Previa

[STU610]

HELLO THERE MY NAME IS STU610 AND HAVE JUST SINGED UP DUE TO ANEW ARRIVAL IN MY FAMILY WE NEED TO GET A LARGER CAR WE ARE THINKING OF A PREVIA HAVE ABOUT £2000 TO SPEND WOULD LOVE SOME ADDVICE ON WHATS GOOD AND WHATS BAD HAVE HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT IMPORTS I WILL DOING THIS BY THE END OF MARCH THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP

[sarahjaneking]

Hi Stu,

I have a 1992 toyota lucida (previa import) cost me £1600 and is fantastic, i went for the import as i wanted a diesel this is a 2.2TD as most are, auto gearbox and had only 63,000 miles on the clock, try and get one with a dual core radiator fitted to avoid head problems in the future, although getting this done yourself is only around £150, parts are easy to come by on eBay and from various suppliers round the country and are not that expensive, if you have time import one yourself (takes around 10 weeks) and you will save loads mine was bought through a private sale, i have 2 sunroofs (one electric) air con, cd player, cool hot box, electric curtains and all sorts of goodies,

hope this helps

sarah

HELLO THERE MY NAME IS STU610 AND HAVE JUST SINGED UP DUE TO ANEW ARRIVAL IN MY FAMILY WE NEED TO GET A LARGER CAR WE ARE THINKING OF A PREVIA HAVE ABOUT £2000 TO SPEND WOULD LOVE SOME ADDVICE ON WHATS GOOD AND WHATS BAD HAVE HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT IMPORTS I WILL DOING THIS BY THE END OF MARCH THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP

[STU610]

Hi Stu,

I have a 1992 toyota lucida (previa import) cost me £1600 and is fantastic, i went for the import as i wanted a diesel this is a 2.2TD as most are, auto gearbox and had only 63,000 miles on the clock, try and get one with a dual core radiator fitted to avoid head problems in the future, although getting this done yourself is only around £150, parts are easy to come by on ebay and from various suppliers round the country and are not that expensive, if you have time import one yourself (takes around 10 weeks) and you will save loads mine was bought through a private sale, i have 2 sunroofs (one electric) air con, cd player, cool hot box, electric curtains and all sorts of goodies,

hope this helps

sarah THANK YOU FOR THE ADVICE SO FAR THE MORE THE BETTER ARE THEY CHEAP TO RUN IS PETROL BETTER THAN DIESEL AND ALSO LIKE I SAID WILL HAVE ABOUT £2000 TO SPEND IS THERE ANY THING TO STEER CLEAR OF :) THANKS ONCE AGAIN

HELLO THERE MY NAME IS STU610 AND HAVE JUST SINGED UP DUE TO ANEW ARRIVAL IN MY FAMILY WE NEED TO GET A LARGER CAR WE ARE THINKING OF A PREVIA HAVE ABOUT £2000 TO SPEND WOULD LOVE SOME ADDVICE ON WHATS GOOD AND WHATS BAD HAVE HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT IMPORTS I WILL DOING THIS BY THE END OF MARCH THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP

[martin1]

Hi Stu610, I have a 1991 Previa 2.4 petrol paid just over £500 for it off eBay and has done over 200,000 miles and I am well pleased with it.

Petrol versus Diesel.......

Petrol returns roughly 25-30mpg

Diesel returns roughly 30-35mpg I believe

Petrol costs 105p a litre

Diesel engine can run on upto 100% veg oil purchased off the supermarket shelf or recycled from the local chippy.

Petrol, if well maintained will have less chance of suffering with a cracked head, diesels can fall foul of this condition due to the cooling around no4 cylinder, a device is available to give early warning of this but you are looking at about 1400 for a new head and gaskets.

There are plenty of cheap Chinese gaskets and heads on the market but these are a short time fix and not really worth the money.

Like I say I know some who have never suffered with a cracked head and others who have so it is something to bear in mind with the diesel import.

I am a petrol head myself so would go for the petrol engine any time.

[STU610]

Hi Stu610, I have a 1991 Previa 2.4 petrol paid just over £500 for it off ebay and has done over 200,000 miles and I am well pleased with it.

Petrol versus Diesel.......

