Tony Prodigy

On 4/3/2024 at 9:01 PM, Steeevo said:

@Tony Prodigy

 

Hi mate, great write up, just a quick question, I have the same trans U660e in my GSR50 V6 Estima I just acquired, im told it had a trans service recently but was keen to do a drop and flush anyways and change all fluids, I did it cold and removed the “straw” from the drain hole as required and only got out about 1.8 litres of ATF fluid in total, can you tell me if the 2.6 litres you go out is the required amount please, (it seems to be around the mark from my reading at 2.6-2.8 litres) I’m assuming it was underfilled? 
 

care to chime in?

 

thanks Steve 

Hi Steve, my apologies as I've been quite busy and have not had much time to get on here.

Regarding your 1.8 L, I couldn't tell you if it was underfilled or not. Not sure if the pan you have is the same as what's in the Aurion's U660E. If it is, then most likely it was underfilled or the fluid level was not checked correctly previously. You also need to have the vehicle level to do this procedure correctly too.

When you do the pan drain and then go to refill through the fill hole, you always put more in than what you took out anyway because the excess will come out during the fluid level check at the appropriate temperature range anyway.

Mine was never touched before this service, so the fill level was factory hence the 2.6L. The bulletin called for the additional 200ml, so the amount could vary between 2.6 and 2.8. You will be safe either way.

Your next pan drain amount will be interesting to see. 

On 2/4/2024 at 2:31 PM, L4WL3SS said:

In the real world, these cars are slow. They are not a performance car.

Definitely not a performance car and was never designed or intended to be, but it's certainly no slouch with a 200KW V6 engine. The 2GR-FE pulls like a train and will out accelerate most cars on the road still today.

Keep it well maintained and it will reward you with good power, fuel economy and longevity. 

If you're  handy, remove the cat and take a look inside to see if the mesh screen is obstructed and give it a clean anyway so it doesn't have to be done later and see if this cures the issue.

From what I see in the data, It seems that the issue stems from the downstream section, hence my suspicions about the cat. It's throwing all the upstream hardware into chaos.

11 hours ago, cam6 said:

Thank you Tony for your advice. Cheers John

On 12/23/2023 at 8:40 PM, Deshika Jayasena said:

the fuel consumption averaged around 7.6L/100km, which seems higher than expected.

7.6lt/100 is seriously not an issue for a heavy rig. I don't know what you expect from a 2T vehicle that's probably laden too. I would've assumed a figure of around 12LT/100 would be the norm for something of that magnitude.

4 hours ago, mochubb said:

Had the $28 suspension check also, quote of $3.5k at Pedders who said I needed new lower control arms, 4 struts, and some other random stuff.

Hilarious. Remember the commercial ??

"Pedders,,,,, and No Bull" 🤣🤣

Good for you too for getting a second opinion. 

Safety would be the first thing that comes to mind. Just check they are compatible with your vehicle. 

Check mating surfaces, offsets and wheel nut type.

If in doubt, you could just swap them for an original set of Toyota alloys.

On 2/2/2024 at 8:33 AM, cam6 said:

By a weird coincidence, I was only thinking last week I should get a scanner.

Do you, or anybody else suggest a good brand

It's difficult to recommend any one specific scan tool because there are so many on the market now it's become crazy.

I purchased an Autel  Maxysis MS906BT a while back and it's an amazing tool, but very expensive. You won't need anything like that unless you plan to do a lot of work yourself.

A decent scanner would probably be around $200 - $300 for what you need. Autel have many models to choose from and to suit your budget.

Take a look online and see what takes your fancy.

Hard to diagnose electrical gremlins, but the first thing I'd do is run a diagnostic scan and see what pops up. You should see a fault code of some kind. It may point to what could be causing this issue.

If you don't have a scanner, i strongly suggest you buy one. I think we all should have one seeing we live in the digital age where almost everything is driven by computers.

Cheers, 
Tony 

17 hours ago, Simon2g said:

It doesn't look like its an actual step-by step guide on how to conduct repairs though.

