crinkles

I assume you have an auto. i have an 05 Altise.

it depends on how much you trust toyota to provide a lifetime fluid. under severe service on the 4 cyl model, it needs to be changed at 90,000 km. the fluid is probably a lifetime fluid for someone who does only light normal service and plans to dump the car at 150,000km.

it is easier to do than an oil change really. get 4 L of T-IV from the dealer. plus a new washer for the ATF plug at the bottom of the tranny pan. I use a Torx T55 socket on the plug, or you can use a 100mm hex male socket to undo. i felt the torx would not strip the bolt as easily as a hex nut.

it's a simple case of draining the pan, re-doing the bolt back up (36 ft lbs of torque) and refilling with 3.5L of T-IV. you need to check the level of the fluid after the change. i always check it cold because i can't get a reading when hot. run it in idle and shift through all the gears from P down to L and back up, then pull dipstick, clean, and re-insert.

Note the following: a drain and fill only gets about 40% of the fluid out on this U241E auto. if you are pedantic then you can do three or so of these each a week apart, but the gain becomes less each time you do it.

I just did it once at 55k and once at 60k and will do it again in 30k intervals from now on. i'm at 82k now and the fluid looks like new. my fluid was brown at 55k!

the U241E does not have a filter to replace so taking the pan out would be a lot of effort for not much gain. drive around to heat the fluid up before draining and drain for a couple of hours after that.

a lot of people especially the yanks have issues with T-IV but i would stick to it, and it is pretty reasonably priced from Toyota, and purpose made. i think Nulon's synthetic ATF claims it is compatible but it is more expensive, and quite frankly not worth the risk IMHO.

Good stuff mate, are you new to doing your own work? Its far more satisfying than handing over to a mechanic for simple things you can do.....the trouble is (particularly in my case!) finding the time to do it. Oh I miss having a garage......made it so much easier than doing everything on grass.....

Without trying to start a debate, next time consider a slightly heavier weight oil, but you have by no means done a bad thing. Check out Shell Recommendation

Cheers

Yep, first time doing oil change. It was satisfying doing it myself. I bought the semi syn oil from Repco and the guy told me 10w 30 is the correct grade. I was surprised as well. With 86,000 on the clock, I thought 10w 40 or 50 would have been more appropriate.

I've changed the oil filter and air filter but I couldn't find the cabin air filter. Anyone has any idea where is it?

if you have a bog standard altise you won't have one, i have an 05 and service guy looked it up - no filter.

Good stuff mate, are you new to doing your own work? Its far more satisfying than handing over to a mechanic for simple things you can do.....the trouble is (particularly in my case!) finding the time to do it. Oh I miss having a garage......made it so much easier than doing everything on grass.....

Without trying to start a debate, next time consider a slightly heavier weight oil, but you have by no means done a bad thing. Check out Shell Recommendation

Cheers

10w-30 is the CORRECT viscosity for the 2AZ-FE engine.

Us Australians need to get over our fear of "thin" oil weights. In the US, 10w-30 is considered the thickest oil for any cars since the 90's. THey routinely run 5w-20 oils in the heat of their deserts. Our heat is no more special than that.

the problem is you lowered your car a lot, caused damage and now have to deal with the cost and consequences.

The ACV36 4 cylinder models with the U241E transmission do not "require" a transmission service ever according to toyota unless driving conditions are severe, and then it's to be changed at 90,000km.

I do not believe this is OK. I tow a small trailer too.

To drain and Fill the ATF is really easy so I do it for peace of mind. It is even easier than an oil change.

I do it every 30,000 km. First change was at 55,000km, then 60,000km (bought it second hand).

You only get 3.5 L out of the total capacity of 9L every time you drain and fill so you need to do it more often to maintain the fluid. THe remainder is stored in the TC and rest of the transmission.

I used toyota T-IV the first two times, but will be doing the process with Amsoil ATF from now on.

I know Honda does a 3x drain and fill and calls it a complete change, and they should know, they have pretty picky trransmissions from 2000- 2003.

I haven't really had any issues with whatever Toyota has as their OEM WS ATF. It is doing a good job for me and the car still holds up to the driving I give it. It's not really something that I desperately need to change brands on.

