Basic maintenance
INSANITY`S GUIDE TO BASIC CAR MAINTENANCE & ROUTINE CHECKS
Having been part of this club for a long while now and having written many “How To`s”, it seems that the good old GT4 is falling into the hands of less and less experienced mechanical types…to this end I think its time to start from the beginning with basic car maintenance. Most of what I will go through here can be applied to just about any car, with only a few GT4 specific adaptations. I will try to keep it as simple as possible and explain any jargon, technical lingo as I go. Feel free to add anything to the end, or perhaps some items that you would like to see adding, but remember keep it simple, this is BASIC car maintenance, if you want to learn how to fit an FMIC (Front Mount Inter Cooler) then I`m afraid you wont find it here.
I guess that if you are reading this with any amount of interest, then you have only recently become the proud owner of one of the most fabulous cars on the road, a Toyota Celica GT4, these cars come in three main disguises, the fore farther of them all, (and probably the most rusty) the ST165, then there is the st185 which is the one everybody remembers for the pop up headlights, and of course the latest version the st205 (the one with the four headlights). No matter which version you drive there are some basic procedures to go through to keep your car on the road and running sweet, which really should be achieved before any modifications go on.
Remember that these are quite high performance cars, and getting fairly old now so require a bit more care and attention than the average every day car…look after it well and i`m sure it will return the favour with many smiles per mile.
I have babbled on enough, now down to business……………..grab a coffee/beer, settle down on a comfy chair and I shall begin…..
ROUTINE BASIC CHECKS
No matter what car you drive, be it an old Mini, or a brand new Mercedes these checks remain good practice and will help avoid the dreaded MOT failure (when the time comes) and should be performed at least once a month, but fear not, they are not hard, should only take twenty min's at best.
Will start at the front of the car and work my way backwards.
NUMBER PLATES….Not really a huge issue here…well you would have thought not but whenever this topic springs up, it always starts some wild debates. The front number plate on a GT4 legally MUST be the standard size that appears on every other car in the UK be it an import or not - FACT. The MOT states that the number plate on an Imported car “Can” be smaller than the standard, ONLY if the standard plate does not fit in the space provided for the number plate. As a standard sized plate fits on the front of a GT4, that is the one you are required by law to use. Saying that I have a three quarter size plate on my car as do many others and have passed 2 MOT`s with it on no problems. So take your chances and fit whatever you like, but be prepared to either fail an MOT because of it, or have a nice conversation with Mr Plod….So I don’t cover this subject twice, the rear number plate is a different matter as only a smaller Import sized plate fits the rear on Imported cars that is the one you can use. UK cars have a different sized number plate frame so must use a standard sized rear number plate. Wasn’t that boring…now onto another equally fun topic……
HEADLIGHTS/SIDE LIGHTS….You will probably never have any issues with ST205 headlights, they have very little adjustment so unless you have had a knock, will probably be set to the correct angles. Just give them a periodic check to make sure they have no cracks in the lenses and of course that the bulbs still work. ST185 and ST165 headlights are of course of the “pop up” variety, and therefore are prone to more problems such as getting stuck down or up, they also have more adjustment on them so may require setting from time to time. There are now several types of bulb to consider when buying replacement headlight bulbs…..the only comment I would have here is be careful when choosing bulbs that have a higher wattage/output, this can put extra strain on the electrical system and very high output bulbs can cause the wires to get hot…not a very mind calming thought. ST205 headlights are useless anyway so i`d stick with the standard (cheap) bulbs..these expensive white light bulbs make very little difference what so ever and In my opinion are not worth twice the price. May be a different story with an ST165/85 but I have never driven one at night so can not comment.
INDICATORS…..Again, very little to go wrong here, check the bulbs from time to time and check for cracks in the lense, although this is not an MOT failure, it just looks untidy and can lead to premature failure of the bulbs due to water ingress. If an indicator bulb does decide to take a break, then your indicators will flash quicker, it is just a case then of finding the blown bulb and replacing it…..simple. Two possible causes of indicator problems…..firstly is the wires becoming disconnected behind the hazard warning switch, this will prevent the indicators from working at all, sometime caused by people changing the stereo and forgetting to reconnect etc. Secondly is a problem with the indicator relay, which is located ??????????
