At last... The new car is home!

[Cyker]

That'd be great - I'm curious to see how well they work!

Just be careful with the alignment and don't slam the bonnet until you've gently lowered it to check the clearances first!

And don't forget the foam baffles and washer hose placement/re-routing!

 

[anchorman]

2 hours ago, CPN said:

This machine just keeps on getting better and better....

Methinks I have nailed the "sweet spot" while driving!

The last 10 fuel ups are looking pretty awesome too! 

The gas struts arrived today for my bonnet. Once I have them installed, I'll take some photos and do a review...

My Lexus (M20 engine) is pushing 60 mpg with only 700 miles on it.  Will be changing the oil at weekend before a trip to the highlands.  

[Cyker]

Just changing the oil...?

Not tempted to remove the interior to run more cabling or install more lighting...?   

[anchorman]

4 hours ago, Cyker said:

Just changing the oil...?

Not tempted to remove the interior to run more cabling or install more lighting...?   

Did I show you my boot light upgrade.  Comes on with the puny supplied ones…….

[CPN]

On 7/24/2024 at 6:22 PM, Cyker said:

That'd be great - I'm curious to see how well they work!

Very...

On 7/24/2024 at 6:22 PM, Cyker said:

Just be careful with the alignment and don't slam the bonnet until you've gently lowered it to check the clearances first!

Oh yes! 😉

On 7/24/2024 at 6:22 PM, Cyker said:

And don't forget the foam baffles and washer hose placement/re-routing!

Not necessary. See photos...

Ok, here's an overall shot after they were fitted...

Here's a close up of the offside one...

Top fitting...

Bottom fitting (headlamp bolt on the cross member)

This is an attempt at a shot to show how it clears everything, no problem... Same on the other side. (bonnet almost at its self-close point)

...and finally, here are a couple of videos showing it opening and then (self-) closing.

Fitting

Lift the bonnet and place the prop. I started with the left hinge closest to the prop.

Top bracket: undo the top bolt on the bonnet hinge mount (leave the bottom one tight) and remove. Offer up the plate at an angle so that you can put the bolt back in whilst leaving the U shaped hole at the bottom, off to one side a bit. Tighten the top bolt until it pinches without fully tightening. The next bit is a bit fiddly. Bear in mind that when you start to loosen the bottom bolt, the bonnet will try and move a little (and it is heavy). Two options: 1. put your hand under the edge of the bonnet (from behind) directly beneath the hinge and pull up to hold the weight whilst gently undoing the bottom bolt far enough to swing the bottom hole of the bracket round to go over the hole. Then tighten bolt and tighten it fully with a correct sized socket and wrench. After this, tighten top bolt fully. 2. If you have this possibility, use a second person to hold the weight in the first part of the option 1 procedure while you carry out the rest of it.

Bottom bracket: This comes already attached to the bottom of the strut. Don't be tempted to remove it or to connect the top ball joint of the strut either. Check first that the pivot bolt holding the bottom bracket to the strut is bolted up correctly (one of mine was obviously slightly cross-threaded and hadn't been tightened properly as a result!). They should be loose(ish) when fully tightened for obvious reasons. Undo the relevant headlamp support bolt (see photo) far enough and slide the u-shaped hole in the bracket under the bolt and tighten. Note that in each side's case, the bracket will necessarily be offset slightly to match the direction of the strut in relation to the bonnet. Repeat for the other side.

The final bit: Hold the weight of the bonnet whilst removing the prop. While you are holding the bonnet up, and this is going to require a bit of muscle, take hold of the far end of one of the struts (one will hold the weight of the bonnet - I started with the left one since I am right handed) and pull it down hard so it starts to compress the piston. Whilst doing this, move the ball joint over to the upper bracket on the bonnet and snap the ball joint together. Like I said, it requires quite a bit of muscle and it is fiddly but once one is in place, it makes the other a bit easier (but still requires a modicum of strength).

Having got them both fitted, you'll find that it does require some effort to start to close the bonnet but you will get to a point (what I call the self-close point) where the struts will take over and actually close the bonnet shut over the last 3-4" of travel. Similarly, when opening the bonnet (having released the catch), you will need to overcome this "self-close action" to get to the point where the struts take over and lift the bonnet for the rest of the way.

The whole kit seems to be well designed in terms of clearances etc and I am very pleased with the final result.

[Cyker]

@anchorman - I think I saw the thread where you were fitting them but not the result - A very definite improvement to the factory 'mood lighting'!  

 

@CPN - Oh interesting, they open the opposite way to the ones I saw for the GR - That seems much more sensible in hindsight!

Have you got a link to the ones you used in the end...?

 

 

[CPN]

17 minutes ago, Cyker said:

- Oh interesting, they open the opposite way to the ones I saw for the GR - That seems much more sensible in hindsight!

Have you got a link to the ones you used in the end...?

Sure... here...

[Mojo1010]

That's great Colin, price isn't a lot too. Would want to do this also, though wondering whether these insurance companies will class it as a mod. 

If my car was bought used I would do this without a care as the previous owner may have done this or it came as standard, am not expected to know this. 

