Tony Prodigy

I dare say that the side glass conversions are done by a third party supplier to Toyota. Being a Grey Import, said third party suppliers may not exist here. Another option you could try are those companies who do bespoke canopies for Utes, dual cabs etc. Some I've seen have sliding side glass options, so you could be in luck there. Auto glass people are primarily those who do front, back and side glass for passenger sedans. If you've been unlucky with those sliding windows, then I dare say you won't find anyone specific seeing you've already tried. Unless someone else here who knows first hand and can chime in. Hope you get it sorted.

I watched this video a while back too. I was fascinated at the level of destruction caused just by overheating ! The way in which the plastic manifold melted into a stringy consistency trying to get sucked into the combustion chamber was hilarious ! You can tell it's an early incarnation of the 2GR-FE as it had the rubber VVTi line. Also, Good advice for the weeping water pump too. What's doing with that bracket on the rear bank ? I wonder if ours have it too and what's it for ??

Fair call. I think the tie rod section may be the culprit then. Conrod tends to agree also as it seems this is not an isolated case. Luck of the draw I reckon.. I wonder if this is the reason why Toyota opted to go for electric assisted power steering.. Perhaps they were waiting for the new and improved racks to arrive for when manufacturing began for the 50 series. I can honestly say, I've experienced no issues with either steering or suspension to date with my car having done 150K. They really sharpened their pencils when they made the 50 series. I cannot fault mine.

If Toyota are paying for it then they can replace it as often as they like I guess, but the fact that they don't bother getting to the root cause of the rack issue is a shame because it's losing the skill of being a mechanic really. Remove and replace is a no brainer. I'd probably get a reco'd rack from a steering specialist who knows about the known issues and applies the correct fix that Toyota's OEM supplier may have missed.

Get the front end high enough so the wheels are off the ground, probably good idea to take the driver's side wheel off so you can get easier access to the steering shaft. ( Use axle stands before going under the vehicle). Slide in and reach for the knuckle section and grab the shaft either side of the knuckle and try to twist them in an opposing direction. With no load on the steering assembly, you should be able to determine if there's any free play in that uni joint (knuckle). If it checks out, then there's probably something going on within the rack or tie rod end. CV joint also comes to mind too. Have you had those checked ?

Did you check the steering shaft knuckle for play ? It could also be suspension related too. Lower control arm bushes or quite possibly your front strut/strut mount. Did you inspect the front end with the car up or wheels off ?

When can you come over and do mine next ?? 😄 I've been so busy, I've not had any time to wash any of our cars let alone anything else. I need to clone myself just so I can catch up 😜

Hey Rob. She is definitely a beauty mate. You have taken great care of her and it shows. I especially love the wood treatment too. Very stylish and luxurious. I was always enamored by the Presara when the Aurion first came out and thought that someday, if and when the opportunity presented itself, I'd definitely buy one. Well for us, it was going to be a 40 series at first, but when the 50 came out, it made more sense to me to go with the updated version and I wanted something with low kays. The 40 series at that time already had high kays and wasn't an option for me. Still love the 40 nevertheless. Beautiful car mate. God Bless and may you and your dear wife enjoy many more safe miles in it.

Fuel cleaner additives are fine to use. Just pick any reputable brand and follow the manufacturers directions for use and you're good to go. These is my shortlist of trusted products. Penrite, Nulon and Liqui Moly

Did you use the A/C regularly prior to this issue ? Where in the cabin did he think he found a leak ? Did he probe underneath the dash where the air conditioning unit presides ? You have set of O - Rings on the suction pipe flange entering the TX Valve from the firewall side. If there is a leak on the inside component, it's going to be either the evaporator coil itself or the TX valve O- Rings. The O-Rings would be more a common occurrence. If this is the case, then you are excused for saying "Oh My God", because if you have an internal issue, you'll have to dismantle the entire dash and centre console to get access to the air conditioner unit for the sake of two one dollar O-Rings. I just had a quick read of the repair manual for this and It's a mammoth job unfortunately. You'd have to find someone who's familiar with the 40 series Aurion and who is also competent. Depending on how slow a leak it is, you can ask your A/C tech if there is a suitable stop leak additive he can add. This could help slow and even stop the leakage via the compromised O-Ring. Another solution is to inject some fluorescent dye into the system then conduct a more thorough inspection. The dye will be visible where the leak is present. You may need a camera probe for under the dash. I hope it all works out for you. Please let us know how you go.

