Tips for inspecting a used Celica

[Burnout]

Hey, so I've beat the search engine to death. Maybe I'm just missing with my search, but i can't find much on tips to inspecting a used Celica.

If there's already a thread out there, getting steered in the right direction would be awesome.

If there isnt one, if people want to start adding to this one, that would be a great asset to the site

Thanks

[ikaikajower]

as in what to look for in terms of problems?
might just look at common problems for the year you want

[max2002]

yeah i want to know about it too.. hihi..

[ikaikajower]

and if u dont want to do it yourself take it to your mechanic if the seller allows it

[Greener]

The first step is to be VERY skeptical of any pre-2003 GT, as they tend to use oil and it's hard to tell without owning the car for awhile....

learn from others' mistakes...

[Celicasaur]

The only bit of useful info so far in the thread ^^^

Listen out for any ticking sounds particularly on gt-s models which could indicate damaged valves in the even of the all too common mis-shift.

Once the engine has warmed up, you should feel a small burst of extra from the engine after 6200rpm (gt-s model), if not, then something is wrong with the OCV and as a newbie you might want to stray away.

Early gt-s models (<03) had issues with the flange bolts (also known as lift bolts) and if not changed for the later revised spec bolts, they can seize and cause problems with the high lift cam engagement.

The usual check of oil quality and level will indicate hwo much love the car has had, as will the condition of the clutch. If the gear shifter feels a bit ragged and 'vague' then perhaps the owner has driven it very hard and you could be on a timebomb with the engine.

Neither of the gen7 engines are particularly strong, so signs of hard use, might be worth stepping away from, unless you can afford an eventual failure.

That's about all I can think of for now. I'm sure others will chime in with useful info.

[Sty09]

it's irrelevant, dealers do a damn good job at covering things up.

[Marklar]

Not trying to highjack...were there any issues with the 00 GT-S in terms of severe oil consumption @ high mileage? I'm checking weekly just to be on the safe-side, I realize the oil level issue was more prevalent in the GT model, but I don't want some simple negligence on my part cause me to seize/blow my motor...

[Sty09]

Not trying to highjack...were there any issues with the 00 GT-S in terms of severe oil consumption @ high mileage? I'm checking weekly just to be on the safe-side, I realize the oil level issue was more prevalent in the GT model, but I don't want some simple negligence on my part cause me to seize/blow my motor...

not a common problem, but the tranny fails at high mileage

you should check your oil often anyways

[CEGONAX-MAN]

Buy a certified Celica with warranty. Don't go to those cheap used car lot's
go to a certified reputable car dealer. I went to test drive not to buy but to test drive a Celica GT that Subaru dealer was selling the car was certified very clean low miles about 33k it was an 03 the car was perfect.

[Burnout]

Sweet, this is headed in the right direction

Are there threads out there that discuss the problems with specific years of each model? Those would be handy to add to the thread.

Greener's info is interesting about pre 03 GT's. I'm looking at a lady driven, only-seen-2-winters '02 GT so any tips on what to look for regarding how it is on oil would be big time helpfull.

I've never bought a used car before. I figured that if we could get a thread going with all the info and tips for buying, and have it detailed right down so that someone who hasnt bought used before could use it, it would be a soild resource.

[2way]

only-seen-2-winters '02 GTCheck the Date of Manufacture for 02/2002 or later. If a manual, check for any grinding when shifting.

[Aznboi812]

make sure you runa carfax ont he car as well

[norazry]

