riftime

My previous car was also white, I could get away with washing it at Easter and Christmas only... given the water restrictions in Melbourne I probably should have cut down ! The black Aurion does show dirt, but more because it's metalic black rather than because its Aurion! When I first took it home it was through the rain, it dried in the garage and I was horrified. "What have I done" I thought thinking it's going to look like that every time it rains. I have since purchased a $40-$50 can of carnuba wax (tried to get the most expensive one), and the difference is amazing. Like you say, a good shower (nature or man-induced) will clean it up very well. Obviously will not be 100% effective, but very acceptable. BTW, when applying such wax, only work one panel (at most) at a time and then buff off. DO NOT try to cheat and coat the whole car first and then buff off. You will regret it. More than a few minutes the wax hardens to a point where it's very difficult to rub off.

Great to see a satisfied Aurion driver. My presara is more towards the tame end, but am also a very satisfied owner. I too have had Holdens and Fords and this is better (my consumer opinion). I didn't know I wanted an Aurion initially, I went out to test drive a few different cars. Tried the Fords, Holdens, and Mitsubishis, Toyota was the last one on my list to try, but was so impressed that I went back through the whole range comparing everything to the Toyota and in terms of my criteria, none of the others stacked up. I must say though that I don't see the Falcon similarity and am a little heartbroken that some do!

I didn't have the leaf rattle, I had a different rattle. Read the other posts, other people speak about the leaf rattle. It appears that there are two problems. One is the vent fins. This is an easy fix, does not require dash removal. The other problem has something to do with the back of the dash which is a big job and requires the removal of the entire dash. Dealer will need your car for 2 days to do this. I'd be worried about having this done to my car, but others have reported good results (other than occasional collateral damage like scratched interior parts - but the dealer will fix this too, just stay on their back).

Yes I agree Blinkybill, but I think this is pretty much the case with alot of cars who have sports mode or "tip-tronic" transmission. Ive seen alot of Honda's do this aswell. Because when you think about it, its not a 100% Manual transmission. I don't play around too much with the sports mode.. Have you noticed if this happens with other lower gears aswell? Indeed disappointing, but I like to use it a fair bit nevertheless. I've always wondered though if placing it in sports mode (even if you put it in top gear) makes the car use a different gear changing profile than when in Drive. i.e.: does it change gears later and make it the equivalent of SPORTS mode on other cars ? Or is there absolutely no difference from having it in SPORTS on setting "6" as to having it in DRIVE ? (That would be a second disappointment).

16L is damn thirsty - that's going near hummer territory... My father's 12-cylinder 750 BMW drinks that! On a different note, I took my wife's car (Ford Fairmont) today for a drive. Trip computer was telling me that I had another 40kms left before running out of fuel. Pulled into a Caltex and filled up. 72L later the pump stopped. After paying, I realised that it was a rather large amount of fuel that went in. Had a look at the owners manual, capacity of tank is 68L. ... So given that I had some petrol left in the tank, and the tank capacity is 68L, how could I have just purchased 72L of fuel? I did not miss I spoke with the sales person who advised me that all pumps are "calibrated". Does anyone have any logic for this, or is that Caltex ripping people off ?

Hi all, Some posts ago I mentioned that I had a Air Conditioning related rattle in the car. It was not the "leaf" like sound that many have spoken about. This was more of a metallic rattle appearing to come from deep within the driver's side dash or even engine bay. Took the car in to Peter Davey Toyota in Werribbe (VIC). Took one of their guys for a 10 min drive to demonstrate the rattle. Wouldn't you believe it, it was raining (additional noise to filter past) and the friggin rattle did not make a show. However, I described it a fair bit. After a few hours I got my Presara back. After careful investigation, they found one of the Air Con metal pipes installed very close (hardly any clearance) to the chassis. When Air Con was working hard, the pipe would vibrate ever so slightly (normal), but due to no clearance it would rattle against the body of the car... hence the rattle. Now its gone. I was very impressed that despite the failed attempt to demonstrate the rattle, they persisted and made an honest effort at finding it... and it worked! Glad that they didn't have to pull out the whole dash as for the other "leaf" rattle others have reported. R.

Yep, that was my post buried in another thread. Still works, still very happy with it. Use it for more than 1 hour each day, never any problems. Just need to get a car charger for my phone now...

No oil change. Free car wash, vacuum and coffee. Werribee (Peter Davey) Toyota - VIC

Hi all, I thought I'd ask if anyone is annoyed or troubled by their integrated bluetooth system. I have a Presara. I found that I had to speak very loudly and directly towards the microphone which is located in the front centre light console. The user manual didn't offer any assistance. I was so disappointed as I spend a lot of time on the phone (mostly work) and people were complaining that they couldn't hear me and the call quality was crap. It was basically unusable in my experience. I managed to fix this problem myself by navigating into the config screens of the Sat Nav unit and increasing the Microphone gain (I think it was called "Transmit Sound Level") from 0dB to +5dB. Now it's perfect, what a difference! If anyone wants more detailed (step-by-step) instructions on how to do this, let me know and I'll post. The instructions would work for the Presara or for any other models which have the pricy integrated Sat Nav unit. Not sure if they'd work for the "black" cheaper Sat Nav unit, but you could always try. I'm so happy with the unit now, can even drive with the sunroof open while talking on the phone and it all works so well (no noise from the air flow, no more complaints from the other parties). /R

Yes, marginally, but not sure if noticeable. I always have mine on, so the figures I got were WITH A/C on.

