[Aficionados]

Originally Posted by dhawalmakwana99

Gosh!


1. Fuel Efficiency. This thing is a guzzler. I travel in traffic most of the time of the day. And I will have to apply for a loan just to fill up! That is why I have installed Bio-fuel CNG in my car so I can save on my running costs.

Any questions, please shoot up. I may not know it all, but problem solving is easier with problem sharing on a common platform.

DM99

I've recently purchased a 2006 Corolla Automatic E4-G and I'm planning to have the CNG kit fitted. I plan to use this car only for office commute in a very busy area. For highway run and outside duties, I've other car to take care of those.
How much did the CNG kit cost you? Any noticeable difference in the power? What is the difference in the mileage now with CNG?
Thanks in advance

[dhawalmakwana99]

Originally Posted by Aficionados

I've recently purchased a 2006 Corolla Automatic E4-G and I'm planning to have the CNG kit fitted. I plan to use this car only for office commute in a very busy area. For highway run and outside duties, I've other car to take care of those.
How much did the CNG kit cost you? Any noticeable difference in the power? What is the difference in the mileage now with CNG?
Thanks in advance

Hi Aficionados,
Congratulations on your purchase.

A few things you have to know about CNG conversion on the Corolla.

- Always. Always opt to go for the Sequential CNG kit. I made a mistake by installing the 'Closed loop: kit. The only reason for doing so is the ease of throttle response adjustment in different gears via a computer. You have to manually do it in the closed loop one.

The Lovato closed loop kit costs Rs 30k with the endorsement on the RC card whereas the Sequential will set you back by Rs 40k. However, there are cheaper options available which I wouldn't advice.

CNG I think is perfect for city commutes with more traffic. You will noticeably applying more throttle to get off the line since there is less power available. Make sure you are used to driving the car and are accustomed to clutch biting point or you will end up burning the clutch sooner. At the same time, less throttle application will make the engine vibrate so make sure the engine mounts are in good condition.

On the highway I would suggest keeping it on Petrol only. Apart from the stress on the engine, a CNG kit does take away the motoring fun to say the least.

There is a noticeable power drop. The kit tuned correctly will not be too boring but a bad setting will make you want to dump the whole idea of CNG sometimes.

Considering you have an automatic transmission car and the traffic conditions mentioned above, your car will moat probably do 100 - 120kms in a full tank of an average of 8kgs of gas. Which translates to approximately 13.75kms / kg of gas.

Some other pointers.

Change the spark plugs to brand new ones when installing the CNG kit.
Have your ignition coils checked as they have to work overtime to compensate for the biofuel to ignite and the combustion process to begin.
The air filter has to be clean and everytime you have it cleaned, the CNG kit has to be retuned to work in harmony with the airflow.

Having said this, my travel is going to reduce from some 40odd kms to 9kms in the next couple of months which is pushing me to ditch the whole CNG kit. Hopefully change to something more fun to drive. Like a big Turbo Petrol! *hopefully*

[Aficionados]

Originally Posted by dhawalmakwana99

Hi Aficionados,
Congratulations on your purchase.

A few things you have to know about CNG conversion on the Corolla.

- Always. Always opt to go for the Sequential CNG kit. I made a mistake by installing the 'Closed loop: kit. The only reason for doing so is the ease of throttle response adjustment in different gears via a computer. You have to manually do it in the closed loop one.

The Lovato closed loop kit costs Rs 30k with the endorsement on the RC card whereas the Sequential will set you back by Rs 40k. However, there are cheaper options available which I wouldn't advice.

CNG I think is perfect for city commutes with more traffic. You will noticeably applying more throttle to get off the line since there is less power available. Make sure you are used to driving the car and are accustomed to clutch biting point or you will end up burning the clutch sooner. At the same time, less throttle application will make the engine vibrate so make sure the engine mounts are in good condition.

On the highway I would suggest keeping it on Petrol only. Apart from the stress on the engine, a CNG kit does take away the motoring fun to say the least.

There is a noticeable power drop. The kit tuned correctly will not be too boring but a bad setting will make you want to dump the whole idea of CNG sometimes.

Considering you have an automatic transmission car and the traffic conditions mentioned above, your car will moat probably do 100 - 120kms in a full tank of an average of 8kgs of gas. Which translates to approximately 13.75kms / kg of gas.

Some other pointers.

Change the spark plugs to brand new ones when installing the CNG kit.
Have your ignition coils checked as they have to work overtime to compensate for the biofuel to ignite and the combustion process to begin.
The air filter has to be clean and everytime you have it cleaned, the CNG kit has to be retuned to work in harmony with the airflow.

