[Vid6639]

12 years and almost 1 lakh kms.


Well it's been a long time since I've given an update on the Altis. Some friendly mods ended up sowing seeds of #YOLO (You only live once) in my head and in the last 18 months I ended up with 2 more cars in the garage.

This meant 2 things, I was in 2 minds on selling the Altis and secondly the running was a lot lesser. The last service was done in December 2019, just 3 months before the COVID lockdown and now in Dec 2021 the odo had just crossed 5000kms. The odo stands at 95K kms now.

I had 2 complaints with the car:

1. Front suspension was squeaking and felt like something was worn out.
2. clutch pedal had some noise when engaging the clutch.

Initially I thought I would look for outside workshop and not take it to Toyota like it has been going for 12 years. I checked around few places for suspension parts for the Corolla thinking I would be able to get a lower cost and good quality.

Hunting around and checking with known folks I realised there is one good quality vendor which is TRW but out of stock everywhere. Gabriel was much lower costs than OEM for front struts. This did not give me confidence. The lower arm is available OEM from 12K but you get a chinese brand Semyong for much cheaper like 4-5K each side vs 12K.

In the end I decided with low running, may as well just stick to the dealer. I took the car to Ravindu and was happy to see my usual service guys are still around unlike other brands which have had a change of staff due to COVID.

The final conclusion was the lower arm was still fine. I wanted to change it as the rubber bushes were 12 years old now. The gripe is that you can't change the rubber bushes alone but need to change the entire lower arm since the bushes are fused into it. But being a Toyota they apparently don't really go bad.

So the shocks were the ones that had worn out and the rubber ring between the shock and spring was completely worn out as well.

Other than that the clutch master cylinder shaft was greased.

The car was returned with full service including all filters, air filter, oil filter, cabin filter.

The final bill was Rs. 24K which had 7.5K for each strut, labour for fixing the struts, some 1K for the rubber ring and full service + taxes totaling 24K.

Since the rear shocks were changed 3 years back, there is no brake and suspension work required for next 3 years given the lower running. These are anyways the only 2 parts in the car that need work due to our roads. Nothing else wears out in a Corolla. lol.

I was in 2 minds whether to keep or sell the Corolla. But seeing as to how reliable and low cost it is to maintain it is working perfectly as a chauffeur driven car for everyone at home as well as any visitors. It will hardly fetch much being 12+ years and almost 1L kms discontinued model so really no point in selling it.

The cars today are nowhere as well engineered and built as this damn corolla. It is difficult to find fault with it. So I am back to keeping 4 cars at home. lol.

A few pics of the service:

up on the ramp for the service:


old oil being drained:


new Amsoil 5W30 signature going in:


front suspension removed for replacing the struts:




The offending rubber ring that had worn off causing a terrible squeaking sound in the cabin. Was duly replaced:




Will be uploading more pics post a detailing session.

[Aditya]

Good to see the Altis chugging along nicely. I would say retain her. Keep changing the other cars in your garage if you have to, but don't get rid of this one. In all probability, it will outlast all your other vehicles, old or new. It's 12 years old and selling it won't fetch you much. Use it as a beater if necessary.

[vigsom]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

I ended up with 2 more cars in the garage

You might eventually find that those two cars will leave you earlier than the Altis.

- TRW but out of stock everywhere.
- Gabriel was much lower costs than OEM for front struts.
- Semyong

All the three brands are good. I don't have personal experience but have enough feedback to vouch for them. Another bhpian @vasanthjn had an Altis VL AT in black. He was told by Toyota that a change of front struts and rear shocks would set him back by ₹30k. He sourced Gabriels for some ₹12k in all for the front and rear and was very happy. Monroes weren't available then else that would have been better. The gentleman who bought my 2005 Corolla had Monroe struts fitted in 2015-16 and they're still going fine.

The surprising thing with the Corolla and the Altis is that with proper upkeep, the only parts that need change are the

1. filters (oil filter at each change, air filter at 40,000km, fuel filter at 80,000km, cabin filter as per need)
2. spark plugs (Nickel every 40,000 kms, Iridium every 1,00,000 kms)
3. brake pads (typically 30,000 kms for AT and 50,000kms for MT)
4. struts and shocks( at around 90,000 - 1,00,000kms)
5. Brake fluid replacement every two years

The only chink in the armor of the petrol Altis is the radiator inlet pipe as described here.

The Corolla is the Hero Honda of cars - fill it shut it forget it !

