Novicebutnice

On 2/23/2024 at 9:16 PM, niceride said:

That makes a stack of sense to me. A year before I got the RZ I tried a 2018 SL and it was so smooth. I now wish I bought it!

I'll be trying out a few of the camry models now and avoiding all "sports" at all costs.

Thanks for the detail.

Cheers!

As much as I do love my 2017 RZ Camry,

If I would have had the money for the "New range of Camry's" I would have gone one of the new ones.... Only because to me they looked a bit sharper... plus it's a brand new model 🙂

But I can't complain, especially since when I bought the car they had a deal of 0% finance 🙂

On 12/23/2023 at 8:40 PM, Deshika Jayasena said:

Hi Toyota enthusiasts,

I recently purchased a Toyota Kluger Hybrid 2022 and embarked on a long drive, but I’m a bit perplexed by the fuel consumption results. Throughout the journey, the vehicle consistently idled within the ECO section, operated in eco mode, and the drive took place in a normal elevation setting. However, the fuel consumption averaged around 7.6L/100km, which seems higher than expected.

I’m curious if anyone else in the community has experienced a similar issue with their Kluger Hybrid or if this is a common concern. I’ve taken the necessary steps to optimize fuel efficiency, but the results have left me somewhat disappointed.

If anyone has insights into potential reasons for this fuel consumption discrepancy or suggestions on how to improve it, I would greatly appreciate your input. Perhaps there are specific settings or maintenance checks that could address this issue.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and experiences.

The specs listed in October 2023 for Hybrid Kluger:

"Extra urban" = 5.6L per 100km 

However "Extra urban" Is a standardised test, but unknown how this compares to our highway driving.

For example how many uphill sections did you encounter in your road trip etc

What was the ambient temperature etc

The Specs also list that the minimum Octane fuel to be used is 95 Octane.

A few things that you can try:

- Use BP or Shell 95 or 98 Octane fuel (I would use 98).
- Drive slightly under the speed limit (100-105 km/h).
- Don't drive with the air-con on all the time.... use it to get the car cool then switch it to recirculate, followed by leaving it on recirculate and turning the air-con off (not the fan, just the aircon component)
- Use the cruise control as much as possible

My non-hybrid 2017 Camry RZ whilst fairly loaded, only yesterday

Between Tuncurry and Newcastle MATCHED it's claimed fuel economy (6L per 100 km/h) 

However whilst driving between Newcastle and Sydney at a "higher cruising speed" I would normally get 7.6 l/100 or worse.....



 

On 2/11/2024 at 3:23 PM, schnoots144 said:

I bought a zre152r corolla and have been experiencing poor fuel economy with it, almost as high as 14.4l/100km as what the little screen reports. It is auto, and there are no error codes when scanned with an obd2 reader. I have noticed every now and then but definitely not often that when i'm stopped at lights the idle drops below 1000rpm and the car shudders for a bit. Aside from that acceleration is excellent and it takes off well. Large majority of my driving is within the suburbs and I don't even give it the beans.

 

When filling up to almost a fuel tank but still 2 bars below I get a tank distance of 302km which is abysmal for a corolla, I genuinely think my aurion is doing better on fuel than this thing is. What should I take a look at under the bonnet in regards to fixing this? I've disconnected the battery and let it sit for a day to "reset" but that really didnt do much. Tyres are at 36 psi and its recently had an oil change. All other fluids were flushed and at their max level.

 

Would appreciate any insight as to how I can get things fixed. Cheers

Hi,

As has already been pointed out,

Check the spark plugs (I would replace them anyway),

As an aside how well do you know the previous owner (do you have an accurate service history for the car), and what engine oil (brand, viscosity etc) did you use on the latest oil change.

The car shouldn't be idling at 1000 rpm when stopped at the traffic lights etc even in "Drive" let alone if you put it into "N" whilst waiting for the traffic light to change.....

What brand and type of fuel have you been using in your car?

To me it seems that the primary cause of the excess fuel consumption is more than likely related to high idle that you have noticed,

So I would recommend checking all of the air hose connections (both for the intake as well as vacuum hoses etc

As an aside have you noticed the brake pedal feeling harder to push than normal? after you turn off the engine how many times can you push the brake pedal before if feels rock hard (should be normally around 4-5 pushes)?