Petrol returns roughly 25-30mpg

Diesel returns roughly 30-35mpg I believe

Petrol costs 105p a litre

Diesel engine can run on upto 100% veg oil purchased off the supermarket shelf or recycled from the local chippy.

Petrol, if well maintained will have less chance of suffering with a cracked head, diesels can fall foul of this condition due to the cooling around no4 cylinder, a device is available to give early warning of this but you are looking at about 1400 for a new head and gaskets.

There are plenty of cheap Chinese gaskets and heads on the market but these are a short time fix and not really worth the money.

Like I say I know some who have never suffered with a cracked head and others who have so it is something to bear in mind with the diesel import.

I am a petrol head myself so would go for the petrol engine any time.THANK YOU FOR THE ADVICE AS YOU MIGHT HAVE READ THAT I'M NOT PLANING TO DO THIS CHANGE OF TRANSPORT UNTIL THE END OF MARCH HAVE SEEN ALOT OF PREVIAS IN DEALERS BUT NOT MANY DIESELS THEY SEEMS TO BE HARD TO COME BY HAVE LOOKED ON EBAY THE OTHER NIGHT SEEMS TO BE ALOT ON THERE BUT A BIT OF A WORRY ON GETTING IT ON EBAY DO YOU THINK PRIVATE OR DEALERSELLER

[martin1]

Private or Dealer?

Both have their pros and cons, a private seller could be cheaper but you have no recourse if anything goes wrong.

Dealer should give you certain warranties and you have a course to follow if anything goes wrong in a short space of time but can be more expensive than a private seller.

I bought the Previa off eBay without seeing it (in a way very foolish) and was pleasantly surprised when I did first set eyes on it, it came with a service history, I took a chance and it worked it doesn't always!

[propnut]

Stay AWAY from the diesels. They have a fundamental design flaw in the cylinder head that eventually will lead them to crack. When this happens you better make sure that

a. You are a mechanic and can fix it yourself

or

b. You have at least £2000 to throw at the car.

Other folk will come on and tell you contrary but they will not be willing to pay your repair bill when it happens and NOTE the term WHEN not IF.

ASK yourself WHY there are so many on eBay.

1. Dealers are importing the, cheap from Japan. They can no longer be used over there as they can no longer get through the Japanese MoT called the shaken test. These guys are importing them at next to nothing and then asking stupid prices for a 15 year old car.

2. Private people have bought them, the car has started overheating, they have realised how much it is going to cost them to fix and so have filled the radiator with a temp fix solution and are now getting shod of the car.

Believe me or disbelieve me I don't care its your money

[sarahjaneking]

with a quote like that from propnut i just had to rise to the challenge.

firstly a new fitted cylinder head is around £1250 not two grand

secondly proper maintenance of the cooling system keeps your head in one piece, as i have already advised change to a dual core radiator, the radiators in the imports can't cope, they clog and your head cracks

thirdly, i have twice been told by the rac that my head has gone, the 1st time it was the water pump and the 2nd time i just needed a new cap on my radiator, basically if it ever overheats they will tell you it is the head gasket or the cylinder head, they even have a nice little colour changing test to prove it - unfortunately they don't really know how to use them and will leave it in (in my case ) for over 20 mins in which case it will always change colour due to the atmosphere and not because of gases that are actually in your system, if your head or gasket is gone you will have steam coming out the back and trouble starting - especially if you have lost enough coolant to overheat as only a thimblefull in the head will cause problems - the car has got a bad rep for it and people now see the chance to make money out of you

fourthly, never ever mix toyota red with another coolant, if you suspect toyota red has been used flush thoroughly first as it does not mix, will jellify, clog your radiator and crack your head

fifthly, several estima owners have driven over 50,000 miles after using k-seal (never ever radweld) and then changing the radiator when the head is already cracked

sixthly go to the estima owners club and see what people there say, also look around you the roads are full of them

there are advantages and disadvantages to both cars, i would go and look at both types in your price range and whichever you go for look to only spend £1500 so you have some in reserve for repairs, if you have a decent local mechanic buy your parts online as the kwik-fits and Halfords of this world charge way over the odds, and if you are looking at a diesel check out the state of the cooling system and radiator, foam in the header tank is a no no, if they've put a brand new radiator on to sell it ask yourself why, always go for a test drive and check out the temp gauge it should never get to half way - as it's not your fuel take overdrive off and put ect on so you can really thrash it

all the best sarah (proud lucida owner for several years and mine came with a japanese MOT)

[sarahjaneking]

probably shouldn't say it here but the mitsubishi delicas are pretty good :-)

[propnut]

Oh yes, I forgot to mention be careful of dealers posing as owners claiming how wonderful these cars are. You will find that they will also try and sell you

Mazda Bongos

Nissan Largo's

Mitsubishi's

Nissan El Grandes

and numerous other imports.

