mr2-digest Monday, 22 January 1996 Volume 01 : Number 092 Re: Gulping sound on '91 turbo Re: O2 sensor on MKI re: engine cleaning mrj Re: Gulping Sound bike/ski racks Re: EVC III atm Tranny Oil and Seat Memory Re: Fuses. Toyota Screensaver radiator fans URLs and Blown MR2 Engine belts; rollbars; redline oil Jack warning Cold engine problems seem to be fixed MR2's invade the May 96 SCC issue! T-Top Covers FWD: '88 Supercharger oil source? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Mark A. Shehan" Date: 21 Jan 96 12:35:00 EST Subject: Re: Gulping sound on '91 turbo Has the stock air box been replaced with an aftermarket filter? With the air box missing the mass air sensor will make a gulping noise as the flap inside opens and closes with changes in air velocity through the meter. Mark Shehan '91 MKII turbo t-top red 148 K miles ------------------------------ From: "Mark A. Shehan" Date: 21 Jan 96 12:34:56 EST Subject: Re: O2 sensor on MKI The O2 sensor's output should not be a constant voltage. Check your owner's manual. To check whether the sensor is good or not you will have to get the engine and the sensor hot. Your owner's manual should tell you how to do this. Once the sensor is hot you should measure the output voltage with a good volt meter (an analog meter works best). The output should increase to a maximum voltage, and then decrease to something lower, x number of times per y period of time. If the number of times is greater than or less than the specified number then the sensor is bad. Mark Shehan MKII turbo ------------------------------ From: uunet!harvey.carol.net!bob (Robert Rogers) Date: Sun, 21 Jan 1996 20:20:18 -0500 Subject: re: engine cleaning i use armor all multi purpose cleaner. spray it on and let it sit for a moment. rinse it off with a garden hose. it disolves engine grease. you can use it on the interoir too! 93NA 57,000 miles bob rogers bob@carol.net ------------------------------ From: uunet!harvey.carol.net!bob (Robert Rogers) Date: Sun, 21 Jan 1996 20:40:19 -0500 Subject: mrj if you point netscape to www.toyota.co.jp, click on tokyo motorshow, click on toyota booth, and then special show cars and finally MRJ you can find: Overall length 3,995m Overall width 1,695mm Overall height 1,240mm Seating capacity 4 Wheelbase 2550mm Tread / front 1,470mm rear 1,460mm Engine DOHC 20-valve VVT Displacement 1,762cc since the car is shorter and lower than my mkii and has a smaller engine, i think it is very likely that it is lighter too, even counting the electric motor to move the roof. if you also look at the photo of the interior, you will see that the space behind the front seats is not much larger than the mkii at all. bob rogers 93NA 57000 miles bob rogers bob@carol.net ------------------------------ From: uunet!coil.com!bigd (Dave Inskeep) Date: Sun, 21 Jan 1996 22:52:25 -0500 Subject: Re: Gulping Sound Joey writes: >I recently bought a 91 MR2 Turbo. It has been making this gulping sound >from the engine compartment around 3000 RPM, just when the Turbo comes on... >There is a loss of power associated with it. Anyway ideas...I brought it >to the >dealer, and they said that they could not here it. 6 of my friends could here >it just fine. I also wanted them to check out the CD Player which would only >accept certain disks....they thought that was fine too... >Anyway ideas what the gulping sound could be>? >Thanks... > JOeo Joey, is the sound happening when boost is just starting build, or just after you let off the gas? I bought a '91 Turbo a few weeks ago and was at first alarmed to hear a gulping or almost a burping sound whenever I would let off the gas and boost dropped off. After driving it a while, I noticed that I hear it even if the boost gauge doesn't really register any pressure. If I floor it in 2nd or 3rd gear and run the boost and revs up, I hear the sound only after I let off. I've come to the conlcusion (others may have different ideas) that this is the normal sound of the wategate opening to let off pressure, which seems to happen any time you back off the throttle. I'm not sure if this is the same sound that you're hearing, but I hope it's of some help. Dave Inskeep '91 MR2-T - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "640K ought to be enough for anybody." -- Bill Gates, 1981 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.coil.com/~bigd/ - Computer Graphics & Animation, updated 1/1/96 ------------------------------ From: uunet!coil.com!bigd (Dave Inskeep) Date: Sun, 21 Jan 1996 22:52:49 -0500 Subject: bike/ski racks I'm looking to buy a bike/ski rack for my '91-T, does anybody have any ideas? The FAQ lists the Thule 970/972 as a possibility, has anyone tried it? (The Thule book says it won't fit, as there's nothing under the bumper to hook it to). My local ski shop said that Barrecrafters has a *roof-top* bar system for the MkII's, though I wonder if there would even be enough room between the front and rear bars to fit a set of ski bindings! Has anybody used the Barrecrafters? Any info anybody has would be greatly appreciated. Dave Inskeep - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "640K ought to be enough for anybody." -- Bill Gates, 1981 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.coil.com/~bigd/ - Computer Graphics & Animation, updated 1/1/96 ------------------------------ From: uunet!interserv.com!kca Date: Sun, 21 Jan 1996 23:45:34 -0800 Subject: Re: EVC III atm John Short writes: > 4. I figure, at least for the time being, if I set the maximum and >the alarm for 11.8, I'd at least have some sort of foot to stand on if I >blew the engine under warranty. This is a very good point to consider. Although I have doubts that running up to 16 psi will significantly shorten the service life of my MR2, it is a 91, and henceforth _out of warranty_. I'm not too concerned about whether a repair shop knows about what kind of mods have been done to it since all repair costs will come out of my pocket regardless. The EVC to me seems more like a personal preference sort of item, kind of like heated seats, something you can get by with not having. I don't mean to discount the value of EVCs. I will probably eventually upgrade to an EVC from the TVVC, but I don't consider it a necessity. For the same price as the TVVC I would choose the EVC, but in the new parts market the price ratio is about 2/7 with a performance improvement ratio closer to 1/1. Currently I'd rather save the extra $500 for an intercooler or suspension upgrade, or more accurately to pay some of my outstanding debts. Kip Anderson 91 Turbo kca@interserv.com ------------------------------ From: "Burns, James B." Date: Mon, 22 Jan 96 09:59:00 EST Subject: Tranny Oil and Seat Memory It's interesting that your '91T specifies GL-5 tranny oil. For my '94T, both the owners manual and shop manuals state "GL-3, GL-4, or GL-5". That's why I was considering the MT-90 oil since it may improve shifting more than the 75W-90NS. However, my car shifts fine now, so I'll probably go with the GL-5 rated oil to ensure better protection for those days at the track. Regarding seat recline memory setting, I didn't realize the MR2 had such a thing. Whenever I release the seat back to tilt it forward, it will return to the fully upright position. Is there a way to make it return to a previous setting? Brad Burns ------------------------------ From: uunet!zeta.org.au!embee (Mark Bosma) Date: Mon, 22 Jan 1996 19:14:34 +1100 Subject: Re: Fuses. In digest 90, Thomas F Wahjudi said: >I'd sent away for some H4 90/130s for my >Mk1 Mr2. I got these last weekend. Fitted them no probs...I though I might >need to upgrade the fuse. I figured the best way is to try them >... if it goes, I need a bigger fuse :-) > Thomas, I hope you and your readers really did pick up on the smiley :-) Someone out there might just start trying to fit bigger fuses to an overloaded electrical system. Don't do it unless you fit heavier guage wiring, and use the right tables to estimate the new fuse value. Toyotas are winners because of their reliability...but when owners start tampering with things they don't understand, they can start to bite the owners in the bumskis. Not saying you would do that Mate, but some of the readers might ;-{ Soap box now put away. Mark Bosma 94 SW20 Bathurst. ------------------------------ From: Henk Bisschop Date: Mon, 22 Jan 96 13:04:31 -0800 Subject: Toyota Screensaver