[pta320]

I got my '03 Corolla's suspension overhauled at a pretty reputed and busy FNG. Almost all of the suspension components developed issues.

Front right strut had almost zero resistance, gravity is alone enough to make the piston fall + it had developed a very prominent clunking noise over uneven roads. Rear struts were also dead and car used to bounce a lot with load or people in the rear.

Both link rods were dead with no resistance left as a result steering was all over the place and above 120 the car felt like a speed boat and was very difficult to control.

Front right mount was damaged after my car hit a pothole at a high speed.

Lower arm bushings were fine with some cracks but since it's almost 19 years old I decided to get it done as arm was taken off and ball joints needed to be replaced.

Both ball joints also had lost a lot of resistance and were responsible for noises when driving over uneven roads.

Sway bar bushes were shrunken and the movement was too much which led to excessive body roll.

The parts included :

2* front struts (Monroe) + 2* rear struts (Monroe) + rubber kits
Strut mounts
Lower arm all bushings (OEM) + ball joint
Sway bar bushings (OEM)
Front both link rods

Total bill was approx 25k. There is a night and day difference after getting all these failing parts changed. Now the car would do high triple digit speeds with no control issues. The braking has improved significantly and there is no noise at all from anywhere in the suspension. The car feels like it's straight out of the showroom :-P.

Pro tip : Use silicone spray over rubber parts from time to time to prolong their life.

[AKSarkar1]

This Corolla is probably one of the most iconic Corollas on the forum! I must say kudos to you for maintaining the car in such immaculate shape over the years, few cars are fortunate enough to have an ownership period like that.

Coincidentally, a close friend of mine too recently bought an Altis 1.8 G from 2009 in black colour and I must say that I have taken a massive liking towards the car. As you rightly said, being 12+ years old the car might not fetch a lot of monetary value but surely this car still gives new sedans a run for their money!
I personally would go in for a pre-worshipped Altis over most of the new sedans on offer today, esp. now that the Vento and Rapid have been discontinued.

I look forward to more threads on this beauty!

[Tony2298]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

12 years and almost 1 lakh kms.


Well it's been a long time since I've given an update on the Altis. .

@Vid6639 Respected Sir, Even though my Team-BHP membership was approved very recently I've been following this forum for ages and still remember reading the buying process of the Corolla Altis, you were upgrading from a Mitsubishi Lancer and you checked out many different cars, you really liked the Honda Civic but your dad was against that because like Lancer it was too low and uncomfortable for him and wanted something more conventional, also I remember of you mentioning that it was the first black Altis to be delivered in your city and maybe even the country as you were among the initial customer! Sorry for going off-topic but these are some of the fond memories I have with Team-BHP and always cherish those, still can't believe it has had been 12+ years, feels just like the other day!

Regarding the Corolla, I honestly feel it has way more life than you expect and like you said it has that certain quality, engineering depth and finesse (for which Toyota is renowned for globally) which is missing in most of today's day cars. I still have the brochure of this 10th gen Altis with me (which I collected 12 years ago along with the XV-40 Camry) where it has been explicitly quoted that the car has been made to a global standard and has used high quality material for damping and lower NVH levels. I also advise and rather request you to retain her, she still has a class of her own (along with 8th gen Honda Civic) which is unmatched in even today's day and age and in that black shade looks terrific even now. Thank you and wish you many more happy miles with your machine, Happy motoring!

[harditthind]

Originally Posted by pta320

Pro tip : Use silicone spray over rubber parts from time to time to prolong their life.

I have been thinking about this silicon thing for a while but have been unsure which one to use. Would your recommend any brand?

[pta320]

Originally Posted by harditthind

I have been thinking about this silicon thing for a while but have been unsure which one to use. Would your recommend any brand?

I use Aerol silicone lubricant (yellow container) which is available easily on Amazon.

[rajshenoy]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

The cars today are nowhere as well engineered and built as this damn corolla. It is difficult to find fault with it.

That sums up the ownership experience. I got this pre-owned Corolla in 2019 thinking I will keep until BS6 confusion settles down, then came covid and now after experiencing Corolla, I am not sure what else I can upgrade to !!

[coolmel]

@Vid6639 Could you please tell us from where did you procure the Amsoil and how much quantity does your Corolla take? As far as I know, the Amsoil cans are all gallon based and not 4L ones. Also, how soon do you change your oil? Considering the Amsoil is long drain interval, how far have you stretched it? Also, this is one thing I have just not had luck with any Mumbai dealerships wrt the oil which goes in my Toyota. Be it Lakozy, Millenium or Wasan...they all have refused to putting my choice of engine oil in my own car even if it is no longer in warranty period.

