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riftime

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Everything posted by riftime

  1. Hi Tima, Did you end up getting the roof rails for your Kluger? Thanks, Rob
  2. riftime

    Nudge bar

    How did you go with this Bob? Only today I bought a Klugewr GLX AWD and posted a general question asking for bull bar suggestions.
  3. I thought I'd post where I landed on my LED light bar installation experience .... I ended up buying and installing the 22" ST4K light bar from STEDI on my '07 Aurion Presara. Night time driving on dark country roads is now ..... WOW. Not sure how I lived without it until now and why I waited this long 🙂 Maybe I should have bought the smaller version as this one's a little bit imposing, but the light output is just amazing. I used to think that my HID headlights along with the high beams were awesome, but compared to the light bar they're like one of those old dynamo bicycle lights when you didn't pedal hard enough 🙂 A couple of points/experiences through my installation: MOUNTING - I ended up using the simple Maxi Trac Universal Driving Light Bracket sold by Repco. It seemed stronger than those small nudge bar variants I've seen. Also, I ended up taking the whole front bumper bar skin off and drilling some holes into the real bar/frame behind. That was a bit of a job, but the bracket is now held (via long thick bolts) to the metal frame/bar behind the skin rather than skin-mounted. It's very solid. Having the bracket mounted on the skin alone didn't seem right to me. However, I'm not looking forward to the next time I need to replace the HID bulbs and need to take the skin off again as I'll need to first take the light bar off 😞 HEADLIGHT (HIGH BEAM BEAM) ADAPTER - I didn't like the idea of leaving the cover off my HID light bulb enclosure, so instead I slightly trimmed the lower side lip of the cover, just enough not to press/cut on the cable when screwing the cover back on. So the light bulbs enclosure is still covered properly even with the in-line adapter now present. SWITCH - The wiring harness came with a switch to disable/enable the LED light bar (when the high beams are turned on). I didn't have anywhere to mount the switch, no free/available panels for mounting new switches (on the Presara they're all taken by parking sensors, headlight washers, etc.). So I ended up drilling a hole in the plastic cover under the steering wheel and mounting the switch there. Kind of hidden, roughly where the driver's left knee is located. Easy to reach down with my left hand to turn it off/on, but only if you know where it is 😉 Everything else was fairly easy, even though I'm much too old for the yoga I had to perform to route cables through the firewall behind the passenger side glove box, etc. Aside from the mechanical challenges mentioned above, the wiring harness from Stedi was very straight forward to install, it came with a couple of different headlight adapters of which one matched that of my headlight.
  4. Hi all, Looking for some suggestions please on bull bars for a 2019 Kluger GLX AWD? Range is obviously smaller than for the proper 4WDs, but thought I'd ask. If there's a thread already covering this, would appreciate being pointed to it. Thanks, Rob
  5. Thanks all for jumping into this chat. I’ve had a look at some light bars on the weekend and then I got stuck on mounting options. Saw a couple of number plate mounting brackets, one had a nudge bar built into it. However, they are all flat, unlike my bumper bar! My number plate seems to have a plastic frame that is curved on the bumper side and flat on the plate side. How did you guys deal with this? Purely from a form perspective I could put the bracket on the same plastic frame the number plate is currently sitting on. However it looks quite flimsy, unsure whether it will last or even survive one long trip? Also unsure on what’s behind the bumper bar skin and whether the bracket would be screwed into something solid or only sitting on plastic? I’ve taken the bumper bar skin off a couple of times to replace the HID bulbs, but can’t recall what’s behind the number plate. I imagine that if the light bar frame is screwed into something solid behind the skin, it would create a few extra steps in removing the skin to replace the HID bulbs next time 🙂. Unsure about the wiring, is there a connector somewhere behind the grill or does the cable from the light bar go all the way to the battery/relay? Again wondering if in the future I would need to almost uninstall the light bar to remove the bumper bar skin? Thoughts?
