Check engine light. Run a scan for DTC. Some troubles with the car's ABS.

thebigkendo:


He asked oh.. but still went against all the advice given, Penny wise..Pound..............
https://www.nairaland.com/4029197/choice-gear-oil

I have discovered that most people seek advice but do not adhere to such advise. They are quick to abandon the same advise they sought. I wonder why coming to ask for help only to do exact same thing you are cautioned against.

A friend's thermostat was yanked off by the car killing mechanics (kazeem) and he asked me what I think he should do. I told him to replace thermostat with exact same specs & run coolant but he didn't listen; now top gasket is blown & he still needs my advise...SMH.

The Highlander is a mid-size Crossover SUV. Comparatively, the major difference between the 2013 & 2014 model is in the styling as the 2014 has a larger grille opening with headlamp and turn signal that takes up half of the front fender. They share the same engine but while the 2013 came with the 5 speed automatic and auto-manual, the 2014 has the 6 speed automatic & auto-manual gear. Both engines have the same output at 270 hp.

The 2014 has a slightly better (marginally) MPG at a negligible 1mpg better. Also, voice recognition is standard on the 2014 model. No so much of a difference in the interior. The 2014 model spare parts obviously would be much more expensive. In terms of reliability, they share similar ratings and would certainly serve the purpose with a good maintenance culture.

These vehicles are not designed with the Nigerian road in mind. Remember that the more deplorable your roads are, you are more likely to visit mechanics often. If you 've got very bad roads, then the 4runners and prado might better serve your purpose.

You must run away from kazeems and refrain from the all oil is the same mentality that most Nigerian car owners have.

Wow! Glued to this story till I finished it. It's fun driving a long distance.

Kudos bruh.

Lexusgs430:


Requirement & Extra protection are the owners responsibility..........

Why would I buy a vehicle and not fully protect it ? I might has well put the money I used to buy the vehicle, in a ghana must go and park the ghana must go outside. And hope nobody takes a shine towards my bag, dripping with loads of currency ........


You remember the story of the uber driver that was killed and his vehicle stolen ? How was the vehicle located and the thieves apprehended ? The owner of the vehicle installed a tracking device on his vehicle ................

It's now pretty obvious you don't understand my line of argument. I have not said that there's no direct benefit to insurance (comprehensive), or tracking of your vehicle as they provide additional security and peace of mind. Rather I have observed that most vehicle owners in Nigeria neither have comprehensive insurance or tracking device for their vehicles. If we take a statistic of car owners here on nairaland, you will be shocked that only a few have indeed invested in these devices. Not that awareness is low but stems from the general poverty level in our society as well as the perception of insurance companies to premium payment.

I can assure you that more than 90% of Nigerians will not pay for 3rd party insurance if it's not a compulsory requirement for car ownership. This is because it's difficult to obtain a claim in an event of accident or theft, which has led to a general apathy among car owners.

From that same observation, most guys here on nairaland who have installed trackers engage in DIY and as such only paid for the tracking device & not pay the installation fees as well as the yearly maintenance charge by tracking companies.

And truly as I said earlier, if the vehicle owner had a tracker or insurance, he/she won't come here for help. We have seen countless " Please help car stolen".

While you feel that car ownership without an additional layer of security in the form of a tracker or insurance is an absolute no no for you, others may feel differently even when they have the money. Whereas others may not have the extra finance to procure this additional security.

Lexusgs430:


Then the car is a liability.... If buying a 2017 is what your heart desires, but your pocket after purchase, is only eyeing 2010 model. Buy it, insure it, track it, have funds to eat and comot face .........

If buying a car becomes an issue, when the buyer or his family cannot fend for themselves, they better buy bicycle or manage BRT .......

If that's the case, then @OP has no business coming to nairaland. He should be going to his insurance or reverting to the tracking devise for solution. This is an ideal situation.

My post stems from personal observation in the past years as few car owners buy comprehensive insurance or even track their cars. We shouldn't pretend as though all is well & every vehicle owner does comprehensive insurance or track their cars.

One out of 10 car owners insure or track their cars. This is also because it's not a requirement for car ownership in Nigeria.

Zoharariel:
Dash me any Toyota brand and I swear by the irunmoles - I will immediately put it up for sale.

Y should I buy a car that will keep my heart racing each it time it is parked in an open space?

I was at Omole Phase 1 yesterday and I saw a man parked his black Toyota highlander on the street just by “Our Home Hotel” - and you needed to see this huge anti-theft steering wheel lock the owner used in chaining the poor ride. I just laughed and zoomed off.

