[Vid6639]

Long due update from my side. The Altis was serviced last March at 68,500kms. Service bill was 16K (9K for brake pads, 7K service). It wasn't being used a lot since I have an Ecosport which is my daily drive. The odo reading was at 72,700kms which meant the car had only done 4000kms since last service in 10 months.

I had a trip to Mumbai planned 1st week of January and I decided instead of taking the Ecosport, to take the Corolla. Literally the first long highway drive in the 8+ years I have had it. The only other trip was a trip to Chennai when the car was new.

However before going on the trip, there were a few minor issues that had cropped up.

1. The front suspension had started rattling again over sharp edged bumps. The car didn't feel as composed as well.
2. Clutch shudder in the morning on cold start was more. Would disappear after driving for a few mins.

The suspension noise cropping again in 4000kms meant there was something else that needed to be reduced. I was pretty sure in 8 years there would be some rubber bushes that were worn out. I took the car to my usual place Ravindu Toyota Avalahalli. Manjunath is my go to guy there. He's the service manager and knows the car inside out. I had informed him about the Mumbai trip so he said he will open up the entire suspension and check all 4 shocks. Went for a long test drive with Manjunath as well as a senior mechanic there Panduranga who realized that the noise was very difficult to produce but it was there and me being so particular would not accept that sound even intermittent.

Final diagnosis of the suspension issue after opening all 4 sides was that the rear shocks were pretty much shot. After full compression the right side wasn't expanding back up again. The left side was slower to respond. Front shocks were fine in comparison. I suspected front lower arm bushes, tie rod ends as the cause for the noise. However I was informed that the front lower arm is literally built to last the life of the car bushes included and its rare for them to go bad. The tie rod ends were fine too. However the stabilizer bar bushes on both sides were slightly worn.

The clutch was still good but being used in traffic was worse for wear. Manjunath suggested to continue using it since performance was good and gear shifts were smooth. For the cold shudder he advised to drain the old clutch fluid and fill new.

List of work done on the car (labour prices):
1. Front stabilizer bushes changed (both sides) - Rs. 1,425
2. Rear shock absorbers changed (both sides) - Rs. 1,115
3. Clutch fluid change and bleeding - Rs. 225
4. Wheel alignment - Rs. 672
5. 80K kms service - Rs. 2,159
Total labour : Rs. 5,596


Parts changed with prices:
1. Brake / Clutch fluid - Rs. 374
2. Rear shock Absorber (2) - Rs. 7,713
3. Front stabilizer bushes (2) - Rs. 1,041
4. Rubber beading bonnet - Rs. 680
5. Fuel filter - Rs. 3,351
6. Oil filter - Rs. 705
7. Spark plugs (4) - Rs. 1,223
8. Gasket / clips / misc - Rs. 137
Total Parts : Rs. 15,224

Apart from the above I decided to try Liqui Moly Synthetic engine oil 5w30 Molygen as well as the famed oil additive LiquiMoly Ceratec. The oil was Rs. 3,300, Ceratec was 2,300 and Flush was Rs.400. This was more out of curiosity than need.

Grand total was 15,224 (Parts) + 5,596 (labour) + 6,000 (oil + additive) = Rs. 26,820

Considering that this is a car in it's 9th year and the amount of work done as well as the very expensive oil change, I am quite satisfied with the bill. This also means the car doesn't need any more work done for pretty much the next 2 years.

Now coming to how the car feels after the service:

- The suspension problems have been completely fixed. There's not a single sound from all 4 sides over any type of road. Mind you the car has done 2,500kms from Bangalore to Mumbai and back with stops in Kolhapur, Pune and driving around Mumbai's horrible surfaced roads and there is absolutely no issues.

- The clutch fluid change and bleeding resulted in a lighter clutch feel and removed the shudder to a huge extent. The shudder at cold is now only on a few occasions.

- The biggest and noticeable change is the new Synthetic Liquimoly oil and the Ceratec effect. The engine sound and vibrations have dropped down by a massive amount. You can barely hear the car at idle! Earlier at 120 Km/hr the engine would feel strained and buzzy. This buzziness and strain has vanished. It just feels so much more relaxed and free revving.

