campbeam

I had another read of the original post and the pictures.

Also had another laugh. I know that you are too OCD to have forgotten that extra 200 ml. If you had, I would have been very surprised.

Lots of preparation involved so the job would have gone quite smoothly.

Big benefit of dropping the pan is to clean off that accumulated sediment. Extra effort means that the new ATF will be less likely to get dirty/contaminated. 

I reckon that you will be giving your Dad's Aurion a transmission service in the near future.

4 hours ago, donnot said:

Only complaint now is that the steering rack is too slow, but can't do anything about that :(.

I have noticed that when I have the front tyre pressures at 40 psi, the steering is very responsive. 

17 minutes ago, AurionX2 said:

Good stuff there, precise, right tools, well documented, congratulations. One thing: if I remember correctly the 200ml fluid top-up is done after finishing the fluid level check, during the flush is irrelevant because you'll follow up with the level check anyway. I wonder if their engineers have initially miscalculated the amount of fluid that should be used and corrected it later.

Yes, final step is to add the 200 ml after the fluid level check then refit the fill plug. I think that the top up can be an allowance/preventative measure if too much fluid has been drained while performing the fluid level check. Certainly avoids customers returning complaining about transmission / gear shift issues when ATF is cold caused by fluid level being a bit low.

4 minutes ago, VeradaMan said:

I’ll describe the problem to the dealer just like I have here and hopefully they’ll be able to fix it. 

I am expecting that the Dealer will look at any Service Bulletins and most likely update the transmission control software. If that does not solve the issue, next step is to consider whether a replacement of the valve body is required. Just as well the vehicle is under warranty.

20 minutes ago, VeradaMan said:

Thanks for the replied everyone 

It happens when the car is warm. No issues when the car is cold and getting up to operating temp. 

Car is still under warranty. 

Based upon my limited experience, I would be confident in saying that the fluid level is not low. If the fluid level was low, I would expect having shifting issues when the ATF is cold.

Toyota service Centre will need to scan the ATM computer control unit to check for any codes relating to the change solenoids and sensors. There could be an issue with the electrical connections for the shift solenoids that only occurs when the ATF is at operating temperature.  

16 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

Penrite have actually remodeled the container and added a bonus flexible pouring spout.

Nice touch. As you say, it is a bonus pouring spout. I do not have a fluid transfer pump so use a plastic funnel and a length of plastic hose which is fed down through the engine bay near the battery to the side of the gearbox. Then more fun maneuvering the end of the plastic hose into the filler hole. Advantage is that all of the ATF poured into the hose goes into the gearbox. 

22 hours ago, donnot said:

Indeed we have 😆 

About to pull the trigger on some KYB Excel-G's for ~$480 shipped (eBay Plus code). Should guarantee an improvement considering how people talk about how stiff they are (vs other OE shocks). Was worried that Sachs would be too soft. Probably 4 hours labour for install? 

An estimate of 4 hours labour is realistic assuming no problems with disassembly and reassembly. Usually there is always 1 bolt that is troublesome. Following YouTube video shows what is involved in replacing the rear struts. 

Certainly interest to hear your feedback once the KYB Excel-G's have been fitted, particularly stiffness of the ride.

So many oil specials available now in the lead up to Bathurst. Best to search the Super Cheap, Repco and AutoBarn websites.

For the budget minded, I spotted this 5 Litre Nulon semi-synthetic 5W-30 oil for $14.99 https://www.autobarn.com.au/semi-synthetic-5w-30-advanced-protection-engine-oil-5l 

1 hour ago, Tony Prodigy said:

I wonder if that strut bar will also fit the 50 series. Anyone have any idea ??

The answer is in this thread which has posts from both of us back in 2017.

2 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

We rocketed around like crazy on our BMX bikes. Ahh, the good old days..

When we got old enough, we upgraded to cars and here we are.

This is another online calculator which I use often for tyre size comparisons even though I am staying with the stock original size tyres.

https://tiresize.com/calculator/

11 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

Ahh Pythagorean Theorem lol. Takes me back to high school Ash. I haven't heard words like Hypotenuse in over 30 years 😂 

This post did have me thinking again about my High School maths. Certainly have not used any algebra and forgotten all of the formulas that we had to memorise.

My Dad was a builder and he always said that the perfect pitch of a roof was 33.33 degrees. Now that approach angle would have you going over the handlebars of your push bike.

5 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

My 2 cents on this particular product Gents. I have used this and I found my brakes were starting to get grabby after around 12 months or so. I didn't bother to look into it too much until it was time to replace the front pads. Upon disassembly of the calipers, the ceramic lube had dried out and it was this that was causing the slides to "gum up" rendering them too grabby at low speeds. The left side inner pad was the most worn too because of this. I had also bought a box of this stuff and now I prefer to use moly grease or as you mentioned Ash, anti seize grease.

Brake pads should last at least 2 or so years and having to do the slides more often than you need to is a pain. So I will not use the Bendix Ceramic Lube anymore for this reason.