Buy German machine, una no go hear - Shioooor!

My dear, just about any car can be stolen. Pray you are not targeted. People need to do the basic things like tracking etc. & park within visibility.

You may argue about the frequency of stealing certain brands. If the other brands are common & in high demand, they would also be targeted. Those heartless criminals also go for what can be sold seamlessly, which some of these Toyota & Honda brands offer.

Often times, we criticise car owners for not insuring their cars, but when u consider the level of poverty in the land, insurance becomes a luxury. I have seen people struggle to feed after buying a car. Advising such a person to buy an insurance policy is an exercise in futility.

It's just a status symbol & some kind of competition. People only learn the hard way.

Daporeals:
nurey the engine rating is quiet high, does it mean there is none of 2l

I will advise you look for a Toyota picnic or a previa as has been advised by Nurey. These two vans come with 4 cylinder engines & will save you a huge cost in fuelling. They are also cheaper to acquire in addition to lower cost of running.

I suppose you do not wish to struggle to buy a vehicle with whatever savings you have made over the years only to realise it's a serious burden in the long run.

The first generation Sienna come debuted with a 3.0l 1MZ FE V6 engine with an mpg rating of 16 city & 22mpg highway driving. In Nigeria, you will not get anywhere near this numbers owing to a number factors including poor quality fuel, road conditions and so on.

The second generation Sienna has the 3.3l 3MZ FE V6 engine with estimated mpg of 17 & 23 city/highway driving respectively. Both vans will consume fuel & have higher capacity fuel tanks.

There are also other options with 4 cylinder engines such as Sharon etc.

Do not make a hasty decision in buying, but think it through to be such you are making the right choice.

saintjoel:



Sir, you can shortpay when processing fresh duty but if you make any mistake of shortpaying D. N, sorry is your case.

This is not true, at least, I know better.

greenhulk:


U need to relax. How does my comment relate to an attack? And yes a bullion van is an emergency vehicle that is not supposed to be trapped in traffic. And u also included police vehicles and ambulance in ur comment. So if u have an emergency in an ambulance u pray for it to be trapped in traffic?

Pls point out where I mentioned ambulance in my comment. Now you are quoting me out of context.

So when the police reporting for duty or closing from duty has become an emergency? You don't seem to be aware of their unnecessary harassment of other motorists while going to work. It's only emergency when they are chasing after criminals.

I still maintain my earlier stance; you need to read & comprehend properly.

Drivers of bullion vans are not regarded as emergency workers but as special operation. This is a different discussion.

greenhulk:


Isn't that what the middle that was left free meant for? For emergencies. You cannot expect an ambulance taking a dying patient to the hospital or police response team or fire service to stay on the line.

You need to read & comprehend properly before you dabble into an unnecessary argument. Is a bullion van an emergency service van?

Read the original post & re-read my comment. You seem to jump from thread to thread just to attack people; absolutely unwarranted & unnecessary.

saintjoel:



Wish those over two thousand messages will just turn into cash asap, they're just messages from some motor dealers and church groups I belong to and other people just asking questions and dem no go give you job

You got it right

Agent A charged N2.5m while Agent B charged N1.8m. So she decided to give the papers to Agent B not knowing she was jumping into fire.

Now agent B is demanding for 700k,since there's now an alert on the job and a D. N has been raised for it but she now wants Agent A (the guy wey she no give job) to go after Agent B to clear the wahala but agent A politely refused. She had no choice but to call me as another backup but I also declined asap, i've told her to pay the D. N and see it has one spanner lost.

I was just saying something about this yesterday.

It is part of transactional arrangement to bargain in order to arrive at a reduced possible cost for either a product or service rendered. Logically, it is intuitive to align with the agent whose price is slightly below the second agent since both are qualified for the job.

I do not understand why other agents are unwilling to assist her in this regard. Also, there should be a disciplinary body within ANLCA to swiftly handle such matters & sanction the erring agent. I expect that this woman should be referred to such a committee to seek redress.

It's also safe to assume that the so called agent A deliberately & willfully underpaid in order to make more profit. The Debit Note that has so far been issued to the tune of 750k is another opportunity to further milk the woman as the agent will connive with corrupt NCS officials to pay an insignificant amount from the 750k & share the remaining part.

If ANLCA is transparent and cares about importers, this is the kind of case they should be interested in so as to flush out unscrupulous agents who give them a bad name.

