DJKOR

Absolutely love the wheels. I was thinking of getting along those lines for my Aurion. I find wheels with a minimalistic look the most appealing. I'm looking for a 5-spoke or 6-spoke design with the thinest spokes possible. Carbon grey would be ideal.

Not sure why Toyota did not include an input jack connection for external music players. Most other toyota models have a input jack however the Aurion's audio unti does not.

Has anyone figured a way to connect an iPod to the head unit. Currently I'm using a Griffin transmitter however the sound quality is not 100% since it's using the FM transmission. Is there an input jack in the rear of the headunit ? If someone has pulled there out maybe they would know. I don't want to pull mine out to find that there is none.

I've pulled my head unit out before and there is no AUX IN socket. You should be able to add one in if you can connect onto the pins on the back of the head unit however. It's either the socket with no plug on it, or if it has a plug on it, there are no pins on the connector itself, if you get what I mean. I was going to add in the AUX port myself but couldn't be bothered since it's easy enough for me to use the CD changer with MP3 CD's.

Your TRD sounds great regardless of whether or not it has the muffler on it. After listening to the second clip, I understand how you want to unleash the true note of the engine. It would be good though to reach a good balance in which you can still hear the whirr of the supercharger at the same time, cause that is a nice sound as well.

I have a tendency to always run my tank of fuel down to just about empty before I go and refill. Now I understand that car manufactures will bias the fuel gauge to say that it is empty when realistically, there is still a bit left in the tank. So last night I was quite a distance away from a petrol station and had to get some fuel, so I was driving along and before I got to the station, the needle was pretty much right on empty. At this point the cruising distance on the dash said I had about 2km of travel left, but that was just an estimate. I then filled up the tank and noticed it only took 58 litres to fill it up.

After a little bit of driving, the cruising distance updated to 557km's and the fuel economy stated 9.7l/100km. Divide the figures, this adds up to 57.4 litres of fuel that the gauge is calculating on. As far as I'm aware, the Aurion has a fuel tank capacity of 70 litres. I understand the bias towards there being more fuel than the gauge shows, but an extra 10 litres of fuel seems a bit high. I don't have much of a problem with it, I'm just wondering whether my fuel gauge can register the last 10 litres of fuel or not.

Hi DJKOR,

Not sure that its a good idea to run the tank that low if you can help it.

The lower the fuel level in the tank the greater the likelihood of condensation, especially in the colder weather. This will be exacerbated if left over night or perhaps several nights, depending on your driving habits.

Over time this condensation can build up. This is not a major problem unless you consistently run your fuel very low, You may be lucky and get away with it but if your unlucky it could result in major engine problems.

I regularly add an additive to the 269 L fuel tank on my boat, a Chaparral Cruiser that, among other things, breaks down this condensation and it is probably not a bad idea to do the same (occasionally) with the car.

Regards

Quark

It's kind of a habit that I got myself into after driving my old Camry around. Mum was the only driver of it before I got it, and she would never really let it go below a half-tank. As a result, the fuel gauge kinda got messed up. When the gauge was just above empty, there was still a good 25 litres or so in the tank. I was able to get that figure to drop down to about the 5-10 litre mark by running it down to the point where the needle actually went below empty. After many months of doing it like that, it fixed itself up. As a result of all that, it's now a bit of a habit that I'm stuck with.

I'm on my fourth tank of fuel for the Aurion now. Twice already I have filled it shortly after the fuel light has come on. I like to have a full tank of fuel, but I also don't want to fill it up too early. As I said, it's all a habit that I have gotten myself into after experiencing a related problem in the past.

I have a tendency to always run my tank of fuel down to just about empty before I go and refill. Now I understand that car manufactures will bias the fuel gauge to say that it is empty when realistically, there is still a bit left in the tank. So last night I was quite a distance away from a petrol station and had to get some fuel, so I was driving along and before I got to the station, the needle was pretty much right on empty. At this point the cruising distance on the dash said I had about 2km of travel left, but that was just an estimate. I then filled up the tank and noticed it only took 58 litres to fill it up.

