My Not So New 2001 Avensis 1.8 Vvti Gs Auto

[Kassaro]

Good Afternoon,

I was wondering if anyone with experience on those amazing cars could let me have their thoughts on what potential issues I might be looking for in my just recently acquired Avensis bearing in mind the following:

1) car has part service history but not Toyota

2) I have no manuals available (any idea of what the best source to get them car+GPS navigation)

3) presently no issues with it except car when cold revving almost to 2,000 revs which might just be normal for the car....maybe an old fashion choke?

The only thing I discovered after purchasing it is that they had bypassed the horn onto a little button around the bottom right hand side of the dash, just over the little change pocket.

Appreciate very much any help I can get.

All the very best

[Konrad C]

Hi Fabio,

I thought my mate Waqar plus other members replied to you by now, so I will give you some of my advice.

First keep an I on the oil level! Before you start the engine first thing or after the engine has been off for about an hour make sure the oil is at the upper make on the dip stick. These vvti (1ZZ-FE) engines are known to burn oil. Also regular half yearly oil and filter changes won't do any harm.

The initial morning idle speed can be high, but should settle down fast at this time of the year. There are temperature sensors that control the ECU.

Clutch pedal can squeak, the steering can make a noise when turning from lock to lock.

Have you got a minimum of 2 keys with remote, or do you have the extra grey courtesy key?

General things like 5 good tyres - check the spare!

Regarding the built in satnav, the only way to update the system I know off, is to buy discs. These discs are expensive. So your system may be out of date. You are better off with a standalone satnav or smart phone.

The separate horn button sounds like the steering wheel connection or the steering horn button is faulty. This needs an expert auto electrician to confirm the actual problem. Once confirmed try and get it restored, because that separate horn button is not in a natural place. It should be easy to reach in an emergency with taking your hands far off the steering wheel.

There is a Haynes manual available - http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_253751_langId_-1_categoryId_165652

You can buy cheaper via Amazon or eBay.

Good luck.

Konrad

[Kassaro]

Hello Konrad,

Thanks very much for your reply which is much appreciated.

Yes I do have the grey key, I thought it was quite a rare thing as I had never seen an Avensis for sale with it!

How long should it take for the idle speed to settle down. I tend to leave with it still high so I'm not sure myself.

Steering doesn't make any noise, but I understand exactly what you mean as I've tested many prior to buying this one and it was definitely a common problem.

I definitely need to change at least two tyres ....any tip on a good tyre for this car that doesn't cost the earth?

The tip about the oil is priceless! Thanks very much!

Will definitely take it to get the horn fixed, I totally agree in an emergency the button placement sucks! Do you think there is any value in taking the car to Toyota and ask them to give an overall check and report any problems they might find? Or it's not really necessary?

I live in Hanworth and the nearest Toyota dealer is Currie motors in Twickenham? Do we know if they are any good? Or a friend of mine who I visit regularly lives in Guildford near Inch Cape...any idea if they are any good? My past experience with dealers of most brands is just that they want to rip you off....and do work is not needed...

I will get the Haynes manual for sure, great tip! But would that also do as user manual? Is there any value in getting the original Toyota one?

Once again thanks ever so much!

Cheers,

Fabio

[Konrad C]

Fabio

The user hand book that should be with the car obviously is missing. If searching, make sure it is for 2001 to 2003 models, not the earlier 1997 - 2000 pre -vvti cars.

Google Toyota dealers greater London to locate any other dealers.

What you really need is a mechanic who has good knowledge of Toyotas, as main dealers can be pricey.

I cannot advise on tyres, but generally the more you spend the better the quality. Me being a cheap skate, buy a budget brand and they are fine. I did have a good set of budgets that gripped well in the wet, but they are nolonger on the market. The current set are okay. I personally am not keen on directional tyres. They can only be used one side and from my experience generate more noise, similar to a wheel bearing failing.

Oh I forgot, check the auto and steering fluid levels.

Konrad

[Kassaro]

Konrad,

Once again thanks very much!

[waqar_lionheart]

I am sorry for a late reply, you probably already think that the issue is closed.

I have one exactly like yours bar transmission. Since yours is an automatic, no squeaky clutch... Check mate KONRAD :):):):):):):):):).... I ll talk to you later.

Oil is definitely an issue. My friend has an auto which does not lose an ounce of oil :):):):). I am pleased for him. Yes these cars are amazing bar the oil top up. Please note that its better to change oil regularly even though if its not been a year as oil viscosity deteriorates it becomes easier to pass through rings.

Would you pass the MOT with where the Horn is currently located I dont know. In my humble opinion, you need it to be in its natural place and natural reflex would slam the original horn in case you need to use. I wouldnt pay toyota any money as they are not value for money. i would find an independent mechanic and get him to have a look. Shouldnt cost a lot.

Hmmmmm what else. GPS is ok quality and may come in handy in emergency however i prefer one with a better screen. stand alone ones are good.