Having said the above, you (agents) can make concerted effort to solve the problem.

A very good policy if it could be fully implemented but one of the major banes of this country is so much propoganda without action, policy flipflop, nepotism and so on.

Daporeals:
Hi nairalander,please I want to use this forum to ask from expert here how good is Toyota sienna XLE, year 2000 above

It's very reliable, dependable and offers large cargo space for a family especially when travelling. Spare parts & mechanics abound. However, proper maintenance is pivotal to happy car ownership.

Conversely, fuel consumption is more than average because it comes in 6 cylinder configuration.

Its not possible in Nigeria. Even if the rest of us falls in line; what about the the military, police, and all other paramilitary agencies? How about bullion van drivers and all other law breakers?

The current system of government in Nigeria will not allow this to happen.

tumababa:
can't believe i have gotten so used to these issue that i feel its the way the car is designed to work...

Since you reside in Lagos, why not try any of Gazzuzz or Honmusa to get this issue sorted once. You have had this problem since 2014; that's 3 years plus.

Cumboss:
Yes the vibration is there a bit but so was it when my automatic compressor was there. I understand the need to get the specified compressor for the car but considering how things are now I might just opt for the manual for now and get the automatic when things look up�

Things are actually very tight right now. You could get a Toks & compare prices. I'm not sure the price diff in Toks between the VDC & Manual FDC is much.

Get a technician who understands the system to help u compare notes.

Cumboss:
Well am confused right now because a friend changed his to a manual compressor and it's been working perfectly for 2 months,mine just got bad and the price of the automatic compressor is outrageous �with what Gazzuzz is saying now dunno what to do

You need not be confused. It's your choice as roadies will try to persuade you about the need for the conversion. Depending on funds availability, it's almost always best to stick with the manufacturer's specs of parts or a Genuine OEM.

One of the major components of the use of the manual compressor is the car must experience some jerking when the aircon is turned on plus an additional load on the engine. This I think is the bane of the engine in the long run. At idle with the aircon turned on, car may experience some vibration.

saintjoel:



There's no corolla in the list, so I guess that you meant Camry. My client is single and just finished his youth service.

Sorry, my mistake. I refered to the Honda Civic.

saintjoel:
Hello house, I need to help a client purchase a car and he doesn't know which car to choose amongst the three options that are available.

1. 2016 Toyota Camry XLE
2. 2016 Honda accord.
3. 2016 Honda Civic.
3. 2016 Kia Rio

Please if you can help out, help him make a decision based on second hand value and how durable the car chosen will be,thanks

Gazzuzz
Nurey
Readonee35L
Calculusx
AutojoshNG

Other car gurus, kindly help out. We need to make a decision before tomorrow afternoon.

How does this man intend to use this car? Does he have a family or single?

People will give advise based on personal preferences. The Camry & Accord are too close a call. Both are good & can be compared, can easily fit into a family of 4 or more. They will have almost the same cost of maintenance and care. They are both durable and reliable however, the Camry has a better tolerance threshold and good resale value.

The civic on the other hand is small and will require lesser cost of running in terms of MPG and cost of maintenance. Perfect for a single person or a small family of 2 to 3 & also has a good resale value.

The Kia Rio will most likely be at par with the Civic in terms of running cost. Given that Kia Rio uses Externally Controlled Variable Swash Plate Type of Compressor, I will be worried because of technical know-how & cost of replacing it. I read it fails after a few thousand kilometers of use. Gazzuzz can help to substantiate this though. However, the Civic commands a better resale value than the Kia Rio no matter your level of care.

princetom1:


In reality, there is not much difference in fuel economy of those V6 and i4 engine used, Camry as example, V6 is rated as 19mp in the city while 28mpg on the highway, the i4 engine in d oda hang returns 22mpg in the city and 32 on d highway. As for me, i love the power and smoothness of a V6. U dig? Make 1 turtle no come pass me for road

If you say in reality, then you are being economic with the truth. For the V6, you can't come close to the 19mpg factory specification if you commute within the city centres. Can you gladly share how many miles you get to a full tank? Especially considering the quality of fuel imported in Nigeria, state of roads, etc. Pls when stating your miles to empty, specify city & highway driving. I will also share mine with a 4 cylinder.

I will accept the negligible difference between a V6 and a 4 cylinder when traveling. However, this depends on your driving pattern. But if you want to compete with every vehicle you meet on the road, then your mpg will be terrible & not worth a mention.

