Scorpiorefugee

I'm not sure if yours is the 115 engine but, if it is, a common problem is the water pump impeller. Under low load/ sub 60mph in cool weather they can run without overheating but at heavier loads they do overheat. Daft as it sounds, they can cope with standing and heavy traffic reasonably well too. It is a well documented problem but there are lots of other causes, overchipping, head gasket and thermostat to name a few. Personally, I've always found that head gasket failure is brought on by ignoring or not noticing a problem like this but again, that is far from the rule. Water pump impeller problems are quite a common problem on cars these days since they started using plastic ones. I had one go on a 93 BMW 525 but there was no way that was going far until it was fixed. My 02 galaxy brought me home from Cornwall (200 miles) at a steady 60 (and 57MPG) when that one went. This doesn't seem to work with the earlier 110 engine.

Richard. I decided to order one as the garage man said the old one was blowing out of the diaphragm and once it had been removed they would have to push it in and out until we sorted a replacement so I thought it was the simplest way out. I shall report back but it may take a week or so to assess it. I hope you don't mind but I passed your comments and link on to a more recent topic as it semmed very relevant. It certainly seems that this could be a useful mod if a little expensive for the parts provided but I suppost that it is not unreasonable for High quality low volume products. Also, having looked at comments on other forums, it seems that the after sales support is very good.

I hope Richard won't mind this quote as I found it very useful. Follow the link and you might find this interesting and also worth a visit to the manufacturer's site for a fuller description. The bad news is that I have been trying to contact them without success. PS - Quick update - Just got a reply and ordered item at

Thanks again for your interest Richard. The story is a litle complicated. The garage is working on this piecemeal as they are very busy and I have no immediate need for the vehicle but they have said that there seems to be exhaust leakage though the diaphragm and it is doubtful if anything can be done with it It certainly seems to be making quite severe exhaust blowing noises and getting rapidly worse. However, it may well be worth trying to block it off as you suggest. It does seem that irrepairable failure is s bit unusual. I'll ask them to give it a try. I've had a look at the item details that you recommended and it all sounds too good to be true. Dou you have any experience of these things?

O.K. - Diagnosed now - EGR valve shot. Best price garage can fine one is is

And I can't remember anyway but thanks fellers, I guess I'm off the hook. But. if I found it, it can't be that hard anyway. ^_^

Ecxessive fuel consumption can be misleading. I always run my vehicles full to empty but a good guide is to fill up at the same pump on a regular basis and do a test 100 miles or so down a motorway at a steady 60 when you should need less than 10 litres to top up. 15mpg sound horrendous. If you are losing it it sould be very evident. If you are wasting it and not getting black smoke, something must be getting pretty hot or you're spending a lot of time in thick traffic. Even with a combination of the usual fuel wasting problems I can't imagine 15mpg.

This all sounds very expensive when you can buy the interface and basic software on ebay for about

This is beginning to sound expensive.... Exhaust and cat removed and very little exhaust gas coming out - seems blocked. It sounds like the turbo has disintegrated or something else (???) is blocking it. Has anyone any experience of this?

Sorted. Simple really. It was all caused by a kink in the feed pipe to the pump. The original had been wrecked in the impact that destroyed the pump and as a direct replacement wasn't readily available and I needed to get it mobile again the garage had fitted a piece of normal rubber hose as used for heater plumbing etc. I just couldn't believe the racket it was all causing and the stares from pedestrians. I can't imagine what some unscrupulous garages would have invented to charge for to fix it.

Thanks Richard, It certainly sounds like that sort of area. I've got it booked in for a service on Monday so I'll ask them to look at that. I've tangled with my old 110 AFN unit in that area but I've never had to go near this one and I justdon't have the time right now.

Hi, I'm glad you got it sorted. Just to put it in perspective, I had a problem on mine where the timing kept going to 25 degrees advanced. Now that was scary. I should think that the odd degree wouldn't have caused too much trouble. the daft thing is that mine sorted iself out eventually, but only after accidentally putting 5 litres of unleaded in by accident. I suppose that made the computer reassess its future. :wacko:

Thanks SeatKid, Please.... anything, I'm too busy dashing back and forth to hospital, doing cleaning, washing, cooking and ironing to get too involved at the moment. Re the steering box, I agree. The old pump was fine until it got bumped. Sadly, there is no trade in value on it so it's full whack for a recon and I saw those at about

After a longish spell of trouble free motoring it's all going wrong. Gal no 1 (110 bhp) has steering problems still unresolved. - previous post. Gal no 2 (52 115) has now developed a problem somewhere round the turbo/exhaust. there is some loss of power but the garage has had a quick look and can see nothing obvious. SWMBO has complained of a slight noise for about a year but she is now in hospital and the noise has got a lot worse, although I did 300 miles yesterday without further deterioration. I'm now down to her pristine Picasso and if I break that I'm in serious trouble so I'm hoping someone can give me a bit of guidance here before I set the garage loose on it. The garage who are totally trustworthy have had a look but, in spite of blocking the exhause to build pressure and revving against the clutch, couldn't see where it was coming from. ???? please.

