take the harness apart while it's in the car is hard. Taking multiple breaks. Yes, a knife is faster, but not damaging the other wires is necessary. Been working from the floor, and sadly, it makes it harder with my short arms to reach above the transmission. That's partly because the front end is on jack stands.

I grabbed new split loom just in case it's needed. However, mine is still in tact. Just wish retailers carried tesa cloth tape. Electrical tape will work fine. Just layer it up and take time.

Until the next update...

 

Update time.

Last night, I finished my install of the starter cable assembly.

It was tricky since the intake was still on the engine and limited sight. The challenge was getting the proper lengths for the connections to the starter, starter solenoid, and a connection behind the oil filter. The more time you spend on the install, the chance of damage decreases.

There was a problem I ran into when attempting to fire up the engine. When I was tighten up terminal for the starter cable, my rachet touched the negative post on the battery. Almost welded my rachet to the battery. Haha.

This freaked me out. Went through my checklist. Triple checked the starter side and checked the nut to the starter. Then, progressed through the fuses. Some looked hot, so I changed those out. EFI, ignition, ECU and even swapped horn and EFI relay. All didn't change the situation.

Today, I tried jump starting the Corolla. It didn't take anything. So, I was stumped again. Took the battery to AZ, and had it swapped under warranty. Tried to jump start again, and no change.

Started to call some friends, and one suggested to check the wiring.

Alas, it was a broken ignition wire coming from the fuse box. I patched it up, and kept my fingers crossed.

It started on the first try!

 

I, nor toyotanation take no responsibility. Use at your own risk.

Tools needed :

floor jack
Jack stands
10mm socket
Ratchet
Electrical tape
1/2" split loom


In case you find yourself in the same situation as me, losing the positive battery terminal to corrosion, this will help you out a whole lot.

Background :

Corrosion build up is a maintenance item. By not addressing the issue, the corrosion will weaken the metal around the terminal and eventually get to the copper core of the wire. Even cutting out, you will still have issues.

I bought a replacement battery for my Corolla only to find that the bolt to the terminal actually tore away from the post. Making it no longer usable.

My fix, cut at the terminal on the wire side to try to save the starter cable. This made it shorter.

This is Toyotas OEM part number. 90980-07407 - positive battery cable. I got mine from the junkyard. If you choose this route, make sure the corrosion is not caked. Otherwise, it's not a guarantee to work.

This is what my repair looked like before finding the original part.

While waiting to find a good part, I used universal battery terminals that was sold by Walmart. The key here, is there is a blue wire that is crimped to the original terminal from the factory. On my junkyard part, it is spliced on the starter lug side and run along the starter cable to the battery.



On the old cable, it is the wire with orange electrical tape. This goes into the fuse box.

This is the location to connect the cable. It is black cable with opaque connector.

Now for the repair.

Inspect the terminal for corrosion. Mine had minor build up on the inside. I used baking soda and distilled water to neutralize the corrosion.

Cleaned up

Install :

I made the repair with the intake still on the car.

Jack up the front and place on jack stands.

Remove both splash shields.

Use a 10mm socket to undo the starter bolt.

Disconnect 3 connectors.
Starter solenoid
Behind the oil filter
High up on the intake manifold

The trick is to make sure that when the repair is complete on the starter side, that the connectors can reach their connectors. This took some time to test fit before using split loom and electrical tape to protect the bare wires. Repeat the fitment on the fuse box side.

Will add images at a later time when I do my next oil change on the starter side.

Key notes :

Do be careful when opening the loom on the fuse box side. I cut through my ignition wire. TAKE YOUR TIME!

 

This is how it looks today.

Be amazed at the work you have done.

 

What's with the ratchet strap on the battery? The factory bar is a bit high for my battery but my battery came with an adapter... that said, I think it still can slide around a bit.... the design isn't very good, it's like a plastic tray under the battery and one metal bar straight across.... it can easily slide left and right... if you are very aggressive or go offroading.

