Well about 2 weeks ago we left Gladstone SA to go to Perth WA. We got as far as Kimba and my 100 series was getting hot (6cyl petrol auto), so I thought it might have been just a thermostat, which I got from the Toyota dealer ther $45, job done headed off again and woe be gone the cruiser is still getting hot still, we made it to Fowlers Beach with constant stops to refill the radiator and let the cruiser cool down. Once we had set up I opened the bonnet and by climbing into the engine bay found that I could see coolant coming out of the side of the engine, bugger blown head gasket. Well the RAA said that they could tow me back to Ceduna but that was all I would have used up all my credits (I didnt know I had credits to use up, and I had to wait 3 days for the local RAA towey to be available ) well anyway so we got towed back to Ceduna, set ourselves up at Shelly Beach Caravan Park, not a bad place plenty of room so your not jammed in like sardines, and reasonably friendly staff. Well anyway I filled up the radiator and drove into the local Toyota dealer to get the cruiser fixed, the staff in the office their didntseem to know what customer service is, I was told it would be matbe 2 weeks before anyone could look at it, but as luck would have it one of thier mechanics said he would do it after hours for me as a cashy. So I go into the office again to order the parts waited 20 minutes for someone to talk to me then asked for a complete head gasket kit, wont be here until Wednesday no problems I say so I organise with Bill the mechanic to meet after work so he can make a start. Comes Wednesday and I go in to pick up the gasket kit and just get given the head gasket on its own and get asked for $254 sorry they say we thought you just wanted the head gasket. So I hand this over to Bill and finally get the car back on Friday hand over $350 and away we go, 45ks out of Ceduna car is getting hot again up with the bonnet hey look that little hose is leaking, back to Shelly Beach for the night. Into Autopro the next morning and I get a new hose fit it up by using my tripple jointed wrist, fill up with more coolant and aay we go again nope car is still getting hot, so I give up and head home. While travelling wife finds on web that the viscous fan clutch is probably the cause of all our woes, so I stop at Port Augusta at the sports ground $7 a night no power but you can use the toilets if they are open, also $3 to use the dump point as it costs the club to pump it out not the council. Well after a nights sleep I pull the fan out and go into the Toyota dealer and ask for the oil for a viscous fan fearing the worst but no they have it and even recomend that I put 2 little vials into it not just 1 so another $26 and I pull the hub apart put in the oil and hey presto it fixes the problem. Unfortunately in all the time it has taken I now dont have the time to go to WA and have time to look around before I need to be back in Adelaide for an MRI in September so it looks like it will be August before we can try all this again.
Yep, agree with you Andrew, sure is a bad way to start a trek. At least you have it sorted now and September is only next month and I assume you mean try it all again in November not August. Good luck.
It all reminded me me of problems I had with with my tug in February 2012.
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Live Life On Your Terms
DOUGChief One Feather (Losing feathers with age)
TUG.......2014 Holden LT Colorado Twin Cab Ute with Canopy
DEN....... 2014 "Chief" Arrow CV (with some changes)
Andrew, so sorry to hear that dreadful start to your trip, it must have been so disappointing, but at least you got off the starting grid, we don't seem to able to manage even that!
In our team the driver is a retired diesel mechanic, comes in handy at times! Hope things work out better and you can try again real soon.
Bad luck & good luck. It's hard to get a good 4WD mechanic. I think that I have found one for my Patrol. We'll see, as he starts work this weekend on a list of minor things that have been let go over the years.
There are so many people in business these days who have no concept of customer service.
Perhaps a few small local trips might be in order before you head off on a biggie, just to be confident that the problem is fixed.
Hi Andrew, so what you are saying the problem wasn't all of the below mentioned ,it was the $26 part and you ended up fixing it your self.!! or was it all of the mentioned ?
I spent 23 years in parts at toyota and i have found too many people, in most aspects of life, and even on here, want to go straight to a leg amputation, instead of trying a band aide and a bit of detol first.
I have seen Landcruiser gearboxes and tranfser cases overhauled for the sake of a worn bush under the gearstick
sometimes problems can be fixed by thinking simply and logically, instead of racing directly to "worst case scenario"
I am a big fan of the "KISS" principal ...........keep it simple stupid.............this is why kids can programme your TV and operate you fancy phone, and my neice's 2yo daughter can use an IPAD
I spent 23 years in parts at toyota and i have found too many people, in most aspects of life, and even on here, want to go straight to a leg amputation, instead of trying a band aide and a bit of detol first.
I have seen Landcruiser gearboxes and tranfser cases overhauled for the sake of a worn bush under the gearstick
sometimes problems can be fixed by thinking simply and logically, instead of racing directly to "worst case scenario"
I am a big fan of the "KISS" principal ...........keep it simple stupid.............this is why kids can programme your TV and operate you fancy phone, and my neice's 2yo daughter can use an IPAD
Spot on .. It was only yesterday that my neighbour was telling me about a friend of his who had intermittent difficulty in changing into second in his Cruiser. After a gearbox rebuild a farmer in the pub came up with the cause ... a cracked 'plastic' spacer/fitting on base of the gear shift lever.
My Niece's 18month old has a "Baby Ipad" that he plays with all the time. We pinched it off him for a while to watch the Rugby at a party recently.
Not a great start, but if you have a few days up your sleeve, check out the Yorke Peninsula - Innes NP is worth a visit. You still have WA in front of you, hopefully next time things will go smoother.
