Opinions For Potential Yaris Purchase

[t43er]

Good evening gens, let me introduce myself first. I'm Edmund from Gateshead, UK. Not sure this is the correct place but please move me the correct section if the mod thinks this is against the rule.

I'm about to purchase a 56reg yaris mmt t spirit which has only done 16k miles. I'm looking for some opinions as I've never own a toyota before.

Test drive the lovely car just now and must admit that the gear selection will need some time to get used to it. Another thing I noticed is the timing chain seem to be producing some noise. The car has just been serviced 5 days ago so I'm not sure is it normal as it's not picked up during the service.

Also the engine bay looked a bit well dirty and rust (or normal chemical reaction on the aluminium?)

Any opinions would be useful and appreciated. I've attached a couple of photos for viewing.

Regards,

Ed

[Hartside]

Are you buying froma Toyota dealer? Have you listened to other Yaris's engines and is it noticeably noisier than what you've heard before. At 16k there shouldn't be timing chain rattle.

[t43er]

Thanks for replying.

I'm getting this from Benfield Toyota and this car is a toyota approved used car. It's got the 12 months warranty from toyota.

The noise is definitely from the timing chain as myself and the dealer have agreed on it.

The thing is this car is from Benfield Toyata Leeds and they delivered the car to Benfield Skoda Newcastle for me to test drive it. Thus the dealer only stock skoda cars tbh, so they can't comment much for this yaris :(. Also there aren't any yaris for me to compare due to the previous explaination.

What's worrying is the rust of the engine bay, the timing chain can be rectified easily by a trip to their service centre I guess?

[stantheman1]

It's hardly surprising parts of the engine and it's components are corroded, every time the bonnet is lifted and there's a fall of snow wont help. To this end I would guess the noise would be emenating from the auxillary drive belts as the pulley grooves would also be corroded, rather than it being the timing chain (obviously I can't be 100% certain as I have not heard it myself - but a pound says it's the drive belt!)

The noise of a poorly seated drive belt would sound like a dry or failing pulley/alternator bearing around that area, so I can understand why both you and the Skoda salesman would think it was the timing chain.

The next time you view the car just have a look at the pulley grooves and see if they are rusty, if so a new belt is all that's required.

Hope that helps.

[t43er]

Haha true also. But It's very rare we get this much snow nowadays.

I guess if the snow can get there so easy, there won't be much stopping water from getting there!

My concern is again the rust! Once started, it can't be stop.

[Hartside]

Only you can be the judge I'm afraid, but if it doesn't feel right walk away. There will be others. I travelled from north of Newcastle to Stockton to get ours (50 miles each way) after looking at 2 or 3 I wasn't happy with. Good luck but follow your instincts!

[mrpj]

I would advise making 100% sure you will be able to live with the MMT before purchasing. Try to use the car for a longer period than just the bog standard test drive.

[alfiejts]

The underbonnet corrosion is perfectly normal. Every time you wash the car, any salt on the front of the car in the winter gets spattered through the grill and onto the components inside the engine bay. Our seven month old Yaris was worse than yours when we got it.

I gave it all a good going over after we bought the car with metal cleaner and then went over the exposed metal with car wax (after I'd finished waxing the paintwork, I used the very waxy cloth up on the engine bay before I threw it...)

Since then its got no worse because once the engine bay has dried out, the surface corrosion stops.

Every time I wash the car though, the engine bay does get wet and I have to go over it with a cloth, wiping off the excess water....

By the way - to others posting - the Yaris has a timing chain inside the engine not a timing belt.

They do get a bit noisy but I'm surprised to hear one at just 16000 miles. Mine got noisy on my 1.0 but that was after 40000 miles. I just lived with it until we sold it at 65,000 miles...

So the underbonnet condition is as you could expect and not an issue - the timing chains are very robust normally (because obviously they don't snap like a belt), but you'll need to make your own mind up whether the noise is too excessive for a low mileage car...

[Madasafish]

Has it ever been serviced before?

I would expect a minimum of an oil and filter change every two years..

If not - and lots of short journeys- and the oil will be full of water and exhaust products - which will corrode the chain or block the oil feeds to the tensioner.. and that MAY be why you hear a noise.

