Old time mechanic beats whiz bang computer
Submitted: Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008 at 21:02
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Member - Madfisher
Over the last few days the normally reliable v6 Jack has been running like a hairy old goat.Check engine light on, stalls at every
intersection, will not ilde, next day its reving its txts off doing 2500rpm at ilde.
My normally super reliable mechanic has no electronic dianogistic gear,so I start doing the rounds of the other mechanics, first one sorry mate I know my computer will not talk to yours, next one sorry mate to busy, go out to auto electrican to see if he can help.
This chap spends 20 mins pluging into my comp, but can only say the fault is on the intake side, but to his credit refuses to take any money and wishes me
well.
On the way home I am seriously thinking of making Willem anoffer on his GQ, blxxdy hi tech motors.
Goes home and I spray carb cleaner down the inlet tract a couple of times and miracles it running fine.
Goes great next day then the hairy goat is back GRRRRR.
Decides to have a chin wag to my old mechanic, and without even listening to it said (That would be the inlet Gasket)
Anyway I am sick of it so book it in with him. Comment to him its definalty FEMALE because it is a moody bitch. LOL.
Anyway pick it up this afternoon and it is running as sweet as.
The spilt inlet gasket was $120.00 but he only charged me $240.00 to pull all that crap off then replace it all again.
I was expecting a hi tech problem when in reality it was a low tech one.
Anyway if anyone has similar systems get the inlet gasket checked.
Cheers Everyone Pete
Reply By: Willem - Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008 at 21:15
Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008 at 21:15
Hey Pete
Keep your eyes offa my GQ.......LOL
Talk about low tech....4 years ago I was driving a '78 Datto G60!!!
Cheers
AnswerID:
321455
Follow Up By: Member - Madfisher - Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008 at 21:28
Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008 at 21:28
Dont worry yours is safe Willem, but I was thinking of getting a low tech simple reliable diesel. Biggest problem I have is short runs, it is only 3ks to work and it is to blxxdy cold here to walk. Two minus 5 s this week.
Mate those old g 60 would have been one of the toughest 4bys arround. I believe yours had a 5 speed did it make a big diff to cruising and economy.
Cheers Pete
FollowupID:
588324
Follow Up By: Willem - Thursday, Aug 21, 2008 at 08:26
Thursday, Aug 21, 2008 at 08:26
Pete
The old G60 would do 20/100 with the 5speed on a good day and 15/100 down a
mine shaft. Could cruise on 100kmh and once I took it up to 154kmh on the GPS down a loooooong
hill.
It is still running and working at Warraweena Conservation
Park in the
Flinders Ranges.
Cheers
FollowupID:
588368
Reply By: Stephen M (NSW) - Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008 at 21:17
Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008 at 21:17
Hi Pete, glad to hear it was a cheap repair (
well cheap compared to most things LOL) The old VN V8 commodores use to suck the inlet manifold gasket into the valley and would run rough, they then did a modified gasket. Glad the old reliable v6 Jack is ok. Regards Steve M
AnswerID:
321457
Follow Up By: Member - Madfisher - Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008 at 21:46
Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008 at 21:46
To be truthfull Steve its the first time I have had a tuning problem on a efi motor. In the old days you would strip and clean the carby, new plugs and pionts and if you where real keen maybe new plugs leads and a fuel filter and you where away.
When it started to play up I was at a loss to know
where to start as their are solenoids everywhere. And I think I have read to much about other peoples problems. LOL
This is the first problem in 30000ks so cannot complain.
It got through a
tank of fuel in 400ks so that was not good.
Cheers Pete
FollowupID:
588335
Follow Up By: Stephen M (NSW) - Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008 at 21:52
Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008 at 21:52
400 k's per
tank thats normal for the prado (reserve
tank 70L) LOL. Thank god for LPG. Cost me $35 now to do 300k on LPG still got the 70L petrol as reserve (need it LOL). Regards Steve M
FollowupID:
588336
Follow Up By: Stephen M (NSW) - Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008 at 22:01
Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008 at 22:01
Meant to say that was my old mans tune up on the old valiant years ago,YEARLY Replace Plugs,oil (check only) , air filter (check only) , kick the tyres, Fuel filter (old Z14ka ryco for memory) give it a shake, na no crap in the bottom of that, hook the van up, lets go !!!!!!!!!!!! LOL LOL. Those were the days, and you know that bloody thing never broke down in about the 10 years we had it. AND TOW, low down grunt or what, would eat my old 5 Litre V8 HZ Prem when towing. Raving on, but I remember both of us pulling up out of Buladelah and I was pretty
well flat the boards with the old viscount on the back (17 foot) (didnt want it to click back to first and rev its nut out), he had his on the back and he come up beside me with him and my mum in the car, looked at me, laughed and clicked it back a cog and was gone LOL Regards Steve M
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Madfisher - Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008 at 22:28
Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008 at 22:28
Valiants did have great motors both the slant 6 and hemis. Those E38s and E49s where something else. Not many people today realise the six cylinder e49 was quicker to the ton then a phase Three.
