peregrine

I'm going to paint my grille tomorrow basically because i want to paint something on my car again as i enjoyed it last time (painted door pillars black as they had faded). I was just wondering if anybody had any thoughts on what i should paint... i'm thinking of painting the main horizontal bits with matte black paint, then a clear coat. at the moment it's stock, (dark grey) and nothing else on the car seems to be grey anyways.

what i'm unsure of is if i should paint the chrome border or leave it, and if i should paint the toyota badge black as well for a moddish look or leave it chrome. i think i might like that look on the badge but people might just think i forgot to mask it lol. my car is navy blue btw. thoughts?

here's a pic of the grille as is. sorry for the darkness.

Chrome the cross bits!!! for just $12 or so buy a roll of chrome pin striping I think I used 9 mil width looks great and wears well I've had mine on for ages and still looks like new. Line up the top of each cross bar with the top of the tape, run it along the length, cut and roll the bottom of the tape under. Its that easy.

Does anyone have experience with removing the catalytic converter and the change in performance ? Track use of-course. I imagine the car should run cooler and perhaps rev a bit quicker ?

While I agree that the cat should not be removed for all the obvious reasons. If there is no gain in power by bypassing the cat how come so much money is being spent by performance cars and others to legitimately reduce back pressure by fitting hi flow cats?

Hi All,

Just wondering what could be causing a whining noise in the mornings when i turn on my 2005 Camry Altise.

it only happens when it is early in the morning and after a couple of hours of use dissapears.

Any Advise?

Kind Regards

Often get those noises. Traced it only happening when the Missus was in the car? HA HA

Just a question Purple 61, has the pan ever been taken off and new gasket fitted, also the strainer/filter cleaned?

The reason I ask, is that I only bought the '99 Camry that I have a month ago and the auto transmission fluid was pretty dark, not burnt. When I had it serviced by Central Automatic Transmission Services, they told me that it still had the original pan gasket, and that the filter was very dirty with build up. It has only 111,000 K's. They told me that it is pretty common, for DIY servicing to drain and refill the fluid with 3-3.5 litres.

I have noticed that nowhere in the service manual on my 1999 Vienta does it suggest that the auto trans: filter be checked or cleaned. Which to me sounds crazy. The filter is a s/s filter that is cleaned and reused over and over.

So, I checked my oil today and it is getting quite black. And I need someone to help me to decide to change it or not! Reason I ask is that I don't do 15,000K a year and so all of my services would be by date, not KM.

My last service was 60K and now I'm sitting on 66,000. It would take me at least another couple of months to cover 1500KM for my 67500 additional service. But upon inspection my oil is quite black. Kind of like this dude

My next scheduled service is next year on April (forth month). But I don't want to wait that long because the oil is looking very unhealthy.

I will be doing this additional service myself and do my scheduled service at my mechanic to get the log book stamped as I am still under warranty.

Soooo, what should I do :S. Wait(If I wait, my next service is still 7 months away, counting from october), service it myself, etc

To be honest, if I had the money I wouldn't even think twice about not doing it but since I am strapped for cash these days it's a hard choice.

edit: Reason for why my oil would be black so quickly after only 6000KM since last service would be because I start stop my car a lot and it does a lot of short trips (its mainly local).

double edit: I'll be using Penrite HPR5. This **** costs a pretty penny. If you think there is better oil around the same price ($46 for 5 litres) please do tell :)

With the type of driving you are doing, short trips, stop start etc which I would recon be classified as extreme I would suggest you check your owners manual which should recommend earlier oil changes for such conditions. Probably be wise to change your oil every 6 months eg: 7500Ks.If you have just changed your oil from non or semi synthetic to a fully synthetic oil, the change could quite possibly be the reason for the oil turning black, due to better scavenging of sediments left by the other oils.

Hi guys, I am the new member in here.

I just got a 05 Camry V6 from my friend. The car need service soon. I not sure which oil is better.

1) Penrite HPR 5 (Semi-Synthetic)

2) Nulon 10W-40 (Full Synthetic)

Other then above. Is it hv any other better choice in the market?

My car is a 1999 V6 Vienta with 176000+ks on the clock I recently switched over to Nulon 10/40 have not used any oil, have not experienced any problems other than the oil discoloring a bit more than usual, which I expected and is a consequence of the fully synthetic oil doing a better job. Suggest doing an early oil change after the first refill, just to keep things right. By the way the car had been using Castrol Magnetec semi synthetic until then, which I understand is used by many, if not most dealers. Oh and I my mechanic did run an engine flush through first. I've used the same Mechanic for the past 20 years. He's fully Qualified,knows what he is doing and agreed the swap would be fine.

