Toyota Corolla Radiator R&R and critical details people forget

Remember, you can't just pour the coolant in and expect to be good to go. You also need to bleed the air out of the system. I didn't show that in this video, but I promise it's the same as when I recently got in and out of my Nissan Frontier's coolant system. I show the technique of bleeding the air bubbles out of the coolant during my changing of the belts. I had needed to change the belts for a while, but when I spotted a light coolant leak out of the thermostat housing, that's when I finally got around to taking care of it all at once!

Link to belts and coolant bleeding

I'll also show what transmission fluids belong in these cars. Be sure to watch until the end to catch it! While I was at it, I also changed the valve cover gasket. I really didn't show much on how to do it, but it's an incredibly easy job, on this car, you only need the gasket, with no sealant, and you should tighten it on to about 20 ft/lbs. Forgive me for not looking that up, but most valve cover gaskets are like 22 ft/lbs. Be sure to follow a nice x pattern starting from the center and working your way out. If you need to see the diagram for the bolts, these often come with the gasket, and if they don't, it's often available as a printout from your local store who sales you the gasket. I'm sure I'll show it on my Chevy Prizm in the future.

From 1998-2002 it was the 8th generation of Toyota Corolla's, and this video will also work for Chevy Prizm owners as these are the only years they were "Chevy's" instead before the Chevy side was discontinued. Prior to this it was the Geo Prizm. My brother has one. Great car. It's one of the reasons I bought a little newer one.

I allude to a few other jobs in this video. I didn't record a transmission fluid change, I just implied it, but you do need to add transmission fluid when you change a radiator, unless of course the transmission was a bit over full. I dropped the transmission pan, changed the filter, without recording, but these other jobs, I recorded and I'll leave the link to them below.

Spark plug balance theory:

Which, I actually called, "BalancingSpark with Spark Plug Gap and an extra secret! Shhh!"

VVT-i Explained (awesome video link)

The transmission fluid, which you should add to these vehicles is Dexron IV or Dexron VI. I've studied some about the differences, and I think that if they had Dextron VI back in the day, they would have never used Dexron IV. Dextron VI seems superior and is backwards compatible. It's deservedly a bit more expensive.

By AutoBravado

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Car Miles Per Gallon

I can't make this claim for every car miles per gallon (MPG), but my Saab 900 SE, for sale, has gone from 23 mpg to 33.5 mpg in the city just by upgrading to Iridium Spark Plugs. My other car's miles per gallon barely increased for adding in Iridium plugs, but it more consistently gets 44 on the freeway instead of 42, but the real difference for that car is that it has a lot more power.
Email me with interest in the Saab: autobravado.com@gmail.com


I have a few theories for why the above differences exist for the miles per gallon:

You see, the Chevy Prizm, referred to as other above, has already been modified so extensively for getting better mpg, that it is more difficult to get more out of it. I'm sad to say, that as these cars have been competing for which vehicle is faster, since the iridium spark plugs the Saab 900 SE with V6 turbo, is now the front runner. For a long time the Saab could out corner and out drive they Chevy Prizm when it was loaded with stuff because of better torque, but I'm quite excited for this car's miles per gallon boost, and hopefully I can get even more out of the Saab. Ah, one more factor, which boosted this cars miles per gallon: I got it a badly needed new battery! It runs so much better!


Common trouble for your car's miles per gallon:

I know, I know, you probably hear this all the time: don't drive drowsy, but in my recent cross state trip, the only time they Chevy Prizm did poorly - 32 mpg - is when we switched off drivers, yet the new driver who was just sleeping, was no longer awake enough. On the same road, going in the other direction in a hilly area that stayed about the same elevation, and after a night's sleep, I got 46 mpg! You see! Something else I discovered is that going 55 and popping it out of over drive increased the car's miles per gallon from the 44 to the 46 mpg. I'd still rather drive 75 when it's legal, but it was a long construction zone, and curiosity paid off. There's the all the evidence I need. It's not just about being responsible and safe, driving drowsy is expensive!

Related article:
Truck Miles Per Gallon
The article above is a come back to my original and wider ranged advice on the Truck or Car's Miles per Gallon. (Still totally applicable to any gas powered engine, especially if you're serious enough about your car miles per gallon to make some changes and do some upgrading.)

by AutoBravado