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Leighcm

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Posts posted by Leighcm

  1. I'm on a Toyota mailing list and received this today...thought it was interesting, and may help everyone get a little better mileage:

    Toyota's recommendations for getting the most out of your mileage:

    Keep tire pressure at recommended levels; under-inflated tires use more gas.

    Avoid driving at speeds that are higher than necessary, especially on the highway.

    Avoid jackrabbit starts and, when possible, avoid sudden stops.

    Don't carry items in the car that you don't need; additional weight means lower mileage.

    Use air conditioning in moderation.

    The mileage tips below come straight from hybrid drivers, and contribute to facilitating the sharing of ideas in the hybrid community:

    One hybrid owner offers an imaginative analogy for getting the "Zen" of thrifty hybrid driving:

    "Imagine pedaling a bicycle with your own leg power. You cruise as much as possible. No need to go full throttle before a stop. Glide to a stop instead. Don't race to cruising speed. Take it easy on the engine just as you would on your legs."

    Another hybrid owner counters this approach, suggesting that rapid acceleration to speed followed by cruising is actually more efficient, though counterintuitive.

    Perhaps the best thing is to try both and see for yourself.

    Adding to the old debate over driving with the air conditioning on or the windows open, one Prius owner suggests that with a Prius, keeping the windows open is more economical. The rationale: Battery drain from air conditioning uses more gasoline than aerodynamic drag caused by open windows.

    Remember that for every mph above 55 in a Prius, you could lose up to one mpg, mostly due to atmospheric drag -- even with its advanced aerodynamic body.

    Common-sense maintenance also leads to good mileage. Change oil on the maintenance schedule and don't use heavier oil than is recommended in the owner's manual. Heavier oil can mean mpg-robbing drag on the engine. Inspect your air filter and replace it on the maintenance schedule or as needed. A choking engine uses more gas.

    Techniques of a mileage champion

    Some Prius owners keep pushing the hybrid mileage envelope to the max. Five of these "hypermileage" enthusiasts recently teamed up and set a record of nearly 110 mpg in a marathon economy run.

    Hypermileage techniques are not for everyday driving. They have to be practiced in controlled conditions and then become "second nature" because of the attention that must be paid to the dashboard display at first. Here is a description of how Dan Kroushl, one of the marathoners, adapts hypermileage techniques to daily driving in his Prius:

    "On the highway, I just set cruise control to 55 mph and go. In city driving, during acceleration or maintaining speed uphill, I use the deadband technique. This means no flow to or from the battery while accelerating. I glide (no flow at all, engine is stopped) during mild downhill stretches. I apply the brakes (regenerative) on steeper downhill stretches to keep my speed below 42 mph.

    "I do this because the motor-generators (MGs) reach their maximum rpm at about 42 mph, which forces the engine to run to prevent damage to the MGs. So at speeds above 42, the engine must run, which creates added friction. This must be compensated for to maintain speed, causing a reduction in fuel economy.

    "When coming to a stop I coast (foot off the accelerator) until the stop. While braking and coasting, a small amount of energy is regenerated to maintain the battery level. I use this technique on my daily commute which is 50% highway at 55 mph and 50% city at 35 mph. Depending on environmental variables, during the summer my fuel economy ranges from 67 to 72 mpg."

    Try some of these techniques and see how your mileage improves.

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  2. Hi Guys,

    New to this discussion.  Just purchased a Celica 2002GT what generation is that?  Sorry not to have the lingo down, but I owned a 380sl for a very long time.  Does anyone know where I can get the owners handbook for the car?  It was not in the glove compartment.

    Patti

    7th gen, I think. If I'm counting right. You can get a manual from any Toyota dealer...or try eBay. Fun car, though. Enjoy!

  3. I was wondering if anybody has looked in to replacing the original gas motor for the diesel? I'm thinking order through Canada from Japan. Dropping it in while in Canada and then DMV once in the states. I would assume it's simular to importing a car.

    Are there tranny and drivetrain differences? I've just started researching, so anything helps.

    Thanks.

    Not sure on the drivetrain difference, but I can tell you about bringing the engine into the country.

    Unless you specifically tell the guys at customs that you have a brand new Canadian engine in your US Previa, you won't have to deal with import taxes and paperwork. You're not importing a car, just some pieces. And if you buy it cheap enough, you can legally bring it through anyway. The customs guys are looking for stuff like Cuban cigars, drugs, fruit, plants, and that sort of thing.

