by apollo » Tue Jan 21, 2014 4:23 pm
2005 Corolla Belta sedan 1300cc, 2SZ-FE, VVTi and CVT.
We just bought this car at 90,000km. It's imported, so no service history and to ensure the fluids are correct we're getting the transmission flushed and filled with "CVT Fluid Type TC", and the engine filled with 10/30.
We're not flash harrys anymore (I'm 64 and she's 72) and are obviously not looking for performance nor a status symbol. We wanted this model for fuel economy and assume that variable this-and-thats contribute to it, and that as long as we don't tow heavy vehicles and keep all the fluids clean the little oilways will not clog up and it might work as it should. Right?
The transmission controls are D, S and B (bottom) and I have some concerns about the engine pinking I hear coming at low revs. It's quite faint pinking (and I change to S or B to raise the revs) but wonder about it.
100kph in D, 2000 rpm, runs ok on the flat then with a slight load engine starts pinking.
Change to S, revs rise to 3000 rpm, and pinking's gone.
Am I right in guessing that pinking is going to be a 'feature' of this motor when it's running so slowly? It's been years since I've heard an engine pinking and then it was a more gutsy noise. This car does a slight tinkly-tinkle-tinkle with anything other than flat road, (50kph/1000rpm or 100kph/2000rpm). I'm wondered if the valve timing apparatus is operating at low revs to avoid pinking.
Or maybe the car's been running at low revs most of its life and now the carbon's built up around the plugs.
Does it sound like coke build-up? Should we ask the service people to check the plugs?
Any thoughts welcome.
Brian