campbeam

3 hours ago, Metal_Head said:

Update, I found the wobble comes when ur lazy rotating the wheels, and the fronts seem to wear unevenly & cause the wobble. 

I have had no steering wobbles and I do not rotate the wheels. I choose to wear out the front tyres then replace them. I have also picked up extra rims with tyres from the wreckers.

When the front tyres start to wear unevenly, that is an indicator for a wheel alignment and/or struts need replacing.. 

1 hour ago, Tony Prodigy said:

I should also look to getting a new serpentine belt along with the pulleys and the tensioner. Any suggestions would be appreciated too.

I did my research back in 2018 and bought a Gates Micro-V Ribbed Belt for the girlfriend's Yatris. It is still in a plastic bag along with some Aerospace 303. In the meantime, I have been the serpentine belt on my Aurion a few Aerospace 303 Protectant treatments. 

After watching this YouTube video, I repacked the idler pulley bearings. I am sure that I used white lithium spray grease plus a bit of silicone spray. Bit of preventative maintenance rather than wait for the bearings to wear and become noisy. 

44 minutes ago, Tony Prodigy said:

Engine sounds pretty normal to me Ashley. I was hoping you'd get right up to it to compare the O.P's video.

Being my usual subtle self, I will appreciate if others also post a video or sound clip of their 2GR-FE engines. Maybe a 50 series engine is quieter. Engines with lower kms should also be quieter.

Yes, I did detect the hint that a comparison video would be handy. Video is compliments of the girlfriend, my IT Support gal.

Good to get other people's opinions especially when I think that the engine could be quieter. Idler pulleys have been re-lubricated but not the bearing on the tensioner.

I also keep a watchful eye on the coolant level and for any leaks from the water pump bearing plus an ear out for the dreaded VVTi rattle.

COVID-19 has played havoc with the supply chain so re-thinking about having a water pump and gasket on hand rather than buy when needed. Maybe direct some of those tax refund $$$ for that purpose. 

36 minutes ago, Tony Prodigy said:

Just a force of habit for me Ash, plus I would feel guilty if I didn't clean it and simply just put the new filter into old oil residue. I wonder if the service departments actually clean too ? I'm thinking not or maybe a quick wipe if you're lucky.

I always have degreaser on hand so there's no excuse not to use it. Like you mentioned Ash, I spray it thoroughly until it pools up, leave it for a few minutes then rinse. I then blow it dry and now it presents the optimal situation of having a fresh housing and filter.

How my car gets pampered 

For service departments, time is money. Be a quick wipe on the outside only. Why bother, not their car and the owners are never going to know. Certainly, most owners are not going to pay extra. 

I take pride and pleasure in pampering my "mechanical girlfriend" and expect to be rewarded by both reliability, efficiency and performance. Great believer in preventative maintenance so prepared to spend the $$$ and put in the extra time and effort.

Others can neglect their vehicles and have roadside breakdowns, usually at the most inconvenient times and expensive repairs. 

I remembered your picture of the oil filter housing and noted at the time how clean it was. 

Usually, I swirl some petrol or diesel around inside the housing to give it a clean. This time, I used some degreaser and thoroughly cleaned the bypass valve at the bottom of the housing and this removed any varnish and oil sludge particles.  

On 9/4/2020 at 3:37 AM, campbeam said:

Brakes got a good workout on the last road trip so time to change brake fluid and check the rotors and pads.

Girlfriend decided that we would go to Toowoomba yesterday rather than go 2 weeks later for the start of the Carnival of Flowers. Got caught out a bit because I had been meaning to check the tyre pressures. Ended up stopping at a local service station.

QLD election date is 31st October and latest news is that politicians [except WA] are planning upon having the borders open by Xmas [this year]. If that happens, I would be expecting plenty of traffic and a lot of last minute preparation and servicing. 

Just suggesting that the time is now for getting up to date with any overdue maintenance etc.  

On 9/1/2020 at 1:30 PM, Tony Prodigy said:

I think it's ok to be honest, although the recording has a tendency to amplify the tick noise.

