mr2-digest Saturday, 6 January 1996 Volume 01 : Number 081 Power Antenna Operation Re: Funny story about a headlight Re: Radio security codes Antenna Behavior Mk I alternator help ... THANKS Rheostat light control in a MkII Bad clutch master cylinder? antenna Re: Koni vs. stock shock stiffness on MKII FW: Swaybar wanted 4th gear boost Re: Help! Mk I alternator Re: Alternator Removal security system malfunction (?) Power Antennas Joined the ranks, CA emission extraction ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Burns, James B." Date: Thu, 04 Jan 96 13:21:00 EST Subject: Power Antenna Operation Itrat wrote: >Secondly, Toyota Supra's only bring up the power antenna with the >radio, not the CD or cassette. So Toyota does do it, they just >didn't do it for MR2s. :( My '94T also has this feature, so I guess they did it on the newer MR2s. If the antenna is down and you turn on the unit in CD or tape mode, the antenna stays down. However, if you have the radio on and shift to CD or tape without turning off the unit, then the antenna stays up until you turn off the stereo or the ignition. Brad Burns '94T ------------------------------ From: uunet!softwords.bc.ca!geoff (Geoff Seeley) Date: Thu, 4 Jan 96 10:50:50 Subject: Re: Funny story about a headlight >>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. So currently I am driving around with three headlights... two >>operational and one that makes some interesting noises as it bounces around >>car's front end. > >I did the exact same thing, except I didn't have my girlfriend to >help/blame. :-) As a side note, here's how to prevent this from happening in the first place. Actually, it lists this in the owners manual (which I happened to be looking through yesterday). The manual says to pop up the headlight and remove a fuse from the box in the front trunk. This prevents the headlight from diving when you didn't mean it to :-) Geoff '91t, 160,500km ------------------------------ From: uunet!softwords.bc.ca!geoff (Geoff Seeley) Date: Thu, 4 Jan 96 11:00:18 Subject: Re: Radio security codes I'd do this, but I just finished putting my radio and dash back together before this thread arrived.. :-) If someone happens to have their 3-in-1 radio out, perhaps they can remove the top lid and have a look inside? You never know what you might find inside... For example, when my Pioneer 6-CD changer in my home stereo screwed up, when I flipped the cover off, I found a clearly marked "Reset/Test" button on the circuit board which solved the problem. BTW, write your security code down someplace!! I almost forgot my code one time as well. Luckily, the previous owner of my car gave me the code when he sold me the car... Geoff '91t, 160,500km ------------------------------ From: "Gibson" Date: Thu, 4 Jan 1996 11:44:20 -0600 Subject: Antenna Behavior To further beat the antenna issue to death.. The antenna on my '91 does not extend if the radio is off and I just use the CD player. If the radio is used first, the antenna will remain extended even if the CD player is used. The bottom line is, if you don't want the antenna to extend, leave the radio off. Alex - -- ------------------------------ From: uunet!TEK.COM!kurt.d.krueger Date: Thu, 04 Jan 96 09:50:21 PST Subject: Mk I alternator help ... THANKS I wish to thank all those who told me their trick for getting this thing out of the car. Seems that there are several ways, most of them require removing something. I got it out by removing the radiator overflow bottle (after you kind souls told me that it just pops out), removing the alternator adjusment bracket and a coolant temperature sender. Kevin says it will fit between the air filter and the block. I'll try that when I reinstall it. Now the bad news ... the brushes are worn out and it looks like one was arcing pretty bad. The slip ring's pitted and gouged. Look's like I need a rebuild. _______________________________________________________________________________ | kurt.d.krueger@TEK.COM (Kurt Krueger) | Everything runs on smoke. When the Electrical Design Aids | smoke leaks out, it stops working. D.S. 39-717 (503) 627-4363 | _________________________________________|_____________________________________ ------------------------------ From: uunet!softwords.bc.ca!geoff (Geoff Seeley) Date: Thu, 4 Jan 96 20:31:13 Subject: Rheostat light control in a MkII I recently installed a boost and oil pressure gauge in my MkII turbo. I had planned on wiring the backlighting for these two gauges into the rheostat for the dash guages so that I could control the amount of illumination as with the other gauges. However, in investigating the voltages at the rheostat control, I found that the voltage is 12V when the gauges are fully dimmed and 0V when the gauges are at their brightest. This is of course opposite to what I need for the aftermarket gauges, which expect 12V for full bright and 0V for dim. Anyone know of a way I can invert(?) the voltage so that when the rheostat is putting out 0V, I get 12V and vice-versa? (Basically reversing the way the rheostat works) Thanks Geoff '91t, 160,500km ------------------------------ From: uunet!softwords.bc.ca!geoff (Geoff Seeley) Date: Thu, 4 Jan 96 20:44:00 Subject: Bad clutch master cylinder? Today I changed the fluid in my clutch system for the first time (Yes, I know _now_ that this should have been done about 2-3 years ago - every 2 years) Anyway, after the bleed, I noticed a bunch of dark grey bits of stuff floathing in the fresh fluid in the master cylinder. I sort of suspect that these are bits of rubber or plastic