ST165 Common Problems

What's this for?

To help identify snags with your car. Please note that these are in addition to the regular car problems e.g. CV boots etc etc

* = this is probably happening without you knowing about it. Check it this weekend!

* Sunroof Rusts from the front edge - need a new sunroof, expensive!
  Brakes Both the front and rear callipers are "sliding callipers" and they tend to seize. Strip and overhaul the sliding mechanism will help restore some braking power. Toyota can supply an overhaul kit for ~£35 which includes piston seals, ALL dust seals, copper washers, bleed nipple cap and clips
* Rear brakes Very poor performance. Check the rear pads are making contact all the way across the disc. If not then you may have a pad installed that has a "nipple" on the metal baking plate. The nipple causes the brake pad to not sit square in the brake calliper. Aftermarket pads seem to feature this a lot e.g. Mintex. These also seem to be a little too big for the calliper and as a result do not slide correctly within the calliper
Smokes at idle Maybe a worn turbo - get a hybrid or better - pictures here. Are you venting your PCV to atmosphere? If so then the car will probably smoke. Do not vent to atmosphere!
  Revs increase but car doesn't hurtle forward Especially noticeable at higher speeds in a higher gear i.e. 5th. You probably need a new clutch. You might want to get an uprated unit, try Fensport or Demon Tweeks if you are after a Helix clutch. The stock 165 clutch will cope with at least 250ft/lb torque
* Rusty front wings and sills Remove the front wheel arch liner and dig out the 10kg of leaves and mud from the bottom of the wing. Treat the area with rust killer and under body sealer. The car will rust and eventually it will look like the pictures below...

162 front wings will fit a 165, but a small modification with a drill will be required

* Rusty suspension turrets Front
Rear
Toyota made a very poor effort at coating these with under body sealant. The rear tends to be a lot worse than the front. Cure it before it's too late...
* Rusty spare wheel container Cure the rust. Check the rubber sealing strip around the boot lid. This may have split or the vertical metal strip underneath the rubber strip rusted through! If there is a leak in the rear then the water will tend to accumulate here and start the rust process!
* Oil leak from rocker box cover Tighten all the rocker box cover bolts, they tend to work loose - very loose! Think about placing a spring washer under the bolt to prevent it from coming undone again. Some owners fit hex head bolts instead of the screws, if you do watch out you don't over tighten them as you'll crack the cover, (it's easily done!)
* Exhaust leak from around the turbo The 4 nuts securing the turbo to the cat work loose over time. You'll probably discover to your amazement that a couple of them have simply disappeared! Use spring washers, aeronuts or the stock Toyota Binks nuts
  Clonk from rear of car on gear change during heavy acceleration/gear change Worn rear diff mount bush. Approx £109 from Toyota or ~£70 from TCB, need to jack up rear of car, not too bad to change fit, takes approx 1.5 hours. Click here for a how to article
  Moaning and groaning from wheels Wheel bearing may be on its way out. Click here to see what's involved
* Engine radiator leaking New ~£300 from Toyota, or ~£130 from TCB.  It seems to weep for a while then it'll just give up...Normally the top plastic section changes colour from black when new, to a light brown colour before it packs up, and the top section covering the radiator matrix begins to weep. Click here for a how to article
  Difficult to get into gear Probably worn gear linkage bushes. For replacement bush pictures - click here. If not the bushes then maybe the synchros as these do wear. The 185CS/RC and 205 GT4s had revised gearboxes. Note that an overhauled gearbox is VERY expensive, a new replacement 205 box is ~£1250 from Toyota. Don't overhaul, get a new better 205 box, it will bolt on!
* Turbo inlet pipe split The air intake onto the side of the turbo tends to split due to heat and the number of heat cycles this is subjected to . Most noticeable by oily deposits left underneath the pipe. This is VERY bad as unmetered air can enter the engine and cause a lean running condition. Number 1 on your "fix it list". Very expensive, (as usual), from Toyota, aSamco elbow may be a cheaper alternative?
* Cylinder head cracked In the vicinity of the alternator mounting the cylinder head is prone to cracking. 185s were fitted with a different style engine mount and an additional stay to help prevent this from occurring - picture. Click here for a picture of a cracked head
* Gearbox oil cooler pipes The pipes leading to/from the gearbox up to the oil cooling radiator tend to suffer badly from corrosion. If they rust through and you don't spot it in time, then the gearbox oil will disappear and you will disappear to the gearbox shop for a new gearbox...a new ST205 gearbox from Toyota is ~£1250. Click here for a picture of the gearbox pipes
  High idle speed Probably due to an air leak after the throttle body. The car has a load of rubber pipes and these tend to go brittle after time and snap/perish. Check all around the intake manifold and especially on the bottom right hand side where there are 2 pipes - picture. The pipes on the rear of the manifold tend to come off the manifold, complete with the manifold insert! Scuff up the insert surface and then Araldite these back into place. Also, the throttle also tends to stick open at approx 2000 rpm, give the spring a smear of grease. There are also a couple of pipes that go to the power steering pump that can easily be over looked...
  Rear diff "whine" Probably worn diff bearings. Most noticeable at speed ~70mph when easing off from the throttle, think about upgrading to the improved 205 rear diff if you need to replace it
  Rust next to windscreen Small patch of rust approx 10cm down from the top of the windscreen, this will lead to a cracked windscreen if left untreated
  Drivers window switch Snaps off ~£130 from Toyota! ouch
  Camshaft oil seals Start to weep and cover the cambelt with oil