1997 Carina E Leanburn needs a service

[madder]

It's been a long time since I serviced my own car but times are very tight!!!! The last car I serviced was my old 1988 starlet!!! That was about 10 - 12 years ago! It was a very simple matter of changing the air filter, spark plugs, oil filter and oil. Check the tyre pressure and tyres gauge etc, and away you go.

I have never tried to service my Carina.

Like I said it's a 1997 Carina E leanburn Saloon.

Can anyone give me a run down in fairly modest terms of what needs to be done?

 

[Burnerman]

Indeed, not much has changed since then.....
get your bits (and oil) from a motor factors - there are loads around.
Go for the usual service filters, oil, air and fuel, followed by a set of NGK spark plugs...that'll do to start with. Dont forget obvious things like brake fluid and PAS fluid levels, and screen wash.
After you get your confidence back, consider changing the coolant as it doesn't last forever.
Check the front discs and pads for wear...they are very easy to change, and cheap too. see if the driveshaft rubber boots are intact when you're down there. If there are no oil leaks around the gearbox, the level is likely to be correct.
The back probably has drum brakes, so pop them off and see what the shoe wear is like - check out the wheel cylinders for leaks too.
Check out the alternator belt condition, and consider a timing belt change if its due.
Treat (?) yourself to a Haynes manual, and check whats to be done.
Toyotas are good to work on!
John

 

[Stivino]

As it's a Toyota the recommended plugs will be Denso but, NGK will do the job fine. I'm sure that engine requires platinum plugs. Usually there's a sticker under the bonnet remind you to use them. If it's a 1,600 there will be a sticker on the rocker cover saying 4A-FE. The 1,800 will say 7A-FE but I'm sure they both take the same spark plugs which, by the way cost in the region of £10 each. Having said that, they're supposed to last for 100,000 miles. I've seen lots of them fitted with non platinum plugs and they were doing fine on them. I think Champion do the EON plug for that car at a lot less than £10 too.

 

[madder]

Thanks guys for the replies so far!

It's been so long since I servised my own car that when I popped the bonnet, I couldn't see where the plugs even are!! And that's the truth!

I must get a Haynes manual as that should help?

I seem to remember, plugs, air filters, oil filter and oil being easy enough to do. I'd imagine the fluids are easy enough to replace too. The timing belt was done about 20,000 miles ago, but I am getting a screech for the first few metres in the colder mornings? Suggestions?

The car has well over 200k on it and still starts on the first key turn. I can't bare to part with it!!!!

 

[Burnerman]

The early morning screech is likely to be the alternator belt tension.....its a little slack.
The spark plugs will still be there, but often they are under plastic covers and such like, and often they are deeply recessed into the cylinder head casting....some vehicles have a coil pack that exposes all 4 plugs at once. Gone are the days when you had rotating distributors and external HT coils...nowadays the coil is incorporated on top of the plug, in its own cap. You wont do any harm removing covers and shrouds, just be careful when you remove the cap from the plug tops.
John

 

[madder]

I'd say I've only done 25k since the last service, but it was over a year ago, but perhaps the plugs are ok, but I know the oil wasn't done then, so that could certainly use changing. The filters probably too. I think the PS fluid needs a refill, as it's stiff some mornings for the first few seconds. Level must be low.
Whats the basic time frame/mileage for the plugs?

 

[Burnerman]

25k I hope that was actually 2.5k since the last service.....!
Personally I'd do everything on the car at this mileage, and then drop the oil every 6k after that.
Spark plug life is much longer than it used to be, with over 20k miles being reasonably common. However, if they've been undisturbed for a long time, sometimes they can be very tight to remove.
John

 

[Stivino]

Whats the basic time frame/mileage for the plugs?

See my earlier post for info on your plugs. Your car doesn't have four separate coil packs but, the plugs are recessed.