Yaris 1.3 Vvti Zinc - 2007

[cruiser007]

Hi,

Question 1

When I drive my Yaris 1.3 VVTi Zinc (2007) on the motorway at 70mph in 5th gear I've noticed the engine is doing 3200rpm which seems very high, the engine is also VERY loud for 70mph and it sounds like it needs to change up to another gear....does anyone else find this with their 2007 1.3 Yaris Zinc? This car is supposed to be refined and quiet on motorways but mine certainly isn't!

Question 2

My "used car" dealer supplied me a box containing a splined locking wheel nut socket and 4 spare "domed top" wheel nuts, for some reason all the other wheel nuts on the car/wheels are "flat top" (not domed) which makes me wonder why they have all been changed? Does anyone have any ideas or know exactly what shape wheel nuts the 2007 1.3 Yaris Zinc should have?

Question 3

I have tried to store the CENTRE rear passenger seatbelt clips in the plastic storage compartment located on the ceiling but have found that the storage compartment is too small which results in it breaking away from the ceiling, has anyone had the same problem with this?

Question 4

The drivers seat does not slide forward to allow rear passenger access, is this normal?

Question 5

Does the 2007 1.3 Yaris Zinc have any wiring in the brake pads/shoes that warn you when they are worn down? My old 1983 Ford Escort had this feature but it doesn't seem to be on modern cars....so much for new stuff!!

Question 6

When driving in a straight line the steering wheel (and badge) is not level, does anyone know how this can be corrected as its very annoying?

Thanks for your help

[lancashirecrumbly]

Question 1

Yes - That's about right - Just over 20mph per 1000 rpm in top gear is about right for a small petrol engined car.

Question 2

This is what the original Yaris wheel nuts would have been like

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Toyota-alloy-wheel-nuts-Mr2-Celica-Supra-Yaris-Corolla-/300402163811?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&afsrc=1

The Zinc model had alloys as standard, so Toyota would normally remove one nut on each wheel to fit the locking wheel nuts.

Not sure why the other nuts on the wheels would now be different to those removed though...

Question 3

Can be a bit tight to fit the centre belt buckle into the top fitting and it does come away easily....

They are all like that...

Question 4

Drivers seat - No it doesn't slide. Only the passenger one does.

Question 5

Not 100% sure, but I don't believe that the Yaris has a warning light for brake pad wear. The manual lists all the reasons that each of the warning lights could be illuminated and brake pad wear isn't one of the possible reasons given... In theory, when you have it serviced, they should check that the pads have enough material left for a further 10000 miles or 1 year (until the next service) and warn you that they need changing if they are wearing low....

Question 6

If the wheel isn't straight, its usually because the car has had the steering tracking adjusted and someone has made the adjustment all on one side and not split the adjustment over two sides.

You have two options - go and get the car properly tracked again and ask them to adjust each end of the steering rack so that the wheel is straight - or have the steering wheel removed and then put back on straight. The issue about moving the steering wheel is that the device that then turns the indicators off won't be central even though the wheel is straight.

Best option really is to get the tracking readjusted.

[stantheman1]

Re: Question 1,the noise could be generated from the tyres, some brands are quieter than others, of the two brands that were fitted as standard to the Zinc (Dunlop and Bridgestone) I found the Dunlops relatively quiet but wear down at an alarming rate, can't comment on the Bridgestones I'm afraid.

What brand is currently fitted to yours?

[cruiser007]

Question 1

Yes - That's about right - Just over 20mph per 1000 rpm in top gear is about right for a small petrol engined car.

Question 2

This is what the original Yaris wheel nuts would have been like

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Toyota-alloy-wheel-nuts-Mr2-Celica-Supra-Yaris-Corolla-/300402163811?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&afsrc=1

The Zinc model had alloys as standard, so Toyota would normally remove one nut on each wheel to fit the locking wheel nuts.

Not sure why the other nuts on the wheels would now be different to those removed though...

Question 3

Can be a bit tight to fit the centre belt buckle into the top fitting and it does come away easily....

They are all like that...

Question 4

Drivers seat - No it doesn't slide. Only the passenger one does.

