2012 Yaris SE

[D-Flo]

I'm thinking about exercising my purchase option at the end of my 3.5yr lease (should be a little over $9,000 w/ approx. 42K miles). But I have a few questions:
1. Interior dash and side panel plastic. This seems to scuff and get dusty very easily. IS there a recommended cloth or cleaning solution for this plastic which features a texture consisting of tightly-spaced shallow parallel grooves (the dust catches in these grooves)?
2. front and rear bumper panels - seam separating. Is this an easy fix? The plastic tabs don't seem to grip onto each other, making the seams look unkempt.
3. I've got 1 more scheduled maintenance before decision time on the purchase. I want to save a little $ versus going to the dealer for service. I'm supposed to use ILSAC multigrade engine oil at 5W-30 viscosity. Does this mean I must purchase synthetic oil? Are there non-synthetic standard motor oils out there that meet the ILSAC standard?

[fnkngrv]

use microfiber cloth for cleaning.

can you post pics of the issues with the bumper covers?

there are too many oil threads here to count however that being said ILSAC is just another org out there just like SAE, etc. You can purchase any major name brand oil to your liking. I won't feed the oil debate monster right now since I did earlier in another thread. I will say that even in a modern engine I personally would not go more than 3-4k with dyno/conventional oil. If you go synthetic there are plenty of options, but for simplicity sake if you go with it just change it at 5k and call it day.

[sheekeebut]

Dishcloth type towels have a nice feel to them for interior trim cleaning.

As long as your car hasn't been mangled in auto incidents, your bumpers should stick back on just fine with new bumper clips. My neighborhood dealership sells them at outrageous ripoff prices of like $3 a piece. I grudgingly accepted their price, twice.

Interested in abovementioned heated debate myself, I'll gladly spread it here and tell you that you should at least try to change it with the manufacturer's suggested grade (or close to it) and interval. Most people are on the fence about whether to go with a different oil grade or synthetic, but they have already failed with the very point of changing oil: you have to change it, and regularly!

By the way, a quick glance at your oil's back label will say what standards it meets or exceeds. I believe that ILSAC one is hard NOT to find in most motor oil selections.

[D-Flo]

Oil: I just want to make sure I comply w/ mfg scheduled maintenance requirements when I use a non-dealer garage for the maintenance. Lease requires proof of maintenance at scheduled intervals. I wonder whether they'd accept my own signed report as proof if I changed my own oil, rotated the tires, topped the fluids etc.?

Rear bumper cover snapped free in high winds on the I-5 near the Altamont wind farm area. First dealer svc ctr I spoke w/ said they'd have to buy a new bumper cover and charge me over a thousand dollars. Second dealer took one look at it, grabbed a machine screw, screwed the seam shut, and said that solves the problem for no charge thank you very much. Between a disposition fee and the possibility that they'll charge me for the bumper situation, I could be spending up to 16% of the purchase price just to return it at end of lease. That weighs in favor of purchase, plus the fact that the buy-out price is under blue book right now.

[fnkngrv]

You will definitely want to read up on your lease agreement. I have people that I know that have been in leases before and actually per their lease agreement they could not perform certain types of maintenance is on their own.

[matti]

In regard to scuffing of the plastic, I use:
https://www.turtlewax.com/shop/products/turtle-wax-performance-plus-super-protectant-10-4-fl-oz-

I have a 2012 Yaris as well and the scuffing on the cheap plastic can be pretty annoying. The above product helps out, for sure.

[nookandcrannycar]

Dishcloth type towels have a nice feel to them for interior trim cleaning.

^^^^^ This. I bought a 2-pack of very short fiber, tightly woven towels (for a different non kitchen use) for under $3.00 at Kroger. I ended up using them instead to wipe the dash in my '14 Yaris. Worked pretty well.

[nookandcrannycar]

high winds on the I-5 near the Altamont wind farm area.

Yeah, that area rivals parts of 'The Grapevine' hundreds of miles to the south on I-5.

That weighs in favor of purchase, plus the fact that the buy-out price is under blue book right now.

:thumbsup: Then you can enjoy it in the twisties without having 'residual value, 'what will they find wrong', etc.' on your mind. I'm thinking Castro Valley to Moraga................................the back way :biggrin:.

[Jcp123]

Yeah, that area rivals parts of 'The Grapevine' hundreds of miles to the south on I-5.



:thumbsup: Then you can enjoy it in the twisties without having 'residual value, 'what will they find wrong', etc.' on your mind. I'm thinking Castro Valley to Moraga................................the back way :biggrin:.

Morgan Territory Road.