What's more you will also find that numerous individuals on certain import forums who in addition to being importers and clearly having a vested interest in promoting these cars also run a nice sideline in parts for these cars.....hmmmm no further incentive there then ?????

Yes look around at the various forums and see how many people have them. also see how many are suffering or have suffered with a cracked head, blown turbo, snapped cam belts etc etc

Now when you buy one and take it to Toyota UK for repair most will tell you they don't touch imports. Then you will go to the forums where upon...yes indeed you will find one or two "specialists" in these cars who run a very nice business fixing them. You will also find these same folk telling you that there is NOOOO inherent problem with these cars.......but hey we will fix them for you.

Then go onto eBay and see what is the MOST common and prolific head for sale.. I believe you will find it is the Toyota 3CT-3CT-TE head..which funnily enough is the head for ....yes you guessed it the Toyota Estima/Lucida/Emina. BUT GEEEE there is no problem........so why so many f******g heads for sale.

Now do a search for a head for the Previa 2TZ-FE head and see how many in comparison come up ??

I am telling you and others reading this information to SAVE you from a BIG expensive white elephant, one that YOU WILL NEVER RECOUP your losses on. I am not selling or promoting anything and if you scan my posts here and on other forums under the same user name there too you will find that I sell nothing and promote nothing. I have been rebuilding cars for over 30 years and have done numerous of these cars for friends who wouldn't listen when I told them NOT to buy the thing.

If you want a reliable Toyota stick with the Petrol Previa

It is larger, has NO cracked cylinder head issues. The cylinder head gaskets do blow on high mileage units but every Toyota garage will work on them for you and the cost is a fraction of a comparable job on the imports. ALL parts are readily available on the shelf at 99% of auto factors and most certainly at Toyota UK. THERE IS NO CAMBELT TO CHANGE OR SNAP. These engines use a cam chain that outlasts the car in most cases. The consumption is not great but neither is that on the diesels with the bulk of diesel owners overstating their true consumption. However the knowledge of knowing you are driving something that is NOT going to see you sitting on the side of the road is priceless.

Best of luck on whatever decision you make.

[sarahjaneking]

Hey Propnut,

sorry if i caused offence, believe me i have no interest in selling these things i've got four kids and that keeps me busy enough, great info on the cambelt though, having chain instead is definetely a big plus in my book, let's face it in the unlikely event that it goes you will hear it before any further damage is done (unlike my renault scenic - i thought someone had started a pneumatic drill next to me and that had only done 38K with regular dealer servicing), so although i drive a lucy i reckon that's a biggie in favour of the prev. I wasn't trying to say that cracked heads are never a problem, and lucys probably do have more go, but i reckon it is down to their inferior (yes i did say inferior about my car) cooling system which is why i changed mine, just out of interest as at the time the main reason for my choice in car was low mileage what sort of mileage would be raesonable in the petrol prev before you get problems?

all the best

sarah

[propnut]

Sarah

Here are the facts.

The diesel engine fitted to your car is a retrofit. It was designed for the Corolla's, Camry's and Picnic (probably a few others) BUT NOT for a mid engined placement. In this position the engine is subjected to far higher heat stress's than a front mounted engine which in addition to the cooling supplied by the water in the jacket is cooled by the natural flow of air circulating around it.

Now a simple point of fact, and I am sure that the Toyota mechanics on this forum will back me up, is that the other cars I have mentioned using the same engine suffer only a fraction of the number of cracked heads as in the Estima's. Ergo the problem would seem to be primarily in regard to heat stress. NOW the problem is you cannot resolve the heat stress just by putting in a double cored radiator as the physics involved are more complex. Water, even water under pressure can only conduct a given amount of heat. Irrespective of how much water is in the radiator, the pipes that it has to flow along remain a constant as too does the thermostat which by its very nature is a choke point designed to keep the engine at a given temperature.