It appears you are correct. My apologies, I thought it was a workshop manual. I didn't have too much time to flick through the pages. After looking again, it appears to be the owner operator's manual.

I'll post back if I find it. Sorry mate.

Finding workshop manuals for anything has become an exercise in futility. Ask me how I know so I feel your pain.

I did, however come across this if it helps. You can't download the entire contents but it looks like a freely available copy for viewing only if you are willing to save and print each page which will take an eternity to do.

https://www.manua.ls/toyota/hiace-2012/manual?p=13

On 9/30/2023 at 4:02 PM, DazzaG said:

Yep, we have a 2018 model and it makes the same noise. We had a 2013 model prior to that and it too made the same noise. Has anyone figured out the problem yet?

Have you had a dealer check it out or enquire about it to them ?

Sounds like a common issue.

On 2/8/2023 at 11:20 PM, Don W said:

My Prado has exactly the same rattling noise as the attached video. But not that worse. It pops up sometimes. Can't figure out what it is. 

 

Are you able to tell us from which general area the noise is coming from ?

It's very hard to determine just by watching a video.

Just use standard 91 unleaded. Not 100% sure if the hybrid petrol engine is compatible with ethanol, but in saying that, E10 is really a false economy anyway. It is slightly cheaper, but has around 10% worse fuel economy compared to 91. It also doesn't store well either, so if the car is off the road for a prolonged period it can wreak havoc in the fuel system due to its hygroscopic nature.

I avoid using E10. It's just another attempt by the left wing loonies at saving the planet by shoving this down our throat and taking away our choices.
For example, there are a lot of service stations that have stopped supplying 91 and only have either E10, 95 or 98, so if you are budget conscious, you have no choice but to use the E10, if your vehicle is compatible, which is exactly what the loonies want you to do. If it isn't then you are forced to pay for 95 or drive off to find another petrol station. In some instances you can't.
So in actual fact, you are being forced to buy E10 so they can continue perpetrating the false economy that it is. If you don't want the E10, then you have no choice but be bent over a barrel and pay the extortionate price that 95 and 98 can be, so put simply, just use 91 and have no part of the E10 nonsense.

I'd search out a local wheel restorer service. 

Usually, depending on how badly rashed it is, the rim would be machined to remove as much rash as possible without compromising the structural integrity of the wheel, then it will need repainting or powder coating.

I suspect the cost of this service may exceed purchasing a brand new wheel from the dealer.

Get a price for both. As much as I hate buying from a local dealer, they may just be the better option here. Your car is a 2020 model, so I would safely assume they will still have plenty in stock.

Hey guys and welcome.

You have two very nice examples of good, solid, quality Toyotas.

51K for the Corolla is amazing ! What a keeper.

I once owned a 1991 Twin Can SX Corolla Hatch back in the mid 90's. Fantastic car it was.

Post up more pics if you can. Love to see more.

The SX wheels would look way better. Period correct too.

19 hours ago, Rimsy said:

In hindsight I probably should have got a 50 series, but I needed a cheap, reliable car to tow my box trailer and I wanted a V6. I love the engine even tho it's shoehorned into an engine bay not designed for it so it can be a pain to work on. I'll never get the timing cover leak fixed as it's just not worth it with it being an engine out job.

If it's just an oil weep with the odd drips and drops it's should be ok. It's just the thought of knowing it will leave you a small gift on your driveway or garage so you'd need to put a tray down. 

Engine out is a huge job and even though The Car Care Nut makes it look easy, it's anything but. There is a lot to do and that's just to get it out, then you have to re gasket/seal the engine, do the maintenance items that re "while you're in there", yes, it's probably not worth it if the resale value dictates.
Just drive it and do the maintenance it needs to keep it going and move it on when you need to.

19 hours ago, Rimsy said:

Thanks for your support Tony and Ashley for the advice

You are very welcome.

All the best mate  

It's that stupid fly by wire delay. It's normal but I have heard that you can buy a kit which adjusts this down so the acceleration is much more snappy.

