mr2-digest Tuesday, 2 January 1996 Volume 01 : Number 078 Re: A funny story about a headlight... antenna Stereo Security, Coolant Temperature, Tires and CD skips RE: cooling intake air RE: K&N air filters Autoweek MR2 write-up 3-in-1 stereo security codes MR2 problems/questions Re: MR2 parts sale Boost Gage 1991 MR2 Electrical problem re: MKI Wheel/Tyre Sizes 93 turbo for sale Antenna repair Not exactly an MR2 question, but... RE: Power Antenna for '92T ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: uunet!melbpc.org.au!greta (Greta Young) Date: Mon, 1 Jan 1996 16:10:39 +1100 Subject: Re: A funny story about a headlight... > Well, needless to say when the units were popped up once again, to my dismay, >the replaced shiny new headlight was no longer in place, >but hanging beneath >the brackets, suspended only by the cable. Well, let me just tell you right >now that there is not an easy way to retrieve a headlight that has fallen to >such a fate. I tried everything I could think of, but finally just unhooked >the cable and decided to use the other headlight replacement. remove the front wheel, unscrew the plastic shrouding - and there it will be! Craig Laker ,-._|\ Greta Young PH:(03) 9957.4992 Fax (03) 9587.0639 / Oz \ greta@melbpc.org.au \_,--.x/ 1992 TEAL NA Editor MR2 Owners Club of Oz (VIC) Inc v 1992 RED NA (Mere Male that lives at my house) ------------------------------ From: "KeNdRiCk W." Date: Mon, 1 Jan 1996 10:29:32 -0800 (PST) Subject: antenna I don't assume there's a button in the stereo unit that allows me to turn the power antenna off so it won't extend out when I turn the radio on? It seems all cars with power antenna give the driver an option as to whether s/he wants the antenna out or not, I don't see why Toyota has overlooked this feature. 93' Turbo |\__/+--+-\____ |-\ /-|-----\|-----\ @51.4k Km |_--##---------=>| \/ | |_) /|--) _) @== "(*)------(*)-/ | |\/| | _ < __/ /__ [KeNdRiCk W.] "Betty" |_| |_|_| \_\|_______| ------------------------------ From: "Gary Friedman" Date: Mon, 1 Jan 1996 12:55:21 +0000 Subject: Stereo Security, Coolant Temperature, Tires and CD skips >>Anybody else ever get stuck in this situation? Can Toyota dealers take care of >>it easily? Or is there a way to get around having to take it to the dealership >>service center for a reset? Kip- I was told by the dealer that the unit needed to be pulled and sent back to the manufacturer to be reset... major bucks!! The 3 in 1 unit is made by Panasonic. When I finally got a hold of their auto OEM service center in California I was told that there is no way around this. The only option is to have the dealer order a "remanufactured unit" and swap yours out for that, sending the original back to Panasonic for reset and likely the next swap job!! The person I spoke to empathized with the situation of a second hand owner that legally needs the code that the first owner set. However, he insisted that there is no way around pulling and returning the unit... ie no "MAGIC" unlock number that the dealership can use to reset it (like BMW dealers can). His point was that this would defeat the purpose of anti-theft in the first place. I warn the dealer whenever they work on my car about the need to keep power on the radio circuit, even if the batery is disconnected. I write it on the service order so that when someone does disconnect it I can say you were warned, fix it!! Let me know if you find an easy fix to this problem. I would love to be able to reset my unknown code!! Who was writing about coolant temperature????????? Mine stays steady at 7-8 bars irregardless of ambient air temp or heater settings. Turning the heat on merely delays the gauge getting there by about 4-5 minutes. This is true in 40 (brrr, last week!) or 90 degree temps here in SE Florida. One last note... Since I put Dunlop 8000's on the car I notice that my CD player skips like crazy on those reflective road markers in the middle of the street. Is this merely do to the difference in sidewall structure between crappy V rated tires (the old ones) and really good Z rated tires (love them 8000's!!) ?? Later gang.. happy motoring in '96 !!!!!!!!!!!!! Gary...........Wheeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!! ------------------------------ From: uunet!aol.com!AstonMrtn Date: Mon, 1 Jan 1996 18:11:27 -0500 Subject: RE: cooling intake air >something to lower intake air as low as I want (theoretically...hasn't been >>road tested yet)...but I'm wondering about icing in the throttle >>body - does >>anyone think this could be a serious problem? How cold could >>the intake air >>be before icing is a problem? How much more power do you >>think this'll give me? Maybe 5 hp (or am I dreaming here)? >> > >before you start putting ice on the throttle body, remember that >hot coolant No no no NO! That's not what I had in mind! I'm not planning on using ice to cool the air - I came up with a better way (no, it's not nitrous). I'm just worried about cooling the intake air TOO much. I guess I'll be able to tell if I have an icing condition if the power drops...though