campbeam

I have previously used the Chief oil brand that was available at SuperCheap Auto; at least 3 years ago. I changed to Penrite ATF LV ATF and intending to continue using it. I think that I noticed a slight difference in the smoothness of the gear shifts but this could be due to the multiple ATF changes. I did do some research/internet searches for the suitable ATF for the U660E transmission and the Toyota WS specification. At the time, I thought that the Penrite ATF LV was better meeting the Toyota WS specification. Also when the Penrite ATF LV was on special [previously $36 for 4 litres], it was more attractively priced than the other brands. No reason for me to consider changing especially as I have multiple containers in my stockpile. Still keeping my options open so will consider changing ATF product in the future if a better quality ATF exceeding the WS specification is available at a comparative price.

95C is the temperature when the cooling fan starts operating. https://fdocuments.net/document/2gr-fe-cooling.html?page=5 2GR-FKS: "Thermostat with electric heater, nominal opening temperature 85-89°C - engine is about 5 degrees "hotter" than the 2GR-FE." https://toyota-club.net/files/faq/13-11-10_faq_gr-engine_eng.htm https://toyota-club.net/files/faq/13-11-10_faq_gr-engine_eng.htm#2GR-FE

I thought that it would be good to have this topic as a collection point for those legal judgements against car manufacturers and dealers for their wrong doings. Consumers can have that warm fuzzy feeling of being able to applaud the Corporate "misbehaviour" of car manufacturers being exposed and legally chastised. In the following YouTube video, John Cagogan gets somewhat verbally excited about Mercedes Benz aka 3 Prong being given a financial shafting. Nice implication that BMW should be gratefully thanking 3 Prong for "gifting" sales to them. Nothing like a fixed price model and an upset dealer network to plummet your sales. Hopefully Toyota Australia is having a good laugh at the discomfort of their competitors but also learning. Still got to keep working hard at doing everything right to stay Number 1 plus also market share.

Another YouTube video by John Cadogan appeared for viewing. It is more about the oil change interval and particularly relevant to my regular short distance driving. More support for considering a 6 month oil change interval, in this case for a low mileage vehicle.

I recall a few posts about flushing the coolant system for the purposes of replacing the coolant system. There is an engine drain plug to be located and opened to fully flush the coolant system. An alternative is to drain the radiator then refill with distilled water. Idle engine to circulate and dilute the residual coolant, then drain radiator again. Repeat if considered necessary. Drain and refill with the new coolant. This is what another Forum member has done, so I have remembered his post for future consideration.

This Car Nut's video has provided some factual support for my skeptical thinking about long life coolants. Quick learning from this video was to replace the super long life coolant every 5 years/50,000 miles/80,000 kms. If it is the red coolant then replace every 3 years/30,000/48,000 kms.

Quite worthwhile to read your comparison especially as you have always had 6 or 8 cyl RWD cars. My Oct. 2006 Aurion ATX is my 1st V6 and have mainly had 4cyl FWD car. Absolutely love the torque when overtaking on the highway. Regular and preventative maintenance is the key. Normal logbook servicing is essentially the bare essentials to maintain the new car warranty for the initial 3-5 years.Best to service your vehicle on "severe driving" basis e.g. oil change interval every 6 months or 5-7,000 kms using a quality brand name full synthetic engine oil. Consider changing the automatic transmission fluid {ATF} every 3 years or 70,000 kms. Also regular checks/changes of the coolant and power steering fluid. Instead of a complete coolant change/flush, I change the coolant in the overflow reservoir on an annual basis. I also do similar changes of the power steering fluid in the reservoir but on a more regular basis.

Very coincidental that The Car Nut recently posted a YouTube video about the misdiagnosis of these error codes. Instead of the timing chain it is most likely going to be the Oil Control Valve {OCV} . Have a look at the recent thread on this Forum. Here is the link to a YouTube video about how to fix the P0015 error code.

I also viewed some YouTube videos about a tear down of the electric power assisted steering. Certainly got greater faith in Toyota reliability.

After submitting the initial post, I decided to take my own advice so Saturday morning, I changed the fluid in the power steering reservoir. To be expected, the fluid was a darker colour than the new fluid and there was no sediment. This replaced approx. 200ml of fluid. After a short Sunday morning drive, I repeated the fluid change in the reservoir. Follow up question in my mind was what is the fluid capacity of the power steering system. Answer for my vehicle appears to be 1.3 - 1.4 litres. Following link also details the procedure for a complete fluid flush/change. https://maslo-toyota.ru/en/change-power-steering-fluid-toyota-camry-40.html Now considering when to do a follow up change of fluid in the power steering reservoir. Maybe next engine oil change.

