Toyota Garage Experience, Noisy Vios, And A Clueless Diagnosis

[magpie3]

I had a fan belt go the other day and was lucky to find a shop/garage to replace it within 15 minutes of driving and after stopping the car once immediately after the overheat indicator showed. Cost 700 baht.

This prompted me to get the car checked because I had heard a clicking noise for a few weeks which I attributed to something near the offside wheel. I was lazy and didn't consider the possible causes as it;s been a while since I was doing my own repairs and I just reported the noise along with the fanbelt incident and asked them to check the car and service it for the 120000 km it has done.

They diagnosed a rubber bush in the "wing" - which is what I would call the wishbone (rightly or wrongly) - and recommended cleaning the aircon and replacing the battery and oil. They also said the water marks under the car meant the water pump was leaking and needed replacing.

I queried the battery as the car was starting ok and they used their meter and tested the fluid to show at least one cell was marginal - and I accepted that and chose to accept the aircon clean and oil.

However, I was not about to accept that one of the 5 or six bushes (which he tried unsuccessfully to convince and show me was split) was the cause of the knocking noise and I reminded them that the car had overheated a week earlier - my reasoning that the water was most likely from the pressure releif valve. Embarrased faces all round - me included for having to explain all this to a major garage's mechanics who were adamant that the bush was "cracking" - although it was impossible to see when on the ramp.

I took one guy for a spin and he immediately diagnosed a driveshaft problem

Here is the kicker - they want 16000 baht materials to repair each side plus labour which could be the best part of £800 in my money.

Does anyone have any experience of the costs of this repair and whether this is reasonable?

I'm not comfortable with the idea of dealing with them now but may not have any option as it's the devil I know.

Any feedback on the quote they gave would be appreciated

[MoonRiverOasis]

So it's a CV joint then?

If so, 16K + time sounds horribly expensive for a VIOS, but you should do both sides even if it's only one side playing up now.

And if the CV's are gone in 120K with just 109HP, it would appear you've been giving it some beans

[Kwasaki]

Neglect or thrashing does em in.

This may help but for prices shop around is the onlt thing one can do.

http://www.aa1car.com/library/cvjoint2.htm

[magpie3]

So it's a CV joint then?

If so, 16K + time sounds horribly expensive for a VIOS, but you should do both sides even if it's only one side playing up now.

And if the CV's are gone in 120K with just 109HP, it would appear you've been giving it some beans

Neglect or thrashing does em in.

This may help but for prices shop around is the onlt thing one can do.

http://www.aa1car.co...ry/cvjoint2.htm

Thanks for the replies.

I agree - 120k seems a short lifespan and I'm planning a second mechanics opinion since getting your feedback. Not sure about neglect - can the cv joints be greased on the vios?

I can't say I tootle along, unless I'm in the mass traffic jams, but some of the roads may have had an impact - it can be like driving in a quarry sometimes. As we are in LOS for 6 months per year we share the car with my sister-in-law but I never had her down as a leadboot race freak - although not the opposite either.

For some reason she now wants to opt out of our "you maintain it and we'll buy it" arrangement.

[magpie3]

PS

Kawasaki

Thanks for the link - useful!

[JAS21]

Hi ... I don't know where you are but there is a fitter at our local Eagle Store Garage... on Chaeng Wattana just before its junction with Prachachuen Road and on the opposite side of the road to Makro ... I have been very impressed with this guy and as a plus the owner (K.Pod) speaks english.

[wandrinstar]

120 Klics is <deleted> unless theres a MFG Fault.. As Kwakers infers any descent Tire Plus, or Eagle can slam new ones in for peanuts..We have em go every day on the reps cars, in fact the Taxi chaps take them to Cockpit for a chat. off duty.

[transam]

Yes, it's a rip off , have learned that let the mrs take the ride in for diagnosis and cost.

