campbeam
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Posts posted by campbeam
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4 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:
It's prudent to watch as many videos as possible to get a broad cross section of information. You will tend to take something from them all and then be able to form your own step by step procedure. I can't recall how many I watched, but having done so really gave the confidence to tackle this fiddly job.
I don't think it matters if it's a slow trickle Ash as we have to add the extra 200ml anyway according to the bulletin. I didn't hear any mention of him adding the 200ml (did I miss something perhaps ?) and that leads me to think that he opted to plug it when the fluid "started" to slow to a trickle. Those ML's of fluid retained not allowing the fluid to slow to a trickle is the 200ml we'd otherwise have put back in.
He made a good point in saying to re check the fluid level after about a week just to make sure. Easy for him to say when he has those quick jacks 😄 To get the car level again takes ages and is a frustrating thing to do. But, in saying this, I should do this.
Love to get those quick jacks, very pricey though. Maybe I'll stick to the old fashioned way for now.
That's why doing your research is extremely important. Going into this blind, thinking you know everything, is dangerous.
After lots of research and experience to get it right, I have developed a few, revised, quick workaround procedures that I am happy with but would upset the "purists". Same thinking about that trickle approach. Extra fluid added at the start avoids the need for that extra 200ml.
After the next road trip, I will have to remember to do a precise fluid level check using a thermal gun. It would be a good time to try and quantify that trickle approach vs slow drips then add 200 ml.
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I was looking at this YouTube video mainly to compare/check the fluid level check procedure being demonstrated.
Prior to 13:16 in the video, he talked about a trickle. The vertical stream of fluid has just started to splutter. Bit of a difference to how I have been doing it. I was waiting until the stream of fluid became a broken series of drops then add an extra 200ml of ATF.
At the 15:00 in the video, he highlights an important extra step required for the 8 speed transmission.
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2 minutes ago, donnot said:
Interesting - I'll probably end up taking it back once more and if they can't solve it, I'll go to a proper suspension-only shop and they might have some better ideas. Posted a question on the askmechanics subreddit which might give me some more ideas.
Does anyone else running a lowered setup (coilovers or springs) on their Aurion have this same issue?
The other thought that I was going to specifically mention was the possibility of the ball joints not being properly seated in the steering knuckle and tightened correctly. Another one of my past experiences.
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Just had a look at your alignment specifications. I was expecting that there would be toe out not a 0.00 measurement. From many years ago [30+], I had a wheel alignment done on my Honda Civic with 0.00 toe. I went for a drive that night and on the highway it was "jumping"across lanes. Definitely back the next day and they changed the toe out to 1.00mm. Problem solved for that particular vehicle.
5 hours ago, Metal_Head said:From a brief Google search, bushes that are binding can cause the issue too. I've lowered a few cars and never had them steer differently.
I Know It must be frustrating, but there has to be a cause, and can be fixed, ah the joy of cars.
There speaks a voice of experience which is what I think a car forum should be about.
I would be putting the car up on ramps and giving all of the suspension bushings plenty of silicone spray then see if that is the magical cure. Otherwise back to the places that did the work on your vehicle for them to check that suspension bolts etc. are still torqued to specifications.
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On 10/26/2020 at 12:00 PM, Tony Prodigy said:
You need to apply a ceramic coating to your windscreen Ash. Those wipers will not be needed then, 😀 Watch those beads glide off the glass.
Recently cleaned the windscreen using a light cutting compound. I was watching those beads glide off the glass while driving along at 70+kph this afternoon. Certainly will be handy if get the go-ahead next week for a quick road trip to regional NSW.
I also looked at my original post back in August; sort of deja vu for what I will be doing tomorrow.
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6 minutes ago, Tony Prodigy said:
The old adage of work smart not hard seems to be the order as I get older..
Applied tyre shine then had a drink. Rolled the car forward so the untreated bottom was now on top. Before I was using hydraulic jacks and rotating the wheels by hand.
However, I can see the advantage once you have a wheel removed from the car for a really detailed clean.
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1 hour ago, Metal_Head said:
That looks sweet..... No bias of course haha. Being lowered makes the rims look larger too.
With regards to the steering not returning to center, something is wrong there. Take it somewhere else & do a wheel alignment & get a 2nd opinion.
As mentioned in a previous post, the caster angle needs to be adjusted to achieve a self centreing action in the steering.
I have not done this for quite some time. After driving hard through a roundabout, upon exiting I would let go of the steering wheel and it would self-centre very quickly.