I'd like to avoid this... Has anyone tried insulating the intake manifold? I mean, a cast aluminum manifold is gonna suck up a lot of heat from the engine compartment - I'm thinking about wrapping it with some sort of insulating tape once I get the air cooler installed. That way, the only heat entering the system will be through the contact area between the manifold and the head. Anyone have any comments on this? I'm sure some of you Turbo owners have thought about it! >you best bet is to just utilize the left side air intake for a cold >induction. I've seen people use a K&N racing filter (cone type) and >remove I thought my MR2 already had its air intake running down to that scoop? Well, if not, then it'll help. - -Matt '91 White NA ------------------------------ From: uunet!aol.com!AstonMrtn Date: Mon, 1 Jan 1996 18:17:12 -0500 Subject: RE: K&N air filters >oil as compared to pre K&N oil samples. Has anyone using these >filters on >the street encounted similar wear? Maybe this is an extreme >case due to the >environment in which the test was conducted. So what's the real >story on street use? > I wouldn't use one. I had one in my last car, a Scirocco. The Scirocco didn't have a PCV valve, so all the blow-by exited straight into the airbox - and back to the intake. Well, for whatever reason, enough oil made it past the filter (I guess it was just oil vapor coming from the engine...?) to coat the walls of the intake tube - and the oil then caught lots of the small particles that made it PAST the K&N filter. So I was able to SEE what was getting by the filter...and I didn't like it. I've done some research since then, and think I'm going to try out the RAMAIR filters. They're used extensively in racing, and seem to be well designed. For more info on these, check out Vol. 5, No. 4 of Race Car Engineering (which, if you havn't heard of it, is a killer magazine). RCE has a whole article on filters, showing how the RAMAIR has less pressure drop over time, and stuff like that. Also discusses the theory of induction ramming. Check it out! - -Matt '91 White NA ------------------------------ From: uunet!aol.com!SamuelsMA Date: Mon, 1 Jan 1996 20:38:26 -0500 Subject: Autoweek MR2 write-up I heard that Autoweek wrote up the MR2 recently in commemoration of its discontinuation. This would have been late summer, I think. Does anyone know which issue and how to get hold of a copy? I can't find a local library that carries Autoweek. ------------------------------ From: uunet!aol.com!SamuelsMA Date: Mon, 1 Jan 1996 20:34:18 -0500 Subject: 3-in-1 stereo security codes You mentioned disconnecting the battery and then encountering a stereo system security code which you do not know. I had a similar unpleasant experience. Unfortunately, there is no easy answer. I bought a pristine 91 Turbo (red) in 9/94 with 43K miles and the 3-in-1 stereo from a Toyota dealer. The car was wholesaled from another dealer, but the original owner had taken excellent care of it. Soon after buying the car, I read in the owner's manual that it was possible to put in a personalized security code, and I tried to do this. It became clear that an unknown code was already in the system. The manual said that I would have 10 tries before the system would shut down, so I tried the obvious 000 and 123 without success. I then called my dealer for advice. He eventually tracked down the original owner who claimed that he had never entered a code into the system. The dealer suggested trying 000 again. I did, and then the system died altogether. It simply went dark. The fuse was fine. I took the car to an authorized and reputable Panasonic service facility, since Toyota told me the unit was actually made by Panasonic. They removed the head unit and promised it back to me in 2-3 weeks at an estimated charge of $120. After a few weeks, they told me that the power supply had died, hence the unit's complete shutdown. They could replace that, but the code was a stickier problem. They said that only 2 Panasonic service facilities in the U.S. had the equipment to blank out the old code, and the nearest one to me is in Pittsburgh. I had them send the unit there. By this time, 3 months had elapsed with a gaping hole in my dash and only the music of the motor to listen to (not bad at that!). After another couple of weeks, I inquired about how they were doing in Pittsburgh with my stereo. Of course, by now I was dealing with the manager of the repair facility. She kept checking on the unit, only to find out that the Pittsburgh facility claimed never to have accepted delivery of my unit from UPS. I must admit, after being pretty patient for a long time (over 4 months), I went ballistic and they promised me a "new" unit pronto. In fact, they installed a rebuilt unit in my car the next week, which has worked well now for almost a year. I'm not sure what the moral of this story is, except that 1. Even your dealer or authorized service center may not be able to fix the stereo on premises. 