Just bought an Avensis!

[Cyker]

Oohh that's brutal, going from an i30N to a Ka!  

Is surprising he's having so much trouble tho' - I thought Hyundais and Kias had upped their game in the reliability stakes, so that's disappointing to hear 

Diesel has come down a lot, relative to petrol, since Labour told everyone to buy diesels - I remember when it was 6-7p difference (But still far cheaper to run in spite of that ) but now it's usually 1-2p difference.

Whether we see switch so it's cheaper than petrol like it is in the continent remains to be seen, but the haulage industry usually vacuum up any excess diesel. I still am curious how they intend to replace diesel for HGVs - Hydrogen doesn't have anywhere near the efficiency or capacity for the sort of mileages they do, and batteries are just a joke as they'd weigh more than the cargo! There was some nut case proposing having overhead high-voltage lines for trucks to connect to, like a tram/trolleybus/train, but that's even stupider than the Wipeout-style ground inductance plates so can't see that going anywhere either...

 

[2009joe]

45 minutes ago, Cyker said:

Oohh that's brutal, going from an i30N to a Ka!  

Is surprising he's having so much trouble tho' - I thought Hyundais and Kias had upped their game in the reliability stakes, so that's disappointing to hear 

Diesel has come down a lot, relative to petrol, since Labour told everyone to buy diesels - I remember when it was 6-7p difference (But still far cheaper to run in spite of that ) but now it's usually 1-2p difference.

Whether we see switch so it's cheaper than petrol like it is in the continent remains to be seen, but the haulage industry usually vacuum up any excess diesel. I still am curious how they intend to replace diesel for HGVs - Hydrogen doesn't have anywhere near the efficiency or capacity for the sort of mileages they do, and batteries are just a joke as they'd weigh more than the cargo! There was some nut case proposing having overhead high-voltage lines for trucks to connect to, like a tram/trolleybus/train, but that's even stupider than the Wipeout-style ground inductance plates so can't see that going anywhere either...

 

Maybe come up with nuclear powered cars and lorry's lol 

[Cyker]

Oh mate I am so ready for Mr Fusion. Powering my car from banana peels and beer? Yes please!  

(Knowing my luck they'll invent it just as bananas become extinct  )

[Guest]

11 hours ago, Cyker said:

Oohh that's brutal, going from an i30N to a Ka!  

Is surprising he's having so much trouble tho' - I thought Hyundais and Kias had upped their game in the reliability stakes, so that's disappointing to hear 

Diesel has come down a lot, relative to petrol, since Labour told everyone to buy diesels - I remember when it was 6-7p difference (But still far cheaper to run in spite of that ) but now it's usually 1-2p difference.

Whether we see switch so it's cheaper than petrol like it is in the continent remains to be seen, but the haulage industry usually vacuum up any excess diesel. I still am curious how they intend to replace diesel for HGVs - Hydrogen doesn't have anywhere near the efficiency or capacity for the sort of mileages they do, and batteries are just a joke as they'd weigh more than the cargo! There was some nut case proposing having overhead high-voltage lines for trucks to connect to, like a tram/trolleybus/train, but that's even stupider than the Wipeout-style ground inductance plates so can't see that going anywhere either...

 

I must admit, I don’t see the push to electric being any more of a good long term idea than the push to diesel was / is.  Only difference is unlike diesel, the electric requires massive infrastructure investment and lifestyle changes whereas diesel did not. 

Like many of todays ‘green initiative’s it’s short sighted, asks for huge investment and has massive questions over the actual impact / positive gain in the immediate term (for the hassle of it all) and questions over the longevity / usefulness or lifespan versus conventional alternatives. 

I wish it could work, but as you say about the lorries, how can it? Even if technology keeps getting better. How do you handle and replace those sorts of size batteries on the side of the road for a broken down lorry and all that…. Scottish Highlands and some parts of Ireland (let alone the European continent) are just going to be impractical. 

