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campbeam

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Posts posted by campbeam

  1. Tracking down an oil leak is usually a process of elimination. I would start by cleaning the engine from the top down. I do recall a member's post where he did a series of test drives in varying engine conditions before he located the source.

    Happened to come across this YouTube video.

     

  2. 1 hour ago, TommyM said:

    Yeah they also mention Dex III or Semi-Synthetic. I'm not using either & going straight to Full Synthetic & replacing it every 45,000km (even though i do mine every 40,000km). It's got all the Toyota specs on it i care for. They don't need filter replacements through regular fluid changes, but mine had a filter every 80,000km as a preventative. 

    80,000km, 160,000km & on my last service at give or take 237,000km, tad early but meh. 

    https://www.penriteoil.com.au/products/atf-fs-full-syn

    I also believe the U660E has similar ATF specs, they hadn't moved Australia over to WS yet.

     

    Interesting that you are using a Full Synthetic in your transmission. Which product are you using?

    1 hour ago, TommyM said:

    Never flush an auto trans, big mistake. Just fill, run & dump, fill, run & dump. If you're unsure about previous maintenance history, thankfully i know every single record on mine lol.

    Annual drain & refills is a bit overkill mate, change it every 40,000km if the fluids clean. Consider having the filter replaced too.

    I read about issues being caused by flush of the auto trans. I believe it is when they use certain machines with a reverse flush process. There is a DIY flush process which I have used where you remove the return line, fill transmission, run engine briefly and repeat until old fluid is fully removed.

    Yes, I am a bit into overkill and preventative maintenance. It would be very different if I was having to pay a mechanic. Currently, all is well with nice smooth gear changes so I am leaving it alone. Still procrastinating about fitting a transmission cooler so should do that next.

    1 hour ago, TommyM said:

    Neither do i, but blowing out the cobwebs when the cars actually warm once in a while won't hurt anything. If mine hasn't broken in 240k+, i'm sure yours will be fine 😝

    I blow out the cobwebs on road trips. I am reaping the benefits from all this overkill maintenance. Drivetrain is great and driving like a new car after replacing the struts. All is good again after having to replace the water pump.

  3. 10 hours ago, TommyM said:

    Change the fluid every 50,000km & you'll never have an issue.

    Just had a look at the Penrite Lube guide. Difference in recommended ATF and refill capacity between your Avalon and an Aurion. 3 years or 50,000 km sounds a good preventative measure.

    Instead of doing a full flush of the ATF, I have been doing regular 6 monthly pan drains over the past 5 years. I bought my Aurion with 165K on the odometer and I am sure that it was the original ATF. Finally satisfied with the overall condition of the ATF and performance of the transmission. Now progressing to annual pan drains.

    Apart from the regular changes of the ATF, I do not abuse/thrash the transmission so not expecting any major issues. Very rarely am I doing a fast launch from a stationary or rolling start. Others are faster from the traffic lights but I either pass them further down the road or catch up to them waiting at the next set of traffic lights. More into cruising and driving defensively with the benefit of no  expensive repair bills.

  4. 6 hours ago, TommyM said:

    The lexus LS has a real high tech auto/cvt combo

    It's got like 4 physical gears then the cvt takes over, they only act as launch gears for smoothness & acceleration, without being a buzzy cvt

    I did not know this and it makes so much sense particularly for medium and larger vehicles. CVT for cruising along and fuel efficiency then physical gears for launching and acceleration. Combination should certainly prolong the life of the transmission which is a big concern for the CVT only transmissions.

    One can only hope that these transmissions when avaiable in Toyotas can be retrofitted to earlier models.

  5. 59 minutes ago, DanielFi said:

    I am already suffering buyers regret for the stereo, off ebay, an Android screen only model. I regret it simply as Chinese warranty does not exist today, and failure of these units is common, some time after install. I will likely keep the stock six stacker, Bluetooth, with front usb and reversing image unit for this reason. And avoid  hacking at the stock wiring harness. So it could be reinstalled. 

    The other option was to do it properly with a name brand unit, missed out on the Xmas sales. The new head unit is arriving possibly late this week, my wife has not been informed , and I pray I am home when it arrives..

    Looks like you are going to have some interesting times ahead swapping out units then probably again if the new unit fails. Best to start looking around for a decent name brand unit and hope it comes on special at EOFY or next Xmas sale.

    Easy to give advice when it is other person's money, time and effort. 😁

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 1
  6. Welcome to the Forum.

    As you would have found out changing the spark plugs is not simple. I assume that you would have selected and used long life iridium plugs.

    If you look at previous posts for changing the ATF in the U660E transmission, Toyota refers to it as a strainer rather than a filter. I have dropped the transmission pan and changed the filter on my Aurion but did not do this on my standby project Aurion. 

    I anticipate that you are looking after the engine with regular oil and filter changes. Plenty of posts about this topic on the Forum. 