Now with that in mind you still have the same amount of water flowing through the head at the same rate but you DO NOT have the auxiliary cooling supplied by airflow and as such you end up with hot spots. This causes expansion, severe expansion and contraction over time causes cracking. Now I am not saying that is the sole cause but the facts remain the same head on the same engine in other cars DOES NOT crack with the same degree of regularity.

NOW the Previa engine, the 2TZ-FE, engine is NOT used any any other car. It was 100% totally and only designed for its application and as such does NOT suffer cracked heads. Blown head gaskets on these is truly a statistic common to all old cars of the same age. Gaskets will blow that is a given but Previa's have been known to go upwards of 200,000 miles (320,000KMs) without having a gasket blow. Compare this with the 50 - 80,000 miles (80 - 130,000kms) that Estima'[s start showing their issues.

On the point of your low mileage statement I do NOT for one minute believe the mileages quoted on the Imports. Once again I draw your attention to the Previa which apart from the engine is essentially the exact same car and uses 99% the exact same components. Point in fact the SADS bushes on the Estima's , and again pointing to your own forums, seems to be something known to go at mileages under the claimed 90,000miles (140,000KM's) This is the exact same part that on a Previa hardly ever seems to go and yet most Previa's have done over 120,000Miles (200,000Kms). So you seem like an intelligent woman so you do the deduction.

Part goes on a supposed low mileage car and yet same part on guaranteed very high mileage car keeps going......does this make sense.

Now I have heard the argument about....oh well its all down to driving conditions in Japan, stop start etc etc. RUBBISH, I have been to Japan and there is no difference to the driving conditions there to any of the large city centres in the the UK. Drive around the inner M25 during a weekday and see how much stop starting you do.

So yes the imports do look lovely in comparison with most Previa's and outwardly are very appealing and generally high spec. BUT all the glistens is NOT GOLD. I give the !Removed! 10/10 for the way they keep their cars externally but I personally don't believe all is as portrayed as mechanically my suspicions are not without merit.

Now I have 3 kids one of whom is a baby and even as someone who is mechanically astute have found myself waiting for the AA on the side of the road. I certainly would not wish that danger on anyone with a young family and knowing what I know about the imported Estima range of cars will continue to dissuade people from purchasing them. It is just simply unfair to place that burden on a young family most of whom probably cannot afford the costs associated with the purchase of the car never mind the repair bill when it goes wrong.

[STU610]

THANK YOU HOPE THAT I'VE NOT STIRRED ANY BAD FEELINGS BETWEEN ANYBODY THERE SEEMS ALOT TO CHOOSE FROM THE ADVICE THAT YOU PEOPLE ARE SENDING IS SO MUCH MORE THAN I EXPECTED AND FOR THAT I THANK YOU I'M SLOWLY READING THROUGH IT IN BETWEEN CHANGING NAPPIES ON OUR NEW BABY DAUGHTER SO IF I FORGET TO REPLY STRAIGHT AWAY FORGIVE ME I WILL REPLY AS SOON AS I GET AROUND TO IT

[propnut]

THANK YOU HOPE THAT I'VE NOT STIRRED ANY BAD FEELINGS BETWEEN ANYBODY THERE SEEMS ALOT TO CHOOSE FROM THE ADVICE THAT YOU PEOPLE ARE SENDING IS SO MUCH MORE THAN I EXPECTED AND FOR THAT I THANK YOU I'M SLOWLY READING THROUGH IT IN BETWEEN CHANGING NAPPIES ON OUR NEW BABY DAUGHTER SO IF I FORGET TO REPLY STRAIGHT AWAY FORGIVE ME I WILL REPLY AS SOON AS I GET AROUND TO IT

All the best with the baby mate, I know just how you feel. The wife and I after thinking that our 11 and 13 year old were just about old enough to allow us to start enjoying life found out that we were back at square one. The arrival of my son heralded the need to purchase my Previa. Out of all the people carriers I looked at and trust me I went through the entire list the Previa offered the best overall gain in comfort, space and handling. Trust me it is the ONLY people carrier capable of seating 8 passengers and still having ample space for luggage.