I viewed another new release YouTube Video by The Car Nut. Following a quick look at an item being displayed, I thought that it was something else than the power steering fluid reservoir. Interesting to find out that there is a filter screen within this reservoir and that it can get clogged. What I had previously considered was that the additives in the fluid would break down over time and needed to be replaced. I had previously looked at YouTube videos about flushing the power steering system but was reluctant to disconnect the hoses from the fluid reservoir. What I have been doing is using a pump to extract most of the fluid in the reservoir then replace the fluid. I started doing this regularly and it is now part of my annual maintenance schedule. After doing a quick Google search, it appears that the power steering fluid should be changed every 2 years or 50,000 miles [80,000 kms] https://www.avondaletoyota.com/blog/2022/february/10/how-often-should-you-change-power-steering-fluid.htm Following YouTube video highlights the wear on the power steering pump when the fluid is not changed regularly. I will certainly have to reconsider what fluids I am using in the power steering fluid reservoir. I have previously used Dextron 3 ATF and been thinking about using synthetic ATF or specific power steering fluid for the next change.

Still have yet to find that missing tyre depth gauge so time to buy a replacement. About a fortnight ago, I deflated the tyres on my Aurion and inserted 100ml of Aerospace 303 protectorant into each tyre before re-inflating to 40 psi. What I have noticed since then is that the ride is not as harsh at 40psi compared to previous times. Hard to measure but I feel that the rolling resistance of the tyres is less.

There are some posts in the Aurion part of the Forum. STEDI is a recommended brand, Australian company with a 2 year warranty. I have previously used cheaper chinese brand LED replacement headlight bulbs. Finally got some that were initally good but then started failing in a matter of months. Eventually realised that quality is worth the extra $$ and bought the STEDI LED headlight bulbs as recommended by a few other Forum members. Still going strong after 12 months and I consider it to be the best upgrade that I have done. On a separate note, the Aurion low beam headlights have a projector type housing. I expect that your Landcruiser would be using a reflector type housing. https://www.stedi.com.au/upgrades/toyota/landcruiser/200-series-whalogen-headlight/2012#low-beam-headlight

Wrong vehicle to be driving foot flat to the floor from stationary. If that is your preferred driving style suggest that you go buy an AWD subaru or similar. I previously had subaru liberty and it ended up being a money pit compared to the Camry in the family at that time. The Aurion is not a "boy racer" vehicle. I think of it as more of a highway cruiser able to cruise all day and overtake effortlessly. Something else to consider is the drive train especially the auto transmission which while robust is not designed for drag racing. Expect to either replace the transmission or do an expensive rebuild. Precisely why I chose to be slower from a stop and then use steady acceleration to overtake those that have momentarily raced ahead. Laughing because I fully expect you are going to find out the very hard way about the quality of those GoodRide brand tyres. Quite a few years ago, I bought a used, as new set with 90% tread; standard size 215/60/16. I discovered that they were absolutely treacherous with minimal grip in slightly wet road conditions. Given the expected outcome of a smashed up vehicle fitted with cheap Chinese brand tyres or pay extra to have quality brand name tyres and no dramas, I have parted with the extra $$.

In case you do need or want to remove or access the heater A/C control unit, definitely recommend viewing this YouTube video which is more about replacing the head unit. Also something that I learnt the hard way is that the heater A/C control unit is connected to the head unit with a sideways connecting motion. Best to remove the head unit and heater A/C control unit as one then use a sideways/horizontal sliding motion to disconnect the heater A/C control unit. Assembly is the reverse; connecting both units together then bolts to the dash.

