₦airaland Forum

fikfik: Thanks, have sent you an anonymous message, just reply it and we'll be connected. Where is Autogenesis? I think if you put both phoen numbers here (for autogenesis and the sliding doors guy), it will be of benefit for other with similar probs and also help promote the company.

I have sent the two numbers (AutoGenesis & the power door) repair guys. I trust they would be helpful. Please update the house when your vehicle problems are resolved.

Meanwhile, I could not post their phone numbers here because as I said in my earlier posts, I do not have their permission to do so. Even though posting the numbers here could generate further business for them but people frown at such without the express permission of the owners. Personally, I would not take it so I would not do same to another person.

fikfik: Thanks, please send me a private message with the phone numbers and email

If you live in Abuja, take your van to AutoGenesis, they will fix whatever problem you have with it. They are in Wuse 2. For your sliding door, I have tried sending an email through your profile but it requires you to be online at the time of sending the mail.

Has this vehicle arrived nigeria yet? Let me know.

Can you post the vin and location of the car.

Vehicle renewal is a relatively straight forward process that is usually completed within 2 days.

However,it is also cheaper than the initial registration depending on the type of vehicle, model and year. All my vehicle renewals had all been completed within a day.

But if the OP is replacing the old number plate with the new one, it may be neccessary to ask you to return the old one before being issued with the new number plate especially considering the present security situation in the country. You can always confirm this with the authorities before submiting it.

Again, is it neccesary for you to keep such in your possession? I think it would be important for VIO to retrieve the old ones and properly archive them.

I do not know what the official cost of renewal is but you can also verify by going to their office.

I hope this helps.

fikfik: Update:

- I had the top cylinder gasket changed and no more p0306 code.
- But I noticed that every 3-5 days, my water level goes down and if i don't top-up my temp goes above half!
- Again, no visible leakage. Once the water is topped up in the car, the car can be in a go slow for probably days and not overheat. After about 5 days it'll take about half a 1.5L ragolis bottle
- Since the gasket change, i'm now getting error P0016 & P0018 from OBD (no noticeable misfires in engine)
- still havent found someone to fix my sliding door issue (dont mind changing the whole assembly with new)

Any idea on how i can stop having to add water every 5 days? Thanks everyone!

Some of the problems you have on your mini van can be fixed seamlessly here in Abuja. That was exactly why I asked you in my earlier response to your post. There is man that can fix your power (sliding doors) here but I do not have his permission to give out his number on this forum. I use the same model of vehicle. Moreover, there is also a competent garage here that can handle your overheating problem. But as I said, I do not know how they would feel about my giving out there detail on a public forum. Better still, u can leave your email address here.

Regards.

azat: With a budget range of 600 - 700k, I have been advised to go for a neat naija used car of a newer model rather than a foreign used older model, on the grounds that a 16yr old toks, for example, is more likely to give more problems than a ride 3 to 4 yrs younger but naija used.

Pls I need further advice and guildance regarding this.
Thanks

Almost all the responses so far are valid. Most Nigerians have poor maintenance culture not only about cars but virtually in all aspects of life. 80% of cars used in Nigeria are poorly maintained. Besides individuals' inability to properly maintain their vehicles, there is the syndrome of lack quality spare parts in the Nigerian market even the very established shops often do not sale genuine OEM. Another problem is unqualified auto mechanics. So the very few Nigerians who desire to keep their vehicles to the manufacturer's specification are hindered by the reasons advanced above.

Irrespective of the above, there are still some Nigerians who properly maintain their cars. I will advice the OP to buy a Nigerian used car only if he knows the history of the car in question, or the car has been certified by a competent auto garage not a road side mechanic. Most often, people do not reveal the real reason they are selling their vehicles. Only a few would.

On the other front, a well maintained older model car is more reliable than a poorly maintained newer model car. Be properly guided as to what you want. Don't let people tell you what they want. Buy a car within your budget & reach. More vital to buying a car is maintenance in the long run fueling inclusive. If I were you, I will go by the advise of wwwkaycom. You are gradually being drawn into the array of wrong belief among Nigerians about driving a millennium car. Even the older model cars in some cases are more rugged & easy to be diagnosed by some of these incompetent mechanics. Of what use is it to buy a car that would seat at the mechanic workshop for a long time.

