01 VEY

Hey there. Welcome to the club/site Must be cold up there. It is currently 34 degrees in Brisbane AUS. What engine do you have in the Camry? The Americans seem to use a lot of different ones to what we get here. Look forward to seeing you regularly

EEEEWWWWWWWW. And I thought the canon was dead Just remember that quality is like buying oats... If you dont mind having oats that have already been through the horse ... That comes a little cheaper.

There is a product called Alloy-Brite available from Supercheap or Autobarn. I would get the smallest bottle and try it in an inconspicuous area. Or use the original corrosive degreaser on something not fitted to your car and then try to clean it with the Alloy-Brite or a similar product. If the affected parts are easily removed there is a guy in Jimboomba south of Bris who does Burnishing. I have had an intake manifold done and it came up better (I think) than a new casting. You can call him on 0411 332 834. His business name is Specialized Blasting.

Sorry mate I am only a computer jockey and have to admit that I have not worked on a diesel Cruiser. The info I have is what I have picked up in the last 10 or so years talking to auto electricians and some personal research. As for me I'm happy to stick to the petrol fired enigines. It seems that many Japanese diesel motors started life as basic industrial engine and when fitted to a moving vehicle they found there was a needed to do something for the brakes. Hence the vac pump on the alternator. I hope there is a Toyota trained mechanic out there who can shed some light on the oil feed situation. Whatever happens you definately need the oil. Good luck with getting it going Regards Mark

Get me the genuine part numbers off the alternator and I will most likely find you one on monday. The Toyota number will be 27060-***** Denso number should be 101211-**** Also would help if you had the vehicle year, month and engine model. PM me your e-mail address if you want my mobile number. Regards Bris Southside resident too

Hey Kymbo Sounds like the vacuum pump has been run dry. First thing I would check is the bolt holding the 'Banjo' to the pump. I sell these alternators quite often and have heard of a few that have been fitted with only the packing bolt provided in the pump to keep dust and other junk out during shipping. Make sure that it is hollow through the shaft of the bolt with a hole drilled laterally for oil to come through. Also check that the hose has not de-laminated internally as this will also block any oil from getting to the pump. As far as I understand the oil is fed from the engine oil pressure to the pump. Once it has done the lubricating job it is discharged along with the air used the create the vacuum back into the sump via the bottom pipe. I absolutely don't recommend taking the small pipe off the alternator but I am certain the engine will spit out a few litres a minute onto your floor if it disconnected. This will not only cost a lot to clean up but will also cost you for a drum of new oil. Definately not worth trying to prove this one. The smaller of the hoses is the pressure into the vacuum pump. This is usually fitted onto the alloy casing. Oil then goes through the pump vanes with the air. The other is the dump pipe back to the sump.(see attached picture) I hope it uploads. I trust that this helps Regards Mark

Sorry to say but water damage especially up to the guages just may be terminal. If you really are attached to the car you will need to remove any computer/ECU modules and clean them and any terminal plugs out ASAP. The longer you leave them the harder it gets to fix. I would recommend that you get in really fast with a few cans of CRC, WD40 or another good quality water displacing spray. Spray all the conections liberally with this to help prevent corrosion in the terminal blocks. I have never pulled apart a later model Japanese car but I would believe that there will be dozens of connectors under the dash which will have been submerged. Remove the starter and alternator wash/submerge them in diesel to prevent internal corrosion and have them checked by an auto electrician. Probably will be better to strip them down before even trying to start or crank the motor. If you need a starter or alternator I will be able to get these at a wholesale price if we stock the one you need. Please PM me if you want. I work for an importer of starters alternators and parts. Regards 01VEY

Send me the dimensions or the model of the original battery and I will investigate what options you have. I have a customer who is a Bris distributor for them.

I agree with Dutchie101. Looks a lot like the wheels on my in-laws car. Corrosion under the coating. Sanding this will take a lot of time. The old man paid a fortune to have the eurethane stripped off and then had his re-polished.. Cost him heaps

Sorry man I was reading the post this morning and got a bit distracted. (Mrs came home early ) Like the Rolla Boy said I whole heartedly agree that Optima are the way to go. Some people will tell you to go for an Odyssey battery but for warranty and cranking capacity you can't go past the Optima. A bit on the expensive side but you will most likely have it long after the warranty expires. If you get a standard Cen7#ry, Supe^@harge, E*1de or other you will usually replace them at least every couple years or even sooner. This will make the Optima seem reasonable when compared over the years you will have it Hope all goes well If you still have problems PM me and I will give you my mobile to call.

Traffic noise on the M1 at Springwood Qld. Background music - The Script I am locked out of work due to flooding at Archerfield It's not so bad though

Much of the problem may be directly attributed to the battery. But there are other factors may need to take into account if you have a serious stereo. ie - What is the current draw on the vehicle electrical system to feed the stereo. Let me know and I will try to work something out for you before you get a new battery. I am new to the club/forum but I work in the Auto Electrical industry and may be able to help P/S I also am in Brisbane on the southside

I have been trying to get rid of mine for many years but NOBODY wants her even though she is an excellent cook. Seriously though I am sure if I had one of the Toyota version I would be very reluctant to sell Good luck though.

It is fantastic to find a young guy who isn't into all the add-ons. Down with wings (not the group) Down with Side skirts & non factory bonnet bulges WOOHOO Man that car looks awesome Whose granny did you steal that from???