That said though, the Amsoil ATL is looking promising... who in Australia would actually stock it?

i will PM a place that does it. some individual folks sell it too, i ordered ATF from a lady in south australia.

holding off on putting ATF in. i'm a bit of a wimp - i may stick with T-IV while the camry is my primary car.

Personally, I'm starting to really consider changing it myself. They WS ATF comes in 4 litre tins at about $56 each from their spare parts counter. The procedure is just a little crazy, but it hopefully shouldn't be too bad.

There are two Penrite ATF's that meet the Toyota WS spec to give you more options. The SIN ATF and the ATF MHP.

personally i would trust Amsoil's new ATL formulation over penrite's offerings. WS is a low viscosity fluid, which those penrite formulations are not. (but hey penrite is known for "thick is better").

I have some Amsoil ATF ready to go for my T-IV tranny. just need the miles to click on over.

Because I will be going to QR this weekend, I would like to get my transmission fluid replaced afterwards since my car has been though quite a lot as it is. When I booked in for my 75,000km service today, I asked how much it would cost to change the ATF. I was quoted $190.

Personally, I'm starting to really consider changing it myself. They WS ATF comes in 4 litre tins at about $56 each from their spare parts counter. The procedure is just a little crazy, but it hopefully shouldn't be too bad.

try bob is the oil guy. they have some guys on there who have done it at home using an IR temperature sensor and flushing through the cooler lines.

LOL....

LOL. it is not OBD-II compliant. Toyota Australia uses a propriety system. Scanguage II is made to work with OBD-II but does not work on my dec 05 built 4 cyl. (even though OBD-II is stamped on the plastic cover to the hookup). The service rep said Toyota made it propriety so that Toyota service centres can draw more in.

same scanguage worked on a 2000 echo, which was imported.

Well I guess for the newer Toyota's they adopted the OBDII standard because the Aurion certainly is compatible with a ScanGauge and other OBDII interfaces. I guess 2006 was when they pulled their finger out.

i found it really disappointing in any case! All that the Toyota customer service said was "we can't explain why it doesn't work". at least the service manager at the dealership played straight.

I'm not sure whether yours would be OBDII compliant. All I know is that in the US, it was required that all cars built after January 1, 1996 be OBDII compliant. In Australia, it was only made mandatory in January 2005. The easiest way to tell is to look around your dash etc for a plug that looks like this:

LOL. it is not OBD-II compliant. Toyota Australia uses a propriety system. Scanguage II is made to work with OBD-II but does not work on my dec 05 built 4 cyl. (even though OBD-II is stamped on the plastic cover to the hookup). The service rep said Toyota made it propriety so that Toyota service centres can draw more in.

same scanguage worked on a 2000 echo, which was imported.

Sounds a good buy. But look at overall condition and also get an inspection as well.

Are there any oil leaks etc.?

Also check the log book and see how well it is serviced.

Always buyer beware.

Also ask the dealer what is covered under the three warranty.

I woild also look at other dealers and check out cars around the same price for comparison.

- any idea on a good mechanic for inspections around Melbourne? I am in caulfield. All i know of is RACV :) The dealer said you really dont need an RACV inspection done as Toyota with this much KMs dont go wrong.

BY the way its a Holden dealer :) stuck with a Toyota on a previous trade-in. Since thats the only toyota he has. This is what i think. Not sure if thats the case.

The vehicle drove well. Alignment was out, will give it a thorough drive again on some bumpy roads just to check.

Of course the dealer will tell you not to bother with an inspection. it is not in their interest for you to have it independently inspected. They know you will walk away if only the slightest issue shows up in the RAC report.

That price seems low. combined with an out of alignment issue, I would be wary. I'd rather buy from auction. I think the price is too low personally for it to be an A+ vehicle all over.

Personally I wouldn't go for it, but, maybe an RAC inspection would give you peace of mind.

Do not believe a single word a dealer tells you, ever. they will tell you ANYTHING to make the sale.

