battery, replacing parts & tires

**advan** · May 4th, 2010 03:07 PM

Hello!

Can I please ask for some help? It's a little hard for me to decide what action to take when I get conflicting advise and I know little about cars. Sorry for the length! 3 parts

Car: (Corolla 2000 1.3XE)

Part 1
I already had my regular tune up and I got a new Motolite Enduro battery last January. The problem with my car is that whenever it's been used then parked, when it's to be used again, there are times it won't start. It revs ala hard start but won't proceed to start. In the morning, upon first use, it doesn't have any problem starting, totally no problem. However, let's say I use it to go somewhere, I park it for an hour or two, there are times it revs but won't start that someone has to push the car to get it running. Sometimes numerous attempts of revving would start it (without needing to be pushed). I get so worried I might flood the engine with gas. It's happened 4-5 times last year, but I thought the new battery and tune up will fix the prob, but since January, it's happened twice already.

Last Saturday, it happened again. It's a good thing after several attempts of revving it started. I passed by Rapide and decided to have them check it since they offered free check up and the guy used a small gadget, hooked it up to the battery and got a reading of 0.6 CCA which the guy said is what's causing my problem and that I should send it back to Motolite.

I had the Motolite guy re-check it today, haven't used the car yet, he got a reading of 12 volts so he says the battery's good. So I called up the mechanic in Rapide because it's quite confusing for me how this guy's VERY sure the battery's good and that they won't replace it, while the Rapide guy (based on his CCA reading) was VERY sure as well that it's a battery problem. So it turns out they're using different quantifiers: Motolite's using volts, while Rapide used CCA (cold crank amperage?). So I insisted that Motolite should check the CCA because it was recorded occurrence by Rapide, meaning it's a real symptom and not just theoretical. I'm using their service unit now, but they want me to bring in the car to hook up my battery so they can check the CCA.

My problem is, the starting problem doesn't happen every day. It's once in a while, what if the conditions that causes it I can't replicate during the Motolite CCA testing?

Btw,the Motolite guy says it's not grounded because there's no spark when he attaches the two clamps to their respective terminals and my alternator's ok.

Now I don't know if my case is: my batteries were bad before, then this new one's just a fluke as well OR my problem isn't connected to the batteries at all? Do you think there's something else that's causing this that I should ask a mechanic to look into?

Part 2
Though I;m not yet sure if I'm having the following fixed in Rapide because of the feedback in this forum, Rapide recommended to replace:

A. Definitely having fixed (just need to know if the replacement should be original parts?):
1. axle boots - I saw the tears
2. transmission support- I saw the small cracks
3. both stabilizer links - (rear) mine was stiff, it shouldn't be daw? he said it should be freely/smoothly moving and this is what's causing the sometimes knocking sound on one side?

B. Not sure, need your advice before replacing:
4. stabilizer clamp bushings - this is at the front. he pointed to four bushings. One has some cracks. If one's to be replaced, all four has to be daw because they most likely have the same condition being installed at the same time. Is this right? Actually this confuses me a bit because he said if it's broken, there'll be sounds/noise when I turn left or right... so far there's none, so should i replace all for now as a preventive measure, or let it reach a point when there's a probelm then replace it?
5. both lower suspension arms (boomerang looking thing connected to the stabilizer bushing)- if the bushings are to be replaced, this has to be replaced in tandem daw. something about metal pressing?
6. Timing belt and water pump- my mileage is 88.913. He said I should replace the belt? We opened it and the teeth were nice and sharp, but there wasn't any brand marking on the top side (worn out or there never was any brand printed on top?) he said it's SOP to replace every 80k? And that i should replace my water pump as well?? If you advise I should replace this, should it be original parts?
7. I've been reading... Rapide didn't note this, but should i change the timing belt tensioner as advised by an article I read?

If you advise I should replace items 4-7, should it be with original parts?

Part 3:
I need to replace two of my tires. I was reading the tires thread and the amount of info overwhelms me. I was planning on going to a tire shop, show them the tires on my car and just get Goodyear tires based on that. There's a lot of kinds, models, sizes and years??? Any tips I should bear in mind to not get gypped? If you can recommend a shop in the Makati area, much appreciated!

I understand there are a lot of parts that need replacing due to the age of the car, but I don't want to be fooled into replacing what doesn't need replacing. Thank you so much for any help.