It would make sense to improve the suspension and tyres at least. These guys would probably hit 200 km/h every so often, you'd want to make sure you don't float all over the road. I think the number plate is awesome. Very apt. The car has great presence. Wish I saw them in Vic as well rather than the XR6 or SS.

Might be a silly question, but you know how there's already proven technology in the optometry world for "transition" lenses? (those that darken in proportion to the amount of UV hitting them)... Why don't they make tint films like that so that at night the windows are NOT tinted, but during the day they are ? Wouldn't that be nice ? However, going by the price optometrists charge for transition lenses, a tint job will cost more than the car!!! If transition can't be made in a "film", then Toyota should have it as an option for the type of glass used. ... just thinking out loud I too would be interested to know what kind of tint costs more than $800 !!! Cross my fingers that it's the one I'm describing above, but somehow I doubt it.

The ANZ weels are also very nice. The Silvia are nice, but I think I'd prefer the Maddisons (each to their own). The Silvia look like they'd be a b!tch to clean, are they? I'd hate to have to get the toothbrush out and put aside an afternoon. What tyre does the ZR6 come with from the factory? Is it Michelin like the Presara? I have Michelin on mine and they seem like very good tyres, I'd be sad to let them go... Maybe I'll save the wheel upgrade for the next first tyre change... I wonder how many kms the Michelins will last.

Normally I would say that because the contract is signed by both parties with 17% discount it's locked in and no longer negotiable after completion of sale. After all, you've paid the money and they've given you a car which "locked in the deal". Two items of concern are: 1. The EVP clause/note. It probably stands for "Employee Vehicle Pricing" discount or the like. This might give them reason to argue for the extra $. 2. You mentioned that you bought the car through your friend. So is the contract between the dealer and your friend rather than the dealer and yourself ? Does all this complicate your friend's employment or relations with Toyota ? If it ends in court, and reason prevails, the dealer will wear the mistake. The contract inconsistency would be insignificant given that both parties at one point were satisfied with the contract and completed the transaction. One party can't later change their mind about their satisfaction and expect readjustment. I suspect that the agent/dealer has been told by his management to fix the mistake and make up the missing $'s... or else... If for some reason your conscience is keeping you up at night because you didn't pay what you were supposed to, try negotiating with them, say meet them half way and pay only $700 ? However, don't offer that as the first offer. Offer only $200 or the like initially. Do not pay any amount though until you get in writing that that's the final amount. Otherwise, they'll be chasing you for the $1,200 balance! The other alternative, is to agree to retract/break the contract and return the car for a full refund. Given that the car is now used and depreciated (in their eyes) a lot more than the $1,400 they're quibbling over, I doubt that they will entertain that option... :) However, I'd try to push this line as much as possible and say that if they want to break the contract, everything needs to go back to the way it was before signing the contract (they have their car, you have ALL your money). This means reimbursing you for the stamp duty, registration, etc... :) Those alone will cost them more... Perhaps the registration will be pro-rate given that you DID drive for 3 months on the Australian roads. Good luck with whichever way you go and seek professional advise! Perhaps even a call to the ACCC might help you. www.accc.gov.au

I'm hoping someone has more knowledge (than I) on the matter and can share some light... I've always had tinted windows and am now thinking about getting my Presara's windows tinted. However, I was reading somewhere (the owners manual I think) that some window tints are incompatible (metal based tints)? Specifically the rear window, something about blocking the GPS and or sat/phone system. I don't know much about types of window tints, is there a particular type I should get or stay clear of? I had a quick chat with someone in a booth in the middle of the shopping center advertising window tinting for ~$140. I asked them about this but the sales agent didn't demonstrate much knowledge on the matter and was keen to sell me their product regardless of my concerns. Needless to say I walked away. Furthermore, they were offering a service whereby they pick up your car from home and bring it back to you when complete... No offence to their outstanding customer service, but I'll be driving my own car thank you to them and supervising. Call me paranoid, but I'm not keen on having others drive my car... On my old car I had the dealer organise window tinting. Cost me $500 (!!!) with lifetime warranty. Later I found out that they just drove the car around to tint-a-car, probably paid $200 and pocketed the rest. Despite the lifetime warranty, one window (driver door) started peeling at corner recently. So my question is are there different qualities in window tints and/or companies fitting them? I'm not looking to shop around for the cheapest tint, I'm looking for the best tint. I'm in Melbourne, any good tint places around the northern suburbs ? Thank you.

Cool! Now that would be nice to drive, imagine having the opportunity to drive it like the police would, without a worry that it's your car! I'm sure they like that part of their job (when its safe).