Right, now its time to move onto the slightly more serious stuff….and the front wheels, there are lots of checks to be done here…I will go through them one by one and explain as much as I can.
WHEELS/TYRES….I think it is best to start by going around all four wheels and quickly checking that the car is level side to side, that the wheels/tyres are in good condition, & checking the tyre pressures, this is very important as running over/under inflated tyres will cause uneven wear to your no doubt expensive tyres. Just as a bit of a side track here…if you find that the front tyres are worn and are in need of replacement, but the back tyres are Ok and well within their wear indicators, You DO NOT have to replace all four tyres, it would be good in an ideal world to do so, but it is not necessary at all, don’t be fooled into buying 4 brand new tyres when you don’t have to, these cars are expensive enough without buying things we don’t have to. Standard tyre pressure for a GT4 is 32/34psi you can run slightly more, or slightly less without too many adverse effects, its really down to personal choice and the conditions you drive in. There are several good makes to choose from, Two of the most popular makes here with GT4 owners are Goodyear and Toyo, both of which provide excellent grip in the wet and dry, both of which have there followers which will swear blind one is better than the other, again personal choice but you wont go far wrong with those makes. Yokohama and Kumho tyres are also good brands and worth considering.
Next up, start by jacking the car up a little so that one of the front wheels is just off the ground.
DRIVESHAFT/SUSPENSION COMPONENT & STEERING CONTROL CHECKS The checks here are the same for both sides of the car…I will say this only once….but needs to be applied to both the drivers and passenger sides of the front wheels. Hold the wheel at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions and try to waggle the wheels back and forth…movement here could indicate one of two things…either worn track rod end, or worn wheel bearings…..to find out which, hold the wheel at the 6 and 12 o'clock positions and try to waggle the wheel again….if you had movement before at the 3 & 9 o'clock positions, but not here, then it’s a fare indication that you have a worn track rod end…..if there IS movement at the 6 & 12 o'clock position then it would indicate worn wheel bearings….although be careful you don’t have both. Another check you can do which is specific to the st205….is to check for fig8 movement…usually indicated by a clunk coming from the front when you go over bumps. Remove the front wheel from the offending side, then grab hold of the brake caliper and try to move it in the direction of rotation of the wheel…movement here indicates worn fig 8 or/& lower arm. Whilst the wheels off, give the anti roll bar a shake and check for movement. Also get a friend to waggle the steering wheel left/right and listen/feel for knocking from the steering rack which is attached to the subframe on an st205…not to sure about the other two (st185/65). Give a quick check to the brake pipe flexi`s…make sure there are no signs of leaks or cracks on the rubber. A quick visual check of the solid brake pipes is also worth while. Also whilst your there check the shocks for signs of leaks from near the top. Put the wheel back on and drop the car back down……now try to roll the wheel back and forth….if the wheel moves within the wheel arch, then the lower arm #2 (banana arm) is at fault…most likely either worn bushes at the hub end, or the chassis end crush tube has become loose.
You can do similar checks to the rear wheels, but obviously there are no steering components there.
When the wheels are back on, force down on the car above the wheels and then let the pressure off (don’t press down on the alloy bonnet of the faffs) the car should go up once…if the car bounces up and down then the shocks are worn.
DISC'S & PADS…I have covered how to replace these in a previous “How To” but I`ll go over the basic checks you should perform. Start with a visual check of the disc's, look for any sign of “blueing” which indicates that the disc's are overheating, possibly caused by a good thrash down country lanes, but more likely to be a sign that the brakes are binding. This is caused by either the brake pads getting stuck on their runners and jamming against the disc's, although not likely, or, the brake cylinders getting stuck, probably from corrosion or contamination around the seals. Refurbishment kits are available which will contain new seals, new external rubbers & clips, covers for the bleed nipples and a suitable grease to aid assembly. IIRC new brake cylinders are around £13 each plus VAT from the dealers.