  6. Hi everyone, Thought I'd provide an update since my post back in Feb '20 on possible timing chain issues, and check engine status light. Since then, I've completely changed my service intervals. The car has now done 281,000 (yes, that's another 26,000kms) and the engine is running like a kitten. Mind you I haven't been towing as much since. I've transitioned to Penrite HPR5 5W-40 full synth oil. Expensive, but I hunt around for discounts and recently purchased it in 20L drums from Repco when they had the Father's Day special. So I use that oil and am changing it every ~4,000 kms and the car is loving it. Also changing the oil filter element when doing that. The start-up VVTI noise is also gone. Yes I know that 4,000kms intervals is very frequent, but my car seems to do better for it, and given it's mileage hoping that this habit will help it keep running for many more kms. Also hoping that any sludge that may have caused the earlier issues will be eventually cleaned up.
  7. Hi all, Was thinking that there'd be a few posts on this topic already but maybe I haven't searched the right way? Maybe someone can point me to the right posts if they exist please? I'd like to install an LED light bar to my Presara. Anyone done this and have any ideas/suggestions? Supercheap/Repco/Autobarn seem to have have a number of them these days, wiring harnesses, mounts, etc.. Curious what experiences people have had with these. Also noticing that most appear targeted for bull bars on 4WDs, so mounting on an Aurion I imagine is trickier? Some also seem to rate 60W, 120W, some as high as almost 200W in consumption. Can the Aurion alternator pump that much additional current? Suppose it's only 16-17 Amps at 12V, more like 14A at 14V (running voltage). Also curious about the installation challenges, not keen on having to drill permanent holes where avoidable. Thanks all!
  8. Hi there KAA, Why are you looking to replace the presara light bulbs? I assume you’re talking about the low beam main lights? On a Presara they are HID. I think they are awesome but can dim and play up with age. All you need to do is replace the Toshiba bulbs and they’re back to awesome again. I’ve replaced mine twice on my 2007 Presara. Did it myself to save a few hundred dollars. I attempted some that claimed higher brightness and higher colour temp but they were crap and I went back to original Toshibas. I do lots of night country and highway driving, the Presara lights I reckon are in the top 20% of cars out there. The new LED lights on high end cars are now better, but for a 2007 car it’s pretty darn good. I have replaced the fog lamp bulbs with LED bulbs and all the number plate bulbs (front and back) with LEDs. Unfortunately the fog lamps don’t really have a good beam focus, I can barely notice if they’re on or off on the road at night when the main HID lights are on. Despite them being quite bright.
  9. Pardon the ignorance please, how do you check for oil sludge? Where do you check and what's the criteria for good vs. bad?
  10. Thanks for your reply campbeam! Very informative. Car has just been serviced today. Engine code hasn't come back again other than that one time, will keep looking out for it. I wonder if I get an answer back from mechanic on whether 'timing chain' was diagnosed with oscilloscope. Also curious if they've at least cleared the code. I'll start changing oil and filter more frequently, though every 3,000 kms would make it every 3-6 weeks for me at this point which is a little aggressive and impractical 🙂 I do commute to city a few days a week but also take long country drives (~800kms round trip) during some weekends (sometimes towing a trailer). I'll also scour through the forums for recommended oil types. Prior oil change I did myself (oil & filter) using Nulon Full Synthetic 5W-30 Long Life. 6L bottle wasn't cheap from memory. Fingers crossed error code was just a symptom of dirty oil.
