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I learned a few things about shark fins this morning during my chat with a bodywork expert at my Toyota dealer. I'd imagined that the shark fin would be really securely affixed on the car's roof, maybe with some kind of Gorilla-like adhesive making it rigid, which is primarily why I became concerned about the seeming looseness of the one on my car roof that I discovered last week. Turns out that's not the case - the fin is attached to the roof via an attachment from the fin that goes between the roof and the headliner. The part that I thought was an adhesive mount on the roof is actually a gasket (probably for waterproofing?) not the thing that fixes the fin to the roof. I also learned that all shark fins are sort of loose. To me, 'loose' meant the fin wiggles a bit. A tiny bit. Which is what it does do. To Toyota, that's not loose 🙂 Indeed, the bodywork expert and I both wiggled fins on a handful of other Corollas and a CH-R in the dealership car park, all 20 or 21 plates. The fins all wiggled! So I'm relieved. The expert reassured me that getting it looked at was the right thing to do. So doubly relieved!

Whilst I passed my test in 1974 I've never taken a 'car' test. I did what was called a 'duo test' and trained and passed HGV3 (military Bedford RL with crash gearbox, double declutching was mandatory, manual non-cancelling indicator switch in the centre of the dash so a long stretch to operate) and the car licence was 'thrown in' with the HGV licence. The key difference, apart from the vehicle size, was that the driving test was a full 2 hours including a compulsory hill start, and complex forward/reverse manoeuvres and brake test were carried out before the 2 hour test. It certainly gave me a different perspective regarding spacial awareness regarding other road users. Overtaking cyclists etc during training gave me sweaty palms for sure!

I just want to say thanks for all the help. I have replaced the subframe now as a total amateur. I did it myself but of cause had a second person help with the physical replacement of the unit itself as you cant hold it while wrenching and getting all those bolts into the right sockets all by your self. WIth a gearbox jack (I dont know what you call it) I could see myself do this. and much easier. I have definitely gotten a lot more confident replacing parts on my car now after this operation also because the exensive intimacy I now have with the different parts and what the do on the front wheel assembly. Which - along with the enigne it self - must be some of the more complicated stuff on a older front wheeled and relative simple car. The car seems to go straight and no apperent slugginess in the steering or handling. But I guess this will become apperent with further time as I drive more in it. Also thanks for the repair manual outtake. Without it I dont think I would have had the confidens to do the operation. Is it from the Haynes manuel? It funny to see that the subframe was a different unit than the book showed. It uses the old model subframe (the book that is - which is the top one of the two i showed further up). My wagon from 2002 uses the new one and it uses a bracket to fasten the back of the subframe to the chassis. I will definitely buy repair manuals for future projects as I can see how big of a help they can be.

Youve never heard that phrase? Means technically very good I suppose, its a compliment mate, well done

very trick👌

Thanks! Couldnt have done it without your help. So it just passed MOT and I can now (hopefully) have it for 2 more years without any big problems (fingers crossed). However.. When I drive over speed bumps with a decent speed 30mph/50kmh there seems to be a squeeking sound coming from the front now. Its sounds "rubbery". My guess would be the bushings in the wishbones that connect to the subframe. They were pretty shot and I reused the old wishbones because I could not find any decent ones locally and I was under a deadline to get it through the MOT. I am going to replace them anyway when the weather gets a bit warmer. Any guesses to what else it could be. Its NOT a *cloank/clank* sound (like metal stuff hitting each other) but rather a bouncy rubbery squeek sound. As said I cannot provoke it by pushing down the corner of the vehicle - like from a shock absorber. It needs to really be hit with some energy.

Thanks Tony, cheers, Mark

Even if you took your test in a vehicle with synchro gears it was mandatory that you double declutched during training and on test. Land rovers at the time did not have synchro 1st to 2nd, Bedford QLs, RLs and AEC 10 tonners etc were all crash boxes. If you couldn't double you would have had severe problems driving a lot of the vehicles (a lots of the vehicles were WW2 onwards and still in service (for RL think the Green Goddess model fire engine). On my test I was driving around areas of Portsmouth and Southsea, including the residential areas with cars parked up both sides of the road and only enough space to get the wagon through. It was also chucking it down with rain to make matters worse as the RL has a split windscreen with useless independent wipers (that you have to reach over to activate/deactivate and they're at the top of the split screens). The first car I actually drove was a Hillman Imp, opposite end of the scale in many ways!