Yes, driving style is a big contributor. For exampke, if you like to tail gate your consumption is likely to be higher than someone who leaves a larger distance to the car in front. That's because with a larger distance you can at times avoid unnecessary braking (and consequently accelerating). If you tail gate, you may have to drive more aggressively (hence higher consumption) to keep the distance to a minimum. ... I don't want to hear about any "slip streaming" effect reducing drag and saving fuel (unless you're doing Nascar driving and tail gate by 1-2 inches) :D

Simple. The calculation for average consumption is Fuel Consumed divided by KMs Travelled. This gives you Litres/KM. You multiply by 100 to get Litres/100Kms. When standing still with engine running, the Fuel Consumed increases but the distance dravelled doesn't. Therefore the result for the equation will increase all the time until you get moving again.

DerekD, good eough for me, I will get them. Some salesman at some dealer told me that they are incompatible though and shouldn't be used. Not sure what he based that on. Yes they fit on the Aurion lights, but shouldn't be used on the Presara with HID. Anyway, since you've reported no problems I'm convinced... thanks.

So I purchased a product that is a plastic/rubber adhesive film that you need to trim and apply to the headlights which protects against scratches and dents. Given the awkward shape of the Aurion headlights (and their curvy nature), it took me ages to trim a template on a piece of paper (with cuts just in the right places to wrap around nicely). Then I used the paper to trace an outline on the film and cut it prior to application. ... about 2 hours later I had one light covered with film (template only required for one side, just turn it over for the other side). Was not happy with the result, it didn't look completely invisible. Although I managed to avoid having any air bubbles, there were marks/lines where the glue was moved around during the application. I used a heat gun (on low setting just enough to moderately heat up the film) to remote it. Fortunately all glue came off with it clean, no residue to figure out how to remove. I noticed that when hot/warm, the film was very soft. Perhaps I should have heated it up during the application as well (although it was 28 degrees in the garage when I applied it). Not sure if I can be bothered trying again, has anyone had better luck than I ? If anyone wants a copy of the template I can try to scan it and place some dimensions around for 1:1 printing.

I do this and I think it's ok. Just make sure that you haven't collected any bugs and other crap on the car, I usually do a bit of checking and spot cleaning when I get home. Also gently wipe/blow dust away if already on the car before waxing. Note that I've found more dust collected overnight in the garage than on a short drive on a nice day. Back to the original topic starter regarding a black (ink) aurion, I've finally washed (well) and waxed my black Presara. Geez it looks awesome. Turns a lot of heads. Had to take a few pictures, given the car is new, it's probably the best it's ever going to look...

When I picked up my new car from the dealer I had a 20min freeway ride home. Consumption was ~7.0, so just because it's new is not an excuse for high consumption. Personally I would do some calculations to see if the car is calculating incorrectly (electronics problem), or whether the car is indeed burning fuel at a higher rate. In terms of different fuels, yes, the higher octane fuels will take you further (car doesn't need to burn as much to get equivalent power output). The 95 fuel has a 6.7% higher octane than standard unleaded 89 fuel. Don't know whether the distance travelled is linear with the octane, there are too many variables at play to accurately determine whether it will drive you exactly 6.7% further - but I'm pretty sure that it will drive you somewhat further. You'd need almost lab conditions to have results with sufficient accuracy on whether the extra cost is worth it... or whether you're paying more for that extra distance than the cost of normal fuel. I find that the higher octane gets me further and feels better (but was more noticeable in my older car than the new car), but exactly how much further it gets me I don't know.

Julian, your suggestion worked! I lifted the seat belt adjustment to highest position and no more buckle banging into the pillar. Awesome, thank you. I've also isolated my inner dash rattle to be Air Conditioning related (could be under the boot rather than dash). Not fan related, but rather A/C Motor Running related. With the fan set on setting 1 or 2, engaging the A/C (manual mode) and turning it back off again I can get the rattle happening. This is a step in the right direction, at least I can reproduce it when I take it back in for repair.

You can't rely on those test results unless you refilled just prior to the test. Remember that the ECU will average out the consumption since last refill. So if you were driving Miss Daisy :P for 95% of the kms since last fill, it will skew your results where you are trying to get the figure up high during aggressive driving. For example, if you drove 300 kms with an average consumption of 8L/100kms, and then drove 15kms at 14L/100kms, the overall average might be 8.4 L/100 ? (I haven't done any maths here, so it might be different, but you get the point). If you had refilled just prior to flogging it, then you have a problem. Try calculating it manually as suggested in one of the previous posts, and see how that compares with the figure ECU gives you. Then take those to the dealer and point out the large variance. I refilled today after 535kms with 56L. That results in a consumption of 10.46L per 100kms. This was all round driving, some freeway/highway, some 80kms zones, some 60 with traffic & lights, and some sports-mode flogging. Now if only I had remembered to also look at the car's calculated average consumption figure I could have added more value to this thread... After refilling (with Shell Unleaded-95) I did some freeway driving and the car was showing a consumption of 7.0. After hitting city traffic, it averaged out to 10.0.

All worked, thanks again. Great resource to have.