After a little bit of driving, the cruising distance updated to 557km's and the fuel economy stated 9.7l/100km. Divide the figures, this adds up to 57.4 litres of fuel that the gauge is calculating on. As far as I'm aware, the Aurion has a fuel tank capacity of 70 litres. I understand the bias towards there being more fuel than the gauge shows, but an extra 10 litres of fuel seems a bit high. I don't have much of a problem with it, I'm just wondering whether my fuel gauge can register the last 10 litres of fuel or not.

okay... so i've been bored lately... and thinking of ways of making the sound of the car beefier but also using the varex muffler so that i can shut the noise up if need be...

discussion on the suggested system below is welcome!

my reasoning behind this is so that i only have to use ONE varex muffler instead of two...

and as darius has mentioned, apparently the stock resonator does a REAALLLYYYY good job of shutting up the system... and by just replacing the rear mufflers, that does SFA for the sound...

now, i know nothing about exhaust designs... and all that back pressure bull****... so can anyone tell me if there is an issue with having such a long pipe after the varex muffler in the middle of the car?

I don't know too much as well about the design of exhausts as well, but that sure seems like a creative idea. Firstly though, it would be rather interesting attaching the pipework to the outlet of the Varex since it has a 4.5 inch tip. Also, the exhaust note will be affected (good or bad, I don't know) with all that pipe afterwards. In addition to that, due to the Varex design, wouldn't that effectively just make it a straight pipe with the ability to make it quieter on demand? If that was the case, that would be one loud system. Can you set the Varex to half way or is it only fully open or fully closed? Darius should be able to answer that for us.

Flowing from this, it would seem that the value of tinting is primarily in the tints ability to reduce IR.

... and reduce visible light thereby increasing privacy. As you described, reducing IR though would act as a heat insulation of sorts ?

So increasing the insulation property of the vehicle (most noticeable in summer?) and increasing privacy... isn't that why people usually get window tinting ? At least that's my criteria. I haven't made the leap yet, and although I've had the Presara now for 4 months, I still miss the privacy of the window tinting I had in my last car.

My idea/point about the UV-sensitive tints was more in line with having a changing level of tint based on amount of UV. So at night there would be less tinting to avoid the reduction in visibility. However, as you point out, UV gets filtered out so for this to work (assuming that there is such a film) the tint would have to be applied to the exterior rather than the interior (as the glass filters UV before reaching the interior film). Exterior film application would be silly though ? Just an idea...

Here's another question about the tinting process. Given that the film is applied on the inside, how well are the windows actually cleaned prior to the film being applied ? What's used to clean the windows ? Might seem like a silly question, but have you ever tried to clean the car windows (especially the rear window) to such an extent that it is absolutely spotless and streak-free? Seems to me like quite a challenge, and to have film applied over a bad clean job would permanently seal that disappointment in? Maybe there's a scientific explanation why this is not important if you add another layer on top with no gap for light to be refracted?

They should be able to clean the glass to a streak-free finish prior to applying the tint. There are many solutions out there that can clean your windows well and remove all that oily residue from the plastics in your car. One of my favourite glass cleaners is CRC Glass and Window Cleaner. It may cost about $7.95 a can, but that stuff is wonderful. Just spray it on an wipe it off for a crystal clear finish. It's even safe to use on tinting. Otherwise, if you'd like to get down to basics; metho and water also works rather well.

I'll let you know how much Toyota charges me for the re-programming after I get it done.

As for the transmission fluid, changing it is a bit of a fun one. Toyota states that you MUST use the WS (world standard) ATF. Apparently this fluid is meant to last for around 160,000 kms before requiring a change. That figure seems a bit high and you would think it would be better to change it sooner. The fun part about changing it however is that with the Aurion, Toyota requires that you have the Scan Tool, because you need to have the fluid at an exact temperature when you change it so that it is filled to the correct level. It is a pretty annoying process that requires a lot of messing around. You should definitely check out the service manual "U660E_Automatic_Transaxle". The procedure is outlined from page "AX-164".