I honestly don’t think petrol and diesel is going anywhere. I think laws will accommodate better hybrids with a modest petrol consumption (or some kind of artificially made petrol alternative). 

It’s a shame these political orders influence the R&D of big companies so much as it stops them from otherwise doing what they do best which is refining and refining technology in a way that actually has to appeal to real people. 

I read in a book that a typical car in the 1970s when switched off in a car park polluted more due to escaping gasses / vapour from its fuel tank than a typical car today does in motion. But climate activists would have you thinking things are getting worse.. absolutely not! 

[2009joe]

1 hour ago, SB1500 said:

I must admit, I don’t see the push to electric being any more of a good long term idea than the push to diesel was / is.  Only difference is unlike diesel, the electric requires massive infrastructure investment and lifestyle changes whereas diesel did not. 

Like many of todays ‘green initiative’s it’s short sighted, asks for huge investment and has massive questions over the actual impact / positive gain in the immediate term (for the hassle of it all) and questions over the longevity / usefulness or lifespan versus conventional alternatives. 

I wish it could work, but as you say about the lorries, how can it? Even if technology keeps getting better. How do you handle and replace those sorts of size batteries on the side of the road for a broken down lorry and all that…. Scottish Highlands and some parts of Ireland (let alone the European continent) are just going to be impractical. 

I honestly don’t think petrol and diesel is going anywhere. I think laws will accommodate better hybrids with a modest petrol consumption (or some kind of artificially made petrol alternative). 

It’s a shame these political orders influence the R&D of big companies so much as it stops them from otherwise doing what they do best which is refining and refining technology in a way that actually has to appeal to real people. 

I read in a book that a typical car in the 1970s when switched off in a car park polluted more due to escaping gasses / vapour from its fuel tank than a typical car today does in motion. But climate activists would have you thinking things are getting worse.. absolutely not! 

Well I think the bigger picture is the government want to do away with diesel and petrol cars and we'll bring in Battery cars so that puts away with petrol and diesel completely then the Battery ones **** themselves so there usless so we back to fking horses and push biles and walking .the government don't give a **** .world's changing and this is the way these coverments can only find a solution.something like Amsterdam bikes all the way 

[Guest]

On 3/9/2022 at 10:24 AM, 2009joe said:

Well I think the bigger picture is the government want to do away with diesel and petrol cars and we'll bring in battery cars so that puts away with petrol and diesel completely then the battery ones **** themselves so there usless so we back to fking horses and push biles and walking .the government don't give a **** .world's changing and this is the way these coverments can only find a solution.something like Amsterdam bikes all the way 

The problem is the government want to do what people think is right (they pushed the deadline from 2040 to 2030 for popularity) and to put 'healthy pressure' on the companies to get their R&D and product ranges up to the task.  The issue is companies  MUST adhere and change their focus based on these laws and they have...  I blame activists personally.  The companies are trying to be compliant, competitive and give us what we want. Politicians are trying to be responsible / forward thinking as well as successful in getting votes, but their only way to impact is to pass laws. 

Look at the Euro 5/6/7 regulations - they come from the right place. In theory it's good to push car makers to take emissions and economy seriously, but what did we get? 10 years of tiny petrol engines that leak oil considerably before the 3 year warranty period is out, consume MORE petrol on the motorway than an equivalent naturally aspirated bigger block would.  And on the diesel front, we got DPFs, AdBlue and other add-ons increasing complexity and hassle for buyers, who pay to get them removed anyway negating any actual improvement for the environment big time.... 

Now it's electric cars. 'no fossil fuels', a win for the planet right? Well, metal still comes from the ground, plastic parts still come from oil, still need oil based greases and lubricants, still need constant power delivered from coal and oil powered power stations, so I mean... does it help?  For all that hassle, does it help the environment? Minimally maybe. One thing is does is cleans up the air in places like London for human life which is good.  They deliver a fun experience according to owners who don't want to give up the instant power, but so does a Lamborghini, I still personally don't think I'm going to put much effort into obtaining one in my lifetime - if I even could :')

Activists are the problem here. Climate change is real. Our impact on the environment is real. The only bs we're being fed is that 'we're doing nothing about it', that we have 'under 10 years' and those bizarre claims, but most of all, the biggest lie by far, that todays efforts are actually worth the investment / going to magically solve the problem... the only people who make anything from that is the green technology industry..