Please be guided by your reason, budget and logic for wanting a car.

I hope this helps.

femmy2010: If I were you I would just fill out any 7 digit number to represent the hidden engine number.
Not having at all means you do have to answer much question whenever police/VIO etc stops the vehicle to checks papers.

That would be absolutely unnecessary and unwarranted. You will also be giving a wrong information about the vehicle in particular. Every vehicle has an engine number. However, where your vehicle engine number is hidden, the best way to register such a vehicle is to leave the engine number nil. I once registered a Toyota Camry 2001 model without the engine number and used the car for three (3) years. I never had a problem with the police. I am also a regular traveler to the east and we know how notorious the road from Abuja to the east or vice versa is. No police officer would disturb you because you can't trace the engine number. But you will have a greater problem if it is discovered at any point that you have a wrong engine number. Getting the engine number of some vehicles will require you to bring the entire engine down.

You can also confirm from people who use Toyota Camry 2001 model, majority of them do not register their cars with the engine number. My point therefore, is that you leave the engine number as nil. Even the VIO or road safety officer that would handle the registration for you will advise you to leave it blank.

I hope this helps.

Please, do not just fill any number as your engine no.

I have not used the 1998 Camry but used the 2001 model of Camry which is almost the same thing in terms of basic components. However, the 1998 model beats the 1997 Accord in all ramifications. It is fuel efficiency, durable, parts availability and a lot more rugged. (Emphasis purely personal). However, there may not be much of a difference between them but I think the Camry is built to last in terms of its parts unlike the Accord. A friend of mine used the Accord for a few years but was always at the mechanic. Though maintenance is key to any car but the Camry is more rugged.

Depending on your choice and taste, you may not go wrong with any of them. I should also point out here that the Camry gives a greater aesthetic pleasure.

Hope this helps.

Regards.

It is your SRS (Airbag) warning. A scan should tell you what to do. Get your vehicle scanned by a competent auto garage.

Hope this helps...?

@sooper rescuer, I must confess that your posts have been educating & immensely helpful. Impressively, you have responded to all enquiries. Kindly provide the specific location of your Abuja workshop. Some of us that live in Abuja can visit the workshop or direct friends who may have some of the challenges described herein.

Please keep this up.

fikfik: Hi everyone.

My car is an XLE Limited AWD year 04/05 .

Its over heating after about 3 days of use. Thermostat has ben changed with a new one I bought myself (from US).

OBD is also pulling p0306 "cylinder 6 misfire" every 2 days with CEL.

No milky discharge or wattery oil yet. no visible leakage of radiator water in engine area.

Is my gasket flat? should it be changed? how much does one cost for this engine? Or is there something else that causing this over heating.

Oh and as a side thought can ANYONE please fix the power sliding doors once and for all....

Thanks.

Perhaps you did not purchase the exact model of the thermostat for your vehicle. You need to get an experienced auto mechanic to examine it. For your sliding doors, certainly, they can be fixed. I had similar problem sometime ago and got them sorted here in Abuja. You may need to state where you live. Regards.

Asking owners of vehicles with factory fitted tint glasses to get permit is highly permissible under the current security circumstances in Nigeria. The permit also comes with a cost but certainly not upto N20,000 as some people have widely speculated.

The only problem I have observed with the Nigerian police is that they are out to look for those who do not have such document and exploit or extort them. The police are also not interested in checking if such vehicles are carrying explosives or any of the incriminating materials. Once they see the permit, they let you go without looking through the vehicle.

It is criminal to think you can buy a 2010 Rav4 for 370 000 Naira. They will be justified to swindle you for wanting to get a cow for the price of a chicken. Go to car dealers' stand to get an idea of price of cars.

I wouldn't want to believe you are greedy but perhaps, lack of knowledge of the brand.

Ulamaster: Maybe the Toyota authorised dealers within Nigeria might be able to do all major, necessary work on the Prius or other Toyota brands. Has any user in Nigeria faced major challenges with maintanance ? For fuel savings, it appears it's neither here nor there because the jury seems to be out in that the savings on fuel is usually lost in cost of the vehicle or on repairs somewhere down the line.