Also, remember these dealer-sold "warranties" are usually pretty vague, and would require you to have it serviced at the specific dealer you bought it from. you move to the other side of town from your work, or to another town, and you lose it. personally if they say you don't need an inspection because "toyotas at 75k are bulletproof" why are they trying to sell you a warranty so hard?

i think ford is really trying too hard to get sales up. comparing a diesel to a petrol driven engine is like comparing apples to oranges. of course the diesel will get better economy!

i think toyota should develop a diesel driven corolla and see what ford says then. should shut em up.

i believe it is already on sale. Toyota south africa sells a 2.0 D4-D corolla. http://www.toyota.co.za/VehicleHighlights....ehicleModelId=9

fuel consumption 5.3 l combined / 100km, similar to VW 2L TDI.

I have tried a scanguage II with my 05 altise 4 cylinder. The australian camry is NOT OBD -II compatible. it is mandated int he US that all cars should be, but not in australia. if it were, the scanguage would make an excellent trip computer.

My service guy at Toyota said, (can you believe it) Toyota Australia made the OBD-II connector propriety on Australian models in order to necessitate owners to go to toyota for servicing.

On an imported '00 echo, it works though (built in Japan)

while i hear you about the ford issues and service , i can assure you every car company does the same. i've had occasions where toyota has treated me with contempt, but have not had any mechanical issues with my car.

The corolla is certainly EXCELLENT value for money and I suspect this is the reason it does so well. for 99% of the population, it is all about VALUE with takes in all the aspects of reliability, customer service, etc.

If hyundai got their fuel consumption issues sorted out - they would compete 1:1 with toyota. but despte quoted fuel consumptions EVERYONE i know who drives hyundais complain about fuel efficiency.

Oh, and i think ford is pathetic with what it's doing in comparing a DIESEL car that costs what, $9k more than a corolla, with a petrol car. They must think people are really stupid. How long does it take to recoup diesel fuel savings when you pay 9k extra up front? FOREVER!!

LOL. I have the same problem. its kinda on.. an angle... for me, but use to be flush with boot level? it comes loose and you can move it around etc. would be interesting to know. it could have to do with the seat cushion as I was fiddling with it before it came out. could never get it back in though,.

I wonder what changes they are making. This consumption seems to be more in-line with what US camry's seem to be getting. If it is better engine electronics, that would be a shame that they delayed it so much for australia.

It would be a shame, particularly as the Camry has not been performing as strong as it once did on the Australian market. It is still a class leader, but I would hazard a guess fleet sales are behind this. Whilst I like the current Camry, having driven two (an Altise and Sportivo) I found them a bit underpowered and thirsty. I think I would just pay the extra money and buy an Aurion, I can't see real world economy differing too much between them.

An article on CarSales explains the improvement in economy in more technical detail:

The 11 per cent improvement in the Camry's average fuel consumption figure has been achieved by mechanical changes including a "flex lock-up" control for the torque converter clutch to extend its operating range by including a half-engaged position, modifications to the electronic fuel injection that shut off fuel supply on deceleration at 800rpm compared with 1100rpm previously, as well as changes to the shift points in the auto transmission.

A one-way clutch has also been fitted to the alternator pulley to reduce drag on the crankshaft.

Source Article - Car Sales

thanks, that is some good info. I like the new look of the camry at the toyota website. but, my trusty old '05 will do... my workmates poke a stick at me all the time because of it, but i love this car.

Toyota Camry improves value and fuel efficiency

Jez Spinks, July 21, 2009

Australia’s best-selling medium car is now more economical and better value after a mid-life makeover. By JEZ SPINKS.

Toyota has improved the fuel efficiency of its locally built Camry as part of a mid-life update the company hopes will revitalise sales of the mid-size sedan.

The local car maker has made revisions to the Camry’s 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and five-speed automatic transmission to reduce consumption from 9.9 litres per 100km to 8.8L/100km.

The 11 per cent improvement makes the Camry more competitive in its segment before Toyota Australia starts production of the Camry Hybrid in early 2010. There are no changes to the engine's power and torque outputs of 117kW and 218Nm.

For now, the conventionally powered Camry surpasses the Ford Mondeo (9.5L/100km), matches the Honda Accord four-cylinder, though still trails the Mazda6’s class-leading 8.6L/100km.

The efficiency improvement addresses criticisms that the sixth-generation Camry, launched in 2006, was no more fuel efficient than some six-cylinder cars, including Ford’s base model Falcon and its own sister car, the Aurion.

