Questions about numbering, maintenance, fluids...

[lurvemytercel]

Hello Tercel'er's


I have a TOYOTA SW (Station Wagon) 4WD DELUXE
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
POWER STEERING

I bought the car new in 1988. Still driving it.

I used to have the owners manual but can't find it.

I think around 145K is when I blew the engine. It was replaced in 06/07 with a Japanese AUC engine ("guaranteed" to have less than 40K). I have very few miles on this engine.

I read the helpful faq's page but I'd like to know more about my car so I have a few questions which I hope will also be useful for others:

1. On the inside of the firewall is a plate with numbers. What do these specifically mean? Here are mine:
35731
MODEL: AL25LG-ZWHDCA
C/TR / A/TM 4G8JA462312A55F (followed by a large B)


2. How is the VIN number broken down?

3. How can I tell what kind of automatic transmission I have? (I know it's an automatic but how many speeds, etc, any special numbering?) Note: The first year I owned the car when it was still under warranty, the transmission failed and a new one was put in.

4. Where can I find other reference numbers/stickers on the car/parts that will help identify the car and help with finding correct parts? As noted on other threads of this board, I've had some challenges with this and parts companies databases bringing up incorrect info based on the year of my car. I notice, for example, when inputting info about my car into NAPA it asks if it's an A or E -- what does that mean?

5. Does my car have a 1 or 2 barrel carb?

6. What other specifics should I know that will help me to continue to maintain my car?

7. What correct and/or best type of fluids should I use in the car for:

Brakes

Power Steering

Transmission

Oil


8. What other kinds of lubricants should I keep around -- I'd read somewhere on the forum about using something specifically for the windows. Mine are getting sticky.

9. What spare parts should I keep on hand that are most likely to be needed but may not be readily stocked in parts stores. In October, I had a debacle with the fan belt breaking and ran into that same issue about parts shops databases not being able to find the correct size based on looking up my car under the year it was made -- 1988 -- kept kicking out the wrong one until we measured it and finally found one via NAPA.

10. What about tires? Is there a certain size that is better for performance and mileage and work better with the 4WD vehicles? Currently I have:

Front L&R: P175/70 R13 that use 35 PSI
Back L&R: P175/70 R12 that use 44 PSI


11. Emission standards: For those of us who live in California where emission continue to get more stringent, it gets harder to pass smog tests. Last time I barely squeaked through. This year I need to make sure the car is maxed out to run as clean as possible. I'm wondering if I should replace the catalytic converter and what else I should have done to make it run as clean as possible. I'll be dealing with this in Aug/Sep so would like to plan ahead to budget for this.

I'm gathering up all my receipts, etc., and notes about my car to make a car diary/notebook for future reference since I had such a hard time finding the correct radiator and the older the car gets, the more I'm concerned about finding parts. I'm not adept in auto mechanics -- but I do want to know as much info as I can gather to make sure I can keep my car running well and that in a situation where a mechanic may not be familiar with my car, I can have this information on hand such as the correct type of transmission fluid, etc.

And since I'm moving and will be driving the car a lot further and more often than I have been, I want to make sure it's safe and running well -- the radiator has now been replaced, hopefully the drive shaft axles will fix the turning clunkity-clunk problem, will get an oil/filter change and I'd like to drain and replace the transmission fluid (my mechanic said it looks a little dirty so want to make sure that the correct transmission fluid is put in). Will probably have the trans fluid done when I get the drive shaft axle work done.

All in all, besides the questions I've asked, any other info that is unique to these cars would be very much appreciated.

Thank you!

[dlb]

i'll answer what i can:

3) all t4 auto transmissions are 3-spds.

4) the 'a' or 'e' denotes whether is is a 3A or 3E engine. the 3A's are the ones that are in all 4wd tercels. the 3E came in some of the the next generation of tercels. it is a horizontally mounted, very different engine.

5) it's a 2-barrel carb.

