by "themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles" (themanwithsauce)
Published 09/27/2017 at 15:47
by "themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles" (themanwithsauce)
Published 09/27/2017 at 15:47
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STARS: 2
Girlfriend’s old hyundai tuscon shit the bed. It had 250k miles, rust, and after a bad day on the road, no more transmission. Or front bumper (due to a snow bank). Or exhaust (fell off before she got it, never bothered to fix). With a budget of 4000$ I went on CL and found a 2001 RX300. 170k miles, AWD, sunroof, power everything, and here’s the best part - the timing belt, coolant hoses, radiator, and accessory belts were all changed in the past 10k miles! I found the repair stickers with dates from 2016 all over the engine bay. It’s in amazing mechanical shape. Some scuffs and a small ding on the back bumper but it is amazing inside! I think the windshield and front windows are new, too.
The price for all this magnificence? 3000$. It needs tires ASAP and next year it will need brakes but all told, that’s a bargain. Of course, it drives like lukewarm tapioca but considering all she does is commute to work 3 days a week and school twice a week it fits her needs just fine. I’m going to detail it soon and put up some pics - she delivers flowers and hand-made centerpieces for weddings and formal events so she’s happy to have a classy vehicle to roll up in when delivering things.
Pic is not hers, but it looks identical right down to the bald tires.
"Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies" (jordanwphillips)
09/27/2017 at 15:53, STARS: 1
How’s the oil burning?
"merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc" (merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc)
09/27/2017 at 15:53, STARS: 0
That’s a nice find.
"themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles" (themanwithsauce)
09/27/2017 at 15:55, STARS: 0
Oil burning?
"themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles" (themanwithsauce)
09/27/2017 at 15:56, STARS: 0
I was shocked that I met a random human being that understood how to follow a maintenance schedule...
"Steve in Manhattan" (blogenfreude01)
09/27/2017 at 15:56, STARS: 0
Sounds like a good deal ...
And I’m making sauce - oh wait, can’t pull down the menu to add a photo ... Kinjad!
"Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies" (jordanwphillips)
09/27/2017 at 16:00, STARS: 0
These were plagued with oil burning issues. My aunt had one, and traded in after it startes using comical amounts. It’s a fairly well know problem. As a Toyota owner, I’ve vowed to stay away from any 3.0 Toyota engine that isn’t a JZ or diesel.
"Wobbles the Mind" (wobblesthemind)
09/27/2017 at 16:02, STARS: 0
Not going to lie, I totally thought that was a first gen Kia Sorento.
"wafflesnfalafel" (wafflesnfalafel1)
09/27/2017 at 16:06, STARS: 0
nice - I like that blue much better than the champagne color most of those ended up with. Our neighbor across the street has his folks in the area and they have a burgundy one of those (and I think it’s an ‘01 or ‘02) and they like it - had it for years.
"Bytemite" (bytemite)
09/27/2017 at 16:06, STARS: 1
He may have a couple more years before it’s a problem. My family Sienna had the 3.0 MZ engine but the oil consumption didn’t become an issue until right about 210k miles. It’s at 230k and still going strong. Just need earlier oil changes or top up 1 quart between 5k.
"Bytemite" (bytemite)
09/27/2017 at 16:09, STARS: 0
This was THE soccer mom car of the early 2000s. I like the color at least.
"merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc" (merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc)
09/27/2017 at 16:10, STARS: 2
Yeah, that’s rare at times. That’s worth so much more than lower mileage. I’d gladly take an extra 25-50k miles if the maintenance history is solid.
"themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles" (themanwithsauce)
09/27/2017 at 16:12, STARS: 0
Oh for sure. And we bought it from a mom who had it for a while and gave it to her daughters. But credit where credit is due, they took care of it and really seemed to appreciate it. It’s pretty rock solid and really really quiet behind the wheel.
"merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc" (merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc)
09/27/2017 at 16:13, STARS: 1
Hell one quart in 5k miles is nothing. I had a caddy 3.6l sts that would consume 1 quart every 3000 miles. No smoke or leaks though.
"themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles" (themanwithsauce)
09/27/2017 at 16:13, STARS: 0
Is it a burn, or a leak? THe engine bay had typical dirt but there didn’t appear to be any dark streaks or signs of a leaking gasket.
"themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles" (themanwithsauce)
09/27/2017 at 16:14, STARS: 1
Yeah she said her main requirements were an SUV or minivan to haul her crafts and flowers and stuff and for it to not be “grandma beige colored”
"Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies" (jordanwphillips)
09/27/2017 at 16:15, STARS: 0
Burn. It will still run fine, just be extra careful with checking between oil changes.
"Bytemite" (bytemite)
09/27/2017 at 16:16, STARS: 0
I have a Prelude right now that’s taking 1 quart every 250 miles...it’s pretty much a 2 stroke.
I’ll gladly take 1 quart every 3000 miles. Hell even 2 quarts would be a blessing.