I replaced that heater/ac control unit earlier this year because at least one of the controls was not lighting up. Air re-circulation control had previously lit then stopped. The rear demister control was definitely still working. Unfortunately, no bulbs but a wired in/soldered component. You need to remove the clock and radio head unit to be able to access a couple of the retaining bolts for this control unit. I was testing both the removed and replacement control units prior to re-assembly when the original control unit started working again. Replacement unit was fitted and has been working without any issues for the last 6 months. Original unit is in my spares bin as a backup. In hindsight, maybe there was some corrosion on the electrical connections which got removed after connecting a few times. If you need/want a replacement, try this eBay listing https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/284704892356?hash=item4249bbe5c4:g:AtcAAOSwcFJhna4-&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAsG3ImQCS0yghg2o9PIesHlum1ZZbidx93z%2Fno9salHywdv1UkMnGKufnb0dTpUc7Nc8Sw4DBS%2BSLhwfNmia8EpGzE%2B3ru%2BSn2U1X3xz2sNbxVaUrYLqo4GbULBjwMsaa4SoLv6HauezBS5Na8scIodQqL6mPD%2F%2BXnwmNpXDODBa8n7hSAlukhvd1Blx2%2B0JNpnaiCczHV%2FPWeAy6NJGHKLpq8j2Y2XZqvZTU%2BJMlYJVj|tkp%3ABk9SR-iV_b7aYA&frcectupt=true

Certainly food for thought. Quite likely that someone may release a conversion kit for the Camry. Then it may become more of an affordable option to consider when the engine and transmission have expired. At the moment, some enthusiasts have converted some classic cars to being EV under the hood.

The following is tendered as an alternative suggestion and is not going to be applicable for most owners. It is more about balancing price and quality for your specific driving conditions. Over the past 6 years or so, I have been using both genuine and aftermarket oil filter cartridges for my 2GR-FE engine. There is a difference in the oil filter cartridges as to the quality and amount of the element. This is what you are paying for when you buy genuine or quality better than OEM vs cheaper [supposedly] OEM standard ones. In a different thread titled Genuine vs Fake parts, there is a YouTube video demonstrating the better/higher effectiveness of the genuine Toyota filter My engine is full of oil sludge from the time that I bought it with a dubious service history. Furthermore, as I have posted many times, most of my driving is short distance urban driving approx. 15 minutes so ideal conditions for the formation of oil sludge. Therefore, I do an overkill oil change procedure [in a separate thread] and do it very regularly. My oil change interval is approx. 3000 kms or less depending upon the oil colour. I am DIY and somewhat "price sensitive". Therefore I am not going to use the absolutely best quality oil and oil filters. Very different matter if my engine oil was still a nice amber colour after 5000 kms of mostly highway driving. Then it would be worthwhile to be using the higher quality oil filters and a higher quality engine oil to support an extended oil change interval of either 6 months or 8000 kms. On a visual comparison basis for the number of pleats in the element and personal experience, I have got acceptable results from the OEMASSIVE brand Made in China. I am basing these "results" upon the amount of sludge particles captured in the element. This brand also recommends that the cartridge be changed by 5000 kms. Guess that you can draw your own conclusions, so presumably not suited for a longer interval. Planning upon being a longer term owner of my Toyota and DIY for many years to come, I have placed a bulk order on eBay. 48 filters for $105 was the best deal that I had located. Certainly better than a previous purchase of 6 for $22. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/175355355567?fits=Model%3AKluger|Make%3AToyota&hash=item28d3fe61af:g:QGQAAOSwsCNiw-HM Quantity can have a quality of its own in specific circumstances. Still considering whether to change the oil filter cartridge about mid-way in a planned oil change interval to keep the engine oil cleaner. In the meantime, I will be keeping my genuine oil filter cartridges in reserve until the engine becomes relatively sludge free.

I was very impressed with how clean the cylinder head and valve cover was, particularly when compared to what my engine was like. I thought that it was testament to the frequency and quality of the previous oil changes so not exactly indicative of an indifferent neglectful owner. If the cylinder head and valve cover had heaps of oil sludge then I would not have been so surprised about the engine teardown. Unfortunately not enough background information/history to confirm whether the engine overheated before the change of water pump or shortly afterwards. Main learning from this video is the importance of regular fluid level checks to top up as required and detect any leaks. Definitely cheaper to fix/monitor any coolant leaks before the engine overheats. I am a bit pedantic or OCD so I usually check every week or fortnight as I have an "elderly" 2006 vehicle. Always monitoring the engine oil and coolant level in the overflow bottle. No dipstick on the transmission but I am continuously monitoring the smoothness of the gear changes.

