Leaderboard

Let me back up my qualitative considerations with some hard evidence, just measured. Using Torque Pro I had around 16V per Bank on the traction battery, so about 224V overall. Just sitting in the garage in P mode takes 1.0A (224W). Putting it into D and holding on the footbrake is still 1.0A. Using the handbrake in D with no footbrake 2.2A, an extra 270W. While I was at it I also did headlights 1.6A (an extra 134W). Aircon (no headlights) 4.9A (an extra 874W)

I can never understand ppl running that low on their engine oil, of all things. I went to see a Volvo XC90 just recently and when I dipped the oil - zilch showing. They guy actually thought that he didn't have to check the oil until the light came on. I wonder if it's going to be the same with the Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems. You know the old saying, if you think Maintenance is expensive - try ignorance.

Over the weekend I got to experience a T25 model. I have been in a T22 1ZZ and it was not bad. I was with a friend and she owns a T4 1.8 model. I mentioned the oil burning issue and she said lets check the oil. Good thing we did, as there was no oil reading on the dipstick! I checked 3 times giving it time. The car had been off for more than an hour. Luckily she carried a can of oil and I poured over 2 litres, to get it up half way between the marks. Just in time! The car was showing 134,000 miles and is a '04' model. I never had to carry a big can of oil and the most I would need to top up my old 7A-FE, is a small amount to MAX not empty. The car drove smoothly is well appointed. The boot is huge! I thought mine was big, but the Mk2 is bigger. Basically a nice car with a flawed engine! Overall, I would say to anybody to get a phase 2 Avensis (2006-onwards) 1.8, 2.0 petrol or the phase 1 diesel (1CD). If I had an early 1ZZ that is burning oil, I would look for a scrap or second-hand engine from 2006 onwards, as a cost effective replacement. It is just a matter of sourcing that engine. The problem is that there are other cars which are more cost effective, unless you are an Avensis fanatic and don't mind the hassle, and can get the job done cheaply. One last thing. There are people buying these cars who are not aware or do any research. Same goes for any make/model. This forum has new members who discovered the issues which are well documented.

Konrad that is the exact advice I give to family and friends, I suggest only buying a pre 2005 vvti if proof can be shown that the short block has been replaced.

I`m not sure you want from Toyota....You let someone drive your car, who drove in such a way I would call bad practice at best in a manual car....and plain stupid in an automatic or hydrid....if you end up with a large bill for repairs, send it to the driver at the time.

Anecdotally, my customers tell me they get between 3 and 6 MPG better MPG, but of course we all drive differently and in different conditions, some will get fantastic results, others not. I have received this testimonial today from one of my customers in Europe, of course these results are personal to him, but it just highlights not everyone gets the same results I have driven 300 miles since installed, as you said, the first 100 very easy.Although touching the throttle very light I could feel a difference.Now it's even bigger, I can feel the power of the engine, my wife even feels the difference.The engine listens much better to my foot and is more smoothly. BUT:The best thing is the fuel consumption, that is unbelievable...The car used to consume 7,5l/100Km at 110Km/h (70mph), 2000rpm, on the highway, that's 37,66mpgNow it is 4,6l/100Km at 110Km/h (70mph), 2000rpm, on the highway, that's 61,40mpgMeasured average for 60 miles on cruise-control.Don't believe me? Check picture attached... Average was +8l/100Km, now it's 6l/100Km, 47mpg iso 35mpg, city included, unbelievable... As you can see I'm a happy customer and my wife is pleased that we bought the Kit.In our future trips to Germany, we will have more confidence that we will reach the top of the hill as a car, not as an overloaded truck :o) Thanks for the help and making the Kit available to Toyota drivers. Greetings, Luke PS: I you want, I'll put my findings on the Forum, let me know if you agree

Car is okay now. No trace of smoke coming out and I've tested it quite often. They gave me 1 year on parts an labour. Better then what it had before ... Car is a keeper. No point or will for selling it. Hopefully it will last me for 9 more years at least

Just be aware that the new battery doesn't fix the problem, just masks it. When it's new, the battery can draw more amps to overcome the resistance and force the starter to crank, but this will stress the battery and after a couple months or so the problem will likely return. The only way to properly fix it is to get a new starter (And I do mean a new one, not a salvaged one; Toyota rectified the problem in newer parts.). You can use the time to hunt around for a better price for the starter tho' :) PartsKing is a good person to start with! ;)

As has been said......Keep the oil changes on time and use a branded quality oil and you are unlikely to have major problems........(That's put the mockers on it ;) )

Sounds like your clutch is slipping. To test it put the handbrake on hard and attempt to pull away in 5th gear. If you can let the clutch (almost) all the way out then the clutch is knackered.