The options are it gets better as you drive it and the new oil clears out deposits or it keeps going for say 18 months and then gets worse - and out of warranty..

My advice is: any serious doubts? Walk away. Plenty of other ones...

As for the MMT... rather you than me.

I was very picky when I bought my Yaris.. and bought one eventually that ticked the boxes..

[t43er]

Thanks for the replies guys! Really appreciate it!

I've asked a few friends which owns a Yaris or toyota and they told me it's prefectly normal as mentioned by alfiejts.

The car has got full toyota service history and like I said it's backed up by toyota 1 year warranty. So I might bite the bullet and get it due to the low mileage.

Will have a qord with the dealer and ask a few more questions before hand particularly any previous works records (if any).

Anything else I should query them just in case?

Thanks!

[Hartside]

Only other thing just to get them to check is that it isn't the water pump rattling rather than the timing chain - they can rattle a bit as the bearing goes. Again though on a 16k car I wouldn't expect it. Good luck with your new car and enjoy it!

[Raeman]

My 1.3 has got 83,000 on it now, the timing chain makes almost no noise at all when the car is warm and only slightly rattly when cold but that's what you get with timing chains, they will never be as quiet as a belt driven engine.

I use fully synthetic oil in mine and it's made a huge difference to the overall feel and noise of her engine. Much better all round and even driving it hard which i do a lot of lately, it allways pulls and revs well. Good oil is the key to any engine though and this one you have with 16k will still be like new. Get it serviced and take it for a few long motorway runs to clear its guts.

The engine in the piccies looks fine to me. You can allways take off the ally manifold heatsheild and clean/paint it then you could take a wire brush drill bit to the manifold for the surface rust if you wanted or just douse it in degreaser, agitate with a brush in all the fiddly bits then power wash it off. easy.

[t43er]

Right guys, decided the bite the bullet and get it.

The car will go through one last multi checks before I sign it off. And if the noise still presist, I will ask them to note down in the sales invoice and get it to toyota.

Manage to get 2 free servicing and the car has just been serviced by toyota as stated. It has 12 months warranty anyway. Will hopefully not require it.

Thanks for the all the help!

[Hartside]

Right guys, decided the bite the bullet and get it.

The car will go through one last multi checks before I sign it off. And if the noise still presist, I will ask them to note down in the sales invoice and get it to toyota.

Manage to get 2 free servicing and the car has just been serviced by toyota as stated. It has 12 months warranty anyway. Will hopefully not require it.

Thanks for the all the help!

Enjoy it! Hope the weather clears up before you pick it up

[t43er]

Right guys, thought I should contribute more and keep you all updated since I've gotten the car.

The car is fine apart from the noise that I've mentioned. Sent it to main Toyota Dealer and apparently the alternator belt's the cause of the noise. Was not covered by the warranty but got the garage to pay for it since I got the car not long ago! Toyota fitted a modified belt according to the invoice so go figure?

It was £120 incl. vat to replace the thing. It's like a new car now!

Thanks again!

[grin factor]

Pleased it sorted now, and you are happy with the car.

It makes me laugh when they say its not covered by the warranty etc, but then pay for it. Is it to make you feel grateful?

[stantheman1]

Right guys, thought I should contribute more and keep you all updated since I've gotten the car.

The car is fine apart from the noise that I've mentioned. Sent it to main Toyota Dealer and apparently the alternator belt's the cause of the noise. Was not covered by the warranty but got the garage to pay for it since I got the car not long ago! Toyota fitted a modified belt according to the invoice so go figure?

It was £120 incl. vat to replace the thing. It's like a new car now!

Thanks again!

I Can't help thinking "I told you so"

It's a common fault and usually occurs when the car's been washed (as water gets in or around the pulleys)and not driven very far afterwards to dry it out.

The modified belt must be made from a different compound, probably a softer one. £120 sounds expensive to me for just a belt change.

Anyway I'm glad you got it sorted as all in all the Yaris is a very good car, so enjoy!

[t43er]

It did took a whilte to find the responsible person to authorise the payment though mind you!

Anyway as long as someone else pay for it then I'm perfectly fine!

Nothing to complain as long as my car is fitted with new parts foc! Lol