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fasteye

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Everything posted by fasteye

  1. All my main jobs are engine related really now. I guess I really should get the engine out for ease but it seems a big job compared to old classic cars which were a breeze in comparison. Some of the parts differ from the Supra as I've been looking for replacement parts and part numbers and being a VVTI lump it's only the later model owners who may possibly answer some queries. Ideally I'd love an expert on these engines to be able to come and help or do the work or find someone local but given a lot of my issues now are fixing up issues or bodges done by local garages that had no experience of the engine, I'm thinking I've either got to figure it out myself or put it on a recovery truck and take it somewhere which would add a whole lot more cost. It's a good car but really in need of a bit of care.
  2. I still have my V300 after 21 years. It's been off the road for 2 years. Since the other Aristo website died I've found it very difficult to find people with good knowledge of the cars, part numbers for things that need replacing and how to attack some of the jobs I have to do. I'm finding many of the jobs on this car are only easier if you have the tools and the experience of doing them. Would love to connect with other owners on here with these to figure out how to get jobs done and it back on the road.
  3. This was a major spill like with oil pouring out almost as fast as if if the sump plug is removed. Left a trail of oil on the road and the undertray and under the car is covered with dripping oil. I'm wondering if it could be the oil seal on the oil pump gone.
  4. My 98 Aristo V300 decided to empty the contents of the sump on the road yesterday. I haven't had a chance to take apart and find the source and when the AA came out they said basically everything is so covered in oil dripping from everywhere it's hard to tell, they just loaded it up and brought it back. Engine was still running with no noises prior to me turning the engine off and not overheating. Any thoughts on the first places to look or anyone aware of common failure points which make the 2JZ-GTE engine let go like this? It was due an oil change but it wasn't the way I had in mind!
  5. Hi probsat, How did the Neutons wear? I'm looking for some new tyres to fit some on my Aristo which eats even the expensive ones very quickly. Wondered if these were worth a punt. I've seen the extra load ones advertised.
  6. The smoke is very grey and it smokes heavily on startup and whilst idling. If you accelerate it leaves a large grey cloud drifting down the road. It does smell. I was thinking today it reminded me a bit of when I used to put Redex into my old Cortina, similar smell too. To my knowledge though nothing like that has been used by the garage. When started today, it was still smoking a bit when warm which was worrying but it hadn't been started for a month. The oil put in I'm told was Shell Helix Ultra 5w 40. It is using a bit of oil but then it always has and I've had the car practically since new (8,000 miles) .
  7. Firstly Happy New Year to you all! I've had my 98 Aristo Vertex v300 for ten years now and loved every minute of it however it's recently hit on hard times and I'm desperately trying to get it back on the road and fixed up. Any advice from anyone on here welcomed. The problem started on a trip to Cardiff last year, the oil light came on whilst on the M4 so I pulled into the next services, bought some oil, put it in and drove on. The oil light had gone off. Somewhere near Swindon the car just cut out, and I cruised over to the hard shoulder and was evertually picked up by the AA and brought back to home by them. They had suspected the cambelt had broken which I thought was odd given the mileage (around 50,000) however I arranged for a local garage whom I know personally to pick up and look at it. It turns out the oil had turned to very thick black sludge and they suspected this had led to a cam seizing and then the timing slipped and the car stalled. The cambelt was still in good order but I had it replaced anyway. The oil problem it seems was due to a different garage using the wrong type of oil when the service was done several months previously and hence the whole thing had sludged. Obviously I don't know the extent of the damage. The engine was flushed several times, the filters and cambelt changed and fresh oil put in. The engine starts and runs fine and quiet however on start up particularly, plumes of grey smoke pour out of the car until it warms up and then it subsides. There is quite a smell too. The car still passes the MOT emissions apparently however I'm worried whether this means the engine has terminal damage or whether it's turbos, blocked breathers, valve stem seals or even a symptom of whatever was flushed through. The car has not been run other than on my drive since all this was done. Do I just need to run it for a while or will I do serious damage to the cat or other parts of the engine if I don't sort this first? There is seemly a lack of expert services for this type of car in my area so I've turned to the good people on this forum. If there are any things I could try or my local garage could do I'd like to do those before trailering it off somewhere for major surgery.
  8. Colin is spot on. I've had my Mk II Aristo V300 now for the past 4 years and I did quite a bit of research on the models before I bought mine. Spares are pretty easy to come by and I've managed to get all spares (filters, plugs, pads etc.) from the local Lexus dealer. Not all Lexus dealers will touch these cars for servicing though and make sure that if you are looking to buy, that the car has the BIMTA Certificate of Authenticity. There are quite a few stolen Aristo's imported into the UK. The only points which I've noticed can cause problems and to watch for are the conversion of the speedo - The electrics are quite sensitive and it needs a good conversion to take off the limit on the Cruise control. The other is the ARS (Automatic Rear Steering) which can be problematic and seems to increase rear tyre wear. I'm struggling to find someone who can align this for me on my car as I have to change tyres every 3-4 months. As far as Insurance goes - I have insured through Direct Line, Privilege and Tescos which are really one and the same but you can get better deals by shopping between them each year. They definately do recognise and cover the Aristo V300 Vertex. Insurance is never cheap though!
  9. Looks like you are right - Although it wasn't at the MIN level, topping up has got rid of the light. I really need to learn Japanese so I can understand these warning messages!
  10. No, it was an ignition problem. All sorted now though. I am pleased as I thought I might be looking at a big bill.
  11. Car now running again, thanks for the help. Just the tyre shredding problem to deal with now. Anyone know of any dealers/specialists who can sort out alignment on 4 wheel steer cars around the London area?
  12. My handbrake warning light has begun to come on when my car is slowing down. It's coupled with a message in Japanese on the fuel computer which I'm unable to read. Anyone know what this means? Is it a brake pad low warning or something more serious? I seem to have a lot of problems to sort out at the moment :duh:
  13. My car has decided it won't start today and it sounds kinda funny when turning over. It doesn't feel right and the pitch of the engine turning over seems higher. Theres fuel getting through (I can smell it) and the starter is going. Funny this is that I can't tell if the engine is turning over with it. Theres no attempt at ignition and I don't know where to start with this beast of an engine. Anyone got any advice on what to try? I know it's a vague question but I'm not really sure where to start. Could the Cam belt have gone?
  14. I'd really be interested in anyone in the UK that can sort this out and the cost involved. My 98 Aristo is also eating rear tyres and shredding them on the inside edges on the wheels. It could well be that the rear steering rack is shot. The front tyres also wear heavily on the inside. I live in Surrey but would travel a reasonable distance to get this sorted.
  15. I have called pretty much all the major Insurance and specialist insurers the last couple of years that I've owned the car and Direct Line (or their sister companies) were really the only ones to come up with a quote less than £1500- if they will even entertain the car at all. I've been a Direct Line customer on and off for 8 years or so and have had to make claims from them before. Never had anywhere near the problems you describe - if fact I'd have to say they dealt with the accident that was not my fault and where my car was written off in a very professional manner although my car was not as new as the one described (3 years old). My brother works in a car bodyshop and according to him Direct Line are not the worst he has to deal with although he says a high proportion of cars are now written off rather than repaired due to the cost of parts and labour. Can't wait to see what kind of quote I can get through the club scheme though - The cost of insurance is probably the worst part of owning the car.
  16. Super Unleaded is best in my opinion - big gains in smoothess and performance when using this over normal unleaded. I've steered away from Optimax now - I had problems with the sensors on the engine when I'd ran with this a couple of times and although I can't categorically say the fuel was the problem, I haven't had any problems since I've stopped using it some 8 months ago.
  17. I have to say I use the tiptronic or E-shift a lot of the time. My journey to work takes me through a lot of traffic and is very start stop. I like being able to change down and use engine braking to slow the car particulary for roundabouts as it's a heavy car. Likewise when crawling in traffic, changing into the lower gears helps me to not have to keep me pressing the brake pedal all the time in slow moving traffic or from switching between drive and neutral. I'd have to say I would miss it.
  18. I've insured with Privilege (Part of Direct Line) previously but found out that Tesco's Insurance was cheaper this year. Still costs me an arm and a leg though. Hopefully when my Gold membership goes through then I can see if the club insurance helps. Most insurance companies don't want to know. I'm still paying in excess of £1000 for my 98 Aristo V300 Vertex even though I'm over 30 with 8 years no claims and no points. I'd be interested if anyone has found a way to keep the cost down legit.
  19. I'm also interested in having the converter on my Aristo V300 Vertex I currently have 'replaced'. I believe it to be the cause of some intermittant 'electrical problems' (see other post). My car is also de-limited although cruise is still limited to 70Mph. I would not undertake this work myself but would be interested in a unit which is proven to work and could be fitted by someone who knows what they're doing.
  20. I seem to remember reading somewhere that the Jap Sat Nav in imported V300's is not compatible to work over here, I could be wrong though.
  21. I have very intermittant problems with my speedo which also affects other circuits including the Automatic rear steering (ARS) and power steering. I suspect the box connected to the speedo which is doing the conversion from KMh. Does anyone know of any good import specialists in the Greater London / Surrey area who won't rip me off to fix this?? The other annoying thing bugging me is that I get a message in Japanese which I think is telling me that the brake lights in the boot lid are not working (they have been converted to fog lights). Is there anyway of suppressing this error? It only occurs the first time I put my foot on the brake pedal. I do not have the TV/SAT NAV model, it only the fuel computer and climate control controls. Other than that I've owned the car for 2 years and it's great. 100% reliable and a relaxed drive. Fortunately I got my car checked out by Toyota and it's an import via a japanese auction.
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