What did you do to your car today?

[-DAvo]

well those of you in perth will know what the weather was like today.. (http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDW28001.txt)

but i still stuck to my schedule and washed the aurion inbetween showers... drove her out of the garage, quickly washed and rinsed her, then parked her back inside still dripping wet.. then did all the drying inside... also layed down another layer of nxt 2.0 so nwo all i need to do is wash and maintain with ultimate quik wax for the next 2 weeks until i apply another layer :)

also applied autoglym glass polish and rain x to all windows, topped up the water tank with rainx additive, and cleaned the inside of the car..

car is now sitting peacefully in her garage, with the wax curing nicely.. ready to be driven out in the mucky rain and crap tomorrow :P

[Silver-Aurion]

Looks like us all three washed our Aurions today! Gave her a nice wash, then applied nXt 2.0. I cannot believe I waited this long to use it. I love this stuff and will use it until the day I die!

Then I cleaned the inside and she is also sitting nicely in the garage.

All up about 5 hours :)

Took some pics too but I suck at using the SLR so they aren't that great ;p

[eviltwin]

Bought a new toy:

And have began the process of removing all of the dirt and bits of grime rust and what ever else from the threading on all of the suspension and brake bolts on the twincam. Works wonders and i don;t know why i didn;t start this before.

The sportivo is sitting in the driveway in a very dirty way, I must do something about this!

[-DAvo]

took off my front mudguards (after scraping them on a mofo of a driveway) and repainted them...

then whilst watching the tour de france, hit them with a good few passes of ultimate compound and scratchx 2.0. very impressed with both compounds cutting ability... didnt even wet n dry!

here are some b4 and after shots... :P not perfect but good enough for me... now just waiting for the nxt 2.0 layer to dry before i apply a clear contact protectant :P

now to be more careful of steep driveways :P

Before:

After:

Edited July 13, 2010 by -DAvo

[httttt]

Nice Davo! I'm so going to do that to my painted mud guards next time I clean my car (been over a month and it is filthy).

[Hiro]

Ordered the genuine front spoiler extension for my FXGT front bar, $163 delivered to my door from Japan.

[Guest]

Ordered the genuine front spoiler extension for my FXGT front bar, $163 delivered to my door from Japan.

where from?

[Silver-Aurion]

Nice Davo! I'm so going to do that to my painted mud guards next time I clean my car (been over a month and it is filthy).

I went to a family friends place few days ago. They also have an AT-X and its the same colour as your car, I don't think its ever been serviced in years washed and cleaned inside.

Couldn't believe how bad it was.

I checked the oil, its just BLACK and sludgy, the brake fluid is almost dry and gone off colour. Huge service needed. And on top of that it's scratched up and banged up like no tomorrow and like they've been 4WD with it. I almost cried to see such a nice colour AT-X is such a bad state. :(

[Hiro]

Ordered the genuine front spoiler extension for my FXGT front bar, $163 delivered to my door from Japan.

where from?

A portal company called Amayama, they're one of the sponsors on Toymods.

[DJKOR]

Didn't do much today. I got the idea from Steven who had also done the same thing. I wanted to start using the USB input to my head unit, but the only issue is that the USB port is located on the front of the unit. I don't really like the look of having a USB drive/cable sticking out the front so I worked on relocating it. It is now located in my centre console in the box behind the gear shift.

Some photos for reference. I don't own a Dremel and my measurement was slightly off so the result isn't quite that great, but it's good enough for me.

[blakepure86]

Hey guys

Well for the first two days of the working week i removed my front half of my Aurion: dropped the lower cross member including engine, trans and steering.

Replaced my VVTI Controllers for intake on both banks

Reason behind is on cold start the controllers rattled for 1 second indicating 'warranty time'

i have some crappy pics that ill post once i find my phone cable

cheers

[Silver-Aurion]

Thats neat DJKOR. I wish I had your skills :(

Hey guys

Well for the first two days of the working week i removed my front half of my Aurion: dropped the lower cross member including engine, trans and steering.

Replaced my VVTI Controllers for intake on both banks

Reason behind is on cold start the controllers rattled for 1 second indicating 'warranty time'

i have some crappy pics that ill post once i find my phone cable

cheers

Please explain.

[Buff Hamster]

Today i changed my head unit with an aftermarket Sony headunit and it has WORKING steering controls :yahoo: . Bought quite a few things to make it work and will post a video tomorrow to prove it works in the Aurion section. Having a problem with 1 button but that's probably because the stuff i bought was designed for JAP version cars not AUS version cars. Will see this if it's true when i put the parts in my bro's Rav4 V6 later.

Edited July 16, 2010 by Hamster

[Silver-Aurion]

My fail attempt at using the SLR. I really need to start finding decent places to take pictures of the car so I can get decent backgrounds.

[blakepure86]

Okay i noticed on a cold start sometimes their was a knocking/rattle noise heard from the engine compartment lasting maximum 1 second,

After diagnosing found it was the VVTI Intake controllers failing.

So spent 12hrs removing engine and changing the gear over.

how much detail did you want buddy?

[Silver-Aurion]

Okay i noticed on a cold start sometimes their was a knocking/rattle noise heard from the engine compartment lasting maximum 1 second,

After diagnosing found it was the VVTI Intake controllers failing.

So spent 12hrs removing engine and changing the gear over.

how much detail did you want buddy?

Thats enough buddy.

I'm not tech savvy so I didn't quite understand.