[MoonRiverOasis]

I agree - 120k seems a short lifespan and I'm planning a second mechanics opinion since getting your feedback. Not sure about neglect - can the cv joints be greased on the vios?

I can't say I tootle along, unless I'm in the mass traffic jams, but some of the roads may have had an impact - it can be like driving in a quarry sometimes. As we are in LOS for 6 months per year we share the car with my sister-in-law but I never had her down as a leadboot race freak - although not the opposite either.

For some reason she now wants to opt out of our "you maintain it and we'll buy it" arrangement.

Regular bumps and thumps from sealed roads in a 109HP car won't take out your CV's in 120K - to do that in a car like a VIOS, you need to give it a very concerted thrashing on an extremely bad surface - it's the combination of max throttle/torque and switching from full traction to no traction, and back again that does them in the fastest.

You'd normally expect about double that lifespan under 'normal' driving conditions - but then again, I could take a brand new VIOS down to a paddock and have the CV's clacking like mofo's in 15 mins or so, if it wasn't my car and that's what I wanted to acheieve But it also probably wouldn't drive straight anymore, the underside of the car and the engine skid pan would have some telltale scrapes and dents, heh.

On a less sadistic note, you might want to inspect the rubber boots that protect the CV's - if they're damaged, that could explain the CV's premature death. And yes, they definitely want grease, and without added dirt/animals/trees

If they look OK though, I'm thinking your sister in law probably has a brother who needed to borrow the car.... And her backing out of whatever deal it is you made probably means she knows what happened too

[wandrinstar]

I meant every 500 K , in the Mens Cars. not every week , the Ladies never have them go ive just been informed.

[katabeachbum]

I agree - 120k seems a short lifespan and I'm planning a second mechanics opinion since getting your feedback. Not sure about neglect - can the cv joints be greased on the vios?

I can't say I tootle along, unless I'm in the mass traffic jams, but some of the roads may have had an impact - it can be like driving in a quarry sometimes. As we are in LOS for 6 months per year we share the car with my sister-in-law but I never had her down as a leadboot race freak - although not the opposite either.

For some reason she now wants to opt out of our "you maintain it and we'll buy it" arrangement.

Regular bumps and thumps from sealed roads in a 109HP car won't take out your CV's in 120K - to do that in a car like a VIOS, you need to give it a very concerted thrashing on an extremely bad surface - it's the combination of max throttle/torque and switching from full traction to no traction, and back again that does them in the fastest.

You'd normally expect about double that lifespan under 'normal' driving conditions - but then again, I could take a brand new VIOS down to a paddock and have the CV's clacking like mofo's in 15 mins or so, if it wasn't my car and that's what I wanted to acheieve But it also probably wouldn't drive straight anymore, the underside of the car and the engine skid pan would have some telltale scrapes and dents, heh.

On a less sadistic note, you might want to inspect the rubber boots that protect the CV's - if they're damaged, that could explain the CV's premature death. And yes, they definitely want grease, and without added dirt/animals/trees

If they look OK though, I'm thinking your sister in law probably has a brother who needed to borrow the car.... And her backing out of whatever deal it is you made probably means she knows what happened too

agreed, rubber boots has let dust/sand in, or its been beaten to death

last one kinda hard in a sluggish auto vios.

these cars are popular as taxis back home, as an estate, and they do +400k km of beating without hazzle

[wandrinstar]

Advice from our Big Truck Thai Guy. Vios / Jaz /City same same. Many foreget rubber cone on top of front strut. Nock Nock , N/S wheel bearing die quick ,200 Klics like nearside Choke. Thats Thai for Shockers. We send them to Tyre Plus,its cheaper , we cant track and balance here and Me To Busy. He drives one of our old Cities he bought for 225K , its 9 years old and been round the World 10 times.. Big Thai Grin when i mentioned the O.P. Kms. and estimate. '' Stupid Ting'', was his last comment, but then he could be referring to me. Hope that give you some Ball Park figures and ideas.