The Camry’s makeover package was already scheduled for this year, though a number of other measures will no doubt be aimed at preventing the model losing any more market share to the Mazda6.

Camry remains comfortably Australia’s best-selling medium car, though a year-on-year decline of 28 per cent has contributing to a disappointing 2009 so far for Toyota, which has seen total sales fall by a quarter.

Toyota says it has improved the Camry’s overall value by reducing some prices and adding more features.

The base-model Altise automatic remains at $29,990* but gains side and curtain airbags, Bluetooth and a revised audio system that includes extra speakers and an auxiliary input.

Ateva and Sportivo autos are reduced by $1260 to $32,490 and $33,990 respectively, with both models now adding to their standard equipment dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth, and auxiliary input.

The Ateva also scores a rear-view camera and new audio system.

The range-topping Grande is unchanged at $39,990 but now includes keyless start, rear-view camera and rear parking sensors, and upgraded audio system.

All Camrys feature LED tail-lights as part of subtle modifications to the car’s exterior, which include revisions to the bonnet, grille and bumpers.

Minor interior tweaks include new trim colours and seat fabrics, and revisions to the instrument panel.

But the new Camry won't get an improved crash rating as part of its facelift.

Executive director of sales and marketing, David Buttner, told Drive the updated Camry and Aurion [due later this year] would continue to rate just four stars in independent ANCAP crash tests, despite the fact that Holden's Commodore Omega and most models of the Ford Falcon now get a five-star rating.

"There's no doubt that fleets from an OH and S [occupational health and safety] point of view are looking more towards safety features in their vehicles. Historically, we weren't great recognisers as a company of ANCAP ratings.

We believe now that it is important to have a five-star rating in this marketplace and we'll be looking at how we can fulfil that in the future. It won't happen with the facelift, though," he said.

Buttner said the changes required to lift the cars to a five-star rating were relatively minor.

"The type of things you're looking at for our product is a passenger seatbelt warning and padding around the driver's knee area in the area of the steering column cover," he said.

Toyota built 115,000 Camrys at its Altona plant last year, 23,067 were sold in Australia. The remainder were mostly exported to the Middle East.

Source Article

A few thoughts:

- Good move in the way of reducing fuel consumption, especially with talk of four-cylinder Falcon and 3.0L Commodore.

- Shame about retaining its four-star rating, I believe a passenger seatbelt warning light and Toyota paying for the pole test are the two major hurdles. I might be wrong about the seatbelt warning, it might now be included as standard?

I wonder what changes they are making. This consumption seems to be more in-line with what US camry's seem to be getting. If it is better engine electronics, that would be a shame that they delayed it so much for australia.

weird thing just happened.

the inside car light wont come on wen i unlock the car or open the door. i can still turn it on at the switch, but it wont do it automatically anymore. any ideas anyone?

mine is sticky sometimes... sometimes not, seems like abad connection somewhere.

i service cost me $450 from toyota dealer. for camry 05 at 40000km

wow you got ripped... I paid 260 including the bogus 80 "fuel system flush" my ****...

especially since the major service is at 45k!

wow... how about a manual aurion? wouldn't that be great. for an auto, i prefer drain, rep[lace plug, fill up, go...

Might not be the easiest process, but in the end the transmission was designed to have a long service life with little maintenance. I'd rather have a transmission that needs less maintenance and low risk of overfilling than one which is simpler to change yet requires regular maintenance. You will find that a majority of Aurion owners here have had very few issues in terms of mechanical auto transmission faults, which is a credit to the quality of the design.

I think a manual Aurion would be nice, but being a FWD - I think it would be impossible to maintain good traction easily with the amount of power, especially since even an auto is capable of easily losing traction. If the Aurion was AWD on the other hand... then manual would be a great option.

i agree with the fundamental engineering issues of what you are saying. i think time will tell - the aurion is a fairly new car. let's give it ten years?

The transmission is a sealed unit. Thats what the sales guy told me when I bought the car.

which is why i will never buy an aurion, as sweet as the engine may be... give me a manual, or a way to service the auto, but don't tell me that fluid is good for 100k...

