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I'd take it for a good run even if you're not intending to go anywhere, that should keep the battery topped up. Or let somebody else borrow it every so often and just put their name on your insurance.

No ....... Wait til the snow depth reaches your door mirrors ........

Wonder if you approached a Toyota dealer, whether they could check the individual vehicle's spec using the reg no or VIN. May need to take proof of ownership with you such as the V5.

If it is a normal UK car, I would say that it has a manufacturer fitted Thatcham Cat1 immobiliser. If it's an import then it will likely not have an immobiliser or alarm. Usually there is an option on the insurance proposal form for "factory fitted" under the immobiliser question and that would be the one I'd select.

I have owned my IQ for 3 months now and thoroughly enjoy driving it! My previous car was a 1.8 Yaris which I was initially very sorry to part with. I have noticed a few blemishes on the bonnet probably down to the rural country roads I travel on and wondered if anyone could recommend a good quality car polish. I have already purchased a chipex touch up kit which has very effectively disguised a particularly nasty stone chip! I am currently using auto glym super resin polish but wondered whether anyone would recommend a coloured wax polish? My car is in Deep Ameythst. I'm probably being very fussy but I'm a bit of a perfectionist at heart and want to keep my new little road warrior looking nice.

Hello Keith - welcome to Toyota owners Club. Post moved to the Auris club - try doing a search within the Auris club.

As we have the semi auto one, you have to put your foot on the brake before starting it. Otherwise it won't start. My old Yaris HSD had the same thing before you pushed the start button.

Stored outdoors? Why not get one of those solar panel trickle chargers. Stored in a garage? Then get a battery minder they'll keep it topped up indefinitely. But personally I wouldn't leave a car more than a month or so, or you'll need to consider the other stuff like tyres and brakes sticking on.

Interesting... I didn't appreciate how many other people would do the conversion... ( if I understand correctly... ) The wheels I currently have on mine are S/H from a Lexus... ( sorry, but I can't remember exactly which one...)

OK pedal going hard at low engine speeds but OK at higher speeds suggests a lack of vacuum assistance to the servo. On your car the vacuum pump should have been overhauled with new pump blades and seals at 120k, has this been done?

I know that this is an old thread, but the principles are useful, and nicely explained here. I thought I would try to add something, both theory and practice. Someone chip in if I get anything wrong. If you are going in a perfectly straight line then differentials don't matter. Once you turn a corner then they do. Imagine turning in a tight circle on a muddy surface, so you can see the wheel tracks. The outer wheels have to travel further that the wheels closer to the centre of the circle in the same time, so obviously need to travel faster than the inner wheels. To allow this, there is a differential on each axle to allow each wheel on the axle to travel at a different speed, yet both be powered by the engine. Now think of the rear wheels versus the front wheels. Because the rear wheels don't steer, they don't follow in the tracks of the front wheels, but 'cut the corner' so to speak. So the rear wheels travel more slowly when going around a corner than the front wheels do. The front inner and rear outer are not too different (depending on wheelbase) but there is a big difference between the front outer and the rear inner. For a normal car this doesn't matter, because only one axle is driven anyway, but LandCruisers have full-time 4x4, so there is a differential between the two axles as well. This is why you don't engage the diff locks when on a solid surface, the wheels need to go at different speeds but you won't let them, which puts a lot of strain on the axles, and will also force some of the wheels to lose traction. If you find you can't disengage the diff lock after using it on soft ground (often because you came onto hard ground with the steering wheel not straight), it means there is torque holding the diff lock in place, and not letting it drop out. So you straighten the wheel and go backwards and forwards a few dozen yards to release the torque. Marlot mentioned that you engage centre diff-lock (HL, or LL for lower ratio gears) if one of the wheels loses traction, and rear diff as well if you lose traction with a wheel on each axle. In a non 4x4, one axle doesn't matter, you just have to lose traction on the driven axle, but in a 4x4 they are all driven, so losing traction on any wheel is enough. So why have full time 4x4 (the Mitsubishi Shogun doesn't, eg)? In order to move the weight of your vehicle forward, you need to apply a force to the ground through the tyres. If you are powering only two wheels, the entire force is split between those two, but with 4x4 you spread the force over four wheels. So although 4x4 means you have to engage diff lock if any wheel loses traction, you are less likely to lose traction in the first place, because each wheel requires less traction to move you forward. Also, whether off or on-road, it is still true that if you turn the vehicle the wheels need to travel at different rates, and if you lock the differential you stop that, so forcing one or more wheels to lose traction. Therefore, even off-road, you don't engage diff lock UNLESS you have lost traction, and only until you get to ground where you have traction again. Finally, a practical example. I live at the top of a steep winding track in scotland. During winter, that track is covered in an inch of ice with snow on top. The LC has no problem with this. At the top, I go into LL 1st gear and lock rear diff as well. Then point downhill, and keep my feet off the pedals! In low range first it goes down with engine braking at walking pace, and with all diffs locked, one of the wheels losing traction doesn't mean I suddenly lurch forward. As soon as I'm at the bottom, disengage all locks, go into high range, and drive off. Works like a charm.

Genuine Toyota pumps are expensive - I think about £60-£70 each. When mine needed replacing I got a genuine one from a breaker on eBay - but they were hard to find.

hi, i have an avensis 1998 1.8 cdx and the central locking, interior light, personal light and trunk light no longer work. also the lock only keeps time when ignition turned on. i have changed the 7.5A Dome fuse as it was blown so used the spare fuse and that then blew so i am guessing there is a short somewhere. where the CL and Alarm no longer work i am using key lock now which is a right pain especially since i have a baby and a dog to get in the car. even more annoyingly there is no key lock in the passenger door which makes it even more awkward. when I start the engine the hazard lights flash and will eventually stop after appx 30 secs. the problem i have now is that when i turn the engine off and exit the car the hazard lights flash then go off then start flashing again. I now have to disconnect battery to stop this everytime to stop battery going flat. any ideas guys as this is really bugging me and makes it such a chore to unlock and lock the car. cheers