I'll have to do a recording of mine then play it back and see if it sounds similar, but given this, I think that what you say make sense in that when it get to temp it's more pronounced as everything has expanded. Even if there is some clearance in the valve train that is slightly more than the other, I don't think it's an issue. You may benefit from a 5W-40 oil being in Queensland instead of the 5W-30.

I can't explain the fuel range, but keep an eye on that too. It's probably a right foot thing 😁

I wonder if the 40 series 2GR-FE has some ticking to them too.

Recording of my 2006 Aurion engine with an odometer reading of approx. 221K.  Engine is at full operating temperature after returning from a highway trip and has 5W-40 oil. Engine and transmission got a good workout going up and down the Toowoomba range. 

I just happened to come across this video by our good mate John. After dealing with his sense of humour, he is making a number of very valid points.

I also read the comments and especially noted that the aftermarket shops will sell you every accessory you ask for even if it is going to bananarize your chassis. 

Looks like the exhaust shop has done a good job.

The exhaust tips neatly fill the cutouts in the rear bumper bar. They stand out very nicely. 

3 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

put the obligatory wide brim hat on the rear parcel shelf. The ultimate sleeper 😁

Volvo drivers and their hats. haha

I have started wearing a cap occasionally. Maybe start a trend so idiot drivers avoid me. In my dreams. 

When I get bored and want a change, might give the mufflers a spray with some high temperature paint to blend in with the rear bumper. 

They will also be ideal to use to top up a Century Maintenance Free Battery.

6 hours ago, ZZT86 said:

Kevin Rudd for PM

Ah memories of the Ruddmobile. Not exactly a road trip friendly vehicle. 

Brakes got a good workout on the last road trip so time to change brake fluid and check the rotors and pads.

6 hours ago, Metal_Head said:

TRD dressed as an atx would make a nice sleeper 

I recognise an Aurion from a Camry by looking for a dual exhaust. Easy to hide the badges and even put on some Camry ones. 

It would be a bit more cost and effort to actually hide the exhaust tips. Now we are moving into Q Ship mode.

2 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

Annastacia Palaszczuk wants to get re elected so it's downers for everybody wishing to travel by road, rail or air it seems. 

( I had to copy and paste her name . No hope in Hell trying to type it correctly )

What I will say is that I was not aware of who the QLD Chief Medical Officer was before this crisis.

NSW and VIC premiers are making Anna look pretty good, politically speaking; at the moment. 

In the meantime, I will try and predict some winning Lotto numbers, find some eBay bargains and keep busy maintaining my Aurion. 

1 hour ago, Metal_Head said:

I will go one up on that and state I have never had a collision with another car over 20 years of driving. This event a couple months ago nearly ruined my day though.... Wouldn't of been a cm between us. https://gofile.io/d/WYzcOP

As for single vehicle accidents when I was 17....... I won't comment on that one haha

2 hours ago, KAA said:

I have only ever lost 2 points in a driving life of 44 years..hmm damn makes me sound old,  but years of experience does count for something

Compared to the 2 of you, I am a reformed disaster. SIngle vehicle accident when I was 22... no comment except to say that dirt road, cattle grid just before a bend and too much speed will ruin both your day and your car. Too many points for speeding so lost my license for a number of months. 2 accidents in a row finally convinced me to mend my ways. Too much speed led to an incident with a kerb. Solution was to buy a new vehicle in 1998. Further reform when you have family responsibilities. Since then, I have had a few close calls. Braking hard to then aquaplane at 80kph is not a pleasant experience. Last one was just millimetres involving a female driver trying to do a lane change after stopping at traffic lights. Very fortunate that I had room and was able to literally throw the car sideways. Certainly a brown undies moment and I would have readily gifted them to her.  

Constantly reminding myself to be patient and drive defensively. Similar to KAA, I give those "accidents waiting to happen" drivers a wide berth.