Bro, I'm afraid they will be able to do that. I took my vehicle to one of them only to be told that; they do not repair American model vehicles. Shocking, isn't it? The explanation they gave me when I probed further was that they do not get technical support and that the parts are no available. I had to look elsewhere. I strongly doubt the technical capacity of the so called Toyota authorised dealers in modern vehicles here in Nigeria.

There are quite a few mechanics & technicians that can thoroughly diagnose a modern automotive. I have followed a few discussions here on Nairaland about rebuilding car engines in the UK and USA. The common practice in Nigeria is to replace your engine with a fairly used one.

For owners of private vehicles, they are issued with the Class B license type.

olate: yes u r having the same problem as i am.but the driving schl i went to inquire,the instructor said that i there is no more class E and that it has been changed to D. I am not sure of this but lets here frm others as well.

Obtaining the new drivers' license is not very difficult as people present it here. If you fill the online form, you are required to print out an acknowledgement page which you will take to the VIO office. You also decide to pay online or at the bank, however, you pay is immaterial. Thereafter, you take you take the payment slip or acknowledgement slip to the VIO office where they will verify it. Then you will go through a test of road signs identification and eye test.

Afterwards, your biometrics will be captured and the temporary license will be issued to you. This presupposes that you must have passed the test.

I did mine last month here in Abuja and still await the permanent license in April. The process was relatively simple. The only caveat was that it took a long time than I envisaged.

One thing I observed during the process is that so people are so much in a hurry to get it done. They do not want to go through the due process. Some will even fail the test & argue blindly that the road signs shown to them do not exist when indeed they don't know.

It is very sad and pathetic for those corrupt politicians who were convicted for crimes they actually committed were granted state pardon. They have set a very bad precedence. In developed countries, state pardon is granted to very rare individuals. For instance, if you were wrongly convicted for participating in a coup, you could receive presidential pardon. But in Nigeria, most convicted politicians have been granted state pardon. What signal are they sending to the public? Of course steal, get convicted & receive presidential pardon. Very unfortunate I must confess. Politicians steal with impunity and get away with it.

I dare say Nigeria will continue to wallow in the shackles of underdevelopment with the current crop of leaders who have nothing to offer. It is very obvious that the president is acting out a script, which is the height of incompetence. He has no clue as to how to tackle the numerous challenges facing the country yet he is busy transversing the length & breath of the world which is aimed at wealth accumulation rather than development.

They have no positive response to the problems facing the country in terms of insecurity, economic failure of the country, lack of social amenities, hunger, poverty, unemployment just to mention a few.

It is a big shame that people can steal & go free in this country. Soon, Ibori would be granted state pardon when he serves out his jail term.

We need to rise up & challenge this corruption that has reared it's ugly head against our progress as a people.

The Hyundai and Kia are on a class of their own. They may not necessarily be compared to the likes of Toyota and Honda in terms of performance. I believe as earlier suggested by earlier posters, the Korean brands are built with economy in mind. I drove a 2011 Kia soul from Abuja to Lagos, it feels so light at 100kph and have just basic features. In my opinion, if you compare that Soul with a 2010 Toyota corolla of the same 4 cylinder and 1.8lt engine, the difference is so clear. In terms of fuel effeciency, I do not think it has a better economy. But one thing is paramount, there break system beats that of Toyota or Honda for the model I drove.

I have owned and driven different models of Toyota and Honda, their performance outweigh that of their Korean counterpart. That is not to say they are not good brands, but in comparison to the Japanese, they are world apart. All car models have their peculiar issues but a Toyota or Honda brand will outclass a Hyundai or Kia in terms of durability, performance and reliability. All over the country, we can see cars like Carina 2 and Honda halla well over 20 years still going very strong...can we say the same thing about the Kia and Hyundai?

I strongly believe that if these Korean cars last up to this number of years on the road and are still competing with other vehicles, then, we would have a basis for comparison. Let's see how we'll the handle after 10 years of use with propare mentainance & in terms of resale value. Only then shall we rate them equal or superior to their Japanese competitors.