Question 5

Not 100% sure, but I don't believe that the Yaris has a warning light for brake pad wear. The manual lists all the reasons that each of the warning lights could be illuminated and brake pad wear isn't one of the possible reasons given... In theory, when you have it serviced, they should check that the pads have enough material left for a further 10000 miles or 1 year (until the next service) and warn you that they need changing if they are wearing low....

Question 6

If the wheel isn't straight, its usually because the car has had the steering tracking adjusted and someone has made the adjustment all on one side and not split the adjustment over two sides.

You have two options - go and get the car properly tracked again and ask them to adjust each end of the steering rack so that the wheel is straight - or have the steering wheel removed and then put back on straight. The issue about moving the steering wheel is that the device that then turns the indicators off won't be central even though the wheel is straight.

Best option really is to get the tracking readjusted.

Thanks for that info, it was very helpful!!!

I've since found a few other things wrong with my Yaris that you might know about, these are:

1) Pinking noise (like a tin can full of bolts!) from the engine when I accelerate when the engine is cold.

2) A high pitch but fairly quiet whistle noise (like a dog whistle!) when I accelerate when the engine is hot or cold, it sounds like a pressure release valve or something.

Cheers

[cruiser007]

Re: Question 1,the noise could be generated from the tyres, some brands are quieter than others, of the two brands that were fitted as standard to the Zinc (Dunlop and Bridgestone) I found the Dunlops relatively quiet but wear down at an alarming rate, can't comment on the Bridgestones I'm afraid.

What brand is currently fitted to yours?

The tyres on my Yaris are Yokohama but I'm pretty sure the motorway noise is due to the engine racing. I had a Citroen Xsara 1.4 LX before and that was much quieter and smoother on the motorways at 70-80mph but it struggled up hills unlike my Yaris so I think the Xsara is geared for speed and the Yaris is geared for town driving.

[lancashirecrumbly]

Just a thought - if the steering is out and there is a lot of noise at speed, it may be that the tracking is out and the extra noise is being generated by tyre scrub.

The fact that your steering wheel is off centre suggests that its been kerbed at some time. If its not been tracked properly or its never been rectified, the tyres may be scrubbing and generating more noise.

Then the conspiracy theory starts coming in and I see you also suggest that its got different wheel nuts to a standard car...

Are the wheels genuine Toyota alloys for the Zinc model or are they replacements?

This is what original Zinc wheels should look like...

http://www.buyacar.co.uk/contentimages/medium_toyota_yaris_zinc_special_edition_range_788.jpeg

Probably stretching things too far, but just linking some of your issues together you could paint a picture where its perhaps skidded on ice last winter, hit a kerb, broke a wheel and caused a tracking misalignment, resulting in the steering ending up off centre and with four replacement non-Toyota wheels with different nuts...

Just to clarify whether the noise at speed is engine or drivetrain related...

When you're cruising (and there's nothing behind you and you're nowhere near a hazard...) just dip the clutch and let the revs drop to idling whilst the car continues along.

That way the engine noise drops away and you are just left with "road & tyre" noise.

If the car gets a lot quieter when you do this, then you do know that the noise is engine related. If the noise stays at a similar level, you know that its not the engine but the drivetrain and tyres.....

[Adam C]

I've noticed with my current Yaris and previous one (56 plate T3, mk 2) that when the front tyres have been changed the steering wheel doesn't match up perfectly straight. Got the T3 used from an Evans Halshaw garage which had Wanli tyres on the front and original Dunlops on the rear so the fronts weren't original. The steering wheel wasn't straight.

Got this current Yaris TR brand new from a Toyota garage, Continental tyres all around, steering wheel perfectly straight. Then when the front tyres were replaced the steering wheel was slightly out so took it back and asked for it to be corrected. I asked if there was something going on with this but was told that there wasn't. I'm now afraid of ever getting a front puncture.

And I'm sure the current car is a little noisier, I put that down to the tyres. Wear and grip of the Continentals is great; fronts lasted 22,200 miles.

Also I noticed on high throttle I can hear that high-pitched whistling sound. Nothing as loud as the initial application of throttle in my dad & uncles' Rover 600s but also a little too similar to the turbo whistling from my another car I drive (Corsa ecoFlex diesel). And from low revs in 2nd, 3rd and 4th you can sometimes hear a groan sound from the engine. VVT-i system?

Not complaining like.