After "pumping" the brake pedal until it feels hard, push down on the brake pedal whilst starting the car, the pedal should "drop"

Then I would move on to checking the PCV, have you noticed if the car uses/ burns oil in-between services? and how often is the oil changed? (so that a time frame for the oil consumption can be worked out)

Let us all know how you go 🙂

On 2/9/2024 at 8:49 AM, niceride said:

Hey Camry masters!

I've had this RZ for over a year now and do about 800kms per week in it so I'm looking for more comfort.

The ride is a bit jarring and I've test driven some SL's and they all feel more "limo like" in smoothness ... which is appreciated.

My maybe crazy idea would be to get a set of SL shocks of the same year and swap them in for better ride comfort.

Is that even possible? Are there any Camry mechanics that can tell me that they are all the same config just different ride comfort levels and the swap is a good idea?

Alternately... is it time to just trade it for a car already built for comfort?

I even bought thick sheepskin seat covers to no avail.

All help and answers appreciated.

Cheers

Cj

 

I've had my RZ Camry since new (2017)

The "jarring ride" is due to this car having a "sports suspension"

This is part of the difference between the RZ and say the base model.

So whilst the turning circle is unchanged compared to the other Camry's and is still not great compared to say a Subaru Liberty of the same production period, it "hugs" the road better then other Camry's (of the same year model)

So it feels "less boaty", and more stable on the highway, especially at the higher speeds.... or so "I've heard" 😂

The SL is a completely different car, the last of the Australian built Camry's were in 2017,

They then "changed shape" a.k.a completely new car in 2017/2018 and these were built in Japan

The "SL" is part of the "new range" that is built in Japan

Changing tyres / having them inflated to the "correct" pressure may help, but on the whole and I'm not sure how else to put it....... but that's the "traits" of the car that you purchased.

As an aside, please ensure that you have been doing the "in-between" oil changes and using a full synthetic oil 🙂 

So depending on your budget, it may be time to change "rides", which if this is the case, check what your car is "going for" to see if trade in value or selling the car privately is the best option.

I hope that this helps 🙂

21 hours ago, thisguy said:

It’s in an awkward position. Should I use sticky tape or something to position it?

Short answer, NO

Long answer, take your car to someone who can fix this properly.

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone else has tried this product?

I recently tried a bottle of this, as well as using a thinner oil (2017 RZ Camry),

So given that I made 2 changes, it's a little hard to get an objective result.

But I did find that it did slowly start to feel as though the engine was more lively, and afaik I only started to notice this after driving with the Cera Tec for a while (500 km +)

I added the Cera Tec after driving about 500 km on the new oil (since I hate money, I did a flush as well).

Since I'm OTT and perhaps an idiot 🤷‍♂️ , the oil that I decided to use was: Liqui Moly Special TecAA 0W20

According to my owners manual this oil meets the requirements for my car (but Liqui Moly doesn't have this oil on their recommended list) 

Let me know if you have had any experience with Cera Tec, and if you continued using it.

Regards

Stephen

On 6/20/2023 at 7:46 PM, KAA said:

Ok so as I love treating my beautiful 2009 Toyota Aurion Presara called "Faye" to lots of love and attention I have a question.

What do you use for your windscreen as far as a coatings? I have tried a few but am never 100% happy with the way it lasts or how the wipers react to the coatings and wiper chatter ends up forcing me to get rid of whatever I have tried.

So many have different opinions about using Ceramic or Graphene sprays, so unless they do as on the bottle I bypass them. I am very fussy with wanting a crystal clear windscreen and would like to hear what others have used and are super happy with. Some that I see available they want an arm a leg and your first born child price wise so something reasonable in price but does a fantastic job of making the wipers glide smoothly and that lasts is what i am after

Thanks all

KAA

After trailing some products, the one that I'm currently using and that I recommend based on performance and ease of use is:

"Chemical guys HydroView Glass Cleaner and Coating.