Does it have to be centered ? I don't think you could even if you wanted to due to the tapered boot garnish. Doesn't the Camry also have the boot opener there too ? What's the field of view from the factory camera like ? I didn't think this would matter much.

Sorry to hear about that. I really can't think of anything else now other than a dickie controller. You can get them relatively cheap on Ebay for a Used one. I shudder to think what it would be worth for a brand new one from Toyota. As for scan tools, you'd best research what best fits your budget. There are plenty to choose from. I'd probably go mid range of the market.

Modern transmissions are so complicated. They're governed by whole raft of sensors and computer modules. Gone are the days when we all would attribute dodgy gearshifts with low oil. These days, which sensor could be bad or is the computer on the fritz. You would obviously want to have it serviced and maintained so the fluid has some integrity, but it's probably time for a plug in code reader for an assessment.

I was confident it would be a cheap fix. Shame on Toyota for that rip off gouge attempt.

I have to put that job on my long list of to do items too. I have some Ceri Glass and the correct rayon pad for the job. Just need some free time to get it done because it's not a five minute job either. It can take hrs to do properly. Luckily for me, mine's not marred up but there is some etching though.

Nice one Rick. All this talk about changing coolant is getting me psyched up to do mine 😄 I had a quick look online and this is the picture I found for the front drain point. (SEE BELOW). I haven't physically looked at mine yet, but according to the picture, it appears to be next to the oil cooler flange adjacent to the dip stick tube. I wonder how much more coolant one can recover if both are drained instead of just the rear which you did. I also wonder if the heater core also drains back whilst utilizing the rear drain. I would assume approximately 500mm or so in the heater core. The coolant capacity is 9.4lt. You were able to extract 7.5lt leaving 2.15lt, so I would be inclined to drain the front section of the engine too, to get as much out as possible. Flushing can be another option, but here's what can happen. 1. Those who foolishly use the garden hose to flush will introduce contamination and will inevitable leave behind a few litres of mineralised water, which will degrade and contaminate the coolant. 2. Flushing with demineralised water is preferable, but will also leave a quantity of water inside which will then dilute the already 50/50 mix thus reducing it's overall effectiveness. So, in my mind, I would wait and see how much I can collect from radiator, front and rear drain bolts and see if it's even worth flushing. If one decides to replace the thermostat, then you could pour demineralised water into thermostat hole and allow to drain the block this way and the same for the radiator too. The heater core is the only thing that concerns me. I guess you could force the coolant out with compressed air. Just need to access the heater hoses, if that's easy enough. It would be interesting to see how close to 9.4lt one can get doing all this. You make some good points too Rick. Namely these: I'll do a bit more research before doing mine. I had to recently buy two 5lt coolant from Toyota because I have no idea where the other two are. I also have on hand, a full set of Genuine Toyota Parts, cooling system hoses, thermostat, gaskets, water pump (new Improved Toyota Item with petal design flange) and Radiator for any incidental issues that may arise. I might just do the coolant change this time and decide later at which point to do a full cooling system overhaul. At that point, I'll just swap out all those parts I have stored and see it through another 10 years or so. The car is running great at 150+K and mostly original. The only things I've had to replace on the engine during my ownership thus far was the upstream O2 sensor. That's it apart from routine maintenance.

What is your water temperature gauge indicating ? Have you verified the cooling fan works ? The engine is over heating slightly raising the water pressure higher than its threshold. Radiator cap is new so then it's going above 108kpa pushing the spring back for the coolant to escape. I was also wondering if the water pump impeller could be compromised too. If the water cannot circulate fast enough the Radiator cannot reject the heat and hot water gets recycled. Not sure how many kays yours has done, but a head gasket issue is not a common problem in our neck of the woods, and I know you take good care of your car. If and when you can get the pressure test done and confirm no head gasket issue, I'd do a full service of the cooling system. Replace the water pump as a preventative measure including the thermostat. Fully drain engine block and fill with fresh SSL pink.

Hi Peter, nice to hear from you. It's been a long time. Hope you're well. Looks like you're losing quite a bit of fluid when the system pressurizes. Did you replace the radiator cap with the correct pressure rating for the V6, which is 108 KPA ? (TRD version is slightly higher @ 127 KPA) If you have, then the new cap could be faulty. Best case scenario, it could be either the radiator cap, thermostat or a slight blockage in the radiator. Worst case, head gasket issue. But, that can be confirmed with a pressure test of the cooling system. Also, is the overflow bottle filled to the "Cold" fill line when cold and to the "Hot" fill line when hot ? I'm suspecting you're not having any over heating issues. How long has it been since doing the coolant change ? I do recall you doing a write up about it here but I've lost track. If I was doing the coolant flush, I'd definitely replace the thermostat. Use Genuine parts too. Don't be tempted by the slightly cheaper options. It's not worth the headache. Pay a bit extra for peace of mind, especially these engines.

