New (to me) IQ - New Issues to resolve

[martoto]

Got a relatively high mile IQ last week - 1.33 CVT, 90k miles. It is suppose to be wife's car, but to be honest I was surprised how much fun that car is! It drives quite well despite the age and milage. Therefore I hope I would also enjoy it. 

As usual with 11 years old car there were few known things to attend and some which I discovered after purchase. Main are:

• CVT slight wine. Only under load when trying to accelerate from stand still. Also mostly noticed when going on a long downhill. Didn't even heard it on the test drive although the gearbox was well warmed up and I got it for a relatively long one. Booked for CVT fluid change with Toyota and quoted £130. I think they messed the cost up as I cannot see how it can be so cheap. Just the fluid is at least £80. Let's see what would happen and if that would help. Otherwise we'll just drive as I see no point to get to mega money rebuild at this point. 
• Today tried to replace the auxiliary belts, as they are in dreadful condition. Was suppose to be a simple job. However I struggled with some corroded nuts of the plastic guards and the main issue I discovered the belt tensioner for water pump and the generator belt is completely stuck. Not cheap for genuine Toyota at £220. However what is more concerning I see no way to get it out as there is no space to reach for the bottom bolt. The Toyota repair manual I got from eBay (the HTML version) is not great and giving no info on that. Has anyone needed to replace that before?
• The car has really nice black and grey leather interior in excellent condition overall. However the driver seat grey part is slightly worn. Not much, but enough to spoil it. I cannot find colour matched leather dye to sort that out. Wrote to some local leather repair specialists, but they do not bother to respond. I guess to small of a job for them. Any idea where I can get matched dye in Hertfordshire?
• Had to attend some rust on the back wheel arches. I have cleaned it with wire brushes, pained with primer and then with bitumen paint. Hope that's sorted. 
• Usual yellow oxidate of the headlights. Would use the 3M kit and then wrap with PVC transparent film to try to sort them out.
• Hazy fog lights, I might try AliExpress LEDs, not a big deal though.  
• Would need 4 new tyres as although the current have some thread they look old and cracked. Someone replaced the wheels with the original but lesser specs 15-inch ones, so that at least mean more choice and less cost.
• Found a bottle of mostly used engine oil in the boot. I know some 1.33 are prone of oil consumption but was hoping latter model would have that fixed. No obvious signs of burning oil. So far I only did 120 miles and the level did not change on the oil stick. Will see how that would go. 

Any advice on above, especially the belt tensioner would be welcome 🙂

 

[Dutchrav]

I cleaned the inside of foglights with small piece of microfiber towel (about 2x2").
Best is to remove front bumper and foglights first.
Bit of water or window cleaner on microfiber towel, do not make too wet.
pry into bulb opening and stirr around with small paintbrush. Then pry the towel out again.

[flash22]

is the belt tensioner stuck or do you just need the correct procedure to release it

The A/C belt has a manual tensioner

Aux belt - you not cracking the bolt loose but levering the arm down you will need a spanner and a bar or a second spanner to lock into the first, see.

Engine - 1NR-FE ENGINE MECHANICAL - DRIVEBELT - REMOVAL  2010/05 -

 

Hope you did pay more than £1 for the manual as it is freely available online - I have it in my dropbox if required

 

oil consumption is not really a thing on the IQ but it may be burning oil as its up in the miles if it's using 0w20

Seat wear - find an automotive trimmer they can repair it no issue, a quick Google brings up

https://www.facebook.com/hukescartrimmers/?locale=en_GB

http://www.autolounge.co.uk/

 

leather dye - https://www.trg-theone.com/en/cartes-de-colors-2/

Fog lights - ultra common, they mist up from the inside

IQ3's got the 16" ten-spoke alloys but the ride can be quite firm, leather was a option

 

[DaveWatsit97]

About the CVT noise, mine has done this since i got it, and that was 10000 miles ago.

Think this is relatively normal. I replaced the CVT fluid and its the same (still worth doing).

So long as it isn't slipping / grumbley / REALLY winey at all speeds, its probably fine.

[IQ_Samuel]

Anything with interior I would recommend A&R pound in Baldock. Super cheap and an excellent job every time I go there. 

If you are attending to the CVT oil and the aux belts, I would recommend also changing your antifreeze. It is a 10 year/100K miles Toyota change schedule, which is insanely long. I wouldn't be surprised if its never been done, neither of mine had. 

[martoto]

Thanks all for all of your advices!

Today I polished the headlights with the 3M kit. I took my time to be honest and spent few hours. However the result is amazing. They look as new. A bit of set back was that the protection film I ordered turned out as "frost" (facepalm). So I ordered another one and would remain job for the week evenings. 