I did have issues at first, but these were resolved when I used a stand alone window cleaner first.

It works great, and lasts a long time (even with me applying it incorrectly compared to the YT video... which I viewed afterwards 🤷‍♂️😂).

Not quite as slick (rain drop movement) as say Rain X, but still very very good.

I personally have never had any chattering, though I don't know what wiper rubbers you use, and how they compare to the ones that I use.

I hope that this helps

Regards

Stephen
 

Hi gents,

I was wondering if any of you fine lads, have tried using AM pads and rotors, 

And if any of you have tried these recently (within the last couple years, to ensure I have a good understanding of the current quality etc of this brand)

I've emailed "Sparesbox" to find out what the difference is between these 2:

- RDA8112D
- RDA7686D

Regards

Stephen

On 10/18/2022 at 3:49 PM, Jimz_GSV50R said:

No I havent unfortunately. Difficult to get a straight answer to the above queries from anywhere. If anyone know a good transmission or a good Toyota workshop anywhere in Sydney please let me know. For now I am thinking might be better off waiting till I eventually find someone good.

I have no idea what their prices are, but maybe try "York Road Automatics"

They seem to have good google reviews.

There are a few others that also have good reviews depending on where you live in Sydney.

On 9/28/2022 at 3:00 PM, Jimz_GSV50R said:

I rang the same Toyota again and tried to get some more clarity about the procedure as car was booked in tomorrow. Now what they tell me that there is no gasket for the transmission, that it is a "liquid silastic" gasket for my transmission. I asked him to double check that, he came back and said yes that is what it is. Went online and had a look, it appears that there are proper Duraprene gaskets for the transmission. Is this right or are they incompetent? Maybe I am not speaking to the right person there, will be cancelling my appointment there

Did you find a competent place to get your transmission serviced at?

On 10/4/2022 at 10:22 AM, STEVES ATX said:

Yes I know this topic has been covered ad-nauseum already & I have read all the posts regarding it, so I dont expect a reply.

I dont care about fuel consumption, never have. I have always believed you pay for power - I have always had 6 or 8 cyl cars.

Anyway, it was my wife who brought up the subject of how she is putting more fuel in our Aurion (2016 ATX) more frequently than our previous Falcon BF XR6.

She does most of the driving & re-fuelling. The XR6 always seemed to average 13-14L p/100km.

The same sort of driving, as in where we go (in & around the suburbs of Melb), in the Aurion, is showing 15-16L p/100km. Same fuel, similar prices, same speeds etc etc...

The only thing I can think of is the Falcon 4L is a lazier engine & revs (& idles) less for the speeds we are driving at. It is a more low down torque motor. 

The Aurion almost "invites" you to put your foot down to feel its addictive power, where the Falcon you cant really feel anything !

Saying this though, I did get 7.5L p/100km on a country highway trip when we first got it - just cruising, nice long flat roads & hwys, not much traffic etc..

Really though, who cares. An extra $3-$4 per/100km (possibly $300-400 p/year) - I can live with that.

It could also be something as stupid as the car preferring one brand of fuel over another.

Whilst this isn't regularly mentioned, some car brands seem to dislike certain brands of fuel.

My previous car being an 05 Corolla sedan, and my current MY17 Camry RZ seem to hate "7/11" a.k.a Mobile fuel,

But both run really well on BP fuel first and foremost, followed by Shell.

Yes both use the same base fuel, but in the city they are not the same fuels (each having their own unique herbs and spices additive package)

 

21 hours ago, John1298 said:

Hey everyone!

I just bought a Toyota Hilux 2001, 2.7 litres and it runs pretty bad. It seems to die around 2000/2500rpm. The fuel pressure is pretty high, I cleaned all the injectors. I replaced the spark plugs and leads, MAF, fuel pump, fuel pressure valve and also checked the cylinders compression (all around 210psi). It drives maximum 40/60 km/hr. I found out that a wire of the coil plug has been joined in a dodgy way (I fixed that). The scan tool isn’t showing any faults and the engine light is not on.

If anybody has any suggestion it would be really appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Just to confirm,

When was the fuel filter replaced?