I had such a pleasant drive and even my dad noticed that I was actually enjoying driving the car much more than before. The overall FE has gone up as well. On one tank of fuel I ended up getting almost 600kms range which I have never seen till now. Overall FE was close to 14kmpl though I didn't really check the FE for the whole trip. This was with 3 people and luggage for 1 week.

The Altis has suddenly got a new lease of life. Since the usage of the car is not much and being a petrol resale is poor plus you can never get such a trouble free car today, it just makes sense to keep her for the occasional use.

Originally Posted by R2D2

My car's passenger side air bag 'igniter', obviously a Takata, was replaced under warranty. TKM did not inform me but it came up in Shodha Toyota's vehicle detail screen when the car was given for the annual service.

I assume the driver side part is ok as there was no replacement required.

@vid6639, you may want to have your '09 car checked at the dealer.

Yup the same passenger airbag inflator was changed in my car under warranty during the service as well. They had been calling to come in for this recall.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by R2D2

My car was treated to its biannual detailing session by the 3M blokes at the dealership. Will share some pics later

So for the 1st time I present TBHPians with a few photos of my 9 year and 3 month old Corolla Altis. She's been lovingly looked after and cared for. It's the longest I've retained any car and a big reason is the Toyota ownership experience.

Strangely, in all these years I never named my any of my cars but this time I thought it appropriate to give this old girl a name. But the name most certainly could not be one of those hyperbolic ones we read about on this forum. So TBHPians, may I introduce 'Goldie'.

The biggest compliment the car received was from the service manager who said 'Sir if you take off the registration plate the car looks as if its rolled out from the factory;

All photos taken with my IP 7+ in the dealer's parking yard.

Details of the service:

a) Engine oil - Mobil 1 5W-30 ESP Rs ~5000 purchased from Amazon India
b) Engine oil Filter change Rs 705
c) Cabin/AC Filter change - Rs 1881
d) Engine drain plug gasket - Rs 52
e) Brake system bleed/fluid replacement labour charges - Rs 662
f) Brake fluid - Rs 187
g) Windshield washer concentrate - Rs 77
h) 3M detailing - Rs 3100
i) Annual inspection labour charges - 1882

Total cost - Rs 13,546 including GST

[Rajeev1]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Things don't look all that rosy today. Got a call from Nandi regarding the complaints. They recommend the following:

1. Front brake pads are down to 3mm. Need to be changed. (Approx 10K)
2. Front caliper kit is getting stuck. Needs to be changed. (Approx 2K)
3. Throttle body will need to be removed and cleaned
4. Rear brakes are down to 7mm from 11mm new. Wear is even. Nothing needed.
5. steering damper to be chnaged.
6. Clutch bleeding done but clutch is towards the end of it's life. Recommended to change but ok for 5K kms. 17K for new clutch + new gear shift bushes.
7. brake rotors need to be skimmed.


Apart from the last item on the list, have told them to go ahead with the other changes. Bill has shot up from 4K to 21K largely due to the new front pads and calipers that are almost 14K.

Vids - Can you let me know what part number is the 'Steering Damper' and where is this located in the steering assembly ?

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by R2D2

The biggest compliment the car received was from the service manager who said 'Sir if you take off the registration plate the car looks as if its rolled out from the factory;

Spot on! Absolutely well maintained!
Corollas are just built to last, and this is no exception. My dad had a 1980 Corolla during my growing years, and we loved it. My first car when i moved to Australia was .... yup, you guessed right, a Corolla, although pre-owned!

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

Spot on! Absolutely well maintained! Corollas are just built to last, and this is no exception. My dad had a 1980 Corolla during my growing years, and we loved it. My first car when i moved to Australia was .... yup, you guessed right, a Corolla, although pre-owned!

Thanks @benbsb29! It's an endearing car, NEVER hassles me, much like a faithful and loyal pet (I love dogs) who is always there right by your side. My Dad had a Toyota Corona Mk 2 in the '70s, from '71/'72 through to 1978.

Even today, Toyota has my back nearly a decade after I purchased the vehicle. One complaint and all hell breaks loose for the dealer. Try getting that level of service from other manufacturers in India.

The company and their product have redefined what a car ownership experience should be. And about a dozen years after owning 2 Corollas, Toyota is and will probably always be the benchmark for me. The cherry on the icing on the cake? Good vehicle resale value compared to others in its class.

