Time For A Service

[bluewhale]

HAD THE PREVIA FOR 2 MONTHS NOW, ALL GOING GREAT, BUT ALAS ITS NOW TIME FOR A SERVICE. ITS A 93 MODEL WITH 126K ON IT. CAN ANYONE GIVE DETAILS FOR D.I.Y OIL FILTER + SPARK PLUG CHANGE. I HAVE USE OF A RAMP IF NEED BE. ALSO WHAT ELCE SHOULD I BE LOOKING OUT FOR.

P.S IS IT NORMAL FOR A WHISTLING NOISE TO BE HEARD FROM THE FRONT UNDER ACCELERATION (BEEN TOLD ITS THE OIL PUMP)

:bookworm:

[bluewhale]

<_< AH!!! I FORGOT TO ASK, ANYONE WITH A MANUAL UK PREVIA, HOW DO YOU FIND THE GEAR CHANGE- IT SEEMS A BIT ON THE NOTCHY? SIDE TO ME- IT ALL WORKS OK BUT JUST NOT THE SMOOTHEST

OVERALL IM VERY HAPPY WITH THE PREVIA DESPITE ONLY DOING 315 MILES TO A TANK.

[miti-babe]

Bluewhale

I've just completed the 60k major service on my recently acquired 91 2.4 Auto. It's got 160k miles on it....

I used axel stands for access to underneath...

Oil change was complicated by sump drain hole thread coming out with the sump plug (my sincere thanks to the previous owner... :ffs: ), but I haven't had to use any special tools... with the exception of a long-reach spark plug socket...

I sourced my oil and air filters from eBay.. neither was any problem to change, just used a strap wrench to remove old oil filter..

Refilling the oil should be done on level ground as the dipstick reads inaccurately if at an angle... mine drew down over a half litre of oil from the underbonnet reservoir after the oil change and I was certain that I'd filled it up to the correct level...

Also... this is the only car that I've ever had to retighten the oil filter on after the first couple of runs... slight weep from the filter seal... I used the strap wrench to nip it up and it's been fine ever since...

Spark plugs are £12.50 each from Toyota... I sourced standard ones from Halfords for £9.99 for four... They won't last for 60k miles, but I really don't think I could leave the same set of plugs in an engine for that long anyway...

I don't think you can change the plugs from underneath...

I have the USA Haynes manual for the Previa and using that and a little common sense, here's how I changed the plugs...

Remove step cover from driver's door (about 6 phillips screws) and remove carpet trim...

Unbolt driver's seat from mounts (4 x 10 mm bolts, hidden under plastic covers) and remove seat (it'll sit on the centre row)

Unbolt seat support from floor pan... careful not to leave this hanging as it affects the run of the petrol filler flap opening cable and this was a bugger to get right again on mine...

Unbolt jack mounting bracket (2 x 8 mm bolts) and remove

Pull up carpet (there are about 3 or 4 pieces of velcro holding it together) and fold into centre of vehicle, exposing the cylinder head cover in the floor pan.

The cylinder head cover is held in place by 10 x 8 mm bolts. remove all of these and the cylinder head cover will lift away..

This exposes the cylinder head and gives access to the fuel rail, pressure regulator, fuel injectors, rocker cover and spark plug cover...

The spark plug cover is held in place by 3 x 6 mm bolts, remove these and the spark plug cover...

You can now see the HT leads and plug caps...

I think the plug size is 14 mm. I had no probs changing the plugs and my old bus is running just fine on standard plugs... while I had the floor pan to bits, I also changed the rocker cover seal, which was pretty hard and leaking, and checked out the valve clearances and camchain tension... I've added some semi-hardening gasket sealent to the seals around the spark plug tubes in the rocker cover ('cos they were weeping a little) and I took the time to just clean the old bus up a little while I was in there...

There is enough room to get a torque wrench in to tighten up the new plugs (don't even think of the hassle if you stripped a plug thread on one of these babies... )

The only hassle I had reassembling everything was trapping the petrol flap release cable under the seat mount... it opened up ok, but wouldn't shut again... I had to loosen everthing off and reposition the cable run..

Sorry I've gone on a bit here, but I think this is all the info you'll need... if you need any more about the service items, I'll help if I can...

Good luck!

[stjoolzz]

Hi

I noticed you said that you are using a US Haynes manual. I have though about getting one of those - is it very helpful and/or different in its discussion on the US models to what one would expect for a UK model. It does naff me off that there is not UK version of the manual. I would not have thought that the US and UK models were very different <_<

[miti-babe]

If bought direct from Haynes, the manual is £14.99 plus £2.99 P&P. It's already been worth it's weight in monkey nuts to me... :P

If you're of a similar bent and like to know what's going on under the bonnet (sorry, seats) then you'll need this manual. There are some differences, for sure, particularly as the "standard" version is RHD (as per the Land of Nippon) so the modified version is LHD as described in the US variant manual. However there is easily enough common data to make the manual worth buying...

Annoying stuff :ffs: ? The measurements are all imperial or US (quarts & gallons) and I've taken to checking the previa owner's manual for some stuff and writing it into the Haynes in the appropriate places...

Good stuff? This book reminds me of Haynes' of yesteryear, when they were filled with sugestions on how to check and test things and how to make "special tools". My last (Mk III Astra) manual was stuffed full of suggestions on taking the &#33;Removed&#33; thing back to my Vauxhall main agent... :ffs:

Not this one! For example, one of the best tips was to take off the throttle body and clean it as part of the major service... the PCVS valve dumps oily fumes and lacquers all over the inside of the throttle body and over time this seriously impairs it's function... The difference in the car after I'd cleaned this out was amazing... Worth the £18 just for that! B)

Get the book, you know it makes sense... :bookworm:

[stjoolzz]

Thanks for that. I notice that there are two available. One which covers cars 91-95 (regular Haynes cover) and one (named Chilton) which covers 91-97. I have a 96 Automatic 8 seater. Which one do you have and do you have any suggestions?

[stjoolzz]

I should have noted the price and the age of your car. I guess you have the 'Haynes' one rather than the 'Chilton' one. Does it talk about air con??!!

[miti-babe]

As I already mentioned that I bought it direct from Haynes and seeing as how every other post I've sent in this string has mentioned my use of a Haynes manual... you might safely assume that it's a Haynes manual I'm using...

Yes, it covers the air conditioning... but be sure that your medication is up to date before attemting any complex maintenance, won't you?

[stjoolzz]

Actually I went to the Haynes site and both were available direct from Haynes (which is why I mentioned them both) ;)

I seems a bit bizarre to me that they have both considering one (Chilton) covers the same time period and more as the other.

[bluewhale]

Big thanks to you miti-babe, your details of oil + plug change was superb, havent done it yet but i`ll let you know how it goes.

p.s. are you sure its a Haynes manual you have ho.ho.

[stjoolzz]

So funny my guts have spilt over the floor!

Anyway, I will probably invest in a book as you obviously found it helpful. I may just go for the Chilton one that Haynes are pedalling as it covers my year (though it is an extra fiver).