GR Yaris Duke's bus

[Duke]

Just realised it's been a year since collection, and some 18,000 happy km covered.

The hesitation issue hasn't returned, so that looks like being solved.

Summers back on a few weeks ago, two new PS4S for the rear as one was damaged. Will get the summer out of the front two, then they'll probably need replaced as well. Very happy to see the wear was nice and even on the winters too.

Nearly scraped an allow yestrday though, heard an awful graunching noise pulling in to pick my daughter up from volleyball, but can't see any damage. Maybe just scuffed the tyre

Got a Dragy and did some test 50-130 km/h runs to see what an almost stock car does. Am now going to apply the updated map and see what difference that makes, if any. For science!

Finally bought front camber bolts (Powerflex) and have an appointment in May to have them fitted and the full alignment done , using the commonly-shared fast road settings.

Need to book it in for its second service too, will hopefully be on top form for going to Le Mans, and then the Alps trip in June. Can't wait.

Here's to Year two!

 

[Duke]

Changed front discs and pads at about 32,000 km. Not too bad considering I drive like a tit, and they managed the 2022 Alps trip and Nürburgring.

The discs apparently had a bit of life left in them (not put calipers on them yet to confirm) but thought what the hell, if I'm going to get my hands dirty I might as well do both.

 

[Duke]

Finally, I am able to use the horn!

Bought a two-tone Hella kit but only installed the 400 Hz one to see what it’s like. It’s so much better than the piddly little OEM one I think I’ll just leave it.

Ended up managing without removing the bumper.

Removed the connector using a couple of long screwdrivers, cut the tape that bound the cable, then pushed it up through a suitable gap in the shroud above the radiator.



Just installed the new horn by the top bumper mount using one of the supplied brackets. Perfect fit, and the horn itself points directly out the gap in the grille so will suffer less attenuation than the existing one.



Only thing I wasn’t able to do with this method is remove the old horn, so my car is now about 235 g heavier then before

 

[Duke]

And I eventually got the right combination of sockets, adapters and extensions to be able to check the spark plugs.

They look fine, no difference between cylinders, but the gaps were too tight; about 0.6-0.65 mm. These are the plugs fitted from the factory.

Cyl 1


Cyl 2


Cyl 3


Opened them up to 0.7 mm and went for a drive. Much better starting, it caught immediately, and the pickup is slightly if tangibly improved.

I still have the ruthenium plugs on their way, but as they are now these plugs seems to be okay after their little fettle so they’ll stay in a bit longer.

 

[Duke]

Swapped to the ruthenium plugs before the Euro trip, marginal difference if any compared to the properly gapped ones! Kept the OEM ones as spares.

Service at about 39,500 km before I set off.

Applied the Ecutek phoneflash remap in a hotel car park in Saint-Affrique and really benefited from the added thrust for the rest of the trip. Highly recommended!

Prudence dictated I changed the two front PS4S when in Switzerland at around 43,000 km. The wear is ostensibly pretty even - you can see they were just about down to the wear indicators on every channel - but that very inner edge wear is brutal.

Some of my co-travellers experienced the same. Or worse

Popped on a couple of Continental SportContact 7 in Martigny. That was nice and cheap...

Took a leisurely drive round a very hilly road in north west Germany and managed to get home in one piece.

Total was just over 5,000 km in two weeks. Much 97/98/99/102 was sacrificed

Other than the balding inner edges, car was faultless. Yet again I am staggered at just how competent it is on such trips, and how much fun it is to punt up an Alpine pass.

 

[Duke]

Decided to get the horn splitter cable and mounted the 500 Hz horn as well.

Now super loud and manly

 

[Duke]

Changed front discs and pads at about 32,000 km. Not too bad considering I drive like a tit, and they managed the 2022 Alps trip and Nürburgring.

The discs apparently had a bit of life left in them (not put calipers on them yet to confirm) but thought what the hell, if I'm going to get my hands dirty I might as well do both.

Looks like those pads only lasted a year

Got some scraping noises last week so they’re either worn, or one has disintegrated.

Ordered some Ferodo DS2500 and will fit them this weekend. Once the old pads are off I’ll see if there is anything I need to take up with EBC.

 

[Michael Knight]

Cool stuff.

I wonder why so many user of this forum get screws in their tyres?? I mean I only personally know one person with that happening. It's quite rare in general, isn't it? Why it's so often happening withe the GRY?

wife has gotten twice, I never.

 

[GottGry]

Looks like those pads only lasted a year

Got some scraping noises last week so they’re either worn, or one has disintegrated.

Ordered some Ferodo DS2500 and will fit them this weekend. Once the old pads are off I’ll see if there is anything I need to take up with EBC.