This thread is for us to discuss safety rules as it concerns driving. Do we truly understand road signs, cautions, traffic codes or rules, when to be on the speed lane, when to overtake, when to use hazard lights, the proper lane to overtake, the lane to take when turning right or left, proper parking etc.

Almost everyday I see people overtake wrongly & if you make an attempt to correct them, you get abused. I have also seen people's vehicles clamped by the park & pay companies in Abuja for improper parking yet they come out to argue unnecessarily & ignorantly. How well do we know driving rules and the application of same when we drive?

I believe that if drivers' license is issued after testing of our understanding of driving rules & road codes, more than half of the drivers on the Nigerian roads will not be issued with licenses. What is your take?

Traffic lights are supposed to be obeyed at all times. For those that live in Abuja, the lights turn amber from 10.00 pm meaning you can carefully navigate your way. This is also done in my opinion for a number of reasons; safety, security & less vehicular movement. But I have also observed that most people don't obey these traffic lights even day time. So sad. Especially in Abuja, everyone seems so much in a hurry. Driving through the Abuja city, you will see a lot of accidents due to impatience & lack of regard for traffic lights. The only reason drivers obey those lights is when traffic officers are in view to enforce compliance.

This suffice it to say that 95% of the accidents are preventable. Nigerians like to be controlled. It is usually very annoying when I see people driving without regard to traffic lights and/or safety rules.

Smillingjudge: Please, i need your advise on which to choose thus between Toyota Avalon 2007 and Toyota Camry 2008 model. Thanks for your candid advise.

You did not indicate the engine size of the car you want. Are you looking at V6 of the camry? Most of the Avalon are V6 engine. Depending on what you want, both vehicles (V6) will give you performance. Avalon has more prestige than the Camry but does not have a resale (second hand) value here in Nigeria. Both vehicles are ok but as I said, it depends on what you want in a car. Also mentainance is relatively & comparatively cheaper for the Camry.

I hope this helps.

oyibomoses: I have solve such problem, it is common on toyota sienna cars if you are in lagos come to my office in ikeja and i will take you to me expect boy who will solve the problem for you with easy.

Well, I live in Abuja. If you wouldn't mind, could you share his phone number with me so I can call him to see if I can extract some information from him. Knowledge Sharing is key to providing solutions to problems...!

Thanks.

Thank you @sultaan, it's neither of those switches below the steering. I also doubt it is the actuator because both doors are affected. But the boot can be opened with the remote or the inner opener. I want to believe that it is a fuse. It will take someone with an understanding of the electrical diagram of the sliding doors to rectify the problem. As per the child lock, I use it to prevent my kids from opening the doors when necessary.

Hello forum members,
My sienna slide doors suddenly stopped opening with either the remote or the inner door buttons. I have had some electricians looked at it but none seemed to understand where the problem comes from. I have also gone to Elizade motors here in Abuja with the hope of getting to the root of the problem but they said they do not work on American specs vehicles because of the unavailability of spare parts & lack of support from their technical partners.

Anyone who has had a similar experience could kindly share with me how it was resolved.

Thanks.

There has not been much change since Rochas became the Governor of the state. Most of the road contracts he started have either been abandoned or near abandoned. Apparently, he has completed some short kilometer roads in Orlu main town especially the link roads to Ideato. It might interest readers to know that he has also employed the same style of road construction in his own Local Government of Ideato South. There are numerous road projects that he embarked upon from the inception of his administration, till date those roads within these communities are in a deplorable state. From Ogboko his home town to Amanato & stretch to Isiekenesi, the roads have simply become impassable. Even the quality of the few short kilometer roads that he has completed is poor to say the least. This is because the contracts were awarded to friends & political associates, who helped him in some way during his electioneering campaign.

We also need to understand that development is not just about road construction, there are other aspects of of human existence which need to be considered. But this Government seem to be a vision less one. The areas of power, portable drinking water, transportation, health care delivery, provision of basic amenities to the people etc have all been neglected.

Granted he announced free Education from the out set of his administration; what is the quality of education in IMO State? What is the state of the classrooms of learning? What is his sustainability plan for this project? I make bold to say that most of our Governors in Nigeria run the Art of governance on the television & Radio stations. Too sad. I think your achievements should speak for you.