[2009joe]

59 minutes ago, SB1500 said:

The problem is the government want to do what people think is right (they pushed the deadline from 2040 to 2030 for popularity) and to put 'healthy pressure' on the companies to get their R&D and product ranges up to the task.  The issue is companies  MUST adhere and change their focus based on these laws and they have...  I blame activists personally.  The companies are trying to be compliant, competitive and give us what we want. Politicians are trying to be responsible / forward thinking as well as successful in getting votes, but their only way to impact is to pass laws. 

Look at the Euro 5/6/7 regulations - they come from the right place. In theory it's good to push car makers to take emissions and economy seriously, but what did we get? 10 years of tiny petrol engines that leak oil considerably before the 3 year warranty period is out, consume MORE petrol on the motorway than an equivalent naturally aspirated bigger block would.  And on the diesel front, we got DPFs, AdBlue and other add-ons increasing complexity and hassle for buyers, who pay to get them removed anyway negating any actual improvement for the environment big time.... 

Now it's electric cars. 'no fossil fuels', a win for the planet right? Well, metal still comes from the ground, plastic parts still come from oil, still need oil based greases and lubricants, still need constant power delivered from coal and oil powered power stations, so I mean... does it help?  For all that hassle, does it help the environment? Minimally maybe. One thing is does is cleans up the air in places like London for human life which is good.  They deliver a fun experience according to owners who don't want to give up the instant power, but so does a Lamborghini, I still personally don't think I'm going to put much effort into obtaining one in my lifetime - if I even could :')

Activists are the problem here. Climate change is real. Our impact on the environment is real. The only bs we're being fed is that 'we're doing nothing about it', that we have 'under 10 years' and those bizarre claims, but most of all, the biggest lie by far, that todays efforts are actually worth the investment / going to magically solve the problem... the only people who make anything from that is the green technology industry..

True Shane yet u wonder where those idiot activists get there time 2 do all that protesting and cause bother I bet most of them are on the sick getting government aid and yet they go into others property to squat while trashing the place where needs to gutted and fixed up again and all buildings etc they trash goes into the earth as rubbish. Those activists all should be jailed for a long time if u ask me 

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, 2009joe said:

True Shane yet u wonder where those idiot activists get there time 2 do all that protesting and cause bother I bet most of them are on the sick getting government aid and yet they go into others property to squat while trashing the place where needs to gutted and fixed up again and all buildings etc they trash goes into the earth as rubbish. Those activists all should be jailed for a long time if u ask me 

I think a lot of them come from the right place and they’re right about the cause being an important issue.  It’s just the tone they take, the violence they justify and the context they sometimes willingly ignore goes a little far.
 

Often times they take a good cause and totally alienate everyday people from caring because of how they go about it. 

definitely, ones standing in front of traffic over in England and greenpeace camping on the anchors of oil rigs, causing great frustration, expense and danger to a lot of people trying to get on with their lives.  I don’t think we have the jail capacity 😂

all true legends in history campaigned peacefully using reason and emotion that people could come together over and change minds.  Todays activists, ‘domestic terrorists’ really. 

[Guest]

Gave the Avensis a bit of a mini valet today. Hoovered the inside, cleaned the upholstery and carpet, interior glass, all the plastics and controls. Washed the outside, used some wet wax, some detailer on the alloys and chrome bits, tyre black, black trim spray. I think the two months of me owning it is finally starting to result in some 'long term' shine. 

I'm a big fan of the Turtle Wax products. Decent quality / value, especially when you buy a couple at once. Even though my other car friends seems to chuckle at it as 'the working mans car product brand'. 

