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-   -   Why did I buy a 12 Year old Toyota Corolla - My experience (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-term-ownership-reviews/167791-why-did-i-buy-12-year-old-toyota-corolla-my-experience-8.html)

I got Front LH shock absorber replaced and ride is very smooth now. No replacements done for lower arm.

Got vehicle today and drove it for a while without any noise. Steering is also a bit lighter. I guess that hardness will lessen once i refill tyres with nitrogen. It's been a while since i went to tyre shop. I am filling only 30 psi which is mentioned on driver side door. Anyone else filling more ? Tyres are 195 60/R15

Hi fordfreak, the car is doing great after the repairs and it is back to its original condition. Nice and giving consistently 12 kmpl. As an update, I serviced all the power windows myself by removing the door pads, applying necessary grease, removing those switches, cleaning them thoroughly and all three power windows started working flawlessly. The one on the driver side was a problem due to the fact that the circuit board got damaged in a particular section where the central locking switch and the driver window switch is placed. I did not want to go in for a new board and hence placed a seperate switch in the dash to operate that window. Now, all those windows are taken care off.

I have done something which many people in the forum may not like, i.e., I changed my steering wheel to a fake Nardi Steering wheel from Aliexpress. Actually the original steering wheel was worn out and added to the fact that the airbag light was malfunctioning after the floods, I got little paranoid of that driver airbag and thought of using an aftermarket steering wheel for sometime. I have just removed the airbag steering wheel and kept it safe for future installation. Anyway, the replacement steering wheel is great to hold, drive and maneuver and it looks sexy. I know I have compromised on the safety feature, but, let me have this for sometime and see. Also, replaced the Gear cover with a similar colour/stich to the gear knob and Steering wheel. The combination looks nice.

Cost of steering wheel - Rs. 4000 delivered, no duty/taxes
Cost of Gear cover - Rs. 400
Boss kit hub adapter - Rs. 1100, this was bought through Snapdeal locally

A picture below showing the knob, cover, steering wheel and also the power window switch



I can feel the steering to be a little tight (even before the replacement), while i like the feel, i think it should be a little lighter. What could be the issue ? anything damaged due to floods ? Looking for some guidance on this.

Swami

Hi Swami,

Just went through your whole thread and I should say it's awesome indeed.
I am a fan of the Corolla myself and intend to own one some day.

Well your Steering wheel does look splendid & sporty, however I feel it doesn't go with the rest of the interiors of the Corolla, just my view.
As this is a temporary fitment, enjoy your ride!

But please have the OEM Wheels hooked up asap, as your Safety can never be compromised even if you are driving short distances.

Stay safe, ride safe!

Hi Swami. Great to see the car back in shape and working well. Hats' off to you for sticking it through and fixing her up. I would have never had the guts to attempt something like this.

For your power window switch, you could try getting it off an accident vehicle if possible. You could try talking to someone at the dealership if you know them well. Alternatively, try the second hand parts market if you are comfortable.

Personally I would advise you to put the original steering wheel back on, strictly from a safety point of view. Please do not compromise on your safety in any way.

Is the steering feeling different from the time before the flooding? The steering on my car was heavy, but not to the extent that I was unable to turn it with one hand. I personally liked the heavy steering on my old Corolla as compared to the lighter steering on my Altis. Get it looked at just to be sure.

The clutch in the old Corollas are quite hard ; born tough and strong.

Need to replace one tyre in Corolla urgently. Current one has a bad cut. Suggestions on tyres that are working well.

Michelin primacy has a very soft rubber

Look for same make & similar wear/age

I am hearing a sound every time I press the clutch on my 2008 corolla. The gear shifting is smooth. I need to take it to the Toyota service. Any ideas if my clutch is gone and if so any ideas how much would it cost to replace.

Thanks to this thread and plenty of others for many years i wanted to own a Corolla but was never able to get one for many years. Finally bought a 10 year old 2006 Top Model with just 35k mileage on the odometer. The car is in great shape and maintained very well. Its the high end model. The ownership review and the repairs done in this thread have been very helpful. Now I also need to find a good local mechanic in Bangalore, who i can take the car to for small jobs as going to the service center would be a bit expensive for small stuff. So if there are any recommendations for a good local mechanic please share i stay in HSR Layout.
Also in case some parts need to be bought where to source them from.

The 3 things that i need to do in the car are :
The car came with a damaged left side mirror assembly that needs to be fixed. Also i need to change the tyres as they are 10 years old.
Along with this i need to put some rear sensors in the car.

Any inputs on the above would be highly appreciated.

Hi Dushie,

First of all congrats on your Corolla acquisition, a very good and reliable car at prices you get for the pre-owned cars.

I too bought a pre-owned 2006 Corolla last September (same H5 model as yours) and very happy with my decision till now and am sure for thousands of KMs to come.

I do not currently know of any local mechanic for small works, but if you want to buy parts you can check out http://www.toyotapartsconnect.in/. You can order here and get it delivered from a Toyota dealer and this service is currently operating only in Bangalore I guess.

Regards,
KK

Thanks i am checking the site out now. Also the remote key i got with the car is in a bad shape and the buttons have worn out. Wanted some suggestions as to how to get this fixed. I did read online regarding getting the key replaced from Toyota but it is an expensive affair. Posting a pic of the same.

Is there any other way to get this fixed locally without involving such huge costs.

I get the same sound every time. It's a whoosh kind of sound that comes. Service center has suggested to replace assembly after 10-20kms

Latest Update i got the remote key shell on ebay have ordered the same also bought a silicon cover for the same from same seller. Plan is to use the rubber pad of the same in the original remote. Ordered Apollo Acelere 205/60/R15 tyres online from Snapdeal got a good deal on older tires. Next set of items to complete are putting rear sensors in the car, not decided which and what model to put. Plenty of options ranging from cameras to screens. Starting from 1k to 4k.

Need to change the horn also its not sounding properly,making a shrilling sound will check with Mechanic if it can be fixed. I saw the adjustment screw on the horn is too tight not able to make any adjustments. Also planning to get the alloys cleaned up, any inputs on where to get this done would help. As they have spots and marks on them and may need some restoration work also.

Thanks for the info. Even I ordered a silicon key cover after your PM, but ordered it from Amazon. May get it on Monday.

Also update once you get the AUX and USB added.

I got the key silicon cover and it is fitting properly :thumbup:.

But one thing, in my remote only two buttons lock and unlock are working and have two dummy buttons. Is this the case with actually?