Welcome to you I am new to the club too. Seems that I am missing out somehow. What's with the Aurion owners. You all seem to rave about them. I will have to borrow a mate's car to check it out. His is a really fancy black racing job. Looks sensational.

Hey David I am no mechanic but I would check if there are any bubbles coming up in the radiator while the motor is hot and running. If there are any then there is a possibility of the beginnings of a blown head gasket. I know that removing the plugs can be a real challenge but you should check if there is any moisture inside the cylinders. Leave the car to cool (maybe overnight friday) and try to see if there is any condensation on the plug electrodes. Sadly this too can be an indication of gasket problems or worse - a cracked head. This was the case for my daughter's Sirion. But at least it has only 3 cylinders. Please dont tell anyone about the Sirion I have allowed in my yard. YUK

Can you drop in a link to some pics? I googled 'Avensis' and got a whole lot of different cars

yeah if I go into a shop at all the staff run screaming from the store. I can only imagine if I went in angry. lol

The 'yellow' bits look like the top coating has not been done properly. What you are seeing I believe is the primer/undercoat showing through rather than fading. I had a GoKart powder coated a long time ago and it had similar thin coating on it. There was yellow peeking through thru red PC. I would take it back and ask the guys to have a look. Dont go in all guns blazing though. Most businesses are nore than happy to re-do something like this to keep their reputation intact. Hope this goes well for you Regards

My sincere apologies for the Monaro gaff. I was talking of Holden cars made since 2006 though. They are, no matter what they are called, badged or labelled a Daewoo. For my money I will always demand Japanese first, Japanese second and Japanese third. If you can't afford the up front cost of a decent car be prepared to keep on paying through the nose to keep it on the road for the next few years. In recent times some of the Korean vehicles ie. Hyundai have been setting the standard of build quality. Due to being at the wholesale end of the automotive parts supply industry I see a lot of vehicles that I would steer clear of. The Ford range doesn't offer any imported vehicles of any merit either. The Focus, Fiesta and Mondeo etc are like the Holden Daewoos a poor excuse for a car which are best left in the sellers yard. Kia vehicles are another car for which I am constantly being asked for parts. My employer's company makes a tidy profit from the lower end price cars that are brought into the country. The long & short of it is this - Quality is like buying oats...If you dont mind having oats that have already been through a horse, That will come a little cheaper. Just rememmber to do a lot of research before you buy and spend a hundred or so on each car to have it checked by a trusted mechanic before you sign any sale contract. Well worth it Regards 01 VEY

The alternator I am talking about is a genuine one. There are some cheap aftermarket ones that give heaps of trouble and end up costing loads more due to the hours to remove and refit. Personally I admit that although I am a Ford fan I would steer clear of these. Remember though that any Holden vehicle that is not a Commodore, Statesman, Monaro or Ute are made by GM Global and will be a Korean made Daewoo re-badged. i.e Captiva, Barina, Cruze and Epica. Look closely and you will see the family resemblance...YUK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello there I have had a few freinds who have the Escape/Tribute. The Mazda variant is better trimmed inside and has what I believe to be better looking wheels. I work in the Auto electrical industry and sell a heap of alternators for these vehicles. Keep in mind that the alterator alone is worth around $900.00 and can take some tradesmen around 6 hours to remove and refit so please ask if the one you intend to buy has had this VERY expensive job already done. You may save yourself a couple grand in the next year or so. Generally the alternator will need to be replaced round every 120,000 to 150,000kms depending on the quality of the unit that is fitted. Happy hunting for the right one.

Hey I have had a few stereos supplied and fitted by so called professionals. Please please please ask to see some of their workmanship before going ahead. On one of the jobs I had done they cut through the plastic fascia on the dash and then used 50mm screws to mount the stacker to the floor. The guy mounted it under the front seat but it was so far back there was not enough foot room in the rear of the AU Falcon it was done to. Be warned cheaper is definately not always better Hope you find a good installer regards

OOPS I meant that my car is RA28. Always pays to type a little slower and proof read as well. DOH BTW who do I need to contact to become a full member. I would like to add a few details to my profile but can't seem to access the 'edit' function. Also how much is the membership cost and to whom do I pay it?? regards Mark p.s. - Thanks for the welcoming notes.

Greetings fellow Toyota loving humaniods, I have for all my living memory been a dedicated Ford nut but have been the owner of a couple Holdens and Mazdas a Mits Mirage and now this wonderfully fun-packed RA28. I am currently in the middle of a major rebuild project of a '77 RA27. It started out as my son's first car that took too long to get running. He'd wanted a 23 but they seem to be harder to get than the 28. I bought it believing it to be a whole lot better vehicle than it really was. We aquired an 18R-G with twin Solex carbs which I fitted a couple years ago and that made a world of difference to the worn out old 'C' we willingly gave away. After about a year just sitting in the driveway I finally got it registered only to have an inattentive commodore driving guy try to drive into the back seat through the passenger door. Somehow a passing off duty police officer believed it was my fault and that left me to fix the other guy's car on my third party insurance and then shell out for mine. I work in the Auto Electrical spares parts industry and regularly submit myself to the weekend torture working on the cars owned by my family. (With the exception of my daughter who just bought a new car) I hope I can be of as much use to others as I am certain your advice will be for me Regards 01 VEY