Auto Gearbox And Brake Servo Problem

December 11, 2007

Well, we've now got our Avensis back from the bodyshop after I pranged it (see this thread http://toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.p...howtopic=72443) but I've now got more problems :angry:

Firstly, when I put my foot on the brake pedal I can hear a hissing sound. I'm told that this is a problem with the brake servo and that I need a repair kit. I only found this out tonight so haven't had a chance to call to a local car parts shop to see if I can get one there or if it's going to be a "main dealer only" part - but I'll bet it's the latter and I'll have to sell a kidney to get it.

While I'm in hospital selling the kidney, they may as well take a lung and the pancreas as well, to go along with the arm and a leg that repair or replacement of the automatic gearbox is going to cost :fear:

We only had the car for about two and a half months before I pranged it and in that time we went on holiday to my sister-in-law's place in France in it and did a fair bit of running around, probably covering about 4,000 miles before the accident. All in all, I was very happy with it but had a slight little niggle that it just didn't seem to be quite right, gearbox-wise, but I convinced myself that it was just down to the fact that I had to get used to it because, although I've been driving automatics for 20 years, they've all been 2.8litre engines or above (Granada 2.8i Ghia X, Rover 800 Sterling (x2), Nissan QX 3.0 SEL), all far faster and more "luxury" than the 2.0 Avensis.

I don't suppose there can be a quick, cheap, easy-to-fix reason for the gearbox to be slipping, can there? I've had the transmission fluid drained and replaced while clutching at a box of straws - fluid that came out was darker than when I checked it on the forecourt before buying the car. Any ideas what's wrong and how much it's going to cost to fix?

I'm beginning to wish they'd written it off now instead of repairing it :censor:

PS should have said that this is a 2.0 VVTi Avensis Estate 51 plate (Nov 2001) with 81,285 on the clock