To address some of your comments (thank you so much):

• CVT wine - I suspect the noise would remain but as suggested changing the fluid is still a good idea. Not sure if it is the characteristic of this type of gearbox. Maybe except going on a long downhill and using the engine braking it is hard to hear. I have no prior experience with belt driven CVT. Drove Corolla Hybrid for few thousand miles some time ago and it has no any noise. But it doesn't have torque convertor and a metal belt so completely different gearbox.  I'll report if there is a change after fluid change. 
• The belt tensioner - yeah I do not mean the AC one, which is manual and easy. The generator and water pump belt has "automatic" tensioner with loaded spring. Simply it doesn't move, completely stuck on whatever was it's last position. I was not even able to push it to remove the belt, although used extension on my spanner. Had a second look with the idea that maybe I just need to lift the engine a bit to gain access and replace it. But there is so much on the way, so that would not be easy too. Damn that service manual, which is saying nothing on the topic! I'll ask Toyota for a quote but I suspect that would be quite pricy...
• On the leather repair, I'll give the A&R Pound a call, that's quite close to me. Thanks for the tip. In terms of find a dye of the right colour, I would need a professionally colour matched service. Trying to find the exact tone via online pictures won't do it I think. And I do not want to touch any but the driver seat, as rest is perfect. All I found so far are quite far away to pay them a visit. An option is to send one of the headrests (back seats are all light grey). But that is risky, if it gets lost I won't be able to find replacement. 
• I'll give the fog lights a clean, better than getting Chinese knock offs 🙂
• The original wheels were replaced with IQ2 model. So they are 15 inch. The tyres are 12 years old, but I found an offer for Avon for less than £260 all corners. I'll swap them very soon. 
• Good point on the antifreeze. Although it looks really nice and clear. Wonder if actually was replaced last year. 

Question, what is the second horn under the boot, left next to the engine. Not the one behind the front bumper? Seems it doesn't sound when horn switch is pressed. 

 

[Jikky]

14 hours ago, martoto said:

Question, what is the second horn under the boot, left next to the engine. Not the one behind the front bumper? Seems it doesn't sound when horn switch is pressed. 

Its the alarm buzzer,

I had both my aux belts done at Toyota last year,they changed both for £94.26 all inc ! mabe they miss quoted me,but it took them 2 hours to do the job

[flash22]

has someone locked the tensioner with a pin and/or forgotten to take it out, I have seen them break or the pulley fail but not seize up, spray it a few times over a day or so, a block of wood and give it some minor percussive maintenance

get in there with a mirror on a stick or a camera

 

The service manuals take some getting used to - you have to think like Toyota, nothing is where it should be logically - then some of it is

[flash22]

16620-47020

The cheapest OEM part i can find is from Aston Martin around £150-160 aftermarket for £80-150

https://www.astonstore.co.uk/product/tensioner-assy-v-ribbed-belt/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[martoto]

10 hours ago, Jikky said:

I had both my aux belts done at Toyota last year,they changed both for £94.26 all inc ! mabe they miss quoted me,but it took them 2 hours to do the job

Changing just the belts is relatively easy. Toyota belts are around £45, so they charged you about 20 mins labour. Not too bad 🙂 

9 hours ago, flash22 said:

has someone locked the tensioner with a pin and/or forgotten to take it out, I have seen them break or the pulley fail but not seize up, spray it a few times over a day or so, a block of wood and give it some minor percussive maintenance

get in there with a mirror on a stick or a camera

Cannot be forgotten lock as that locks the tensioner on release position so the belt can be removed. They do seize sometimes, not impossible. I did not hammer it as that had a risk to just slack the belt and not return back, therefore the car would become undrivable. 

9 hours ago, flash22 said:

16620-47020

The cheapest OEM part i can find is from Aston Martin around £150-160 aftermarket for £80-150

https://www.astonstore.co.uk/product/tensioner-assy-v-ribbed-belt/

This diagram is not for 1.33 but the diesel engine. However the idea is the same indeed. The link to Aston Martin part is brill though - thanks and ordered! 🙂 Found independent Toyota specialist who is willing to do the job with me supplying the parts for £230. So I am getting there, but once I got the tensioner I would check again if I cannot figure it out by myself after all. 

On the other items:

• Trying to apply the PVC vinyl on the headlights was a failure. I cannot make it not to kink as seem the shape is too complex for me to handle 😄 Settled instead for protective sealant. The downsize is it would require annual re-apply and not sure if would be that effective. But will give it a go.  
• Ordered 4 new tires - Kumho Solus 4S HA32 all season for £270 mounted. I should not forget to ensure they do not lift the car by the sills, as they are annoyingly already damaged by I assume the previous tyre fitters.

 

[flash22]

you can still put a pin in the hole once released - that is something I have come across

my mistake had the 2 images and picked the wrong one

 

 

[martoto]

A bit an update:

• CVT whine - the gearbox fluid has been changed by Toyota for £129. And the whine is gone! Now I am thinking this might not necessary be because the fresh fluid, but maybe as part of the change the fluid level was also set correctly. Either way, I'm quite chuffed 🙂 
• The belt tensioner - That is now replaced with the Aston Martin part 😄. Toyota quoted me £320 labour, independent specialist asked £230. But I did it by myself.  It turned out there is some access to the bottom bolt and there is no need to lift the engine or anything like that. It is very tight though and normal tools won't do. The saving grace was a Gearwrench kit, which combined with 12mm bit managed to fit in the little space available. The old tensioner was really stuck and no way to be saved. One set back was the locking pin, the new tensioner comes with, is little too long to be removed once mounted in place, extremely stupid for OE part. If you do it by yourself, remove or shorten the pin first!
• 4 new Kumho Solus 4S HA32 are now mounted. I am pleased with them. They being 4 season are softer compound and made the ride that bit less crashy, also they are quieter and the car is more pleasant overall. They made the steering a bit more vague, but for that type of car that's not an issue at all.

[LondonIQ]

£129 sounds pretty reasonable from Toyota. Do you know how much of the fluid they actually change out?

I did my change and the max you get out is 2.5 litres