campbeam

Finally came across this YouTube video which simply and adequately explains the Gigacasting process, benefits and whether OEM can replicate what Tesla is doing. Guess that Toyota will be heavily relying upon their suppliers to achieve the benefits.

I have been thinking about your post. Fully agree that build quality is a defining factor. However, I changed from Honda to Toyota mainly because of price. A big reason why I will not buy a VW Group vehicle is because of their Corporate culture e.g. dieselgate, warranty claim avoidance.

My approach is to put the Aurion up in ramps which then gives plenty of safe working space underneath. I can use 2 drains pans, 1 under the oil filter cartridge and the other 1 for the engine pan drain. I loosen the housing until oil starts dripping into the pan then continue with an extra turn so that more oil continues to drain. Eventually, I fully remove the housing and drain the remaining contents into the drain pan. Any oil on the outside of the housing is easily wiped off with a rag. Not really that messy and I am using gloves. Extra protection for my skin and to make hand cleaning easier is to use Sorbolene. Also makes putting on close fitting gloves a lot easier.

Original intention was to sell my existing Aurion but no reasonable offers received so gave up. Thinking changed so that if my Aurion gets written off in an accident, I would be after another Aurion to replace it. No problem if a worst case scenario happens and you have a standby ready to go. Still occasionally looking for a give away priced 50 Series Aurion as another project.

Recent posts going down memory lane have reminded me of how much I was determined to buy a used 1994 Honda Prelude VVti-R at first sight then a closer look while waiting for the seller to arrive home. Sold itself just sitting there and the selling price was attractive. Still remember doing an inspection of my Aurion which was an eBay listing by a vehicle wholesaler then going home to increase my bid with a view to winning, if the price was right. Another memory was taking an interstate road trip with our new 1998 Camry and watching the odometer roll over to 1111, 2222 etc.

If you do a Search on this Forum, you should find the threads about the intermediate shaft issue. I do recall one post where the solution was to tighten or replace the bolts. These are special bolts which can be sourced from Toyota.

Totally agree that the Aurion is a well rounded vehicle. So impressed that I have had a spare/standby Aurion sitting in the backyard for 5 years. Fortunately nothing major has gone wrong with my 1st Aurion. I do know that I would get very tempted if a later 50 series Aurion or V6 Camry became available at a bargain basement price. In the meantime, I am loving the V6 after only having 4 cylinder vehicles. Reckon the love will keep flowing for another 10 years or longer until there is a viable replacement autonomous Electric Vehicle at the right price [for me].

Another recent YouTube video. I reckon that UBER would have been able to negotiate a wholesale price for their fleet size purchase. Quite interesting to see whether 2022 is going to be a turning point for a significant increase in EV sales in Australia. I am sure that when the demand is proven, then Toyota will be ready to release their EV onto the Australian market. Until then, they will sell as many hybrids as they can manufacture.

Another thought would be to lubricate the accelerator cable with some silicone spray, if there is one on your model Corolla. Something else for future consideration is to change the automatic transmission fluid, if that has not already been done.

Welcome to the Forum. Bit of good news after a lengthy wait for a July build confirmation. Just remember to have the RAV4 fully insured before you drive it away from the dealership. I fully agree with Tony's post. I did get a laugh from your grandson's request. Young fellow must think that you are on your last legs. I reckon you should get the last laugh and make him wait for his 21st birthday. You will be doing well to enjoy driving your RAV4 as much as I enjoy my Aurion after 7 years ownership. Currently plotting and planning that maybe by 2031, I will be sitting in a fully autonomous electric grocery getter.

I would be inclined to check/clean the air filter, Mass Airflow sensor [MAF], throttle body and Idle Air Control [IAC] valve. Following video shows how to remove the throttle body and then do the cleaning. Instead of doing this, I use throttle body cleaner on a rag to clean the opening especially around the throttle valve. I also spray the cleaner into the opening/passageway of the throttle body leading to the IAC valve.