Just like Danny Brunson (see MR2-digest 91) I tried to run the Toyota Screensave but also got the errormessage can't find winnls.dll. I searched all over the net for this dll but all found out that it probably is a Windows feature in Japan ( and maybe Taiwan). Anyway, I can't find it anywhere in Europe or the USA. So if there is anyone - probably somewhere in Asia - who knows where to find this dll please let me (us) know !!! many greetings from Holland, Henk Bisschop ('87 MKI, 178k km) ------------------------------ From: uunet!netrunner.net!hkphoto (howard kuflik) Date: Mon, 22 Jan 1996 08:00:27 -0500 Subject: radiator fans Well it's me again with the project car from hell....this time the fans on the radiator dont shut off at all...the code when checked says"11" can you tell me where that is ????? (says A/C switch???is that in the car that controls blower?) I replaced the temp switch in the radiator and they still stay on... So much for warming the engine up... Thanks Howard 1986 MR-2 n/a ------------------------------ From: "Burns, James B." Date: Mon, 22 Jan 96 09:53:00 EST Subject: URLs and Blown MR2 Engine Here are the URLs that you wanted: Team.Net: http://triumph.cs.utah.edu/team.net.html SCCA: http://www.balltown.cma.com/scca Did you really blow an MR2T engine? How could that happen? It is so bulletproof to begin with and has a gazillion safety features to limit boost, limit revs, cut fuel, etc. I've also heard that the engine was designed for well over 10,000 RPM but is limited to 7000 to protect the accessories. What happened? Brad Burns '94 MR2T ------------------------------ From: Adam Grove Date: Mon, 22 Jan 1996 13:20:42 -0500 Subject: belts; rollbars; redline oil I'm going to be adding a harness to my 88sc soon. Any recommendations/advice? 5pt or 6pt? At the same time I might look into adding a roll bar; perhaps one of the autopower bars. Has anyone done this? What I most need to find out is an accurate estimate of how much seat travel I would lose (stock seats). I'm pessimistically guessing that it is a significant amount, in which case no roll bar. Can anyone who has done this tell me how it worked out? Thanks! Onto a different subject... Now that everyone has worked out what redline oil to put in their MkII's transmissions, what about MkI? The FAQ simply says MTL; is this really right for supercharged MkI's? The service manual (although not, interestingly, the owner's manual) says to use GL-5 in the E51 transmission, so 75-90NS would seem to be more appropriate than MTL. Can anyone confirm/disconfirm this? If this is right, it might be good to correct the FAQ. -Adam ------------------------------ From: uunet!diane.csg.mot.com!mikep (Mike Pittelkow) Date: Mon, 22 Jan 1996 13:40:42 -0600 Subject: Jack warning Over the weekend, my dealer jacked up my car wrong, and bent the side rails directly in front of the rear wheels. To possibly help someone else avoid this little mishap, I drew up the following diagram.... vents door / [__________ / -------------------/ / wheel well ---------------------------------------/ / --------------------------------DD---/ -------------------^-B-^----/ Seam/Rail Jack Here Not Here ^-Note that the seam stops here To show you where to properly jack the rear quarters. (The FAQ now shows this, as well as the other points... This is the really dangerous one, so it's here) So, Jack at point B (which has two little "v" notches in the rail to show you where it is) NOT at point D. D is bad. D=$450. - -mike +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | mikep@diane.csg.mot.com | Email to mr2_faq_request@diane.csg.mot.com | +--------------------------+ with subject "FAQ" for a copy of the most recent| |1993 MR2Turbo #223 FRINGE1| MR2 FAQ. Suggestions to mr2@diane.csg.mot.com | +--------------------------+-------------------------------------------------+ | MR2 on the Internet: Because there's no speed limit on the infobahn. | +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Motorola Cordless, Libertyville, IL 60089 (w)708-523-8273 (h)708-520-3783 | +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ------------------------------ From: uunet!illusion.magicno.com!marcus Date: Mon, 22 Jan 