Hi all,

i did a search on ebay and got the following

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=Toyota+Aurion+performance+chip&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=

but im not sure which one to get... im lookin for some extra hp BUT i dunt want to lose my engine or gear..

i already have fujita cold intake installed and it is very good

looking for some one pro to advise me which 1 to chose or if there is something out more reliable and safe

thaaanks

Hi In the early days change over hi tech? ECUs worked fine as pretty much all they controlled were the spark advance and the fuel mixture as did the OEM units. However now OEM ECUs control a whole bundle of stuff some of which relies on readings from those 2 points so even if you install an after market unit in tandem by isolating those 2 points its effectiveness would be doughtful. However Jaycar do sell units that can attack both spark advance and fuel mixture ratios in quite a sophisticated manner with the ability to adjust the levels as you wish. These units which have simple single wire attachments to the Air-flow meter can be purchased either in Kit form or assembled cost only a fraction of the cost of after market ECUs

The Camry Owner's manual states to disconnect the car negative battery terminal before charging the battery. Is this really necessary? My concern is about possible loss of electronic data such as airbag, engine diagnostic etc.

What you experts think?

K8Canb

It does state it but i wouldnt bother .. For example when jump starting the car .. You cant jump start with the negative disconnected so i dont understand why they really bother when charging it ...

yes but if you don't do it right you could finish up with a stuffed alternator.

So after Andy's problem with his service/oil and injector cleaner info it got me thinking that maybe we should have a list of dealers in our areas that people feel do give good service and happy to leave there car with for services/warrenty issues??

who wants to kick it off?

Well I suppose like all things, there are good and bad dealers. Not only does the dealer, have to be good. Is the mechanic or apprentice working on your car up to it? When it comes to you, your body, your health, many people elect to have private cover so they can select their preferred specialist etc: at that extra cost. So why not without any added costs find a really good mechanic knowing he will be the one doing your work at no extra cost and will most likely be a lot cheaper. I've been using the same mechanic for over 22 years and my only worry is that he might decide to move or retire.

The Camry Owner's manual states to disconnect the car negative battery terminal before charging the battery. Is this really necessary? My concern is about possible loss of electronic data such as airbag, engine diagnostic etc.

What you experts think?

K8Canb

The reason for disconnecting the battery is to save the possibility of causing damage to the electrics such as the alternator etc:

I had a leaking steering pump in my 1999 Camry replaced around the 155,000km mark. Toyota quoted me $800 to overhaul the pump, therefore I opted for an independent mechanic who fitted a reconditioned OEM pump for under $400. So far, two years and 50,000km later, there are no issues with the overhauled pump.

I also had my steering rack replaced as one of the rubber boots was seeping slightly. A reconditioned rack along with all the labour and a wheel alignment cost me about $450.

Thanks Topdog and JMacca53 for your helpful replies. By the way I read somewhere the rubber boots could be purchased in two halves and attached over without having to pull anything apart. I think I got that right!!

Hi, has anyone had problems with leaking power steering pumps? My car is an early 1999 Vienta V6 and the power steering pump has been replaced twice with reconditioned units, prior to my ownership.Replacments in 2008, July 2009 and is leaking again. The reconditioned units cost between $250 to $290 but are they any good? new pumps range in price from $940+ for pumps from Toyota Japan prior to early 1999 models, to $450+ for Ausy built pumps from early 1999 onward. I presume they are interchangeable? It could be that the previous owner had a habit of holding the steering on full lock for extended periods which could be one reason the previous pumps failed. Any help in regards to the best way to go would be appreciated. Thanks in anticipation.

1990 Camry wont start the car wonts to kik over but fails could it be the fuel pump

If it won't turn over, nothing or just a clicking sound. Suggest 1. check battery terminals are clean and tight 2 check battery for charge ie could be flat or may be need new battery or reco: alternator . 3 starter motor might need replacing. Or if absolutely nothing, could be wiring. ignition switch, solenoid, etc.

I wouldn't use ArmourAll on anything - it's no good.

I used Amourall on a Nissan Skyline over 16 year period 1988 from new till 2004 and all surfaces were still like new when I sold it. So I still use it and have no complaints!

I have never used E10 in my Camry and no matter how high petrol prices get, I refuse to use it. I'm suspicious of how well these blends are measured and am always weary of where independents like United Fuel here in Melbourne source their fuel from. Unlike NSW and QLD, the independents are the only brands to sell E10 at the present time.

I have tried a range of fuels in my car to varying success. I now religiously use Mobil 6000 (96RON) and have found this to give the best balance between extra performance and economy. Each time I fill up, I calculate my fuel consumption (distance travelled divided by litres used) and am consistently getting anything between 8.8-10.5L/100km.

The worst fuel I have tried is Shell V-Power. I honestly could not tell what the hype was about, the rough idling and poor economy really surprised me. What was even worse was the long queue due to the four cents off discount offered through Coles.

