Richie

Have your brake pressure checked. Does the pedal feel as solid as before?

I was just thinking this yesterday afternoon, more on that in a minute, a little history first. I had the pads replaced and discs machined under warranty as they had somehow become warped (almost complete loss of braking power). That was on the 40,000 service. Car went out of warranty around 55,000kms and then had the clutch replaced, again pads changed and discs machined.

Now as I understand it, once the discs are machined, they put on a softer brake pad to bed in the brakes, at least this is what Toyota told me. RAC (who did the clutch, service and brakes) made no mention of putting softer breaks on there.

Pushing down on the brake pedal at idle, the pedal goes to the floor, probably go a bit more if it could. I wouldn't have thought this is right given they are fairly new brake pads?

Is there a way I can test the brake pressure or is it just a matter of seeing how far you can push it down? I've checked the brake fluid and it seems to be upto the correct mark.

did they use toyota genuine pads? cause they tend to get noisey out of nowhere i get it all the time with mine one minute theyre fine next theyd be graunching their heads off.

the squeek could be a shim rattle or a shim out of place maybe rust on the disk

Not sure, I'll dig out the service receipt and check the part number. I also have to check to make sure they installed the Exedy HD clutch as I requested (they ensured they did, but it pays to check).

Hi All,

I recently had my clutch replaced about 6 weeks ago (2 days out of warranty, nothing wrong structurally, apparently just a heavy clutch foot :-/), as well as having the front brake pads replaced (and rotors machined) and a service. About two weeks after the brakes were replaced, the front right wheel started developing a squeak - think like a squeaky cog on something or a squeaky mousewheel. The noise stops as soon as I start braking, and sometimes its non existant - actually its become more dampened, but still apparent.

Then the other week, I smelt burning brakes, and the front left wheel made a grinding sound, this lasted for all of two minutes. I inspected the pads and rotors and they both appear to be set in and have enough pad on them, so I'm totally stumped to what it is.

Anyone got any ideas? If I can't solve it, I'll have to take it back to where I had it serviced and take them for a drive, but being the pseudo-mechanic that I am, I'd rather see if I can pinpoint the problem first.

Just bringing up this thread, as I'm having problems with my clutch in my 2005 Rolla.

The clutch has been 'slipping', first and second are fine, but anything more than mild acceleration in 3,4 and 5 makes the engine over rev. My warranty runs out Monday (I was going to take it in, but as it went away - I thought they'd tell me to go away as I couldn't reproduce it), so I could take it in on Monday.

I've done the 'test' mentioned here, putting it in 5th and slowly letting the clutch out til the car stalls, it stalls about 1/4 to 1/3rd the way up. I'm seeming to think that its a clutch adjustment that is required, rather than a new clutch. Is there any adjustment I can do myself to fix the issue? I'm quite desperate as its the weekend, and I no service centres are open :-( I'm having to baby the clutch and hopefully not burn it out.

Also, can anyone in Perth let me know a decent Toyota dealer to use, the one I bought my car from seem to be quite lax when it comes to fixing problems correctly.

I pay $450 a year on my 2005 Ascent, but thats with 25% staff discount :-D

Had a thought too, the differing opinions of underwriters. However none of their decisions are opinionated I don't think, they are all driven by their guidlines. Or are they?

Underwriters arent opinionated, they have a set of rules that they establish based on the risks they are willing to accept. So its not opinions, its what they are willing to offer/cover.

All Australian underwritten companies are regulated by their guidelines. Thats why they are consistent in the cover they offer. Overseas underwriters, thats a different ball game.

Theres no real point bagging an insurer, it just means thats not the right cover for you.

Underwriters are opinionated (I know, I am one :-). They have to operate within guidelines, but theres always a way to bend the rules, someone with higher authority etc. They are just that, guidelines. I can do cheaper quotes without including no claim bonus protection, yet still show it on the system, but not charged. Not supposed to be done, but it happens, because, when a broker is saying 'this customer has $XXXXXX amount of business with us and you won't drop the motor vehicle premium by $200', its a different ball game.

Overseas companies are exactly the same, they have gudielines too. Guidelines are based on how much and the scope of the companys treaty reinsurance. Companys with bigger bottom ends are going to be able to afford greater reinsurance and suffer greater losses. It also depends on the statistics the actuaries use. You've all seen it with your quotes, same ages and vehicles, different prices at different companies.

Here's a hot tip - call an insurance broker. Tell them the cheapest quote you have, they'll go off to their respective underwriters and get quotes, plus they have the ability of negotiation and discounts. They'll try to obtain you the cheapest quote they can, the price they get is the price you get, no charges (unless they nett it, and charge you a fee, which is usually lower than the commission). The worst that can happen is they can't match it, the best thing, you save money!

