Hiro

If you're not on there already, Toymods has a few rather serious 3RZ builds...

Fuel gauges and trip computers are always conservative, usually the fuel light will come one with around 10L left in the tank (obviously varies between models/brands but it is a generalisation) and trip computers are only an estimate anyway (since they vary based off driving habits). Every car is different, over time you will learn how much leeway you have when the light comes on, and how close to 0km (or how far past it) you can go on the trip meter before you need to fill up.

Obviously English isn't his first language If you've got problems with starting your car after you've washed the engine down then there is a decent chance you have water in your electrics somewhere. Start by checking for water in the spark plug tubes, inside the distributor cap and around the starter motor. If everything looks dry and not corroded then check the fuses to make sure one hasn't blown from the water shorting out the circuit.

Topic moved - in the future, please post in the correct section (and avoid multiple threads/posts)

Good for you. The fact that Toyota recommended that the wipers get changed, rather than go ahead and just do it and bill you later, is evidence enough that it is not an essential task, although according to their standards they felt that they were due for a change. Once again, personal opinion and experience will often differ to that of others. If it was a critical component that endangered the use of the vehicle they would either have insisted that the work be carried out or warn you that they could not be held responsible if you drove it anyway and it failed. . Of course, but the great thing about exemptions is that they tend to prove the rule. Most trade-based operations, including owner-operators, will have apprentices. The fact that you have found one that does not is both a good and a bad thing. Good because you're probably going to get better quality work, bad because it means that things probably aren't going to get done in a hurry due to the lack of manpower (when your mechanic has to do everything from full rebuilds to pink slips to sweeping the floor, things tend to take a bit longer than a dealership with a full complement of apprentices Once again, good for you. As I said, exceptions prove the rule. Also, since you said it's not a mechanic business, it is hardly relevant. Nice to know your experience of two non-Toyota dealerships has coloured your opinion of Toyota dealerships. I myself have had mixed results with my local dealers (some excellent, some bad), but I don't let the actions of a few denigrate the vast majority. I have also had dodgy private mechanics too (much worse than putting the wrong grade oil in), even ones that have supposedly had a good reputation, but once again that doesn't mean that they are all bad. And the proof that they were factory fitted? I bet if you walked up to the service/parts counter and bought a replacement filter that there is a decent chance that it will come from the exact same factory as the filter that was OEM fitted, possibly even dated the same year (filters can have quite a long shelf-life, afterall). You seem like an OK guy, but it sounds like you have a grudge against all dealerships because of the actions of a few. I guarantee you that everyone knows of a friend/family member who has had problems with a dealership, but that is inevitable with the number of cars on the road and the frequency of logbook servicing. How many friends/family members do you know who have never had a problem with their car being serviced? I know my parents have never had a problem with Newcastle Toyota for instance, and that is after having their Camry serviced there for almost 18 years and 250,000km. I personally use one particular mechanic in Newcastle that I've never had a problem with (apart from them saying that a particular exhaust modification couldn't be done, yet a dedicated specialist exhaust shop with excellent knowledge of the car did it with ease), but at the same time have had several problems with another local mechanic (in particular taking 2 days to change 3 diff seals and drain/re-fill the LSD oil, only to have them insufficiently tighten the hub nut causing the wheel bearing to begin to fail within a matter of days). I've also had problems with the same Toyota dealership that my parents use with them being unable to correctly diagnose a front-end noise (and recommending two separate fixes, both of which did nothing), but at the same time they fixed my loose alternator in the carpark for free( top pivot bolt had worked its way out).

As I said before though, what car was it? You said yourself it was a "previous Toyota" which could mean anything - if my Corolla got serviced with 20W50 it would be fine as that is a normal oil for it, but the Soarer needs 10W30 or the like. Context means a lot. I don't have the Kluger service schedule in front of me, but Toyota Australia's own website says their condition should be checked regularly and replaced as needed. I know both wipers on my Corolla need to be changed, and they're ~12-18 months old (and good quality Bosch Aerotwins too), but aren't bad enough to stop me from driving in all but a monsoon From the Toyota website Define perfectly? Do you get 100% clearing every wipe, or do you get streaks/patchy spots that take a couple of wipes to clear? Do the wipers move silently across the screen or is there some rubbing/scraping noise? Do they operate exactly the same in all conditions (some used wipers may be ok in heavy rain when a lot of the water is simply running off, but are terrible in light sprinkle conditions)? Wiper blades that you might find acceptable could be considered worn-out by someone else (including a dealership) See above. I know how the pink-slip system works in NSW (I have only lived here all my life). Having streaky wiper blades will not cause you to fail a roadworthy. Is this your definition of "optimum lifespan" or the manufacturer? Yes companies will tend to specify a shorter working life than what the consumer may find as acceptable (especially when the consumer will try and stretch the life out for as long as possible to save every possible cent). Do you throw out your milk if it is a day out of date? Or do you wait until it starts to smell funny? Sometimes you can get a couple of extra days out of it, other times it may start to smell off before the date. Recommended working lives are recommended for a reason, it is up to the individual to make their own judgment as to whether to follow that recommendation or not

