How Is Your Celica Serviced

[AndyS]

Toyauto Centre..... Ian Smith's the man if u have a GT4.

[GT4-D]

Like most of the others i do all my own work, I think its the best way if your mechanicaly minded.

Used to be a mechanic so i love working on her. (Great satisfaction when you've done it yourself) :D

At least if i do the work i know its done right, i've only got a drive to work on and its fiddley to do some jobs but id rather do it than let some bewildered 15yr old that they have in most garages swing a spanner at it.

Plus you get to know your pride and joy alot better.

[gordypix]

Can anyone tell me where the bonnet release is?????????

I always use my Main Toyota dealer for the Gen 7 - I have known them for years and they do a great job. I get nioce discounts through them too - and they sold me my Gen 5 nine years ago so to have me come back to them for another says something about how well they perform.

But yeah, prices can make me groan at times but then I am qualified to put petrol in the tank and air in the tyres and the rest I'll happily let someone else tinker with.

[GT4-D]

Can anyone tell me where the bonnet release is?????????

I always use my Main Toyota dealer for the Gen 7 - I have known them for years and they do a great job. I get nioce discounts through them too - and they sold me my Gen 5 nine years ago so to have me come back to them for another says something about how well they perform.

But yeah, prices can make me groan at times but then I am qualified to put petrol in the tank and air in the tyres and the rest I'll happily let someone else tinker with.

LOL. I know where my wallet release catch is!!

[marty32]

have always used the main dealers am a firm believer that with an expensive toy like we have it needs to be done properly, all be it you pay bit extra but you know is gets done properly

[kevg07]

have always used the main dealers am a firm believer that with an expensive toy like we have it needs to be done properly, all be it you pay bit extra but you know is gets done properly

I dont know if i can trust Mr T again, i was quoted £400 at my toyota dealers to have two bolts replaced in my roof. They used the old "well its an import so you can chuck an extra £200 on the job" line

So i ordered the parts and took it down to my local garage and had the job done for £70 and in less than two hours, no fuss!

i knew toyota would be a little more expensive than local garages but £330 more for such an easy job!!

Maybe it was a one off but from now on im definitely checking any quotes they give me!

I pity the fool that takes their cars to be repaired by Mr T!

[Steven7393]

Toyota can be ok sometimes, I guess its who you get to speak to and how you communicate with them

For instance: I lost my key to my Celica and was gutted when I realised I couldnt drive it and it was about to be clamped and towed away from a Tesco car park

I rang toyota, explained the situation and the man on the phone said I would have to bring proof of ownership to the dealer where it was bought from (18 years ago!) and they would give me a code that I could take to a locksmiths who would cut me a computer copy

I explained that I had around 1 hour to get the car started and moved, and the dealer was located around 80 miles away in kent.

He listened sympathetically, asked for my chassis number and then told me to get a pen and he would phone me back.

5 minutes later I get a call from him (his own mobile!) and he whispered the 5 digit code to me. Half hour later I was back at the car from the locksmiths with a fresh key for just a tenner and drove my car away! :D

A true gentleman!

Next example is when I phoned toyota to ask for some parts for my Gen 4 and when I was shocked to hear the price for a replacement sunroof and rear parcel shelf, the guy gave me a number of a breakers yard that had a couple in stock!

Bless em!

Just goes to show, its not who you talk to, but how you talk to them... :)

[EireCelica]

have always used the main dealers am a firm believer that with an expensive toy like we have it needs to be done properly, all be it you pay bit extra but you know is gets done properly

Totally disagree mate. 90% of what is done is very very easy, oil, oil filters, air filters, sparkplugs and brake pads are all simple stuff to do at home with only basic tools. Timing belt etc is no problem for a reputable mechanic. Going to the dealers is a waste of money. People love to believe the old "they are so sophisticated you need all the diagnostic equipment bla bla bla....". Also you don't know it got done properly, what do you think apprentices work on ? Answer.......... your car.

[Mel C]

I was just wondering the other day about how many celicas would have a FSH. Bearing in mind imports from when they were imported.

Hi, I am new to the forum. I bought my celica 2 years ago, shes an import, registration says I am the first keeper!

I just keep all the paperwork, for the Alarm to be fitted the immobiliser, stuff like that cos to be honest I havne't spent any money on her at all, she sails through her mots! shes low mileage, and in pristine condition when i got her, so i try and keep her that way, not that i have ANY plans to part with her, but if I did she will speak for herself!!

regards

Mel C

[Mel C]

have always used the main dealers am a firm believer that with an expensive toy like we have it needs to be done properly, all be it you pay bit extra but you know is gets done properly

I dont know if i can trust Mr T again, i was quoted £400 at my toyota dealers to have two bolts replaced in my roof. They used the old "well its an import so you can chuck an extra £200 on the job" line

So i ordered the parts and took it down to my local garage and had the job done for £70 and in less than two hours, no fuss!

i knew toyota would be a little more expensive than local garages but £330 more for such an easy job!!

Maybe it was a one off but from now on im definitely checking any quotes they give me!

I pity the fool that takes their cars to be repaired by Mr T!

