DIY Car maintenance 101
Table of Contents
Owners manual specifications (Toyota Corolla 2006)
- Recommended checks:
- Once a month / before long trip:
- Oil Level
- Tyre thread and pressure
- Full checks every 30.000km or every 2 years
- IMPORTANT REPLACE:
- Motor oil and oil filter (full change)
- 5W30 synthetic
- Break fluid (full change)
- DOT 4
- Motor oil and oil filter (full change)
- Engine coolant (inspection)
- Air filter (inspection)
- Air cabin filter (inspection)
- Spark plubs (inspection)
- Drive shafts (inspection)
- exhaust pipe and suspension rubbers (inspection)
- Cooling system and airco pipes (inspection)
- Airco filter (inspection)
- Gasoline tank cap, etc… (brandstoftankdop, brandstofleidingen, aansluitingen en benzinedamp regelklep (inspection))
- Carroceria (perforaciones por corrosion) (inspection)
- Break foot pedal and hand break (inspection)
- Breaks (pastillas y cubo) (inspection)
- Break lines (inspection)
- power steering (inspection)
- Suspension (inspection)
- Steering wheel (inspection)
- Tires, lights, palo parabrsisas, liquido parabrisas (inspection)
- IMPORTANT REPLACE:
- In-between checks every 15.000km or once per year
- IMPORTANT REPLACE:
- Motor oil and oil filter (full change)
- Breaks (pastillas y cubo) (inspection)
- Tires, lights, palo parabrsisas, liquido parabrisas (inspection)
- IMPORTANT REPLACE:
- Extra checks 4-6 years / 60k-90
- Replace Spark plugs every 4 years / 60k km (platina or iridium every 90k)
- Replace Cooling liquid every 90k
- Inspect Valve clearence 6 year / 90k
- Inspect Manual transmission oil every 4 year / 60k
- 75W90 synthetic
- Specs:
- Engine Oil
- Best: 5W30 full synthetic oil “long life”/”energy conserving”
- Other Viscosities depending on the weather 5,10,15,20W from expected coldest weather to warmest (see owner’s manual page 329)
- 20W-50 and 15W-40
- API SL
- SM multigrade
- 10W-30 and 5W-30
- API SL “Energy-Conserving”
- SM “Energy-Conserving”
- ILSAC multigrade
- 20W-50 and 15W-40
- Manual Transmission oil
- 75W90 synthetic, API GL4 o APIGL5
- Tire size: 195 (tire width)/60 (tire height) R 15 (wheel diameter) 88 (max load) H (max speed for max load)
- Engine Oil
How to
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1hF25Cowv8&ab_channel=ChrisFix
- add how to change lightbulb from peter finn car doctor
Toyota Corolla version
- Engine 4ZZ-FE
- ZZE120(G)
- Birthday 05-10-2006
- Previous owners 3 including myself
Repairs/Maintenance log
- Bought 2006 Toyota Corolla with 272.586 km on February 19th 2022 for 2500 EUR and a fresh car check pass.
