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RE: Ask the Car Guy @socky March 30
Hey car guy! Just who I was looking for! I have a 2005 Toyota Corolla, a manual by the way, have had it for 9 years and it's been through alot (like a few fender benders here and there). I've had it checked out by 2 or 3 mechanics, just haven't had the money to fix the things that need fixing.
So the symptoms include:
- car pulls to the right while driving straight
- sluggish acceleration; it'll sound like I'm revving the engine even though my foot's been off the clutch for quite a few seconds (while in first 3 gears, but especially when I'm accelerating from a complete stop)
- front shocks / strut make clicking noise when driving
- takes a long time to stop, even if my brake pads have been changed; have to triple the stopping distance so I don't hit stopped cars ahead of me, can't stop suddenly (it makes the car feel like it's going to spin out)
Thanks!
:)
I think you may have a basket case on you hands. The typical life of a car is no more than 15 years. I know this because I did a technical analysis on batteries... What do cars and batteries have in common? Not much unless they are electric cars. Electric cars are the largest consumers of batteries in the world and the number of electric cars being build are increasing rapidly. What I discovered in my evaluation of the growth of the battery industry is that there needs to be enough cars produced to replace every car 15 years ago. Many cars don't make it to 15 years.
My biggest concern is your braking. This should be your #1 priority. You said that brake pads were changed but still have braking issues. The brake shop should have been able to diagnose this, but perhaps the mechanic wasn't paying attention to the customer. There is a very good chance that your brake problem is either the brake booster or the brake booster check valve. Go ahead and replace the check valve. It is pretty easy for a novice to do and cheap. You will find the parts at most any auto parts retailer. Sometimes the check valve is in the elbow fitting that plugs into the brake booster. They can be tough to pull out. Don't worry about breaking it, you are going to replace it. When I put a new one in, I like to put a little Vaseline on the rubber gasket in the brake booster. That rubber is very old and dry. adding Vaseline on the rubber will help soften up the rubber and help seal the new barbed fitting.
https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/how-to-replace-a-vacuum-brake-booster-check-valve-by-michael-gonzales
Your brake booster needs vacuum to work. Check your vacuum lines for damage or leaks. If they are questionable, just replace them. Vacuum hoses are cheap.
The acceleration issue is a result of the clutch going bad. To access it, you will need the transmission removed. It is a major repair and costly in labor. The clutch is slipping and will get worse.
The pulling to the right and the struts are least of the concerns, but may be related to each other. There are many things that can cause a car to pull to one side. One of which is struts. The clicking noise is a very good indicator that the struts need to be replaced. That alone may fix the pull to the right. However, considering the other problems, you may not want to invest money in the car.
Thank you for your detailed response, I really really really appreciate it! Yea, I know I have quite a pickle of a situation with my car, I figured the total cost of doing everything that needs to be done on it would exceed the car's current value so it's most likely not really worth spending the money :( Which sucks, I love my car.
I'll look into the remedy you said about the brake booster check valve, so that at least until I get another vehicle I can stop safely.
That's what I was afraid of, my clutch needing replacing. But I guess 9 yrs is a good run.
Again, I appreciate you taking your time to answer me, I hope you have a great weekend :)
There are other options. You may be able to donate the car to charity. Don't think you are giving a lemon to a family in need. These charities often recycle the car and get money that way. You can typically take a $500 deduction for taxes for donating a car. The $500 you don't have to pay on taxes can go towards a newer car. The only problem is that if you donate now, you can only apply the deduction to the 2018 taxes.
Thanks for the suggestion :)