Had a laugh to myself, the brand new three day brake discs are light orange! lol 

[TonyHSD]

2 minutes ago, SB1500 said:

Gave the Avensis a bit of a mini valet today. Hoovered the inside, cleaned the upholstery and carpet, interior glass, all the plastics and controls. Washed the outside, used some wet wax, some detailer on the alloys and chrome bits, tyre black, black trim spray. I think the two months of me owning it is finally starting to result in some 'long term' shine. 

I'm a big fan of the Turtle Wax products. Decent quality / value, especially when you buy a couple at once. Even though my other car friends seems to chuckle at it as 'the working mans car product brand'. 

Had a laugh to myself, the brand new three day brake discs are light orange! lol 

Good job done ✅, nice and clean 🧽👌👍

[Catlover]

I love silver cars (despite my Prius being Red). Looks really good on that Avensis.

[2009joe]

29 minutes ago, SB1500 said:

Gave the Avensis a bit of a mini valet today. Hoovered the inside, cleaned the upholstery and carpet, interior glass, all the plastics and controls. Washed the outside, used some wet wax, some detailer on the alloys and chrome bits, tyre black, black trim spray. I think the two months of me owning it is finally starting to result in some 'long term' shine. 

I'm a big fan of the Turtle Wax products. Decent quality / value, especially when you buy a couple at once. Even though my other car friends seems to chuckle at it as 'the working mans car product brand'. 

Had a laugh to myself, the brand new three day brake discs are light orange! lol 

looks class shane i never got around to cleaning mine just busy is all  my one is exact same colour as yours  u should get those wee plastic covers for around your door handles stops the paint from getting scratched up well my wife and her rings are sore on the paint 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184849204574

[Guest]

13 hours ago, 2009joe said:

looks class shane i never got around to cleaning mine just busy is all  my one is exact same colour as yours  u should get those wee plastic covers for around your door handles stops the paint from getting scratched up well my wife and her rings are sore on the paint 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184849204574

They look like a cool idea. I don't have anybody in the car very often to scratch it up!  Come to think of it, based on my actual motoring needs alone, I should probably be driving a Citroen Ami :') lol  ah well.... the wife and kids will have to follow, Avensis will be ready (a lot sooner than I will be) lol

[Guest]

Today I finally found a taxi driver sitting about with the same Avensis as mine - his was a late 2016, assumed it was a diesel and one of the BMW ones at that due to the new front on the car. Asked him what he thought of it, and what engine he had - he was totally oblivious to the BMW engine thing, thought I was mad with his look back at me - but most people do ... "BMW engine in his Toyota? Deluded" is the look from most people! lol

He said 'a light comes on and then off again' and pointed at the speedo, but he didn't clarify which. Then he said the engine cooling fan comes on quite  a lot (funnily, I think mine does too and it's not exactly summer weather we've been having). He said his is the 1.6 as well.  I didn't see his mileage or ask, and he was having his lunch so I didn't want to bother him very much unless he was as enthusiastic about the car as I am with mine etc.

It was a more basic spec model, no fog lights and steel wheels with trims on them - he might have done this himself though as a taxi driver?  Same colour though and facelifted edition.

What I was really wondering is if he had much trouble with it, and it didn't seem so.  A late 2016 isn't that old though so I suppose nobody knows just yet how good these 1WW / 2WWs will be past the 10 year mark...

Interestingly I was behind a 17 plate silver Avensis taxi when driving into work - I'll have to see if I can get a chat with that guy too, see what his thoughts are on it.  The taxi drivers don't seem to be worried anyway - something told me they might be into their cars, even from necessity, but nope, means to an end - just like the review sites all say when the Avensis comes up. 

I know people have their biased one way opinions, particularly loyal Toyota fans just as annoyed as me re: the lack of a proper Toyota engine in their cars.  So by talking to them - or even any other bored enough looking owner I come across with the facelift diesels, I'll soon figure out if there are any common themes or issues.