I posted my recent wheel alignment printouts in this thread and the latest one shows the target specifications.
https://au.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/13268-wheel-alignment-specs/page/6/#comments
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22 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:
Oh man, I used to have a white 1991 Seca SX (100KW) in the mid 90s. That was such a nice car, I wished I kept it.
I hope you find it mate.
Still miss my white 1989 Seca SX [100KW] in the mid 90s. Original owner kept it in immaculate showroom condition. Got fond memories of how well it performed.
Only ones that I have recently seen have been in a battered condition. 😢
On 10/30/2020 at 9:06 AM, SX Seca said:Thanks, unfortunately that didn’t reveal anything further.
Any other suggestions?
Unfortunately, if the car history check did not reveal any more information, then your best hope is that it is still sitting in someones back yard. Maybe you could try posting a wanted to buy ad in Gumtree.
Another option is a social media post e.g. Facebook
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1 hour ago, Tony Prodigy said:
I contacted the cheaper guy and he gave me a deal for 4 items with free delivery. I couldn't resist so I thought I'd future proof myself and stock up in the Tony Prodigy way. So now I have 5 in stock to keep me going for a long time. One less thing to worry about..
Also decided to stock up on oil filters too, so I purchased another 3 boxes and be done with this too. Tick and Tick.
This had me going to my Owners Manual to check the fuel filter replacement interval. For the 40 series, it is 150K kms or 10 years. I expect that you have an excellent [OCD] parts storage and tracking system.
Nice to see that you now have more oil filters than me, all ready for those impromptu oil changes.
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7 hours ago, ZZT86 said:
Be careful also you don't deviate the offset too far from factory as it could have an adverse effect on the cars handling & braking as you ultimately alter the cars track width. Guys with more experience in altering their Aurions could chime in.
Suggest looking at the previous posts from 2007 on where there was a lot more happening with tyre and wheel upgrades etc.
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2 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:
I think this is that price creep we touched on Ash..
Thanks for the link too.
I had some extra thoughts. Initially I thought it was the exact same special but ended up not being so. Worthwhile special if you want a 5W-40 full synthetic oil.
What I did notice last year was that oil specials in December were not as good as the preceding months.
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On 8/28/2020 at 12:26 PM, campbeam said:
This is the latest special from SuperCheap Auto. 50% discount and Limit of 2 per Customer. Ends 06/09/2020.
Quite tempted to get this special.
Repco is having 20-50% off selected oils. $39 for this Castrol 5W-40 oil [6 litres]
In contrast, I may have paid $36 for Castrol 5W-30 [5 litres] at SuperCheap in early Sept.
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Tony introduced me to the Tactix Storage boxes which are trade quality.
I do not have a Hilux myself but have seen them on various tradesmen's vehicles.
https://www.bunnings.com.au/tactix-modular-deep-tool-chest_p6120421
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7 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:
That's excellent advice Ashley. I get my wife to refuel even when it's half way and 1/4 tank is like 'empty" for her and we never let it run right down to reserve.
I suspect the O.P. is filling up with quite a bit of juice still in there. Not a bad thing anyway.
Similar approach. I refuelled today at half way mark with 367km on the trip meter. 200km on the trip meter is refuel reminder time for me but I am not driving every day.
I think that the O.P. filled up after getting the fuel warning light. Hopefully, it was just a trial rather than usual practice.
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1 hour ago, campbeam said:
Yes, I was looking straight at the vehicle but with the shade from an overpass and its bluish colour it blended into the surrounds.
Big learning moment. The driver would have seen a pedestrian looking directly towards him so would have assumed in this situation [no pedestrian crossing] and not going to cross the road. Fortunately, it was a low speed situation with a T intersection and one way traffic.
Since then I have assumed that a pedestrian may not have seem my vehicle and prepared to brake. I also have no sympathy or empathy if the pedestrian is stupid enough to be paying more attention to their mobile phone than being alert crossing the road Karma can give them a "brown pants" moment preferably involving a truck with a bullbar and a really loud horn.
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4 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:
I have to say it looks good. I don't mind the stainless steel moulds personally,
It does look good but I am a chrome sort of guy.
A few years ago I almost stepped into the path of a vehicle. In the last few seconds, I noticed the chrome trim on the front of the vehicle and stopped with one foot on the road. Yes, I was looking straight at the vehicle but with the shade from an overpass and its bluish colour it blended into the surrounds. Both myself and the driver could have done without those heart palpitations.
Main reason I drive around with parking lights on is to increase visibility especially when you have a silver car or other colours that can blend into the surrounding environment.
