Hello all, I have just bought a 2003 Corolla CE 5sp manual with 202 000. The car is in very good condition and drives well with new brakes and tires. I have notice that when I shift into a gear and accelerate the revs jump from 2000 to 3000 but the car doesnt accelerate at the same speed. Almost like the clutch is slipping but it seems fine when pulling away from a stop or shifting gears.
Any ideas on this? I am thinking the plugs need to be changed ASAP and time for an oil change, should a car with this mileage change over to synthetic?
Any ideas?
No check engine light
Welcome to the Corolla Forum! :thumbup::thumbup1::clap::balloon:
arty:
How many miles have you owned the car for?
By your description, it sure sounds like the clutch is slipping. Drive the car exceedingly gently until you can get it professionally diagnosed and repaired because every time the clutch slips it is wearing clutch material off of the clutch surface and this will eventually lead to total clutch failure, with the car not moving at all. 202,000 miles is a lot of miles as well and another indicator that the clutch is in need of replacement. Unfortunately, clutch replacements aren't cheap. Take your Corolla to several different transmission shops and they should be able to test drive it for you for free and provide a written estimate for replacing the clutch, if needed.
The spark plugs wont have anything to do with the issue the car is having and may not need replacing at all. Remove and reinstall each spark plug one at a time so you can take a good look at them and see what kind of shape they are in. This is also a very good way to diagnose the internal health of the engine because the condition of the spark plugs tells us the internal condition of the engine itself. It couldn't hurt to have your Corolla's onboard computer scanned to look for any stored trouble codes. Advance Auto Parts will do this for you for free.
My product application guide lists Toyota as recommending a 5W-30 oil viscosity and yes, you can upgrade to a synthetic oil. I'm an independent AMSOIL synthetic lubricants dealer and I provide all Corolla Forum members wholesale prices via an AMSOIL Preferred Customer membership. These wholesale prices lower the price of AMSOIL, "The First in Synthetics", (tm), to prices lower than competing synthetic oils. Using AMSOIL, you'll benefit from improved fuel economy, reduced engine operating temperatures/a cooler running engine, longer engine life, more power/better throttle response, reduced maintenance costs, an internally cleaner engine, reduced emissions, easier cold winter engine starts, superior high and low temperature engine protection and save money.