  11. Hi all, I’ve had my 2007 Presara since new, it’s travelled 255,000kms and still going pretty well. Over the weekend I’ve had the engine trouble light and CHECK VSC message pop up for a while during a long drive. Pulled over, stopped engine, let it sit and restarted and error promptly came back. I was in the middle of nowhere and after checking owners manual it pointed more to vehicle stability control issues and gave me confidence that I can continue my drive. The next day the error disappeared and hasn’t returned since. I’ve plugged in an OBD2 scanner and it found a P0015 fault code (camshaft position timing over-retarded). Took the car to a mechanic and after some troubleshooting they told me that the timing chain is ‘stretched’ and will need replacing at some point. Since it’s an internal component, lots of hours in labour so overall it’s likely to be a $1500-$2000 overall including the timing chain kit. I was told that I can expect consumption to keep deteriorating along with engine getting rougher as the chain keeps stretching/deteriorating. He did say that if it breaks it will leave me stranded but it shouldn’t cause any catastrophic damage inside the engine (thanks to engine design). So I have the option to wait until the then and have the car towed to get it repaired at that point. Googling for Aurion timing chain issues hasn’t returned much, so thought I’d ask this forum if others have had to get their timing chain replaced, if it’s an expected wear component for an Aurion that’s travelled this many kms, etc.? I should also point out that in the last few months I’ve been doing a lot of towing. Single axle trailer, nothing too heavy but long highway drives. Unsure whether the extra load could be a contributing factor to timing chain issue (car was towing when fault popped up). Thanks.
  12. Hi, My car is far out of warranty, I accepted living with driver-side lumbar electric mechanism not inflating/tightening, but recently passenger-side seat followed suit and the wife is not happy. Curious if anyone has attempted to repair the electric lumbar support in Presara seats themselves? Unsure of complexity/difficulty given the leather seats, side air bags, not to mention cost of parts likely to be the culprit. Thanks.
  13. Hi all, I haven't used this forum in a while, apology if this is a known issue and already answered. If so, please point me to the relevant thread, a few minutes of searching didn't yield positive hits. About a month ago I had my 2007 Presara serviced. Cost almost $1,000 due to the major service and I asked for transmission to be serviced as well. Front brakes were changed, along with some 'tightening'. This is what I call it, unsure what it's technically called, suspect they just check and tighten suspension related bolts and engine mounts? The car overall feels 'tighter' now, and a front-end rattle that I previously failed to identify magically went away. However, at times (not always) when I apply the brakes gently at low speeds there's an occasional clicking or minor knocking coming from the front end. Wasn't there before. It's not a pebble in the tyre (or the like) as it sometimes clicks numerous times while the wheel wouldn't have made a complete revolution. The clicking sequence/pattern is not always the same. Breaking medium or hard will not make noise. Braking at higher speed won't make any noise either. Only happens when braking gently at low speeds in a straight line. Wondering if anyone has ideas of what this might be? Could it be ball joint related, or maybe sway bar links worn bushes that are now clicking/knocking due to additional stress after the general front -end 'tightening'? Maybe CV joints? I'm fishing here to see if any of you can relate with identical symptoms and what you found the root cause and solution to be. Thanks!
  14. So this problem got worse and worse for me over last 6 months. Quite embarrassing when starting the car, it would actually attract a lot of attention and the sound carried on for up to two full seconds on occasions. Meanwhile, my battery has been on the downhill, all leading up to me buying a brand new battery. I changed the battery over myself, and then miraculously the "VVTi" noise became insignificant. Hardly there at times, subtle at other times. All I did was change the battery. An oil-based explanation seemed much more plausible. The engine used to take a lot longer to start (and some times fail to) towards the end of prior battery. Upon battery change, engine start is quick again. Maybe with the extra current the engine parts can reach the operating parameters much faster and hence reduced this problem? That's the only explanation I can come up with. Perhaps that actually confirms that it's an oil based problem, if engine takes longer to start it follows that oil will take longer to get to all the parts? Given the level of noise I was putting up with before, this is most acceptable now. :) Now I can focus my annoyance on the HID bulb turning off occasionally. Grrrr....