 

Brake Update

The brakes are feeling much much better now. Initially there wasn't much difference. They're bedded in a little more now, one week and about 300 miles in. They're ever so slightly quicker to bite / stop the thing - nothing drastic. The old pads weren't thin by any definition. Glad they're done and sorted. Hoping I'll get about two years from them, maybe more.

 

Premium Diesel Update

For the last month I've been putting in only about £35 of 'super diesel' or 'premium diesel'. First tank felt surprisingly good - but that's probably just in my head, right? Felt like it was driving better / picking up better when floored. But then that sort of wore off. MPG isn't any better at all - to be honest, it's not spectacular. I'm getting between 43-48 really and sometimes I try to be extra conservative on the accellerator to see if I can boost it. Only by .1 or .2 max.  Last night I committed the ultimate sin and filled up at Tesco Petrol Filling Station with good 'ole supermarket fuel, arguably the worst quality you can get in a country like the UK lol  The last tank on Saturday I got (£35 of premium diesel at around £1.80 something a litre) only got me 130 miles. They were short journeys but it does get up to full temperature. Still abysmal compared to the little DS3 which went around near 600 miles per tank :')  Then again, it lacked in comfort and safety and reliability... price to be paid I suppose.  I'm debating between sticking with premium or just going to wherever's cheapest..

[Cyker]

In my old D4D it was supermarket most of the time, and V-Power every 4-5 tanks or if I was low anyway and going on a long trip in the near future (Mainly because the V-Power ran much smoother at higher RPM)

Didn't like the V-Power for normal use as at low rpm it was noticeably less torquey for some reason; Suspect it had less energy per litre due to all the cleaning additives.

 

[2009joe]

I was servicing my car myself for the 1st time since I bought it and put a new dieself filter in it which was a bigish one lol that held a whole bottle of liquid Molly diesel purge .I think that stuff good for cleaning out the injectors have 2 reve it up and down from 2k so I did .seems this time did better 2 a full tank of diesel for some reason that's regular driving nothing special 

[Cyker]

Yeah it's like a massive oil filter  

[Guest]

On 3/31/2022 at 7:50 PM, 2009joe said:

I was servicing my car myself for the 1st time since I bought it and put a new dieself filter in it which was a bigish one lol that held a whole bottle of liquid Molly diesel purge .I think that stuff good for cleaning out the injectors have 2 reve it up and down from 2k so I did .seems this time did better 2 a full tank of diesel for some reason that's regular driving nothing special 

You've reminded me Joe, I think I'll replace mine since I have no service history to know if its ever been done to date. I'd ask for a part number but I presume the BMW D4D has a different part than the real D4D

[Guest]

Found the part: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/323944851095  (Toyota Official eBay Store)

The eBay listing doesn't say it fits, but using a site called PartSouq (along with my VIN) shows that this is in fact the part number, and AutoDoc's reg check also brought up some third party brands citing this Toyota number for the 1.6 BMW D4D.  Interestingly, when I bought the brake parts Toyota themselves told me what to buy and said 'even though the listing shows incompatible, these parts fit your vehicle' so a heads up to anyone to not be deterred by that.

Think I'll order it end of the month, £50 or so is a lot, was hoping it'd be a £20 job! lol

[2009joe]

6 hours ago, SB1500 said:

You've reminded me Joe, I think I'll replace mine since I have no service history to know if its ever been done to date. I'd ask for a part number but I presume the BMW D4D has a different part than the real D4D

Hi Shane this was the diesel filter in mine and don't bother your ***** pumping the primer fill the filter with liquid Molly diesel purge  it's Great stuff cleaning out injectors .u supposed to run it in direct into the injectors threw a filter but tbh can't be bothered rather put into diesel filter and connect pipes up 

[2009joe]

5 hours ago, SB1500 said:

Found the part: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/323944851095  (Toyota Official eBay Store)

The eBay listing doesn't say it fits, but using a site called PartSouq (along with my VIN) shows that this is in fact the part number, and AutoDoc's reg check also brought up some third party brands citing this Toyota number for the 1.6 BMW D4D.  Interestingly, when I bought the brake parts Toyota themselves told me what to buy and said 'even though the listing shows incompatible, these parts fit your vehicle' so a heads up to anyone to not be deterred by that.