I viewed a few YouTube videos about servicing the brake slider pins. They consistently mentioned using anti-seize grease which made sense to me. I did check the slider pins when I changed the brake fluid. All looks good so next brake check will be more for the brake pads and fluid.

Thanks for the update. I think that I will stick with the anti-seize grease. I have also got plenty of Castrol LMM grease.

On 9/10/2020 at 4:16 AM, donnot said:

Recently installed the UR Front strut bar and rear sway bar and I'm really impressed - but it's left me wanting more. I suspect that my shocks are quite worn at 160k (they feel sloppy compared to my brother's at 120k). 

We have gone full circle so back to your original post.

I remember reading an internet post that upgrading your rear sway bar is like applying a band aid when the real underlying problem is worn shocks/struts.

I was going to put that statement to the test by replacing the rear struts and then see how much it reduced the rear body roll going around a local roundabout. What ended up happening was the exact opposite in that I applied an  "ättractively priced band aid" which has reduced the body roll and the new replacement struts are still in their packaging.

When I want more handling then I will be fitting the replacement struts. Also been delaying waiting for the QLD NSW border to fully open without restrictions then do the replacement after the trip.

You will need to do some measurements of the ground clearance and the distance of your wheel to the bumper. Then input your figures into this calculator.

https://www.calculator.net/right-triangle-calculator.html?av=6&alphav=&alphaunit=d&bv=28&betav=&betaunit=d&cv=&hv=&areav=&perimeterv=&x=75&y=17 

10 hours ago, Mick2222 said:

I need to know the following, for my 2010 Corolla Ultima:

Approach Angle
Departure Angle

Mick

Not exactly sure whether you are referring to apexing the corner as demonstrated in this video

or perhaps cornering techniques as demonstrated in the embedded video of this link

https://www.carthrottle.com/post/4-things-you-should-never-do-in-a-front-wheel-drive-car/

Actually, I rather liked that he was somewhat contradictory. I was thinking that he was taking into consideration that all transmissions are not the same particularly as design and specifications have been changing over the years.

I am thinking that what determines the amount and type of servicing is going to be the driving conditions and that specific transmission model and design.

Because you drive your Aurion like Grandpa [so you say] i.e. drive sedately, owned the vehicle since new and less than 60K on the odometer, I think that there would be little benefit from dropping the pan and changing the filter. Saying this because my project 2008/9 Aurion [used family vehicle mostly driven by the 1st owners wife] with 109K had little build up on the transmission pan mostly around the magnets. I just visually checked the filter then refitted it before doing a full flush of the transmission.

Different matter 5 years ago when I bought my used 2006 Aurion with 165K on the odometer. When I dropped the pan, there was a significant amount of sediment all over the bottom of the pan and I did replace the filter. I did buy extra filters at that time. After viewing that video, I am planning upon changing the filter next year and then opening up the replaced filter. Not really expecting to find any metal particles. 

22 hours ago, ForTrissie said:

I own a 2004 Toyota Prado Grande since brand new. Recently all the dashboard electronic shut down and then start up intermittently while dirving. Basically the speedometer and everything is off/on within a few seconds. Anyone has a glue of what is going on and what to do?

Certainly appears to be an intermittent power supply issue. Best to start by checking the fuses and usually there are 2 fuse boxes. When I remove fuses, I look at them using a magnifying glass or in good lighting conditions.

Next step would be check for any loose electrical connectors or a loose ground wire on the electrical harness.

I also recall posts where there was corrosion on the ground connection or replacing with a better ground connection/wiring.

1 hour ago, Tony Prodigy said:

The OCD in me would try and have the gauge bezels painted to match the rest of the fascia you have there so it blends in nicely.

The Accountant in me would be leaving the gauges as is.

Nice difference that the temperature gauge has a red pointer and the pressure gauge has a white pointer.

I would think that you are more likely to be monitoring the oil pressure gauge so best place that gauge for a better line of sight.

1 hour ago, Hello Newman said:

I'm used to auto transmissions of '80s and '90s, where trans filters are definately to be replaed. repairvehicle's youtube on modern transmissions does have merit. So hard to know. If I had a new car with this type of filter then in my servicing wants, I'd replace it. If I bought one with 150k on it I might not, but do regular fluid changes using the 3 flush change method to get the old oil out of the torque converter. 

Some car makers are known for extolling less service periods that impress new buyers who will trade in before damage (if any) to the vehicle.

If it is in the manufacturer's maintenance schedule for that particular vehicle, then definitely replace the transmission filter.

The issue is more the recent trend towards sealed for life transmissions. Reduced or minimised servicing now is going to raise the potential for expensive repairs down the track..

The video presenter is making the point that costly repairs if something goes wrong such as a broken bolt can be avoided by not doing an unnecessary replacement of the filter.

Good workaround is to perform regular changes of the ATF which is good preventative maintenance..  