  15. Hi there LordBug, thanks for recording it, it's been on my to-do list for ages. I've had limited success in 'describing' that sound to mechanics. My car is a Presara Nov 2007 that's travelled 110,000. It's been making EXACTLY that sound now for a few months. Getting more frequent now, mostly on cold starts. More recently the car has also been taking longer to actually start, not sure if related or not (push button start). Used to take 1-2 seconds to start, now seems to take 3-4 seconds. On last trip to Melb City Toyota for servicing I was told that it's the VVTI controller thingy, and it's an expensive repair. Reading through this post, seems that a few people have the problem. Has anyone successfully rectified it? Thanks,
  16. Hi, I've had my intermediate shaft changed some 1-2 yrs ago under warranty. Since then warranty has expired. Lo and behold, the noise is back, and I'm pretty sure it's the intermediate shaft again (exactly the same symptoms as described in this thread as well as those experienced last time they fixed it). I suppose this time the repairs would be out of my own pocket right? Not sure of the fine print in warranty repairs, perhaps the repairs are warrented for 12 months only, and not the life of the car? If this is a common/known problem, wouldn't it be categorised as a design defect, and therefore Toyota liable to either come up with an improved part to permanently fix the problem, or repair it at their own expense? This isn't exactly a 'consumable' part. I noticed the mention of the technical bulletin which no longer requires changing the part (I guess it was motivated by the cost of warranty repairs ). Does anyone know what the Toyota dealers would charge to perform the work outlined in the bulletin (whatever it entails)? Thanks.
  17. Interior & gizmos look identical to the current presara in australia. The tail light are ugly, the current lights on the aurion are a simpler and neater design.
  18. How impractical would those cars be! You'd have to program your sat nav with all known speed humps as obstacles TO AVOID !!! Not to mention driveways, shopping parking kerbs, etc... You barely clear a cigarette butt without scraping it off the road. :) Potential material for funniest home videos - an aurion wanna-be sea saw, at every speed hump.
  19. Hi, I did a quick search on the forum, but nothing useful found on the topic. I find my Presara's horn too soft. Firstly it doesn't suit the car, secondly I'm not sure that other drivers hear it if their radio is anything above medium. My other cars (Calais and Fairlane) have good / adequate horns, whereas the Aurion is too soft. I'm not keen on becoming a menace either (no air horns please), but I am wondering if there are any horn replacement units out there that are not as pathetic. Any suggestions? Thanks.
  20. DJKOR, do you replace the pollen filter or just clean it? Don't know what it looks like and whether it can be cleaned. Is it somewhere behind the glove compartment? Thanks.
  21. I had a white car for the last 10 years, my new Aurion is black. I must say that white was so easy to maintain when comparing to black! However, many people were not keen on white, even heard of some stats a while back indicating that white has less appeal and thereby not having the same resale value... I'm surprised by your comment that white is a best seller in the car yard. Yes, it does look good with a dark tint. The contrast makes the tint appear even darker than it actually is.
  22. Are you after a scoop for additional cooling, or just for looks? If the latter, you could just stick one on without cutting anything. It would of course provide no cooling benefit.
  23. I have a Presara. I've kept records since new of every fuel type used, distance travelled, etc. It's been 20,000 kms, I hope to get some time soon to analyse all that. I'll post my findings here once I get around to it. However, even without analysis, I have noticed that I travel further with 98 fuel. Whether the additional distance warrants the additional price I don't know without the detailed analysis. On a slight tangent, I was surprised by the fuel economy last week. Filled up with 95. Driving from Werribee to Melb Airport (Tullamarine) 98% freeway driving the fuel consumption went down to 7.3 L/100kms !!! It was going down by about .1 every few kms, maybe I could have squeezed another few minor increments if I had further to travel on the freeway. - Full tank of fuel - 2 adults 1 child - Friggin hot day, A/C working - Light traffic - 20,000 kms on the odometer - Last serviced at 15,000 Note that the fuel consumption was calculated by the car (as per dash display). Not sure of it's accuracy, but it's been pretty good compared to my paper logs.
  24. The GPS unit in the Presara is the previous Lexus model. If it was the current model, it would be a lot more flexible for adding iPOD inputs, DVD player, etc. I think the rear curtain shade is in the same boat. I also heard that the engine is some kind of Lexus engine (common to all Aurions). Probably not the newest? Not sure how true this last statement is, it came from one of the salesmen... :) I've come across some that would say anything to make a sale, hence my default doubt on this statement.
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