Anyways, cheers for the suspension update !! Happy driving.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by coolmel

@Vid6639 Could you please tell us from where did you procure the Amsoil and how much quantity does your Corolla take? As far as I know, the Amsoil cans are all gallon based and not 4L ones.

Yes the Amsoil is 1 gallon. So what I am doing is buying the 1 gallon can and then 1L extra bottle.

The 1L bottle lasts for 2 oil changes.

Engine oil has a long shelf life so keeping it for a year or 2 is really not a big deal.

That said with low running, Amsoil may not be needed in the future. I had a can lying around so used it but my next oil change will be Idemitsu most likely from now on. The Toyota full synthetic Idemitsu oil is cheaper than Amsoil.

[v1p3r]

These things go on forever. However, this stupidity with the control arms and bushes is a Toyota specialty. As a result, I'm saddled with a horrendously high bill for 8 new aftermarket control arms.

[R2D2]

Good to find this thread getting back to life @vid6639

I retained my Oct 2008 model for the same reason i.e. there's frankly no reason to sell it since I want a German Big 3 car or maybe even a Camry, though I wish they had the simple petrol version instead of the hybrid. COVID has put a spoke in any upgrade plans for now.

I'd rather keep my very low mileage 10G as a trusty run about. It has never let me down. And the old girl heads to the ASC in Jan after a gap of nearly 2 years (thanks to COVID again) and a trip to neighbouring KA over the next week. It may need a new battery though. The current Amaron is 4.5 years old and probably living on borrowed time. Default lube for the past few years has been Amsoil Signature 5W-30. It is the best lube I have used so far.

[fordfreak]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

12 years and almost 1 lakh kms.

Kudos for maintaining your Altis the way you have! Love your thread and wishing you many many more happy miles in your Altis. Look forward to seeing more updates on here!

They just don't make anything like the Altis nowadays. As long as you stick to the maintenance schedule and replace the wear & tear parts as needed, this car will NEVER die.

I've clocked about 1,07,500 kms on my 2010 Altis and never has she left me stranded in the 11 years of owning her. As I plan on keeping my car till the time she is essentially ready for the grave, I decided to give her a bit of a restoration.

The factory leather seats were reupholstered as the driver seat looked like a dog had made a meal of it. Now the interiors look as good as new. The engine, gearbox and electronics are still trouble-free, so I did not have to touch them. The exterior just needed a good clean as I had already had all the minor scratches / scuffs repaired a few months ago.

However, the suspension was way past it's use by date and was rattling horribly. Have replaced the shocks, bushes, control arms, engine mounts, steering rack, tyres and a few other minor bits. Got all this done along with the annual service.

Only one pending job remains - the rear axle beam. Toyota quoted me approximately Rs. 65,000 for this single part. Boodmo wasn't of much help either as it was almost the same price there.

As this would have pushed an already high repair estimate to levels where it would 'mechanically total' my car, I decided to look for a used alternative. My trusted FNG has managed to source a used unit, so this issue should also be taken care off as soon as the part arrives. As I have never tried something like this, I am apprehensive about the outcome. Fingers crossed, I will be happy with the result. As of now only the rear suspension still rattles, but the steering feel and front suspension are back to new condition.

Visually, the car now looks brand new. Mechanically, only the rear suspension work remains. Other than that, there is nothing else to be done on the car.

Apologies for the random picture angles - these were clicked by the service advisor while receiving the car at the workshop.

[KK2001]

Originally Posted by coolmel

@Vid6639 Could you please tell us from where did you procure the Amsoil and how much quantity does your Corolla take? As far as I know, the Amsoil cans are all gallon based and not 4L ones. Also, how soon do you change your oil? Considering the Amsoil is long drain interval, how far have you stretched it? Also, this is one thing I have just not had luck with any Mumbai dealerships wrt the oil which goes in my Toyota. Be it Lakozy, Millenium or Wasan...they all have refused to putting my choice of engine oil in my own car even if it is no longer in warranty period.

Anyways, cheers for the suspension update !! Happy driving.

My 2010 Fortuner goes to Madhuban Toyota Kurla or Millennium Toyota Thane. I think when it comes to using your own Engine oil, it depends on your relationship with the service advisor.