Noobie with XRS Questions - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

lenshead · 10-25-2005, 11:19 PM

Hi All,

I'm new to the forum but not new to Toyota. My current car is a '92 Tercel with 280,000 mi on it.

In the next couple months I hope to buy an XRS which I hope to maintain myself. Am I delusional? How hard is it to access or special tools needed for oil+filter, plugs, timing belts, Are valves hydraulic or do they need adjusting? Never had ABS brakes, tougher to service than other (disk) brakes? Any other maintenance issues I should be aware of?

Another BIG question, The wife and I have sportbikes (ninjas) which we would like to trailer. Can the XRS get a trailer hitch mounted? Can it pull maybe 1100 lbs total weight?

Thanks for any info

jcturbo · 10-26-2005, 03:04 AM

oh God don't tow with an XRS!!!!! no special tools. plugs are iridium and good for 100K, timing chain, no belt, valves have to be adjusted by dealer, special tool. ABS has nothing to do with the pads and rotors themselves, just like any other brake job. the clutch has been known to have issues and I recommend switchin to Redline MT90 gear oil as soon as possible. the factory fluid causes excessive wear on the synchro's.

and the gear ratios would make towing just ridiculous

Flashmn · 10-26-2005, 03:20 AM

Quote:

oh God don't tow with an XRS!!!!!

Why not?

epsylum · 10-26-2005, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcturbo

oh God don't tow with an XRS!!!!!

You think that's bad, check this out. I snapped a pic of this idiot on the highway. Apperently he does this all the time as my brother has seen him about 10 times since I took the pic.

epsylum · 10-26-2005, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lenshead

Another BIG question, The wife and I have sportbikes (ninjas) which we would like to trailer. Can the XRS get a trailer hitch mounted? Can it pull maybe 1100 lbs total weight?

Thanks for any info

You know thoase bikes are street legal (or are they some sort of race bike?), right? I say ride those bad boys. Trailors are for winter (as in snow on the ground).

lenshead · 10-26-2005, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by epsylum

You know thoase bikes are street legal (or are they some sort of race bike?), right? I say ride those bad boys. Trailors are for winter (as in snow on the ground).

Beleive me, I despise trailer queens as well, but it would suck to put on sticky tires only to wear them out during the 200 mile ride to the track... or the several hundred miles from Central Florida to Deal's gap! Not to mention they have no carrying capacity for tools and lugguage and such.

lenshead · 10-26-2005, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcturbo

oh God don't tow with an XRS!!!!! no special tools. plugs are iridium and good for 100K, timing chain, no belt, valves have to be adjusted by dealer, special tool. ABS has nothing to do with the pads and rotors themselves, just like any other brake job. the clutch has been known to have issues and I recommend switchin to Redline MT90 gear oil as soon as possible. the factory fluid causes excessive wear on the synchro's.

and the gear ratios would make towing just ridiculous

Thanks for the input JC

epsylum · 10-26-2005, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lenshead

Beleive me, I despise trailer queens as well, but it would suck to put on sticky tires only to wear them out during the 200 mile ride to the track... or the several hundred miles from Central Florida to Deal's gap! Not to mention they have no carrying capacity for tools and lugguage and such.

Makes sense.

Find an old Toyota Pickup (early 90's). Just a 2wd 4 banger. It can look like hell (and probably will, those bodies are fond of rust), but as long as the frame and engine are okay, they work great as bike haulers. My brother has one (a 91 extended cab P/U). Body looks like crap, but it fires up every time and gets him anywhere he needs to go. Best part is he doen't care if anything happens to it cosmetically and with a truck that gets any kind of use that is inevitable.

Flashmn · 10-26-2005, 06:20 PM

I dont really see what the problem is with towing with an XRS.

Let alone a porsche, rear enging, rwd, perfect for towing.

epsylum · 10-26-2005, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flashmn

I dont really see what the problem is with towing with an XRS.

Let alone a porsche, rear enging, rwd, perfect for towing.

It doesn't matter what you tow with, towing isn't good on the car. If given a choice, I would rather tow with something I don't care about (or care less about). The idea with the porsche is, if he can afford a Porsche he should be able to afford something else to tow his boat with. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. I'm sure a Ferrari would tow just fine also, but why?

Get an older Yota pickup and do all the towing an hauling you want. It just makes more sense.

lenshead · 10-26-2005, 09:13 PM

Sure, a truck would be ideal, but I've already got 3 bikes and a car, a 5th vehicle for the VERY few times I tow would be overkill. We're talking twice a year, tops. Not worth the expense, even for a beater.

I am aware the XRS is no SUV and do not plan on abusing it.

357wheelgunner · 10-29-2005, 09:17 AM

Generally ground effects and a high revving high HP low TQ car don't make well for towing. The XRS is an awesome car, in my opinion the best NA 4 cylinder available, even better than the Honda K20 (RSX-S and new Civic SI have a heavy as hell motor in a heavy as hell car) I would not want to use it for towing.

I'd bet that it would be hard to do because of the ground effects.

TokyoRacer · 10-29-2005, 09:39 AM

So if the rear skirt get sin the way, custom it up a bit..it's not as if 1100lbs is an insane ammount of weight.. If I had an XRS..and I needed to tow, I'd do it..same goes for ym ae92.