My '06 Toyota Aurion SX6 Sportivo

[Full-Throttle]

Oh my lord... 3 baby seats... That's nuts.

Great work on the car so far man.

Haha thanks man. I'll continue to keep the thread updated with any new updates ;)

[Hiro]

Missed it first time 'round but the joke had to be made

[Full-Throttle]

Lol! WTF Hiro?

I just got home from work to find that my Alutec front strut bar had arrived from overseas so I was quick to put it on while there was still some daylight around. It took me a while to find a seller online who sells these particular bars but I managed to get directly in touch with the manufacturer and they were very helpful. I could have quite easily bought a white Ultra Racing bar locally, but I really liked the silver metallic colour of this one as it matches the engine cover and colour of my car, and the design/build quality look very impressive, so after parting with a couple of hundred dollars and a week of waiting this is the end result. Looking forward to giving it a test run on the way to work tomorrow morning :D

[Hiro]

Lol! WTF Hiro?

It said "rapture" instead of "rupture"....

[Full-Throttle]

Lol! WTF Hiro?

It said "rapture" instead of "rupture"....

Ohhhh, it all makes sense now. I had no idea what the hell you meant, lol. In my defense, the image was from ClubLexus so I take no responsibility for the spelling error :P - http://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-2nd-gen-2004-2009/467236-certain-2007-rx350-needs-vvt-i-oil-hose-replacement-3.html#post5073042

Edited September 1, 2015 by Full-Throttle

[TRDsx6]

heyheyhey

Im liking this set up very much :) So many things i want! I just got to ask you a few questions, please help me

1. I just want to ask if those door courtesy lights are the same for the front and back doors, the seller(your link) has them listed in pairs and i just want to make sure.

2. Could you also get a link to the listing for the v6 dual vvti sticker you bought? I can only find the genuine one from a toyota dealership and the black wont look that nice on my tint :(

Thanks, Richard

[Full-Throttle]

heyheyhey

Im liking this set up very much :) So many things i want! I just got to ask you a few questions, please help me

1. I just want to ask if those door courtesy lights are the same for the front and back doors, the seller(your link) has them listed in pairs and i just want to make sure.

2. Could you also get a link to the listing for the v6 dual vvti sticker you bought? I can only find the genuine one from a toyota dealership and the black wont look that nice on my tint :(

Thanks, Richard

Hey Richard, thanks! Yep the door lights are the same front and rear and are sold in pairs, so you'll need to change the quantity to 2 if you want a set of four :). Here's a link to the V6 Dual VVT-i sticker: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Toyota-Prado-stickers-decals-x2-for-V6-dual-VVTi-premium-quality-/252027890259?hash=item3aae086a53&vxp=mtr

[Full-Throttle]

On Friday I upgraded headunits from the Erisin ES7668AU (WinCE OS) to the Eonon GA5164F (Android KitKat OS). At almost half the price of the Eonon unit, the Erisin was great value for money, but the age old saying of "you get what you paid for" definitely rung true this time. The Eonon has a much more powerful processor and doesn't seem to have random freezes and hiccups like the Erisin did, plus being Android based it essentially future-proofs itself by being able to use the Google Play Store to download the latest apps etc with the built in WiFi. When I initially bought the Erisin unit 4-months ago I didn't think that an Android based headunit would be necessary for me since I use my smartphone for apps, games, messaging etc, but I'll gladly eat my own hat on this occasion and say that I wish it had have been my first choice

Sadly, Customs stung me with fees when it arrived in NZ, which made this unit even more expensive than normal, but after using it for only a few days so far I can confidently say that it's worth every cent. My only real complaint is the time it takes to boot up after the ignition has been off for a few minutes. The Erisin used to boot up almost instantly, with only about a 3-5 second boot logo time, whereas the Eonon seems to take around 20-seconds to boot up. Admittedly, you can still use your reversing camera during the first 5-seconds of booting, but you can't play music or use video inputs (such as my front camera) until the unit has finished booting up, which is somewhat annoying.

Apart from that, the WiFi works well, the screen is super responsive (it's just like using a phone), Bluetooth works well and music quality sounds great. All in all, I got what I paid for and it's a definite upgrade from the Erisin. If you're someone who just wants to use the stereo for music and phone calls then definitely consider the Erisin as for the price it's not bad, but if you're someone like me who likes to keep up with the play and have the ability to customize things in as many ways as possible then there's no looking past the Eonon in my opinion.

Anyway, enough about the stereo - Today I also painted the factory brake calipers red. This isn't a decision I made without putting a lot of thought behind it as I know how some cars can look really tacky with painted calipers, but considering how well the TRD model pulls it off (not a model we got here locally) I decided to bite the bullet and do it. The final outcome is something that compliments the car but isn't 'in your face'. Sure, it doesn't have the braking ability of the TRD Aurion, but we all know that painted calipers yield an extra 5hp at the wheels :P

Edited September 27, 2015 by Full-Throttle

[Speedz]

You might want to edit your HU post.