I have heard of a 215 that was put to a destruction test, driven from
Orange to
Blayney with no oil and it still refused to die.
I presume your father had the 265.
When I was a kid we lived on a farm and I can never remember my Father changing the oil in the old Fordson Tractor.
Cheers Pete
FollowupID:
588345
Follow Up By: Stephen M (NSW) - Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008 at 22:47
Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008 at 22:47
Yeah Pete was the 265, I had the 318 V8 in my CM regal (81 model) what a beast that was but the 265 still beat the 318. True about the E49 but was never put on paper, thats why the Phrase 3 facon got the title it did. Regards Steve M
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Madfisher - Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008 at 23:23
Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008 at 23:23
Guess the gas is the biggest advantage of the prado. Its a no go with Jacks. Plus the twin tanks is an advantage on gas.
If I can prise Sal out of the Paj, I would give serious concideration to a prado down the track. First vehicle she has ever had an attachment to. Pity that did not amount to washing and servicing it . LOL
Cheers Pete
FollowupID:
588350
Follow Up By: Member - Tessa (NSW) - Thursday, Aug 21, 2008 at 09:13
Thursday, Aug 21, 2008 at 09:13
Stephen M
What's happened to the Prado - In May last year you were raving about 12.3l/100km's around town. That would have given you 560 k's for the 69 litre
tank. I don't mean to be rude, but I did query your original figures and you were emphatic that that's what you were getting. 400 k's for that
tank is more in line with what I have always got.
tessa
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Madfisher - Thursday, Aug 21, 2008 at 13:27
Thursday, Aug 21, 2008 at 13:27
Tessa I am sure Steve will be along shortly but if you look at his rig pics, the answer I am sure will be in the improvements Steve has made.
Cheers Pete
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Christopher P (NSW) - Thursday, Aug 21, 2008 at 17:59
Thursday, Aug 21, 2008 at 17:59
yeah my first car was valiant, 265 , v8 box behind it, use to cruise on not much fuel but give it some herbs and i was blowing small block v8's off the mark on stockers
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Stephen M (NSW) - Thursday, Aug 21, 2008 at 18:43
Thursday, Aug 21, 2008 at 18:43
Hi Tessa, never said 12.3 around town in any of my posts. The best was 12.2L per 100 all freeway driving. 12.8 towing camper trailer also freeway driving. Around town it was around the 15 per 100k on average lower in summer time as I very rarely use aircon, but also I only work 8k's from work so in summer it warmed up quicker, in winter is running richer due to low temps so will use more fuel, around the 20/22 mark on
Stockton Beach and off road. Since the above figures I have added A/T tyres + bigger diameter, bullbar, 2 inch lift and other bits and pieces so all this has contributed to the higher fuel use. Regards Steve M
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Tessa (NSW) - Thursday, Aug 21, 2008 at 19:45
Thursday, Aug 21, 2008 at 19:45
Hi Steve
Just to refresh your memory "I fill up every tuesday afternoon Litres used was 30.14L & klms travelled was 245klms which gives me a fuel usage per 100klms of 12.3L per 100klms. (unless I'm working it out wrong). This was all around town (Penrith) and one trip down to 7 hills (M4) inlaws yesterday afternoon and was giving it some stick keeping up with a 120 series. Gotta be happy with that."