Having said this, my travel is going to reduce from some 40odd kms to 9kms in the next couple of months which is pushing me to ditch the whole CNG kit. Hopefully change to something more fun to drive. Like a big Turbo Petrol! *hopefully*

Thanks buddy! That was quite insightful, the reason why i like TBHP so much
I plan to keep the car for 2-3 years and looking at the cost of CNG kit and other extra added maintenance while also compromising on the fun , I need to rethink on this option. I don't think the break-even of this CNG cost would be achieved in 2 years unless I use it heavily I will rather wait for few months to see the actual running and mileage of Corolla before jumping further!

[KK_HakunaMatata]

Originally Posted by Aficionados

Thanks buddy! That was quite insightful, the reason why i like TBHP so much
I plan to keep the car for 2-3 years and looking at the cost of CNG kit and other extra added maintenance while also compromising on the fun , I need to rethink on this option. I don't think the break-even of this CNG cost would be achieved in 2 years unless I use it heavily I will rather wait for few months to see the actual running and mileage of Corolla before jumping further!

Even I acquired a 2006 Corolla in Sep 2015 and I just love this car. I say, if you are keeping it for 2 or 3 years, just enjoy the car as it is. It is not worth installing a CNG kit, as you would never realise its worth when you sell it.

KK

[Aficionados]

Originally Posted by KK_HakunaMatata

Even I acquired a 2006 Corolla in Sep 2015 and I just love this car. I say, if you are keeping it for 2 or 3 years, just enjoy the car as it is. It is not worth installing a CNG kit, as you would never realise its worth when you sell it.

KK

Yeah, I too am leaning towards the same decision and you guys are helping me to do so . Since I purchased the car just couple of days back, I'm yet to calculate the mileage but hope it doesn't fall down to lower single digit. I would be more than happy with double digit figure, fingers crossed!

[Swapnil4585]

I intend to replace the rear shock absorbers on my Altis. I would like them to be a bit stiffer from what the original KYB were. What options do I have? I believe that the game boils down to the viscosity of oil used in the shocker. I don't intend to go for the costlier Bilstein etc, just the regular Monroe / Gabriel and gang.

Also, I had replaced the front struts around 2 years back. But somehow they have softened and get easily bottomed out on a larger speed breaker. Is there a way out to rework these or should I replace these too?


P.S. - Can we have a dedicated thread for the Corolla family like we have for the Civic?

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by Swapnil4585

I intend to replace the rear shock absorbers on my Altis. I would like them to be a bit stiffer from what the original KYB were. What options do I have? I believe that the game boils down to the viscosity of oil used in the shocker. I don't intend to go for the costlier Bilstein etc, just the regular Monroe / Gabriel and gang.

Also, I had replaced the front struts around 2 years back. But somehow they have softened and get easily bottomed out on a larger speed breaker. Is there a way out to rework these or should I replace these too?


P.S. - Can we have a dedicated thread for the Corolla family like we have for the Civic?

I guess what you need is stiffer springs. Since Altis is a global model, there will be lot of aftermarket options that are stiffer.

Are the OEM springs also made by KYB? If not maybe you can get the KYB springs. They are engineered well and are stiffer

[Swapnil4585]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

I guess what you need is stiffer springs. Since Altis is a global model, there will be lot of aftermarket options that are stiffer.

Are the OEM springs also made by KYB? If not maybe you can get the KYB springs. They are engineered well and are stiffer

OEM are KYB make. I had replaced the front pair couple of years back and they are bottoming out already. Would like to try something different.

The suspension system will be inspected tomorrow and list of parts to be replaced would be drawn.

My car is driven 95% on highways. So I prefer a stiffer setup. Can you suggest a few?

[ChoosetoCruze]

Originally Posted by Swapnil4585

I would like them to be a bit stiffer from what the original KYB were. What options do I have? I believe that the game boils down to the viscosity of oil used in the shocker. I don't intend to go for the costlier Bilstein etc, just the regular Monroe / Gabriel and gang.

Also, I had replaced the front struts around 2 years back. But somehow they have softened and get easily bottomed out on a larger speed breaker. Is there a way out to rework these or should I replace these too?

KYB makes excellent shocks & struts. If you have used Excel-G before, they are gas struts. I have only good things to say about them. In fact, they are my default go-to choice when recommending others for a suspension overhaul.

As the member below mentions, you may need new springs, if your car is still bouncing around even after using brand new shocks. If not, I’ll suspect you have got spurious KYB front shocks.

KYB is already relatively stiff when it comes to ride quality, so I recommend you get genuine Excel-G gas struts for your car. They will probably last the remaining life of your Corolla.

Buy new OEM/KYB springs for the front and your bouncing as should go away. Stay away from Monroe/Gabriel as they are chalk & cheese when compared to the equivalent KYB. Bilsteins might be an overkill for a Corolla.

Did you already get a list of all the parts which need to be replaced from your mechanic?

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

I guess what you need is stiffer springs.