Its confusing.

The Erisin used to boot up almost instantly, with only about a 3-5 second boot logo time, whereas the Erisin seems to take around 20-seconds to boot up. Admittedly, you can still use your reversing camera during the first 5-seconds of booting, but you can't play music or use video inputs (such as my front camera) until the unit has finished booting up, which is somewhat annoying.

Otherwise its a great post! lol

[Full-Throttle]

You might want to edit your HU post.

Its confusing.

The Erisin used to boot up almost instantly, with only about a 3-5 second boot logo time, whereas the Erisin seems to take around 20-seconds to boot up. Admittedly, you can still use your reversing camera during the first 5-seconds of booting, but you can't play music or use video inputs (such as my front camera) until the unit has finished booting up, which is somewhat annoying.

Otherwise its a great post! lol

Edited ;). Too many Erisins and Eonons going through my head!

[Speedz]

Bro what do you reckon of the sound chip? Are they any good or better than the stock?

[Full-Throttle]

Bro what do you reckon of the sound chip? Are they any good or better than the stock?

I wouldn't say better than stock, but it's not any worse than stock either. I get deep bass and good clean midrange through the speakers when listening to music via USB stick, but I have changed the front speakers to 6.5's, so that could alter the results a little. The stock Toyota systems are usually pretty well built in terms of output these days, but are often stuck in the dark ages when it comes to functionality.

[Full-Throttle]

Yesterday I found myself stranded on the side of the road due to a leak in the infamous oil cooler hose at the front of the engine. This is a VERY common problem which is well documented online by other Aurion, Rav4, Camry, Sienna, Highlander, and Lexus owners that have the 2GR-FE engine. Some of you may remember my post on page 1 of this thread where the VVTi oil line at the back of the engine decided to spring a leak in the same sort of way and I replaced it with a full metal line as found on the latest shape Aurion (GSV50). Fortunately that time I noticed oil dripping on the garage floor and managed to get it replaced the next day before it created a serious leak. This time however I wasn't so lucky, as out of nowhere the oil cooler pipe ruptured seemingly out of nowhere, and began to squirt the engine oil out at an alarming rate. I noticed the smoke straight away as it leaked down onto the exhaust and burnt off, so I quickly pulled over into a gas station which was conveniently right there.

I immediately looked under the car, expecting to see a coolant leak but when I wiped my finger along the plastic undertray it was hot engine oil that greeted me. I called my Dad, whose house I had just been visiting 5-minutes earlier, and asked him to kindly bring me some oil so I could get my car to a mechanic ASAP. Even in the short space of time that it all happened (about 100m and 20-seconds as I was stuck at a red light) the hose had squirted out almost all of the oil. My digital UltraGauge only indicated an engine temp of 90-degrees (regular is 85-degrees) when I switched the engine off, so there was no engine damage thankfully.

After refilling the oil and letting the engine cool down to around 60-degrees, I set off to my mechanic, which was only about 2km the opposite way. As luck would have it, I caught every single red light on the way, so I turned off the engine until it went green again as the oil only pumped out when the engine was running. I got there as quickly as possible, with the engine temp not exceeding 87-degrees when I arrived, but when I checked the oil level after I arrived it was almost empty again. So in that very short space of time almost 6-litres of oil had been lost. God must have been on my side that day because even though it was a Sunday, the mechanic had popped into the workshop briefly and I was able to explain the problem, give him my keys and leave the car overnight until this morning. Funnily enough, I had the full metal replacement line sitting at home this whole time, 'just in case'.

As a side note, I had been meaning to replace the alternator pulley at some stage too as it had started to make a chirping sound at idle once warm, so I decided to get it done at the same time and chucked in a brand spanking new genuine Toyota alternator that I had sitting at home. I dropped off the parts this morning, plus some more oil, and 4-hours later the job was done. All up it only ended up costing me $278, which is a damn side cheaper than replacing the engine . The leak in the oil hose was literally a pin hole prick - So it's amazing how a leak so small can squirt out such vast amounts of oil and make so much mess when it's under pressure.

TL;DR version: Oil cooler hose started leaking, oil everywhere, new metal one put in, alternator replaced due to squeaky pulled, no more squeaking, engine fine, everybody happy.

This is a photo I got from Google but it shows the comparison between the two lines. With both oil lines now replaced with metal ones this problem should never happen again, but I urge other Aurion owners (or any owners with the 2GR-FE engine that have the rubber oil hoses) to replace them with the metal version ASAP as it could leave you and your family stranded when you least expect it:

Edited October 19, 2015 by Full-Throttle

[Full-Throttle]

A small but effective addition:

[Lawz]

A big fan of your modding style! :). Aurion looks awesome!