1 hour ago, Tony Prodigy said:

Do you think that video put out by Toyota is just some propaganda stuff to scare us off buying anything but Toyota parts ?

My first gripe to Toyota would be this. Why are your Genuine parts such a Rip Off to start with ? The aftermarket industry has gone to town on this very idea that regular people simply cannot afford to always buy Genuine Parts, and i feel for them when they have no choice but to seek out a cheaper alternative.

Also, further to this. Nobody likes being ripped off either. I am always happy to pay a fair price but these dealerships really push it to the limits.

I'll wait until my next batch arrive from the U.S. and I'll examine them very carefully. I trust the seller and his claim that they are actually Genuine parts. There are tell tale signs anyway.

His feedback is 100% from 19898 transactions with a five star seller rating, so I am very confident these aren't counterfeit. Someone would've blown the whistle by now if they were.

I thought that the video was demonstrating the quality of the genuine parts compared to low quality fake parts and how difficult it is to identify the fakes. Therefore buy your parts from Toyota dealers. Also a bit of a scare campaign that your engine will get damaged or accelerated wear because of these fake parts. Not going to argue particularly if you are following the recommended extended oil change intervals.

My workaround [being DIY] is to have short oil change intervals and to regularly check the oil filter cartridge mainly because I am on the lookout for sludge particles in the housing and the filter cartridge. Also nothing for me to drop the oil into a drain pan to also check for these pesky oil sludge particles then refill the engine with the same oil without those particles. 

Other thought is that the high part prices [either perceived or real] charged by dealerships encourages consumers to go shopping for cheaper alternatives. I will seek parts that are better than OEM quality and prepared to pay a reasonable premium. Good to see some Toyota dealerships as eBay sellers for the DIY market. As consumers, we just have to remember to compare prices to those of known quality e.g. original brake pads vs Bendix Ultimate brake pads. 

I also saw this YouTube video and thought that the seller of those fake parts will be getting his/her just deserts having to refund in full. 

Still hoping and dreaming that the QLD NSW border will open without restrictions. I had a glimmer of false hope that it would be October but reality says otherwise. QLD state elections are also due this October so maybe a factor to keep the borders closed until then. Just saying this because as soon as the borders re-open, it will be immediate road trip time for family reasons.

I did a drain of the transmission pan to check the ATF. It looked a nice clear red colour when draining but dark when put into some clear plastic bottles. Decided to change the ATF now than defer for a few more months.

More road trip preparation maintenance tasks to do in the next few weeks. 

There can be a quality difference between genuine and the others. This YouTube video demonstrates that point quite well. 

Over the years, I have bought filter cartridges from various eBay sellers in USA and Asia. Filters have come in what appears to be original packaging. Needless to say, I cannot tell the difference between genuine, counterfeit or OEM.

Anyway I have bought some more attractively priced product from a China eBay seller.

In the meantime, I checked the oil and just replaced the oil filter cartridge. I usually give the housing a good clean but this time I used some spray can degreaser and focussed upon the bypass valve at the bottom of the housing. I was surprised at the amount of sludge that loosened even after about 6 spray cleans. Something else to include when doing future oil changes.  

15 minutes ago, Metal_Head said:

The issue I see with "sleepers" is enjoyment & excitement only comes when ur being silly with the car. Hearing a burble when cruising around leaves me content. I quickly realized full throttle in these doing anything under 45kph chews expensive tyres very quickly. All my rwd I've owned you could feather it off the mark then plant it & save rubber

Sleeper mode to my mind is being low profile as to not attract attention. Others can show off and get the speeding tickets etc.

Being silly/stupid greatly increases the risk so drive safely within your own and the vehicle's limitations. I just say this because I know myself; too aggressive in my younger days to be behind the wheel so I did not get my driver's license until I was 21. Another reason why I never even tried to get a motorcycle license to most certainly become a temporary Australian or future organ donor. Girlfriend [codename Cheeky] has only been saying that I was hard-headed for 3 years before I finally agreed with her.