LAST WEEK ive changed my exhaust system to a custom made about 2.75 size piping, removed the catalyc converter and also i did a custom made hose for the hks super power flow air filter( mushroom). n u guys know what happened? i went for a test drive.the car seems to hestitate to accelerate and does not accelerate as the same amount pressing on the pedal like usuall.As though that u r shifting from 1st gear imediately to 5th gear in manual transmission.Suspect loss of power due to the custom straight piping exhaust system i did.My celica is 2001 gt, 1zz auto 4 speed.I was aware that this model, 2001 gt has a problem which consumpt too much engine oil especially on fully syn due to defect on the piston block.after half an hour on the highway driving, there goes the "check engine" light illuminates..i suspect there's something to do with bfv hose system are not properly sealed.i pull over, look at the hose and sealed it with a tape temporarily.The ECU was ressetted by unplugged the negative terminal about 3 min.The warning light dissappear after i restarted the car n i continue driving back home.On the way home i press the pedal hard so that i can see how was the effect after fitting those air filter n exhaust.Reaching about 185 km/h the rpm was at around 6k - 6400.holding at this speed for about 3 minutes and gas pedal was on the floor all the way down suddenly something weird happened.The indicated speed on the speedomtr was decreasing rapidly from 185 to until about 90 km/h( while still maintaining full throttle) and there's some sort small explosion i heard right from the rear of my car( supposedly from the exhaust tip). i watched my rear view mirror n saw a huge white smoke came out covering whole lane.i imediately released the pedal and feel a very strong vibration from the engine n whole car body.the pedal seems to feel very sluggish and as though like the engine idling with a vibration(just like as you r releasing the clutch on the 1st gear without pressing the gas pedal)..i called my mechanic to prepare for a tow truck while i still driving the car slowly n hoping that i can reach the workshop without towing.The white smoke came out heavily all the time and i managed to reach at the place.Then i let the car idle for some time and told the mechanic what happened.The mechanic suspected the piston ring was broken or the exhaust system which is the one worsen the situation or the air intake hose( short ram).Checked the dipstick, oil was all over the place and even some oil was sticked on the air filter.On the tip of the exhaust also there's a black oil all over..i tried to start the car again and crank it several times but it failed to start again..I have a strong feeling that this has something to do with the previous thread posted " Celica GT drinking oil " .I've read the whole thread before but never noticed that anyone had experience the similar problem or situation before.And i believed that improper use of custom air intake and custom exhaust system were causing this and worsen the condition.Some more i've read that someone wrote that removing the CAT causing the mixture to be "rich".Or The exhaust and air filter are not suitable for my auto 4 speed gelica gt??? Honestly I HAVE NO IDEA...So i wrote this long seeking help, and any advice, idea or suggestion on what was happening.What is the core cause? why does this happened, Is there anything that i doesnt realize.Any GURU' S out there that can give any precious advice? or anyone out there that has experienced the same thing..I love my celica very much n trade in the car is not my any options.Im thinking of swapping the engine to vvtli 6 speed which is very costly in my place, but i have to know what actually happened first to prevent it in the future .Anyone? i would appreciate it so much, i just wanna learn something out of this.

[norazry]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Marklar
Not trying to highjack...were there any issues with the 00 GT-S in terms of severe oil consumption @ high mileage? I'm checking weekly just to be on the safe-side, I realize the oil level issue was more prevalent in the GT model, but I don't want some simple negligence on my part cause me to seize/blow my motor...

not a common problem, but the tranny fails at high mileage

you should check your oil often anyways


tranny fails at high mileage?? which year of gt-s, and does it applied to manual 6 speed??
thank you very much.

[Celicasaur]

The ECU was ressetted by unplugged the negative terminal about 3 min.The warning light dissappear after i restarted the car n i continue driving back home.On the way home i press the pedal hard so that i can see how was the effect after fitting those air filter n exhaust.Reaching about 185 km/h the rpm was at around 6k - 6400.holding at this speed for about 3 minutes and gas pedal was on the floor all the way down suddenly something weird happened.The indicated speed on the speedomtr was decreasing rapidly from 185 to until about 90 km/h( while still maintaining full throttle) and there's some sort small explosion i heard right from the rear of my car( supposedly from the exhaust tip). i watched my rear view mirror n saw a huge white smoke came out covering whole lane.

I'm gonna guess you didn't block off all of the air ports for your 'custom intake' and this ran the car lean. The car tried to warn you by throwing a cel, but alas you ignored it and kept driving it. Then the WORST thing you could have done was to have your foot to the floor when the engine was CLEARLY not happy, by not exceeding any more than 6400rpm...it's possible that the engine was knocking or running lean as hell under load in top gear, which is very very bad. Either way, you need a new engine sadly, best of luck with that :(

I'm sure somebody can chime in with a more sophisticated answer than mine, but I'm also certain this had nothing to do with the exhaust. In fact, running rich from the exhaust would have been your friend in this instance.

For the sake of this thread and to keep it on topic, you might want to start a new topic under Repair & Maintenance. Also, this doesn't seem like the curse of the early 1zz models.

[switchblade5984]

way to hijack norazry

[zero2toy]

If you are looking for a GT-S, check this:
Does the shifter grind durning High rev shifts = syncros are shot
Does the Lift engage smoothly at 6000 rpm, if not = lift bolts are broken or other prob
If you can have the engine compression tested, if the compression test comes back 175 on all cyliders or more, your good, if there is more than a 10 degree difference from one cylinder to any other, you gotta problem.

Thats about all i got for you right now, just test drive it in all speeds, get on it, see what its got, if it hicups or drives bad at any time, dont buy it.

[Sty09]

tranny fails at high mileage?? which year of gt-s, and does it applied to manual 6 speed??
thank you very much.

the six speed tranny is prone to grinding problems at higher mileage. I think this is because people think the gt-s is a race car and like to hit lift every other shift which puts a lot more wear and tear on the tranny and kills its lifespan. If you are looking for a GT-s, your ideal previous owner is a older woman with knowledge of car maintenance.

[Max654]

Yea my first to second wont always go in when Im in lift, tranny's getting old I suppose.