[DJKOR]

Okay i noticed on a cold start sometimes their was a knocking/rattle noise heard from the engine compartment lasting maximum 1 second,

After diagnosing found it was the VVTI Intake controllers failing.

So spent 12hrs removing engine and changing the gear over.

how much detail did you want buddy?

I had my suspicion that it was caused by the VVT-i controller. I just thought it was something to do with not having much oil in there during a cold start and the internal mechanism knocking around because of no oil pressure to keep things 'floating'.

My old Aurion used to do this but only when it was getting very close to 15,000km without an oil change. Once the oil was changed, the knocking never came back until it reached close to 15,000km again. I just figured it was nothing bad and explainable since it was quite a length of time without a change in oil.

My TRD is now starting to do the same thing. Started happening as the weather got really cold. It has been 10,000km since the last oil change. I think this is indicating to me that it's oil change time. Funnily enough, this is about the same point where Dave also got the occurance:

Yeah mine has come back. It doesnt do it until Ive done at least 10k since the last service and it is only now and then.

So are you able to explain what exactly fails more specifically?

Edit: Is it the lock pin that fails? I'm just wondering if I was thinking along the right lines when I made the following post last year?

I dont think it is piston slap, more like a timing chain rattle or maybe something in the vvti mechanism.

That's what I'm thinking. It seems to be coming from the upper part of the block. It's similar to the sound of that intake control valve closing, but more metallic. It just has me stumped.

Maybe it really is the VVT-i mechanism. When you see a video animation of it working, you can kind of picture how it can generate a knock/rattle sound if it doesn't have appropriate oil pressure in it.

The mechanism is like this for those that don't know:

Having a quick look at the service manual, maybe it ties in with the so called 'lock pin':

When the engine stops, the intake side VVT-i controller is locked on the most retarded angle side by the lock pin, and the exhaust side controller is locked on the most advanced angle side. This ensures excellent engine startability.

The oil pressure sent from the advance or retard side path at the intake and exhaust camshaft causes rotation in the VVT-i controller vane circumferential direction to vary the intake valve timing continuously.

An advanced angle assist spring is provided on the exhaust side VVT-i controller. This helps to apply torque in the advanced angle direction so that the vane lock pin securely engages with the housing when the engine stops.

When hydraulic pressure is not applied to the VVT-i controller immediately after the engine has been started, the lock pin locks the movement of the VVT-i controller to prevent a knocking noise.

[blakepure86]

" I had my suspicion that it was caused by the VVT-i controller. I just thought it was something to do with not having much oil in there during a cold start and the internal mechanism knocking around because of no oil pressure to keep things 'floating'. "

You explained it to the other perfectly.

unfortunately this is warranty issue so i was unable to further inspect the unit but next week im wanting to do further investigation why this happens.. It does sound like the lock pin as you explained before.

BTW if only the Aurion had the half moon in the timing cover case you wouldn't have to remove the whole assy

[cruzer]

well today i replaced the front left sway arm because my old one was bent no longer pulls to the left wooooooooooooo

then replaced the fuse for the dash and parker lights as the old one blew

put the exhaust holder back up as it slipped out and finally fixed the revs so now it revs at 900 instead of 2000

also replaced the flange gaskets.

[lylee]

Reversed into a pole :(:(:(:(

[Silver-Aurion]

Reversed into a pole :(:(:(:(

How do you manage that with a small car?

[Mole]

More like what I did to my car this last week... almost.

Ordered new weather strips for both doors ($110 each delivered from Amayama, damn these guys are CHEAP)

Ordered new hatch rubber stopper thingys to stop the hatch rattling (again, Amayama)

Ordered a new Alpine HU (CDA-117E, didnt arrive for the weekend :(, might do a lil review when its in )

Ordered a new Electronic Boost Controller (cheap HDi one, didnt arrive for the weekend :( )

Got some cleaning stuff cause I'm low on car wash (just some Megs NXT)

Got some cleaning stuff for the wheels (Megs non-acidic gel, wheels are soooo dirty!)

Got some aly/wheel polish (Megs again)

Got a new microfibre (Megs again... lol. Cant have too many!)

To do tomorrow... quick wash (paints too **** to bother going further, was supposed to get a quote for that today but the place I wanted to use is gone or moved... annoying.), thoroughly clean rims and polish outer edge (its supposed to be shiny but its they have not been looked after). I'll do a wheel comparison for the detailing peeps when I've done one. Also going to finally get around to putting new leather trim on centre console arm rest to replace ripped up vinyl, re-affix ceiling carpet and re-attach door lock plastic surround on drivers side door... anyone who's owned a A70 knows about these, the clips break on them.

[CME-LFT]

Sprayed engine cover, fuse box and c-brackets that hold the whiteline front strut brace candy red with red glitter (sound gay, but looks good.lol)

Also finally put superlows in the rear to even out the ride height, looks so much better, yet i have doubts on its handling ability now.

[1stKill]

Latest mod,not sure if i really like it that much ;) ...6" gutter rash on my LHF Buddy Club today,those farkin tight drive thrus all i wanted was a burger for lunch. :(

anyhooo will go and see the boys at Ace Alloys during the week and get it all fixed up,i swear my new wheels & tyres are cursed.

[Steven]

Changed the lighting on my climate control to a slightly blue color to better match the stereo. Also ripped apart the stereo and finally fixed the SD card reader that I buggered last time.

Also made an Ebay purchase, hope to be the first one in Brisbane getting around with this set of <items>