LeftFootBrake's White GTS AT

[primetime]

Hey LeftFootBrake, I thought there was already someone who integrated their headunit on the 86 with a rear vision camera?

[LeftFootBrake]

Originally Posted by primetime

Hey LeftFootBrake, I thought there was already someone who integrated their headunit on the 86 with a rear vision camera?

Thanks and no doubt. But I'm not looking to add lipstick to a pig, which is why I said I was frustrated.

Originally Posted by LeftFootBrake

• Reverse parking (parallel or bay) when using the SAE side mirror technique isn't the easiest thing in the world. I'm frustrated we're in limbo re car head unit devices at the moment because I can't wait to integrate a rear vision camera.

[trinitron]

Does turning on sports mode make the car less gripped to the road during turns? Or does it just change the gear changes

[Captain Snooze]

Originally Posted by LeftFootBrake

Reverse parking (parallel or bay) when using the SAE side mirror technique isn't the easiest thing in the world.

Would you please elaborate on that?

[LeftFootBrake]

Originally Posted by trinitron

Does turning on sports mode make the car less gripped to the road during turns? Or does it just change the gear changes

There's a bunch of different buttons: Sports, Vehicle Stability Control, Traction Control and Snow. They do different things...
The Sport mode alters transmission behaviour when in "D" transmission mode (where a computer algorithm is choosing your gear). Precisely what else it does is all a bit of a mystery. Does it change throttle response? Does it change VSC Sports mode behaviour? Why can you turn it on whilst the transmission is in "Manual mode"? All still officially unanswered questions.
The Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) modes are On/Sports/Off, respectively permitting increased degrees of yaw (ie. drifting/sliding).
There's then a separate Traction Control mode, which prohibits wheel slip from standstill, unless turned off.
Finally, Snow mode uses 2nd gear for take offs and shifting characteristics that help eliminate traction loss.

Originally Posted by Captain Snooze

Would you please elaborate on: [Reverse parking (parallel or bay) when using the SAE side mirror technique isn't the easiest thing in the world]?

Sure, the SAE technique is described here: How To Adjust Your Mirrors to Avoid Blind Spots. I find it provides better visibility when driving but worse when parking. I continue to use it, but sometimes manually adjust my left mirror whilst reverse parking to help get close to curb without rash. But I'm a rusty reverse parker at the moment as I hardly ever need to do it and probably just need to go and do some practice.

[LeftFootBrake]

As I might hold onto this car for a very long time to come I'm wondering whether it might be wise to change my oil more frequently than the prescribed interval.

At around 4,500km is it still too early to bother getting a UOA done? Or should I just save the coin and change the oil, regardless? Or should I just wait for the first service and let the dealer do it?

Regarding DIY, can those of you experienced in these matters help me out (I'm a complete noob) in understanding exactly what equipment, including any recommended brands, I'll need to do a good job? Wrenches/ramps/valves/gloves and so forth.

Regarding the oil and filter consumables themselves, I intend to just stick with manufacturer items at the moment, so should I just rock up to my local dealer or is there a better/cheaper way to go about it?

(I am familiar with this great thread, discovered from the great diy directory, but would appreciate some local thoughts.)

[os86]

Originally Posted by LeftFootBrake

As I might hold onto this car for a very long time to come I'm wondering whether it might be wise to change my oil more frequently than the prescribed interval.

At around 4,500km is it still too early to bother getting a UOA done? Or should I just save the coin and change the oil, regardless? Or should I just wait for the first service and let the dealer do it?

Regarding DIY, can those of you experienced in these matters help me out (I'm a complete noob) in understanding exactly what equipment, including any recommended brands, I'll need to do a good job? Wrenches/ramps/valves/gloves and so forth.

Regarding the oil and filter consumables themselves, I intend to just stick with manufacturer items at the moment, so should I just rock up to my local dealer or is there a better/cheaper way to go about it?

(I am familiar with this great thread, discovered from the great diy directory, but would appreciate some local thoughts.)

change the oil every 5k ~ 7k depending on how hard you are driving the car. Its fairly straightforward changing oil in most cars especially with the 86 as the Oil filter is right there.

1) jack the car up and remove under tray , normally a 10mm bolts
2) undo sump bolt drain oil, usually a 14mm or 17mm, not sure on the fa20
3) undo oil filter from the top, and replace with new filter

I am sure there is a full version floating on the net somewhere with exact bolts and stuff but this is the basics.

You can purchase the oil and filter directly from Subaru - Oil is @ $102 and filter $17 and get some tools and DIY. Or pay a mechanic $50 to change it over for peace of mind.

Tools
You need basic tools, like a ratchet, sockets( 8mm ~ 20mm kit), spanner kit, decent jack , funnel ( to pour the oil in). I recommend snap on tool or king chrome as they will last you forever. You need a basic kit nothing too flashy . No need for car stands as you will complicate things with balancing the car on them.

Hope this helps.

[ZZT86]

Originally Posted by LeftFootBrake

As I might hold onto this car for a very long time to come I'm wondering whether it might be wise to change my oil more frequently than the prescribed interval.