7) brakes: any brand of dot 3 brake fluid.
power steering: any brand of power steering fluid.
transmission: any ATF that meets dexron III (?) standards. the manual calls for dexron II but it was replaced by dexron III long ago, and might even be something else now. i can't remember offhand but i'll take a look tomorrow if i remember.
oil: any brand of 10w30 oil.

8 ) get a can of silicone spray for sticky windows. any auto place will have it. liberally spray all window tracks and run the window up and down a few times. makes a world of difference. repeat a few times over a few days if really bad.

10) are you saying you have 12" wheels on the back? that doesn't sound right since the other tire measurements are the same as the front ones. if that's so, i would recommend getting a matching set of 4 175/70r13 tires and run them at 35 psi. you can move up to 14" wheels and use slightly smaller tires for a bit better handling but i'm personally pretty happy with the stock size.

11) this is something you will probably be better off to do yourself than have your mechanic do for you. this is because to be thorough, it can be time consuming and require a lot of care and attention to detail, and most mechanics just don't care that much—no one cares more about your car than you. all the info you need is in the FSM which is available for free on the site, and all the work can be done with basic tools. i would read the emission control section of the fsm and go over your entire system very carefully, and replace/repair whatever is messed up. your cat could need replacing but it is likely there are multiple causes, like a clogged/leaking EGR.

be sure to get the transmission filter replaced when you do your ATF. not sure how often it's supposed to be done but once a year or every other year would probably be a good idea. and be sure to check the front anti-sway sway bar bushings! they are mentioned in the FAQ and very important to check due to rust destroying the ends of the bar where it passes through the lower control arms. if they've never been replaced, i guarantee you they are ready for it. have your mechanic check while he is working on the axles. new bushings and collars are tricky to find but any toyota dealership can still get them.

[ARCHINSTL]

Info on VIN number and firewall plaque: http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/ToyVIN.shtml#TOP
Tom M.

[lurvemytercel]

Thank you so much for all the very helpful information!

Replacing the CV L & R axles completely changed the stability of the car -- no more clunkity clunk sounds when cornering -- even my friends who have ridden in my car notice the difference. Feels solid now and I'm no longer afraid to drive it more than 10 miles R/T. Took it for a nice little test drive around town and it corners like a champ -- just feels so different. I'd like to do the shocks -- are they fairly common to find for my Tercel? Anything special I should know about them?

With regard to changing the transmission fluid, my mechanic asked if it's an actual filter or a screen -- he's seen both in various cars. Also, the gasket needs to be replaced. Are these parts fairly standard and easy to find? One of the reasons I ask is when I bought the car, the automatic transmission failed during the first year so since it was still under warranty, it was replaced with a new one. I'm assuming it was replaced with an identical "stock" part that was made for these cars. I'm wondering if we'll be going through the same weird experience we went through with the radiator that we only found by using year '86 instead of my year '88 or if all auto trans and trans parts for the 4wd Tercel Deluxe Wagons are the same for each year so the same gasket and filter parts will come up when searching for either an '86 or an' 88.

Thank you again for your generous help and suggestions.

[dlb]

good to hear about the front axles.

i've only heard the trans filer called just that. you drain the ATF, unbolt and remove the oil pan, unbolt and remove the old ATF filter, replace it, replace the oil pan gasket, and bolt it back on. pretty straightforward. you can buy a kit that has the trans filter and the trans oil pan gasket. i bought this kit for my last project car and the part # i have on the receipt is

FT1071A

i had to have them search for an '86 automatic t4 because the kit they gave me for an '87 was incorrect. should be easy enough for any parts place to order.

[lurvemytercel]

Thanks for the info, dlb. What auto parts store did you find the filter/gasket kit?

[dlb]

that was at lordco, which is an auto parts store chain here in bc, canada, but the part # should be the same down there i imagine. i just googled it and found this:

http://www.autopartsnetwork.com/shop/-p ... 1071A.html