An issue with the fuel filter won't present an issue at idle, since there isn't much flow demand.

I'm not sure if a blocked Cat would cause the issue without throwing a fault code.

On 9/22/2022 at 12:02 PM, TONEDEAF2 said:

I purchased the car second hand at 134000 and had my first oil change done at 142248.

The car used no oil until after that service.

So I will take your advice and do shorter times between serviced..

Thank you for all your great advice.

I would still recommend doing an "oil flush service" pretty much immediately.

The reason is that you may have caught the problem in the very early stage.

Doing the "flush" now, and then every second service (combined with shorter service intervals) may fix the problem (IF there is one) and prevent further damage.

As an aside, have you noticed the vehicle running "a bit rough" rough (or any other changes) during the same time period?



 

On 9/24/2022 at 11:04 AM, Hiro said:

Almost certainly door lock-related rather than window-lock based off the symbol (maybe a disable for the central locking remote based off the text). 

Maybe an early version of "auto lock" (speed or a gear selection causes this to activate?)

12 hours ago, DvsOne said:

May sound dumb but have you checked your wheel bearings and also tyres?? Scalloped rear tyres can cause similar symptoms.

Since the noise disappears when he puts his foot on the clutch, it rules both of those out.

 

On 9/23/2022 at 11:36 AM, Jimz_GSV50R said:

Toyota giving me the run around now, sent me a booking confirmation for a different car at a different service centre. Rang to correct the details, and now they are saying its only flush and transmission fluid change. I asked about the gasket and they said they would could transfer me to spare parts to get a price. I said I want to get a supply and install price to get it all done together, and you told me it was included in the last phone call. What a head ache it is just to get a decent service done these days. Guy on the phone comes back now and says it will be $350. I dont know why its so difficult to get decent information from the manufacturer's own service centre. Doesnt instill much confidence at all that they will get it done right..

Hi Jimi,

Sorry for the late reply, I was sick last week.

I live in Newcastle, so I'm not sure of any good auto shops in Sydney.

The last bit with what you wrote is why I decided not to go to Toyota, since they seem to have lost that skill (due to transmissions being "filled for life" a.k.a ticking time bombs).

On 9/20/2022 at 4:12 AM, Tony Prodigy said:

Hi mate.

No, I haven't ever had to use a product like that. Maybe it's ok for an engine that's had a hard life or poor maintenance history perhaps ??

Typically, Toyota engines don't really need anything like this. The root cause for what the O.P. describes is pro longed oil changes. That was my suspicion about his oil loss and smoking issue. Gummed up oil rings and potentially something in the PCV path.

Hi mate,

I was curious as to whether the upper engine cleaner since it still enters the combustion chamber, could also help unstick the rings (through it's "cleaning power").

12 minutes ago, Jimz_GSV50R said:

Good call mate, definitely thinking I will run with Toyota, even though it seemed they werent 100% certain of all the details over the phone, hopefully their Toyota trained mechanic will be. Another transmission place quoted me for the service $580 using Valvoline ATF. 🙄

With my 2017 RZ Camry, I ended up choosing to go to a proper auto transmission place.

The reason is that when I called my local Toyota dealer they seemed confused.

In that my transmission is suppose to be "filled for life"........ 

And so I asked if they do a proper transmission flush or just remove pan etc and refill, they said that that is all that they do.

Whereas a transmission shop will actually flush the transmission.

Because even if you take off the pan, you still leave circa 1L of old oil in the transmission.

The reason is that this is in the "Torque converter", and this won't drain when you "drop the oil"

I can't remember what the cost was, but I supplied my own Toyota WS transmission fluid.

On 7/15/2022 at 3:45 PM, bob007 said:

I'm still very happy driving my petrol Camry with 91 octain...especially now petrol is over $2 per Lt. 

I've never owned a bike or would I want to these days...it's dangerous enough driving a car with all the morons on our roads who just don't give a stuff. 

Understandable, at least the prices have come down a bit now.... for now....... 🤔

Good morning fellow Toyota owners,

I was wondering if anyone has experimented using different brands of Transmission fluid?

