Reconditioned 2002 Corolla Dx Station Wagon

[bigraph]

Hi all. I've recently bought this car from a previous owner. I noticed from the time I saw the car that it seemed to have an older style than I would expect for a 2002 vehicle. Also older features. It has no central-locking, power-windows only at the front, rear seatbelts had to be installed by the previous owner, no intermittent wiper feature. I'm trying to figure out some things about the car (unfortunately I didn't get an owner's manual from the previous owner) but so far I get the impression that the style/appearance of it is definitely that of an older corolla (seems to be somewhere between 93-97). I guess this is the norm with reconditioned cars. Is there any way I can tell what year the car is originally? I've attached a photo.

[demuire]

It might be a 2002 car, but if it is it's probably the POV-spec, hence lack of "nice post-2000" features. To find out year of manufacture, pop open bonnet, look at firewall. There'll be one, or more, plates with little words and numbers on it. One of them will tell you when the car was manufactured...

 

Even if it is a POV-spec, if you can find bits off the "better-spec" cars at the wreckers or trading post etc, most of them should more or less bolt on.

[Hiro Protagonist]

Thats a AE10x series wagon, so it'd be (depending on your location in the world, but I'm guessing the US) around a 94-98 model. Now two generations old, will most likely have the 4AFE or 7AFE engine. Highly doubtful that it's a 2002 car, most likely the owner got mixed up between 2002 and AE102 (a heap of people think the last two digits in the name mean the year, like 1982 for an AE82 etc)

[JiP]

I've heard about that AE82 1982 thing. Never been told that my KE30 was a 1930 car tho. :kiwi:

[bigraph]

I forgot to add the model and chassis numbers:

 

Model No: EE103V-AXHDK

 

Chassis No: EE103-0124835

 

My location is Barbados, an island in the Caribbean. I've been told in another forum (Corolland.com) that these model and chassis codes are JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) codes and that the car is probably a post-2000 car. Thanks for all your replies so far. Now I just have to find out what POV-spec means. :kiwi:

 

I'm having trouble locating the VIN though. I understand it should be a 17-digit number but so far I haven't been able to find it.

[Jono]

so Hiro was right, except it has an 'E' motor not an 'A' motor. international car markets are wierd: you can still buy dato 1200 utes brand new in South Africa, except they are 1400cc and have square headlights and slightly updated grill.

[bigraph]

Hiro was right except that the engine is 5E-FE. This whole situation is quite un-amusing.

[demuire]

Here in Australia we have a plate riveted to the firewall (to state Australian compliance), it's a little bigger than a business card, has lots of little codes on it. It also has the month and year of manufacture, on my Corolla it has the numbers "9-75" which means September 1975. It doesn't actually label it as a manufacturing date or anything though, it's just a number stamped onto the plate. Does your car have something like this?

 

Don't worry about the "new" old car thing. My dad (in Malaysia) bought a Landcruiser, brand new, new model and everything, in about 1990. It was the exact same model as he'd rented here in Australia in 1983. Car markets are strange.

 

And POV-spec = low spec. ie, the "budget" edition.

[demuire]

I should probably add that what is probably regarded as "POV-spec" here in Australia may be a standard or even up-spec model where you're from. They differ from country to country. The fact that your car doesn't have many creature comforts expected in a post-2000 car, and that it has unpainted bumpers and mirrors, suggest to me that it is the budget model, but this isn't necessarily true.

 

The Proton Satria GTi (Malaysian car) is more expensive, and lower spec, in Malaysia than it is here in Australia. Go figure :kiwi:

[demuire]

Oh hey look :kiwi: Did a quick search on EE102 and EE103 Corollas, and yes they certainly did come out post 2000.

 

Here's a Feb 2000 one in silver, just like yours:

http://www.zenauto.co.jp/car/22042/index.html

 

This page has a white EE102 dated March 2000:

http://www.japancarsexport.com/stock.html

 

And here is a white one dated 2001:

http://www.alibaba.com/catalog/11655680/20...rinter_Van.html

 

It looks like they were marketed as a commercial vehicle, a van of some description (although it's more like what we'd call a wagon than a van...), which would explain lack of creature comforts. Being a commercial, it's almost likely there was only one spec for it. Still, if you can source bits off a higher spec *E10* Corolla, most of them should bolt in. If you're after the electrical bits, you may need part, or all, of the wiring loom too.

[bigraph]

Thanks alot for all the info Demuire. You've been a great help. I'm ashamed to say I don't even know what the firewall is but I'll try to find out. I was told today by a sales rep at the local Toyota dealers that I wouldn't be able to get an owner's manual in English for the car. This keeps getting better and better. On the upside the car drives well as one expects from a Corolla.

[towe001]

Hiro was right except that the engine is 5E-FE. This whole situation is quite un-amusing.

Nar i wouldn't say its un-amusing. Its called thinking outside the square. Like, start researching on the Starlets - EP82 GT Turbo (1990-1995) and the EP91 Glanza V (1996-1999). I'm pretty sure you'll find that the manifolds etc can be interchanged.

 

Here's a place that you can start E-series engine

[towe001]

By the way the firewall is the "wall" thats at the back of the engine bay. More or less below the windscreen

[demuire]

I wouldn't feel too bad about not being able to get an owners manual - they hardly tell you anything useful anyway. Generally the only useful information in them would be simple things like how to set the clock (which I'm sure someone here would be able to tell you), things like tyre pressure (you'd probably want to run about 36psi all round), service intervals (sales rep at Toyota dealership will be able to help), and umm... I can't think of anything else :kiwi:

 

More useful to you would probably be a service manual of some sort. We have Gregory's books here in Australia, I don't know what you would have there. Or if you can find one, a proper Toyota workshop manual.

[bigraph]

Thanks again guys. Ok so now I know what the firewall is. That's exactly where we tend to find the engine no., chassis no. etc. At least on the 3 cars I've owned so far.