Guess I never got figures like that because I had those same modifications when the truck was new. But a 24% loss in fuel efficiency seems a bit rich to me.
tessa
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Madfisher - Thursday, Aug 21, 2008 at 21:10
Thursday, Aug 21, 2008 at 21:10
I remember a post some time back from a guy with a 2h 60 series. He kept records as he done mods. Now I am relying on my memory but A bull bar cost 1mpg, ats 2 mpg, and a lift cost 2 mpg. So using that Steves figs would be pretty close. On a diesel he went from 23 mpg to 18mpg. He kept adding more gear and finished up getting about 14mpg.
Cheers Pete
FollowupID:
588454
Follow Up By: Stephen M (NSW) - Thursday, Aug 21, 2008 at 21:35
Thursday, Aug 21, 2008 at 21:35
Hi Tessa, Yep Id be real happy with that. If I was getting that around town I wouldnt have gone LPG but we do heaps of trips up to Forster and Central coast it was starting to bight the wallet a bit too much. It screws me for any outback trips with LPG but we will be too busy soon to be doing any anyway, just the local tag alongs and a few here and there. Thats a bit creepy, you live in Penrith and so do we, you inlaws are at 7 hills so are
mine just off Abbit Rd (spelling). I have read a few things about the sensor in the inlet from the air filter so it might pay me to check it out. Some thing about getting dust on them and knocking the economy around. I think the biggest killer was going a bigger size tyre. Regards Steve M
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Madfisher - Friday, Aug 22, 2008 at 18:38
Friday, Aug 22, 2008 at 18:38
Steve when calculating your fuel economy are you allowing for the fact your speedo could now be reading slow. Was a bit peeved when we had the same problem with the paj, but when recalculated allowing for larger circumfumance was not to bad.
Also check your oxeygen sensor in the exhaust, could need replacing.
Cheers Pete
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Stephen M (NSW) - Friday, Aug 22, 2008 at 23:05
Friday, Aug 22, 2008 at 23:05
Hi Pete, The speedo was actually out by about 4 to 5 k's with original road tyres on. If the speedo was reading say 110k going by the GPS I was actually only doing 105/106. Since fitting the bigger tyres comparing speedo to GPS they are reading the same. My prado doesnt normally use an oxygen sensor from the factory. They did fit one when they fitted the LPG called a closed loop system. One thing I havnt done is check the actual odometer itself using those ones they have on some of the freeways, you know the ones that start at zero and go roughy to 5k. I will check the airflow/sensor to see if it has any dust on it. From what I have read in general its about average, Tessa seems to get great economy. I was never getting the lower figures he is getting even before changing anything. I have heard the 120 petrols are alot better in regards to freeway and city driving and have a heap more grunt. I wish LOL.Regards Steve M
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Madfisher - Wednesday, Aug 27, 2008 at 21:41
Wednesday, Aug 27, 2008 at 21:41
Steve I had missed your reply sorry. I have driven the bosses 4l lux, very grunty, but coarse above about 3500prm and redlined at 5500.
The Jack has a heap more grunt, had not realised it had gone downhill. Took the boat(4.2 quinnie) to Wyangala on monday it cressed Fitzgeralds mt at 70 with the boat on in 4th.
Cheers Pete
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Trevor R (QLD) - Thursday, Aug 21, 2008 at 08:27
Thursday, Aug 21, 2008 at 08:27
Thanks Pete,
The wife's shopping trolley (01 V6 Jack) idles at all sorts of revs and used to snuff out before I replaced the MAF sensor at large expense. Still idles up to 2500 rpm at times and as low as 400 rpm now though, so I will most certainly give your fix some serious investigation. Sounds pretty similar to what you were experiencing.
Thank you,
Trevor.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Madfisher - Thursday, Aug 21, 2008 at 13:15
Thursday, Aug 21, 2008 at 13:15
Trevor that is exactly what it was doing,couldnot pick what it would do on a given day, plus it was economical, this suddenly went downhill as
well. I looked at the doc this morning and discovered the labour charge was only $150.00. Went he gave me the bill he apologised for how much it was. Not to many arround like that anymore I had better go and buy him a carton.LOL
Cheers Pete
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Madfisher - Thursday, Aug 21, 2008 at 18:37
Thursday, Aug 21, 2008 at 18:37
Trevor Clean and lubricate the ilder stepper motor as
well. On the bill I also noticed that he had done this as
well. This bloke use to work at a holden dealer in the 90s plus has owned Rodeos so is pretty good on Isuzus.
Good luck Pete
FollowupID:
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