Proper engine service

[swazi]

Hi folks. I have two Avensis, both VVTi 1.8 models -2000 - 2009. How does one get a proper tune up, valve clearance, correct air/fuel mixture and so on. Does not seem to be available from Toyota dealers - we use the computer - does not adjust valve clearance or fuel/air mixture, correct advance or retarded settings. I know this can be done and can give excellent results

[Bper]

Hi Michael,Toyota dealers don't normally carry out tune ups but they can diagnose and address any underlying issues. I would look for a tune up garage that has experience in tuning and diagnostics with Toyotas and ask then if they have experience with engines with VVTi. Hope this helps 😀

[avensis_2018]

hi you dont touch it never. just put fresh good oil (0w20\5w30) add from time to time some fuel additives, clean your throttle body, clean the sensors , new air filter (k&n better) refresh coolant and brake fluid, good tyres, new Battery, new spark plugs ... the car will drive like new!

[tsikis007]

Only regular maintenance nothing else. 

[Shavestick]

Tuneaps, I believe were last seen on cars in the 90's.

Ever since, these are controlled by computer modules and the car management system, which is another central system. Don't worry about it; the advice above is good.

[Rhymes with Paris]

Didn't tune ups used to be on cars with carburettors and points ignition?

I remember fiddling with those things in the 70s and 80s , could even set up triumph twin carbs at one time, when I could understand the workings a bit.

I think nowadays with electronic ignition and fuel injection, like the others say, service items, fresh oil and as a few people on here are a fan of, including me and basil Fawlty, give them a damn good thrashing.

(But not so thrashed that the valves start poking through the bonnet,of course)

[Cyker]

Modern cars don't need much tuning, esp. Toyotas - They actually self-tune continuously, with things like self-trimming the fuel delivery, constantly varying the A/F mix, spark advance, intake and exhaust cam phasing, for optimal performance/economy, and even the valve clearance tappets are self-adjusting!

Good thing too, as it'd be a massive PITA to manually set those in modern cars with how tightly they pack in everything!

[2009joe]

Thinking of buying my wife a wee small petrol Toyota .but the ones I'm looking at the road tax is crazy making me no option to go for a wee ford fiesta . As to get anyone with cheaper road tax like mine it has 2 be a dead 1l engine I think .don't want to go any lower than a 1.2 as there slow enough 

[Cyker]

I think you'll be looking at pre-2017 Mk2 or Mk3 Yaris if you want more than 1.0L but band B road tax...

All cars post-2017 are £180 (Or is it £190 now?) regardless if they a 0.6L ecobox or 8L v16.

[2009joe]

17 hours ago, Cyker said:

I think you'll be looking at pre-2017 Mk2 or Mk3 Yaris if you want more than 1.0L but band B road tax...

All cars post-2017 are £180 (Or is it £190 now?) regardless if they a 0.6L ecobox or 8L v16.

Aye not good it's crazy how my 2014 2.0d4d avensis costs me  35 quid a year road tax and my wife's proxy wee VW costs 180 quid 😞

[yossarian247]

Reminds of a colleague who took his 2000s Vauxhall Astra into a dealer and asked if they could 'clean out the carburetor'. I think they just humoured him and changed the fuel filter.

He also once said something about 'back in the early 90s when cars had catalytic converters'. He looked rather crestfallen when I pointed out that all cars since then have catalytic converters, manufacturers simply stopped mentioning them as a 'feature' once they became mandatory. 

[Cyker]

On 3/16/2024 at 2:05 PM, 2009joe said:

Aye not good it's crazy how my 2014 2.0d4d avensis costs me  35 quid a year road tax and my wife's proxy wee VW costs 180 quid 😞

Yeah, it's a bit of a kick in the nuts my new Yaris hybrid is the most expensive car to tax I've ever owned, despite being the least polluting!

To be fair, I've always been of the opinion tax shouldn't be used to try and influence choice like it was for cars and CO2 on the previous system - Tax should be used to raise funding for maintenance of whatever the tax is for in a fair and balanced way; In the case of car tax, it should be set to raise monnies for the maintenance and administration of the road net work.

Unfortunately government just see it as a cash cow to be milked to death and to bail them out of their own incompetence.

The funny thing is they are trying to discourage the use of cars, but imagine if we all got rid of our cars - No fuel+VAT tax, no VED, no insurance tax - The government's funding would collapse!