Think I'll order it end of the month, £50 or so is a lot, was hoping it'd be a £20 job! lol

That's expensive Shane for what it is by chance how much is the blueprint ones tbh there a good enough brand Tbh as the Toyota diesel filter is not cheap even for my car tbh that's why went for blueprint there a good enough brand 

[Guest]

16 hours ago, 2009joe said:

That's expensive Shane for what it is by chance how much is the blueprint ones tbh there a good enough brand Tbh as the Toyota diesel filter is not cheap even for my car tbh that's why went for blueprint there a good enough brand 

Heard good things about Blue Print, though the discs and pads I took off my car were Blue Print and squeaking despite being barely wore down (might be due to someone putting copper grease or something on it based on what some folks on here have said).  

I don't mind shelling out for the Toyota filter since it'll last another 3-4 years (or 37k), if it was an annual thing I'd definitely have to get a more affordable one though 

[2009joe]

11 hours ago, SB1500 said:

Heard good things about Blue Print, though the discs and pads I took off my car were Blue Print and squeaking despite being barely wore down (might be due to someone putting copper grease or something on it based on what some folks on here have said).  

I don't mind shelling out for the Toyota filter since it'll last another 3-4 years (or 37k), if it was an annual thing I'd definitely have to get a more affordable one though 

hi shane bud well maybe blueprint diesel  filter looks ok as i looked inside the one i got seems to be good quality. but maybe when comes to brake pads and discs hard to  eat the original ones 

[TonyHSD]

I use Blueprint discs in combo with EBC Ultimax pads and I can say as good or even better than original. No noise, no vibrations, no issues, long life plus very good biting point and feel of the brake pedal. All fitted by myself, no grease used. Done over 65k miles within two years, there is some wear but they may well last another 30-40k or more., hybrids are easy on the brakes. I also use blueprint wheel bearings, same mileage done as I had changed all together and with exception of one hub speed sensor failure that I had to replace 47k miles after the change the all others are still going strong. Blueprint is my favourite name after original parts for Japanese cars. 👌🏁

[Guest]

10 minutes ago, TonyHSD said:

I use Blueprint discs in combo with EBC Ultimax pads and I can say as good or even better than original. No noise, no vibrations, no issues, long life plus very good biting point and feel of the brake pedal. All fitted by myself, no grease used. Done over 65k miles within two years, there is some wear but they may well last another 30-40k or more., hybrids are easy on the brakes. I also use blueprint wheel bearings, same mileage done as I had changed all together and with exception of one hub speed sensor failure that I had to replace 47k miles after the change the all others are still going strong. Blueprint is my favourite name after original parts for Japanese cars. 👌🏁

They seem a good brand alright. For now I suppose I'm experimenting with all the 'Toyota' branded parts.  So long as I have the money to burn and they do an adequate job (maybe an outstanding job, fingers crossed) I'll keep it up. But if they don't show any considerable advantage over experiences I've had in the past with Bosch, MANN-FILTER, Valeo, Febi etc, then I'll go back to those good aftermarket brands.  This is the first time I'll have done that with any car.

I must admit, if I had the money to buy one, an Auris Hybrid would have been fantastic for me. I do love the Avensis now and the size is welcome, but really, the Auris size and economy would have bene more ideal for me. Always wanted an auto as well, but they were a good few thousand out of my budget - plus the whole, less choice in NI thing.

I hope - in many, many years - when the time comes it'll be a Toyota Hybrid or if I should be so fortunate, a Lexus Hybrid.  Hopefully by then the electric fad will be gone and the infrastructure let to wind down as we either vastly improve Hybrid technology and go with it, or something else comes along. I have faith in whatever Toyota build that it'll be the way forward.  - and it could be full electric, who knows?!  Hottest topic on car forums rn.