Note – A common problem when putting the brakes back together on ST205`s only is putting the spring clips back on the caliper upside down. A dead give away is when you apply the brakes, you get a god awful “CLUNK” from the brakes.
The next check you need to do is for a lip on the inside or outside edge of the disc, a slight one is nothing to worry about but a large lip indicates that the brake disc's are very worn..it wont really effect your braking, but you should consider replacing your disc's quite soon, there are many types available, I like EBC turbo disc's the best, but TRD disc's are pretty good too/ But do not overlook the standard disc's, they are very good and very effective.
Note – there is an astonishing similarity between TRD disc's and standard Toyota disc's…it wouldn’t surprise me if the TRD disc's were just standard disc's with 4 grooves cut in them, worth the extra cost???? Hmmm, debatable.
Also check the disc's for surface cracks and edge cracks, if you find any then replace the disc's immediately as this is dangerous and will effect your braking performance. Look at the surface of the disc and check for grooves. Minor grooves are not really a huge problem, but deeper grooves indicate problems with pad wear.
Pads. Again just a visual check needed..simply make sure that they are not too worn down, I.E thin. Also if you want to be more thorough, then check the surface of the pads for contamination from oil etc and for uneven wear. On multi piston brake calipers, if the brake pad is worn at an angle, it indicates that one of the caliper pistons is stuck and will require attention.
The brakes in there basic components…….
BRAKE FLUID…Simple one here…just check the level of the brake fluid within the reservoir, make sure that the level is somewhere between the minimum and maximum level indicators and that it is a clear clean liquid. Replace if required.
Note – DOT 5.1, DOT 4 & DOT 3 brake fluid is all compatible with each other. DOT 5 is not compatible with anything else as it is silicone based….not to be used on GT4`s.
WINDOWS - Not a lot to deal with here, just a general check of the windscreen to check for cracks and stone chips…..only an MOT fail if the crack or stone chip is within the drivers line of site….check over the rubber seals of the side windows just to make sure everything is sound.
That’s about it for external checks of the car no onto under the bonnet.
ENGINE….At first look the engine bay of a GT4 can be a little overwhelming, its full of strange things not formally found in a usual car engine bay, but fear not, its not so bad as it may seem.
GENERAL CHECK - The first check should be a general check of the condition of all the components…just look for obvious splits in pipes, signs of water leaks and more importantly, signs of oil leaks. Check the pipe that goes from the turbo to the charge cooler, make sure it has no leaks where you will loose valuable boost pressure.
VACUUM PIPES - Give all of the small diameter vacuum pipes a check over, run you hands along them feeling for splits or/and rough areas where the pipe could have perished. (just a note here…If you have the ever popular silicone vacuum pipe fitted to the car you should make these checks more regular as the silicone pipe can split very easily if nicked or caught by something sharp and will run the length of the pipe very quickly)
FUEL FILTER - A quick check around the fuel filter is always a good idea, located down under the back of the standard air filter box location, it is a small black cylinder a little smaller than a coke can…feel underneath with your hand…a quick sniff, and if you can smell petrol then further investigation is in order.
OIL LEVEL - Next check, oil level, use the dipstick located just to the left of the turbo, try to keep the oil level at around the maximum level, but remember to not overfill the oil as this can be as bad as not putting enough oil in, there is a good post by Oilman which will give you ample suggestions of which oils to use and where.
ALTERNATOR - Check out the alternator belt…make sure it is in the middle of the pulley wheels, check it out for wear and cracks on its inner surface, small one are acceptable, but larger cracks signify the end of the belts life and it should be replaced.
BATTERY - Batteries these days are pretty maintenance free and don’t require a lot of attention, but a 6 monthly check is always good, check the outside of the battery for cracks, and if you can check the level of the electrolyte in the cells, a dead cell will have very low electrolyte levels and may even be dry. If you have one available it is worth using a battery level checker and checking the individual cells level.
