Pick of the car (Vitz 2004) decreased after spark plugs changed

[Xulfiqar]

@ Xardas... I was also there on Saturday in black SE Saloon for 100 thousand maintenence. Among other things, they also changed the steering oil and guess what! my steering is heavier now. Got the car aligned afterwards from Wheels and Wheels, got tire pressure checked and got the car serviced. Steering is still heavy...

As for engine tuning, SE is also EFI and I have only changed its plugs. Never got tappets touched during its 100 thousand km run and the car is working perfect. So dont let mechanics open tappets unless u face pick up, starting or missing problems.

thats a very good way to destroy your engine - you know that dont you?

[vakas85]

@Xulfiqar... In EFI cars, tappets adjust themselves. Manual adjustment is not required unless in xtraordinary circumstances. And when those xtraordinary circumstances arise, driver is the first person to know. My 7 year old SE takes 12 secs from stand still to 100 kmph. So its perfectly alright!

[iftikharraheel]

my 2005 vitz also having the same problem few days back.i got its throttle body cleaned and everything is fine now.i also advice you not to change the gear oil.

[autophile]

@iftikharraheel

.i also advice you not to change the gear oil.

1. Why not to change, the reason and logic?
2. Read your car's manual both Automatic Tansmission Fluid (ATF) and mannual tranmission fluids are required to be changed after certain Kms and time span.

[Shoaibm]

@Vakas85
No, there is no way these tappets adjust by themselves. After certain mileage they need adjustment. If you are getting good performance, it doesn't mean your tappets are within factory specs.

[xardas]

@chinyoti Yup that's the code of the new plugs. Although I'm now running on old original plugs. Not as good as before but still better than the new ones. Maybe during the 'tuning' the messed something up.

@vakas85 What are tappets man? I don't know much about cars internals?

[Xulfiqar]

@Xulfiqar... In EFI cars, tappets adjust themselves. Manual adjustment is not required unless in xtraordinary circumstances. And when those xtraordinary circumstances arise, driver is the first person to know. My 7 year old SE takes 12 secs from stand still to 100 kmph. So its perfectly alright!

hmm - how does a solid toyota lifter adjust itself, the only lifterst that self adjust are hydraulic ones and toyota being the cheap asses they are dont use them.. they are so cheap they dont even use shims on their lifter buckets now.

If its running perfect it does not warrant that your valve clearances are in top spec.

[vakas85]

@Xardas... To be honest I am not aware of the ins and outs of internals as well. But tappets need to be tuned because the they tend to get tighter after some milage and are required to be loosened (opened up). I had Alto 1000cc a few years back. It used to give me trouble after every 5 to 6 thousand kms and required tappet adjustment. I then switched to Vitz and afterwards I never faced the problem. Toyotas are really cool in terms of maintenance and to date I have not got my tappets adjusted. Since you are also through tuning process, this means ur tappets are all set. Now focus on other things. For pick up problem, get throttle body cleaned, get ur fuel filter checked if it needs replacement, If u like, u can get ur injectors cleaned. That is also an issue that comes with many Vitz's. Get catalytic converters out from ur exhaust. Use Bosch 4 tip or irudium Plugs. Ur car will certainly get better.
As for gear oil, it wont cost huuuuggggggeeeee so get it changed. And afterwards, just ensure that u change it every 40k kms coz oil looses viscosity and wear and tear in transmission can increase.

[vakas85]

@ Xulfiqar
May be ur right... But then they say ''bagtay huay ghoray ko erh nai lagani chahiay''. So if its perfroming well, I dont really think I should go n open a Pendora Box. Mechanics in Pakistan can open and repair but they canot close things properly. If not all, 99% of them...