1996 11:42 MST Subject: Cold engine problems seem to be fixed A while ago I had posted a problem that I was having with very poor throttle response when the engine was cold. The problem only happened after moving to Colorado, and went away when I was visiting a lower altitude. Also, the engine ran normally once the O2 sensor warmed up enough for the engine to go into closed loop operation. After resetting the computer, it would take several days before the fuel trim was lowered enough for the problem to occur again. It had been in to Toyota almost a year ago for this problem and they checked out (almost) everything and couldn't find anything wrong. Eventually, they replaced the computer and soon after that I had the fuel injectors blueprinted and things seemed OK (not really right, but much better than before). This winter with the cooler weather and the shift to oxygenated fuels, the problem had returned, but still not quite as bad as before. Before, the car would stall if you stepped down on the gas trying to accelerate at all when cold, now it wouldn't stall, it would just sit there so that I was afraid of getting hit by traffic as I *very* slowly picked up speed. Anyway, thanks to Bill Stockton who had similar problems, but more severe, Toyota has replaced the airflow meter. The car has been working normally since. It has now been almost a week and it doesn't seem to be working the fuel trim down like it used to, so I think that that is it. The Toyota service advisor said that the airflow meters are not often replaced, so I guess that they didn't suspect it very much, but Bill and I ceratinly had bad ones (and Bill's was replaced with a bad one!), so perhaps there was a run of bad airflow meters in Toyota's stock. So, if you have any problem that could involve the airflow meter, make sure that the mechanic does check the part thoroughly. marcus hall '94 MR2T - Solar Yellow! ps: The canyon roads here are really a perfect match for the MR2's handling, but during the winter it's best not to push it too hard (ice and sand both can make it difficult to get any traction...) ------------------------------ From: uunet!softy.softwords.bc.ca!geoff Date: Mon, 22 Jan 96 12:37:15 PST Subject: MR2's invade the May 96 SCC issue! As Gerald mentioned, his car and two other MR2's are being featured in the May issue of Sport Compact Car magazine. This will be a Toyota "theme" issue with a focus on MR2. In addition, I've been asked to write something about the Web site and John (MR2 Performance Products) is doing a bit on the history of MR2 and autocrossing, etc. for this issue as well... Watch for it... Geoff '91t, 161,950km ------------------------------ From: uunet!aol.com!Dan22378 Date: Mon, 22 Jan 1996 19:23:05 -0500 Subject: T-Top Covers Hi all, I'm looking for the interior T-top covers for a 91' mr2, I'd like to purchase a pair as they weren't in my MR2 when I bought it. I went to the dealer, and they want 170 bucks a PIECE. I've been searching all the salvage yards with no luck. If anyone can help me locate a pair for substantially less I would be most appreciative. -D ------------------------------ From: uunet!softy.softwords.bc.ca!geoff Date: Mon, 22 Jan 96 12:30:32 PST Subject: FWD: '88 Supercharger oil source? Please send follow ups to John at his email address below... Geoff '91t, 161,950km - ---------- Begin Forwarded Message ---------- > Date: Mon, 22 Jan 1996 01:13:30 -0800 > From: "John J. Keller" > Organization: Altered States > To: uunet!validgh.com!mr2-digest- > Subject: re: 1988 MR-2 S/C > > Hi > > Geoff@mr2com suggested i post this here- > > i would like someone to possiblly suggest where i could obtain > supercharger oil for my 88 mr 2 supercharger or the "equivailent" i need > 1 guart at 30 usd per 50cc they (toyota) should offer specs for > alternative oil reasonable price- > > the supercharger was "designed" by toyota i dont know who > makes it > > have i missed something or is redline synthetic gear oil better > than amsoil synthetic gear oil which also gets rid of that notchy feel- > > Thanks > > John j keller > maxx@nando-net - ----------- End Forwarded Message ----------- ------------------------------ End of mr2-digest V1 #92