 

I decided to do away with the battery tie down because the housing for the battery cracked earlier this year. Wanted to avoid doing this again.

For me, the battery doesn't slide during normal operation. Still trying to find a way to limit the forward and aft movement.

I like how Mazda uses an actual battery box in my mazda5. Will be looking into modifying a Mazda battery box to fit into my engine bay.

 

I am very tempted to grab a backup set of Corolla xrs calipers.

They will need to be rebuilt, but alas, I have never tried it. Can someone out there guide me on a) where to buy a rebuild kit, would prefer to get most parts from Toyota, bit if not, somewhere other than RA, b) since I don't own a sandblast cabinet, best alternative method to clean them up.

Anyone know if dealers still stock the pad retaining kits and a OEM part number. Places I have looked online do not carry them.

Thanks.

 

Even shops dont rebuild calipers anymore. Too much time and liability. Not saying it can't be done, but this is a much different ball game then a normal brake job. And for how cheap reman calipers you could get you would get warranty and soneone to sue in the event of a failure lol.

 

And even a poor fitting battery hold down is better than nothing. They are designed for a rollover so the battery doesn't direct short against the hood causing both high amp discharge and fire.

 

Point well taken. All I need is the J hook. The hook is well stressed and doesn't stay in the eyelet.

 

I'm not sure what you mean, but I think what you're talking to is actually part of the brake fluid hose?

also reman calipers are like $30...

 

Yeah most people never need it, but should you ever go belly up youd be happy to have that battery stay in place lol.

 

As of today, I noticed that my 2zz will not go past 7k rpm. The engine didn't stall, but felt some bucking and it was normal when rpms went down. First time for me.

Anyone know if this is related to vacuum or lift bolts?

 

I am thinking of taking on a project, so bear with me.

What would it take to get the rear ac vents out of a gs350 to make them functional? I am thinking it's the AC control unit, but idk.

 

In the past few days, I was looking for a source of oil dripping on my garage floor. The only visible source of any leak is from the belt tensioner body at the boot of the hydraulic piston.

I did find some wetness on the rear edge and passenger side edge of the oil pan. But nothing else could be seen.

On Sunday, I decided to check my oil level. On the dipstick, the oil level was well below the marks on the dipstick. It was actually indicating the oil level on the twisted section of the dipstick. I added oil and the level returned to where it should have been in the first place.

My OCI is 10k. Currently at 6500k into the current OCI. Where's the oil going? Should I be concerned that the oil passages on the Pistons are clogged or the oil passages in the valve cover is clogged?

Haven't done a compression test yet.

 

I need to reseal my VC. Is it okay to reuse the gasket if it's still good? I don't have too many miles on it. Been on since April 2019.

 

I finally settled on a set of Hikari LED 9006 bulbs to light the road in my 2006 Corolla xrs.

Amazon.com: HIKARI LED Headlight Bulbs Conversion Kit-9006/HB4, 2019 New Gen of HIKARI, Adjustable Beam, 9600lm 6K Cool White: Automotive

Buy HIKARI LED Headlight Bulbs Conversion Kit-9006/HB4, 2019 New Gen of HIKARI, Adjustable Beam, 9600lm 6K Cool White: Headlight & Tail Light Conversion Kits - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

Driver's side door

Passenger side door

The beam pattern of the halogen is very small. The goal was to provide better lighting on the dark roads here.

Passenger side - Hikari
Driver's side - halogen

If you look close, the eye of the beam is much smaller on the halogen. The true test will be on the dark roads.

It took some time to settle on a set. Partly, was due to having hid from 2016-2019. The hid did have the limit of seeing further down the road. Initial reaction, is I am happier with the brightness. Once on the road, I will have a better idea of the beams pattern.

 

I finally settled on a set of Hikari LED 9006 bulbs to light the road in my 2006 Corolla xrs.