Can i ask what sort of mpg are you getting from your car please?

Happy motoring.

Regards,

Waqar

[Kassaro]

Hi Waqar,

Thanks for chipping in!

I was trying to be a gentleman about the clutch! :-)

A bit early for the test on consumption but so far I've done 230 miles with a 60 pounds tank of fuel and the needle has just moved below half tank. The computer trip shows still 220 miles left, but not sure how accurate that is. I reset it after fuelling up. I did most of the mileage in town, except for for about 60 miles motorway. Again the computer trip shows now average 30 miles to the gallon.

The issue with the horn is that there's apparently a ring on the steering column that drives the horn, and apparently that failed. My mechanic tells me (he has got two Avensis of his own) this ring costs silly money (200/300 pounds) and that's the reason probably why it was done this way. However I agree with you totally and therefore I want to ask a specialist auto electrician to see if they can move the silly button to a more sophisticated solution over the steering wheel....not sure if possible...otherwise I will have to buy the bullet and change the ring....

The reason why I don't want to change the head unit is that it contains all sorts of other things, including trip computer, temperature gauge and so forth.

Do you know if I can use the grey key to understand more about the health of the car? Or is it only for mechanic's use?

Thanks very much once again.

All the best,

Fabio

[Konrad C]

Fabio,

There are a few Avensis in a breakers yard in nearby Erith. One is a vvti similar to yours. If you and your mechanic can get there, you might be able to remove it from the car.

My mate Waqar has described what I said about the horn position, better than me.

Zero your trip counter at fill up a few times and see how much fuel you are adding, with the distance.
Since your car is an automatic, the fuel consumption will be consistent with the way you use the throttle.

Waqar's view regarding the oil usage and changes are valid and from experience. He will be the best of the current members for advice, though others will be around to assist.

Konrad

[Kassaro]

Hi Konrad,

Sorry for the long delay in replying but I was away.

Thanks very much for your latest post, incredibly great information!

Cheers,

Fabio

[Kassaro]

Dear All,

I'm returning to the forum after a busy summer and a beautiful trip to Scotland where the old Avensis swallowed 2,000 miles without any problems! A part from 4 litres of oil....

Somehow unfortunately prior to leaving for Scotland I had a big electrical problem which blew up the audio channels of the original stereo/gps unit and 3 fuses..... It left the car unable to be even locked with the central locking.... I still don't understand what happened and I'm reluctant to replace the stereo in case this might happen again.... By the way, do you happen to know if the unit can be repaired? It's very annoying as everything still works but you can't hear anything!

Another unusual thing is the central inside light below the roof which keep getting burned.

Unfortunately I don't have the original manual and the Haynes one doesn't tell me what the right position and type of fuses should be in the box so I can't check that for definite.

By the way, I covered the 2,000 miles trip with an average of 37 miles to the gallon! Not too bad for an auto!

Any of your precious advice would as usual be most welcome!

Thanks in anticipation for your kind attention and look forward to hearing from you in due course.

Kindest Regards,

Fabio

[Konrad C]

Fabio,

Was one of the fuses that blew was located in the engine bay mark 'Dome'?

Your problem may be the interior 'dome' light unit. Mine kept shorting and the contacts burned out. The bulbs are good.

What I did is replace the whole interior light unit with one from eBay a few years ago. That was about the time I blew the 100 amp fusible link, change the coolant! The interior light was erratic before.

The replacement is a different design with spring contact only one side of the bulb holder. The original bulb holder has spring type for both ends. I believe the extra movement causes the shorting. All this is internal and the unit fits and connects exactly the same. I looked at a lot of Toyota's from the 90's to the early 2000's and they are all the same. Only the colour differs. You could go to the main dealers.

I think the radio unit is dead. It 'sounds' like the amp stage has been damaged. Try eBay or the breakers for a replacement unit.

Recap: First change the 'dome' interior light, then see if the radio still works before replacing that.

Good luck.

regards Konrad

[Kassaro]

Hello Konrad,

Thanks very much for taking the time to reply.

The problem is that not having the instruction manual of the car I don't know if the fuses in the box are in the right positions....any chance of anyone having the right configuration? Unfortunately I don't have a definite answer to your question as I looked at it with a friend and can't remember exactly. But I have a feeling I would have remembered if it was marked Dome....

I will definitely get the interior light unit.

Will report on the progress!

Thanks again.

Fabio

[Konrad C]

Hello Konrad,

Thanks very much for taking the time to reply.

The problem is that not having the instruction manual of the car I don't know if the fuses in the box are in the right positions....any chance of anyone having the right configuration? Unfortunately I don't have a definite answer to your question as I looked at it with a friend and can't remember exactly. But I have a feeling I would have remembered if it was marked Dome....

I will definitely get the interior light unit.

Will report on the progress!

Thanks again.

