New member intro, 1995 Celica ST Liftback Options

[ActionClaw]

Hey guys,

I just joined your ranks of Celica owners only hours before writing this - I'm barely an "official" owner yet. I've already got a few questions and (besides doing general web and forum searches) I thought this seemed the best place to start.

I just bought a "new" (1995 ST 2D hatchback) Celica. It's, generally, in pretty good shape but it does have a few minor (I hope!) problems; problems I knew about when I bought it. I know very little about the car's background; only what the owner (who I also don't know) told me. At this point, in a real sense, any of you know more about my car than I do!

This car was previously owned by a couple young guys that tried "customizing" it with the now typical window tinting, boom-boom stereo, fog lights, etc. I'm sure some of you are doing the same and I mean no offense and have nothing against it... as long as it's done correctly. In this case, much of it was not; it was sloppy and half-assed.

There is no "virgin territory". All boxes have been opened, panels removed (and slightly broken or not replaced correctly). Wherever, you look, you can tell someone's already been in there messing about. I'm aware that unconnected, capped wires, empty spaces in fuse/relay boxes etc. is normal but, in this case, I can't assume it's "supposed to be" that way but rather that something was cut or removed and not replaced. For me, the ideal situation is that it be stock so that available reference material, manuals, color codes etc. are accurate and I have a "clean slate" to start from.

Some of what I'm dealing with are things like a big-ass StreetWire fuse going off to... I'm not yet sure.. ?
Foglights connected to an ungrounded, dangling relay then to ..?
There are loose wires, sloppy splices, under dash wires cut and twisted together, etc.

The reason I may seem to be emphasizing this is because I suspect the source of some of the problems with standard stock components may not so much be due to the the usual age, wear & tear issues as they may've been caused by incompetant tinkering, incorrectly tapping into electrical circuits, etc. for "customization".

I'm probably going to need a little help answering a few questions simple as "what's this box supposed to have in it?" (Yes, I will be getting a Haynes, Chilton or shop manual but simply havent yet. Any opinions on which has proven most useful for this model?)

Well, that's a little background on this car. I'll comply with usual forum standards by separating my individual questions into its own specific, clearly identified post.

Thanks in advance for any help. I'll hope to be able to reciprocate by sharing what I learn while working with this car.

[CelicaST_CALI]

that fuse is probly connected to a huge gauge wire,that runs to an amp...and pictures !!!

[sparks]

post some picture up mate, and mybe we can post some back with what it should look like, i have a GT some im not sure but some components maybe the same

[snapshotgt]

Welcome to the site. Congrats on the buy.
Pictures, exact descriptions etc will help us assist you.
To start, here is the FULL manual(s) for our cars: CLICK

[GriffGirl]

^ LOL. That's exactly what I was going to post! Welcome to the site, and enjoy your housewarming gift!

[parriehunter]

Welcome, got any photos?

[tfrock]

Hi ActionClaw,
I have the same car. I have a Haynes manual. It's not the greatest and leaves a lot to be desired, especially in the electrical department. As far as reference manuals, the best thing I can recommend are the Toyota Service manuals. There is an Electrical manual (usually around $45) and a two volume set that covers the chassis and engine (generally about $120 for both). I know they are a little pricey but are good resources. You can usually find them (sometimes for a great price), on E-bay or Amazon. Other than that, the best suggestion I can give you is to post questions and pictures (if possible) on here. Many of the folks on here will give you good advice and ideas. When in doubt, you can always try the service department at your local Toyota dealer. Good luck with your car and be sure to dig around the whole site. There is some very good info on here and some of it may answer your questions.
Tim

[ActionClaw]

To start, here is the FULL manual(s) for our cars: CLICK


That's exactly what I was going to post! Welcome to the site, and enjoy your housewarming gift!

This post is merely to say thanks.

I'm new here but, so far, it seems to me that this forum is what an "online user group" is supposed to be (but frequently is not); a "community".

I especially want to express my appreciation to snapshotgt, GriffGirl, Batman722 (and the rest) for supplying (or offering) the (very!)helpful, useful information. I don't know if I'll exactly be "enjoying" it, as having it will result in a lot more work but I sure do appreciate it! (Really appreciate it!...a LOT!)

Thanks again!

S