6G Celicas Forums

Thanks Jamchell. I had the tires/wheels inspected and rebalanced and rotated (even though they are all brand new). I also had new hub centric rings installed. The vibration is still there, although it seems to have improved. The vibration comes and goes, even when the speed is constant. Should I now have a mechanic look at the suspension, tie rods, wheel bearings, ball joints, and cv boots, since the car is 11 years old? Discount Tire thinks I should return the wheels, but part of me doesn't believe they are the problem. What do you think?

I recently upgraded from the stock wheels to a new 17" tire/wheel combination. Since then, my steering wheel began vibrating at speeds above 60mph and it pulled to the right. I then got a 4-wheel alignment. That fixed the pulling to the right almost 100%, but the vibration remains. Is it possible that the tires were not balanced correctly? I can't imagine it being the tires or wheels, since they were completely new. And I don't think it is a problem with the suspension components, since there was no vibration whatsoever with the stock tires/wheels. I did read somewhere that some aftermarket wheels may need hubcentric rings, or they may vibrate. Could this be the case?

I got a check enegine light about a week ago. Two days later I took it to the Toyota dealer, and they diagnosed it as a problem with the cannister assembly, part of the emissions systems I was told. They ordered the part ($360), and made me pay for it then, and then told me to come back this week to have it installed. However, two days ago the light went off on its own! Does that mean that there is no longer a problem with that part? Should I have it installed anyway, or try to get out of it and get my money back? Is it common for the CELs to go off on their own? Thanks for your help.

I do have an 8-speaker setup. So, are you saying that the 6-speaker Celicas have 6.5" front woofers, and the 8-speaker Celicas have 8" ones?

Has anyone actually installed the Focal 210CA1? I am looking to buy them, but Crutchfield's Signature website says that they do not fit the Celica. There are a plethora of smaller speakers that they say fit, so I find that odd. If anyone who has installed them can share some feedback about the installation, as well as the sound quality of these speakers, I would appreciate it. Also, FYI, Crutchfield Signature sells them for $249, while www.sonicelectronix.com sells them for $169 plus about $20 shipping.

For comparison purposes, does anyone know how much the 15" alloy stock GT rims weigh?

How wide are your 16" rims, and what size tires are you using?

Thank you for those pics and information!! So, if I get 17x8 rims (w/ +35 offset), the only way to not have ANY rubbing would be to get a smaller tire than the 225/45-17? I didn't want a 40 aspect ratio, since I don't want that harsh of a ride. So, I guess a 215/45-17 would be the best for me? It seems like the tire would be quite stretched, though, correct?

I am thinking about a a 235/45 on a 17x8 wheel w/ 35mm offset, riding on stock suspension. Does anyone know if this setup would create any tire rub? Does anyone have pics who owns this setup, or pics of a 225/45 on a 17x8 wheel? Thanks...

Thanks for those pics, malpaso! Those look much better than I had imagined!!

Those are very nice, geetje! Do you have any tire rub at all from that size?

Yes, those winter tires will be about as tall as 205/55-16, just much more narrow. Could you send me pics once you get those winter tires on in a couple of weeks? Thanks!

Yes, that is recommended size for a 16" rim. I am just wondering if anyone has gone taller than that on a 16. Thank you, though.

Just wondering if anyone has 205/55 tires mounted on 16" rims? How do you the way they handle? Do you have pictures?

Well said 97GTinKC, those are my feelings on the subject as well. Now, can anyone tell me how large of a wheel/tire diameter I can safely get into the wheel well of my Celica without any rubbing? It has not been lowered. I assume it would dependent on tire width. I will probably go with a 205 or 215 on a 16" rim. Any wider, and like people said earlier, it will negate any fuel savings.

Thank you all for your comments so far. But, let's take the weight of the wheels out of the equation for now, as I will probably buy 16" rims that weigh about the same as the 15" stock rims anyway. If I were to consider the following two sizes from a low rolling resistance tire:

A) 225/50R-16 22 lbs. 831 revs/mile
B) 205/60R-16 20 lbs. 811 revs/mile

Do you believe that tire B would yield significant fuel economy improvement (1 mpg or more) over tire A? If not, then I guess I would go with tire A, as it would most likely handle better.

You really think that lifting the car a half inch or so is going to negate the effects of lowering the engine revs per mile?

Actually, I already do all of those things. I am currently averaging 32-33 mpg in 85% highway driving. I am just wondering if I can do even better with a taller tire, as I am planning on getting rid of my old stock rims for 16" or 17" new ones.

One of the few things that I dislike about my '99 Celica Convertible is that the gas mileage isn't as good as it could be. The 1997-2001 Camry, which had the same engine, got 3 mpg better on the highway with a 5-speed than my Celica does with a 5-speed, and the Camry weighed about 300 lbs more! I can only attribute this to the high revs of my Celica's 5th gear. So, my question is, can I achieve better fuel economy with a larger diameter wheel/tire combination? I know it would throw my speedometer off a bit, but to save fuel, it would be worth it to me. On that same note, what would would the tallest tire that I could put on a 16" rim and not suffer from any fender rubbing? What about a 17" rim? Thanks for your help!

Is ATF a type of synthetic oil?

I purchased a 1999 Celica Convertible with 64K miles about 2 months ago. The engine runs perfectly, I average about 30 mpg, and I have put on about 4,000 trouble-free miles since owning it. However, I noticed recently that blue smoke comes out of the tailpipe for about the first 15 seconds after starting it each day. I am assuming there is some oil entering one of the cylinders. Is there anything I can do about this? I heard there is an oil additive that may help this. Can anyone help me out?

Thank you for your input! I found what I need in the Tech Manual Link!

I am interested in purchasing a reference manual to do light repair/maintenance on my 1999 Celica Convertible, including switching out the stereo system. Which is a better manual, the Haynes, which covers 1986-1999 Celicas, or the Chilton's, which covers 1994-1998 Celica's? The Chilton's costs about $12 more than the Haynes, but would appear more applicable to the 6th Gen Celica's. Which one covers the Convertible version more in depth? Thanks for your help.

Another simple way to increase mpg that seems to elude most people is coasting! When a stop light ahead is red, or you are approaching a stop sign, why not coast to it, insteading of keeping the throttle depressed until you hit the brakes? I observe far too many drivers zooming past me while the light ahead is red only to slam on their brakes at the end. I can only imagine how much fuel is wasted doing this.

Does anyone else have an opinion between the'97 (Limited Edition) with 68K miles, the '98 with 100K miles (with a plastic window), or the '99 with 117K miles, on which convertible you would buy if it were you?