I can only imagine what owning a Lexus will be like. V Narayan's Lexus ES300h thread is a must read.

[R2D2]

Well, Goldie went to the car salon for her quarterly beauty treatment. A simple wash and a nice coat of Meguiar's wax (no abrasives) and this is how her bonnet looks.

She turns 10 in Oct '18. That paint surface is as smooth as a baby's rear end. I wanted to clay the paint but decided to leave it for the annual detailing session.

She visits the beautician normally soon after the techs at the Toyota ASC have performed the annual health check up to ensure she's ticking like a Swiss watch.

The salon visit schedule:

a) Wax - every 3-4 months on an average. I prefer Meguiar's or Collinite products.

b) Detailing session - every 12 months at a 3M store. The last one was in Jan '18.

[R2D2]

Ok, so Goldie has a new set of brake rotors and pads on all 4 wheels. Rear discs are 270 mm x 9 mm Bosch and front ones are 275 x 25 mm KBX.

Front and rear pads are by Bosch, the OEM brake system mfr. These are semi metallic ones you get in the outside market while the OEM ones were ceramic at the front and semi metallic at the rear. Semi metallic will chew thru the rotors sooner and generate black dust but give better bite all at the cost of lower pad life. The ceramic ones are easier on the rotor and no brake dust but last a long time. The OEM ones still have over 1/2 (8-9 mm out of approx 13-14 when new) of the friction material left. I have retained them. A list of parts and tools used has been detailed here: DIY rotor replacement list of tools and materials

This was a semi DIY where a bloke at the FNG helped me get this done in some parts. My back doesn't like being twisted and contorted any longer and I need to treat it respectfully. I could take 2 photos when my hands were less grimy (we started with the rear brakes) and they got progressively very dirty as we progressed with the rotor and pad replacements precluding any handling of my mobile phone.

All 4 calipers were flushed manually using the 2 person method but not in the manner I'd have liked. Well, I have to temper my expectations sometimes. Luckily there was extra fluid in the MC courtesy the ASC at Hubli KA who had done the brake flush back in Jan. It sufficed for another brake flush just 5 months down the line. I went to the market to get DOT3 fluid but it turns out aftermarket DOT 3 is now crimson/red and DOT 4 is amber. I bought two 250 ml containers of TVS Girling DOT 4 fluid as spare. DOT 4 can be used in systems where DOT 3 is specified but not vice versa. I simply couldn't risk getting any air into the brake lines or worse still the ABS system. Sorting out an ABS air bubble problem would require a trip to the ASC.

Nevertheless I didn't want to take a risk and went to Shaw Toyota to get 4 x 250 ml containers of Toyota brake fluid one of which was used to top off the MC. Sly old TKM does not specify brake fluid specs but the manufacturer (S-CCI who makes Golden Cruiser coolant and other fluids for OEMs) ERBP is 140 C which after doing a reverse look up translates to DOT 3 standards.

The rotors and pads are being bedded in but it's going slow as I have been a bit under the weather. Here are two pics of the L & R rear rotors from the DIY last week.

[R2D2]

Right, so I couldnt edit my post and waited for 30 minutes to elapse before posting some more thoughts.

a) Why the DIY? - The rear rotors were scored and had an uneven surface. The rear pads were nearing EOL as advised by the ASC in Jan '18.

Given the cost of spares and labor at an ASC I thought of doing it myself. And then I discovered how reasonably priced the aftermarket rotors and pads were! These are the same companies (KBX and Bosch) that supply to TKM. I decided to extend the DIY to all 4 wheels.

b) Cost? About Rs 18,000 for rotors, pads, fluid, expected labour charges by the FNG helper and for the use of the FNG hoist. I live in an apartment complex and this would not have been possible in the restricted space of my stilt parking/garage even with jack stands. I am not taking into account the cost of the caliper push back tool kit as that will pay for itself with other cars too.

