Corrolla Questions?

Stinicker

I was looking at a Corrolla for sale yesterday for my mother, as she is thinking of changing. It is a 2004 model, 1.3 vvti engine manual, 170,000kms.

It is a private sale and we took it on a test drive and it sounds rough, the check engine light flashed on and later went off, but the oil light came on too and went off again. I dipped it oil and it seems the oil was very old and watery and there a golden residue stuck to the dipstick and similarly inside the oil filler cap, most dipsticks should wipe clean. I'm no expert but I have a feeling the car was driven without oil and this is why they are now trying to shift it and I am attributing the rough sound to maybe bearings in the engine. When I asked the owner he said he thinks the car computer is faulty and is blaming this for the check engine light and oil warning levels and is getting his mechanic to look at it. The car has no service history and I doubt if it ever was properly serviced in its life.

Whilst the car is going for a good price I am wary of it as it looks like a car that was never maintained properly and I think they boiled the oil and are now trying to sell a dud.

It also had Kormoran and Radar RPX-800 tyres? They look like cheap Chinese rubbish to me. I am very particular about tyres and drive my own car with Firestone and most recently BF-Goodridge.

I have already told my mother not to buy it and I know she won't but I am just wondering if my assumptions maybe correct?

colm_mcm

Run away. Quite fast.


Plenty good ones out there.

ljpg

Stinicker wrote: »

I was looking at a Corrolla for sale yesterday for my mother, as she is thinking of changing. It is a 2004 model, 1.3 vvti engine manual, 170,000kms.

It is a private sale and we took it on a test drive and it sounds rough, the check engine light flashed on and later went off, but the oil light came on too and went off again. I dipped it oil and it seems the oil was very old and watery and there a golden residue stuck to the dipstick and similarly inside the oil filler cap, most dipsticks should wipe clean. I'm no expert but I have a feeling the car was driven without oil and this is why they are now trying to shift it and I am attributing the rough sound to maybe bearings in the engine. When I asked the owner he said he thinks the car computer is faulty and is blaming this for the check engine light and oil warning levels and is getting his mechanic to look at it. The car has no service history and I doubt if it ever was properly serviced in its life.

Whilst the car is going for a good price I am wary of it as it looks like a car that was never maintained properly and I think they boiled the oil and are now trying to sell a dud.

It also had Kormoran and Radar RPX-800 tyres? They look like cheap Chinese rubbish to me. I am very particular about tyres and drive my own car with Firestone and most recently BF-Goodridge.

I have already told my mother not to buy it and I know she won't but I am just wondering if my assumptions maybe correct?

your assumptions are correct,that sounds like a money pit,run a mile,loads of good cars for sale out there with service history etc etc just be patient and the right one will come along.

scamalert

some vvti engines drink oil,1.3 wouldnt be very worst now,my mom drives one with 140k miles on it same engine,its lucky if it gets serviced once a year but engine runs more like 1.6 in terms of pulling and power so consider them very reliable,but the one you described might been abused and not taken care of as oil light would indicate drop in oil pressure/level,not even worth looking at from description as theres way better corollas out there with better mileage/maintenance.

Bpmull

Car sounds rough run away it obviously has serious problems. Keep looking there is plenty of good cars out there. You want something realible specially when its for your mother she doesnt want it to breakdown im sure. Best of look with your search.

CiniO

Stinicker wrote: »

It also had Kormoran and Radar RPX-800 tyres? They look like cheap Chinese rubbish to me. I am very particular about tyres and drive my own car with Firestone and most recently BF-Goodridge.

Kormoran is a Polish tyre make, and I'd classify them at mid-range together with the likes of Hankook, Toyo, Barum, etc...
For a cheaper price though.

And about the car - find another one.

Toyotafanboi

corolla vvti... noisy engine... oil and EM light flickering... no service history