[Full-Throttle]

Thanks mate :D

I slapped this personalized plate on the car a couple of days ago. It doesn't stand for anything as such, but adds a little more character:

[Full-Throttle]

I decided to get the personalized plates remanufactured to freshen them up with the new font, and opted to add a couple of spaces between the zeros :)

[Full-Throttle]

I managed to get a couple of mods done to the Aurion today. The first thing on the 'to do' list was to make a cold air intake from scratch, using a bunch of parts I bought last weekend from various online sellers and performance shops. All of the parts are designed to be a universal fit for most makes and models, not specifically for the Aurion, so I had to modify certain things to make it all fit. I didn't end up using the straight 3" alloy pipe seen in the first photo, but all of the other parts I ended up using. I still have to buy one more 3.5" T-bolt clamp as I was one short due to the throttle body opening being bigger than I thought, but aside from that the set-up is complete and it sounds AMAZING!! :D. It's too hot here today to tell if it's made a difference in performance but on the cooler mornings during the trip to work next week I should be able to tell - However to be honest, I only did this mod for the noise enhancement, so any performance increase will simply be a bonus :)

The list of parts I used is as follows:

* 1x 3" 45-degree alloy intercooler pipe.

* 1x 3" alloy MAF sensor adapter pipe.

* 2x 3" black silicone joiners.

* 1x 3" black 45-degree silicone joiner.

* 3x 3" stainless T-bolt clamps.

* 2x 3.5" stainless T-bolt clamps.

* Simota extra long (220mm vs 130mm) 3" pod filter.

* Simota mini breather (for crankcase ventilation hose).

'

The second mod I got out of the way was the installation of this 'Potent Booster' throttle controller. I installed the unit next to the ashtray in the centre console, which gets hidden when you shut the flap. This works by amplifying the signal sent from the accelerator and makes the ECU think that you're applying more throttle than you really are. The benefit of this is that it eliminates the lag when you push the accelerator (typical of drive-by-wire systems) and makes the car 'feel' faster. You don't gain any horsepower or torque with this mod and I was really skeptical about it's effectiveness when buying it, but after driving the car after the install I can confidently say that it livens it right up and transforms the whole feel of acceleration.

I thought it might have been a case of just having to press your foot down harder to achieve the same result, hence why I was so skeptical to spend good money on this product, but after testing the difference between the 'normal' mode and 'sports' mode the responsiveness definitely can't be replicated by pushing your foot down quicker/harder, so it seems like it was worth the money overall. There are a number of other modes you can put it on too (including a fuel economy mode), each with 9 intensity levels for each mode but I found that Sports 5 is the optimal setting for my driving style.

Edited November 7, 2015 by Full-Throttle

[Sportivo_05]

This is one hell of a build thread, excellent info and a seriously awesome looking SX6.

Couple of questions... I cant seem to find the part number for the metal oil line and also did you need to cut any of the parts for the intake setup??

[Full-Throttle]

This is one hell of a build thread, excellent info and a seriously awesome looking SX6.

Couple of questions... I cant seem to find the part number for the metal oil line and also did you need to cut any of the parts for the intake setup??

Thanks!! :D. The part number for the skinny metal VVTi oil line behind the engine is 15772-31030 and the part number for the metal oil cooler line at the front of the engine is 15767-31020. For the intake I had to cut some of the 45-degree degree pipe down to size (took a few inches off), and ended up reusing that piece between the straight joiner and 45-degree joiner in the pics above. If I was to do the set-up all over again I would likely use two 45-degree pipes instead as it would eliminate the need for the 45-degree joiner, but as it sits right now there's no rubbing or knocking and the set-up took minimal effort :)

[Sportivo_05]

Awsome, thanks heaps for that mate.

[Full-Throttle]

Had the chance to take some new photos of the Aurion today :)

[Full-Throttle]

The Aurion got some attention this weekend, starting off with wrapping the center console in a bronze/gold carbon fiber vinyl. The console had to be disassembled in individual pieces to be wrapped properly, so lining up the stripes was a bit of a pain, but with a bit of patience the end result was worth it.

Continuing on with the carbon theme, I chucked this billet aluminium TRD style oil cap on. I really like the design of this cap, and although it's purely aesthetic, I think it compliments the rest of the engine bay nicely.

That's all for this weekend! :D. Time to relax before the start of another week at work.....

[Kanmuri79]

Good work man. How much in vinyl costs? sizes ordered? Just cheap ebay brand?

[Full-Throttle]

Good work man. How much in vinyl costs? sizes ordered? Just cheap ebay brand?

Thanks man. I bought it from AliExpress for $16.90 USD with free shipping, but when I logged back in a few days later they had a 50% sale on and it was only $8.79 USD shipped, so I bought a traditional black/white carbon fibre roll just because it's cheap :). This stuff sticks better than feces to a fur coat and doesn't get air bubbles like other vinyl due to type of backing it has. Size-wise, it's 50cm x 200cm, so it's HUGE. The sale is still on right now - Here's a link: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/50x200cm-High-Glossy-Film-Vinyl-Car-Change-Color-Car-Sticker-2D-Carbon-Fiber-Vinyl-Accessories-Film/32351823018.html