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
09/27/2017 at 16:30, STARS: 0
Well done!
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
09/27/2017 at 16:34, STARS: 0
If you’re on mobile, try scrolling sideways. Took me MONTHS to figure that out when I switched to an iPhone.
"Officer Jim Lahey is not a real cop" (officer-jim-lahey)
09/27/2017 at 16:34, STARS: 0
That’s a lot of recent work (esp. windows!).
Do you know if it was recently in an accident?
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
09/27/2017 at 16:34, STARS: 0
Solid find!
"RPM esq." (rpm3)
09/27/2017 at 16:53, STARS: 0
That seems like a steal for a well-maintained Toyota-built crossover. Nice find.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
09/27/2017 at 17:23, STARS: 0
For tires, these Sumitomo Encounter HT at Tire Rack are mad cheap at 80 bucks a pop and generally all the reviews seem positive. The one negative one was on a 3/4 ton pickup which is a rather different vehicle.
"AMGtech - now with more recalls!" (amgtech)
09/27/2017 at 18:59, STARS: 0
Nice find! How’s the oil? These had bad sludge issues. I’d throw a half quart of ATF in it now, and at every oil change to prevent and clean sludge out. Works wonders.
"themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles" (themanwithsauce)
09/27/2017 at 21:38, STARS: 1
I’m gonna break out the seafoam before winter really sets in. Give it a thorough cleaning. Seems nice overall though. The family she bought it from sold it because their daughters are all either on their own or are away for college. Seems pretty nice through and through.
"themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles" (themanwithsauce)
09/27/2017 at 21:40, STARS: 1
Mmhmm. And they did some work themselves too. They replaced the trunk struts with brand new ones and replaced I think the seat control switches. Also they did a nice job cleaning the carpets. These people had some money but also knew how to take care of what they bought.
"AMGtech - now with more recalls!" (amgtech)
09/27/2017 at 22:08, STARS: 0
ATF though, seriously. Just put some in the oil and forget about it. I’ve been doing it in my cars for years and it does a wonderful job, slowly, without breaking big chunks free or damaging anything.
"merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc" (merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc)
09/27/2017 at 22:13, STARS: 0
That sounds really nice. Good find.
"pip bip - choose Corrour" (hhgttg69)
09/28/2017 at 07:13, STARS: 0
quick question, would your auto Trans Fluid trick also work in a GM HFV6?
"Jayhawk Jake" (jayhawkjake)
09/28/2017 at 08:57, STARS: 0
My dad had one of those in that color. It’s one of my favorite car memories, the story goes like this:
Dad called home from the Lexus dealer, said he was picking up a new RX300 in robin’s egg blue. A little while later he pulls up to the house in an RX300 in decidedly not robin’s egg blue, but that dark blue color.
My brother’s and my immediate reaction? “Dad, that car is purple.” For the entire 4 years or so that he owned the RX300 my brother and I would constantly argue with my dad that no, it is not blue it is purple. Any time I find it relevant I’ll mention the “blurple” Lexus to my Dad.
Earlier in the year fellow oppo and personal friend Jay Lauer had one of these for a little while. We went for a ride and the blue infotainment screen immediately brought me back.
"AMGtech - now with more recalls!" (amgtech)
09/28/2017 at 09:53, STARS: 0
It should. I’ve done it in Northstars, and all sorts of things.
"pip bip - choose Corrour" (hhgttg69)
09/28/2017 at 09:57, STARS: 0
thank you.
"dcp" (dphoenix1)
09/28/2017 at 15:42, STARS: 0
Or
Auto-Rx
. Yeah, I know it looks like another snake-oil product, but it definitely has a big following in the VW/Audi 1.8T crowd (another engine known for sludging just as much as the Toyota 1MZ) on vwvortex. The line of thinking was that ATF, even though it works, might be a little bit harsh or aggressive when breaking up sludge, but this stuff is purpose designed to dissolve it into the oil. Had a buddy with a pretty badly sludged 1.8T in an ‘01 Jetta, and using ATF caused some sludge chunks to break off and clog the pickup tube.
I used Auto-Rx on my 02 1.8T right after purchase at 101k miles, and it still uses absolutely no oil between changes (at 204k now, probably time for another application), and has no oil starvation issues either. Replaced the valve cover gasket a couple years back, and the top of the valvetrain was cleaner than it had any right to be given the age and mileage, and no visible wear on the camshaft lobes.
Granted, this is just one testimonial, and I can’t say that it resolved any issue, just that it might have helped prevent a sludging problem. It’s also more expensive than ATF, for sure. But it definitely has my vote.
"AMGtech - now with more recalls!" (amgtech)
09/28/2017 at 15:48, STARS: 0
Never heard of it. And I’ve found it’s best to take forum talk with a big ol’ spoonful of salt. Not saying you’re wrong by any means though. Just that there is probably a lot more to the stories you get on forums. The strength of ATF is why I usually keep it to just half a quart.