No matter the level of programme sponsorship on NTA to project falsehood of development in IMO state, it will be difficult to conceal the truth. Social infrastructure that I enjoyed as a growing up kid in Owerri, the capital of Imo State is non existence anymore. Most of the infrastructural development in Imo state were created by the late Mbakwe including the roads that we are talking about today. They have not construsted new ones except to poorly maintain the old roads. You can only understand this if you are either from Imo or live there.

@aieromon, you do not need to worry about the fuel consumption because you will be amazed at the level of fuel economy of a V6 engine. Any other vehicle on a protracted traffic will consume more fuel. But where you anticipate that the traffic will not move for a long time, you can turn off your engine as a fuel saving strategy.

But the difference between an I4 engine & a V6 is in their performance. For instance, you can over take several vehicles on at a time even with on-coming vehicles. This is because a V6 has the ability to produce more torque. Once you have gone, any other car you left behind can only meet up if you either slow down or they go above your on speed. That gives you advantage. But again, you cannot eat your cake & have it. You have to compromise something for using a V6. The drive experience is never the same...my 04 Toyota Sienna 3.3L engine is a typical example. It moves like an airplane taking off with so much ease but with an incredible speed.

Great thread @Ikenna351. Most of the abusive reactions generated by this simpe post is unwarranted, jealousy, envy & wickedness. It is not compulsory that you must read it if it falls short of your expectation. I think people should refrain from insult. The post is mearnt for those who will read & share similar road trip experiences rather than castigate the OP.

Of course, when people respond to other peoples' posts, you could see their level of maturity, experience & exposure. Such reactions portrays the person as an intolerant and rude reader. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the post to engender such an afront. Even if he is a photo journalist, he only uploaded pictures he felt could deliver his message.

There also no competition here, hence, it is absolutely unnecessary to condemn his car. My understanding of automobile is about interest, love & committment to a particular model of car. Most Nigerians like to show off & that why some people will buy cars they can not maintain with most abandoned for the cost of maintenance. If we dig deep, this abusive poster(s) maynot afford a bicycle tyre.

I personally love road trips. I just came back to Abuja from Port Harcourt with my Sienna & likely to travel again soon. It's fun.

For those of us who love this post...endless sharing of road trip experiences.

I Use a 2004 Toyota Sienna with 150000 miles on it. I service the van with Mobile 1 0w - 40 fully synthetic engine oil. The recommended engine oil for the van by the vehicle manufacturer is 5w - 30 oil. At the time I did my first oil change, I could not find this particular recommended oil grade in Abuja. Therefore, I have been using mobile 1 oil. But I just saw the oil (5w -30) recently at a shop here in Abuja & intend to revert to this at my next due service interval (4500 miles) .

Kindly advise dwelling on the effect on the engine if any.

Thank you.

@olumig, I believe people have not responded beccause your question is an open ended one. You need to be specific in terms of engine size (I4 engines & V6). But to do this, conduct a lot more research on which of these engine sizes comes with the particular SUV you are looking to purchase. I know Toyota Highlander has some I4 engines but don't know about 4 Runner. Then, come back & rephrase your question. This way, you are more likely to get well informed recommendations & analyses.

FRSC views the introduction of the new number plate as a stream of revenue generation. It is not as sophisticated as they claim. There are no electronic chips as to suggest that it is linked to the car owners bio-data. This is even more so as we do not have data base in Nigeria. I haven't seen any new features except the change in design & look. There is no value add in my opinion.

Overseas, number plates are linked directly to an individual's data including social security number, house address, photograph etc. these details help in tracking or recovering a vehicle when stolen. On the contrary, such electronic information is non existence in Nigeria and where they exist, they could only be found in rusty dusty old files.

Unfortunately, the intervention by the National Assembly to revert to status quo was noncommittal & yielded no dividends. Today, people struggle to save money in order to buy cars and suffer more to raise further 38k to 45k just to obtain vehicle registration from FRSC.

Amazingly astonishing...HoneyHill now in oblivion. Curiously waiting for further pix of the freelander-Toyota Camry hybrid.

Better still, we can declare him missing...hope there are some security agents in the house that help track him. Another option is to install a tracking devise in the hybrid to monitor performance.