Hello guys,
I have a 1999 Corolla LE with a 138k miles,
It has three smaller problems, I purchased it from a used car dealer, and he straight up lied.
1: the interior driver's door handle will not work, got a replacement, and attached to the metal arm inside the door, will still not open. Wondering how difficult it would be to fix.
2: The left turn signal will not work, unless you put the control arm into a certain position, not sure if it takes a fuse, or control arm service to fix.
3: My corolla goes over speed bumps just fine, but even the smallest dip on the road, will send the underside of the car to hit the pavement, to the point you can feel it happening.
4: a few drops of oil have appeared, should I be scared? and what should I be replacing in my engine
I understand you cannot help all my problems, But any help appreciated, as I am a broke community college student.
Thanks in advance, Love the mileage and the reliability of my 99' Corolla.
#2 May only need to have a screw tightened. You probably want to buy some plastic stereo-installer tools to gently pry open any plastic parts not held in place with screws. I'm hoping that the left-turn signal was used heavily and is out of adjustment. I replaced mine in my car, so I could use factory-style fog lamps.
#3 Might be good to start replacing shocks 2 at a time, front or rear. Hopefully previous owner did not lower the car intentionally and do something stupid like cut springs.
#4 May just be due to oil drain plug or oil filter being tightened too much. You can use a gasket with oil drain plug and/or oil filter as needed. First try to see where oil is coming from.
#1 - May need to use stereo-install tools to remove panel, so you can get a good look at the moving parts.
#1 I had this same exact issue in my 1998 Corolla a week ago. I removed door panel, verified door handle rod was attached to door latch mechanism - it was, just had some play in the mechanism due to wear. My Corolla has 328,800 miles and counting. I simply took a pair of pliers and bent the door handle rod slightly to shorten it, then hooked it back up to the interior door handle and voila! All good to go now!