Amazon.com: HIKARI LED Headlight Bulbs Conversion Kit-9006/HB4, 2019 New Gen of HIKARI, Adjustable Beam, 9600lm 6K Cool White: Automotive

Buy HIKARI LED Headlight Bulbs Conversion Kit-9006/HB4, 2019 New Gen of HIKARI, Adjustable Beam, 9600lm 6K Cool White: Headlight & Tail Light Conversion Kits - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

Driver's side door

View attachment 288668

Passenger side door

View attachment 288669

The beam pattern of the halogen is very small. The goal was to provide better lighting on the dark roads here.

Passenger side - Hikari
Driver's side - halogen

View attachment 288670

View attachment 288671

If you look close, the eye of the beam is much smaller on the halogen. The true test will be on the dark roads.

It took some time to settle on a set. Partly, was due to having hid from 2016-2019. The hid did have the limit of seeing further down the road. Initial reaction, is I am happier with the brightness. Once on the road, I will have a better idea of the beams pattern.

View attachment 288672

View attachment 288673

View attachment 288674

View attachment 288675

I really hate my headlights in my Matrix... let me know how these work out for you. I can't see anything without my brights on. The 3m restoration kit made the lights look less hazy but you can still clearly see the scratches all over the plastic when you turn the lights on at night

 

Here's some images to look at. These were taken earlier this evening in total darkness. The depth is what I am after. The halogens were fine, but I'm the desert, they don't always have auxillary lighting which makes it harder to see in rain. We don't see much rain, but it is harder to see.

I'd say, for 36$, it's not a bad investment. Only had it on 1 night. Time will tell. I drive home in the darkness from work. In the afternoon, I don't use them. Depth looks awesome.

 

I am planning to buy replacement headlights at some point. Just not now. You should do the same.

According to South Main Auto, he used a coating made by a company called safe t. It's a uv protection layer.

 

Was considering that. It's a few hundred for 2 headlights though. That said, my headlights appear to be ruined on both the inner and outer plastic, based on how the light is showing up on the plastic... They're much better than before I used the 3m restore kit but overall the plastic looks clear but the lighting still sucks...

 

But consider this. You buy replacements @ 100$. You don't have to touch them for some time. Also buy uv protectant and maybe not touch it for 2-3 years?

Other option, keep paying 15$ x 2 to do your headlights 2x a year. You basically saved 20$ by buying new headlights.

I always try to park away from the sun to minimize uv damage. The car spends most of it's time in the garage and only driven in the late afternoon and early morning. Its just not a priority to buy new headlights yet.

 

But consider this. You buy replacements @ 100$. You don't have to touch them for some time. Also buy uv protectant and maybe not touch it for 2-3 years?

Other option, keep paying 15$ x 2 to do your headlights 2x a year. You basically saved 20$ by buying new headlights.

I always try to park away from the sun to minimize uv damage. The car spends most of it's time in the garage and only driven in the late afternoon and early morning. Its just not a priority to buy new headlights yet.

I wasn't considering buying another 3m kit, that thing really did nothing for my actual headlight visibility. It just made the lights look shiny....

Also a pair of headlights is 200-300$

 

I noticed the same issue when I bought the 3m kit. The passenger side was more cloudy. That's why I am saying you need 2 kits. There's not enough sanding discs. And the buffing pad gets gunked up from the other side.

Didn't realize the matrix was that expensive. What brand costs that much?

 

I noticed the same issue when I bought the 3m kit. The passenger side was more cloudy. That's why I am saying you need 2 kits. There's not enough sanding discs. And the buffing pad gets gunked up from the other side.

Didn't realize the matrix was that expensive. What brand costs that much?

I guess rockauto has cheaper ones. I was looking at CARID

2003 Toyota Matrix Custom & Factory Headlights – CARiD.com

If you’re in need of replacements for your 2003 Toyota Matrix, our selection of custom & factory headlights includes projector beams, LEDs, Halos and more.

www.carid.com

basically all the OE style ones are $100+ for one

the ones on rockauto are all different stocks, economy line, regular inventory, NSF certified, CAPA certified... bit confusing.
I may try just dropping in some LED's. the high beams work great as is...