Big disclaimer that I am not a Corolla owner with no direct experience. I did go and view YouTube videos but only saw ones relating to USA and the hub assemblies looked to be different. Also they were having to press on the hub assembly. Finally went to the Amayama parts website and located a diagram for the front hub assembly of the Corolla ZRE152R. https://www.amayama.com/en/genuine-catalogs/epc/toyota-general/corolla/ZRE152R/1733/chassis/4303 Certainly indicates that it is a bolt on/off part. Best way to confirm the relevance of this information/diagram is to actually jack up the vehicle and remove a front wheel.

Craig, just like to give you a big Thank You for your perseverance in taking the time and effort to stand up for your consumer rights. Certainly hope that this eases the struggle for other affected owners and Toyota Australia now does "the right thing". In hindsight, they should have agreed to a confidential settlement before getting to an arbitration and ruling. Their "gamble" of disregarding Australian Consumer Law has not worked and it is now time to pay in full for their bad behavior to all affected Toyota owners. There was a previous post that included John Cadogan's recent YouTube video on this peeling paint issue, so very much a hot topic in the public arena for John to do a video. Hopefully, Toyota Australia now realises that the stage is now set for a successful class action especially from those owners that have had their claims "unrightly" declined. As Tony mentioned in a previous post, it most likely could be the paint primer supplier rather than the manufacturing process. It remains Toyota's responsibility.

This YouTube video about the tear down of the 2GR-FE engine appeared in my viewing list. Presumably, the water pump failed or there was a significant coolant leak and the owner continued driving. The engine overheated resulting in blown head gaskets. Surprising how clean the valve covers and timing gear is but still sludge is present in the piston rings and other engine internals.

I did not have much success finding the right size of oil filter wrench cup for your RAV4. I did check the RYCO catalogue and maybe your vehicle uses the Z1096 filter which has a 65.3mm diameter. https://www.rycofilters.com.au/catalogue/part/index/part/Z1096 You could consider this universal type wrench. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/363863577564?hash=item54b7f593dc:g:MFwAAOSwhFtinVd3&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAABINIYsMZQO5tAvYg8dBLzf9dHG45kGc23O%2FnZGtWBA5Hp4DTQI67mBjL83GnkUYC6H4OjBx%2Bcu0MN5MYOtQXtqBXzQKetQ2mCf7H6jYetHTI1U0ZKXZH2%2F49d8zPmqMiASXyQeA48ivQdcDSM%2Fy5q5J%2Bq62d3avZo7nZ5zOcjHlXlZ6hlayuxDUhcrST3bMJ9%2BVXJMcvSeTcFuF5DXCDrx81RWGVQekh87vCdpx95sOJe8oHLBmmB%2F99oTh4Ibifpsooady9%2B28JS78lozA0KDQf7zBbiPNBhoFCW7ee6pGBgshChzzHKfAJpcqOGkym6mGn6S9j0wPFmmNhj6J1TXbpTEIXuFilBAzlivdDVxXjgTMRzVzFWfS9LRN87PvthXA%3D%3D|tkp%3ABFBM4viur85g I use this SCA tool for changing the small size oil filter on my Yaris. I have modified it so it will grip a Z386 filter which has a 65mm diameter. https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/sca-sca-oil-filter-wrench-cam-action-small/13035.html?cgid=SCA01130507#start=18

I have viewed a number of YouTube videos reviewing the plug in hybrid Toyota available in the USA and was very impressed with the performance. Unfortunately not yet available in Australia. Also viewed videos that detailed that Toyota hybrids have very specific requirements when performing routine maintenace e.g. doors closed when changing brake fluid etc. Still all good because Toyota is a proven leader in hybrid vehicles. Then I viewed the following video by John Cadogan. I had not realised that the hybrid vehicles sold in Australia only had a pathetic 1KW battery. I mistaking thought that the hybrid vehicle could operate on the battery pack for a longer distance i.e. short urban commute. Obviously getting confused with the plug in hybrids and full electric vehicles. John Cadogan makes a number of very valid points about wanting a hybrid vehicle and then what happens in the next few years when Toyota eventually makes the decision to make full capability plug in hybrid vehicles available in Australia. Some of the comments for this YouTube video are quite worthwhile considering and determining which ones are applicable/relevant to you.

As Tony previously mentioned, it is the flange that has changed from being a round shape to a "petal" type design. The pulley bolts onto this flange. Following YouTube video explains the water/coolant pumps in great detail. Presenter is quite animated in his voice and hand movements. 😇