**aejhayl17** · May 4th, 2010 04:02 PM

for the part 1 and 2, as i understand, rapide did the assessment for these problems, you should get a second and third opinion from others. go to speedyfix(shaw) or speedlab(q.ave), they are more competitive, obviously, than rapide(sucker). or even sa casa.

Part 2
Though I;m not yet sure if I'm having the following fixed in Rapide because of the feedback in this forum, Rapide recommended to replace:

A. Definitely having fixed (just need to know if the replacement should be original parts?):
1. axle boots - I saw the tears
2. transmission support- I saw the small cracks
3. both stabilizer links - (rear) mine was stiff, it shouldn't be daw? he said it should be freely/smoothly moving and this is what's causing the sometimes knocking sound on one side?

B. Not sure, need your advice before replacing:
4. stabilizer clamp bushings - this is at the front. he pointed to four bushings. One has some cracks. If one's to be replaced, all four has to be daw because they most likely have the same condition being installed at the same time. Is this right? Actually this confuses me a bit because he said if it's broken, there'll be sounds/noise when I turn left or right... so far there's none, so should i replace all for now as a preventive measure, or let it reach a point when there's a probelm then replace it?
5. both lower suspension arms (boomerang looking thing connected to the stabilizer bushing)- if the bushings are to be replaced, this has to be replaced in tandem daw. something about metal pressing?
6. Timing belt and water pump- my mileage is 88.913. He said I should replace the belt? We opened it and the teeth were nice and sharp, but there wasn't any brand marking on the top side (worn out or there never was any brand printed on top?) he said it's SOP to replace every 80k? And that i should replace my water pump as well?? If you advise I should replace this, should it be original parts?
7. I've been reading... Rapide didn't note this, but should i change the timing belt tensioner as advised by an article I read?

If you advise I should replace items 4-7, should it be with original parts?

for the part A, you can use either a good replacement or original, if budget permits, go with oem(original). but im not familiar about the rear stabilizers???

for the part B, parang kulang na lang palitan na lahat. money making scheme talaga.

Part 3:
I need to replace two of my tires. I was reading the tires thread and the amount of info overwhelms me. I was planning on going to a tire shop, show them the tires on my car and just get Goodyear tires based on that. There's a lot of kinds, models, sizes and years??? Any tips I should bear in mind to not get gypped? If you can recommend a shop in the Makati area, much appreciated!

for the part 3, there are better but cheaper tires. whats tire size are seeking?

best advise from me, seek for opinions.

**advan** · May 5th, 2010 11:37 AM

Thanks for the tips, aejhayl17. The tires are 175/70/13. I might go for Enduroplus?

To others, more advise please

**a3n3as** · May 6th, 2010 12:14 AM

Rapide will always recommend changing parts that are not defective = $$$$

Have a second opinion if you feel something fishy is going on.

**speed unlimited** · May 6th, 2010 03:00 AM

If your engine is a 2E carburator type better bring it to carburator specialist it might be a dirty carbed that need to be overhauled . In kamuning theres a lot of carburator specialist and might solve your problem in hard starting that your battery is already new.

**advan** · May 6th, 2010 11:42 AM

*speed unlimited-- yup, will also have the carb checked and cleaned. Re hard start, doesnt Rapide's reading of 0.6CCA mean there's a problem with the battery despite normal voltage? I saw the gadget reading for myself coz I was standing beside the mechanic.

*a3n3as, I'm a littlle confused actually. Most of the parts they listed, in fairness, I saw the small cracks/tears with my own eyes.. I just don't know if it's wise to do preventive replacement or it's normal wear and tear and will be quite some time pa naman before it needs changing, na OA palitan this early. The timing belt's the only thing I didn't see with tear or cracks, but I've been reading that it's SOP to change every 80k so I guess they have a point....?

Rapide is actually a second opinion already. I went to a highly recommended shop for a check up and they weren't really thorough, like they didn't even look at the timing belt nor check the mileage... kinda disappointing... Like the stabilizer bushing, they didn't go under the car to look to note the cracked piece.. and they said my tires were all good when Rapide pointed out that one of my tires had a bukol on the inner side (calamansi-sized swell!) and to get new tires (they weren't selling tires). So I was a little worried the shop might have skipped others as well. That's why I had Rapide check it ... Rapide naman might have gone overboard...