You can still have the fluid changed at request. You can even change it yourself if you take the appropriate care to make sure the transmission fluid is heated to the right temperature.

Even if the only way to change the transmission fluid was through Toyota, I'd still pick an Aurion over a manual 4 cylinder Camry any day.

----------

Edit: After looking at the U660E service manual again (haven't looked at it since last year when I first posted in this thread), changing the transmission fluid on the Aurion is actually easier than it was anticipated at first. You don't need the Intelligent Tester as that is only used to get the transmission fluid up to 39 degrees before starting the procedure. You should be able to work this out without the need for the IT if you want to change it yourself.

Basically you just need to do the following (page 164 onwards):

1. BEFORE FILLING TRANSAXLE WITH FLUID

• This transaxle requires Genuine ATF WS transmission fluid.

• After servicing the transaxle, you must refill the transaxle with the correct amount of fluid.

• Maintain the vehicle in a horizontal position while adjusting fluid level.

• Proceed to step 2 if the oil pan, valve body, drive shaft, and/or torque converter has been removed or if the oil seal has been replaced.

• Proceed to step 3 if oil leakage has been repaired and if the oil cooler and cooler hose have been removed.

2. FILL TRANSAXLE PAN WITH FLUID

(a) Remove the engine under cover LH.

(

b

) Remove the engine under cover RH.

(

c

) Remove the under front fender apron seal RH.

(d) Remove the refill plug and overflow plug.

(e) Fill the transaxle through the refill hole until fluid begins to trickle out of the overflow tube.

(f) Temporarily install the overflow plug.

3. FILL TRANSAXLE WITH FLUID

(a) Fill the transaxle with the correct amount of fluid (shown in service manual).

HINT:

If you cannot add the listed amount of fluid, do the following:

(1) Temporarily install the refill plug.

(2) Allow the engine to idle with the air conditioning OFF.

(3) Move the shift lever through entire gear range to circulate fluid.

(4) Move the shift lever to the P position.

(5) Wait for 30 seconds with the engine idling.

(6) Stop the engine.

(7) Remove the refill plug and add fluid.

(8) Reinstall the refill plug.

(b) Temporarily install the refill plug to avoid fluid splash.

4. CIRCULATE AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE FLUID

(a) Allow the engine to idle with the air conditioning OFF.

(b) Move the shift lever through entire gear range to circulate the fluid.

5. CHECK FLUID TEMPERATURE

NOTICE: The fluid temperature should be less than 40°C(104°F) before beginning the fluid temperature check.

(a) With the intelligent tester:

(1) Connect the intelligent tester to the DLC3.

(2) Select the tester menus: OBD/MOBD, ENGINE, DATA LIST and A/T.

(3) Check A/T OIL TEMP.

(4) Allow the engine to idle until the fluid temperature reaches 39°C (102°F).

(b) Without the intelligent tester (Using D shift indicator):

(1) Connect terminals CG (4) and TC (13) of the DLC3 using SST (SST 09843-18040) - Or a paperclip will do the trick ;) .

(2) Move the shift lever back and forth between N and D at 1.5 seconds interval for 6 seconds.

(3) The D shift indicator on the combination meter comes on for 2 seconds when the fluid temperature is within the appropriate temperature range.

(4) The D shift indicator will come on again when the fluid temperature reaches 40°C (104°F) and will blink when it exceeds 45°C (113°F).

(5) After confirming that the D shift indicator turns off, move the shift lever to the P position and remove the SST from terminals CG and TC.

6. CHECK TRANSAXLE FLUID LEVEL

NOTICE: The fluid temperature must be between 40°C (104°F) and 45°C (113°F) to accurately check the fluid level.

(a) Remove the overflow plug with the engine idling.

(b) Check that the fluid comes out of the overflow tube. If fluid does not come out, proceed to step 7. If fluid comes out, wait until the overflow slows to a trickle and proceed to step 8.

7. ADD FLUID

(a) Install the overflow plug.

(b) Remove the refill plug.

(c) Add the fluid until it comes out of the overflow plug.

(d) Wait until the overflow slows to a trickle.

(e) Install the overflow plug with a new gasket.

(f) Install the refill plug with a new gasket.

