[S_U_N]

Originally Posted by vigsom

For 4.5 you can get a 2005 H1 which would have ABS and airbags but this would have a manual AC and also the wood finish would be missing.

If you're going to restrict driving to the City,then don't bother about ABS - even a 2004 or 2005 would suffice(no ABS) - and that would save you some bucks as well

Thanks. I don't need Auto AC nor the wood finish. These are not 'must haves' for me. The driving would be mostly highway -wouldn't want to drive a big car on congested city roads.

Another question: When are the major services for Corolla? e.g. 70,000 KM? And what parts need replacement at those points?

[dot]

Originally Posted by vigsom

Suction was 20psi and compressor discharge was 120psi or so ;the suction pressure of 20 gave me some relief as that meant there was no major problem.

Congratulations on your car.

I would like to understand the significance of the suction pressure. What does it tell? If it is less than 20psi or more than 20 psi, will it be a diagnostic of a deeper issue? Interested to learn.

[vigsom]

Originally Posted by dot

Congratulations on your car.

I would like to understand the significance of the suction pressure. What does it tell? If it is less than 20psi or more than 20 psi, will it be a diagnostic of a deeper issue? Interested to learn.

The suc pressure of 20 psi indicated that there was no major leak in the refrigeration system ; a leak would have meant pressure falling to almost zero.

By major leaks I mean

• leak in the Evaporator(Cooling Coil)
• leak at pipe joints
• leak on the Compressor (seal,housing etc.)

I have,in my 20 years of auto experience, seen v. minor leaks in the form of the suction and discharge valves(ports from where refrigerant pressure is checked).These valves are similar to those on tyres and can release refrigerant gradually over time.

Ideally,a suc. pressure of 35-40psi and a discharge pressure of 130-150psi means the refrigerant charge is normal.

[dot]

Thanks for explaining these facts. I had no idea.

Will these pressure figures hold true for any AC system in any car? Or there is a range? I understand that AC compressors in different cars have different capacities.

[vigsom]

Originally Posted by dot

Thanks for explaining these facts. I had no idea.

Will these pressure figures hold true for any AC system in any car? Or there is a range? I understand that AC compressors in different cars have different capacities.

For the refrigerant R-134a , the figures would be more or less the same in all cars.

Capacities of compressors vary according to the compressor efficiency,refrigeration load etc.

[AWD]

Originally Posted by vigsom

Kenwood 8401 amp under the co-driver seat -Ch A driving compos and Ch B driving sub, 10" sub in sealed MDF enclosure in the boot

Looks like a neat install, how does it sound?

Im keen on replacing the already bust O.E. HU in my Corolla. I'll be using a single din system with an additional amp. & woofer.

BTW, the amp. you have installed is powering only the woofer or front/rear speakers too?

Also, could you shed light on the prices of various components!

[vigsom]

Originally Posted by AWD

Looks like a neat install, how does it sound? -very neat install , sounds good too

Im keen on replacing the already bust O.E. HU in my Corolla. I'll be using a single din system with an additional amp. & woofer.

BTW, the amp. you have installed is powering only the woofer or front/rear speakers too? Ch A driving front compos and Ch B driving sub

Also, could you shed light on the prices of various components!

1. Boston Play Smart Sxi606 6.5" components in front - MRP4490
2. HU-JVC KW-XC404 Double Din with a D/in fill panel - not a great buy ; when I got it in 2005 it cost 9k
3. Kenwood 8401 amp under the co-driver seat -Ch A driving compos and Ch B driving sub -superb buy for 6.2k in 2007
4. Monster 100 series RCA interconnects - 1.1k for 2 sets in 2007
5. stock Corolla rear speakers off the HU amp -free with the car
6. 10" sub in sealed MDF enclosure in the boot - 2.5k for the sub and 0.9k for the enclosure - again in 2007

My recommendation to you is as follows:

Get

1. the best single DIN HU you can afford(with at least 2 RCA preouts) - JVC is VFM,Pio is great sounding and Kenwood is a mix of both
2. a 4 channel amp with at least 75W RMS per channel which should be capable of 250W in bridged mode (the 8401 that I use is great for the components but weak for even a 10" sub since it belts out only 180W in bridged mode)
3. a dash kit for the Corolla - Scosche TA2048 or equivalent(AIUS kits are also available for approx 1.5-2k)
4. wiring harness for the Corolla
5. a 12" sub in a sealed enclosure

[vigsom]

loading one more pic of the car



The problem is you can't mask the dust off the dark colour

I clean the car myself and have discovered that this one needs to be wet-wiped and cleaned twice a week ;a dry clean just won't do.

