Questions From A New Owner

January 18, 2007

I have just bought a 97 RAV4 GX 3 door which has done 80K miles and has a full Tpyotas service history. It drives superbly on the road but has a few anoyins aspects such as being quite noisy and a rather agriculural transmission. Having ever ever driven hatchbacks I don't know if this is normal with RAV4s.

Can someone give their impressions of the RAV4 please.

January 18, 2007

I have just bought a 97 RAV4 GX 3 door which has done 80K miles and has a full Tpyotas service history. It drives superbly on the road but has a few anoyins aspects such as being quite noisy and a rather agriculural transmission. Having ever ever driven hatchbacks I don't know if this is normal with RAV4s.
Can someone give their impressions of the RAV4 please.

My transmission on my D4D in the morning is a little ruff well I mean not as smooth..but once the temp is up all is nice and slick... RAV's like to be started then driven after say 2 minutes... gives me time to open the gate on the drive, plug in phone and away..... Wife like to change gear as if she's stirring soup... :ffs: :ffs: forgets about 5th gear as well... so she stays in her car now :yahoo: :yahoo:

The RAV came into it's own tonight what with dodging all the fallen trees and wading through flooded roads.

It's no hot hatch but I love the high up driving position and comfort..

:thumbsup:

January 19, 2007

I have just bought a 97 RAV4 GX 3 door which has done 80K miles and has a full Tpyotas service history. It drives superbly on the road but has a few anoyins aspects such as being quite noisy and a rather agriculural transmission. Having ever ever driven hatchbacks I don't know if this is normal with RAV4s.
Can someone give their impressions of the RAV4 please.

My '94 RAV4 developed more noise in the 'cockpit' after a new clutch was fitted. I think they missed out refitting a sound pad or something and I ended up putting in sound deadening pads in various places myself. On the '94 model for example, there are no sound deadening fitted on rear wheel arches and very little on the doors. The other thing with a 10 yr old car is perhaps the rubber seals around the doors?

B)

January 21, 2007

I have had a good look at the car this weekend and I found daylight in the foot well coming from the engine compartment!!!! :eek:

There appears to be some sort of gaiter around where the steering column goes through the bulk head and it is badly perished thus letting in lots of noise. Looking at it I cannot help thinking that there is something missing like another gaiter. Can any one take a photo of the area or post a diagram from a workshop manual for what is supposed to be there?

However I will probably fix it by fitting one of those split CV gaiters and I am sure that the RAV 4 driving experience will suddenly be a lot quiter.

January 22, 2007

I have had a good look at the car this weekend and I found daylight in the foot well coming from the engine compartment!!!!
There appears to be some sort of gaiter around where the steering column goes through the bulk head and it is badly perished thus letting in lots of noise. Looking at it I cannot help thinking that there is something missing like another gaiter. Can any one take a photo of the area or post a diagram from a workshop manual for what is supposed to be there?
However I will probably fix it by fitting one of those split CV gaiters and I am sure that the RAV 4 driving experience will suddenly be a lot quiter.

Mike

You can find the entire workshop manual on the Toyota Publications website. It costs you €3.00 (about £2.50) for an hour but you can get through an awful lot of stuff in that time :thumbsup: