Today I did something to my car (volume 2)

joujoujou

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

The illumination on the alpine can be changed to different colours. [...]

This one has it as well, for less €€€.

http://www.halfords.ie/sat-nav-audio/car-audio/dab-radios-car-stereos/pioneer-deh-x3600ui-cd-tuner-with-front-usb-and-aux-in-and-ipod-iphone-control#tab2

JohnBoy26

joujoujou wrote: »

This one has it as well, for less €€€.

http://www.halfords.ie/sat-nav-audio/car-audio/dab-radios-car-stereos/pioneer-deh-x3600ui-cd-tuner-with-front-usb-and-aux-in-and-ipod-iphone-control#tab2

That head unit you posted is more expensive at €89? And while you can change the illumination it doesn't seem to be possible to turn off the demo mode on those which causes the lights and text to flash all different colors, which is very distracting and annoying.

The alpine is more subtle without the flashing text or the flashing lights and is far less distracting. It also is a higher quality unit imo with better sound quality.

Edit: it seems the price of that alpine has jumped over night :eek: it was €80 when I posted it.

joujoujou

Head unit you posted is 99. The one I posted is 89.

And you can switch off demo thing no problem. Just read manual and follow it.

Last, but not least: sound quality is a matter of personal preferences.

JohnBoy26

joujoujou wrote: »

Head unit you posted is 99. The one I posted is 89.

And you can switch off demo thing no problem. Just read manual.

Last, but not least: sound quality is a matter of personal preferences.

Read my post again, that unit was €80 when I posted it, it has gone up in price since then.

You can switch off the demo thing but it comes back on again and looks something akin to those old Nokia 3220 phones, very annoying and very tacky.

Sound quality might be a matter of personal preference but there is a noticeable difference between the two brands in this regard. I know which one I'd choose hands down if this was of importance.

joujoujou

Well, surprisingly I have one with demo permanently off.

JohnBoy26

joujoujou wrote: »

Well, surprisingly I have one with demo permanently off.

A mixtrax unit like the one above? Doubt it tbh

Do the colors stay on the set illumination or do they start changing?

Do you not find the unit extremely bright and distracting at night? I know these have a dimmer but it isn't of much use tbh.

Cleveland Hot Pocket

joujoujou wrote: »

Well, surprisingly I have one with demo permanently off.

That's some reliable build quality IMO

joujoujou

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

A mixtrax unit like the one above? Doubt it tbh

Yep, mixtrax one. DEH-X3500UI.

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

Do the colors stay on the set illumination or do they start changing?

They stay as been set in RGB scale. Keys set to match green(ish) colour of middle console, display set to match orange(ish) colour of speedo dials.

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

Do you not find the unit extremely bright and distracting at night? I know these have a dimmer but it isn't of much use tbh.

It is bright alright, but once you become familiar how to change them colours you can go down with all 3 (R and G and B respectively) to go darker.

I drive mostly on nights (90% I'd say) and found satnav is way more distracting than radio.

JohnBoy26

joujoujou wrote: »

Yep, mixtrax one. DEH-X3500UI.

They stay as been set in RGB scale. Keys set to match green(ish) colour of middle console, display set to match orange(ish) colour of speedo dials.

It is bright alright, but once you become familiar how to change them colours you can go down with all 3 (R and G and B respectively) to go darker.

I drive mostly on nights (90% I'd say) and found satnav is way more distracting than radio.

That's one good thing about them, the way you can use the rbg scale to fine tune the colours but I still find them very bright. Have you it fitted down by the heater controls or up in a pod?

joujoujou

It's below heater controls.

JohnBoy26

joujoujou wrote: »

It's below heater controls.

it wouldn't be too distracting down there

toyotaavensis

Had a bearing replaced in the gearbox today. Amazing how quiet the car is now. Luckily the box doesnt have to come out to change these so it didnt hurt the wallet too much.

toastedpickles

I envy you :pac: anything in my car that needs replacing half the feckin engine has to be took out

toyotaavensis

I still want a SAAB.

You could be worse off. If I remember right the gearbox used be in the sump of the old 9000. The engine is smaller in the 9-5 cause it has a separate gearbox.

Jokes aside toyotas do have that in their favour that most jobs are easy enough.