AIR FILTER – A very important piece of your cars equipment, the come in many forms and people will argue blind about which one is best, but regardless as to weather you have a full on race induction kit with cold air feed, or running a paper air filter in the standard air box the same rules apply, try to keep it as clean as possible and free from dirt etc. a good vacuum helps the paper air filters out, the induction kits are a little more difficult as some are oiled, some are dry..there are cloth types, paper, sponge and even a metal mesh…follow the manufacturers instructions as to how to keep them clean…a check worth doing at least once a month.
ERROR-CODE CHECKS – Worth doing once a month is checking for error codes. Instructions on how to do this are contained within one of the “How To`s”, “How to – Check for error codes and what they mean”
DIAGNOSTICS SOCKET
FUSES
RADIATOR – Radiators obviously are there to keep everything cool and are essential to the cars performance, as a rule not a lot will go wrong with them, but when it does it can be Fairly catastrophic. With the standard radiator, the easiest check is to simply look at the colour of the plastic along the top of the radiator..Origionaly they are black, but when they are near the end of their lives, the plastic will be a pale brown colour, now this doesn't mean that your radiator isn’t still capable of working, but it does mean that its days are numbered, and you should consider replacing it sooner rather than later. Again, look for leaks and check for damage. Take the radiator cap off (ONLY to be done when the car is cold) have a look at the coolant, make sure the cap is clean…a slight browning of the cap is OK s these cars are getting old, but anything more indicates some problems, usually somewhere the engine has allowed some cross contamination between the water system and either the oil system or cylinders (head gasket) The liquid should be Red in colour, again a slight browning is OK, but anything more then the fluid is old and may not be performing its duties correctly..change sooner rather than later…See the coolant section.
Note – Don’t use just water to fill up the radiator..this will cause the internals of the engine to start to corrode…not good.
Radiator discolouration / browning
That’s about it for the engine bay that doesn't require you to remove anything for access,
SPARKPLUGS – To check these you will have to remove the charge cooler from on top of the engine, once you have done this remove one of the spark plugs and check the sparky end for colour, these cars usually run too rich which helps protect the engine….the spark plugs will be black in colour. If the spark plugs are pale in colour it is an indication that the engine is running lean, an oily spark plug indicates bigger problems. Before removing the spark plugs, take a look down the hole where the spark plug lives and check for oil, oil in the spark plug void indicates that you have a leaky rocker cover gasket (a rubber one on the GT4) easily replaced (Note – if buying a rocker cover gasket there are two that will require replacing, an inner gasket which covers the middle two spark plugs, and an outer gasket which covers the outer two sparkplugs and the outer edge of the rocker cover)
TURBO – If the engine is the heart of a car the turbo is definitely the pacemaker, worth performing regular checks on this essential bit of kit, with the turbo to air filter pipe removed, hold the shaft of the turbo between two fingers and gently try to waggle it up and down, there should be only about 0.5mm of movement on the shaft, any more indicates the turbo bearings are worn. Next up is to look in the outlet side of the turbo…looking for oil here, a tiny little bit of oil is nothing to worry about, but essentially the turbo outlet should be clean, a lot of oil can indicate that the turbo oil seals are failing. (note – oil in the turbo outlet can be an indication of other problems, don’t automatically assume that the turbo is at fault) There are other more in depth checks that can be performed on the turbo, but require some in depth knowledge, and some major maintenance procedures.
CHARGECOOLER – A check to do when to car is all back together, when the car is cold, remove the top of the chargecooler, then start the engine…whilst looking into the chargecooler, blip the throttle using the link arm on the throttle body, if all is working well, the liquid in the chargecooler should be drawn down a hole right below the chargecooler top up point, which goes, via a few pipes, to the chargecooler pump and to the charge cooler radiator.
When at any stage the chargecooler is off the car, have a quick look down the pipe that comes from the turbo….the inside looks like the inside of a car radiator and should be clean and silver in colour…any signs of oil and you will need to give the chargecooler internals a good clean, petrol is good for this or brake cleaner..remember to let the chargecooler vent off for a while after doing this.