But! And theres always a but, read your PDS! The benefits that you need should be in the policy. ie. The company I'm insured with doesn't insure items stolen from a vehicle, yet the company I work for insures upto $500 worth, but, I can insure my car for $5000 more with the company I'm with, only $2000 more than its worth with the company I work for. The extra agreed value is worth more to me than the stolen valuables, I've just learnt to be dilligent and not leave expensive stuff in the car and used copied CDs only.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me, or PM me. I'm happy to answer them.

hey richie

do work in the insurance industry??

Sure do mate, handle the whole domestic motor portfolio in WA for one of Australias largest brokers.

I've just gotten a quote for my mate, who is 20 and has a Sportivo, lowered, 18" rims, $2500 stereo system, exhaust mods, CAI.

Total $980 annual, plus $350 basic excess and $500 age excess. Thats on 60% NCB and a discount, but thats the joys of being an insurance underwriter :-)

Can you get a quote for me?

Send me a PM listing all your mods, your birth year, what year Sportivo and your postcode, I'll see what I can do for you.

The quote I did was for WA, Sydney and Melbourne tend to be higher, but I'm happy to do a tentative quote.

I've just gotten a quote for my mate, who is 20 and has a Sportivo, lowered, 18" rims, $2500 stereo system, exhaust mods, CAI.

Total $980 annual, plus $350 basic excess and $500 age excess. Thats on 60% NCB and a discount, but thats the joys of being an insurance underwriter :-)

Thanks for the info guys. With the wheel arch trims, its like they've been affected by heat, it hasn't popped out all the way along, just at certain points. Nothing has impacted them. I'll ask them to remove and refit them again at the service. Problem is, I usually drop the car off early in the morning. I might get a day off and drop it off and get a loaner, this way I can talk to them. Cheers for your replies :-)

My Rolla (05 Ascent Sport, Manual) is coming up for its 20,000 service and I've got a few problems with it, wondering what peoples thoughts are on getting them fixed.

First one is the shrouds in the front wheel arches, they seem to be affected by heat and have 'popped' out. Last service, they allagedly took them out and refitted them, one stayed fixed, the other didn't. Has anyone else had this problem, did you get them replaced?

Second is my left front speaker crackles at certain bass frequencies. Last time they couldn't find anything wrong, this time I'll be letting them know what music to use. Can they decline to fix it if my bass is right up (which it isn't, its set about half way between 0 and max, same for treble)? Also, I'm STILL getting times when the CD gets stuck in the player, and I have to fully turn the iginition off and start the car, just to get it out. I know it wont raise its ugly head in the service, anyway of talking them into replacing the unit?

Third, gearbox! Some of the gears are just hard to get in, mainly first and reverse. They sometimes just don't go in, clutch to the floor, especially reverse. Sometimes I'll sit there trying to get reverse in and it takes 5 or 6 shots, clutching in and out, letting the car roll, doing other gears first. There is also a bit of pressure, hard to describe, but the gears don't just 'slip in', I'm not sure if this is just because its a new car or not, but I would have thought any fine resistance would have been well sorted by 20,000kms.

Thats all for now, at least on my list anyway.

whats the problem with it?

Quote from: http://www.recalls.gov.au/view_recall_deta...l_ID_Auto=13721

Toyota Corolla/RAV4/Echo - Headlamp Dimmer Switch

Date: 19/10/2005

Supplier Name: Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Limited

Product Make: Toyota

Product Model: Corolla/RAV4/Echo

Target Number: 69,848

Model Years From: 2000 - Jul 31, 2002

Consequences:

Campaign Number: 5530J

VIN Range: Corolla (ZZE122): 00033348 - 00095197, 02000000 - 02003463, 03020421 - 03045546. Echo (NCP10, NCP12, NCP13): 00057333 - 00175961, 03024731 - 03111550, 00088988 - 00254274, 00001541 - 00034820. RAV4 (ACA20, ACA21): 00001038 - 00039482, 00001070 - 00188727.

Serial Range:

Product Info:

Defect Details: In the subject vehicles, the headlamp dimmer switch contact points may overheat due to high internal electrical resistance caused by residue build up on the surface of the contact points. In the worst case, this overheating may cause the headlamps to become inoperative.

Consumer action: All owners will be contacted individually by letter.

Market Coverage: National

Recall Coverage: National

All product recalls must be added to the registry, have a check here for any recalls.

http://www.recalls.gov.au/recalls_guide.php

Thankfully, none for my rolla...yet :-D

Nice ride mate. Thats what I'm aiming for with my Ascent, some nice black rims and lowered, very tidy.

R.I.P Brocky, drove my first Holden because of you mate. Your a champion, may you enjoy that big race track in the sky.

The connector is probably the TVSS ( toyota Vehicle Security System ) connector. If it has/d a black cover on it then it is the TVSS connector

Oh no, you've made me cry! It was that connector, dangit! What is TVSS? I read through the service manual but it didn't tell me what it was for.

So, anyone with an 05 Rolla able to tell me how they found the connectors?

Another option instead of forking out for OEM gear is to just use a replacement switch in the coin slot holder as Buddah did.