Next on the to do list is replace a bulb blown behind the heater in the car.

toastedpickles

Hurrah!

Yeah its similar on the 900, whole sump/gearbox/clutch assembly is one whole unit

As i always say, it's the little things that make the difference

toyotaavensis

That said when you have those cars finished there will be very few nicer machines on the road.

By the way are you restoring these to keep them or sell them on?

toastedpickles

toyotaavensis wrote: »

That said when you have those cars finished there will be very few nicer machines on the road.

By the way are you restoring these to keep them or sell them on?

I'm keeping them for as long as possible, the 9-5 until it totally packs in, (in which case total rebuild) or i can afford the next gen :pac: and the 900 as something to have for the weekends/shows, not many left in the country, or so i heard anyways

I bloody love them cars, even with the stick i get for owning them, and I'll do whatever i can to keep them going

toyotaavensis

When you say the next generation you mean the one with the silver headlight surrounds or the one which is similar to an insignia?

toastedpickles

Yep! the "dame edna" as its fondly known as :pac:

toyotaavensis

Thats the one I have been eyeing up for the end of the year when I get to go car shopping.

toastedpickles

Very nice, you won't have any sludge issues so....or any ones I've had actually!

toyotaavensis

Not if I find a well looked after one.

I could end up going for the likes of this too.
http://www.tradecarview.com/used_car/japan%20car/saab/9-5/15055042/
They come up in Japan quite cheap with low milage very often.

advertsfox

Fitted my LED festoons 5 in the cabin, 2, in the doors, 2 at the reg plate and 1 in the boot.

joujoujou

toyotaavensis wrote: »

Had a bearing replaced in the gearbox today. [...]

How much for labour?

How much for bearing?

Where's new bearing from? (dealer, motor factors, somewhere else)

Toyotafanboi

joujoujou wrote: »

How much for labour?

How much for bearing?

Where's new bearing from? (dealer, motor factors, somewhere else)

is there a problem with these boxes i don't know about? kind of worried about mine now, 150k miles on the original box. what are the tell tale signs? just noise?

joujoujou

I'm just asking, out of curiosity.

Tell tale signs (in order of appearance):

- noisy while driving (just like very old radio set to no station, but quiet),

- noise goes whining,

- whining noise goes grinding/scraping/scrunching (not sure how to explain it),

- gearbox seized, bearing destroyed.

The more aggressive is your driving style, the more possible is to happen.

Edit: My driving style is very aggressive and I killed 3 gearboxes (2nd hand ones) in 7 years.

Toyotafanboi

joujoujou wrote: »

I'm just asking, out of curiosity.

Tell tale signs (in order of appearance):

- noisy while driving (just like very old radio set to no station, but quiet),

- noise goes whining,

- whining noise goes grinding/scraping/scrunching (not sure how to explain it),

- gearbox seized, bearing destroyed.

The more aggressive is your driving style, the more possible is to happen.

Edit: My driving style is very aggressive and I killed 3 gearboxes (2nd hand ones) in 7 years.

interesting, thank you

don't have any symptoms at the moment thankfully, nor have i had a box fail which must be rather good luck

any preventative measures aside from regular oil changes or is it kind of guaranteed to happen? 150k miles on the current box.

got a complete drive shaft the other day btw after all the hassle, from a 1.6vvti corolla verso, €50 very happy just hope it doesn't fail soon too!

joujoujou

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

[...]

any preventative measures aside from regular oil changes or is it kind of guaranteed to happen? 150k miles on the current box.

[...]

Not really. It may happen, it may not.



In my situation regular oil changes gave nothing.

JohnBoy26

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

is there a problem with these boxes i don't know about? kind of worried about mine now, 150k miles on the original box. what are the tell tale signs? just noise?

Just bearings but if done on time you will be fine.The signs of bearings going on these is usually a coarse sound as you build up speed. If yours is nice and smooth you should have nothing to worry about.

The bearings issue also doesn't effect every car, it happens on some and on others it doesn't.

dgt

Seeing as I strained my legs somehow yesterday, what better way to take things easy than to clean and shine up the car....


You can see where I was to lazy to roll the car where I couldn't reach the tyre

Might have some proper post later, depends on how able I am to move