2. It will probably take longer than they estimate. I spoke with Toyota Customer Service several times about the difficulty that the stereo security code may cause buyers of used Toyotas and expressed the opinion that they should not specify this feature when they buy stereos for their products. They listened politely but said that the theft deterrence outweighs the inconvenience. I know that the next time I buy a used car with this feature, I will require the dealer or owner to reset the code to 000 before I take delivery! Older and wiser! Best of luck to you. ------------------------------ From: Andy Finkel Date: Mon, 1 Jan 1996 23:03:41 -0500 Subject: MR2 problems/questions Hi. I've got a couple questions for the list that I hope someone can = help me with... I have a 95 MR2 non-Turbo with about 22K miles on it. It's got two = problems. The first is that in warm weather (>74 degrees f) the car = pings on slight accelerations at reasonable high speeds (around 70 MPH). = I first noticed it when I was using cruise control. The slight = acceleration when going up small road grades caused a pinging. I was = using 89 octane gas; switching to 93 octane didn't make much = difference. Anyone else have a similar problem (and anyone else find a = solution ?) The other problem started when it had about 18K miles on it; the = steering feels loose; the car tends to follow minor imperfections in = the road (especially the crown of the road) strongly, so its kind of a = fight to keep the car straight; I have to make constant minor = adjustments. The front tires are fine; I had to replace the rear tires = at 20K miles. I got the front tires balanced and the car aligned at the = same time, which did help, but its not as good as it was then the car = was new. (After reading about shimmy caused by improperly torqued lug = nuts on the MR2 web site I retorqued them to 76 exactly, but it didn't = seem to make a difference) Any ideas on this problem (which is _real_ = annoying)=20 I still miss my old 86 MR2 :-) Thanks andy ------------------------------ From: "Mark A. Shehan" Date: 01 Jan 96 23:25:53 EST Subject: Re: MR2 parts sale Chris- Sorry for spammng the digest but I didn't have your e-mail address. What year/model are the MR2 parts that you are offering for sale? Thank you. Mark Shehan '91 MR2 Turbo t-top red 146 K miles 103274.3470@CompuServe.com ------------------------------ From: Kerry Wood Date: 01 Jan 96 23:45:30 EST Subject: Boost Gage Kip Anderson writes: >>Anybody have any reccomendations on a decent aftermarket boost gauge that >>doesn't cost a bundle? Suggest HKS 52mm gage...good size and doesn't cost that much by comparison - $81, plus shipping. Gage can be mounted on windshield pillar in plastic cup, on top of steering column using HKS mounting cup or, as I plan to do, adjacent to center console using Autometer mounting cup and fabricated aluminum mounting bar. Haven't done this yet, but have thought it thru and have all parts...so...I think it will work. The location adjacent to center console is just visiable from your right eye, but isn't an instant read...however, I don't want to put holes in the dash to mount gage on windshield pillar - the ideal location - and the steering column mount partially blocks view of instrument cluster. If you are willing to spend a little more money - I think abt $140 - and a lot more time, a 46mm HKS gage can be installed in the instrument cluster, replacing the stock gage. Requires some cutting and soldering to make work plus, like the 52mm and most boost gages that are "economical", it is a mechanical gage, so you will have to run a pressure/vacuum line from the throttle body to the gage. Note that the stock gage is electronic, which may explain why it isn't all that accurate. Additionally, it only reads to 10 psi. When running boost tests on my car, I used dealer's SST test gage to make sure I was modifying boost levels to exactly what I wanted. The SST reads to 15 psi and is calibrated for accuracy. Interestingly, found that stock gage is fairly accurate if throttle/boost is applied slowly rather than just dumping throttle. Throttle dump pegs stock gage above 10 psi almost instantly on my car, making it virtually useless in that circumstance. Hope some of this helps. Kerry Wood 93T Black (mildly modified) The more people I meet, the more I like my dog! ------------------------------ From: John Chapman Date: Tue, 02 Jan 1996 09:15:04 -0500 Subject: 1991 MR2 Electrical problem - -- [ From: John Chapman * EMC.Ver #2.3 ] -- I am having an intermittant electrical problem. 