Now all what I said above is based purely on the diesel engined Estima Lucida's and Estima Emina's . These cars whilst looking very similar to a Previa are 110mm narrower and were made specifically for the Asian market to get around the complex road tax regimes in those countries (namely Japan) which are based among other things on the width of the vehicle.

They DO come with a Petrol option which is the exact same 2TZ-FE engine found in the Previa.

In fact the Estima's came in 3 models the two I have mentioned above and one just called the ESTIMA (no other name on the car) This is 100% exactly the same as the UK Previa in every respect including the Petrol engine. So if you want all the fancy gadgets associated with an Import but want the reliability of the Petrol engine have a look for one of these.

Cheers

[STU610]

THANK YOU HOPE THAT I'VE NOT STIRRED ANY BAD FEELINGS BETWEEN ANYBODY THERE SEEMS ALOT TO CHOOSE FROM THE ADVICE THAT YOU PEOPLE ARE SENDING IS SO MUCH MORE THAN I EXPECTED AND FOR THAT I THANK YOU I'M SLOWLY READING THROUGH IT IN BETWEEN CHANGING NAPPIES ON OUR NEW BABY DAUGHTER SO IF I FORGET TO REPLY STRAIGHT AWAY FORGIVE ME I WILL REPLY AS SOON AS I GET AROUND TO IT

All the best with the baby mate, I know just how you feel. The wife and I after thinking that our 11 and 13 year old were just about old enough to allow us to start enjoying life found out that we were back at square one. The arrival of my son heralded the need to purchase my Previa. Out of all the people carriers I looked at and trust me I went through the entire list the Previa offered the best overall gain in comfort, space and handling. Trust me it is the ONLY people carrier capable of seating 8 passengers and still having ample space for luggage.

Now all what I said above is based purely on the diesel engined Estima Lucida's and Estima Emina's . These cars whilst looking very similar to a Previa are 110mm narrower and were made specifically for the Asian market to get around the complex road tax regimes in those countries (namely Japan) which are based among other things on the width of the vehicle.

They DO come with a Petrol option which is the exact same 2TZ-FE engine found in the Previa.

In fact the Estima's came in 3 models the two I have mentioned above and one just called the ESTIMA (no other name on the car) This is 100% exactly the same as the UK Previa in every respect including the Petrol engine. So if you want all the fancy gadgets associated with an Import but want the reliability of the Petrol engine have a look for one of these.

Cheers

THANK YOU NEW BABY DAUGHTER WAS 12 WEEKS PREM AND IS HOME AND SAFE AFTER 10 WEEKS IN SPECAIL CARE ALSO HAVE SIX YEAR OLD AND A 20 MONTH OLD

[propnut]

STU, with such a young family you need to consider the practicalities of a vehicle and one of these is the ease of getting such young kids in and out of a car. Thinking of your poor wife upon whom no doubt the biggest day to day burden will be laid you should factor in the ease of getting kids in and out of a car. In this vein unfortunately I am going to have to give all the cars mentioned above a 3/10.

The reason for such a low score is that they only have 1 sliding door. Now a sliding door is an absolute must especially in tight parking spaces BUT ideally you want one on either side of the car to aid getting the youngest ones into their car sets without having to clamber into the car. The thing you need to consider is what is your prime requirement for buying an MPV. Is it mainly for carrying space e.g. 5 passengers and lots of luggage (prams etc) and only carry 7/8 passengers (e.g. in laws) on the occasional basis. Or will you need to carry lots of luggae and the in laws on a regular basis. If the former I would argue that you could probably do with an MPV that perhaps doesn't have so much luggage space with all seats up but allows unfettered access from both sides of the car and gives you plenty of boot space with the rear most seats stowed away.

Either way better options are available for you

1. Chrysler Grand Voyager (long wheelbase) - For a really big MPV with sliding doors on both sides and plenty of room with all seats up

2. Renault Grand Espace

3. Fiat Ulyssee (same car as Citroen Synergie and Peugeot 806)

NOTE I have not mentioned the new shape Previa, a beautiful car no doubt but read through this forum to discover its own (expensive) little peculiarity. Follow the thread regarding the engine management light.

