How long the corolla 4AFE will last?

[tlmprnpg]

I'm driving 97 corolla 1.6L for my daily drive. Tired for this little car with 3 speed auto. But I have agreement with my wife to drive it until the wheel fall off since we just payoff the the other car (her car

).

Think about trade it with other fun-to-drive beater for the same price range but it would be risky trading one with quite reliable for the trouble one.

How long will it last so I can justify to get the new car (probably used car). The car has 120k mile and I drive around 10k/year. The exterior/interior seem OK, with regular preventive maintenance (all fluid/filter etc). Just replace the timing and drive belt this year. The alternator and thermostat died last year, was that the sign for more trouble issues?

 

[Market525]

Just this past summer I bought a 97 Corolla 1.6L w/ the manual trans for our son to take back to college. Bought it from the original lady owner, with 162K on it. She had a stack of maintenance receipts an inch thick, which is one reason I took the gamble at that mileage.

I went over it top to bottom, spending almost $500 in parts, including the timing belt & water pump. Would you believe the original belt @ that mileage? I didn't see any cracks in that belt, either. Inside the valve cover was absolutely spotless - her oil change habits were impeccable. Original clutch was in till 130K. The car has almost 170K on it now, runs like a charm.

Did you replace the water pump when you replaced the timing belt?

Anyway, the car is away in college now. I does not use a drop of oil in a 3K change interval -- I'll bet your car will do 300K with just preventative maintenance.

My take - you'll be fine with this car. Have you serviced the trans on a regular basis? This would be the only component I'm not sure of. You mentioned the alternator & thermostat - I consider both of these regular manintenance items.

Good luck - the car will go the distance!

 

[javacontour]

With care, it will last a long time. Mine has 215K on the clock (a '94 Geo Prizm, the GM Corolla.) Same engine 4A-FE with the 5 speed in my example.

Mine uses a quart of oil every 2500 to 3K miles now. I drive with a heavy foot. A lighter foot might result in less oil consumption. The car is on the original clutch, it goes a lot of highway miles.

 

[MrCritical]

You will die before the car does.

 

[byez]

Ya I owned two different 1990 corolla's, good luck with killing the engine. The body went before the engine on both of those.

 

[Cutehumor]

another ten years easy with PM, you made the wrong gamble with your wife about this car. I bet she knows it too.

 

[Camu Mahubah]

Do you know the A131L 3-Speed auto has a differential seperate from the transmission? Takes 1.5 quarts of Dexron III. I recommend the differential be drained and refilled with something stout such as Amsoil ATF...I had one of these trannys in a 91 Geo Prizm and the differential locked up on me at 55 mph!...

 

[Drew99GT]

Alternators, especially the Delco style, are the single biggest fault with these cars; it's the one thing that goes out fairly often. Thermostat, on a 97? HAAAAAAAAAAA! I wouldn't even worry about that, the stat on mine was stuck open when I bought it. It's a maintenance item for the most part. And listen to Camu on the diff.

Other than that, change the oil at reasonable intervals and make sure the timing belt is in good shape, and I think you bit off more than you'd like to chew with this car! You're gonna be driving her for a long long time...

 

[tlmprnpg]

Oop! I forgot to tell the dealer to replace water pump when they serviced the timing belt.

My preventive maintenance are quite simple. Dino oil every 5k, trans fluid every 20k, air filter 15k. Replace fuel filter, plug and wire, distributor cap have been replaced once. I'm plan to replace the differential fluid next time.

Seem like I have to drive it for a long time until I'm ready for car payment.

Having a thought to buy a beater manual about ~$3,000 to replace it. What would your guys recommend? Want the model that quite reliable and more fun to drive.

 

[JohnBrowning]

Well I ahte to brake it to you but I ahve seen thousands of them with 300,000 miles still going strong and I have seen more then 10 but less then 20 with 500,000 miles on them!!! Now most of these were down south since the deer and the salt kills them up her in Michigan but their you go!!!Even the Chevy version as the Chevy/Geo Prism routinely go 300,000-500,000! They use different harness's and electrical specifications from the dash forward from their Carolla counter part's and they use cheaper fastner's that GM specifies as well but the mechanicals are the same!

