Help out a newbie to the Sportivo Way of Life

[tyresmoke]

Hi All,

I'm in Botswana and a happy owner of VVTL-i lift for the first time! It's an ex-Japanese 2005 model, the Allex RS180 model (but is a ZZE123), with 98k kms on the clock. I have a few questions for the group. I'll just say that this is the best and most technical forum available in English, the South African one (my local one) is a bit street-racer and lacks proper grammar!

So, please bear with me if I repeat issues, but my hope is by listing the issues together, that perhaps you guys can help me ID what fixes, if needed, I need to have done.

1. Just after the car is beginning to warm (I try not to do this when it's cold, right out of the box), there is a tinny shine between 5-6k RPM, before lift. It sounds a bit metallic, a little bit like a supercharger whine (but I definitely don't have a GZE!)
2. Sometimes, usually when starting out on a drive, but sometimes regularly under hard driving, there is a 'thud-thud-thud...." noise from just behind the upper dash at around 3.8-4.2K RPM. The dash was not fitted back properly after the nav unit was taken before the previous Japanese owner sold it abroad I think, and the cheap CD/Tape Japanese (FM 90 is the max frequency LOL) head unit is maybe not installed properly, but pushing it in/holding it doesn't really diminish the sound.
3. This one is more common I think. On deceleration from mid range, there's a metallic, drone like sound, perhaps it's cams, might be the dirty OCV issue. it's pronounced and quite loud. Clutch in, the sound disappears. Other owners here say this is the normal 2zz sound.
4. Clutch. I really have to press it far, to the floor to disengage it, and it has a long throw/area of engagement (releasing the pedal to change into gear). Is an adjustment needed? I'm thinking of trying this anyway. There's that common issue also of a rattle at idle disappearing when the clutch is in, 'relase bearing' but possibly a clutch kit is needed. No slip though, thing holds lift through all the gears!
5. Rattles. A new one is at 120kph, the passenger seat vibrates suddenly and loudly. I'm guessing I should tighten some bolts?
6. A funny last one. Dogs at my dad's chewed the right rear ABS sensor cable so now both the ABS and Handbrake lights are on.

Many thanks for any help in advance and for allowing a Southern African interloper into your forum!

Cheers,

EDIT: Another issue is that between 120-140kph (a bit out of the legal limit, I know), I feel a vibration through the wheel, on acceleration/deceleration. This has been diagnosed as balancing, but with balanced wheels it's still there. I don't have spigot rings on the 15s i'm running,so perhaps that will fix it. I hope I don't have a bearing/CV joint issue.

Edited March 17, 2015 by tyresmoke