In summary consider the points I have raised and take a look at numerous different MPV's before deciding and most importantly let your wife have the practicality say. Also do research on each cars own little trouble spot and yes they all have one, some are just more expensive than others. There are many options in your price range, don't just go for the cheapest.

[STU610]

THANK YOU FOR YOUR MESSAGE I WILL READ IT IN DEPTH LATER

[sarahjaneking]

ing a weekday and see how much stop starting you do.

So yes the imports do look lovely in comparison with most Previa's and outwardly are very appealing and generally high spec. BUT all the glistens is NOT GOLD. I give the !Removed! 10/10 for the way they keep their cars externally but I personally don't believe all is as portrayed as mechanically my suspicions are not without merit.

Now I have 3 kids one of whom is a baby and even as someone who is mechanically astute have found myself waiting for the AA on the side of the road. I certainly would not wish that danger on anyone with a young family and knowing what I know about the imported Estima range of cars will continue to dissuade people from purchasing them. It is just simply unfair to place that burden on a young family most of whom probably cannot afford the costs associated with the purchase of the car never mind the repair bill when it goes wrong.

[sarahjaneking]

HI STu And Propnut,

i'm obviously having a bad day already as i just posted half a quote LOL - oh well.

Don't worry Stu no bad feelings here thanks to propnut i have some very interesting info about my car, the sad thing is that i pretty much new most of it i just hadn't put it all together - i can only assume that having 4 kids has finally turned my mind to mush :-( and we both totally agree on MPG quoted for diesels, those quoting 40mpg and the like have obviously forgotten that their odometer is in km :-)

I'm not sure how old your kids are or how many, as i say i have 4 aged 1&2 and 6&7, the third was a surprise and the fourth a really really big surprise. Now as they are all in car seats fitting 3 across is possible but not safe or wise, until 2009 you can have the middle child without a car seat but not after then, also you must never use a car seat with a lapbelt - so if yours are all young you will need to check that in 2009 you can fit in all their cubikats on proper belts. I went for the larger MPV as i go shopping with all the kids and quite frankly the smaller mpv's (vauxhall sintra etc) didn't have enough boot space for my shopping when i had all the seats up. Having one sliding door can be a bit of a pain but as i am only 5' tall i can practically stand up in these things so i don't find it to much of a problem and sliding doors are totally the best in car parks.

Anyway hope your day goes well, and good luck with the little one - hope we haven't done your head in :-)

Propnut, i would really love some more advice from your goodself, is it ok to send you a message? and by the way many thyanks for treating me like a reasonably intelligent human, as a mum of 4 living in stretford this never ever happens.

One last quick thought Stu, I live in manchester and all the cars close to me were expensive as competition was high, however if i went about 15 miles out to smaller towns the prices dropped dramatically, i don't know where you are but if you live in a city this may be worth bearing in mind when you are looking

all the best

sarah

[STU610]

GOOD MORNING THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPLY I LIVE IN ESSEX

[STU610]

PS 2 BOYS AGED 6 YEARS AND 20 MONTHS AND THE NEW BABY DAUGHTER

[propnut]

Hi Sarah

No problem, I am always happy to give advice and buy the way the dealer comment above was not aimed at you. Your comment about the Mitsubishi's just reminded me of the ruse that many of the importers/dealers use to solicit business on these forums.

My Advice is free of charge and I always try and be as unbiased as possible. I do not however repair or offer to repair cars for people, I have enough to do with my own 3 cars and all my wifes friends who are always at the door with "hey your husband used to be a mechanic......would he mind looking at my car I have a SMALL problem". The SMALL problem generally turns out to be an anything but little issue for which they have been quoted a small fortune by a garage to fix and muppet here spends his weekends peering into an engine bay. What's more I cannot, and it is simply impossible to, make accurate diagnosis from the end of a keyboard. All I can do is pass suggestions as to what the possible cause of problems may be based on the reported symptoms.

What I do however is try and educate people into repairing cars for themselves. I don't care about your gender, willingness to learn, an interest and a few tools are all that is required. Mechanics will always try and lead you to believe that there is some mystic wizardry surrounding cars and only they have the requisite mark on the forehead bestowing them with the divine power to wield aforementioned mystic art.