Yep, thats an option I'm considering. My main concern is a) find the damn connectors and B) find relatively cheap stock fogs, somewhere around $300 for at least both fogs.

I purchased an ESUSE fog light kit

Thanks for your whole post, some good info there mate! Whereabouts did you source the Esuse fog kit from? I've had a google, but come up trumps for anything for a Runx or 05 Corolla.

Ok,

I had a nice hour long look in my engine bay (discovered what the air bag sensors look like!). Finally found 1 connector for the fogs, it was in the wiring loom between the radiator and the grille, staring me in the face (this is for the LH foggie). Still cannot find the right one, but now I can rest assured the wiring exists for it.

First question. If I replace the stalk, is the fog light wiring already in the stalk connector or is it a seperate connector? If I want to install a rocker switch, do I have to cut wires? (I'm an electrician, thats not a problem, more like warranty problems).

Second, does anyone know where you can get aftermarket facelift foggies? I'm going to do a call around the wreckers tomorrow, but I'm not keen to pay $300 per foglight.

Secondly, anyone in Perth know a decent tinting company. At the moment Im looking at paying $350 for 3M from DMS, at least its 3M, but if I can get the same quality cheaper, I don't mind :-)

Thanks guys,

Police just called me on the weekend, apparently they have a positive match on the plates!!!! :D just waiting for my witness to visit his local police station and give his testiment.

I'll just leave all the work to the cops for the moment, and hopefully hear from them soon

Im pretty sure if the accident is not your fault you only have pay the basic excess (usually $450-$500) if you cant find the other driver. Age excess etc if its only your fault. Plus if your mum drives into your car, she doesnt have pay any excess at all cuz she is family, some loop hole cuz you cant claim against your family.

In the Insurance Contracts Act, its under Rights of Subrogation. If your mum was insured, she'd have to pay the excess on her policy and you should get the claim excess free (this also extends to relatives living within the same dwelling). If she is uninsured, the insurance company can't recover the full costs off of her, but can recover the deductible, ie. your excess.

Now heres the clincher, if your both listed as the policy holders for both vehicles (ie. your mum is a listed driver on your vehicle and vice versa), you both have to pay your excesses, try explaining that one to customers!

To the original poster, I'd pay the excess. What ****** me off in claims is the amount of people with like, $10000 damage to their car and they're being asked to pay $400 becuase they can't find the at fault driver, bloody whingers. If you've spoken to the Police and they have the third party details, you should be fine. The insurance company just has to contact crash records (usually by email) and they will send the info once investigation is complete.

I'd certainly mention the situation, especially if they've already waived it (they can't waive it then reinstate it unless circumstances have changed, which they haven't (look for a section in your policy that says 'Utmost good faith')). If your not happy, speak to a manager, then the claims dispute officer. You'll have to take the long road, as its a process set out by the Insurance Ombudsmand Service and (Voluntary) Code of Conduct.

If it were me, I'd just pay, further down the track you'll get it back. If your cars repaired but they wont release it due to unpaid excess, your just putting yourself out longer without a car.

And my final tip, hire a car if you need to. You can claim back the hire car expenses through either your insurance company (you may have to get a bit pushy for this) or the other partys insurer or directly (once again, be pushy). Your entitled to being in the same position as you were prior to the accident, ie. Having a car.

I wanna know where you can get facelift ones too, Toyota genuine is like $1000, without the stalk!

Also, is the harness there already for the lights? If so, how do you find it. I've taken out the covers and had a look, but couldn't find any connector dangling.

Pre facelift has the harness in place. (at least the Japanese made 1s do)

Have another look, there should be a brown plastic connector on each side of the car, behind the dummy cover, which fits on the back of the globe.

You also need to install a relay (which Toyota want ~$80 for !) under the dashboard and put in a switch or the Genuine Indicator/Headlight/Foglight stalk (part no. 84140-42020).

Toyota Spare Parts prices a re a massive rip off !!!! <_< :(

Cheers.

Ye I took em off and had a look, even stuck my hand in and searched around for them, nothing :-(

I've seen some fog lights on eBay for 05-06 Rollas, but I'm not sure if they'll fit.

I wanna know where you can get facelift ones too, Toyota genuine is like $1000, without the stalk!

Also, is the harness there already for the lights? If so, how do you find it. I've taken out the covers and had a look, but couldn't find any connector dangling.

I get the same problem, it was much more prevalent when the car was new, but does happen occasionally.

I usually just turn the car off and back on again which makes it work.

Whats the side skirt and lip worth anyway?

The dealer screwed up my order, I ordered a Black Ascent Seca and they were having trouble getting one, after hounding them for a few weeks, one finally 'arrived', they've given me an Ascent Sport, minus the 'sport' sticker and the alloys, so it has the spoiler, dimming light, etc.

I'm guessing they just got this one, then offsold the alloys on a base model so someone unknowing.

It's looks pretty sexy (dirty about 30 minutes after I wash it :-D ), but I think it'll look better with Stivo skirts and lip, those plastic bits on the bumper look very...boring.