Forgot to mention as well. I also bought some genuine touch up paint from Toyota (since mine was the Mica paint and I didn't want to try a close match from someone else) and they charged $17.35 for a nail polish sized bottle. I covered up quite a lot of scratches on the underside of the front bumper (previous owner must have gone on a steep driveway) and there is still more than half a bottle left.

I think a visit to toyota is probably the best way to get touch up paint. My Aurion came with a small bottle of toyota touch up paint and I bought the car second hand. Obviously the previous owneres knew what it was and left it with the car.

As for the key - I'd assume that the matching of the car to the new key would be in the service manuals. I haven't downloaded the whole manual but maybe someone that has would be able to search the manual for it (if it's there)

Yep, the service manual does state how to code the car to the keys and remote. However, the procedure can only be done with the Toyota Scan Tool/Intelligent Tester. Unless you know someone who can get their hands on one of those free of charge for you, the only way you can do it it through a service centre.

I'll let you know how much Toyota charges me for the re-programming after I get it done.

As for the transmission fluid, changing it is a bit of a fun one. Toyota states that you MUST use the WS (world standard) ATF. Apparently this fluid is meant to last for around 160,000 kms before requiring a change. That figure seems a bit high and you would think it would be better to change it sooner. The fun part about changing it however is that with the Aurion, Toyota requires that you have the Scan Tool, because you need to have the fluid at an exact temperature when you change it so that it is filled to the correct level. It is a pretty annoying process that requires a lot of messing around. You should definitely check out the service manual "U660E_Automatic_Transaxle". The procedure is outlined from page "AX-164".

Forgot to mention as well. I also bought some genuine touch up paint from Toyota (since mine was the Mica paint and I didn't want to try a close match from someone else) and they charged $17.35 for a nail polish sized bottle. I covered up quite a lot of scratches on the underside of the front bumper (previous owner must have gone on a steep driveway) and there is still more than half a bottle left.

Also, in my experience, if you have automatic transmission, you can check the transmission oil status with the checker(?) under hood. I don't know what it is called but it's pretty same as engin oil checker. However, I couldn't find the transmission oil checker under hood. I've been to garage for engine oil replacement and ask the mechanic guy to find the transmission oil checker but he couldn't find it too. :(

Maybe someone could help me to figure out the name of it.

Do u mean transmission oil, then this is some thing you can not check.

oh yeah transmission oil checker.

sorry about my typo. :P

So Aurion has different automatic transmission system?

or I just do not need to check the status of the trasmission oil?

:P such technical names guys..Its called a transmission oil level dipstick.

And yes i couldnt find the dipstick on my ZR6 either, i will hav a better look tomorrow.when the sun? is shining!

You will probably find that there is no dipstick to check the AT fluid level. The trend these days is to move towards a sealed system since transmission fluid under normal conditions is not consumed. It is also done that way to prevent the end user from overfilling the transmission oil and potentially stuffing up their gearbox. I believe if you would like to check the level of the transmission oil, you need to remove the overflow plug underneath the engine and stick your finger in if you can and feel if the oil is close to the top of the overflow plug. When the oil is full, it will be level with the top of this plug as when you fill it, you fill till the oil starts to overflow out this plug.

Edit: I also forgot to mention. When I got my car, I only got one key and remote with it. I bought a spare remote from eBay for only $26 shipped, but to be on the safe side, I purchased a key from Toyota. The Key cost $100 from the spare parts department, then I had to go get it cut by a locksmith for around $7. Since the only way to code the keys and remote is with the Toyota Scan Tool, I needed to book it in with the service department for them to do that. They have booked me in for next week. Who knows what they are going to charge and they also said it will take 30-45 minutes. I find that a bit of a lie however since after reading the service manual, it is a process that should only take a few minutes. The keys/remotes aren't actually coded to the car. The car is trained to recognise the keys and remote. Either way though, I'll soon find out how much they charge for a few minutes worth of labour which involes turning a key and pressing a few buttons.