That about completes the basic checks for the engine bay…there are many more checks available to do, but are not part of the regular routine maintenance required by GT4`s
Close the bonnet again (remember on st205`s that the bonnet is made from aluminium and can bend Fairly easily. Drop the bonnet from height to close it as opposed to pressing down on it to close it.)
Moving further back give the windscreen wipers a check over.
WINDSCREEN WIPERS – Dead easy check this one, just look along the line of the wiper blade…look out for nicks and splits in the rubber and for signs of perished rubber..any signs of this, or lack of efficiency then replace the blades.
COOLANT – There are many coolants available on the market today in various colours, try to stick to the same colour coolant that you car already has. The ST205 uses RED coolant (not sure about the others) You can use mix your own coolant which is cheaper and will successfully cool your car. Toyota produce the “For life” range of ready mixed coolant which is more expensive, but contains a few more additives which help protect your engine a lot better in the long term then regular coolants, it contains an oil based additive which helps protects the engines internals from corrosion etc.
PETROL – Not really a maintenance issue, but worth mentioning all the same. The major difference between import cars and UK cars is the type of petrol that the ECU`s are programmed to use. UK cars can cope with 95ron regular pump gas, Imports need the higher octane Super unleaded as that is what the ECU is programmed to utilize (Pump gas in Japan is 101ron). Regardless of which nationality your car is, it is best to use the higher octane petrol as this help prevents pre-detonation of the petrol associated with high performance turbo cars which can quickly destroy your engine under the right conditions.
CLUTCH – Not really a lot you can do with the clutch it either works or it doesn't…then only checks you can perform are on the fluid levels. The GT4`s have hydraulic clutches , the reservoir is on the bulkhead, inboard of the brake master cylinder, reservoir. Again make sure the levels are between the maximum and minimum level markers, and make sure the fluid is clean and clear,
Note – Worth bleeding the clutch system and use DOT5.1 brake fluid..I did this and that irritating squeak you get from the clutch of ST205s has gone.
Those are the basic checks that you should regularly carry out on your car. Now i`ll explain how to perform some of the basic maintenance such as changing the oil, changing spark plugs and filling the radiator etc..all basic basic stuff but worth going over……some of the slightly more complicated stuff such as changing brake pads/disc's etc is covered in the previous “How to`s”
OIL CHANGE - Best to do this on a hot engine, but watch your fingers. Start by jacking the drivers side of the car up slightly, enough to allow you access under the engine, or by using car ramps. Then undo the oil filler cap on the rocker cover, this will allow air into the engine, and allow the oil to drain quicker. Next undo the sump plug, you`ll need a good socket for this and a ratchet, as they can be very tight, have your catch tray at hand, undo the sump plug, and put the catch tray underneath, you will no doubt drop the sump plug into the oil in the catch tray…don’t go fishing for it straight away as the oil will be hot, get it later. Now remove the oil filter, you can sometime do this by hand, or you will need a filter tool, don’t be tempted to whack a screw driver through the filter…you`ll end up with oil everywhere. The filters are in different places on the various GT4`s, the ST165 and ST185 have the oil filters on the engine block next to the turbo. The ST205s have the filter on the sump, located on the drivers side of the sump on the front of the engine.
Oil Filter location st205
You should leave the engine for at least half an hour to ensure that nearly all of the oil can be drained away. Now fit the new oil filter…with the oil filter (from the dealers) there will be a sump plug washer. When fitting the oil filter, it is good practice to rub a bit of oil onto the rubber seal of the filter, this helps create a better seal. Tighten the filter up by hand..this is enough, you don’t need a filter tool to tighten it back up. Refit the sump plug with the new washer and tighten into the sump. Once you are all oil tight, you can start filling with oil..I find it best to use a funnel, this helps to stop oil from getting all over the place..especially if you have an after market strut bar fitted. 3SGTE engines take 4.5 litres of oil. Again check out oilmans post to find out which is best, but you wont go far wrong with either Silkolene pro race R 10w50 or Millers fully synthetic Race oil 10w50, both are about £45 to buy but are worth the money..after all the oil is the life blood of the engine and turbo, it wont pay to skimp here.