Well were this the truth becoming a mechanic would require a University degree, not a 4 year apprenticeship and some time at college.

Now having said that there is no substitute for experience and a mechanic that does his job each and every day has that in bucket loads. Unfortunately a great many of the mechanics of today are simply part changers that rely on computers for their diagnostics. Whilst these tools are extremely useful they have diluted the mechanics ability to diagnose without them. This is why public experience with garages varies wildly from the exceptionally great to the exceptionally poor. I was absolutely astounded a short while ago to encounter a young and recently qualified mechanic who had never done a complete engine rebuild, did not know what plastigauge was and did not know how to use a micrometer. Never mind if you don't know what I am talking about you are not supposed to.

What is however essential is the correct information in the shape of a decent workshop manual and here again is where I take issue with 99% of imports. There is simply no available english based technical documentation. Sure some guys have done a great effort into creating tutorials but this is not the same. There is no substitute for a decent Haynes (or similar) manual that not only explains everything well and concisely but covers the whole car front to back.

My wife is an accountant but she can and has done complete car rebuilds, one of which was fitting a 3.0L V6 engine to an old back wheel drive ford escort, uprating the suspension and brakes, modifying the gearbox adapter plate to suit, refitting the radiator firewall to compensate for the larger engine and fitting electric cooling fans instead of the old belt driven unit.

[sarahjaneking]

Hi Propnut,

that's just the sort of advice i'm after, i think asking you to come from camberley to manchester would be a bit mean but i could do with a few tips, i think i need to change my atf fluid but with three ill kids at the mo i haven't had chance to check it and i reckon the 4th will be ill soon as it so often happens. Just a quickie for now, are the petrol estimas also narrow, it's not a cosmetic thing it is just that where i live i once got a ticket as wing mirror was hanging over the parking bay line and i was right next to the kerb, obviously i now fold it in but if a prev is 11cm wider i think that would give me problems

all the best

sarah

[sarahjaneking]

Hi Stu610,

a new baby daughter to go with your little boys eh, i have 2 of each and in my experience girls are much less capable at climbing gates and wrecking tv's, however they are really cheeky when they get to about 4 :-)

all the best sarah

[propnut]

Sarah

The Petrol Lucida's are identical to your car. Just to cover off the models again

Lucida and Emina = narrow body normally fitted with 2.2TD but also available with the Petrol 2.4L engine

Estima/Previa = wide bodied (5 .5cm either side wider than the other two) as far as I know only ever fitted with 2.4 petrol

So here's the thing. You have your car and its running fine so just keep it until something goes wrong. There are a few, and here I must highlight FEW, that seem to just run and run. Yours may well be one of these. If god forbid the head should crack you then must decide if it is worth spending whatever it is you get quoted to do the job. You must factor in

1. What you initially paid for it

2. How long you have had it before it broke - from this you can amortise what the car has really cost you over the year e.g. you bought it for 2000 and have had it for 4 years trouble free hence the car has cost you 500/year. Not bad really if this is close to the truth. But here you also need to factor in all the costs over the 4 years including servicing.

3. Then weigh the figure from point 2 against the cost of repair and then gauge if after the repair the car lasts say another 4 years would you get a similar return.

If the figures weigh up in your favour get it repaired, if not get rid of the car and look for something else. Truly though I don't believe I would recommend either a Previa or one of the Imports for anyone who is not mechanically minded or who doesn't have bottomless pockets.

With regard to changing the ATF, it is an easy enough job. You will need a draining tray (of at least 5 litres capacity) a spanner of the correct size (don't remember off the top of my head but think it is a 14mm), a funnel and a 5 litre container of Dexron II ATF. In actual fact a simple drain should only shed around 2.5 litres from the box. Service intervals are every 30,000 miles between changes and there is actually a filter in the gearbox but one would need to have a bot of mechanical experience before changing that.

As a mum of 4 I would certainly recommend you buy your husband/partner a set of coveralls, hand him the spanner, print out this link and tell him to get on with it.

http://www.autozone.com/az/cds/en_us/09008...irInfoPages.htm

It is for the Previa but both cars are identical as far the the AT goes.