[Lcl337]

It’s a beautiful car and I’m in love with the metallic silver option, but can’t for the life of me find one, even a used one, on any uk based website .. can’t even seem to be able to lease one (says 3-5 month wait as not in stock that colour) so I’m assuming the silver bi-tone option isn’t available? 

[jthspace]

Quick question: Did your Premiere edition come with scuff plates?

[CPN]

13 minutes ago, jthspace said:

Quick question: Did your Premiere edition come with scuff plates?

If you are meaning mine, no it didn't. 😢

[Cyker]

That's so weird...!

And because they originally came as standard and not as part of a pack it doesn't seem like there's a way to even order them separately!

 

[jthspace]

10 minutes ago, Cyker said:

That's so weird...!

And because they originally came as standard and not as part of a pack it doesn't seem like there's a way to even order them separately!

 

Thanks Colin, mines on order and just buying things, like the bonnet struts and will add scuff plates.

Cyker, Toyota ones approx £80 for fronts only.

Aliexpress is the place.

I will try and transfer the auto door locking module from my Yaris to the Cross, as well as the illuminated door switches (they look identical). I've also got an OBD auto door locking module to try if the wired module doesn't fit - although I'm expecting it to. 

Then a rear light for the back seats.......

I'll have to sell the built-in camera as the moulding is totally different on the Cross.

[trashman1965]

Yes, not fitted as standard (ours did not have them either) and not possible to order from factory, though they are available to buy as an accessory.

[ColinB]

10 hours ago, jthspace said:

Quick question: Did your Premiere edition come with scuff plates?

Very strange - because my YC Premiere has 🤔

[trashman1965]

1 hour ago, ColinB said:

Very strange - because my YC Premiere has 🤔

Cross is likely different spec - previous Yaris UK MY did have them

[CPN]

1 hour ago, trashman1965 said:

Cross is likely different spec - previous Yaris UK MY did have them

Indeed and my 2020 Launch Edition (The Red Baron) had them also...

[CPN]

I haven't done an update here for a while now.

Today, on our way back from our regular 200-mile round trip, we hit the rush hour around Stockton and, as I was using ACC most of the time, I noticed something in the Blue Demon's behaviour that is definitely different from how the Red Baron behaved.

It was dense traffic flow with the usual slowdown/speedup at the Teeside flyover while everyone played  dodgem cars! What I noticed was how the Blue Demon is far more aggressive in its use of engine braking and/or regen braking or a combination of the two (visible on Hybrid Assistant) without needing to use the friction brakes at all! Since the light was fading a bit, I was also able to see when the stop light was going on and off and it seemed to be a lot cleverer than Red Baron ever was.

By that, I mean that it only switched the brake light on when it was slowing down more quickly (eg some bozo nipped into my safe distance in front!) than when only a gentle slowing was needed and remember, all this was without using the friction brakes at all! Proof of this is how good the brake discs are looking all round. Smooth and shiny with no ruts at all. That tells me that they are only being used sparingly at slower speeds. Hardly any wear at all considering we've now done 5736 miles.

Clever little Yaris! I saw it back feed up to 20Kw into the HV Battery and the Battery maxed out (all compartments lit on the dash display) at 78% SoC at one point!

All this was with my Winter Tyres on (slightly higher rolling resistance) and to top it off, got 64.8 real mpg (68 on the dash) out of it. The MPG is certainly improving rapidly now; even though the weather is cooling down now a little... 

[SadFisherman]

New Member here,,,

Just ordered a new Premiere Yaris in Neptune blue. My Wire really liked the colour....I liked all the 'extras', I only test drove a 16" wheel version despite knowing the concerns about harshness of the ride. I Come from a Fiat Panda which I'be just scrapped and a 64 MG Midget so I guess it will be improvement....

My question is how bad is it? I realise that's a difficult question to answer.

Graham

[CPN]

1 minute ago, SadFisherman said:

New Member here,,,

Welcome Graham!

1 minute ago, SadFisherman said:

My question is how bad is it? I realise that's a difficult question to answer.

It's not difficult at all. I find the ride in my Premiere (w/17" wheels) to be quite "normal" and not as harsh as others complain of. This is me coming from some very sporty (read: hard) rides in the past.

[Cyker]

It depends what you're used to. I had 17"s on my Excel and I wouldn't say the ride was 'bad', just 'very firm', but I was used to the Mk1 and Mk2 Yaris which were much more softly sprung.

My main reason for putting on 15"s was less because of comfort but more because I didn't think the 17"s would survive the kind of roads I regularly traverse (Full of potholes, speedhumps, debris) and because the tyres were much cheaper  

My colleague has an Auris with 17" rims and he gets several pinch-punctures a year from hitting potholes or having to drive up a kerb to avoid something or make space in the increasingly regular traffic gridlocks we've been having.

If that's not a thing for you then the 17s will probably be okay, and they'll have improved steering feel (The 15s are a bit woolly by comparison!). They'll probably also last slightly longer because they're wider.

[SadFisherman]

Thanks CPH & Cyker, That makes me feel better!!. We prefer a car to have a firm ride!, wife gets a bit motion sick! Trying to swot up on all the things the car does!

Cheers 

Graham