1991 NA. I live in Michigan (freezing temps). Sometimes the car stalls due to water (at the car wash and on a slushy day) It will start again in 15 minutes. Other times it won't start at all. I take it to my mechanic. He cleans and it will start. I think it is because of the warmth. Then he can't get it to stall again. He said he even sprayed it with a hose. I take it away and a day or two later, no start. I am looking for someone who has solved a similar problem. My e-mail is John.Chapman@internet.mci. ------------------------------ From: uunet!TCMAIL.FRCO.COM!BBRANDT Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 10:21:33 -0600 Subject: re: MKI Wheel/Tyre Sizes Yep Bruce, Have done a lot of tire / wheel / suspension upgrades on both an 88 SC and 86 ITA (Road Racing) MR2s. For street use (88 SC) I have found that the move up to 15 in wheels (6.5 in wide) with 195 - 50 - 15 tires has worked very well.. This car has also been modified to include stiffer springs / lowered ride height, bigger sway bars ans Tokiko shocks. I have looked unsuccessfully for 16 inch wheels/tires, but have been unable to maintain overall tire rolling radius with any available tire. I am not absolutely sure on the 15 in wheel offset, but it is either 33 mm or 30 mm. (memory now working! the offset is 33 mm) For the race car, I am running 225 - 50 - 14 tires on 14 x 7 Panasport lights with 30mm offsets.. I just verified that a 25mm offset wheel will fit with this tire - the limitation being tire rub on the fender lip, particularly on the rear. A 205 - 55 - 14 will fit with the 25 mm offset. ONE BIG caveat is that either of these combinations may not fit due to clearance to the spring perch (which we have modified for coil over springs) when using the 7 in wheel. IMHO, the best combination would keep the tire width to wheel width ratio low, ie. 205 on the 7 in or the 195 on a 6.5 in. wheels. If you have the choice - use the 15 in tire / wheel as it provides much better response and control if you like to toss the car around at the limit!. I would not suggest going to staggered tire size just because of 1) the inconvenience for rotation, need to re-set front to rear sway bar (roll stiffness) ratios to maintain the balance. This car - particularly the later MK1 is not a "tail happy 911" at the limit. Have fun and let me know what you think Marc ------------------------------ From: uunet!aol.com!MattMR2 Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 12:09:09 -0500 Subject: 93 turbo for sale I'm selling my 93 turbo equipped as follows: Turquious Pearl, T-tops, 3 in 1 CD, ABS, tan leather interior, cruise, P/W, P/L, anti-theft sys. (toyota), Yokohama AVS tires rears are brand new, Yellow fog lamps, Japanese style upper seat covers, Tokico shocks in the rear, extra set of OE wheels, 28k miles. A steal at $14,900. Call or email Matt Murray 203-454-4429 or AOL or Murray@gwns.groupw.wec.com ------------------------------ From: uunet!aol.com!MattMR2 Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 12:09:03 -0500 Subject: Antenna repair R.J.Rystad asks about the defective antenna: I'm almost sure you can replace just the mast alone. It should be under $20.00 The part number is probably 86336-17010 don't quote me on the # I'm going from memory only. Matt ------------------------------ From: Chance Harper Date: Tue, 02 Jan 96 13:34:43 EST Subject: Not exactly an MR2 question, but... Sorry this has to clutter the digest. To the guy out there with the MR2 _and_ Mazda Protege: I just picked up a 93 Protege LX (the fast one) and am wondering if you know if there are any chips available for this car. I'm going to try to call Hypertech (saw it in a magazine). If you (or anyone else) know of any places, please email me at unxrrr@ibi.com. ------------------------------ From: "Thomas Michael Worrell" Date: 02 Jan 96 11:16:26 -0800 Subject: RE: Power Antenna for '92T >>>The question is, where can I get a replacement besides Toyota? I know that the factory antenna will cost an arm and a leg and a lung, and a ______. It's only the shaft part that I need, the motor assembly is OK, just 5 inches of plastic broke off of the line, and there is no feasible way of gluing it (coiled line, too much stress). I had a similar problem on my 93. I had bent the antenna shaft, and the dealer told me a new antenna was $160.00. When I got to the dealer, the person behind the counter (not the person I talked to on the phone), asked if I needed just the shaft, or the entire antenna. It seems that Toyota has a part which is simply the shaft of the antenna, and the long plastic gear strip that is attached to it. Cost: $60.00. Thinking I had just saved myself $100.00, I quickly got to removing the antenna so I could replace the shaft. This is where things started to suck. There is NO explanation of how to do this in the shop manual. I received NO documentation with the part. To make a very long story short, I got the antenna apart, and could not get it back together again. (Just like Humpty Dumpty). $160.00 later I had a new antenna, and installed it in my car. Ask the dealer how much it would cost for them to install just the shaft. If it is less that $100.00, have them do it. If it is more, by the whole damn thing and put it in yourself. If you do buy just the shaft, and manage to get it in, please let me know how you did it. Tom. ===================================================================== Thomas Michael Worrell TWorrell@us.oracle.com Oracle Corporation TWorrell@msn.com 500 Oracle Parkway 75347.2247@compuserve.com Mailstop 659408 415-506-2773 Work Redwood Shores, CA 94065 415-506-7224 Fax ------------------------------ End of mr2-digest V1 #78