HELP with my 1999 Corolla Seca Hatch

LChippps on 23/12/2020 - 02:27
Last edited 23/12/2020 - 09:18 by 1 other user

Hey everyone, 

Needing advice… Sorry for the long story.

Not even sure if this is the place to tell my story. 

Sold 90% of my belongings and bought the little car as I needed transport to get to appointments at the hospital and other specialists around Brisbane. 

Inspected the car, everything looked okay. Drove fine and organised the roadworthy myself so I could make sure it wasn't done dodgy. 

Didn't do a pre-purchase because the car was <$1500. 

Took it in for wheel alignment, balance etc to then be told the Front Lower Control Arms need replacing and the Dizzy O-Ring and Rocker Cover Gasket needs to be replaced. 

As you can imagine I'm devastated. I thought I did all the right things and then the mechanic said these should of been picked up during the Safety Certificate (SC company wants nothing to do with it).

As you can imagine I don't have the money to get these things fixed (can't work due to my health) and rely on the car so very much. 

I've been quoted between $1,000 - $1,500.

If anyone has got any suggestions on what I can do? Any car enthusiasts that can fix it for me if i buy the parts?

I don't usually ask for help but I really need my car.

Mod: Removed link to GoFundMe. Please do not solicit donations in forums.

• 

  whitelie on 23/12/2020 - 02:32

  +3

  $1500? Who did the wheel alignment and quoted that?
  There's probably $250-300 in parts? It won't take 10 hours labour to change those parts.

  Get another opinion (preferably from a trusted mechanic)…but the car should be fine to drive in the meantime, the oil leaks should only be minor if you didn't pick up on it.

  • 

    whitelie on 23/12/2020 - 06:49

    +13

    Also don't spam your GFM link here, this isn't the place for that ;)

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  ozwog05 on 23/12/2020 - 02:53

  +5

  Yep, it's possible the mechanic who quoted you is trying to rip you off for repairs that may not be apparent at all, or that may not immediately be required.

  Control arms are a bit difficult to inspect & test for a beginner, but regarding the rocker cover gaskets, take a look at them under the bonnet (with the engine off & keys out of the ignition) and see if there's any noticeable signs of oil leaking either around the rocker covers or down the sides of the engine (a torch may come in handy here). If there's no signs of oil leaking, or if there's minimal seeping, don't stress about having it addressed immediately. At most, check your oil dipstick once a week and monitor the level. If after a few months you notice a drop in the oil level, give it a small top-up with the correct oil for your car, and there'll be no cause for concern. This will give you an opportunity to gradually save for a service/inspection later on.

  As whitelie has suggested above, it'll pay to get a second opinion from another mechanic. If you're unfamiliar with the mechanics in your area, perhaps try a Google search and take a look at some reviews, or ask around via friends or family. Hopefully there's a few honest mechanics out there that will give you a much more realistic diagnosis & recommendation.

• 

  SBOB on 23/12/2020 - 06:22

  +6

  My psychiatrist recommended maybe starting a GoFundMe

  Well that's a new one……

  • 

    rickxs on 23/12/2020 - 08:28

    +2

    for their fee's lol

  • 

    mapax on 23/12/2020 - 08:41

    Not really, I had similar occur except mine would have been for a ute for environmental work and it was a psychologist suggesting it.
    I didn’t bother though since anyone I know that has enough money to donate isn’t interested in the environment and I’m not fond of e-begging.

• 

  Muzeeb on 23/12/2020 - 06:36

  +4

  20 year old car <$1500 is going to need work and ongoing maintenance.

  That's the way all cars work.

  Sorry to hear your story.

  All the best. Merry Christmas.

  BTW it's ozbargain not ozcharity.

• 

  themirror on 23/12/2020 - 06:56

  +1

  Rocker cover gasket is like a 30min job on that car. And unless you're hearing clunking or oil leaking on the floor just drive it, it'll be fine. Not worth repairing.

• 

  brendanm on 23/12/2020 - 07:44

  +1

  You are getting ripped off. Rocker cover gasket doesn't take 1.5 hours, dizzy o ring doesn't take an hour. Control arms are probably fine.

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  Euphemistic on 23/12/2020 - 08:56

  If the roadworthy didn’t find any problems, the control arms might not NEED doing, but maybe an alignment can’t be done - you’ll wear out your tyres quicker.

  Get a second opinion on them, or pick up some cheap 2nd hand tyres to wear out while you save for the repairs. Should be able to get a couple of wheels with tyres for a corolla for under $100.

• 

  brad1-8tsi on 23/12/2020 - 11:31

  +3

  A new pair of complete LCAs is $160 posted on ebay. Probably 45 mins per side in the workshop, 90 mins at home.

  How bad are the oil leaks? Spewing out or just misting? Did the mech show you?

  I would seek a 2nd opinion.

  Lets face it a 22 year old car for $1500 will require ongoing maintenance and repairs.

  PS: I hope you have 3rd party property insurance

• 

  Blue Cat on 23/12/2020 - 12:53

  +3

  OzBegging

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  morse on 24/12/2020 - 05:48

  CarCare used to be run via the Salvos in Brisbane, but I can’t see any recent info on it.
  https://my.salvos.org.au/news/2014/07/11/brisbane-s-carcare-…

  You could always call salvos and ask if they are still running it, or if not if they know of other options. If you’re struggling financially as a result of this you could also reach out to Salvos or another charity to see if they can help with other expenses like groceries and transport. They generally also can help you plan to get yourself into a better financial position.

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  Chippps on 25/12/2020 - 03:07

  Hey everyone,

  I havent had a chance to read all of the replies (it's been a tough week).

  I just wanted to quickly say THANK YOU to everyone for their support and advice.

  When you're feeling overwhelmed and alone it's nice to know support is there.

  Once I read through all the replies, ill keep you all updated.

  Thank you all again.

  P.s. Apologies for posting the GoFundMe, I wasn't sure if it was allowed.

  Hope everyone has an okay Christmas.

  • 

    Euphemistic on 25/12/2020 - 08:21

    When the chips are down, information such as more car repairs can seem insurmountable. It’s inportant to remember that there is a difference between ‘running’ And in perfect mechanical condition. Get a second/third opinion.

    My $1400 91 corolla got a suspension check from Pedders for around $30. I wanted to see if anything major was wrong. They quoted me about $2.5k to fix everything, but it didn’t really need it, drove fine for the next few years. There wasn’t anything wrong, just worn parts. I could have spent the money and had everything good as new, but it wasn’t a good investment.