I know it's strange since as long as it meets the grade it shouldn't matter......

But I guess I'm curious if anyone (who is weird like me) has tried different brands and noticed any different results.

The Current offerings are:

- Genuine
-Penrite ATF LV Automatic Transmission Fluid
- Nulon Full Synthetic Multi-Vehicle Automatic Transmission Fluid (SYNATF)
- Castrol Auto Transmission Fluid - Transmax Multivehicle 
- Valvoline Maxlife ATF (which according to the Valvoline website fits my car, which conflicts with what "Repco" etc say.....)

23 hours ago, TONEDEAF2 said:

Thank you for the info. I have also noticed, since the last oil change(done by a garage using hi-tec 10w-30) that my car is now using some oil. Could this be because of the type of oil ?

Like what Tony said, there may be an issue.

Before I go into a long post of what you may need to do,

What is the oil change service history of the car (in detail)?

This will help to sort out if it's an oil issue or a bigger issue (unless you see a leak) which you MAY be able to do something about (since you noticed the oil consumption early)

22 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

It's hard to say, but typically it shouldn't. There may be something else attributable to the oil loss. Check your seals, you could also have a weeping gasket perhaps or you may possibly have some sludge build up in your piston rings and not sealing properly.

Again hard to say, not knowing the service history or mileage of the vehicle makes for difficult diagnosis.

I'd recommend to include an engine flush product in your next oil service. This will help reduce any sludge and varnish and may improve things a bit.

If you're sure there are no oil leaks, stick with a regimented regular oil service plan, include the engine flush and use a high quality oil such as the ones I've recommended.

I've been using Nulon in my 2GR-FE and it doesn't use a drop. It will help keep your engine cleaner and if done regularly, prolong it's useable life too.

Hi Tony,

Have you also tried using an "upper engine cleaner"

I know that the the aim of this isn't to clean the combustion chamber  (and to help unstick any rings), but I think that it may help.

I know of the Subaru one, but Supercheap sells this one:

https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/liqui-moly-liqui-moly-petrol-engine-intake-decarb---366g/348781.html#q=liquim%2Coly&srule=Price Ascending&start=15&sz=60&vid=unKlIYALygrTkj8%2FNSwoYA%3D%3D

On 1/11/2022 at 8:49 PM, Henstepper said:

Over the last few days when i have turned the air con on, it has a weird smell to it. Wouldn't say its a musty smell, Cant really describe it. how would i go about checking what the smell is? Could it be the cabin air filter in the glove box perhaps?

How is your coolant level?

Good evening everyone,

I decided that even though my old tyres (RE003) had a bit of life left in them, that I would replace them early.

After looking at an online comparison (link below), I decided to try these out.

These have a healthy about of RIM protection (in my size),

So far this is only day 2 (and yet to be driven today, but I will very soon), but compared to the previous RE003 I have noticed improved levels of grip (mostly dry driving, nothing I would call a wet road),

A different feel through the steering wheel, and maybe lower fuel use (checking the cars fuel use on my usual route).

The different feel is that the RE003 seemed to want to remain going straight (in a good way), and required an amount of force to change direction.

To me this wasn't bad, it felt nice and stable especially on the highway (I haven't tried out the Potenza Sport on the highway yet).

So far I haven't felt any slip, so I may need to drive harder.... 😉

In my tyre size which is 225/45 R18 these cost $285 each (now on Jax website for $279)

Considering that in the review the 2 other UUHP tyres were the Pilot Sport 4S (not available in my size, but is available in 225/40R18), and the Goodyear F1 Supersport $389,

My choice was pretty simple, though I was honestly waiting on the RE004 to come out. 

I decided against the Pilot Sport 4 because they seem a bit hit and miss, in that from the reviews I've read there is a ST or Silent tune version of the tyre that isn't as good as the other version, so the prices were either $279 or $309 or $335.

I will try to update this over time :-)
 

On 9/18/2021 at 6:23 AM, Tony Prodigy said:

Yep. Cherry is a good sign. When it teters on the side of brown, you know it's bad bad.

From our friendly neighborhood spider.... I mean Toyota guy.

@2:09