Fabio

Hi Fabio

Both fuse boxes have labels - in the inner lid of the engine bay fuse box, and the storage box covering the interior fuse box. The labels will show the fuse location and rating of every fuse. The fuses are marked.

Unless the labels themselves have been damaged or missing!

Look forward to hear your progress.

Konrad

[Natty]

This post is great to read through. I have the same model as you. 2002 in auto too. I suffer from oil consumption issues. But not as bad as 4 liters over 500miles. I did do a full oil change and oil filter a week after buying mine.

I have major issues with my nav/ trip/ head unit. It looses audio power on hot days or if you have the heater on for a while. That kinda sucks. Blown the passenger side front door speaker (think its blown) speaker is rivited into place and access is limited to check wires and connections so I gave up for now.

There's no facias on the market for this model avensis so changing it is an ugly affair!

About your dome light. The contacts for the bulb were corroded on mine. The fuse is defiantly on the interior fuse box listed 'dome' on the back or the storage compartment the one under the hood also lists dome so also worth checking but as far as I know its not just for the light. I changed the bulb for an led replacement and haven't had an issue since.

As mentioned might be worth getting a new light from earlier model Toyota, sounds like a good idea. The double sided sprung contacts are a bit crap!

Natty

[Konrad C]

This post is great to read through. I have the same model as you. 2002 in auto too. I suffer from oil consumption issues. But not as bad as 4 liters over 500miles. I did do a full oil change and oil filter a week after buying mine.

I have major issues with my nav/ trip/ head unit. It looses audio power on hot days or if you have the heater on for a while. That kinda sucks. Blown the passenger side front door speaker (think its blown) speaker is rivited into place and access is limited to check wires and connections so I gave up for now.

There's no facias on the market for this model avensis so changing it is an ugly affair!

About your dome light. The contacts for the bulb were corroded on mine. The fuse is defiantly on the interior fuse box listed 'dome' on the back or the storage compartment the one under the hood also lists dome so also worth checking but as far as I know its not just for the light. I changed the bulb for an led replacement and haven't had an issue since.

As mentioned might be worth getting a new light from earlier model Toyota, sounds like a good idea. The double sided sprung contacts are a bit crap!

Natty

Hi Nathaniel,

I agree with your comment regarding the dome light. I changed mine as the double sided spring version was shorting the dome fuse.

I also changed all 4 Speakers as the originals were buzzing badly and sounding dreadful. I installed larger 165cm JBL Speakers. They fitted in the original space with 6cm mdf used as baffles and spacers. The mdf baffles improve the sound especially the bass frequencies, as well as keep the rear magnet from the windows when lowered.

The gap to grill was perfect so the original door cards are used.

You would never know the Speakers were changed.

To remove the old speakers, just drill out the rivets. I did a bit of crimping of the wires after testing the phasing and polarity.

The only thing I need to sort is the rear wiper.

Konrad

[Natty]

Epic I should try this. Not sure if I should go down the route of modifications to fit a headunit with it. Sure I could make something work. I really dont get on with the original.

[ToyotaAuris]

Just wanna give you a heads up with the oil. My car has 1zzfe 1.8 engine and it used to take excessive oil, about 1 liter per 300 miles. This led to the engine siezing up as the piston rings suddenly gave way to oil, leaking everywhere in the engine and not having any oil left in the main system. Just a little heads up :P

[Konrad C]

Epic I should try this. Not sure if I should go down the route of modifications to fit a headunit with it. Sure I could make something work. I really dont get on with the original.

The pre-vvti Avensis came with either the standard radio/cassette or the Sony double din cd/radio/cassette for the GLS/CD models. This has a cd changer control which I added a 10 disc changer, then a Connects2 iConnect-USB for Sony. So I can listen to the cd in the headunit, the cd changer or MP3 from USB memory sticks/card reader and memory card/MP3 player. I never use the cassette. The only thing missing is DAB.

For later cars the head unit would be more work as the steering controls work the audio.

The JBL's I fitted are very efficient so don't need a very powerful amp to work them. I could have had smaller Speakers but the aperture was begging for the 165cm Speakers.

[Harry Carri]

Hi Fabio,

I echo the posts detailing oil consumption and six month oil changes.

On tyre choice my Avensis had Avon tyres all round when I bought it. They were all ready for replacing. Lots of tyre noise. I had the fronts done first with two new Michelin energy. Tyre noise vastly reduced. About three months later I had two more on the rear. Tyre noise eliminated. Not a cheap tyre but very hard wearing and perform fine to me plus they are supposed to save fuel by having a lower rolling resistance. If you intend to keep the car a few years could be worth the price.

Hope you enjoy owning your Avensis.

Matt.

[ianrp1]

I found Vredestein tyres both long lasting and good grip wet or dry over a 4 year period. Had one go faulty on me that I had to replace in France - relatively expensive compared to UK.

Now these are expensive so just tried Hancook (?) and so far excellent grip in the recent snow and wet.