[nookandcrannycar]

Morgan Territory Road.

:laugh:.

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup: re isolation and setting.....but SO, SO MANY POTHOLES, etc. on that road :eek: (unless they've done a MAJOR repave (almost a reconstruction :laugh:) in the last 6 or 7 years).

[Flammable]

I'm thinking about exercising my purchase option at the end of my 3.5yr lease (should be a little over $9,000 w/ approx. 42K miles). But I have a few questions:
1. Interior dash and side panel plastic. This seems to scuff and get dusty very easily. IS there a recommended cloth or cleaning solution for this plastic which features a texture consisting of tightly-spaced shallow parallel grooves (the dust catches in these grooves)?
2. front and rear bumper panels - seam separating. Is this an easy fix? The plastic tabs don't seem to grip onto each other, making the seams look unkempt.
3. I've got 1 more scheduled maintenance before decision time on the purchase. I want to save a little $ versus going to the dealer for service. I'm supposed to use ILSAC multigrade engine oil at 5W-30 viscosity. Does this mean I must purchase synthetic oil? Are there non-synthetic standard motor oils out there that meet the ILSAC standard?Here is the cleaner I use along with a micro fiber cloth. The great thing about this stuff is it is safe to use on any interior surface including clear plastic. It will not leave a shinny or oily residue like armoral will. Best interior cleaner I have ever used.:thumbup: I have a 2012 SE also and the oil I use is Mobil 1 Full Synthetic and I change the oil and filter myself when the service engine light comes on. The filter I use it Toyota Part #90915-YZZF2, it's like a little over 4 bucks at dealership. You can use regular 5W-30 oil if you like and just change the oil every 3 or 4 thousand miles and you will be fine. The reason I use full synthetic is because I drive my Yaris a lot and don't have to change it until 5 thousand miles or so. With the variable valve timing in the Yaris engine it's really important the oil is changed regularly and because synthetic flows better than conventional oil I just feel that it's better for the engine but that's just me. Unless you live in a very cold climate the main difference between synthetic and conventional oil is you can go longer between oil changes.

[D-Flo]

Thanks for the useful suggestions. :thumbup:

I bought the car and feel 10X better about DIY now that I'm free of the lease restrictions. I could use more tips and suggestions about how to fuse the seams between the plastic bumpers and the metal sides where they meet in the wheel well areas. Specifically, sheekeebut .. can you tell me more about these $3 "bumper clips" and exactly how they fit on?

I don't visit this YarisWorld much, but had to visit today after seeing a racing Yaris with all sorts of sponsorship stickers on it being towed northbound on the I-5 btwn the Grapevine and the 580. :drool: One of my brothers races in the 24 Hours of Lemons format and I always drop hints to him and his team members to purchase a used Yaris if and when they can get a good one for cheap. (The Lemons format lets the racing administrator purchase any car entered into a race for $500 as a disincentive for a team to pour too much money into one).

[nookandcrannycar]

Thanks for the useful suggestions. :thumbup:

I bought the car and feel 10X better about DIY now that I'm free of the lease restrictions. I could use more tips and suggestions about how to fuse the seams between the plastic bumpers and the metal sides where they meet in the wheel well areas. Specifically, sheekeebut .. can you tell me more about these $3 "bumper clips" and exactly how they fit on?

I don't visit this YarisWorld much, but had to visit today after seeing a racing Yaris with all sorts of sponsorship stickers on it being towed northbound on the I-5 btwn the Grapevine and the 580. :drool: One of my brothers races in the 24 Hours of Lemons format and I always drop hints to him and his team members to purchase a used Yaris if and when they can get a good one for cheap. (The Lemons format lets the racing administrator purchase any car entered into a race for $500 as a disincentive for a team to pour too much money into one).

:thumbsup: Great to hear that you are enjoying your purchase.

[sheekeebut]

It might be too late to mention, but yeah, DFlo, the bumper clips look like this

https://www.google.ca/search?q=bumper+clip+Yaris&safe=off&rlz=2Y3NDUG_enCA0634CA0634google.grouper.nakasi&espv=1&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sboxchip=Images&sa=X&ei=6YCSVcDlNMXtoASaxYqABA&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=601&bih=962

They're a few bucks per if you buy from the dealership. They basically slip into the holes of the mating parts of your bumper/fender and you push in the central part of the clip until it clicks into place, effectively joining the two pieces. There are different ones around and inside the Yaris, I think, so the parts department of any competent dealer should be able to identify which one you need if s/he sees which part of your car. Mine was nice enough to go out to the parking lot with me.