    Look forward to seeing your intended post on changing the stereo. Interested to hear which head unit you have selected. 

  7. 3 hours ago, bob007 said:

    I saw this on TV, I had to laugh when they said to park it outside because if you have it in the garage it might burn your house down.  :fear:

    What a marketing disaster!!!

    This is worse than those Takata airbags deploying on their own in certain vehicles such that owners advised to stop driving and have the vehicle towed to a dealership for repair. 

    5 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

    I plan on keeping my Aurion long term. I just don't have the confidence in any other brand.

    My long term plan has been to wear out my 2 Aurions which will probably take me 30 years. Maybe by then I will need an autonomous electric [Toyota] vehicle so I can keep my driving license privileges. 

  8. 22 minutes ago, bob007 said:

    Thanks for the info Tony, you sure have plenty of supplies there.

    I will get some Toyota Coolant but that's the only thing I'll touch because I've got another 4yrs of warranty left, so don't want to lose that.

    Motorscam was once owned by the NRMA but no longer is, because when I rang the NRMA to complain I was told ring Motorscam we don't own it now...they couldn't give a stuff.  :angry:

    I always thought the NRMA was for helping it's members but all it seems to do now is collect money...very sad.  :sad:

    For complaints, looks like you will have to contact IAG who acquired Motorserve from NRMA. 

    https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/au/news/breaking-news/iag-acquires-nrmas-motorserve-business-192193.aspx 

    As the saying goes, Once bitten twice shy or another one Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me. 

    I am a slow learner so I have been bitten twice a few times but have eventually wised up. 

     

    Suggest that you send them an email including a lot of details so that they can investigate. Consider ending with an open ended statement suggesting that they remedy this situation of an unethical upselling of an unnecessary service. Await their response and if not satisfied then leave a review for their business on Google or Facebook etc. 

    i also read a lot of posts on Quora.com so it is a common practice in the USA for these quick oil change places to upsell services and even blatantly lie to unsuspecting customers. Plenty of stories of parts needing to be replaced e.g. brake pads, air filters etc but the customer had only replaced them a few weeks ago. 

    If you are not DIY, get the Toyota dealer or a decent local mechanic to do the additional 6mth oil and filter change. 

     

  9. 6 hours ago, TommyM said:

    On a side note, just replace your power steering fluid in the reservoir once a year, it's cheap insurance to keep it clean. Beats replacing a $800+ pump

    I have been doing the same with my Aurion. It is so easy using a plastic hand pump to extract the fluid from the reservoir. A good use for those empty hand/body wash bottles. 

  10. 2 hours ago, TommyM said:

    I believe low tension rings have been around long before 2010. E.g Camry 2.4L was notorious for it !

     

    Also another thing, Mobil 1 0w40 is only rated at API SN GF-5

    Where as ENVIRO+ GF-S is SN Plus, GF6-A 😉 with GF-5 backwards compatibility.

    Camry 2.4L was notorious for oil consumption. Beyond a certain level of oil consumption, Toyota was replacing the piston and rings. After looking at a few different YouTube videos, I am currently thinking that the oil ring has got blocked due to oils being used and the extended oil change interval. The Car Nut did a YouTube video which clearly explains the various stages of increased oil consumption in Toyota engines. Frequent oil changes is the preventative measure. Also use the recommended oil viscosity for your engine. 

    I have revised my level of importance on the oil specification as a criteria for selecting oil. Forgotten which full synthetic oil [maybe Nulon] that was previously on special but only had a SL oil specification. Apparently this was due to level of zinc which exceeded the level to meet the SN oil specification. Also oil manufacturers have to pay to get the latest oil specification for each of their different oils. Not surprising if a product can meet the latest specification. Whereas another product has been tested and being marketed on that basis.  

  11. 20 minutes ago, TommyM said:

    By the book "oil chart", what oils does the 2GR-FE recommend and/or alternatives ?

    Kinda curious to see how they changed. I gather with lower tension rings being a thing with newer engines, promotes oil burning early on i guess. All in order to quote unquote "reduce fuel consumption". 

     

    It still puzzles me how the 2GR's are so prone to sludge. Where did they screw up i wonder......

    Recommended oils are slightly different between the Aurion 40 series and Aurion 50. Later 2GR engines used newer manufacturing processes and materials for closer tolerances and to improve fuel efficiency. 

    2GRs are known to be more prone to sludge. It has been put down to modern engine design and small oil galleries. Engine really needs high quality oil and regular oil changes to prevent sludge build up.

    The "screw up" is a recommended oil change interval of 15K kms or 12 months. Lot to be said for the old school approach of regular oil changes every 5K or 6 months if you are a long term owner or a used car buyer. 

    As for the lower tension rings, I think this is a recent development for later engines manufactured since 2014 [?]