What was this previous Toyota that they put 20W50 in? And how did you "accidentally" find out? Wiper blades are supposed to be replaced every 6-12 months, even if they don't see much use, as the rubber will deteriorate and they will no longer be effective. This is the same for all cars, not just Toyota And just because you're taking the car to a mechanic now, doesn't mean that an apprentice won't be working on it. Mechanics can have apprentices too, not just dealerships, and usually the most mundane work (oil changes, basic services etc) get farmed out to the apprentices wherever you go.

A glorified panel gap filler :P Still, looks nice :D

So now that the Snoarer is a viable daily again thanks to the exhaust work, and the missus is working from home, I took the chance to get the front-end knocking noise finally looked at (it has been there pretty much as long as I've had the car but has gotten worse lately, and has been mis-diagnosed twice in the past as rod ends and then steering rack, both fixed with no improvement). Expecting the diagnosis to be either CVs or balljoints (although how someone could miss those twice in the past I don't know), to say that I was surprised was an understatement when the results came back - gearbox. For those not in the know, this is the situation: There is a front-end knocking (not clicking, think the same sort of sound as rapping your knuckles on a window) noise, linked to road speed (say 10Hz @ 20km/h), that only appears when going around a right-hand corner with the right-front wheel unloaded and no throttle (for instance a roundabout). It does not occur if you enter the corner from a standing start (so most T-intersections don't do it), and it goes away instantly if you accelerate. Not really an expert on FWD differentials so not 100% sure on what it would be (bearing/inner tripod perhaps?). If it was easily fixable that would be great (would prefer not to have to change a whole gearbox now, although it would give me a reason to change my 385,000km clutch), but any extra thoughts/theories before I get it sent to a transmission specialist would be appreciated.

Especially since LSDs don't really fix axle-tramp/wheel-hop (they might alter when it occurs, but it doesn't actually fix the problem)

You didn't say you needed a diesel... And besides, a 5 minute check of Redbook shows that the cheapest 2013 Y62 Patrol is $82k (and the Nissan website shows the 2014 model at $90k), so either the one you saw is being heavily discounted, is a second-hand/demo model, or you're thinking of the Y61 (which is a 16-year-old model still sold at a cheap price for tradies, farmers, off-roaders etc since the Y62 has gone upmarket)

If WD40 made it go away for a few days then lubrication is the answer - use a proper lube this time instead of WD40 though (WD40 is a poor long-term lubricant because most of it evaporates quickly and the rest is quite thin, which is why it is a good penetrating oil)

If I see a black oil filter then I know it's doing it's job. Clean filters and clean oil 6000km after they were last changed is either a sign of a miracle, an engine that has just left the showroom floor, or something isn't working properly.

And my car-related ones:

Hilux, Hiace, Townace etc etc There are many different engine combinations though, including diesels, but the Hilux used the R-series petrol 4 for quite a while which was also in the Celica/Corona. The early Townace was basically a Tarago (with the Y-series, also shared with Hiluxes)

Fair enough, but like you said most of the stuff in Brisbane has converted to U-pull-it style, which isn't that useful if you're halfway across the country and are trying to avoid/save postage on a couple-hundred kg lump of cast iron (4ACs are worth a case of beer, or maybe $100 at most for a pearler, so freight is the main cost here)

He's in Darwin.....

