[Guderian]

Originally Posted by Viraat13

A silent watcher on this thread, as usual.

But I just have to agree, a car just feels BETTER to drive after a good wash. Maybe because the interiors are completely dust free and maybe because the car runs cooler due to a clean radiator. Whatever it is, it's nice.

My E220 was due for a wash this weekend, but Delhi had some (a lot) of rain, so I put it off so that the car doesn't get muddy immediately.

Well, well, well...looks who's here ! Welcome back Viraat13. Been a long time.

Another fact I observed was that just as we completed the last of the obstacles at the OTR the brakes had begun squealing thanks to all the particulate material which I presume crept in everywhere. But after the great wash it is again sepuchral silence.
And yes you are right - I ensure that the water monkeys blast the radiator through the grill/s - upper and lower to clean up the fins. And it does make a difference.

[Viraat13]

Originally Posted by Guderian

Well, well, well...looks who's here ! Welcome back Viraat13. Been a long time.

Another fact I observed was that just as we completed the last of the obstacles at the OTR the brakes had begun squealing thanks to all the particulate material which I presume crept in everywhere. But after the great wash it is again sepuchral silence.
And yes you are right - I ensure that the water monkeys blast the radiator through the grill/s - upper and lower to clean up the fins. And it does make a difference.

I'm always a silent observer around there.

Not all my cars see regular usage, and so occasionally there is some amount of rust build up on the disks, especially in the monsoons. Which is why I oft-times indulge in some hard braking on empty roads so that the rust and other dirt is ground out. I find this a very effective method of making the brakes quiet and smooth (as opposed to the awkward juddering due to rust and what not).

I first get them to use compressed air from the inside of the bonnet and blow the dust outward, and air out the small gap between the radiator and the condenser, and only then have them clean it with water. Very anal of me, but two of my cars are susceptible to heating up during the summer, and this is the only way they last the summer without trouble!

[Guderian]

Admiral's Battle Scars.

After last week's roughish OTR I knew there would be a few battle scars Admiral would have picked up to add to his rakish looks. And here they are.

The left foot/running board. Dented at a couple of places. These were received at the Devil's Hole when Admiral was involved in a serious bit of gardening:



Minor dent on the front engine/oil sump protection plate. Received from a large rock at the Landslide Point.


Again from the Landslide Point a tap on the suspension lower arm:



A scrape on the rear plate cleaned it up:


Other side of the front engine/oil sump protection plate. A scrape.


And no - I am in no hurry to straighten out the dents. Will do that on the front plate at the next servicing and get it touched up with Wurths anti corrosion system. The running board will stay as it is.

But the old boy is real tough. Especially the suspension. Thought I may have to do the alignment after the beating on the trail. But no - no difference in the driving dynamics or the feel - so the alignment is not required.


And awaits the next OTR.




Tally ho !

[dean5545]

Hey HG,
I want to ask you a quick question regarding the front differential oil change.My friend's Fortuner is a 2011 model and has run only 8500km(no its not a typo!),So whats your take onthe 30,000 km service?Because I don't see that car crossing even 15000km before my graduation which is on April 2015.

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by dean5545

Hey HG,
I want to ask you a quick question regarding the front differential oil change...

The differential oil (front and rear for a 4X4) has to be changed every 40K KMs or 24 months. So it should have been changed by now (if it's a pre-Oct 2011 vehicle) even if the Fortuner hasn't touched the indicated number of KMs on the odo.

[getsurya]

Especially the suspension. Thought I may have to do the alignment after the beating on the trail. But no - no difference in the driving dynamics or the feel - so the alignment is not required

Hi Guderian,

Great detailed pictures captured, as always!

Heartening to hear that the suspension does not require alignment inspite of the adventure. This is very solaceful as this was not the case with earlier rides.

I too landed in a big pot hole at a good speed last week and was sure that the steering alignment would go for a toss. However, that was not the case and there was no issue at all.