I love the "oh its an import" sentence! even get it with insurers! and "MrT" doesn't insure imports, not even toyota ones!

I did point out that ALL toyotas are japanese (yes I know they are made all over the place) its the principle here!

I will stick with the insurer that insured mine with no registration it hadn't got one at that point! ST202 was enough, and they sent the cover note direct to the guy who imported it for me,so he could get it registered!

[Fawbs]

I just service mine myself as it came with no service history at all, i just thought why start now its already down on value just from that so just started collecting receipts of everything i replace and keep a log.

[Crazy_Al]

Because I have a faff, there are lots of things that can go wrong with it so I take it into Japex who are GT4 Specialists, for servicing and for the added peace of mind they can diagnose any problems with the car before it gets serious,

However, I do change the oil myself every 3 months, buying the oil filter and sump plug from a toyota dealer kind of adds to my services history.

If it was an n/a GT Celcia I'd probably do all the servicing myself since it's such an old car and there's no point in paying premium prices for servicing.

[Doobdonk]

Just got mine, it's done 85000 miles nearly and has full toyota service history. Have to decide whether to maintain that or not....

[Felfy]

My '56 plate Celica GT has done 19k so far and has been serviced twice by Toyota Dealerships

(10k & 17k)

Next service is due in November and is already booked into a Lexus dealership

(Bro'-in Law is a Lexus Technician - lucky me) ;)

Just got to get the dealership 'stamp' sorted

[gwilym]

I took my Gen 5 in to a Toyota Main Dealer for them to check out the air con, they told me the compressor was probably ceased and that it had illegal coolant in it so they couldn't touch it, but they were wrong on both counts.

They spent a long time ticking off a large sheet detailing condition of components completely un-connected with what I had taken it in for.

I wouldn't go near them again!

[saxsiarz]

Im new and I want to put little note here. My last car was mazda 6 diesel and I really looked after, didnt go to mazda for servicing. Had a "friend" who changed filters and oils....One day I decided to drive 120 mph and suddenly engine startet making a noise..What I founded out the "little" oil filter was blocked. He never mention to clean or check injectors etc...Had to sell my car...Got Celica ;)

My point is its worth to service with main dealer..

[corolla_dude]

Do mine at home. Job is going to be more or less the same as Toyota's or a garage.

[WAGGY GT]

I say do it yourself! i have a toyota celica 1994 Gt import and i carry out all servicing myself casue i know then im using the quality items and oils, one of my old mates worked for jaguar and he said that they used to budget all there bits and use poor quality items! and they still charge you an arm and a leg !!

cheers

[celica daddy]

Being a Toyota trained technician, I do my own servicing on my import SS1. Also I buy genuine Toyota parts, use Shell Helix oil, and link the car regisration and mileage to be printed on Invoice. I know its overkill for a 1994 jap import with 250k on it but it keeps the wifes mind at rest! Its due to someone fitting an incorrect or cheap oil filter to our paseo and it had terminal engine failure coz the big ends were getting starved of oil!!!!!

[chelseablue]

More history equals more money and so it does make perfect sense. Someone could say they have done this and that but without a service history I wont even go and look at a car! People who can afford to service a car at a maindealers can afford to repair and run the car! Cars may get cheaper but the parts dont!

I see the point you're making mate, but given the value of our cars, your figures won't add up. The money I save by doing my own servicing, which I am more than capable of doing, more than makes up for any reduced value of not having a FSH, but I do concede your point that a car with a FSH may be a bit easier to sell, but like others on this page I can tell a good looked after car with or without a FSH. Thing is, I do not trust anyone to work on my cars!!!

[Scarlett Arrow]

More history equals more money and so it does make perfect sense. Someone could say they have done this and that but without a service history I wont even go and look at a car! People who can afford to service a car at a maindealers can afford to repair and run the car! Cars may get cheaper but the parts dont!

I see the point you're making mate, but given the value of our cars, your figures won't add up. The money I save by doing my own servicing, which I am more than capable of doing, more than makes up for any reduced value of not having a FSH, but I do concede your point that a car with a FSH may be a bit easier to sell, but like others on this page I can tell a good looked after car with or without a FSH. Thing is, I do not trust anyone to work on my cars!!!

I totally agree, chelseablue.

I doubt if "Special Red" will see your reply though, he/she hasn't been on here for nearly four years!

[chelseablue]

More history equals more money and so it does make perfect sense. Someone could say they have done this and that but without a service history I wont even go and look at a car! People who can afford to service a car at a maindealers can afford to repair and run the car! Cars may get cheaper but the parts dont!

I see the point you're making mate, but given the value of our cars, your figures won't add up. The money I save by doing my own servicing, which I am more than capable of doing, more than makes up for any reduced value of not having a FSH, but I do concede your point that a car with a FSH may be a bit easier to sell, but like others on this page I can tell a good looked after car with or without a FSH. Thing is, I do not trust anyone to work on my cars!!!

I totally agree, chelseablue.

I doubt if "Special Red" will see your reply though, he/she hasn't been on here for nearly four years!

Oop's!!! Just saw that, I'm a bit slow at typing