Just thought I'd ask. Are the Tensioner pulley and Idler pulley the exact same thing ? I see a reference for the idler pulley as being referred to as "Pulley 2" on both hydraulically assisted steer and non assisted. Would the tensioner pulley then be "Pulley 1" ?? I do know that previous models to the 50 series had two idler pulleys and one tensioner pulley. The 50 series did away with the power steering pump so it has one less idler pulley.

I don't have a Vienta Grande but I can say that the RTA (Service NSW) don't recognise what trim level your car is. If your car is a Camry of a certain model architecture, then it will only be listed as such. So don't be alarmed if you see it the way you do. That is the correct information and standard operation. Examples. I have an Aurion 50 series Prodigy and a BMW M3 Coupe. The Aurion is listed as "2012 Toy Aurion Sedan" The M3 is listed as "1999 B.m.w. 3 Series - E36 Sedan"

Replace your cabin filter.

Hey mate, Has yours deteriorated or missing ? I'm guessing one or the other and I bet the heat transmission would be unbearable up there in Qld. Plenty of aftermarket insulation options. I'd use the foil lined type. Amazon have plenty to choose from. Search "Car Engine Insulation" and there's plenty on offer. Here's one: https://www.amazon.com.au/49sqft-Firewall-Deadener-Insulation-Deadening/dp/B08CDCSRRC/ref=sr_1_6?crid=19RW2PUUA6K2W&keywords=Car+engine+insulation&qid=1674753674&sprefix=car+engine+insulation%2Caps%2C336&sr=8-6

That was kind of you to post up Brad. Thanks for the tips. I am planning to do mine pretty soon and as always, like to take photos and post up a nice little DIY for others to see for themselves and hopefully take something from it. You did good to get that much coolant from the block. It's important to get as much of the old stuff out as possible and even try to flush more out where possible. The system takes around 9lt if I'm correct, so you got pretty close. I would always recommend to drain the block and try to flush more out. For the flushing process, I've purchased a stash of demineralized water for the flushing as opposed to using the garden hose. I wouldn't flush with tap water. It's too contaminated in my opinion, not to mention the minerals you end up introducing into the engine. I've been meaning to get under it and investigate those drain bungs before I attempt the work. This is my pre planning stage so I can be ready to go on any given day. Have all the necessary tools, apparatus, fluids and prior knowledge ready so there's no issues.

Hi Sash, I completely understand where you're coming from. As the car ages, it will require a few more items be checked or replaced that fall outside the general scope of routine maintenance. Such things would include, suspension components, steering components and other ancillary items like, water pump, hoses, alternator, A/C pump, steering rack, CV joints etc. These items usually give a tell tale sign when they are starting to go bad, either by a visual check or by the sound it gives off. Given that it's a Toyota, that is first and foremost the advantage you have as these cars are generally trouble free and extremely reliable if they are well looked after. Apart from doing the regular oil service, no later than 10K interval, just repeat the service routine as stated in the book. It will cover all the aspects you speak of such as air/fuel filter replacement interval, coolant flush interval, auto transmission fluid service, etc. All the other body components as mentioned above can be a periodic inspection. When the car gets new tyres for example, that's a good time to ask the tyre tech to inspect the suspension as he will be performing a wheel alignment and be able to advise on the overall condition of the suspension components. Your mechanic can also do the same when he does the oil service. A general inspection is usually carried out of the other items during this time too. The main thing to keep on top of is the fluids. Maintain a regular regime of these and you'll have no issues. Happy motoring mate Cheers

I can appreciate where you're coming from. It's always nice to have storage space to suit all your needs. The main thing is to be able to protect your prized possession, that being the vehicle, and have space to store all the bits and pieces you accumulate over the years. The car will keep longer if you keep it out of the sun. The sun is our worst enemy here. How's the house renovations coming along ? Hope you're settling in ok now. These things take time, but once it's all done, you can relax and spend more time doing the things you love... like detailing your car more 😜 It's a work in progress as they say right ?