The import paperwork will say it is a campervan because of an import loophole which allows these style of vans (Estimas, Elgrands, Alphards etc) to be imported as a "special-use" vehicle despite the normal versions not meeting the import requirements (power-to-weight, unique body shape, published in an enthusiasts publication etc) - when they get here and after compliance they have the campervan hardware ripped out and replaced with the normal passenger interior. The Australian paperwork saying that it is an ACR30 Tarago is technically wrong, but probably says that because the import version doesn't exist in the system so it just got classified as the closest Australian equivalent (which is bad practice as it can lead to rego headaches down the path). The car is technically a MCR30 (JDM versions did come with the V6) Estima (the Tarago is an Australian name, but unlike the previous model I think there is no longer the distinction in body-width between the narrow Estima and wide Previa/Tarago). The steering wheel has obviously been changed at some point (no other reason for a Lexus badge to be on a Toyota wheel) I can't say if the engine has been changed or not, fairly sure (but not 100%) that the Estima got the non-VVTi version of the 1MZ but cam covers/engine covers can often be changed without affecting what is beneath The headunit has probably replaced some kind of EMV which would have combined a Japanese navigation unit (hence the drive under the seat), possibly even TV and the reversing camera, which means that these units probably no longer have functionality. Super Cat Me-3 is a radar detector, wouldn't surprise me if it is picking up interference due to different wavelengths used in Aus compared to Japan

It will have been done (has definitely been done many times on the ST162 and ST184 models), it is commonly called a GT2 (since it uses the GT4 engine but is only 2-wheel drive). Depending on state regs etc, doing a ST204 might be harder than the earlier models since there are significantly fewer ST205s in the country (only 77 sold from new, and private imports thin on the ground, compared to the hundreds/thousands of ST185s) in which to get a donor engine from (or 205/215/246 Caldinas), and most engineering regulations have a statement somewhere along the lines of using an engine which is the same age or newer than the car you are installing it in to.

1) GXL is not the base-model. GX is the current base model (replacing the RV, which was the second-from-base previously), and the cheapest 200-series is the diesel GX @ $78,990 2) The Landcruiser has never been cheap - even a base Standard 100-series was $53k, and that was with 5 vinyl seats, non-turbo diesel and a hose-out interior 3) Base models (Standard/RV/GX etc) were generally bought by commerical buyers (mines, Telstra etc), the 75/85 series has been upgraded/modernised to fill this gap 4) For family buyers who still need to go off-road and carry a lot of gear, the Prado fills the gap.

Note - we don't tend to have model-specific meets - we are all-inclusive and having Camry-only meets (for instance) tends to create division and alienation within the club.

Honestly, if you're still having problems with it now and you're not happy with the way Toyota has dealt with it, maybe it is time to cut your losses, sell it and move on?

And a selection of my favourite shots: Christmas lights at Hunter Valley Gardens And the fireworks Newcastle Beach just before sunset Iron Gate Estate up in the Hunter Valley - Spanish/Tuscan-style villa Cat #1 - Ellie Cat #2 - Penny

My gear (as of 03/01/2013) Body: Nikon D5100 DSLR Lenses: Nikon Nikkor 18-200G f/3.5-5.6G VR DX Series 1 Nikon Nikkor 50 f/1.8G FX Nikon Nikkor 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 VR DX and 55-200 f/4-5.6G VR DX (kit lenses stashed aside for a rainy day if I ever sell the body and move to full-frame) Tripod: Manfrotto MKC3-H01 Bag: Lowepro Adventura 160

On a couple of other forums I'm on, there are some threads set aside for general photography discussion - what gear you have/need/want, pictures you've taken (not necessarily of cars) etc etc. Over the past year and a bit I've taken a bit of a keen interest in amateur photography, so thought it would be a good idea to get something similar going here. Feel free to post up any photos you want of any subject you wish, on the following provisos 1) It was taken by you (doesn't have to be with your equipment though) 2) The shots are work-safe 3) Please try and limit the size for bandwidth reasons (something in the 1024/1280 long side max) - no Captain Megapixel 5000x3000 shots that take half an hour to load 4) Upload your photos to a hosting site like Imageshack or Photobucket and then copy/paste the direct link into image tags like below, that way those who can't view attachments can still see them (and cuts down on the hosting load that this site has to bear) [IMG]http://www.hostingsite.com/awesomepicture.jpg[/IMG]5) No Nikon/Canon/Sigma/Leica etc bashing allowed (unless discussing the quality of a particular lens/body which is known to be crap/faulty eg) . We all use different cameras, just as we all drive different cars, and brand name has almost nothing to do with the end product. If it's your first post in the thread, post up what gear you have/use too