In Victoria, well at least in the areas I've filled up at, Shell not only sells E10 but advertises it as their base price on their boards. I keep away from E10 and use V-Power exclusively I have had no hassles and obtain a return of 8.7ltrs -100Ks on a trip. The car is a 1999 V6 Vienta with 176000Ks on the clock. The trouble you experienced could be conducive to a bad or dirty batch of fuel. PS Ive just purchased some Airtabs (Vortex generators) at$4.50c each from a Sydney mob and will install them at the back of the roof just before and above the rear glass area and on the top rear of the boot to see if this improves economy and whatever. trucks and semis as well as the EVO Lancer use them and Semi operators swear by them.

Can anyone please tell me how to change the clock on a 1997 Vienta???

1997 Vienta could be either of two models and presuming its the 1997-2001 model.From memory there are two buttons just near the clock dial one for the hours and one for the minutes. Press each in turn until the numbers you require come up.

You might miss the build quality....

Other than that, they have great performance potential.

When its not in the workshop!!! Had two new Holden's in the past. Never again, lost hours and hours of time out of action. when I told them of my problems the mechanic said, either that's Holden or that's mass production to which I used to reply that's my money. NO thanks but good luck to you.

With age the headlight glass-plastic becomes discolored and dull. An easy way to brighten them up without cost, if the problem is only marginal and particularly if its only slight , is pop into the bathroom grab the toothpaste and away you go. Put a bit of toothpaste on a rag and start polishing its a very, very mild abrasive and can give you some joyous results.

I generally use Meguiars Glass Cleaner (the non acid one in the maroon bottle) on both the insides and outsides of my windows and I find that tends to help bead wise, although I would like to try RainX. They stay pretty clean between washes and the water runs off pretty well. Although I will try your suggestion on the weekend Davo and clay bar the windows as well out of curiosity :)

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Clay it and just feel the difference, Smoooooth!! gets rid of all the embedded crap that doesn't come off with normal cleaners.

Does anyone experience road noise/tyre noise in there Aurions? I just drove my bro in laws sportivo camry and that thing is deadly quiet and his tyres are like only few weeks left from having to replace but the car is still quiet as!

Is this the lack of sound deadening in our aurions or is it my tyres?

Not sure about the Aurion but had the same problem, though only slight, in my Vienta. Solved the problem,by completing the double door insulating pieces that Toyota left out around the doors.

Does anyone know what is involved and what dealers do for $120 on an injector clean? Surely they don't just chuck in an Injector treatment into the fuel tank and say thanks very much! I had an Ausy Skyline from new in 1989, did over 260,000 K's over16 years and other than the occasional Nulon injector treatment in the petrol tank the injectors weren't touched and were still working perfectly, when I parted company with the car. Oh! I used to put in 20Mls of two stroke oil whenever I filled the petrol tank, to help lubricate the valves and injectors and of insufficient quantity to affect the catalytic converter. Maybe Toyota injectors are of a poorer quality?

Great car, presume 2ltr engine or less due to Singapore tax? reasons. Hey, you left the Toyota emblem on the rear!!! By the way while I'm now a dinkum Ausy: I was borne in KL, spent my early life in Batu Caves and still carry many happy memories of my life over there. Revisited in 1980 after 30 years and felt like a complete foreigner there.

36psi front and rear.

We have 2 Camrys,... 2000 ser2 V6 and a 2006 ACV40R 4cyl and have found this to be the best for both cars after trying many combinations. They ride smooth btw. That is also the pressure recommended by every tyre fitter i've spoken to as well.

I would never run steel belted radials below 30psi... too much flexing resulting in overheating and belt seperation.

The 2000 V6 just received new tyres (Falkens) after delivering over 50,000k on a set of Hankooks and still had 10,000k plus safely remaining The new Falken tyres are brilliant.. smooth as silk and the handling is remarkedly improved.

The 2006 ACV40R has done 70,000 on the original Dunlops and still have a long way to go.

What brand of tyres are you running??

Some elcheapo tyres do give a rough ride among other surprises.

A friend just had to replace his no name elcheapo tyres which would not have done 5000k... the wire belting was coming out through the side on 2 of them!! It was not through abuse either... he is over 70 and takes his time.

Cheers. :D

Like your friend I'm in my 70S. I'm running, standard run of the mill tyres 205 65 15 Dunlop SP Sport 300E tyres chosen for acceptable handling and quiet running I also find them ideal for my type of driving. The 28psi pressure was suggested by the RACV who I find are very adept at providing accurate and meaningful information. However thanks for your response and your points have been taken. I suppose like anything with variables there are varying views each with their own merits and or mistakes. My reason for running softer tyres is to help place less strain on the rest of the undercarriage and a softer ride. By the way a 1994 Fairmont I once owned recommended 26PSI on the same size tyres and I B) had absolutely no problems Over thousands and thousands of kilometers with tyres of the same size (yes rear wheel drive)!

Try claying it.

Decided to give claying a go. Great stuff! I used Mcguiars, real easy but time consuming to use, followed by a wax job. 10 year old paint glistens and looks as good as new. Maybe even better?? Clay does a great job on glass as well, leaves it smooth as silk..