T180 Clutch Ok? Mpg!

[mad_dog]

Hi All,

I am in the process of buying a 06 T180. During the test drive I found the clutch biting point very low (stalled it twice, with the wife in the car :censor: , is this normal or are any known issues / recalls etc that I can get the dealer to do before I collect the car?

Also the feedback for MPG from fellow ravers is worrying, how can Toyota claim 40+ combined? Why is it that bad my BMW 330CD does 38-44MPG and that has 30 more BHP and a few more torques.

Cheers

Mad Dog

[bothwell_buyer]

Hi All,

I am in the process of buying a 06 T180. During the test drive I found the clutch biting point very low (stalled it twice, with the wife in the car :censor: , is this normal or are any known issues / recalls etc that I can get the dealer to do before I collect the car?

Also the feedback for MPG from fellow ravers is worrying, how can Toyota claim 40+ combined? Why is it that bad my BMW 330CD does 38-44MPG and that has 30 more BHP and a few more torques.

Cheers

Mad Dog

Aptly named ma man...... being mad here helps.

A wee question - dis yer BMW have 4 wheel drive? Cos that swallows some fuel. Course the advantage is that the 4 wheel drive is far more stable on the road. Ye pays yer money .......

What miles has the RAV done - if its biting low disnae that tell ye that the clutch is maybe no quite right - or perhaps yer used tae yer ain clutch etc etc Mind the RAV clutch has tae put doon the hp ontae 4 wheels an so the transmission strain will be mair than yer slidy BMW = a possibly stronger clutch.

I've used my 94 RAV wi diff lock on standing quarter mile sprints an barely managed tae get the wheels tae spin yet still getting 2 secons launch time 60'. An watched BMWs hover aroon tha start line in ma mirror. The T180 is running up aroon 180bhp????

I get 21mpg frae ma RAV or a wee bit less if sprinting. The accelaration is oot o this world. If yer looking fur mair than 40mpg, buy a bike oar a Kia Pride?

[The Iceman]

Hey mad dog, I've read comments before about low T180 biting point, can't say I really noticed but I did stall her a couple of times in the first week. Regards fuel I'm sure if you drove like a saint all the time you'd get your 40 mpg average but how long could you keep that up?

[bomber06]

Hi Mad Dog

I bought my 06 T180 back in November last year. I know exactly what you mean about the clutch. I also stalled twice on my test drive. The dealer described the T180 clutch as being "Snappy" and assured my it was something I would get used, which I did after a day or so in the car.

What I would say is that I find the clutch quite heavy, especially when stop starting in traffic, but I suppose the car warrants a heavy clutch given the bhp and torque.

As for the mpg. I am a little dissapointed with what I am achieving. When I first got the RAV I was only getting 33-35 mpg, but these days I am getting around an average of 37-38 mpg.

I suppose another thing you might want to consider, is the cost of replacement tyres. I have been quoted £150 + £10 fitting by local dealership for a straight replacement (wear + tare), but if you happen to have puncture and you drive with the flat you most probably need to replace the inner ring of the tyre, and given that you only have the option of going to a Toyota dealership to change the this, you are looking at another £150 on top i.e. £300 for a full replacement.

If you do a search there are loads of posts about this topic.

BUT..overall I am really happy with the car!

[Robert6920]

Welcome, Mad dog. Yes, the clutch does bite early and it takes a bit of getting used to, but once you do, it's fine. Was reminded of this "trait" when my daughter came over for the weekend and drove the Rav4 for the first time. There's some info/comment on clutch travel here

Happy motoring!

[cc.gibson]

I got a T180 (ex-demo) and was also told about the clutch (low and snappy) biting point. As others have said I stalled it a few times at first but then got used to it.

Then I took the car in to a different dealership (for an unrelated repair) and within 10 minutes of them having it I got a phone call to say they were replacing the clutch (no cost to me!) as it was not 'right'. Their mechanic had driven it and said it was one of a group of clutches for the T180 that were unacceptable.

As for the mpg. Toyota's figures are complete rubbish. I have for the last 4 months worked it out very accurately. I have driven like a complete saint for whole weeks on end and cruised along on any even slight hill! Doing a normal commute (mostly free flowing A roads) the best mpg I have 'achieved' ('achieved', as it is my goal to get somewhere near 42mpg as toyota claim) in the real world is 34mpg over about 200 miles.

Hope this helps!

[mad_dog]

Hi All,

Thank you for the replies - point taken about the 4 wheel drive and its affect on MPG and yer I wouldnt have bought the T if I was too worried about MPG or a £35 road tax bill :)

Hey cc.gibson do you know if there was a recall on the T180 that prompted the replacement? The car I am aquiring is a May 06 with 20k on the clock.

While I still got my cash and have a position of power over the sales guy I want to make the most of it.

Bomber 06 its interesting what you say about tires, is that for run flats? Do you know if you can swap to normal tyres and for that rare event of a flat just have a can of foam?

I'll do some fishing on here as well. What mileage did you get out of the set? The thread is lower on the front and could probably do with a axial swap to prolong life.

Cheers Steve

[dave.m]

Hi All,

Thank you for the replies - point taken about the 4 wheel drive and its affect on MPG

Cheers Steve

Your Rav will allways be in four wheel drive when you pick away, but when you get above 30 MPH it automatically

reverts to front wheel drive. This is one of the advantages a 4.3 has over a 4.2 when it comes to fuel consumption.

[Fujisan]

Bomber 06 its interesting what you say about tires, is that for run flats? Do you know if you can swap to normal tyres and for that rare event of a flat just have a can of foam?

Steve,

Have a read of post 3 here, for an excellent description of the T180's run flat system and why most T180 owner's are wary about swapping to normal tyres (if at all possible without new wheels as well)

[cc.gibson]

Don't think it was a recall as far as i know.

The car went in to have the rain sensor replaced but RRG Rochdale phoned as soon as their mechanic drove the car. He said the clutch shouldn't be like that, they'd done a few similar ones.

The selling garage (not RRG) had said it was almost a 'feature' of the car! Hadn't ever really bothered me but the new clutch is far easier to live with!