Celica Forums Thread Like Summary - Been lurking awhile thought I'd say Hello!

Been off and on lurking these forums for information for months
Thought to myself it wouldn't hurt to sign up and say hello-

I have a 2000 GTS I've been off and on driving since I was 17 (originally my moms car). Once I moved back from out of state she gave me the car and I've been driving it for the past year. It has a little over 100k miles on it without any major issues as my mom kept it rather pristine.. unlike her other cars.

Due to the whole covid-10 scare I had to hold off on some repairs I've been meaning to start since I got the car awhile back. Now that I finally have a stable enough job again and the extra disposable funds I wouldn't mind some advice if anyone is cool with providing some.

So, first issue would be the A/C which when operated stalls the engine out. I'm guessing it's the alternator that's gone past it's due date.. unless I'm wrong.
The master switch between the driver/passenger is starting to lose its grip when lowering the passenger window.. I've looked around a little if I could find a replacement switch, but I could use help.

The other issues are much more minor, and I just need to take the time to hunt down the information on the site. Any suggestions would be highly appreciated.

Wow. Your mom has good taste in cars.

The 2002 GTS AUTO is my favorite, fast, fun, nimble, stable, versatile, reliable, cheap to operate and maintain. With the hatch back, I moved lots of big furniture pieces, recliner sofa, door panels, construction wood beams up to 18 ft long. It has 320K miles, still runs smooth and strong like new after years of abuses and neglect.

I drive this car for long trips, San Diego, San Francisco, Las Vegas. My friends, who own exotic cars, like Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin, BMW, BMZ ect prefer this GTS at high speed over their expensive wheels. One guy, who owns a BMW 335 Bi turbo and other fast cars, would always cruise at 100 MPH in my car, but would not dare drive that fast in his 335.

Buy a sjmple OBDII scanner to check any CELs. You must have a scanner to trouble shoot problems. The cheapest one is only $20 in Home Depot or Walmart. Or buy a scanner software that runs on iphones and lap tops.

My guess is the A/C seizes up, locks up the serpentine/accessories belt, stalls out the engine. Check serpentine belt for wear and tear. You can buy an used compressor on eBay. Ask Toyota dealers for the correct part number before buying.

The window switch is $350 new and $150 used on eBay. Would be much cheaper if you search LKQPICKYOURPARTS in Stanton. They have a few scrap Celicas and you can pull your own parts. It's easy to remove that switch.

https://www.lkqpickyourpart.com/locations/LKQ_Pick_Your_Part_-_Anaheim-265/recents/?search=toyota

You are in SOCAL. I know a shop in Santa Ana that does very good work and charges very low fees compared to other shops. The owner is Jesu, a very nice, honest guy. His shop has a few very competent mechanics, AUTO EXPRESS on Tustin Ave in Santa Ana.

http://www.autocarexpress.com

Any labor-intensive repair you would save a lot of money taking the car to Tijuana. Refaccionaria del Val is a big chain. They do good work with warranties, good workmanship with labor rate about $15 an hour.

https://refaccionariasdelvalle.com/sucursales/marron

I had to seal the leak at the front timing chain cover. Manual said 8 hours labor or $960 at the dealer. Refacc did it in 9.5 hours, charged me $130.

I also know a few body shops that do good work for cheap in TJ.

Good luck with your dream car.