How do you know if the motor is blown? My car has smoke coming from the exhaust pipe and oil stuff. Is that repairable or should I just get a new car?
Depends on what color the smoke is? Black color could be a fuel air mixture, while blue is indicating that the rings are bad.
Take it to your mechanic and have it evaluated. Old Toyota Corolla cars are pretty reliable, what is the condition of the exterior and interior of your car? Condition is everything on an old car.
Oil stuff - what exactly do you mean by that? I suspect your engine is very worn. It certainly is repairable but the cost depends on what is wrong with your car. The more information you give us, the better advice you will get.
Well I have to constantly put oil in it and the oil light goes of and when I hit a curve it blinks on and cuts off. I tried to cut it on and it doesn't hold power long and it sounds like starting a lawn mower and the more I press on the gas the more smoke come from it and the stuff coming from the exhaust pipe is black. I really am lost.
I think your engine is shot. You could fix or replace it or buy another car, it is up to you.
How much oil-consumption are you talking about? Yes, your car is almost 18 years old. Look at it this way, even if you were to rebuild the engine and transmission, it would be less than buying a new car, paying the sales tax, which is not insignificant, financing, etc. All depends on the overall condition of your cars body, etc. And, do you really need a new car? I would get a professional opinion.
Mileage? I would say that from what I have seen here, your description and the answers your car needs a respectful funeral. An '89 Corolla can get 300,000 miles with proper maintenance but there is a limit, not all will go that far. "Oil stuff" is vague, and it will never pass inspection in any State. The black smoke is unburnt fuel.
Sorry, but are we talking about a 1998 car? And, just curious, how many miles are actually on the car right now? Wouldn't an engine rebuild solve this problem anyway? I imagine it depends upon how much you like this particular car and your budget. Funeral?, for your car? Why? To quote Mark Twain, "The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated" Your car is 17 years old, not 26 years old. Is that necessary or do you want to do that?
By the way, yesterday here in town, I saw a 1931 Model A. I would say that your 1998 Toyota Corolla is a young whipper snapper compared to this car! See attached picture. The proud owner of this car told me he had taken it to many shows and it certainly looks like a brand new car, wow! So, as I said before, condition is everything on a used car.
Oh, c'mon Mark. Just a figure of speech. I asked mileage but the OP has not given us any feedback, on that or general condition of the car - not even oil consumption. KBB put's it at $1372 in 'Good Condition' and a rebuilt engine, installed will cost more that that. Comparing that Corolla to a Model A is apples and oranges
FordNut- yeah, I know, but, couldn't resist. You've got to admit the 1931 Model A convertible is cool! You should have seen the car in person. Regarding her car, maybe she just wants an inexpensive transportation car?. I know that you think Toyotas are very reliable and cheap to repair?
Reliable, yes, but not cheap to repair. Matter of fact expensive
My car has around 190,500 miles on it and the body is a lil banged up but I brought it like that. The smoke coming from the back is not black it's white and it was my first car and I have taken very good care of it ! I paid $1400 for it and she had a few bumps and rough patches but I took care of it asap I just need to know what I'm dealing with before I sink a lot of money into something that's not the whole problem.
White smoke, especially if it has a blue-ish tint is oil. Usually not coolant, bot possibly. If it consumes coolant then maybe. But more likely worn out piston rings, the oil is getting in the combustion chamber past them. You can also tell by the odor od the smoke. You will easily be able to determine the difference between oil and water/coolant
It's mainly a burnt smell
FordNut- Toyota Corolla cars are expensive to repair? That surprises me, compared to what? I mean, there are no more cheap wheels like old VW Beetles from the 60s. I get that, but compared to a Lexus, BMW, or Mercedes Benz, aren't they relatively inexpensive? Even Subaru cars are moderately expensive to repair. You can't expect to drive a private car without anticipated expenses. Even the initially highly rated Tesla, which proved to be a troubled car, is probably expensive to repair because of its technology. You probably would agree that "service is the name of the game ", and Toyotas are pretty reliable cars. So, even if you have to make repairs now and then, it's better than most.
Ayo- if you want to get updated safety features and enhanced fuel- efficiency, then, it's probably a good idea to convert your resources into a new or late model car. A 1998 car is almost 20 years old. If you're able to get into a new car, you're probably going to be better off, it all depends on whether you have the tempermant for dealing with an old car, not everyone does. And, FordNut is right , 190,000 miles is a lot. Plus, if your car is a little banged up, it's hard to feel good about that. Yes, I would get another car.
I suppose it's how you define 'expensive' Mark. Sure, less than a Mercedes or Lexus, they assume if you can afford a Mercedes then you can afford obscene repair costs. It's all , like you say, compared to what.
I went to a "Bug" contest/show years ago and the winner to get an engine out of a VW bug (Battery already disconnected) had it out and on the ground in 17 minutes. The winner to get an engine out, then 3 feet away from car, re-install and drive away was 44 minutes
Now, just out of curiosity, I Googled "VW Beetle Engine change Guiness world record" and it's under 2 minutes, but 4 guys working together ... not to mention I think it was 'rigged' the video is really hokey
Thank yall and its losing oil fast . I have to put a quart a day