Edit 2: I should probably have answered all questions in the first place. Anyways, you wont find the compliance plate under the hood. You should find a it (in the form of a sticker) on the front passenger side door sill. The sticker will contain you VIN, engine number, paint code, etc.

Very happy to see your $20k car. I am a camera tech, if i was you i will open all electrical connectors and spray them with INOX and also do a rust guard all over the internal body an the under carriage and all doors to prevent any rust. Also if you want you can install electronic rust protection.

Thanks for the advice. Since I'm in the electronics industry myself, I had a can of CRC CO Contact Cleaner and Switch Cleaner Lubricant handy and used those to clean out and protect all the connectors that had to be disconnected when taking the inside apart. The exception was the air bag module plug where I just used the CO Contact Cleaner; better to be on the safe side with those electronics. The body of the car underneath all the carpet was already well coated in paint, but after scrubbing everything up, I did put on a light coat of anti-rust. Next time I get a chance to head over to my mate's workshop, I will hoist the car up and give the underbody a clean and coat just to be on the safe side.

It may not be an ZR6, but the area is the same anyway. As for me, I installed mine as well without removing the bumper or lights. I simply did not want to go to that extent. You can see how I mounted mine in the photos. The passenger side was mounted just underneath in front of the battery and the driver's side was mounted kind of vertically. They are held down with a bolt and the cable ties are there to secure them tightly to avoid minor vibrations creating noise.

You may also notice two relays in the first photo. I would have just simply ran them of the existing harness since the peak startup current is only for a short period and that wiring is sufficient to handle that without any long term damage, but I wasn't 100% happy. I don't want to have my HID's coming on when I flash my high beams from an 'off' state so I used the relay setup to cancel that. The first relay is triggered by the parker lights (which don't come on when you flash the high beams from an 'off' state), and the second relay is triggered by the low beams, but only when the first relay is on. That way I can flash my high beams without doing any damage to my HID's.

I live in a cul-de-sac so everytime I leave the house after starting the car, I travel around in a clock-wise direction. As I'm part way into the loop, I always have this quick, light 'knock' sound (kind of like a cold handbrake releasing on a hill) that I usually only hear on the rear left hand side. I was wondering what this may have been. I only really notice it on that move and wasn't quite sure whether it was due to the turn or not. The ABS makes sense I guess.

wow.. good on ya for having the time and dedication and patients to do all that work! :o

i know i sure as hell couldnt have been bothered!!!

It was a long process but I guess it made it that little bit more exciting to drive it in the end.

Just looked at your avatar. I passed your TRD in the underground carpark at Southbank last night. Such a beautiful sight that was.

thanks mate...

i'm always there most nights at my mates coffee shop...

so now that you've taken the whole interior out... how hard is it to get to the wiring behind the stereo? lol

was it a pain in the *****?

I wouldn't say it's that hard. It all depends on how good you are with taking things apart carefully. I have been working on car interiors for ages installing electronics so this stuff is rather easy for me. In regards to accessing the wiring behind the stereo, it is actually much simpler than taking everything apart like I had to. The audio/visual and instrument panel service manual which can be downloaded from sticky has a perfect step by step guide to taking it all out. But in general, all you have to do is:

1) Put the gear shift into drive (for access) and unscrew the gear shift knob

2) Remove the center console sub-assembly. It is only clipped in and has no screws. This part is mainly all the silver trim in the centre that extends from the bottom of the AC controls to the front of the centre console box. This part can actually be removed by hand by gripping the black edges on the side of the siver trim and pulling up (you can see where it joins on the side next to the seat).

3) Remove the AC Vent and clock assembly. It is simply clipped in and pulls out by pulling off straight forward (after prying off with a screwdriver)

4) Remove two bolts at the top of the stereo, and two bolts at the bottom of the stereo.

5) Pull the stereo straight out; it has clips on it as well.