How much at the ASC? About Rs 41-43K for parts, labour including GST. A net saving of Rs 25K.

c) Lastly, the satisfaction of getting my hands dirty (literally!) after a long, long time and the noticing the strange looks by other car owners at the FNG seeing this salt-and-pepper haired man happily handling and working on his car's brakes. Yeah, I felt young again..a trip back in time to the 80s and 90s when I worked at a friend's FNG pro bono and maintained my bikes, the family cars and maintained some friends bikes too. Ah the good old days (I lived as a human) before I was shoe horned into the IT/ Software industry by fate and became a robot.

[R2D2]

An update on Sunday evening. And something I learned back in '86-87 about re-verifying work jolted me. I realised I forgot to inform the chap who was helping me about how to orient the piston. Let me explain:

Rear disc caliper pistons (with rear disc parking brakes, not the drum-on-disc parking brake) are shaped like 4 leaf clover.





The picture above is of the exact same Bosch rear caliper part for my car. Of course it is shiny and new. That spring loaded arm is the parking brake lever. Pulling on the parking brake activates the lever and thereby a screw mechanism inside that pushes the pad forward to grip the rotor. It is this mechanism and therefore the piston that needs to be pushed/screwed back in to retract the piston when installed new pads.

Now here's the process: when pushing the piston back in using the tool one needs to make sure that the **gap** between the lobes is dead on centre when you look at the caliper piston face. Just as it is in the picture above. Now, there is a nub at the centre bottom of the brake pad that fits into the notch between the 'lobes/leaves' and not adjusting the caliper piston doing so could make the nub contact the leave/lobes and either cause the brakes to stick or the pads to make contact at an angle.

Unfortunately, the right rear caliper's piston was not turned/aligned properly as a result of which a small edge of one of those lobes touched the nub on the brake pad and both were bent out of shape. But luckily not too much damage done and it didn't touch the rubber piston boot. Though i managed to smooth out the jagged edge of the piston lobe it will work well for now. But I just may have to rotate the piston in such a way that an undamaged lobe is at the nub's position. But that's only if required and certainly preferable to buying a new caliper!

Lessons learnt:

a) Recheck and verify before and after re-assembly
b) Do not assume FNG mechanics know these intricacies in modern cars. These guy mostly work on cars with rear drum brakes and are simply unaware how to adjust and set these rear calipers. I wish I had instructed him and rechecked before he assembled the caliper. Feel like kicking myself. My BAD!!!

What I did today:

a) Hoisted the car and took off all 4 wheels. Removed and checked all calipers including the pin boots . Checked orientation of rear caliper lobes and made sure they were properly set.

b) Tightened the caliper bolts with to their proper torque values. The wheel nuts were re-torqued. As expected, my helper had taken short cuts and had tightened the lug nuts to different torque levels. He doesn't know how to use a torque wrench. This can warp the rotor disc in the long run. I save myself a lot of trouble in the future. But then most FNG mechanics are over smart. Tightening a critical part without a TW is silly. Something like checking tyre air pressure by thumping the sidewall..a trait many Indians have. These are not bicycle wheels or tyres!

c) Started the car, pumped the brakes so the rear pistons contact the pads and the brake pedal does not sink.

d) Applied the parking brakes with the brake pedal press so the parking brake mechanism on the caliper does not rotate the piston.

e) Spun all wheels to check for free rotation.

f) Goldie got a nice shampoo bath and was brought home.

g) I did the bedding in process (recommended by Bosch is 50 - 10 kmph without stopping, about 10 times) on the way back. I'll go easy on the brakes for about 500 km. Next is the highway run bedding in i.e about 80 kmph to 30 kmph about 5 - 10 times. When brakes are hot and you have stop the car, switch off the car and leave it in gear. Don't use the parking brakes or the depress the brake pedal to hold the car. Why? Both pads and rotors need to cool off.

This breaking in process generally leaves a thin coating of friction material on the rotors which enhances braking once the bedding in process is complete.

h) The initial impression of the semi metallic Bosch pads is good bite just like the OEM parts. I think they will get better over time but will generate dust, have shorter life and might even screech. Let's see how things go.

That's it for now. Any updates on Goldie's brake system and component performance/problems/changes will be put up here. And yeah, before I forget Toyota's ASCs rock. I am simply amazed at the peace of mind I've had with 2 Corollas spanning over 12 years by just letting them take care of it. But this DIY saved me quite a pile. The next annual service is due in Dec 18 and as always she goes only to the ASC. I'll have them check the brakes in detail.

