2005 CE - 105,000 Miles

D

Dome_Grande

New Member
#1
#1
Hi everyone,

I am new to this forum. I have to make some improvements/repairs to my Corolla and decided to join this forum to see if I can pick enthusiasts brains. I purchased the car brand new in August of 2005 and have done all the work on the car myself.

I routinely change the oil. I have always used Mobil 1 Full Synthetic 15,000 mile oil. I change it at 7500 miles, twice a year. I change the oil and air filters every time I change the oil. I change my spark plugs every 2 years or so, I use DENSO Irridium ones. I have changed some fuses before. I have changed my front brake pads twice and never touched my rear brakes, drums or pads.

That leads me to why I am here. I have never taken my car to get a tune-up and am in a position in life where I haven't had a car payment for 4 years and want to keep it that way, but my gas mileage is killing me. I am getting like 320mi/tank. I am in the low 20s for mpg. I used to be able to drive from LA to Frisco on a single tank of gas and still have some left to drive around with. What should I be doing to my car to make it run smoothly again? Can I ever get my gas mileage back up to the mid 30s for city driving? When I bought her it was 34/41mpg.

Here is what I was planning on doing:

1. Investing in a K&M Air Filter
2. Change Fuel Filter
3. Installing Fog Lights I purchased
4. Replacing Serpentine Belt
5. Upgrading front and rear brake system
6. Switching to AMSOIL
7. Using AMSOIL Engine flushing cleaner before my next oil change
8. Changing the clutch
9. Replacing tranny fluid with synthetic tranny fluid
10. Flushing Radiator
11. Bleeding my brakes
12.Tinting Windows
13. Replacing shocks and upgrading if it is possible to do so with the CE

Is there anything else you guys suggest doing to improve the ride and overall fuel economy. I am 2 years away from Med School and would like to keep this car for as long as I can. Once I am practicing in the Air Force then I can worry about getting another ride, but until then I would really like to keep the Corolla. I know she'll easily last another 5-10 years, but I want to make sure she runs smoothly.

Also any ideas on where I can find out how to change the serpentine belt or fuel filter? I know the filter is located under the rear seats, but is it easy to get to? Also can the clutch be done on my own, or does it need a lift?


Thanks for any and all help!
 
Scott O'Kashan

Scott O'Kashan

Super Moderator
#2
#2
Hi Dome Grande and welcome aboard the Corolla Forum! :)

I'm a 26 year independent AMSOIL synthetic lubricants Dealer and I also have close to 30 years of experience in the automotive maintenance/repair industry with many ASE certifications, etc. In short I have many years of experience in this field. So let me look at your list and make some recommendations for you.

1. Have you changed tire sizes from the original equipment size? Also, what model and brand tire is currently on the car? What air pressure are you maintaining in the tires?

2. What viscosity of oil are you using in the engine?

3. How does the engine run, i.e. smooth as ever, or has that degraded over time?

4. Are you using ethanol contaminated gasoline? (this alone can reduce fuel economy up to 10%).

Stay tuned...:)
 
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D

Dome_Grande

New Member
#4
#4
Sorry I took so long.

Scott O'Kashan said:
Hi Dome Grande and welcome aboard the Corolla Forum! :)

I'm a 26 year independent AMSOIL synthetic lubricants Dealer and I also have close to 30 years of experience in the automotive maintenance/repair industry with many ASE certifications, etc. In short I have many years of experience in this field. So let me look at your list and make some recommendations for you.

1. Have you changed tire sizes from the original equipment size? Also, what model and brand tire is currently on the car? What air pressure are you maintaining in the tires?

2. What viscosity of oil are you using in the engine?

3. How does the engine run, i.e. smooth as ever, or has that degraded over time?

4. Are you using ethanol contaminated gasoline? (this alone can reduce fuel economy up to 10%).

Stay tuned...:)
Click to expand...
Scott,

Thanks for your response. Sorry I took so long in responding...I have been crazy busy trying to get some paperwork in order for my ROTC. To answer your questions;

1. I have not changed tire sizes. My tires are still 185/65R15. I have only changed the tires once. I had the factory GOODYEAR tires up to 82,000 miles. Although it hardly rains here in Los Angeles it rained hard 2 years ago and after hydroplaning on my bald tires I purchased a new set. I currently have Sumitomo HTR A/S P51 tires.

I need to be better about maintaining proper air pressure. I have not checked it. I usually try and go for 45PSI when I fill up, but I can't say for sure what my current PSI is. The tire wall says Max PSI is 51, but never to go over 40...not sure what to do there? I was told a higher PSI makes for a stiffer ride, BUT increases my MPG. Is that correct?


2. How do I find out what my oil's viscosity is? I usually use Mobil 1, Full Synthetic 15,000 mile oil...5w30. The oil is rated for 15k miles, but I stilll change it at 7500. I also use Fram Tough Guard or Mobil1 oil filters. I also change them at the 7500 mark. I also use Lucas Oil/Synthetic oil stabilizer with my oil changes. So I use 4qts of Mobil 1 and 1qt of Lucas Stabilizer. I also use the Lucas fuel injector cleaner once a month.

3. The engine has definitely started running worse as time passes. It studders and starts to vibrate when I break towards the end of oil changes. Once I change the oil then the engine stops puddering when I accelerate in 1st/2nd and while breaking. Other than that the only noticeable change is my MPG.