Suprisingly, you only have four bolts to undo. Everything else is held together by clips. The good thing though is that the clips are plastic on plastic which means they come out rather smoothly and don't break off like some of the metal variety. Overall, I'd estimate about 10-15 minutes of work if you want to take it slowly.

wow.. good on ya for having the time and dedication and patients to do all that work! :o

i know i sure as hell couldnt have been bothered!!!

It was a long process but I guess it made it that little bit more exciting to drive it in the end.

Just looked at your avatar. I passed your TRD in the underground carpark at Southbank last night. Such a beautiful sight that was.

Well done m8 ... good buy for a good car you have done well. Looking good and driving well huh?

I absolutely love it. It is such a smooth drive as well. It's so much more comfortable cruising around with minimal noise enterer the car and without feeling every single bump with a huge shock.

Hey everyone,

I'm new to this forum, but have been reading through the Aurion topic for the past few weeks while I've been waiting to get my Aurion on the road. I thought I would just make a post to express my satisfaction for my new purchase. This will probably turn out to be a bit of writing, but it has been a rather long journey to get where it is today (felt really long due to my impatience).

Back on the 18th of March, ManheimFowles here in Brisbane were auctioning off some flood damaged vehicles. There was a Wildfire 2007 Sportivo SX6 there that had travelled only 24,000 kms and barely had signs of water damage. The engine bay was completely clean with no signs of water getting past the guards at the bottom, and the inside had only the faintest smell of dampness. What was even more surprising is that when it came time for bidding, towards the end there was barely anyone around and I was able to snap it up at just under $20k including administration fees and whatnot.

So now came the fun part of taking it all apart to clean it up. With a little help of the service diagrams, the interior came out pretty easily and the carpet was then taken out and given a good wash. The car was given a good clean inside then left out to air for a few days which completely got rid of any smells (photos included of it with the interior out). Also, since the air bag light didn't turn off after the car was turned on, the air bag module was checked. It appeared to have some corrosion on the terminals, so that was replaced. Quite surprising as well, the air bag control module only cost $137 which was 1/4 of the cost that I was expecting. It even surprised the guys at Southside Toyota when they had to look the part up. I swapped it over and the system self tested fine after that.

While the interior was in pieces, I also took the chance to run cables for my sub/amp which I was to put in once I put it all back together. So once all that was done and the carpet was clean, I layed down some new under-felt (which I was able to obtain free of charge), put the carpet back in and re-assembled the interior. It was just like a new car again. I got a safety certificate on it and then booked it in for a Written-Off Vehicle Inspection; and what a wait that was. There were so many cars that they had to inspect so I had to wait 1 and half weeks just to get it inspected, followed by the 48 hour minimum inspection time. It was so hard having it in the garage and not being able to drive it.

So anyways, that's the story of my car. I am quite impressed with how it all turned out. It is just like a new car again, and for the price I was able to pick it up for, it is perfect. After driving a '91 Camry for the past 3.5 years ever since I got my license, the Aurion is quite a change. I have to get used to parallel parking all over again and get used to going easy on the accelerator, but it's all fun. With the Camry, I would be giving the accelerator quite a workout, but on the Aurion, I just have to lightly push on it. There are even some situations when putting my foot down in the Aurion just scares me and I would back off pretty quick. It's certainly a different feeling.

So far, all I've done to my Aurion is change all the interior bulbs and number plate bulbs to white LED's, installed a set of 8000k HID's, installed an amp and subwoofer in the boot, and put some personalised plates on it. I was going to change the parker bulbs to LED's but gave up for the time being when trying to remove the wheel arches. The last thing I want to do to it is get a dark tint for the windows just to complete it. That's about all I plan on doing with it, as I like to have a stock feel about it.

Next I have to book it in with Fulcrum and get that alignment issue sorted out. The pulling to the left issue is now starting to bug me and is the only thing about that car that I'm having a problem with right now. If you managed to make it though that post, thank you for reading. After waiting for a little over 3 weeks to get it on the road, I'm quite excited.

Daryl K