ANOTHER Hand <span class="highlight">grenade</span> goes bang.....

Tim,
They are going to trial some new Ford Rangers here at work (both surface and underground).
They will still be buying Tojo's as the main fleet but they are always on the lookout for something that may do the job much cheaper. Price is around 2.5 Rangers to 1 Tojo but that will just be a trial price.

Head of LV maintence told me that Rio have signed up for 100 Mahindras.

He also told me they will not even look at Nissans.

Have a good one,
RA.

What year was your Nissan

Hi Tim

Always sad to here those stories - espically when it ones own.

Problem is that people associate a generic name to a model with unacceptable failures.

I would be interested to here how many onwers of other brands have such confidence in there new cars such that they do not even take them back for servicing from new, as is the case with my GU (Petrol).

They take them back for sevicing based on the fear that there warranty may be void and impicit in this is that the warranty will be needed.

We had a 2008 3ltr crd Patrol from new.

I was one of the non believers, absolutely loved it.

Used it for towing caravans ect, struggled on hills and passing slower vehicles.

Last trip away we picked up some contaminated fuel and then the dramas began.

Nissan dealership at Mt Isa said repairs required to common rail system and injector pump.

The vehicle had just done over 30 thousand ks.

Doubtful if manufacturers warranty would cover repair cost re: caused by contaminated fuel, estimated cost $13K to $15K.

In the back of my mind I was also thinking about any future problems such as the Grenade issues.

To cut a long story short, we traded it on new 4.8 ltr petrol Patrol.

It's a totally different vehicle re: performance / handling / comfort.

In my mind the 3ltr common rail motors are little engines for big trucks.

Cheers

Hi Tim,

What I find bewildering is the impression that only Patrols have problems. I was in a Toyota 4WD drive club for years, and I can assure you that the brand had its fair share of serious problems. A search of 4X4 forums will show that many Prados have also had head failures.

We had Patrols and Landcruisers at work and the Cruiser had endless trouble with oil from the transfer case filling up the gearbox. It was never fixed.

I hope you have a trouble free and enjoyable time with your new Toyota.

Yep one shouldn't assume that toyotas don't have their fair share of problems.....and equally crappy responses from the manufacturer in terms of warranty.

....and just for the conspiracy theorists.....despite my screen name I DO NOT own a Nissan Patrol :-)

Some interesting reading:

Oh what a Lemon - 200 Series
More than a couple of landcruiser complaints

Likewise you will find similar complaints about other marques of vehicles including the Patrol, Landrover etc etc....IMHO any electro-mechanical device is subject to failure from time to time and equally IMHO there are not sufficient quality mechanics around to diagnose and fix problems. Also we have some of the crappiest diesel storage facilities in the world in Australia and this doesn't help with modern CRDI engines. Not saying we should put up with this mind you but rather that there are many more things contributing to the mix of "failures" than the oft used phrase "another hand grenade goes bang...."

AH yeh we get this other brands thing all the time.

When there is a brand or item that has known regular and common issues, like the hand grenade patrolls, someone allways pipes up and says the market leader is having their problems too.

The reality is the market leader..in this case Toyota, is having far less problems and have a hell of a lot more vehicles on the road.

The problem is that the 4 cylinder common rail patrolls when they fail it is catestrophic and if it is not under waranty it more or less renders the vehicle beyond economic repair.

The fact that other brands are having problems does not change the fact that the 4 cylinder common rail partolls seem to have a conspicuous problem.

There is no way I would expect to pay $60Gorillas for a new vehicle and then get a bill for 1/4 of that for a repair regardless of the cause.
By the time it happens, that probably represents half the market value of the vehicle.

As for the whole common rail diesel thing.....NUP..ya wont get me buying one any brand any time soon.

Even if the fuel is a bit dodgy.....the product should be able to cope with ALL normally available commercial fuel.

There was a bloke on 4wd action a whole ago that baught a new excavator...it came with a common rail diesel, very similar to the one in his 4wd.........this raised the question why his 4wd was not equiped with fuel filtration to the standard in his excavator.....ie multistage, with 2 disposable eliments and probably another in the fuel pump.

We have had BRP blaiming fuel contamination for the reguar injector failures in it ETEC range......obviously either the factory supplied fuel filrtation is inadequate or the injection system in incapable of dealing with the normal variation in the commercially available fuels used.

And all this in the name of saving the environment.......I ask what is the cost to the environment of all these parts that have to be replaced and the short lifespan of these products.

sorry..don't get me started.

cheers

You should have had a look at a new Discovery 4 It would have solved all your problems and given you better fuel economy towing the Lotus

Dazza
A little question if you don't mind, what consumption do you get, around town, on the highway - without load and with load (van)?

I have a 200 series TTD and am not happy, oil consumption and 3 injectors thus far. Toyota more or less admit the early series injectors are faulty but won't replace them until each one goes (one at a time and potentially huge $$ implications and very inconvenient when your on a trip). Ever heard of the "limp home mode"? well after the last injector went it went into "limp home mode"a number of the warning lights start up, you can;t get traction control and 4WD can't be engaged - imagine being up the top end of Fraser Island with no 4WD??Their warranty service is cra$, no loyalty. I have Toyota do all my services, including an in between 5,000 k service, but doesn't mean squat. This is aside from the ongoing oil usage. Besides the new XF Falcon I purchased many years ago, this is the worst vehicle I ever purchased/
Oh what a feeling
T
.

Feel for you Tim,
We have blown 2 engines in the same GU 3.0td (2004 STL Auto) 1st @ 42,000km
2nd @ 144,000 km. 1st one replaced under warranty, second my shout.
both happened towing 2500kg van, blow-up happens just after climbing steep hills and when you are coasting down the other side with no throttle. heaps heartache.
We are looking at getting a new ford ranger dual cab with 3.2 td 5 cylinder hoping that will do the job better. plus we can carry a bit of gear in the tub at the back.
all the best Don

I thought the grenade was the blowing of the motor not a cracked head?

Seems the title is incorrect.

Cheers

I always say to people, it's not a case oof if but when, regardless of how well you service your 3.0l. I changed oil and filters every 5k kms but obviously didnt' make any difference. When I get it back later int he week, 10k services and I'll drive it like I stole it!

Leroy

I dont understand why you would want to tow (and theres a few) using a 3.0l even if it is turbo'd.....

I think it puts to much pressure on these engines...