BLEEDING THE BRAKES – covered by a previous How To (link to be added)
REPLACING THE DISTRIBUTER CAP & ROTA ARM - Dizzy cap and rota arm...more correctly known as the distributor cap and rota arm, this is the device that controls when each spark plug "sparks"...critical to efficient engine running so you shouldn't be too heavy handed when working on this. The dizzy cap is found on the right hand side of the engine (passenger side) near the back, just below and behind the charge cooler (the big radiator thing on top of your engine). it has 5 wires coming out of it which are removable. the position/location of the wires is crucial and can not be changed. The best way to change the dizzy cap is to undo the two bolt headed screws which holds the dizzy cap onto the distributer/engine without removing any of the leads. The two bolt you can use either a Phillip's screw driver, a flat screw driver or an 6mm socket. Be very careful not to round the screw head off, they can be pretty tight and awkward to get to. once you have undone the screws (save them somewhere safe) gently pull the dizzy cap off and let it hang down..again, do not remove any of the wires. what you will see now is the rota arm, a red disc thing with a small bit of metal on it, this is held on by 2 screws again be careful removing them. Take off the rota arm, the new one will only fit one way so is it isn't fitting on, don't force it, simply twist it around until it locates. Refit the screws...don't drop them and tighten them, Now refit the new dizzy cap and screw it down, again, dont drop the screws, they`ll be a pain to recover. what you have to do now is get the old dizzy cap with the leads still attached and hold it in the same position as the new one next t it...now one at a time, remove a lead and put it on the new dizzy cap in exactly the same place as the old one....get it wrong and the car will either run very badly, or not at all.....leave the centre `king lead` until last. once they are all connected, make sure they are all fitted tight down and clipped into place. Jobs done. double check that the screws which hold the dizzy cap down are tight....don't over tighten them as you dont want to strip the threads.
COOLANT CHANGE - If your car has the plastic under trays fitted you will have to undo the bolts near the front of the drivers side one so that you can bend it out of the way to get access to the bottom of the radiator. ONLY do this job for your own safety on a cold car. on the back of the radiator near the middle on an ST185, or near the drivers side on an ST205, there is a little, usually white plug with what looks like a butterfly wing on it, get a handy bowl (it will need to be able to hold 4.5 litres) and put it under the plug.....remove the plug slowley...this will drain the radiator...once you are out of the way, remove the radiator cap...this will allow the fluid to drain quicker, but make sure the water doesn't overshoot the bowl. Once this is empty (leave it for ten mins) replace the radiator plug, refit the plastic undertray, and start to fill up the radiator...the 3sgte engine takes 4.5L of coolant, but just keep topping it up until the radiator starts to overflow. replace the radiator cap, take the car for a short run........then let it cool again, take the cap off and double check the level of the coolant....jobs done.
Note - You might need to jack the car up to get access to the undertrays, remember to get some axle stands to support the car.....be very careful, and again if you are'nt 100% sure on your ability then get someone to help you, if your car slips off the jack it could spell disaster.
CHANGING THE THERMOSTAT – Covered by a previous “How To” (Link to be added)
INSIDE THE CAR..Not a lot to say here really. Just overall condition to check up on and s quick look at the dash lights.
That about concludes the basic checks to perform, there are no doubt a couple that I have forgotten but I`m sure someone will gladly point that out.
My Usual bit of advice - REMEMBER THAT WORKING ON CARS IS DANGEROUS, TRY NOT TO DO IT ALONE, OR AT THE VERY LEAST, LET SOMEONE KNOW THAT YOU ARE WORKING ON YOUR CAR SO THEY CAN CHECK ON YOU FROM TIME TO TIME. DO NOT LEAVE A CAR SUPPORTED BY JUST A HYDRAULIC JACK…ALWAYS USE AXEL STANDS. IF WORKING ON THE FUEL LINES/SYSTEM HAVE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER HANDY IT MIGHT JUST SAVE YOUR CAR. MOST OF ALL BE SAFE