4. I don't know if my fuel is contaminated with ethanol. I either use Chevron 87 or the gas on base. I don't know the name of the gas we have on base.

5. I know the Denso spark plugs are good for 100kmiles, but I change them every other year.

Hope this helped out...I appreciate ALL the help I can get. I really want this car to last for another 12-15 years. Other than some body damage she is pretty cherry. I plan on dropping $1200-$1800 on repairing the body damage and repainting it, then another $2000 on minor upgrades like bigger breaks on the tires, replacing my rear drums, replacing my suspensions, installing satellite radio, installing a cold air intake, a tornado fuelsaver, k&n air filters, the fuel filter, and replacing the clutch. If I can get all of that done for under $4000 I would be happy as hell. I also need to change the serpentine belt.

Any ideas where I can find videos on how to change my fuel filter and serpentine belt? I tried youtube, but there is only 1 video in Spanish for the fuel filter and a bad video on the belt.

Thanks again.

Dome
 
05corolla

05corolla

Super Moderator
#6
#6
If you have doubt in the plugs, it can't hurt to change them. It's worth the $30 or so that a set of iridium plugs will run you, and you're pretty much coming up on the end of the factory plugs' lifespan if they are indeed the original ones in there.

PCV valve is only a few bucks from the dealer and easily replaced. Remove the original one slightly to see what color the thread locker is, which will help you when buying to ensure you have the right part (there are 2 different ones, one with green thread locker and one with pink, and only one with the same color will fit your car).

MAF sensor ever been cleaned/changed? If not you can use some brake cleaner to clean the one that is there, or buy another one and simply replace it. Certainly not necessary if the one there now looks fine and has been operating fine.

I figure I don't need to even comment on your oil's status as I'm sure you're diligent in taking care of that as it's needed.

Cleaned the throttle body recently/ever? There's a DIY for it on here. The car will thank you for it.

When was the last time the transmission fluid was changed? If/when it was done, was it a pan drain and refill or was the pan dropped and the transmission flushed? If nothing has been done or you don't know the last time it was done, now's not a bad time to do it either, but I recommend you DIY the flush or bring it to a mechanic you trust who won't use some of the aggressive chemicals some shops use that could cause you some problems.

How are the brakes? Rotor condition? Recently done? Rears adjusted? When was the last time the brake fluid was changed?

When was the coolant last serviced? (I'll be honest here, I didn't touch mine for over 117k from the day I bought it over 10 years ago, and when I drained it last week it was kind of a brick red color in the catch pan, but really did look fine overall). Can't hurt to change this too if it hasn't been done some time in the last 30,000 miles.

Power steering fluid level? Been changed recently? That's another candidate for some work, and I do believe there's a DIY on here for it.

You'll get as many different answers as replies to the question in your thread title, so I tried to answer in a different way by letting you answer the questions about your car's state yourself. You're at a mileage where it can't hurt to do most of these things, especially if you don't know the car's full history or haven't done some of them recently. Pretty much everything I pointed to or asked about is stuff you can do yourself and save plenty of money on, too.

At a minimum, change your plugs because if they're the originals they'll be on their way out.
__________________
 
D

Dome_Grande

New Member
#7
#7
Thanks '05.

[FONT=&quot]I use DENSO Iridium spark plugs and change them every 2 years, or roughly 24k miles. Well worth the $40. What is a PCV Valve? Anything DIY I am looking to do. Will I need a special tool to change it?

Since I have no idea what a MAF Sensor is I am assuming they have never been cleaned. If it is relatively inexpensive and I am able to change it out myself then I would rather do that and just keep cleaning it once a year.

Oil is fine. I use Pennzoil Full Synthetic, 15,000 mile, and change it twice a year. Do not know what the throttle body is Where can I find the DIY to do it?

I have never changed or flushed the transmission fluid. That is something I want to do. What are some good cleaners to use? I bought this car brand new back in August of ’05. I was told to use a synthetic tranny fluid too. What is a good one?

Brake pads are set. I just changed the front ones last year. I change them every two years when I do the plugs. I usually use the Rayspestos Ceramic pads, but the last time I used the Autozone ones. How to I check on the rotor condition? I was under the assumption that as long as I routinely change the pads rotors should never be a problem? My rears are a whole different story. I have never changed the pads or adjusted them. I know I need to. I used the e-brake A LOT when I first learned how to use the stick. I bought the car in LA. Learned as much as I could in 2 weeks, then packed up and moved to San Fran for school. Used the e-brake as a crutch. Learning to drive a stick in the hills of San Fran was a pain in the arse.

Coolant has never been serviced. How would I go about draining it and replacing it? I have topped off the Power steering fluid, never changed it. I noticed last year the level was low for hot weather so I added some.


Thanks for your feedback. I am also looking to replace the fuel filter and all my fuses. Still running on the original fuel filter and have replaced a few fuses here and there. I also need to change the serpentine belt. Is that hard to do? Also what are your thoughts on K&N air filters? Looking to buy one and replace the paper ones I swap out every 12,000 miles. Do they make a difference? Are they any better than regular, disposable, filters?

Thank you for everything again. I will try and take pictures and record video of any work I do and post links to it in case anyone else is looking to do the same thing. [/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Adrian

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