Thanks Seven Up, That all sounds a bit more expensive than my old crate is worth. Hopefully, mine shouldn't be the same because the old pump hadn't failed, just ripped off it's brackets and mounting castings broke. It is just possible that the S/H replacement has done its worst though. Question, did yours make the noise and was it still working?

Someone sent me this a while ago. It is a good read. www.ucando.net/tdieng.pdf

A few weeks ago I had a bit of a coming together with one of those infernal rising barrier thingies. The intercom and call button had failed and been replaced with a temprary one about 9" from the floor meaning that I had to open the door, get down on my knees and talk to the operator. Of course,by the time I got back in the car, the posts had dropped out of sight and the red light was hidden behing the windscreen/door pillar. Net result one wrecked tyre (New!) wrecked steering pump, undertray and a few other things bent. After 2000 miles with no power steering it is all now fixed but after a couple of days I now have this unearthly noise coming from the steering which is definitely tied to the steeering pump rotation but seems to be coming more from the direction of the rack. It started as a whine, developed into a loud rattly moan and has now gone a bit qieter again. It drives OK but it is possible to feel a vibration through the steering wheel when on load which is in step with the noise which seems louder in the car than outside. Any thoughts please, and after the above I expect I shall deserve any flack that comes my way. ;)

I'm a little late coming in on this but I had a coming together with a rising barrier post at about the time your trouble started. I wrecked a perfectly good pump and only a bit of help from an AA man (I'm with Green Flag) got me the 200 miles home with a short (650mm) belt driving just the water pump. I've since found a SH replacement on EBay for

I like to keep things simple but MAFs can do some strange things. As far as I can see, if you disconnect it the only thing that may help is that, if the results are consistent, hen the MAF is probably faulty. When mine went on the 110 AFN, disconnecting it made little difference but when I fitted it to my 115 Ghia it ran like a Ford Popular and disconnecting it actually improve things. Since then, I have had some codes suggesting a faulty MAF but it is going so well I am going to leave it. In your case, it may be worth trying one just to prove a point. I'd behappy to lend you mine if you lived in North Worcs.

SeatKid, It does feel a bit fuelish in the way it picks up when it finally starts but that doesn't fit in with the fact that it will always start on the button if left for an hour or so. It does seem to be restricted to the AFN engine. It seems to be something that just starts and then stays consitent thereafter. I.e, it is not progressive as in leaky pipe etc. The trouble is that it doesnt cause more than a little annoyance and always when it is inconvenient to experiment . Never mind. Another 250k and I can get rid of it. :P

Several points. You must forget BMW520 for comparisons. If you try to start with less than 1500rpm and don't use a gentle clutch it will stall. For comparison, on a level ground in 5th with 1 or no passengers you should get 50 to 70 in about 12 seconds or better. If it dies above 3000 rpm your MAF is probably shot. You should get 45mpg on a run if you stick to the limits. If it's a 110 version it is the AFN engine and it is totally different from the 115 and considerably different from the 90. And finally, Take note of SeatKid, he knows these motors well. Good luck with it and, if it has problems, stick with it, don't let garages experiment at your expense and don't chuck money at it until you're sure it's the right thing to do. I got mine with a few problems but got them sorted with help from this site and after 4 years it is now at 230K and it got it's MOT with commendations.

This seems to be a bit of a variation on the common problem whereby they take 10 seconds of steady cranking to start when warm. I have had this for about 3 years on an old '98 AFN engine and others have reported similar problems but no solutions, The only good news is that, if you just crank it until it starts, it usually will but it can take a while and it doesn't seem to get worse.

I think there must be several different faults here. New battery - didn't cure mine. Mine actually has to be warm - several miles before it has trouble starting. Mine will start fine when warm if I leave it for a few minutes. My troublesome cranking time is a predictable 5 seconds and has never varied in 3 years. It doesn't fire, hiccup or do anything and it seems like a lot longer and only faith makes me leave it cranking until it fires and it always does,.........so far :lol: Others have reported similar symptoms but always with significant differences. My only thought is that it is some sort of safety/protection 'feature' which is idicative of another fault, like excess fuel getting in somewhere or lack of oil or something completely different. It really needs someone who really knows the control system to come up with a 'feature' which stops an engine firing up and then to come up with a list of things that will cause it to come into play. Someone out there must have an answer to this but has probably never suffered it so perhaps doesn't realise the significance. Or, just maybe, it is a 'feature' that is supposed to get us so pi$$ed off with the old crates that we give up and buy a new one. :lol:

Yes, the first time is always the worst but there is one compensation. The spare will still be there, unlike some - Picasso for instance, where here is s good chance that it will be on someone elses motor when you need it. Personally, I cannot understand why, on balance, it is not better to have an inside spare storage where it can easily be checked and will not disappear or corrode to to point of being useless before you can use it.

I looks like you have another proffession to add to the list of the untrustworthy. Like, Solicitors, Bankers, Politicians, Newspaper columnists, ...... More important now, how are you getting on with your Toyota?