₦airaland Forum

11 Months on my 2004 Toyota Sienna 3.3l 3MZ - FE only Changed oil & filter.

chukel:
Good advice. But we are all learning. Let's do little brainstorming before referring him to gazzuz. At least let gazzuz come and drop some hint for us to learn from before he proceeds to his workshop. If we push everyone immediately a problem is reported without brainstorming, no one will learn.

I couldn't agree more @Chukel.

I think a dirty throttle body can cause high idling.

There are a number of things that can cause this but why not go to gazzuzz's workshop so he can sort out your problem since you are in Lagos.

I guess it's your best bet. He's a staunch member of this forum.

Usually, overheating of the engine doesn't just happen, something triggers it. There are several things that can cause a vehicle engine to overheat. A clogged radiator, stuck open/closed thermostat, removed thermostat, leakage leading to air in the system which could be caused by a faulty radiator cover etc. Also, when the fan is not spinning properly or not spinning at all, the result is overheating.

A pressure test done by a competent technician as suggested by @Lexusgs430 should reveal the cause of your overheating. But before then, while the vehicle is idling, get a waterproof & place it in front of the radiator where the condenser is, if it sucks it, the problem is probably not your fan. But if it does not, your fan may require replacement. Thereafter, ensure that your radiator is not dirty.

You keep advertising have cars you do not have. Buyers beware of this handle. He will ask you to come to Berger to inspect a car he advertised but when you show up, he will disappear. I had an agreement with him some time ago when he advertised a Camry and I traveled to Lagos from Abuja & waited for him for more than 45 minutes & he never showed up. I wasted my time and money to run a carfax on a car he never had available.

I proceeded with a plan B.

Just an advise to buyers. Most of the adverts flying here & there in this forum are fake. Ensure you do your due diligence & physically inspect a car before payment.

MPVGoddess:
Healthy debate going on here.

Thanks for all the input, if not because of cost considerations actually the 2006 version is better because of side curtain airbags as a standard option.

I will create a shopping list of must-have options based on all the information presented here!

How important is it to get a vehicle with this package: Vehicle Stability Control (VSC)+ Traction Control (TRAC) — includes windshield de-icer grid, Daytime Running Lights (DRL) and rear disc brakes?


VSC is in a package option for non AWD models and the VSC package is standard in AWD models and XLE Limited. The package includes:

-VSC
-Traction Control
-Rear disc brakes
-Windshield de-icer grid
-Daytime running lights

Courtesy : Toyota Nation

Vehicle Stability Control just as the name implies ensures that your vehicle goes in the direction that you steer it. Tranction Control keeps wheel spinning when power is applied. Day time running light provides visibility for on coming traffic during severe wheather conditions especially in Europe & countries with constant snow. The Windshield de-icer grid is a heater for the windshield wiper that prevents ice build up on the windshield. Not much of usefulness in this part of the world.

nurey:
I know the 2nd was an improvement over the first still doesn't mean it is more rugged or reliable. In my 2yrs plus running the first generation i have only changed one oxygen sensor, changed exhaust mesh and brake pads.the only engine work done is top gasket reseal.

I know the first generation door handles are crap but i have never changed mine. The 01-03 has a better fuel economy to the awd 2nd generation.

There is always a reason why we have more of something the other.

My 2000 sienna CE was bought at 1.5 i could have added 300-500k for the second generation but i declined and i dont regret it.

Whether you accept it or not, the 2nd generation Sienna will outclass the 1st generation in all department of comparison; performance, ruggedity, luxury, resale value, customer preference in transportation etc. The 2nd generation has a better suspension & better turning radius.

I know you have consistently made conscious efforts to defend your ride, I always see such arguments as purely academic to score a few points.

nurey:
you keep saying what you don't know about. just because of a class action law suit. it didn't have anything to do only with sienna, it's about the V6 engine fixed in the car reason why the engine was revised in the 2001 to 2003 model year. keep on thinking the 2nd generation is more rugged than the 1st with its plastic appearance. my older first generation still looks more sturdy than my neighbour's carefully used second generation. And who told you all second generation came with 16 to 17inch rim nah you be futoshiro yamayama

My 2004 Toyota Sienna XLE Limited is 4 years + and could be sold as direct Toks. The only parts I have replaced are one side of the shaft, timing belt & drive belt as a preventive maintenance. Brake pads, oil change & spark plugs. The leather seat is still very clean. Whereas my friend who uses the 1st generation has replaced steering rack twice in three years. He has also replaced door handles among other things.