from within the system someplace. Anyone see this before? Could this be the grommet at the bottom of the master cylinder? Or maybe the piston? Is there a rebuilt kit from Toyota for this? I really don't want to pull the master cylinder off now that I have the new fluid in there, although the procedure in the repair manual looks fairly straight forward. BTW, I used the pressure bleeding system called Eezibleed which I got from Mr2 Performance Products (Thanks John!) Geoff '91t, 160,500km ------------------------------ From: uunet!bendnet.com!jdshort (John & Diana Short) Date: Thu, 4 Jan 1996 22:04:15 -0800 Subject: antenna My 93T has a setup similar to the Supra mentioned i.e. the antenna only comes up when the radio is on, not the CD or cassette unless the radio was on first. What I really want to know is why it looks like there is an antenna in the front windshield glass as well or ? John Happy Notes from the Short Family Frog Farm! ------------------------------ From: "Mark A. Shehan" Date: 05 Jan 96 08:00:42 EST Subject: Re: Koni vs. stock shock stiffness on MKII Brad- My experience has been that the Koni Sports on full soft are about the same as the stock shocks in rebound stiffness. The Koni's are stiffer in compression (since they are only adjustable in rebound) however. The ride isn't too bad. (: Replacing the old shocks can be a pain in the butt if the old strut caps are rusted in place. I had to use a torch, drill and large pipe wrench to get my stock ones out (after approx. 60 K miles on the car). You'll need a spring compressor and approx 24 mm deep socket to tear apart the strut housing. If you have significant miles on the car (>100K.... which I doubt you have) I would recommend replacing the rubber boots and checking the upper strut/body mounts (piece that mounts the strut to the body of the car....the bearings in mine were worn out after 140 K miles). Mark Shehan '91 MKII turbo t-top red 146 K miles ------------------------------ From: "Burns, James B." Date: Fri, 05 Jan 96 16:09:00 EST Subject: FW: Swaybar wanted I've heard that the MKII NA has a smaller front bar than the turbo. Can anyone tell me exactly what the diameters are for both? Did the front bar change in '93 as a result of the other suspension changes, or are they the same as on the '91? I'm looking for a front swaybar from a MKII NA. If anyone has installed an aftermarket set of swaybars and wants to sell the old front bar, let me know. Brad Burns '94T James.B.Burns@jhuapl.edu ------------------------------ From: uunet!idirect.com!mrtwo (Bill Chen) Date: Fri, 5 Jan 1996 23:21:53 -0500 Subject: 4th gear boost A couple of months ago I noticed that while on the highway, when I would drop my car down to 4th gear at about 120kph to 140kph, I would only receive about 3/4 boost. The Toyota guys tell me that on my 91 turbo the computer reads the speed I'm going at and decides how much boost to run. Should I be getting full boost? Also, there was oil visible around the tubing around the turbo and intercooler area. The Toyota guy said that my rocker head gasket was leaking and replaced it under my ECP. He said the oil appeared around the turbo area because the intercooler was blowing the oil around. Does this sound right? And could this have anything to do with my low boost in 4th gear? I haven't had the chance to drive my car for the last month and a half because it's in storage and my ECP expires in August 96 so I would like to know if there is anything wrong with my turbo before this time. I wouldn't mind replacing the turbo if it's under warranty. That's what I'm kinda hoping for. By the way, my 3 in 1 stereo is making a crackling sound so I plan on getting it replaced. Does anyone know if Toyota will let me swap for a new or remanufactured one for a price? I have the black and white "Canadian" one and wouldn't mind the orange and black " US " ones. If anyone could answer this could they please include a price if they know of one. Thanks to all who respond. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Bill Chen | |MrTwo@idirect.com | |36 Ingleborough Court Unionville, Ontario | |L3R 8M6 Canada | |(905) 946-1170 (416) 816-6135 | - ------------------Life begins at 150mph--------------------------- ------------------------------ From: James Whitaker Date: Fri, 05 Jan 1996 14:35:05 -0800 Subject: Re: Help! Mk I alternator At 08:08 AM 1/3/96 PST, you wrote: > >How do I get this thing out of the car? I've got it loose, but there is >no opening big enough to slip it out. I've got the rear wheels resting >on ramps, but it looks like if I jack up the car the clearance >will decrease. I'll try that as a last resort if no one has a better >idea (I ran out of time last night). > As it happens I had the same problem when changing someone's alternator in the rain in a windstorm in a parking lot on a cat with a hat in the dark, but I digress. Put the jack on the frame rail on the passenger's side and let the passenger's side rear suspension go to full droop. It doesn't look like enough room, but it is. Have fun Stomin' da Castle!!!! ------------------------------ From: uunet!zeta.org.au!embee (Mark Bosma) Date: Sat, 6 Jan 1996 20:52:20 +1100 Subject: Re: Alternator Removal Kurt Krueger asked about removing the alternator in a Mk1: >How do I get this thing out of the car? I've got it loose, but there is >no opening big enough to slip it out. I've got the rear wheels resting >on ramps, but it looks like if I jack up the car the clearance >will decrease. I'll try that as a last resort if no one has a better >idea (I ran out of