  12. Your 1st post is a very memorable one and very relevant to all owners with a diesel engine. 

    I very much doubt if you will get any compensation except possibly an eBay refund assuming that you can "prove" that the injectors were counterfeits. You are very much reliant upon eBay providing the seller's details so that they can be legally identified.

    Given that you are 8K out of pocket, Small Claims Tribunal will most likely not be applicable, so you will have to engage solicitors etc. To get any legal redress, you are going to have to prove beyond any doubt that the injectors were the direct cause of the engine damage.

    Unfortunately, it is very easy to offer so many counter arguments to establish a reasonable level of doubt e.g. injectors damaged during installation, related seals not replaced, contaminated fuel etc causing fuel injectors to fail.  

    • Like 1
  13. Good to hear from you particularly the feedback on 0W-40 oil in your 1MZ-FE engine. I was wondering whether the 0W viscosity was a bit too low for your engine.

    Anyway, I bought some 0W-40 engine oil [5 litre containers] when it was on special and yet to use. Most likely will use 5 litres of the 0W-40 and add a litre of 10W-40 or 15W-40 in my 2GR-FE engine. Because I do a lot of short distance driving, I have been doing very frequent oil changes to keep on desludging the engine. Finally making progress after 5 years and refining my overkill oil change procedure. 

    If you go back through recent posts, you will find a YouTube video presented by The Car Nut about engine oil and filters. if you have not seen it before, then very worthwhile looking at his series of videos. 

     

  14. In recent years, I have been keeping an eye on Hyundai and Kia as benchmarks to Toyota. Just when I think that they are worthwhile considering as an alternative, I then find out about a major/significant recall. Still yet to have my bubble burst on the Kia Stinger.

    The other great surprise is that China based suppliers are now no.4 in the Australian market. Guess it all helps with competition but I will stick with proven quality vehicle manufacturers.

    In the meantime, I will be giving my Aurion ["mechanical girlfriend"] and the backup project Aurion lots of TLC while I await the arrival of practical, affordable electric cars in 2035.

  15. On 6/15/2020 at 2:48 PM, campbeam said:

    I have been using my electric rattle gun a fair bit lately and noticed a current special for $75.

    image.png.9ad32e43ba3ce4bdd68816cab23edf46.png

    https://www.mydeal.com.au/12v-12-electric-adjustable-torque-impact-wrench-255253?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7I3cnYCD6gIVCd9oCh0aeQRJEAEYASABEgK2ePD_BwE

     

    I have kept this electric rattle gun on my eBay watchlist.

    Noticed that it is further reduced to $69 so bought another one.

    https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/UNIMAC-12V-Impact-Wrench-Rattle-Gun-Wheel-Nut-Remover-1-2-Electric-Car-Volt/142618032122

     

  16. Recommend that you have your car serviced at a Toyota dealer while it is still in the warranty period.

    Definitely continue with oil changes every 6 months. This will make using oil flushes redundant for your new vehicle.

    Main reason for doing this is because Toyota releases Service Bulletins to address known problems/issues.

     

     

  17. 1 hour ago, bob007 said:

    Hi Tony,

    Oil change at 12mths/15000km...what ever comes first of cause but as I do short trips I always have the oil changed every 6mths and will with this car.  In 12mths I've only done just over 6000km.    It's a 4cyl 2.5L which is all I need, I get 11.3L per 100km according to the car.

    Toyota says 7.6L per 100km, I don't see how I could get that maybe it's the short trips because I'm not a lead foot.   My last car was a 2001 Toyota Corolla 1.8L, I had it for 18yrs without any trouble.

    You are doing the right thing with oil changes every 6 months. Keep doing this and the engine will not give you any trouble with oil consumption due to the oil rings getting clogged up.

    With short trips, oil is hardly getting up to operating temperature to get rid of contaminants e.g moisture build up etc. Not surprising that your fuel consumption is not the best since you are only doing short trips. Nothing like a road trip to get better fuel consumption figures.

  18. Big disclaimer that I am not an automatic transmission specialist.

    Have a good read of the article of the U660E transmission from page 10 on.

    https://gearsmagazine.com/resources/issues/6f8d1_2013-1_all nbg.pdf

    You will need to have a full flush/change of the old  transmission fluid then replaced with correct ATF. Correct scan tool will confirm any error codes specifically relating to those solenoids that have failed.

    Maybe the new ATF will help to unblock any stuck switches or else they will need to be replaced.

     

  19. I just did a Google search for the various error codes with following results.

    https://www.autoblog.com/2016/09/15/p0990-obd-ii-trouble-code-transmission-fluid-pressure-sensor-sw/

    https://www.engine-codes.com/p2757.html

    http://p1660.enginetroublecode.com/toyota-aurion

    As a starting point, I would be looking for any transmission fluid leaks which would explain a possible low transmission fluid level.

    Most certainly get the transmission fluid level checked and also a change of the automatic transmission fluid. Hopefully this will the solution.

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