[Xulfiqar]

hmm - your choice, and quite right in the performing surgery with a chopper - thats the usual approach in Pakistan

[thebo]

vakas85 and autophile,
pals, thank you so much for sharing this great information about engine tuning. i have city 2003 exi-s automatic petrol. i bought it from clifton karachi 2 months back. it was 80k km driven. i changed oil, oil filter, atf and brake oil. car has rust all over inside bonnet. near engine, on bolts and when i asked a mechanic he advised me to 'buff' some parts, plugs and chrome some parts to avoid rust. he also advised to change the timing belt and chamber resonator( black rubber type pipe which gives suction). i changed tires as well and put bridgestone potenza re740 costa rica make. please advise me in this regard. waiting for your precious comments. any other friends suggestion also welcomed!
thanks,
thebo.

[vakas85]

Well bro as I said above I am not very much in. Specially the problem ur refering to is specific to coastal areas. So I guess Xulfiqar can help since he is from Karachi!

[thebo]

Thanks mate. Well, Xulfiqar saheb, if you read this message then kindly advise. Should it be a worry or not? Thanks in advance.

[capsat]

[I]
Glad that you figured out pick-up issue directly with the plug change.

since cars belong to us, we have all the right to know before hand what they are going to do on the car.

After listening to you for the problem in the car, Connecting a diagnostic computer at arrival tells the workshop what they need to do on the car with precision and accuracy. If they don't do that, means either they lack the skills or they only want to perform regular STONE AGE maintenance and RIP US off.

I HAD a 2004 Toyota Corolla 1.6 Auto Trans other then regular service (at every 5000KM Oil change and all filters replaced engine Timing Belt changed at 100,000) and tyre change at 40,000KM it gave me 189710 KM and I sold it in March 2009. The Buyer is still happy after 212849 and her fuel average is still 13Km a litre with aircon - (thats am talking about my ride in UAE)

Auto transmissions have an oil filter in it, change it when you change the Auto transmission OIL. approx. 40K or 25K under severe weather conditions.

Power Steering fluid is never changed it is only topped up, as it is providing hydraulic pressure like brake fluid does.
[/I]

[capsat]

[I]@THEBO

Please do check under bright lamp light if there is rust or traces of it along side the engine foundation Hinges (the brackets which hold the engine foundations) Cars across the Clifton bridge area in Karachi tend to rust faster then other areas of Pakistan. If the undercarriage of your car is not badly rusted immediately get it painted with Undercoat and save it from further damage. Buffing the bolts and other removable mettalic parts is right choice, but if you get those lacquer coated at the sametime, it will prolong the bright before fizzing out.

I never let my service shop spray any oil after the engine is washed. They Blow dry it and I let it dry further overnight by lifting the hood. very less of rust in my daily ride in Karachi - EE-90 1991

[/I]

[thebo]

capsat,
thanks mate for your detailed reply.

[imran21pk]

I have vitz 2005 and i faced same problem few days before. i changed the gear oil first time at 40000 km and mechanic told me to have throtle cleaning and plugs check. He cleaned throtle and buff the plugs. My ride was bit better after that oil change but after two or three days suddenly pick decreased and car started making so much noise and some strange sounds. i then went to i 9 toyota. there was a mechanic abid shah. He told me that its values needs adjustment which will cost you 5000 and one day. In which the head of engine will be opened. I guessed that he is making me fool. Plz help me what to do. My vitz was running fit and suddenly it happened. Nothing i did that day except putting pso petrol in it.

[imran21pk]

Problem solved. today i went to same mechanic and during last time tunning a wire of fuel injector was cutted. But i was much annoyed of that stupid I 9 toyota mechanic who was suggesting me to open engine for this one minute problem

[aurasolutions]

Lucky you, got it fixed soon.

I also had acceleration problem along with increased vibration just before spark plug change. Actually, i changed spark plugs because suddenly my Vitz 2008 started to vibrate a lot along with missing. After plug change, missing was gone but vibration in drive mode stayed and acceleration dropped considerably.

Issue got fixed by changing the wire adjacent to one of the cylinders of the spark plug.
Basically, it was wire problem(either malfunctioning or totally gone).

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