[kaizanfan]

While I see how well the Fortuner fared in the OTR event, here's a link that has a bit on the strength of the Hilux platform:

Excerpts from:
http://tsikot.com/forums/toyota-cars...t/index68.html

docSUVfan
Re: The Toyota Fortuner has landed (fortuner pics at WTC in post #181)
The Fortuner, Hi-Lux and Innova are basically ladder frame chassis for toughness as proven by previous Land Cruisers. Incidentally, the previous generation Hi-Lux was featured on TopGear at channel 23 some weeks back and subjected to various torture tests such as hitting a barn house, being hit by a wrecker ball on the side, plunging it in the river and restarting in with just minimal lubricant spray, torching the interiors and lifting the vehicle at the rooftop of a soon-to-be-collapsed 20 storey building and bombing the building thus burying the Hi-Lux under tons of rubble. Jeremy Carson, the funny host bet it would survive and still drive to their studio. NO ONE believed him until he had the vehicle run towards the center of the studio mangled but STILL RUNNING in ONE PIECE. What could possibly be tougher than this! :yes:

Now this is probably a repeat but I'll post it anyway:
Hilux - First car driven in North Pole
http://www.automotoportal.com/articl...tic-north-pole


Summary: Fortuner owners sure can have many OTRs without worrying much.

[Guderian]

Happy Diwali to all Togo Channel Viewers !
Have a fabulous time ahead...

[getsurya]

Hi Guderian,

Thanks for your wishes and wish you the same.

You seem to be busy that we are missing the frequent thirst quenchers of this thread

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by getsurya

You seem to be busy that we are missing the frequent thirst quenchers of this thread...

Well not really. The busy part I mean.

Just that there's nothing to report or declare here - except that the old chap keeps sailing along. To use that old cliche - keeps at it with boring predictability.

And add to it the fact that no real long drives or OTRs. December could/would see something of course.

- Admiral keeps sailing along on an even keel.
- Scams keep rocking our nation.
- I keep tending him with routine predictability on the weekends.
- And we keep forgeting old scams.
- Admiral keeps returning the same performance on all fronts.
- ISRO keeps sending rockets into space.
- And I keep looking out for gizmos & modifications that I'll never fit or carry out on Admiral.


And life keeps moving on.





Aloha.

[kaizanfan]

Originally Posted by Guderian

Attachment 1162464

- Admiral keeps sailing along on an even keel.
- Scams keep rocking our nation.
- I keep tending him with routine predictability on the weekends.
- And we keep forgeting old scams.
- Admiral keeps returning the same performance on all fronts.
- ISRO keeps sending rockets into space.
- And I keep looking out for gizmos & modifications that I'll never fit or carry out on Admiral.

Besides the humorous text, I also liked the picture. The aluminium colored metal shield on the bottom, is that an accessory or stock fitment?

Note from Support - Please avoid quoting an entire post as it inconveniences our mobile and small screen users. Thanks!

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by kaizanfan

The aluminium colored metal shield on the bottom, is that an accessory or stock fitment?

Hi Kaizanfan,
That 'shield' is indeed a thin aluminium sheet which is a part of an original Toyota accessory, which Toyota calls a 'Grill Guard' or what normally is called a nudge bar. But of course it is not a pucca nudge bar as it is not attached to the ladder frame below but hangs on for its dear life on to the bumper. Made of FRP I guess - lightweight with that aluminium sheet being the only metallic part. Comes handy in mild brushes and parking errors.
This was available in circa 2011. Not sure whether Toyota still peddles it. If it doesn't then this is a collecter's item.

A couple of snaps of the GG from the original Toyota Fortuner Accessories Brochure:



(PS : Those old accessories and vehicle brochures are by themselves collector's items now I suppose !)

[kaizanfan]

Thanks for the detailed response. Appreciate it.
I would have liked to have that aluminium sheet on my Fortuner. Will check if it's still available as an accessory.

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by kaizanfan

Thanks for the detailed response. Appreciate it.
I would have liked to have that aluminium sheet on my Fortuner. Will check if it's still available as an accessory.

My pleasure kaizanfan.
If you were to fit this contraption on the new Fortuner - it would ruin the looks and the charm (if one can call it that) of the chrome grill would be lost. But of course if some folks hate anything chromey then would act as a great cover to hide the embarassing shine.
I do have my doubts whether this old piece can be fitted on to the new bumper. But do check.

[TorquePeedo]

Have been reading about the uncomfortable ride in the second and third row of the fortuner but given the fact that an SUV will not give the comfort of a car I wanted to know from the people who have been driving the fortuner about how is the actual ride in the second and third row specially on long distance travels on smooth tarmac and broken roads specially if we have family travelling in those rows? All feedback will be appreciated