  4. No - not even close...

    The Chevy Aveo is the old Daweoo supermini.

    Toyota have partnered with the PSV group for the Aygo - which shares floorpan, engine, gearbox etc with the 107...

    but the Yaris/Echo is all Toyota.

    No kidding...every time I look at the Aveo, I see Toyota all over it. I never actually investigated, just assumed they were the same because of the GM-Toyota partnership (like the Vibe, Prizm, etc.)

  5. Sometimes my CD changer, model 16824, will not ejct a disk. Because it happens infrequently, but enough to be annoying, I have not been able to recreate the situation. Inside (the car)temperature does not seem to be an issue. The upper left corner of the unit does seem warmer to the touch than the rest of the unit. When problem happens, I will push eject and nothing happens. I may drive for awhile and, mysteriously, the cd will eject on its own.

    The local Toyota service dept. tried to recreate the situation, but could not (of course). One service dept. employee "seemed" to indicate that this is not an uncommon problem. The final word was they could not find a problem, and they could not take my word for it, and a new one costs $600. Also my warranty is running out.

    Has anyone had, or know of this problem?

    Thanks.

    I had a CD player that wouldn't play until the car warmed up in the winter, and would automatically eject the CD after a few minutes. I feel your pain! And it happens a lot when people bring their cars in for an intermittent problem that can't be duplicated by the dealership. It has nothing to do with the dealer, it just seems be a Murphy's Law type thing.

    Anyway, try calling Toyota corporate and opening a case. You'll probably get some help that way towards getting it replaced. I don't remember the phone number, but it's probably in your owner's manuals somewhere (the one with the lemon law info should have it).

  6. The Yaris is the European name for the Vitz, i believe it is called the Echo in the US.

    Production of the current model has stopped - but a new one has been announced, and should be released at the end of this year...

    Yes, but it looks a little different. Also, isn't the Chevy AVEO the same car?

  7. Hello everyone. Just signed up today. I work at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana, where the tundra, sequoia, and sienna are built.

    We currently have three toyotas in the family. A 2005 tacoma d-cab, a 2005 celica gts, and a 2003 corolla sport.

    I'm glad to have found a place where I can get some advice, and maybe, be of some help to the forum.

    Welcome!!

    Tell us about the plant...I've always wanted to tour one of the Toyota North America plants. I've been through a General Motors plant (dirty, disorganized, dark...you get the idea), but I've heard Toyota plants are almost a work of art compared to a domestic manufacturer.

  8. I've got a 91 Celica GT, (That's 5th generation, right?) and I love it. I'm gonna have to say I like 5th generation best, even though there are a lack of upgrade parts available. Does anyone have any idea where I'd go to find stainless steel or aluminum headers for a 5th generation GT 2.2L?

    Also, I've gotta say the Scion TC (Celica's supposed replacement) is very disappointing. I don't know what kind of engine they have, but the body styling isn't half as good as they were in the late 80s and early 90s.

    I'm in OH, and the 7th generation Celicas are second only to Civics for the most common cars on the road now... 'tis disappointing.

    Scion TCs have a lot of potential though...there's a supercharger available from Toyota that bumps up to the power into the low 200's and turns it into a real pocket-rocket.

  9. Okay, would someone care to explain the difference to me between a GT, GT-R and a GT4? I've got a GT 2.2L ('91)

    GT is the basic Celica, depending on model year. GT4 is an all wheel drive turbo model made in the early 90's...neat car if you can find one. I don't remember a GT-R.

  10. i think it has to do with the bis screw.but wouldnt it happen when i am at a red light, not only when i just start it?and i will take it to the dealership.its just that since this is my first stick shift car,i might have to do something with it burning out fast, but i dont think it would go out that fast.

    It could easily go out that fast if you have a tendancy to ride the clutch. As you're driving, pay close attention to where your left foot is and don't leave it over the clutch. Even a very light pressure on the clutch can burn it out very rapidly.

  11. that sounds handy... do i guess you dont have any spot checks then?

    No spot checks here in the Cincinnati area, but I've heard they have them in California...am I right? You can get around that just by gutting the cats because it still looks fine from the outside (of course, then you still have the eCheck problem).

