Daihatsu Problems

The widely accepted definition of a vintage car is one that was made between 1919 and 1930. So, no, your Daihatsu is not a vintage car. But a collectible one? That could be different. Really, it’s such a subjective term that it all depends on your personal definition.

But if you apply the template for a car to be considered eligible for historic registration, then your 1995 Applause is definitely in the frame. Most states have a cut-off whereby vehicles need to be at least 30 years old (25 years in Victoria) to be eligible for cheaper (but restricted) historic registration. The aim of this scheme is to allow older cars to remain on the road at a cheaper rate so enthusiasts can enjoy them while also running a more modern car as their daily transport.

This is a great scheme and is good news for the service and spare parts industries as well. And since there’s no ruling on what makes and models are eligible, your Applause is indeed, considered a classic car of sorts. Generally, you’ll need to be a member of an accredited club and use the vehicle within the rules mandated by each state, but the reason we still see so many older cars on the road in this country is partly down to these schemes.

In a broader sense, the chances of a Daihatsu Applause ever being a true collectible car commanding big prices from enthusiasts seems a bit remote. That said, stranger cars have achieved cult status over time, so who knows. Trabant, anyone?

If the engine mounts are indeed in good condition (and it can be hard to tell just by looking) then you might be looking at a problem with the idle speed settings. Engines typically idle more slowly when they’re cold and in gear and there’s usually a compensation for this. In an electronically controlled engine like the Sirion’s, this idle-up function will be a job for the onboard computer. But if the computer has lost the plot or isn’t getting the right signal from, say, a temperature sensor, then it can’t bump the idle up a fraction when it needs to. And then, once warmed up, the engine seems normal.

A cold engine that spits a little water out the tailpipe is completely normal. Water is one of the by-products of the combustion process. It’s black because it mixes with soot in the exhaust system. But we only see it when the engine is cold, as once warmed up, the exhaust system turns the water to steam and we don’t see it. A black exhaust in a modern car that runs on ULP is completely normal also.

Even the newest Daihatsu Feroza is 20-years-old now so they're verging on classic car territory, and this means many will require engine and transmission overhauls, if not even bigger work. Coupled with the fact they are renowned as hardy off-road 4x4s the chances of finding one which hasn't had a hard life is going to be extremely difficult.

All that considered, however, they are well-made and generally reliable vehicles when in good operating order.

There’s not really any such thing as a close fit when it comes to a windscreen; it will either fit and seal, or it won’t and will leak. And these pieces of glass tend to be very different from one make and model to the next with very limited interchangeability. Sometimes, you might get two models within a line-up that share a windscreen, but since the Pyzar was based on the much smaller Charade hatchback, that’s not going to be the case here.

Despite that, I did manage to find at least one online business that claimed to be able to supply the correct windscreen. If that doesn’t work out locally, I believe the Pyzar was a pretty popular model in New Zealand, so perhaps a search of suppliers across the ditch might pay-off. Yes, you’ll have to pay for shipping, but a car with no windscreen is pretty much useless until that crucial piece of glass has been replaced.

While specific tyre sizes will depend on what wheels are fitted to the exact Feroza in question, the popular short-wheelbase Daihatsu 4x4 should normally take a 225/70 R15, though a 205/75 or even a 195/75 could potentially be fitted in certain circumstances.

Check what size tyres are on your car now by looking on the side of the tyre for similar numbers as 225 refers to the width in millimetres, 70 or 75 will be the height of the sidewall of the tyre (known as aspect ratio), while 15 refers to the wheel diameter in inches.

If the ABS and overall braking system is working properly, then the warning light you’re seeing is probably being caused by a sensor or part of the electrical circuit involved in controlling the ABS. An electronic scan of the car’s on-board computer should give you an insight into what’s wrong and you can work forward from there. Simply replacing bits and pieces in the hope that they fix the problem is often a very time and money consuming way to go about this. Most workshops will be able to scan the car and interpret the fault codes.

The Daihatsu Feroza (called the Rocky or SporTrak overseas) was sold in part-time 4x4 or full-time 4x4 variants depending on the gearbox chosen.

Assuming you mean the Daihatsu's ignition timing, the on-board computer should control the timing. If this is out of whack, you'll find the car could be difficult to start, will idle poorly, use more fuel than it should, be down on power and may even overheat. Or all of those things. For reference, the correct timing for this engine is five degrees before top dead centre (+ or – two degrees) at idle. It can be checked by a workshop to verify whether it's correct or not.

If you're referring to the engine's valve timing, that's a different thing altogether. You need to reset the valve timing whenever you change the rubber toothed timing belt to avoid catastrophic damage to the engine. The valve timing of the car should not change between belt-change intervals, but if it has, then the damage has probably already been done. Again, for reference, the two camshafts need to be lined up with their respective timing marks, along with the crankshaft in its correct position before the new belt is fitted. This is not a simple job for a Saturday morning in the driveway.

Daihatsu Ferozas carried a kerb weight of 1206kg when new.

Unlike fuel and oil filters which are often located in easily accessible places and are able to be removed and replaced easily, most automatic transmission filters are located inside the actual transmission. Usually, this means removing the transmission's pan which is also usually the way to access the transmission's valve body and other parts that are part of a transmission service.

The best way to access this area is to have the car on a hoist and work from underneath.