Are the OEM springs also made by KYB? If not maybe you can get the KYB springs. They are engineered well and are stiffer

+1

[Swapnil4585]

Originally Posted by ChoosetoCruze

As the member below mentions, you may need new springs, if your car is still bouncing around even after using brand new shocks. If not, I’ll suspect you have got spurious KYB front shocks.

KYB is already relatively stiff when it comes to ride quality, so I recommend you get genuine Excel-G gas struts for your car. They will probably last the remaining life of your Corolla.

I have been told to replace rear shocks and bushings on all four, along with steering rack mounting bushings. The existing rear shocks are way beyond their prime and car visibly sags on load. As for the front ones, though I complain of them bottoming out, they are in good condition as per the diagnosis.

Now the thing with KYB is, in our town there aren't much takers of this brand. The universe is filled with Gabriel and Monroe galaxies. Bilstein, TRW are unknown to most. The Italian Magneti Marelli has good supplies. So if I have to go with genuine KYB, I have to either go to the Toyota A.S.S. or I have to buy them from reputed suppliers from Mumbai / Pune and get them fitted from my FNG.

I will most probably go with KYB although a bit late.

[sj_car_boy]

Hi folks,

I have a 90K kms 2008 Corolla Altis AT. The suspension seems to be well beyond life. Planning to go for a suspension overhaul.

What are all the parts that I should consider replacing as part of suspension overhaul?
For the shockers - is the entire assembly is to be replaced - shocker, spring, mounting, rubber etc?

Thanks for your advise.

Best,

[nirmaljusdoit]

Originally Posted by sj_car_boy

Hi folks,

I have a 90K kms 2008 Corolla Altis AT. The suspension seems to be well beyond life. Planning to go for a suspension overhaul.

What are all the parts that I should consider replacing as part of suspension overhaul?
For the shockers - is the entire assembly is to be replaced - shocker, spring, mounting, rubber etc?

Thanks for your advise.

Best,

At the mileage and age of your car its better to replace the entire front and rear if required. partial replacement will result in strain being put on components which haven’t been replaced and you will be back to square one after some time. Best way is to go under the car at the mechanics place and inspect one by one. If you have a budget constraint do the front first and then the rear. Lower arms, tie rod ends, steering ends, shocks, anti roll bar bushes etc

For the shocks the spring wont have to be replaced but all other parts would have to. Mounts are rubber parts and difficult to get to, hence suggest replacing those. The OE quality of Toyota parts is pretty good and built to last. Toyota does counter sales of parts as well. Thailand after market parts are also available. Find a knowledgable FNG if you wish. After sales service of the Toyota service centers is also pretty good and usually they arrange parts for older cars.

[DieselAddikt]

Bumping up an old thread. I bought a 42K kms run (service records verified) 2013 Altis 1.8 GL six months back. ODO reading is at about 50K now. The car has spent all it's life in Bangalore suburbs where the roads are filled with speed breakers and potholes. I have started hearing a slight metal clunk when the car goes over speed breakers. It is just a faint noise and is audible only if the windows are rolled down and if there are no other vehicles around. Do you think it is the bush that is going to give away ? And one more problem I face is that the car scrapes even medium sized speed breakers if there are 3 people and some luggage in the car. Do you think firmer springs can help ?

[lancersfx]

Originally Posted by DieselAddikt

Bumping up an old thread. I bought a 42K kms run (service records verified) 2013 Altis 1.8 GL six months back. ODO reading is at about 50K now. The car has spent all it's life in Bangalore suburbs where the roads are filled with speed breakers and potholes. I have started hearing a slight metal clunk when the car goes over speed breakers. It is just a faint noise and is audible only if the windows are rolled down and if there are no other vehicles around. Do you think it is the bush that is going to give away ? And one more problem I face is that the car scrapes even medium sized speed breakers if there are 3 people and some luggage in the car. Do you think firmer springs can help ?

I had picked a 2003 corolla back in 2016 and the front definitely needed replacement due to the sounds it made (a deteriorated spring and the metal clang) and the wobble (left to right) when ever it went over uneven surfaces. The rear also needed some work but it has held up so far. But I have a similar situation.

It would be worthwhile to compare against another Altis to see how much gap exists between the wheel and the inner wall.
Check if the rear shock absorber has started any leaks, you may have to push the rubber boot to see the steel rod to see if it looks free of any oil leaks. As a general checkup, you could do it yourself provided you have the tools or take it to a trusted garage. Jack up the car remove the wheel for a better view. If the suspension is out, then only the spring is taking the load and the wobble will be more prominent like an american low rider

[DieselAddikt]

Originally Posted by lancersfx

It would be worthwhile to compare against another Altis to see how much gap exists between the wheel and the inner wall.

Ah, this is a good point. The apartment has a lot of similar vintage Corollas parked. I'll take a look. My parking barely has space for the car. Not sure if I can do anything there. But I'll definitely take a look at the shock this weekend.