  12. Yup. You just gave him the best advice. If he wants to do it, once each year he needs to swap it out. And then of course swap it back 12 hours later. Liquid Wrench is totally in order here. Plus a set of crowfoot wrenches that go on the end of a socket extension.

    http://www.gunk.com/oe2.asp?pic=L204

    It's pretty easy after the first time you do it...the first time, everything is pretty stuck together and it takes forever, but it's fast and simple after that.

  13. <_<  Does anyone here know when to get an oil change on the 4runners?  The maintenance schedule says 5,000, but it just seems too good to be true.....?

    5,000 miles is okay, assuming you're not in a really harsh climate (ie., extremely hot, dusty, etc.)

    If you're a low mileage driver, you need to follow a schedule of months instead of miles...I think it's 5 months for an oil change.

  14. as leigh says, it will improve things slightly, but increase emissions as well...

    Yes, and if you have eCheck in your area, you can definitely count on not passing your emissions check if you take off the cats. Of course, if you're good at that sort of thing, you could just swap out the pipes right before you take it to be tested.

  15. When I select the "Set" button on the cruise, it will work for a few miles, then the cruise shuts off by itself. The power light on the cruise stock is off when this happens. Now, If I turn on the power to the cruise but do not set it, it will not go off. Suspect the control board is bad, but don't know if the control board is on the servo or if it is separate. Anyone have an idea on this?

    It also could be a wire that's almost shorted out. I had a similar problem in my Camry. Be sure you check that before you start replacing expensive parts.

  16. HAS ANY ONE TRYED TO HAVE A REMOTE STARTER INSTALLED IN THERE 2005 COROLLA  YET AND IF SO WHAT KIND AND HOW MUCH?

    Before you buy a remote start, check to see if it's compatible with your car. If you have a Toyota alarm, you might have a problem because a lot of Toyota factory installed alarm systems will have a kill switch as part of the system, and that presents a problem with a remote start. Some of the remote start systems will trigger the engine kill switch and the car won't start.

  17. Bought a Highlander hybrid 9/12/05, am getting 20 mpg city, 23-24 mpg hiway, far below what I was led to expect.  Would not recommend this vehicle to anyone based on misleading advertising re fuel economy.  Not getting any response to complaint to dealership yet.  Anyone else with experiences in this regard?

    It's way too soon to complain about gas mileage. The car won't even be properly broken in until close to 5,000 miles, and mileage could vary significantly until then. Other things affect fuel economy too, like driving habits. If you have a tendency to do a lot of sudden acceleration, your gas engine will be on constantly, producing lower gas mileage figures. If you drive the car a little differently, with more attention paid to preventing the gas engine from turning on, you'll get much better economy.

  18. Is anybody out there running a test pipe instead of a CAT? i know there are some down sides but the good side kinda out weights it. will the car smoke? smell funny? or are they sorta un-dectable to the un trained eye? just looking to get some feed back. thanks a lot guys...

    I ran a test pipe on one of my Supras...increased power, increased noise, slightly increased fuel economy with both intake and test pipe. And yes, smells different, more like a race car. You don't have to be very well trained to smell a car without cats. You're not planning to put a test pipe on your ES, are you? Unless it's had an aftermarket turbo added, a test pipe isn't going to give you much of a power increase. It makes the biggest difference on a turbo car.

  19. Hi there, my first post...just sucessfully bid on a 94 Toyota Previa that was advertised as an All-Trec....carfax says its a DX model.  Question:  Did the 94 DX have an ALL-Trec option?  btw van is in Colorado and I'm in California...haven't seen yet.  Bid price:  $2850.  Thanks!  Garry

    Not positive...but pretty sure it did have an AllTrac model. Get the VIN and have a Toyota dealer do an inquiry for you. It'll only take them about two minutes and they can pull up an invoice on the car from when it was new.

  20. hi guys,i have a 2005 corolla S, and its less than a year old, and have about 15K miles on it.and i am already having problems with my clutch, its slipping. what is the best way to fix it and save money?....oh and also what do i do when every time i turn on the car the rpm is about 1700?

    The clutch shouldn't go out that fast...most Toyota clutches last 80-100k at least. Are you possibly riding the clutch? That's the usual cause for a clutch to go out this quickly.

    At this point, if it's actually the clutch slipping, it's not a warranty repair - unless the reason the clutch is slipping is due to a fault in other components. Then you may qualify for all or partial warranty coverage. There's not going to be a cheap way to repair it, unless you can do the work yourself. Have you talked to the dealer yet to see if you have any coverage?

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