8 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

Yep. Do those regular oil changes, use high quality oil and I think we'll never hear of any timing chain issues here.

Following link relates to a US Patent Office Application titled  "Lubricant Compositions For Reducing Timing Chain Stretch"

https://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2017/0321146.html

It may be useful if you are trying to differentiate between various high quality oils. 

Following YouTube video makes a number of valid points about whether you really need to replace a low pressure transmission filter. Transmission filters are different to oil filters. In his opinion, generally it is better to be doing regular changes of the ATF. 

6 minutes ago, Tony Prodigy said:

I was going to do the flush via the supply and return lines. What's the best plan of attack, pan drain, replace filter, refit drain pan and then proceed to flush cycle then fluid level adjustment ?

I did the flush on my project Dec.2008 Aurion Prodigy [has 109K on the odometer] via the return line which is the line where the ATF flows from the radiator cooler back to the transmission. I was refilling the transmission with the new ATF using a funnel and hose to the refill hole on the upper side of the transmission. Refill plug is 24mm. Basically the same as when I did my 1998 Camry transmission which has a dipstick.  Toyota Camry ATF Transmission Fluid Flush.docx

Same sequence with the additional/unmentioned step of cleaning the pan before refitting. 

4 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

Can't wait Ash. Sounds like a whole lot of fun lol.. I'm also glad I never had to do the VVTI oil line too. What was Toyota thinking having a plastic tube handle hot, high pressure oil. Yikes.

Great lot of fun. Good opportunity to properly clean and detail the parts that get removed. Maybe more Aerospace 303 protectorant on the plastic bits.

It was rubber hose. Looks like they selected a lower grade so the initial solution was to replace that bit of hose with a higher grade. Final solution was a full metal VVTi oil line. Similar situation with the oil cooler which has rubber hose lines. At least, these hoses are replaced when a leak is detected with a full metal line unit by Toyota Australia. Quite a few threads and posts on this issue. Again, it is another PITA job needing the right tools to make the job possible [so I have read]. 

At least we know that the timing chain is designed to last the lifetime of the engine. Essentially, it is another engine component that needs to be adequately lubricated for wear protection purposes. 

3 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

Ah yes OK. I remember watching a video where a guy had the parts ready to go and he couldn't place where the o-ring went and he assumed it was for the straw. That was my recollection.

I'll have to check later should the filter kit come with the o-ring ? It's been a while and I can't remember.

hahaha yes Ash. You know me too well lol. I have learned the hard way. I promise to be gentle on this one.

Some filter kits come with the o-ring and others don't. Wesfil kit [5 years ago] did not include it so I ended up re-using the o-ring. I am sure that the smaller o-ring that comes with the engine oil filter cartridges is the same size. 

3 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

I'm gonna go the whole hog and do the full flush Adrian, just like you did. It makes sense to do it if I'm planning to spend the whole day on it. 

I was thinking to do this first major flush, then do an annual pan drain going forward.

Good idea to set aside a whole day. A full flush only took me less than an hour [without changing the filter] but I had previously loosened that troublesome bolt. With the car up on ramps, i had plenty of working room to manoeuvre off the transmission pan. 

A major flush is going to replace 100% the ATF. I have recently calculated that 4-5 pan drains at say weekly intervals will get very close to fully refreshing the transmission with new ATF. It also explained why some transmission shops [according to internet posts] do a pan drain, drive the vehicle to circulate the ATF then do another pan drain. Transmission should then have about 75-80% new ATF and 20-25% old ATF. 

I have been doing lots of pan drains in the last 5 years after replacing the filter. Makes sense to me to remove some of the used/contaminated ATF and to refresh the additive package. Next year I am planning on dropping the transmission pan to check/replace the filter so will then see if there is any noticeable "built up material" on the bottom of the pan especially around the magnets.  

1 hour ago, ZZT86 said:

My mate mechanic always said these 3.5L cars are an absolute prick to do major work on, I'm banking on never having to do such. I'm guessing the worst maintenance item would be those rear spark plugs.

I prefer to over-maintain or overservice my Aurion to avoid having to pay for any major work. Sold my Honda Prelude rather than replace the timing belt which would have involved removing the engine.

Actually replacing the rear spark plugs is not so bad after you have done it the first time. More time consuming to remove the wiper motor etc [allow a few hours] so you can gain access and working room to replace both the spark plugs and coils. Replacing the alternator is also a joyous occasion. Also allow a few extra hours to remove the radiator fans etc for access and working room. Excellent reasons why you buy quality replacement parts.

On the Yaris, alternator replacement looks like a simple bolt off bolt on job, easily done within 15 minutes.

So far, my absolute worst maintenance/repair experience has been replacing the rear VVTi oil line which has a rubber hose mid-section on the earlier 40 series Aurions. I reckon that it took me more than a year to "recover" from that traumatic experience to even consider doing it again. Just as well, I love my Aurion and my standby project Aurion already has the full metal oil line.