I get a lot of enjoyment driving my Aurion just knowing that it has 200KW and it is a great highway cruiser. Sometimes, I turn the radio off just to enjoy hearing the engine.

Like yourself, I am not going to chew my tyres. Most times, other vehicles are faster off from the traffic lights on the main highway only for me to drive past them a few hundred metres later while doing the speed limit. After coming back from a recent road trip, I am more aware of fuel economy and the lead foot  effect. Before I would be seeing 2500 to 3000 rpm when taking off, now I am more concentrating to get 1800 to 2000 rpm.

Years ago, I bought a manual Honda Prelude that was fitted with a 3" muffler supposedly so my boys could use it to get their manual driving licenses. Drone was so bad that I did not enjoy driving it until I stuffed the muffler with stainless steel scourers. Certainly eliminated the drone and there were no bad effects upon performance etc

You have attracted the attention of Tony our resident detailing guru.

Search his posts. You will find some excellent ones on detailing e.g. cleaning your alloy wheels and the products for the best results.

2 hours ago, KAA said:

Nothing better than pulling up beside some young boy racer with his head thump thump music going, tinny rumble from his exhaust as he thinks he has got you sorted and then ZOOM..leave him in the dust when the lights change..mind you only up to the speed limit..but fast up to the speed limit..LOL

Red flag to an old bull. One evening, I could not resist the exhaust rumble of a double dual exhaust especially since my Aurion is now running as if it has a tiger in the tank. Got that bit of madness out of the system so now back to low profile, sleeper mode. Also very lucky that it was not an unmarked police car on Saturday night patrol. 

Perhaps next time I will be a bit more mature [in recognition of my advanced years] and just ignore.

Getting back on track to this thread, I am interested to read how this exhaust modification works out. I do like efficiency gains. 

My car also lives outside in the sun. It mainly gets a hose down and the glass cleaned particularly front and rear windscreens for safety reasons.

Tyres look like new after a tyre shine treatment and it lasts for a few weeks. It makes a difference and only takes a few minutes if you use the SCA spray can product.

https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/export-export-wet-look-aerosol-tyre-shine-400g/1139.html

Just noticed this product is on special so maybe another visit to SCA to flash the plastic membership card.

https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/armor-all-armor-all-tyre-foam---500g/1359.html

9 minutes ago, Metal_Head said:

can't see myself spending the coin to get it done, as I'm sure I would get raped by the exhaust mobs to do it

Suggest you have a detailed read of the posts in that Y Pipe thread. Reported costs are a mild ravaging of the wallet, otherwise it would not be on my reference list. More than likely I am not going to do it because I prefer the torque to be maximum at lower revs.

It is just me but I prefer to have a super quiet exhaust and maintain the sleeper car effect

Wheels look great. Looks like you will get more airflow around the brake pads and rotors.

When you get bored, remember to give the tyres some tyre shine treatment.

10 minutes ago, Metal_Head said:

Removed both mufflers from my 2011 aurion to see what it sounded like, & because I've gotten bored with the car.

I think that it was more about getting bored and wanting a change. I have certainly looked at a number of YouTube videos about the exhaust after a muffler delete.

have previously read about the muffler delete but cannot recall any feed back about massive drone which is what I was expecting. I had also read about not fitting resonators instead of mufflers because of fuel economy impacts???. This did not make sense because I would have thought that the resonator would have performed similar to a hi flow or straight muffler.

If you have still got drone after fitting these resonators, a quick solution is to ram/pack them with some stainless steel wool scourers [from Coles or Woolworths] or stainless steel mesh

https://www.ebay.com.au/i/143057353992?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-139619-5960-0&mkcid=2&itemid=143057353992&targetid=921460872233&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=9068968&poi=&campaignid=10892897993&mkgroupid=107582961032&rlsatarget=pla-921460872233&abcId=9300398&merchantid=116257229&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqY3dsuzJ6wIVRqqWCh29xg2bEAQYASABEgInu_D_BwE

Another exhaust modification you could consider is the Y pipe.