16 hours ago, PaulW said:

PS How do you know about the ridiculous markup.

I got prices from my local dealership and compared to Amayama and it was a stark difference. Believe me. The local stealers are stealers for a good reason and they have no shame.

Sometimes, and I mean sometimes, they will offer a few bits and bobs on Ebay if they need to clear some space, but that's all you'll get. If you intend to buy over the counter, be prepared to donate a kidney.

Depends on how big your budget is and the size and weight of the items you intend to carry.

I would guess their wouldn't be much in the way for either aftermarket or Genuine parts over there for a 2GR-FE engined vehicle and you would then have to look outside the UK obviously. This would then have to incur shipping costs and how much is anyone's guess. Shipping costs has become the latest victim to the never ending cycle of price gouging, so don't expect it to be cheap like it used to be.

The parts I'd stock up on would be service items, such as hoses, gaskets, cooling system parts, electrical items etc. How long the list goes depends on your budget I guess.

I have a small war chest of parts I've purchased over the years and I live here. It's going to be frustrating not being able to get what you need when you need it, if you don't have access to the parts market too.

12 hours ago, KAA said:

Totally true Tony, I had my Belt Tensioner and Drive Belt replaced and went Genuine only as it has lasted now 14 years so why risk a cheaper part.

When Toyota has a warranty and reputation for their reliable parts I will not risk going non genuine for any major components.

So I would have suggested the same thing bite the loss of the cheap part and stick with Genuine only.

KAA

You can still get Toyota Genuine Parts if you are prepared to dig. Forget the local dealerships. Their mark up is ridiculous. Ask me how I know..

I have had good dealings with Amayama. Their prices are significantly cheaper that the local stealers. 
Ebay has sometimes be a good source too.
 

8 hours ago, Baxter190388 said:

but my SL still needs doing, I have the parts on the shelf I've just been procrastinating about getting it done.

If I were you I'd get cracking. We'd prefer to see your next post read "Replaced my VVTI line" rather than "My VVTI line burst, engine lost oil pressure and left me stranded"

10 hours ago, Rimsy said:

I also lost a heap of time as whoever replaced the power steering pump put a bolt back that doesn't fit right. After fighting with it for like an hour I finally figured out that it's not the right bolt so it won't screw in all the way. The proper bolt is about 5 inches long so there's no way you could confuse it with another one. Some people just don't give a F.

Glad it worked out ok for you Adam. At least you had a crack. 
There are some unenviable tasks on an Aurion and that is up there with those, so well done.

I suspect what usually happens when you come across misfitted bolts is that people don't pay attention when removing them and just assume they're all the same size. Not usually the case though.
One or more could be different by millimeters and it's imperative to put them back exactly otherwise you could create more work later..

I make notes as I go and carefully assess each item I remove, take photos even.
 

It's also weird how the rubber section is still pliable too. I wonder if those that had burst were still pliable or had hardened up causing them to split or is it possible for a pliable hose to simply split under high temp and pressure. It certainly is a ticking timebomb in anyone's language and I would've attended to this part long ago despite it still appearing to be in good condition. It can let go at any given time and the fact it has lasted this long is pure luck I reckon.

Unfortunately the VVTI rubber hose segment and the oil cooler lines was the result of Toyota rushing to bring the new 2GR-FE to market which is why I'd never buy the first series of a new model car. These will almost certainly have a few teething problems as we all know now.

Toyota fixed all the issues and vastly improved the Aurion overall with the 50 series. That's why I chose to pay a bit extra and get the 50. I've had virtually zero issues with mine except for maintenance items. Best car I've ever owned in terms of reliability.

Unfortunately some aftermarket parts just don't do the job properly. It seems that the tensioner assembly cannot depress enough to get the stock belt on. I would not change the belt size but perhaps seek out an original tensioner and go again. Sometimes aftermarket parts are cheap for a reason. This is probably a good example of that. The never ending grief.
Sometimes it pays to pay a bit extra and put your mind to rest.