You can hear it changes with road speed and de-acceleration so it's something in the drive line Drivers side front wheel bearing

Cheese Tony, Wow thats a list indeed. I'm almost certain that the noise is ONLY present whilst moving..as in accelerating and deceleration...and is louder the faster you go, it isn't one of those issues that appears when turning left or right etc. I checked my tyre pressure just 2 days ago. I feel its either gearbox related, wheel bearing related, or alternator related. I hope I find the cause. Just had a quote from my dealership...28.00 for gearbox oil.. I need 1.7L he states...not cheap! Just to see if it is that.

If you never touched that area, i would not bother with it that much. The dashboard is connected with just 1 plug, i'ts a flat cable with maybe 10 wires inside of it, gets all the info from the ECU. All the cables there are loomed, very stiff, and don't move around that much, there is not a single cable, but always few wires bundled. I replaced EPS module 2 years ago, so had to take the dash out, here's how it looks underneath. I would not worry about it happening, if the reset worked, you should be fine (i hope you let the car idle for 10 minutes after reconnecting the battery, to learn idle positions).

Les, a bit different to driving your ultra modern Corolla then! I was offered a drive of a Seddon Atkinson artic unit, it would have been legal with my car licence, but I turned it down on safety basis, that is other road users may not have been safe. I did some training to enable me to take an emergency unit to remote sites - it was Land Rover fitted with a 5th wheel and an artic trailer (mobile planning/rest room). That was interesting. I had some experience of reversing with a trailer behind (transporting my grass track racing bikes), so I did well on reversing. But a crash gearbox-double declutching....... rather you then me.

Hi Mark, best to ring the dealer where you would like to go and ask them as the different garages might have slightly different procedures and prices, I don’t know how much exactly will be the cost but I guess they will need 3-5hrs work for doing it right. 👍

Hi, this sounds like bearings and or gears or differential, you will need to check tyres pressure is equal both sides, you also need to notice if noise is present at neutral, under acceleration or de accelerating, in turns, and at what rpm, try with car stationary in N and rise the rpm, check rear axle too, sometimes rear bearings sounds like front, can’t easily locate the noise where is coming from. Sometimes worn wheel bearings only sounds bad at specific speeds and when wiggle the wheel no movement or grinding,. Oil, don’t just drop off, use a clean pan and inspect for metals inside with light and magnets to make sure there is nothing. Good luck

+1 H4 for the Mk1 Aygo, but HIR2 for the Mk2 Aygo BTW check whether LEDs (or HIDs) will pass an MOT test - unless the headlamps themselves are marked as being Type Approved for those types of bulbs a diligent MOT tester will fail them until Halogen bulbs are fitted.

The majority of our members are outside the EU.

Hi all, I am returning to the forum after a 7 year break from having a RAV4. I purchased a CHR in October and have had a few issues with it so have slung it back to Toyota (after only 1600miles) and ordered a RAV4 Icon in Galaxy Black. Beyond excited. Should arrive at the dealership this week. I didn’t realise I was a member here until I went to long in and already was!!!! had a 2005 XT3 2.0petrol and a 2006 T180 too. happy to be heading back to a rav 4.

And Im still a biker, since 1975. Ive done various courses, some with police. They now talk about TUG, Take, Use, Give. (All to do with information). Im convinced im a better car driver because of being a biker

Hey Rolando. Rejected it and they found me 1 a couple of months older with just under 6 thousand miles. One that had Toyota as the previous reg keeper but mint inside. Though did spend a few hours detailing it fully. mpg is amazing 64 on my commute to work even this weather.

I would just like to say........ truantotter (MJ) has taken some (justified) flack in comments made by many different posters but has been gracious and humble in his response/replies. Well done MJ.

Yes, you need an adjustable angle wrench with the important ratchet function . Can only assume the Nuts for those 4 bolts are captivated within the subframe otherewise it would be a simple job to undo things ?