Personally I have always done an oil change every 5K on me zzt231R Celica, and every 10K with an engine flush additive always using the rec 10W30 oil with the view to long term ownership. Have now had the car 11.5yrs since day 1 and I can honestly say it has been magnificent - it has now done 301,000 k's, 60% highway !

It still sings all the way to the rev-limiter @ 8.5K rpm, doesn't ever ping & uses very little oil, very solid & sounds great. Recently the VVTi controller failed on it which luckily meant I only needed a new one plus a cam cover (it punched a hole in it) and I got my Toyota dealer who I've known for almost 20 years to repair it and they reckon the engine was like new ! No black tarnish or sludge anywhere - I have pics.

Sure it's more costly to do regular oil changes (especially 0W20 synthetic which the 86 uses) but the most important service aspect of any engine is its oil, the cleaner it is the longer the engine will last. The 2ZZ-GE still makes me smile today when I rev it to 8.5K - has been a great car !

[LeftFootBrake]

May return to the oil topic later. Thanks for the posts so far. I, being the aforementioned noob I am, didn't think about just using a jack rather than ramps. That, alone, may make DIY a more reasonable proposition.

Anyway, reason for this post is the attached picture, showing the results of a very recent Fifth Gear test of different UK fuels in a Golf GTI Mk6.
I welcome experts to chime in on whether (1) UK -v- aus refinery differences; (2) engine differences (compression ratios, turbo -v- NA) combine to render this info invalid for us. Regardless, Vicky didn't reckon you'd notice a difference between any of them on public roads (but she could on the track).

Oh, and in the same episode Plato reviews the 86. But I figured everyone's bored of reviews by now, so why waste anyone's time with his thoughts.

[ZZT86]

I'm a fussy kinda guy, especially when it comes to me car. I have also always used 98 octane Shell Optimax now VPower with the 2ZZ-GE engine and I can't really fault it.

A while ago Fast Fours & Rotaries did similar testing with our fuels and also found VPower to be the most potent.

[Cappuccino]

Originally Posted by os86

change the oil every 5k ~ 7k depending on how hard you are driving the car. Its fairly straightforward changing oil in most cars especially with the 86 as the Oil filter is right there.

1) jack the car up and remove under tray , normally a 10mm bolts
2) undo sump bolt drain oil, usually a 14mm or 17mm, not sure on the fa20
3) undo oil filter from the top, and replace with new filter

I am sure there is a full version floating on the net somewhere with exact bolts and stuff but this is the basics.

You can purchase the oil and filter directly from Subaru - Oil is @ $102 and filter $17 and get some tools and DIY. Or pay a mechanic $50 to change it over for peace of mind.

Tools
You need basic tools, like a ratchet, sockets( 8mm ~ 20mm kit), spanner kit, decent jack , funnel ( to pour the oil in). I recommend snap on tool or king chrome as they will last you forever. You need a basic kit nothing too flashy . No need for car stands as you will complicate things with balancing the car on them.

Hope this helps.

Its even easier on the 86 no need to remove a tray the metal undertray actually has a whole to get to the sump which is a 14mm bolt. Jack the car up crack the sump bolt and drain. Easiest oil change ever.

[os86]

Originally Posted by Cappuccino

Its even easier on the 86 no need to remove a tray the metal undertray actually has a whole to get to the sump which is a 14mm bolt. Jack the car up crack the sump bolt and drain. Easiest oil change ever.

Oh that is good to know, I haven't got the car yet, but assumed the under tray had to come off. Must be a decent size hole down there

[Surok]

get a fumoto sump plug ball valve while you are at it. it is 100% worth it no regrets.

[LeftFootBrake]

This morning I was dismayed to discover Toyota's interior design department have come up with this abomination:

Source: http://www.autospies.com/news/PARIS-...NTERIOR-72633/

The sheer amount of hopelessness in this interior concept is staggering. A concept should show vision, and in this regard they haven't come close. Instead, they have shallowly re-jigged existing approaches, which mostly just serves to ironically advertise their lack of ergonomic design capability (assuming we don't go on to discover that there are an assortment of hidden haptic feedback and natural input sensors not covered by the article).

I feel a moral imperative to rant against such hopelessness. Why? Well, I know it sounds like a disproportionate response to a mere concept vehicle, but like everyone else on this forum, I enjoy driving and I enjoy the freedom to be allowed to drive. But I also feel threatened by the possibility of autonomous vehicles being forced upon us in the not too distant future by the narrow-minded health-and-safety crowd.

Toyota, you have only just rediscovered the courage to produce a car whose dynamic characteristics have been deliberately designed to safely encourage and nurture drivers to find their limits. The marketplace is voting very positively on this and is rewarding you handsomely for it. Now is the time to augment this by hiring some serious talent into your interior design department before it's too late. Or publicly announce you're creating open standards that the mobile device manufacturers of today and the augmented reality providers (of 2013/14/15) will easily plug into.

But please don't continue to be proud of outcomes that appear to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory through flagrant displays of interior design cluelessness. I personally wouldn't care about any of this if it weren't for the fact you appear to have found your dynamics game again, but since you have I'd rather you didn't do your best to go the way of Nokia/Blockbuster by being blind to your weakest link.

(Related reading: http://worrydream.com/ABriefRantOnTh...ractionDesign/)