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Hello,maybe you can help I have an 89 Tercel with close to $130,000 miles and since 2000 I have made 3 attempts to fix an oil leak.I lived in Arizona back then and the mechanic replaced the crank seal and valve cover gasket.I moved to Virginia in early 2001 and shortly after about 5000 miles later it started leaking again,mechanic here replaced o ring on distributor,car still leaked and he said the only other thing it could be is the rear main seal,I wasn't satisfied so I got another opinion ,this next mechanic said the crank seal wasn't seating properly and proceded to change that,so far total cost of repairs over$600 ,my car still leaked,furios I stopped payment on the check,He refused to look at it untill I payed him cash plus the penalty for returned checks,I know I handled this wrong but I was really ticked off now.He said too,that it was the rear main seal and said hwe would do the repair for an additional $387.00!I said I should get my money back because it was your responsibility to diagnose it properly,I should have taken him to small claims court but I hate to start trouble.Anyway a friend of a friend of mine came to my home and looked at it and seems positive it is the oil pan gasket which was also replaced in 2000 along with a used oil pan because a quick lube place screwed up the plug and it was easier to replaced the pan then to mess tapping in a new thread.Anyway my car unfortunately along with age has been worked on by people who didn't really know what they were doing.Now the car leaks so much I have to add a quart of oil a week.And I only drive about 200 miles a week.Everyone says these cars last a long time but frankly I am sick of messing with it ,everyone tells me a different thing is wrong.And my concern is even if it is the pan gasket and it is fixed it will still leak from another area because of its' age.Plus in addition to the leak,the car pings, it is reduced somewhat if I use 93 octane but gas is so expensive I use 89 mostly! The exhaust pipe between the muffler and the catalytic converter needs to be replaced.it will cost around $500 because the catalytic converter is not the original direct fit and places are not willing to weld the new pipe on,the car runs rough when cold and I have been told a bad Pcv valve and system will caus an oil leak,by the person at Midas when I got an estimate for the pipe! I really don't know what to do ,I know it is cheaper to repair a car than to go out and buy even a used one with low milage but it just seems i am batting 0 with this .Even when I spend I am not accomplishing anything.Added to the fact that the paint is shot as well as the seats,if the body were in decent shape that is different,i KNOW i have went on long enough just wanted to give you the details.I am at the point I don't trust anyone .the oil is coming out almost faster than I add I haven't even bothered to change the oil in 5000 miles OK I know the filter gets dirty but the dipstick is clean becaus ethe oil never gets to sit in the engine long!
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Can you tell me where exactly the oil is running out, is it on the front of the engine or the rear between the engine and transmission, if it's there then there is a good chance that the rear main engine seal is leaking, this requires removing the transmission and is a major operation. Considering the other problems with the cat converter etc. I would seriously think about trading it in on something newer, to fix just those two problems can cost you another $12-$1400 on a car that probably has a resale value of $800-$1000 going by the condition you are describing.Thanks,it is leaking on the passenger side the pan area is wet but it is splashing as the engine runs so it is hard to tell the exact spot.I agree about trading it in .I have hears the older Toyotas especially the Tercel like before 95 are not as good as the later Corollas or Camrys.Is that true? I wnt a car that will have minimal maitenance other than routine things like brakes,hoses,belts ect,What should I buy when the time comes? I know everyone keeps saying these cars will go to 200000 miles but it also has age going against it.Plus how many hundreds or thousands! Will I have to spend!
AnswerThank you for your additional information, now I am going to give you my opinion on the tercel, it is without a doubt one of the worst cars Toyota ever produced next to the Starlet, I have been with Toyota for more than 25 years so you can trust me on this.
There is a reason Toyota has stopped producing these models.
My advice is to not spend another dime on this car"get rid of it" it is a money pit, you are throwing good money after bad, I wish you had contacted me earlier I could have saved you some money, sorry, but that's the truth.
Do yourelf a big favor and buy a Corolla or Camry(they are the most reliable Toyotas out there)anything from 1996 to 1999 0r later will be ok but remember that they also need normal maintenance but they are much more trouble free and much more dependable.