- Registered maintenance/safety checks (dd-mm-yyyy) from all owners:
- 07-08-2007 Service 15.500 km
- 25-01-2008 Service 30.000 km
- 03-04-2009 Service 60.000 km
- 19-10-2009 Service 75.000 km
- 16-03-2010 Service 90.000 km
- 12-07-2010 Service 105.000 km
- 10-01-2011 Service 120.000 km
- 09-02-2012 Service 150.000 km
- 24-03-2016 APK pass
- 11-06-2016 Service 210.000 km
- 27-02-2017 APK pass
- 10-07-2017 Service 225.000 km
- 27-03-2018 APK pass
- 25-04-2019 APK pass
- 16-04-2020 APK pass
- 12-03-2021 APK pass
- 15-02-2022 APK pass
- 29-10-2022 Service 285.000 km
- 12-04-2023 ITV pass
- 03-11-2023 Service 300.000 km
- Registered maintenance/safety checks (dd-mm-yyyy) from all owners:
My maintenance:
- October 2022: Repair crank no start by replacing entire starter motor at 284.400 km
- Failure reason: Aparent stock starter’s solenoid fail (driving 12V into the solenoid trigger-pin should have only pushed the starter gears forward but it also spinned them)
- Starter motor replacement with refurbished purchased via Autodoc, installed on 29th October 2022
- Rated power: 1,10 kW
- Construction year 05/2004
- Voltage: 12V
- Number of teeth: 9
- Rotation Direction: Clockwise
- Number of thread borees: 1
- Length 1: 74 mm
- Length 2: 15 mm
- Manufacturer part number: S0884S
- Manufacturer AS-PL
- EAN Number: 5902129143031
- Price: 79.63 EUR ordered on October 21st 2022
- October 2022: Scheduled 15k km engine oil and filter change at 284.434 km on 29th October 2022
- Castrol 5W30 Edge Titanium C3 Q3
- Oil price 67.95 for 5L can from Feuvert
- Oil and filter change labor + Bosch Filter (P7221, F026407221) + free basic car check 59.0 EUR from Feuvert
- Castrol 5W30 Edge Titanium C3 Q3
- October 2022: Preventive refill and bleeding cooling system after unmounting some noses during starter replacement (which was not necessary)
- Bleed cooling system air method:
- Install new hardware
- Attach no-spill coolant funnel
- Fill to half-full
- Make sure HVAC/Heat/Fan is OFF
- Start car
- Add coolant as needed
- Watch for bubbles
- Use a steering wheel lock, stick, 2x4, something long or heavy and use it to depress the accelerator pedal and give the engine some load other than idle (2000rpm - 3000rpm is what I go for)
- Add coolant as needed
- Watch for bubbles
- Wait for fan to turn on
- Be paranoid and watch for more bubbles
- Done!
- However: I didn’t bleed enough air, so after a few days the coolant reservoir was at the minimum and had to refill. During those days I observed some possible coolant leaks apparently from the water pump, but after the air bleeding seemed to settledown I did not observe any more leaks. Could it also be because the weather was getting cooler?
- Bleed cooling system air method:
- November 2022: Preventive serpentine Belt replacement at 285.077 km
- Gates V-ribbed belt “RoadMax Value Line” purchased via Autodoc, installed on November 17h 2022
- Length: 1693 mm
- Ribs: 6
- Construction year: 2003
- Material: EPDM (ethylene propylene diene Monomer (M-class) rubber), Polyester
- Driven units: Alternator
- Vehicle Equipment: For vehicles with air conditioning
- Vehicle type: Corolla, RunX
- Width: 21.4 mm
- Heating/Cooling: for vehicles with retrofitted air conditioning
- Suitibale for vehicle: Passenger car
- Manufacturer part number: 6PK1693
- EAN number: 5414465353512
- Price: 13.02 EUR purchased on November 10th 2022
- Gates V-ribbed belt “RoadMax Value Line” purchased via Autodoc, installed on November 17h 2022
- December 2022: Repair Fused headlight bulb at 285.999 km. Replaced both headlight bulbs with OSRAM’s bought via Amazon installed on December 16th 2022
- ULTRA LIFE, H7, Duo Box
- Product number: 64150CBI
- Manufacturer reference: 64210ULT-HCB
- Volts: 12 v
- Power: 55 watts
- Price: 10.96 EUR purchased on December 8th 2022
- ULTRA LIFE, H7, Duo Box
- April 2023: Mod Added Bluetooth Receiver for the Speakers by soddering an aux cable into the CD audio output signal.
- 14.98 EUR Famkit Bluetooth Receiver
- 50 cents? Aux cable
- July 2023: Repair Flat Tire / Preventive replaced remaining tires at 295.521 km. 2 Feuvert 2 Continental 195/60 R15 88 H
- Materials: 327.00 EUR
- Total Price: 451.53 EUR
- November 2023: Scheduled Maintenance at 300.000 km 17 years old
- Oil change: 5W30 - 96.80 EUR
- Break fluid change: DOT 4 - 35.70 EUR
- Transmission fluid change 75W80 - 48.40 EUR
- November 2023: Repair at 300.000 km replaced front windshield wiper blades
- 12.24 BOSCH Twin 531
- To do 1: mandatory check before 12-04-2024 (i.e 25/03)
- To do 2: Check clutch repair… (or hydraluics to fit gears in)
- To do 3: Check rust repair