Morris Question: The transmission just went out on my old 91 Toyota Corolla. I found one in a junk yard for a 91 Geo Prism. Will this work?
Answer: Well, the transmissions are exactly the same, so it would fit. BUT, whether it works or not is a relative gamble. Those front wheel drive 91 Corolla transmissions all pretty much wear out at 150 thousand miles or so. The one you’re going to install may also be worn out itself. Using a junk yard automatic unit on that old of a car is a gamble, just realize that before you install one. You can’t really check a used transmission fully until it’s hooked up and running on the car. BUT, as I said, it will fit your toyota. Good Luck.
Peter’s Question: Hi, Michael I have a Corolla 2003 at 52 000 miles. Yesterday I changed the transmission oil second time. The first time it was at 30 000 miles. The oil level has always been OK but now when I try to change to rear gear from parking only there is a jam. When I go to neutral first and then back to rear it is smoother. It have not had a problem like this before. What could it be? Regards, Peter
Answer: OK, IF you had no problem like this before changing the fluid, you may have either added the incorrect amount of fluid, or have used the wrong type of fluid. Those newer Corollas use a special Toyota fluid. I go to the Toyota dealer to buy this special Toyota fluid, or to a quality foreign auto parts store that sells the same exact fluid. If you didn’t use this fluid, then I would advise going to a transmission shop that has a flush machine. Have them flush the tranny out completely and refill it with the Toyota fluid. You can’t get it all out yourself, because most of the fluid will be inside the torque converter and you can’t get it out yourself. As a note to everyone out there, ALWAYS check the type of fluid used in automatic transmissions these days, because there are a bunch of different fluids used in different vehicles which are not compatible. Good Luck