All my earlier cars were white and needed cleaning only once in two weeks.

I use a "Recaro" silver car cover(the material is matty-similar to the MGA car covers) to keep the dust off as long as I can ; cost me 575 bucks

[vigsom]

I am posting my one year’s experience of owning a “budda” 2003 Corolla

What I liked

• Good snob value
• Great on space and interior aesthetics
• Good all round view
• Cool head in tough traffic
• Reliable components(even after some abuse by the earlier owner
• Consistent mileage(10.5-11kmpl in City Traffic with ac on
• Negligible maintenance

What I disliked

• Refinement not as expected
• Suspension not upto my expectations ; my Esteem AWIS was better
• Loooooong bonnet

Maintenance Expenses

Kms at purchase 67600
kms now 71900
Usage 4300kms(in mad city traffic)

1. AC Evaporator Coil change +Compressor overhaul Rs.11,500
2. Starter service Rs.280
3. Oil Plus filter Rs.1320
4. Wheel alignment plus balancing Rs.900

Only job no.1 was done as part of maintenance ; the rest were done at the time of purchase(as part of “restoration

Summing Up
Satisfied with all the pains taken ; take a look at the machine after one year of ownership

[sgiitk]

The car looks much better now, in fact I may say pristine. The AC job was a bit of a pain and broke the adage lightening does not strike the same place twice - the compressor and the evaporator. Great report - keep it up!

[mooza]

Originally Posted by vigsom

Suspension not upto my expectations ; my Esteem AWIS was better

Hi Vigsom, could you elaborate on the above, is it relatively poor ride comfort compared to Esteem, or handling ? Since I was thinking of my next upgrade from my used Esteem to a used Corolla, and the suspension is very important to me in terms of balance of ride comfort and handling, your reply would certainly help.

I do thoroughly enjoy my highway runs in my Esteem, though the low speed ride quality within the city is not something to write home about.

Your car looks beautiful in blue

[vigsom]

thanks for the compliments ; much needed .
@mooza buy a late 2005 or later model which has an improved suspension;easiest identification is that these models sport multispoke alloys instead of the old six spoke ones ;in my case one of the best parts of the car is the primacy lc tyre set up - twooooo good

[vigsom]

A brief update

Have noticed a rattle from under the dashboard whenever the car is brought to standstill in D mode OR when the car is in P mode.
This noise is absent with the car in acceleration

Checked that the noise disappears when the tilt steering lever is flipped down and the steering is loose.Lock the tilt lever and the noise reappears

I checked the steering column mounts ; all bolts are tight and so am not able to figure out why this is happening

Folks, especially Corolla owners , any clues?

[lamborghini]

Great Review!
We had a similar corolla in Manual, or the same vintage and color. A great car, but the suspension on the pre-05 was a put off as the car would always have uneven wear on the tyres. Also, the suspension is little stiff, but wasn't as bad as an esteems.

What happened to the fog lamps?

[vigsom]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

What happened to the fog lamps?

well,the RH fog lamp reflector was damaged due to water ingress ; the LH was good.

I stay in Surat where there is no fog ;and am always apprehensive of low sitting lamps being damaged,hence did not go in for new ones.

so had the old lamps sanded," primered" and painted silver .After that installed LED strips (I have a 5 m hi quality roll with me) and connected them to the fog light wiring to use them as additional lamps - believe me,they look s**y when switched on.

Dimaag ki batti jalao (Switch on the light in your brain)