Cheers!
PS - my back is seeking vengeance.

[KK_HakunaMatata]

Need one urgent input regarding 2006 Corolla Petrol.

I had got it serviced at around 70k and now the odo is close to 75k. My dad had taken car for a 2 days work and just now he called me and said when he checked the engine oil level it was showing much below the minimum limit, not sure how could this happen (he checked in the morning before running).

And he has incidentally filled 20w50 Shell Helix oil as top up on the current 5w30. He would be travelling now for 250 kms to reach home. Is it ok to run with mix of oils.

It is another thing for me to check on how the oil went below the limit in 5k kms.

KK

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by KK_HakunaMatata

And he has incidentally filled 20w50 Shell Helix oil as top up on the current 5w30. He would be travelling now for 250 kms to reach home. Is it ok to run with mix of oils.

It is another thing for me to check on how the oil went below the limit in 5k kms.

KK

Ideally no but under emergency situations you can go ahead. 20w50 is also listed as one of the suitable grades in the manual.

You should drain and replace back to 5w30 ASAP. 5w30 works best in India as it is low viscosity for our climate.

[KK_HakunaMatata]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Ideally no but under emergency situations you can go ahead. 20w50 is also listed as one of the suitable grades in the manual.

You should drain and replace back to 5w30 ASAP. 5w30 works best in India as it is low viscosity for our climate.

Thanks Vid for quick revert. Yeah first thing I will do is to change the oil to 5w30.

I have been getting the synthetic oil from Nandi Toyota itself all these while, any other better brand for 5w30 synthetic to change now.

Also shocked to see the oil drain so much within 5k kms.

KK

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by KK_HakunaMatata

Thanks Vid for quick revert. Yeah first thing I will do is to change the oil to 5w30.

I have been getting the synthetic oil from Nandi Toyota itself all these while, any other better brand for 5w30 synthetic to change now.

Also shocked to see the oil drain so much within 5k kms.

KK

I hope the oil was checked after running the engine for sometime and not immediately after turning off a hot engine. It will be low when checked immediately after turning off as not all the oil will make it's way back to the sump.

Also, check if the dipstick has been pushed all the way in. If not then it will read lower and you risk overfilling.

If above has been checked then it's indeed surprising that oil went low. Have you observed any white smoke?

Toyota Synthetic oil is good. I switched to Liqui Moly semi synth 5w30 oil this year from the OE mineral.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by KK_HakunaMatata

I have been getting the synthetic oil from Nandi Toyota itself all these while, any other better brand for 5w30 synthetic to change now.

Toyota's OEM synthetic is 5W-40. Options are Motul X-cess 5W-40, Shell Helix Ultra 5W-40.

5W-30 synthetic options: Mobil 1 5w-30, Mobil 1 ESP 5w-30, Amsoil Signature 5W-30.

Also shocked to see the oil drain so much within 5k kms

Check the sump and oil filter for any oil leakage. Please change the oil filter when you drain and refill with new oil.

[KK_HakunaMatata]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

I hope the oil was checked after running the engine for sometime and not immediately after turning off a hot engine. It will be low when checked immediately after turning off as not all the oil will make it's way back to the sump.

Also, check if the dipstick has been pushed all the way in. If not then it will read lower and you risk overfilling.

If above has been checked then it's indeed surprising that oil went low. Have you observed any white smoke?

Toyota Synthetic oil is good. I switched to Liqui Moly semi synth 5w30 oil this year from the OE mineral.

Oil was checked after overnight stationary today morning. Will check with dad on how the oil was checked.

Originally Posted by R2D2

Toyota's OEM synthetic is 5W-40. Options are Motul X-cess 5W-40, Shell Helix Ultra 5W-40.

5W-30 synthetic options: Mobil 1 5w-30, Mobil 1 ESP 5w-30, Amsoil Signature 5W-30.

Thanks for recommendation. My manual recommended 5w30 as I remember, thinking of trying this time https://www.flybhp.com/mobil-1-esp-f...motor-oil.html

Originally Posted by R2D2

Check the sump and oil filter for any oil leakage. Please change the oil filter when you drain and refill with new oil.

Yeah sure, once I get the car will check these things.

KK