mrfixer

Its his INNER joints that are tight - the ones on the rack. So he will need to remove the gaiters, tap back the locking tab and unscrew them, then refit. You need good access underneath and appropriate size spanners. I would also lube the rack at the same time.

Obviously its a three phase output which is rectified, so if a diode goes bad you get an output waveform with a dip on about a 70:30 mark-space ratio. Diode packs are about £30 and regulators about £25. A warranted rebuilt unit is about £120. You can get brand new Chinese made units for under £100, no idea how good they are but plenty get sold..

Oil burning seems to be a problem on a lot of modern BMW engines. BMW set the limit at 1 litre per 500 miles, so yours is within their limits. Make sure the crankcase ventilation is clear and you are using the correct grade of oil. Other than this its probably a new engine!

If the regulator is faulty the output is often just low. If the diode pack is faulty the output will show a lot of ripple (check with a 'scope). Generally they make a whining noise too, when a diode is bad. You can get parts from the rotating electric suppliers like H. Bowers or Butts. If the unit has done a lot of miles then an exchange unit might be best. I believe your car has column-mounted electric power steering. If the battery or alternator is not in tip top condition it will malfunction.

The tie (or track) rods are two metal steering rods (left side and right side) which connect your steering rack to the front wheels, with a ball joint at each end of each rod (so four joints in total). This allows the rods to carry the steering movements to the wheels and to move as the suspension moves. To keep the inner joint free of dirt and moisture the inner assembly is enclosed within the rack gaiter (rubber bellows). The outer (wheel end) tie rod is a ball joint on an internally threaded bar which screws onto the inner tie rod and can be threaded back and forth to set the front wheel tracking. This outer joint assembly is known as a track rod end. The ball joints gradually wear out and develop 'play' which can be felt as knocking through the steering wheel. The MoT checks for this. If dirt or water enters a joint then they wear very quickly. Sometimes they go tight, as in your case, making the steering 'bind' a little. They should be replaced ASAP. For a Yaris you can buy aftermarket parts quite cheaply. I would replace the inner tie rods and the track rod ends all at the same time. I would also replace the steering rack gaiters unless they have been replaced recently. All of these parts have to be removed to do the inner ends, so there is no extra labour cost. A pair of inner tie rods plus track rod ends can be had for about £50. A pair of gaiters about £20. I could do the job in 30-45 mins a side without breaking sweat, so well less than 2 hours labour. You also need tracking set at the end of the job.

I think you are describing 'creep groan' - this is very low speed brake noise on auto trans cars and is due to stick-slip between the pad and disc. It is extremely difficult to engineer out of the brake system and most auto transmission cars will make this noise under some circumstances.

Normally the owners manual actually advises against the use of fuel additives. There is no need for oil flushing agents on a regularly serviced engine. On a neglected high mileage unit then maybe, but even then its debatable. At under 10k miles its a complete waste of money. These extras are a high-margin little earner for the service dept.

I believe 320mm discs. Set of discs and pads (Mintex or Textar or Pagid -all basically the same company and OE on your car) about £100.

Centre pipe Klarius TY649H. £41.50 inc VAT at my local factor.

A centre pipe from Klarius is about £45. Prob get a fitted price around £60. At Toyota expect to pay 4x this. Check the joint at the back of the centre pipe. They are prone to failing. The sealing rings are £5-10.

Unlikely that the Pagid pads had a manufacturing defect. More likely that they overheated due to a defect with the caliper or handbrake mechanism. Overheating causes failure of the adhesive layer between the friction material and backplate.

Owners worry excessively about oil changes. Engine failure through lubrication breakdown is almost unheard of nowadays unless gross neglect is involved. The base oil has a shelf-life of hundreds of years. I have a Camry 2.2 that is 21 years old. It has covered 400 000km and always had the cheapest oil and filters - it still runs perfectly and burns negligible oil. Engine oil has to be changed because the additive pack (dispersants, anti-foaming agents, viscosity improvers etc) does deteriorate with time and use, and of course the oil does shear down and oxidise with time and use. However if the car is not being used then the oil is not deteriorating much at all. If the 900 miles of use is 900 x 1 mile trips then the oil would be contaminated by blow-by and condensation and there is an arguement for changing it. If its 1x 900 mile trip then changing it would be a waste of time and money. In my experience of working on lightly used cars it is the braking system that will deteriorate. Brake fluid absorbs water. Discs corrode and pistons and slide pins can stick through lack of use.

No point in changing the oil and filter. Oil deteriorates very little when the car is not used. Just give it a long drive to get everything hot and drive out any moisture.

Eicher are ECP's own budget brand. Parts are sourced from various locations (mostly in the Far East) according to application and pricing. ECP Eicher are not connected with Eicher Motors (an Indian company which manufactures trucks and Royal Enfield motorcycles). For good brakes I suggest anything from TMD Friction (Textar, Pagid, Mintex brands). TMD are an OE supplier to Toyota.

Toyota have never made their own pads. Car manufacturers source their braking systems from braking specialist companies such as Akebono, Lucas TRW etc. Pads are sourced from friction product suppliers such as TMD (whose brands include Textar, Pagid, Don, Mintex). Read my previous post above and allow your new brakes to bed in. Brake noise may be reduced somewhat by having your garage smear a little Ceratec brake grease on the back of the pads to damp brake vibration.