My review is a result of a first hand experience. Again, the 04/05 Sienna is an improvement of the 1st generation.

nurey:
the first generation is more rugged than the second generation. It will also be cheaper to maintain than the second generation.

the second Gen has better leg room and ample cargo space but at full capacity the first generation has a slightly higher ground clearance than the second generation.

another advantage the second has over the first is the second window roll down. the first generation has blocked window here which causes heat build up in holdup or hot weather.

both generation share engine parts with a lot of cars, camry, Solara, avalon, Lexus RX series, highlander.

if you going for the first generation, the 2001 to 2003 has a better fuel economy than 1997 to 2000 because the engine was revised then.

The above quoted is absolutely wrong. The 2nd generation Sienna 3MZ-FE 3.3L engine is less sludge prone compared to the 1st generation.

The 2nd gen is more rugged, spacious, executive & offers a better leg & headroom & more cargo space for transportation plus the luxury of rolling the rear windows down when the air conditioner fails to work. The 1st generation sienna has a very high failure rate of the steering rack, door handles etc. The 2nd generation has a better mpg and a higher ground clearance on 17" rim against the 15/16" of the 1st generation.

In terms of the trim to buy; with a good bargain, you should consider the LE variant with leather seat, & rear entertainment. The FWD offers a spare tyre space underneath the van unlike the AWD which has no space for spare tyre. The FWD also offers a better mpg than the AWD, though the awd gives better traction both on rough roads & during rainfall. On the LE trim, one automatic door is offered. The power door is very sensitive & fixing is expensive.

As per cost of maintenance, there's not much difference between the 1st & 2nd generation Sienna if you buy Genuine OEM spare parts. Your Oil Change Interval should not exceed 5000 miles with 5W-30 SAE spec.

Good luck with your choice.

Bruh, your price is unreasonably high for a registered 2009 Toyota Camry. I want to believe that price is a typo. Check the price of the direct Toks of the car to be sure of what you quoted. The suspensions that were replaced...where they ordered of purchased here? The quality of new shocks sold in Nigeria is terribly abhorrent.

Overall, clean ride you've got here.

Readonee35L:
Hmmmm.
There's no issue to resolve oh.
We did a full tune up, plugs e.t.c
Moreover there are no fault codes and the car runes just fine, O2sensors and Catalyctic converters are present .
So it's either the car is just a thirsty car or something is wrong, because the consumption is very very high for a m35x v6, what if it's the m45x v8 it's gonna use 5liter for 5minutes??

The quality of the fuel imported into the country is terribly poor. Use octane boosters to see if there would be any improvements. I feel the culprit is the fuel quality.

A good development I must say, if it's not circumvented in due course. However, I think different states have different approach/ procedure to issuing DL. At the very least, if they stick to this approach across the country, in the long run; drivers who barely understand traffic rules & road signs as well as rules of driving will be weeded off the road.

I feel the acquisition of DL in Nigeria is fraught with lots of fraud by unscrupulous officers in the system.

pafun:
My experience is that I applied in Ibadan Police Headquarters last week and was told I will need to pay N5000 for my tinted glass permit, unofficially of course. The reasons given by the man who told me were :
1. Nobody pays for the petrol in their generator
2. All the materials in the office are not funded by government and they need my "motivation"
3. The application will first travel to Abuja where it will be approved before being returned. The people at Abuja also need my "motivation
4. We are very badly paid here
etc etc
In short they extracted N5000 from me before proceeding with the "capture". Another woman who was in line with me promised to pay them when she comes back to collect.
Why doesn't the government just ask us to pay N5000 for the bloody thing and stop telling us lies about "war against corruption""
Police PRO should take note and arrest the activities of these robbers in the Ibadan Police Headquarters tinted glass permit application office.
SMH

The permit is absolutely free. There are 2 stages in the application process; the first thing is to fill the form where toy are required to upload proof of ownership & vehicle license. Then, with the print out you visit a designated centre where your biometrics will be captured. Thereafter, you will be advised when to come for collection. The process is online based and the Commissioner of Police (FEDOPS) has also signed a prototype of the tint permit certificate which is generated online by the officers involved in the biometrics capture. At no point does it require anybody to send documents or await documents from Abuja. Moreover, approval is given online by superior officers before your certificate is printed.

However, as always is the case in Nigeria, there unscrupulous elements in the police force who would like to extort uninformed Nigerians and those who are desperate to get the permit in one or two days. I also believe that the extortion is predominantly in the states. Check the Nigeria Police Force website, there are phone numbers & email address that can be used to report such officers.

I obtained mine in Abuja at the Force Headquarters at no cost.

Siena:
[color=Blue]Owning a car, yet failing to insure it is madness.

I would NOT even consider repairing this car, it's too far gone. Even pre-accident, it was not worth having. The driver's side fender is loaded to the hilt with filler. My advise would be to scrap it, or sell it in bits.