The alternator going at 10 year's is respectable with Denso alternator's you normaly get 10-20 year's out of them. The Denso starter normaly last 7-10 year's!!! When you get aftermarkety starter's for them get one with a life time warranty since the aftermarket one's seldom last more then 2 year's!!! I usualy prefer to rebuild the OEM one instead of getting a reman'ed unit from a store because they seem to last longer...

So I would not even try to drive it until the wheel's fall off it unless you really like that car!!! Seriously at 10K a year you will be driveing that car for a long long time to come!!! If you hate a car and the wife is giveing you grief it would probably be best if you start saveing up on your own for a car with out her knowing about it!

 

[MrCritical]

You shouldn't have to tell the dealer to replace the water pump. He should have told you it needed to be done with a timing belt. Several of the local dealers won't to the belt job without replacing the water pump, been burned too many times.

 

[John K]

I guess you could wreck it or simply not change the oil anymore if you really want to get rid of it! You could do that as a test...

 

[Al]

I suppose that you just want another car. Just act accordingly. You can't justify getting rid of your present car based on a financial decision.

 

[H2GURU]

These are great little cheapo cars to run. Use it everytime for all your trips. You can't wear it out. It is the car that the VW Beetle tried to be... a true "peoples car". Too bad you have the VE with the 3 spd auto as with the 4 spd you'd be right at 37 mpg. they did use different alternators for the GMs but DO NOT think that these are problem cars because as the previous poster said... you'll die before this car does. They were actually rust-proofed quite well so you'll get no relief there either... ha ha. Happy Motoring !

http://www.autooninfo.net/

 

[tlmprnpg]

Originally Posted By: H2GURU
These are great little cheapo cars to run. Use it everytime for all your trips. You can't wear it out. It is the car that the VW Beetle tried to be... a true "peoples car". Too bad you have the VE with the 3 spd auto as with the 4 spd you'd be right at 37 mpg. they did use different alternators for the GMs but DO NOT think that these are problem cars because as the previous poster said... you'll die before this car does. They were actually rust-proofed quite well so you'll get no relief there either... ha ha. Happy Motoring !

http://www.autooninfo.net/


Thanks H2Guru. I'll looking for some cheap car around $3-4k with manual trans. I know it would never financial wise to replace the car. It always gives me 35 mpg with 70% highway miles regular 75mph. But I would rather spending time 1.5 hr daily with the car you like.

What is better among focus, saturn L series, sunfire, santra or cavalier. I guess with this budget, I could get model year 2000 with manual tranny.

Thanks.

 

[Anduril]

I love both of our Cavaliers. Despite being el-cheapo economy cars, they handle and drive better than the Accord I used to own. I picked up mine (2000 coupe) for $4500 with under 50k miles on it, and the girl got hers ('99 Sedan) for $2700 from a rental outfit. All that's gone wrong with hers in the year and 20k miles she's had it is the same broken engine mount she bought it with, and never seems to be willing to spend the time or money to have it fixed. Oh, and the lovely folks at Best Buy kinda trashed her interior installing a radio (but, of course, not where it's obvious until a few months down the road when you can't prove they did it).

I'd avoid the 2.4 liter engine, though. While 150 horses seems appealing in a car this size, I've heard that they're not nearly as reliable (one guy went through 4 engines in under 100k) as the OHV 2.2 that'll run forever.

 

[Towel_Rail]

Slush boxes suck. Good luck on your search!

If the wife says no to getting a different car, run the 'yota on nondetergent SAE 10 weight oil until it (prematurely) dies. And post UOAs.

- Scott

 

[DrRocket]

197,000 miles (17 years) on a 1982 manual Corolla with a 2TC motor. Sadly, had to have in crushed because it couldn't pass smog and no one knew what it needed to make it pass. I didn't want to gamble with repair dollars. CA gave me $500 to turn it in.

Good to know Corollas are being made even longer lasting.

 

[Camu Mahubah]

I don't live in a state where emissions are tested...but I would have rigged a double cat setup or whatever I had to do to keep that Corolla alive!...Doesn't it produce more bad stuff to make a car than to save a car!...

 

[tlmprnpg]

I'm just keeping an eye on the beater to replace it. If the good deal come, I might take it.