bestseany

This is a known problem with the clutch cylinder, it normally needs replacing.

I had Bosch blades on my Avensis and they were terrible, really noisy and smeared the water all the time. I changed to the flat Valeo blades from Halfords and they were brilliant.

I saw the Top Gear programme. One of the main reasons I won't buy a modern derv!

Not sure of a way to test it really other than taking things apart and checking. If it is that then it's a gearbox rebuild or replacement I'm afraid. To be honest though, if it isn't getting worse then I wouldn't bother.

The newer flat style blades really are a revelation when it comes to noise. My old normal Bosch blades would make annoying juddering noises if the glass wasn't quite wet enough, since I fitted the Valeo flat blades that I got from Halfords they've been perfect.

This sounds like a DMF problem to me. Does it sound like a dustbin spinning round full of nuts and bolts? A classic sign of DMF is a loud rattling noise that goes when the clutch is pressed in.

Sounds like it could be a gearbox bearing. Does it sound louder on the overrun? (when you let your foot of the accelerator and coast) The gearbox bearings are an Avensis weak point.

There's a difference between plain cars and ugly cars. I can live with a plain car, but not an ugly one ;) The Skoda badge is no issue at all for me, as everyone knows they're now just cheap VAGs, like Seats. And my opinion of Toyota reliability is a very low one and I certainly would not own one again. To be honest, I'm struggling to decide what my next car will be as most seem to sub-par reliability wise, especially as I'm doing 20k miles a year.

Have you had your wheels balance recently to check they're straight? How are your tyres looking? Are they worn or uneven?

The injectors don't become clattery, but the engine does as they get worse. The clatter is caused by the engine not firing correctly as the wrong amount of fuel comes out of the worn injector, which makes it run rougher. As the injectors get worse you'll start to notice more black smoke under load and white smoke when its started from cold. You might also notice a pinking noise under load too.

I had to use my thinner spark plug socket when I did mine, so I'd guess at 13mm. They are deep but a standard extension bar on a ratchet should do you.

Even on the pass the HC's seem very high. That normally means it's overfuelling so could be a dodgy O2 sensor which is very common on the Avensis.

If it's a very high pitched whine then it could be the gearbox bearings making the noise. Don't think it's an issue unless it gets worse. My petrol Avensis does it too.

Different brands of tyres can help road noise. My mk2 Avensis is considerably quieter after switching to Hankooks

Skoda's are ok but I don't see why they have to take a Passat and make it uglier with an awful grille that looks like it came from a Rover. I'm sure they're good cars though, unless you buy an older one with a 2.0 PD in it...