A hard lesson to learn. [/color]

Comprehensive insurance in Nigeria is a different ball game in comparison to internationally accepted practice. Only those who have attempted to get indemnity after a loss either by accident or theft can understand the nitty gritty of such process owing to unscrupulous practice by insurance companies. You will run out patience waiting for their endless investigation. Again, some of the conditions for comprehensive insurance are difficult to accept, except you work with a big organisation where they can relax most of those conditions. For a single individual, it's usually not as straight forward as they often present it.

Also, the industry is not properly regulated so obtaining indemnity is a function of your ability to influence. More so, our judicial system is a big mess where almost always only those with might get justice.

It would be difficult to explain until you live in Nigeria or try to obtain something in Nigeria, only then, will you understand that the sound of the bitter kola is not synonymous with its taste.

My observation on Chucky234's response to the allegation against him is pride, arrogance & lack of manners in relating with clients. Obviously, you have a wrong line of business. Assuming the reverse is the case, and the buyer has your balance... will you accept it?

You claim to be a seasoned car dealer but lack the basic requirements needed when interacting with with your clients. To purchase a car on behalf a client, it's your duty to ensure that the car is in top shape. At the very least, that will earn you a good reputation. You cannot purchase a car for a client without due diligence ensuring all necessary checks are done. You also claim to have hurriedly bought the car in order to beat the agreed timeline with your client; thereby neglecting two major areas of checks - Deliberate removal of some numbers in the Vin number of the car and the fact that it was converted. Again, this is unprofessional. It is also criminal.

Do you think after reading this complaint against you and your subsequent response in feigning ignorance about the state of the car and your apparent shift of blame to Femi will exonerate you and allow people to trust you in the future? Your guess is as good as mine.

Integrity is not professed but a manifest of people's behaviour in business transactions. I almost referred someone to you sometime ago based on some of your threads but the Oseri's case put me off and we explored alternate option. I would rather not buy a car than patronise you even if you are the only car dealer in Nigeria. There's an absolute lack of customer service and sincerity in your transactions.

You cannot escape blames when you expose yourself to fraud. Interestingly, you have been a member of this forum for a longtime either as an anonymous reader following different threads or as a contributor to threads. Yet when it comes to the most important decision of how to purchase a car, you choose to trust people on the bases of recommendations made by a faceless group of online users. Not a smart move by every stretch of imagination. There's a gross distortion in this reasoning.

Now, what do you expect people to do...Lambast or squash the money out of Chuky234's pocket?

It would be understandable to make such commitment if you were living in Europe or America but certainly not in Nigeria where people do things without recourse to conscience. A quick-witted move would be to make part payment with a promise to pay the balance upon delivery since it is your first transaction with him. Genuine & honest people are truly hard to come by in Nigeria of today.

I have always maintained in this forum that trust is earned over a long period of association. Again, people make their money differently & as such can spend it however they choose. Nothing offers as much peace of mind as going to see what you want to purchase albeit paying cash while other documentations are processed.

Finally, the onus is on Chuky234 to take the honest part, respond to this allegation & make frantic efforts to pay the money or replace the car immediately.

GoodDike:
Yes, the vibration occurs while accelerating. At a point my mechanic told me that I need to grease the shaft. he did that. still the vibration still continued

Your inner cv joints (inner cup in local parlance) are likely worn out. Prepare to have them replaced with either used or new & genuine OEM.

A competent mechanic should be able to narrow this down.

A number of things can trigger the vibration. Start with your tyres to ensure they are not worn out unevenly. Then check to see if your inner cv joints are not the culprit.

More importantly, does the vibration occur while accelerating?

You need a competent machanic to have a proper diagnosis before your start throwing money on unneeded parts. I personally won't be in a hurry to engage the services of any mechanic except I'm certain of his expertise.

The possible area of the leakage has been addressed above.

Does anyone know how to get the Radio code for golf 3. The car stereo has been in SAFE mode 2. Internet search has not yielded any results. Any help would be truly appreciated.

It's ironical that this same Rochas who offered scholarships at all levels of education will come out to complain about lack of funds to run the state. Meanwhile, he has been wasting public funds on buildings that he will never complete in the name of building university at Obiohia junction, building hotels close to the river in Ogboko where he hails from, building hospitals without equipping the existing ones.

Most people who served in his government as PAs & SAs are building hotels and exquisite duplexes yet he has the guts to come out to complain. Indeed, a big shame.

EFCC should probe his activities as a governor.

Tadeus:
Budget 7.5m delivery to lagos







Contacts


08035142036,08056807475


Tadeus

Hello Mr. Tadeus, I want to believe that price includes duty?