EBC or other track pads needs to be driven hard on track, on the street within a non ideal temperature range they will wear out and just turn money into dust

 

[Michael Knight]

EBC or other track pads needs to be driven hard on track, on the street within a non ideal temperature range they will wear out and just turn money into dust

oh bugger - I've had EBC's in car since summer as am too lazy to swap into OEM pads.
but drive so little maybe it is not a big issue.

 

[banzai2]

oh bugger - I've had EBC's in car since summer as am too lazy to swap into OEM pads.
but drive so little maybe it is not a big issue.

I put new Yellowstuff pads in for a trackday at Snetterton followed by one at Bedford after which they were totally gone.

 

[Duke]

OK, pads were just worn, one down to the backing plate after just 17,000 km .

I guess they just wear faster than the OEM which managed about 32,000 km.

Let’s see what the Ferodo’s are like. They certainly bedded-in quicker than the EBCs. Although I recall I was struggling to bed those in when it was -4°C and icy. Not easy.

I’ll probably pick up a set of Toyota pads and keep these spicy pads for special trips

 

[Duke]

EBC or other track pads needs to be driven hard on track, on the street within a non ideal temperature range they will wear out and just turn money into dust

I get that, but I’ve always used fairly aggressive pads (usually XP8) and haven’t noticed any real issue with longevity before now.

Maybe I’m getting slower as I get older

 

[Duke]

I put new Yellowstuff pads in for a trackday at Snetterton followed by one at Bedford after which they were totally gone.

Yellowstuff are garbage* imho but I expected better from the RP-1s

*all the [whatever]stuff, actually. Never had any good experiences or reports about them.

 

[Onehp]

OK, pads were just worn, one down to the backing plate after just 17,000 km .

I guess they just wear faster than the OEM which managed about 32,000 km.

Let’s see what the Ferodo’s are like. They certainly bedded-in quicker than the EBCs. Although I recall I was struggling to bed those in when it was -4°C and icy. Not easy.

I’ll probably pick up a set of Toyota pads and keep these spicy pads for special trips

OEM pads are good as long as they don't get really hot....

 

[area_educator]

Yellowstuff are garbage* imho

Yeah, I put Yellowstuff pads on my Volvo C30 (many years ago now). They were loud and, if I recall correctly, weren't confidence-inspiring until I was just about standing on the pedal. Replaced them with something OEMish.

I did have good experiences with their rotors, though.

 

[Duke]

Yeah, I put Yellowstuff pads on my Volvo C30 (many years ago now). They were loud and, if I recall correctly, weren't confidence-inspiring until I was just about standing on the pedal. Replaced them with something OEMish.

I did have good experiences with their rotors, though.

Yeah, the discs seem fine. Not sure I'll ever buy EBC pads again though.

 

[Duke]

A mini write-up after just over three years and 53,000 km, mainly so my aging brain doesn't forget

Mods what I have done (not much!)

• EBC floating front disks and Ferodo DS2500 pads
• Titanium brake shims (front)
• Wedsport TC105X wheels, 18 x 8.5
• Ecutek reflash
• NGK LKAR8BHX ruthenium spark plugs
• Mirror mod - manual file edition
• Powerflex camber bolts (although running stock camber for now)
• Hella twin-tone horn - no more meep-meep!
• Wireless Carplay adapter
• Magsafe phone mount using bracket from old Brodit holder
• Summer tyres: currently Continental SportContact 7 on front, Michelin Pilot Sport 4S on rear
• Winter tyres: Continental WinterContact TS 870 P on original BBS wheels
• Sunglasses holder in place of driver's grab handle

Mods what I have the bits to do, just lazy

• Add a bit of camber when I get it aligned again soon
• Braided steel brake lines

Mods what I might do

• The Weds wheels being a bit more 'poky' seem to exacerbate the ride height a bit. May drop it 10 mm or so with some springs.
• Would like to add an HJS downpipe sometime, but it's fairly spendy
• Maybe a cold air feed mod for the standard airbox

What has actually gone wrong

• Fuel pressure sensor (around 32k km)
• Felt spark plugs were 'tired' after about 30k km so replaced
• One coil pack (around 48k km)
• Both front CV joints replaced, although only one was actally making itself a nuisance (52k km)

Car has usually been run on 102 RON with 98/99 RON when necessity dictated. Oil has been Ravenol DFE 0W-20 since second service. Other than that, all maintenance has been according to Toyota schedule at main dealers.

Tyres seem to be lasting around 10-15k km, front discs were changed at about 32k km with pads lasting around 17k (EBC RP-1) to 32k (OEM).

Still great fun on every drive

 

[Duke]

Booked the thing in to have the braided brake lines and alignment done. 12 July!

 

[Duke]

56,000 km
Braided brake hoses
Full alignment with added camber

Posted details on the alignment thread.