Just viewed this YouTube video. Plenty of hype but I readily admit to being a skeptic. Pricing does not seem to be keen enough to tempt the early adopters to jump in and part with their cash. Toyota hybrids are still going to be a viable option. Good question got asked at work today. Would you buy a 2nd hand electric vehicle? At this moment, I would only consider Tesla because of established battery quality. It does make you wonder what the resale value of these EV will be especially when future upgraded versions are released.

As per page EG-97 of this pdf of the 2GR-FE, " Long-reach type spark plugs are used. This type of spark plugs allow the area of the cylinder head toreceive the spark plugs to be made thick. Thus, the water jacket can be extended near the combustionchamber, which contributes to cooling performance.Iridium-tipped spark plugs are used to achieve a 120,000 miles (193,000 km) maintenance interval. Bymaking the center electrode of iridium, the superior ignition performance as platinum-tipped spark plugsis achieved and durability has been increased." https://www.rav4world.com/d1/attachments/pdf/2GR-FE.pdf

I did have a close look at your pictures. I was more looking at the oil filter cartridge and no apparent signs of oil sludge particles in the filter element. The reddish colour certainly looked like the remnants from an oil additive treatment. It will be interesting to see how many kms pass before the oil on the dipstick is not so transparently clean and goes to a light golden colour. My suggestion for the next oil change would be to use a budget engine oil as an engine flush before adding the new engine oil. All helps to give the new oil a clean start so it can stay cleaner longer.

My personal preference is 95 PULP. I more noticed the slight improvement in fuel economy on road trips after taking into account the lead foot and trying to tame it. Now that prices are higher than earlier in the year, I have reverted back to 91 ULP. Previously trialled 91 octane E10 and got very poor fuel economy results so back to ULP. On previous road trips, I have used 94 octane E10 but more as a cost saver at that time.

Two big reasons is that they are quality and the price when on special. Good preventative maintenance thinking. Girlfriend's Yaris has been a bit neglected so I am going oil changes end of each quarter for this year then probably switch to every 6 months.

I just loosened the front half of the inner plastic guard inside the wheel arch. You can then access the side of the headlight unit for the parking light. Limiting factor is the length of the LED bulb that will fit in the housing.

Following YouTube video gives a good overview of Chinese EV manufacturers and their vehicles available for 2021. I noted that Toyota has a partnership which is a good tactic to overcome any battery supply issues.

You ignore warning signs at your own peril. A bit of preventative maintenance can avoid an expensive repair or breakdown at a later date.

One of my sayings particularly at work is "All is well until something goes wrong". Without mentioning any existing brands which I think deserve to fail, some warranties are not worth having. I wish that Australia had those "lemon" laws to hasten their departure from the market. In the meantime, stick with Toyota.

Toyota and the other OEM vehicle manufacturers are in the midst of a battle for their survival. Supply chain issues are impacting their production and cashflow. Electric vehicles are starting to disrupt the Auto Industry but they are also being constrained by battery supply issues. This means that Toyota has had to rationalise its product and model range based upon demand and production capability. Starting to make sense why Toyota abandoned the small cheap car market i.e. Yaris in Australia. I think that Toyota will be more watching the Chinese Auto makers as they begin to export from China under their own brand names.

ounds like you bought the vehicle without a known service history. No guarantee but a change of fluids using a quality brand with the recommended viscosity will most likely result in an improvement in the gear shifting. https://www.penriteoil.com.au/forums/topic/12/Manual Transmission Diff Gear Oils/thread/738/Recommended Gearbox and Transfer Case Oil/post/1633

When was the last time that you changed the transmission and differential fluids?

I have just viewed this YouTube video about BYD planning to bring a new electric car to the Australian market. Range of 600kms is a worthwhile consideration. It will be interesting to see when this actually happens and the usual stumbling block of price. Expecting that the early adopters will get stung/price gouged.

I have just had a look at this YouTube video which is a history of Toyota's involvement in racing. If I had deep pockets, I would be after some of those limited edition vehicles from the TRD factory. Looks like TRD is now a marketing legacy for recent cars. If you are now after a performance street car then look to the Gazoo Racing versions/models.