Rust on the discs Alex

It's worth having a routine that includes checking the coolant level. I do all our cars every Sunday: tyre pressures, quick look for sharp objects in the tread, condition of wipers, check battery cons are secure, all engine bay levels - oil, coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid, ATF, washer bottle. It only takes 10/15 minutes. By doing it on a regular, religious basis (and with the cars cold) you will eliminate any rogue levels/readings that can occur if you've only checked occasionally. It sounds as if there may be nothing fundamentally wrong re your coolant other than maybe having filled it when hot leading to coolant "loss" back into the cooling engine.

Glad to have helped Martin. I had my starter completely reconditioned by a specialist, and it is still working fine. It seems you know what you are doing, and the starter is not too complicated. Konrad

Bill was paid. 5.8k I was just thinking of ways to get some back though Symptoms: white smoke when starting the engine, black smoke whilst driving, leaking injector and on the final day oil coming out and lose of power.... Annoying but understandable. Somehow.....

Common sense suggestion but dealers won't jeopardise a sale and they'll let the possible consequences of their omission be dealt with by the service dept later! If you have no choice but to use the car for short runs then an occasional "Italian tune-up" would be useful, i.e. a run down the local M-way or dual carriageway at high speed and taking the opportunity to rev it out in the gears where possible. About 30-50 miles once a month should do it. You guys are beginners when it comes to car problems as I'm a long standing Alfa Romeo nut. They are always going wrong in some entertaining manner, yet I still drive one. In twenty years of driving Alfas only once have I had a roadside breakdown and my RAV4 has spent more time off the road at the garage being taken apart for coolant leaks than any of them. Bizarrely I bought Toyota because I thought that they were supposed to be reliable. I hadn't realised that you need to budget £1500+ a year for new gaskets :P . If you buy an Alfa you expect it will be expensive to run, so you make an allowance for that. I guess I didn't expect the same of Toyota (- and a much bigger allowance). It is true that diesel cars are hobbled by their emissions controls, but they don't ALL blow up if they do short journeys. Mine haven't anyway! The average commute to work is I hear of the order of 6-10 miles. So there are an awful lot of RAVs doing short journeys out there, even if the average poster on here seems to be consuming diesel faster than a burning Syrian oil well. And considering that population - how many thousand are posting on here about their blown gasket experiences? I don't actually commute in my RAV, it is typically only used for long journeys on the Motorway, followed by driving up and down dirt tracks and unmade roads. So, quite why a new rebuilt engine from Toyota should blow at 7000 miles and 15 months use is beyond me. I'm not driving like a nutter (Italian tune ups are reserved for Italian cars in my case) but then I'm not hanging around either in stop start traffic. I just don't buy the 'low mileage' argument at all in this case. If the gaskets all fail at about seven years... high milers will inevitably cover more miles before they blow. Although I can only speculate because I know nothing, this has to be fundamental poor engineering. Maybe the head is badly designed and is warping because of the torque generated in the engine.. that's one theory I've heard that seems to make the most sense, or maybe the gaskets aren't thick enough... Either way the problem is that Toyota aren't spilling the beans when it comes to how may failures they are getting. So any discussion on this forum is likely to lead to either an excess of fear that any leak from the engine might be terminal, or the belief that in fact Toyota's are super reliable and it can't possibly happen to you (because it hasn't happened yet!). I can only tell you what happens to my car, and it isn't impressive for a brand that are supposed to be supplying reliable cars. Back to the OP though... I do think you can be fairly relaxed about this, if you can't see gallons of coolant pouring out then take your time, it probably isn't as bad as you think. Enjoy your travels and the RAV and get it into your local garage to fix it when you get back. And if it isn't the head gasket (which it very well may not be) then be happy. B) Plastic and rubber does begin to perish, and iron rusts as time passes, it could be quite simple.. assume the best until it is the worst!

Ignoring initial fill on delivery (44.79 in 45 litre Auris tank!!); I've never got more than 40.02 litres in after running down to "zero" - so about 100km left