Can you give a quote for a 2010 GX460 both the base model & the full option.

Thank you.

Ezzynna:
Please help. Any car company, or car dealer that can sell for HIGHER PURCHASE

You did not state your location. Meanwhile, I have a golf 3 for hire purchase in Abuja but you must meet certain conditions before the car is released to you.

If you are interested, send me a pm & lets talk.

jazzyluv28:
I washed my radiator yesterday and was dirty,but the overheating persist, tried to remove the Thermostat,it was also discovered that the Thermostat had been removed.
Now am been advised to get a double fell radiator.

Pls what is the advise?

Install a new thermostat & revert the fan to the original settings. Ensure you use recommended coolant. If overheating persists, there's a possibility your water pump is faulty. Assessing the water pump is a tedious job that requires the removal of the timing belt & can only be done by a professional mechanic. There's no reason to change your current radiator except it's faulty.

Continuous use of that vehicle in its current state can damage your engine & result in an expensive fix. A stitch in time saves nine.

The first choice for me is the MB

kingreign:
I'm afraid sine your neighbour has lost her master key, she'll need a new ECU and key. Not a cheap or sweet option

Wow! Mike. Thanks for your input. That was suggested by a technician but I feel it would compromise the security of the car. Just my thought though.

Most people here seem to miss the point; the comparison is situated around economy of use & spareparts availability in Nigeria. Again, there is no doubt as a daily driver, it will cost more to keep the ML. Parts are not readily available & they don't come cheap. I have got friends who use the ml350, & I can say with some degree of confidence, it's not pocket friendly. As I said earlier, if they are rich & very comfortable, maintenance, fuelling & spare parts availability questions will not arise. Obviously, from the woman's narrative, they are not car enthusiast but need a decent SUV with a suitable maintenance requirement without having to break the banks.

Also different strokes for different folks, even with an average income, some users will pick the ML350 based strictly on choice & taste. But when usage in Nigeria is being discussed, of course, maintenance, parts availability and competent mechanics must be considered before any vehicle is acquired. On the side note, I have seen countless of MLs & G wagon abandoned in mechanic workshops. For those in Abuja, I can refer you to 3 different auto garages where you can verify this. I have another friend who sells Mercedes spare parts & I'm alarmed at the cost of some of the parts.

The use of that ml350 comes at a price.

Fellow Nairalanders,

A neighbour's Toyota Corrolla 1999 model (lift back) has been parked for about 3 weeks. She lost her car keys in a taxi she boarded & has not been able to use her car. All efforts to programme new keys have failed. The car starts & goes off immediately. It seems the ECU is not in sync with the immobiliser.

Do we have competent hands in Abuja to handle this. I have tried the guy that programmed my Lexus RX330 spare key but he was unable to fix it after 4 days of trial.

Comparatively, both vehicles are no match but the ML350 has a higher cost of maintenance in the long run, considering fueling, spare parts availability locally & cost.

If your intention is to maintain a social status, then go for the ML350. But for a daily usage albeit pocket friendly maintenance schedule, the highlander is your best choice. Also, the 4matic system in the ML is an expensive fix if it goes bad & I'm not very sure there are sufficient competent mechanics to handle maintenance.

Above all, the highlander offers a better resell value, mpg & cheaper to keep as a daily drive.

However, I don't think it's right for a dealer to decide for you what brand of vehicle you buy. If it's a gift, then go ahead but if you are paying for it...he owe you a duty to get your choice. You could also get from other dealers & compare prices.

Do not be coerced into accepting what you may stand to regret afterwards.

Good luck with your choice. Just my opinion.

Driving from Lagos to Enugu should not be a major problem if he has been driving in the city & has a firm control of steering albeit basic understanding of highway codes/driving rules, though our roads are not marked. Driving a long distance is a psychological thing dealing with your state of mind. Most times, inner fear is a major challenge that inhibits people from embarking on such journey.

There's always a one time to conquer that fear & hold the bull by the horn. The best way to drive on a route you are not familiar with is to leave early, (definition of early is relative) maintain a constant speed of 100/h or below. At this speed, you are likely to handle any situation. Have a friend who also drives well in the front seat & you should be ok. It's a pretty straight forward journey but where in doubt or confused, ask for direction.

On no occasion should you engage other drivers in competition or struggle over a lane because you feel it's your right of way; avoid all manner of contention and rivalry & veer off your lane when another driver seems to dominate. Keep your focus, use your mirrors and I think you will be fine.

Just an observation; the size of your engine does not necessarily matter as your are not engaged on drag race, even with a 1.4 litre engine, you are just fine.

Safe journey when you decide to leave.