(g) Stop the engine.

8. AFTER FILLING TRANSMISSION

(a) Install the overflow plug with a new gasket. Torque: 40 N*m (408 kgf*cm, 30 ft.*lbf)

(b) Install the refill plug with a new gasket. Torque: 49 N*m (500 kgf*cm, 36 ft.*lbf)

(c) Stop the engine.

So essentially, all you need to do is find a way to measure the automatic fluid transmission temperature in step 5a without the Intelligent Tester, and you can change the fluid yourself. The only reason why I can imagine that step is required is just to save time so you don't need to wait for long for the fluid to get in between 40 and 45 degrees. So long as it's warm and below 40 degrees when you do step 5b, you should have no issues.

So there you go. I'll gladly stick with my Aurion regardless of the procedure to change it or whether Toyota say it will last 160,000km or more. I will have it changed when I feel it should be, whether it be myself or Toyota that does it.

wow... how about a manual aurion? wouldn't that be great. for an auto, i prefer drain, rep[lace plug, fill up, go...

The transmission is a sealed unit. Thats what the sales guy told me when I bought the car.

which is why i will never buy an aurion, as sweet as the engine may be... give me a manual, or a way to service the auto, but don't tell me that fluid is good for 100k...

Hi all, been a long time lurker. I plan on doing most of my own servicing, there are a few things I need some info on. coming up to 75,ooo km - i have the 4 cylinder motor.

at 75k the fuel filter needs to be done - is this doable at home?

when you buy a filter from the dealer, does it come with new o rings, or do you re-use?

where do you get the tacky sealant to re seal the service port below the back seat?

there is also an item coming up at about 90 or 105k, inspect valve clearances using sensory method - can any mechanic do this? I don't see the need to take the valve cover off (which is what the US gregory's manual suggests). which is why i'm guessing toyota has the sensory method - whatever that is.

these are the only two things that makes me a bit nervous, otherwise i do the oil and ATF changes - pretty straightforward.

I've found durablend 10w-30 to work really nicely in my 2AZ-FE...

My owner's manual says 70 L is the capcity of the fuel tank. How much of this can the pump actually get at? The most I've refilled with was about 57 L and that's after the red fuel light came on. The reason I ask is that I'm getting a Scanguage II trip computer and need the avialble fuel volume.

I was also planning to get a Scanguage II, however, I've read that Australias OBD standard may not work with this american device (something about pins being reversed maybe). I'm just straight out confused about the standards now and am not sure whether to invest money on something like this. I'll be very interested in your progress with this.

RaZeR

ScangaugeII will work with most vehicles from 2003 or later (for Australian Model, In USA its 1998 or later)

Volume of the GEN 5 Fuel tank is 70L.

---------------------------------------------------

I've been using the Scangauge II for more than 6 months now, and I can tell you that if you input all the details (engine,fuel tank,etc..) correctly, the information you'll getting is really really accurate. I just love all features on the scangaugeII, best gadget for your $$$.

On my Echo, I usually fill up when the Fuel reading on the scangaugeII tells me it has 20km to go (love to go to 0km, but DON'T want to risk it).

oh yeah it also tells the Intake Temperature :D (Scangauge are in the process of programming ScangaugeIII...I can't wait for it!)

unfortunately I have not been able to get the scanguage to work on my dec05 build camry (http://au.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=12700&st=0#entry220826).

The port cap says OBDII, the pins appear OBDII with ISO standard, but it fires up for one minute then dies without getting any information.

At the moment I've emailed scanguage and toyota australia... would be really disappointing if it doesn't work, plus money wasted. But I guess I should have known that before I bought it. I still don't want to return it though, if there is no solution, because i believe it is such a useful gadget that I will save it in a cupboard for a future car. For one I could claim my fuel cost back from work accurately, etc.

I have read the echo's are compatible in Aus because they were built at a centre that built them for the US too.

IT's really disappointing Aus does not have the OBDII as per the US, it smacks of manufacturer protection almost like microosoft and its products. there's no reason why a brand of car should have unique diagnostics other than to tie the purchaser to future expenses to the said car maker. I almost get the feeling the Aus market is not as free as it could be witha lot of products. / rant