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After looking at some of the latest posts, I would be thinking of having a set of 18"wheels fitted with the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 just for use on track days etc. Best to check with a reputable tyre dealer about the recommended wheel width for these tyres. It is all about safety; last thing you want is tyres coming off the rim when you are driving hard.
https://www.tsw.com/explore-tsw-custom-wheels/what-is-wheel-offset.php
Stay with your existing wheels and tyres for everyday general driving.
As you have noticed larger diameter lower profile tyres are more expensive.
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6 hours ago, ZZT86 said:
The above info is so great I wana try it - what sort of thermo gun do you have Ash & would you recommend it ? Repco have the Mechpro on special which seems decent enough.
I do have an infra red thermal gun which I bought on eBay pre COVID-19. It would have been budget-priced. No doubt there are better quality ones available. I have used it once to test it [pre and post catalytic converter temperatures] then packed it away. Now got another use for the gun.
After looking at the Repco listing description, there are a few more uses that could be worthwhile trying out.
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On 10/22/2020 at 3:34 AM, Tony Prodigy said:
Is 38 psi the magic number I wonder..
Just read this on a post in Quora.com which I think has merit.
"The tires control the vehicle. Get the best tires you can afford. Your life may depend on it one day. After driving 10 miles or so. Use a infrared thermometer to measure temperatures across the face of the tread. If the center is hotter than the edges, the tire is over inflated. If the edges are hotter, it’s under inflated. Adjust accordingly until the temperature is consistent across the tire. This is a properly inflated tire. It will also be higher than that sticker, and in most cases be about 10% under max psi from the sidewall."
https://www.quora.com/Should-tires-really-be-inflated-to-car-manufacturer-specs
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On 10/22/2020 at 9:46 PM, ZZT86 said:
^^ -1.42 - 0.08 - Struth what a camber variation, those figures can't be right. This is what annoys me, there's too much variation between cars, countries & shop info, see attached data. Not a definitive set of specs for our aussie tuned cars I know but it's all I have for either 40 & 50 series. I will try track some correct data maybe from Toyotas TIS online.
I have attached my wheel alignment printouts Feb.2020 and Aug.2020. I was informed that they had replaced the wheel alignment machine after February. August printout shows the "Target Data" in the centre column. Interesting the difference in camber range between the front and rear axles.
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I ended up buying another set of ignition coils in May 2020 from the same USA seller that I used back in 2018.
Delivery would have taken a few weeks and they are still in my spares box.
5 hours ago, oldcruiser said:BUMP
What is everyone doing about ignition coils? I just had a set of spark plugs replaced with denso IKH20TT - it was throwing up an error which the auto electrician said was spark plugs. Car is 2008 Aurion and has done 180,000kms. Mechanic said the ignition coils are at 70% (or down to 70%??). Would you switch them out now, or wait until problems arise?
The other thing is cost. Ebay has a no-name set of 6 for $140 vs $200+ each (well north of $1k). Has anyone got feedback on how good the cheap set is?Thanks!
Only reason I replaced my ignition coils was because of the time and effort to replace the spark plugs on the rear bank of the V6. I have a spare set [proven quality from a well established eBay seller] on standby waiting for a check engine light, poor fuel economy etc. Certainly hoping not to be using them for quite some time.
My suggestion would be to play a waiting game. Definitely consider replacing the ignition coils when you next replace the spark plugs which is probably 100K kms.
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1 hour ago, Dashboard lights said:
When driving and turning on my headlamps the lights on my dash dim a fair amount,the car runs as per normal,but I think it’s dangerous as I can’t read the information, thanks Rob.
I have encountered the same issue. I don't know for certain but I have always suspected the ambient light sensor which is located in the middle of the dash close to the windscreen. Following eBay listing has a photo of this part for information purposes only.
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2 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:
If you have a fine detailing brush, go over the the cracks and crevices including the air vent louvres.
I have got a fine brush which is actually a cosmetics brush [that I acquired in my bower bird/recycling activities] which will do that task quite nicely. I am sure that it was one that the girlfriend was going to throw away. Definitely not "acquired"from her secret stash.
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Rattle noise on cold start up is usually attributed to the VVTi actuator. Regular oil changes with a quality brand name oil is a must for the 2GR-FE engine.
There are quite a few threads on this Forum about oil change intervals, oil viscosity and recommended oils for the 2GR-FE engine. Consensus of opinion is to use a full synthetic oil with 5W-30 viscosity. I am currently using a 5W-40 full synthetic oil. As for the oil change interval, best to change the oil before it becomes too contaminated and dark in colour.
Just for information purposes, this video is worth viewing.
My Transmission Service
in Aurion / TRD Aurion Club
Posted
I posted the maintenance service interval on October 18 of this thread.
Also have a look at Page 8 of the following thread.