time last night). Some time ago I wrote an article for several Club magazines about this. However, until I find a copy and stick it on the web page, the following may help: Pull out the cooling system overflow bottle (pulls out vertically, with some effort). Stick the syphon tube into the bleed tube to stop splashes (keep it off the paint). Jack the back and support on stands (you'll need lots of room underneath). Take off the exhaust (undo two bolts on the hanger upstream of the catalytic converter, and three nuts at the exhaust manifold flange, then wearing goggles, slide the whole assembly to the left). Clean all the rust off your shirt from the exhaust. Remove the wiring and the top and bottom bolts from the alternator, then the alternator belt. Lubricate the bottom clamping area with spray lubricant. Use lots of wiggling, levering and swearing to move the alternator out of the yokes (these get squeesed together by the bolts, and don't want to let go). You will need to work from the top and the bottom alternatively -- unless you have rooly long arms ;-) When it comes out (eventually), pass it between the right side drive shaft and the bodywork. Before replacing, tap the lower mounting bush back into the bracket a little, and apply a little grease before tapping the unit back into place (it's just as hard as removing the bloody thing). Alternatively: Put it all back together, and pay somebody else to do it! Cheers, MarkB. ------------------------------ From: uunet!aol.com!SamuelsMA Date: Sat, 6 Jan 1996 21:05:57 -0500 Subject: security system malfunction (?) I ran into an unexpected electrical system malfunction last night. Maybe someone out there can explain to me what happened. I have a 91T which I parked in a parking garage yesterday afternoon. I had my headlights on while driving up through the garage, but I parked out in the open on the roof and forgot that the lights were still on. Apparently, unlike my Camry and Avalon, the MR2 does not automatically shut off the headlights when the motor is turned off. So I returned 3 hours later in 15 degree weather to find the battery fully discharged. A kind soul attempted to help me with a jump start, but although the interior lights and headlights came on strongly, the motor would not turn over at all. A garage employee then came and helped with heavy duty jumper cables, but with the same result. I then noticed that the red security system light on the instrument panel was glowing continuously, despite my having opened the door with the key and having turned on the ignition with the key. It was obvious that the security system was preventing the car from starting. I called AAA and arranged for a tow to the dealer. When the tow truck arrived about 45 minutes later, I opened up the door with the key and the light promptly switched off. The car started right up. I looked like an idiot, but a happy idiot. Why did the security system become confused after the battery discharge, and why did it eventually return to normal? Overall, it seems to me that security systems are a mixed blessing at best (witness the correspondence over stereo security codes recently). This incident did not bolster my confidence. Thanks in advance! Michael 91T red ------------------------------ From: "A.J. Rystad" Date: Sat, 6 Jan 1996 13:22:08 GMT Subject: Power Antennas > >From: Itrat Khan >Date: Thu, 4 Jan 1996 02:32:30 -0500 >Subject: Power Antennas > >Firstly, when I had to replace my antenna because the threads in the >cable were stripped, they also sold just the shaft for about $11 >(two years ago). So you don't need to pay big bucks unless the whole >unit needs replacing. Oh! But the motor and the cable mechanism is >all one piece. > >Secondly, Toyota Supra's only bring up the power antenna with the >radio, not the CD or cassette. So Toyota does do it, they just >didn't do it for MR2s. :( > >Itrat Very interesting. If you turn off the unit with the power button, the antenna goes down, and if you turn on the cd or tape with the buttons that say "CD" or "TAPE", the audio system will come on with the antenna staying down. It only goes up if you select the radio. Note, this is a stock unit in my 92T, and not the top of the line one either. So they did do it for the MR2, at least with mine. A.J. ------------------------------ From: uunet!sirius.UVic.CA!fgibbins (Frank Gibbins) Date: Sat, 6 Jan 96 19:08:00 PST Subject: Joined the ranks, CA emission extraction Hi there, I would like to announce my purchase of a 1986 MR2, boy am I happy! It's "champagne" in colour, A/C, power group, Yokohamas, 88,000 miles on chassis, 33,000 miles on dealer rebuilt motor, all docs, way to happy to go on wasting the group's time :). There have been no special mods to this car with the exception of the K&N filter addition. Speaking of that, do you have to use the K&N recharge kit, or are there substitutes for the cleaner/treatment chemicals... someone once told me you could use Simple Green and WD-40 respectively. Also, I have heard that removing some of the CA emissions systems which are not legally required here in BC, Canada, my give me up to 10 more hp. Does anyone have an details on this? Does it really work? Well I'm all hyped up, so I think I'll stop writing and start driving ;) Frank Gibbins, University of Victoria. Victoria, B.C., Canada. BMOC...Biochemists and Microbiologists on Campus Toyota MR2s on the Internet... because on the Information Superhighway, you can drive as fast as you want. Try the MR2 Web Page at http://mr2.com. ------------------------------ End of mr2-digest V1 #81