Meetleader:


What's the difference between 4 & 6 cylinders...

With several obvious differences between a 4 cylinder & 6. A 4 cylinder (4 plugs) offers a slightly more fuel economy than a 6 cylinder (6 plugs & usually in a "V" shape). The V6 on the other hand, is more powerful with smooth & sleek acceleration albeit better stability on speed. It's a driver's ride when traveling. However, if your daily commute is within the city with constant traffic, your joy will give way to anger and pain resulting from constant visits to the petrol stations.

Spare parts for the V6 is also more expensive than its 4 cylinder counterpart. As far as resale value is concerned in Nigeria, the 4 cylinder has a better value than the 6 cylinder.

In all, maintenance is key to an extremely happy car ownership. Use recommended fluids and spare parts whilst patronising a competent technician & enjoy the benefits of car ownership.

mayor2013:
4 cylinders or 6 cylinders

My guess is that he would go with a 4 cylinder whichever one he chooses.

Meetleader:

Budget ain't a problem... once my mind is fixed on something... I'll work towards it... 3.5 @ the most though...


Topology... PH and it's env...


I might need to Cruise PH - Abj occasionally...and I'll like to dust all the cars on the road when I do...


Routine - drive to work... club... Beach.... weekend parties ... do small shakara... u know na... appear sweet on the road...


Fuel consumption should be reasonable...


Maintenance should be easy... don't wanna start changing gearbox....etc...

The Camry will give you a better drive experience & mpg. RAV4 has a better ground Clearance & can handle most terrain in PH but not a vehicle for speed.

It will be tough to get a Clean tittle 2010 Camry or RAV4 toks for your budget

Meetleader:

So i'm planning on buying my next ride soon and I intend to use it for about 3yrs or so...

I am limiting my choices to Toyota Rav 4 2010 or Toyota camry 2010...

I wish to know the Pros and cons experienced by those who are already using same brand and model

I don't want to finish making purchase and later say "Had I known"

Advice, suggestions and live experiences on this two products highly solicited...

This is an apple to orange comparison. They are world apart in terms of fuel consumption, maintenance, handling & drive experience.

To properly guide you, we need to know what you need in a vehicle including budget, topology of your location etc.

Camry is a full size family sedan while a RAV4 is a CUV.

There's a lot of connivance between Nigeria Customs Service Officials and agents. Most times, agents pay just a fraction of what they charged the importer or car owner as duty. This amount paid represents what the NCS officials have agreed with agents as being sufficient for the particular year model and another percentage of the money is shared between them.

From a personal experience, the major reason clearing of cars is shrouded in secrecy is the level of kickbacks in the process for which the agents & NCS officials benefit hugely from.

Sometime last year, I sought to know if I could clear my car by myself; the reality is NCS official in collaboration with Agents will frustrate your effort to achieve this.

The question is; why is it difficult for an importer to walk into the NCS formation to obtain the cost of of clearing his/her consignment without the need for a middleman?

obataokenwa:
Go with Uber bro cos it will give you opportunity to even meet more people and who knows, you may get a better job through it. Cab pays more than all this office work of below 100k. Don't think it... start at once... first of all register with uber and let them screen your car and accept it before u resign. Good luck

Great. Provided his car is 2000 model year & above, it will be accepted. He only needs to ensure that it's in a very good shape with aircon very effective. He should be more worried about passing the psychometric test for driver/partners.

There's actually no straightforward answer to your query here. A number of variables need to be considered to arrive at the best the best response.

First, you did not state the kind car you have as certain cars are extremely good for uber business. Given that this is an online platform, it will be difficult for you to answer the following questions;
1. Are you the one currently paying for your family accommodation in Abuja?
2.Does your wife work?
3.What percentage of your current salary do you save monthly?
4. What kind of car do you have? This is important for fuel consumption, cost of maintenance etc. If your vehicle's engine displacement is any of the 1.6 - 2.0 then, you are more likely to make more money.

Personally, I would not advise you to give out your car to another driver; you will almost always regret it as you lack experience of how uber works. Except perhaps, you are giving the car on a higher purchase then it's a different kettle of fish. Rentage may have been okay but inexperience will be explored by an unscrupulous driver who may use the car rough within a short time.

The uber price in Lagos has been watered down & does not favour drivers anymore except you complement with Taxify. Abuja on the other hand, is a little better. Driving on uber in Abuja by yourself will guarantee you some consistent income which is dependent on the kind of car you use because of fuel and maintenance as I earlier said. It's not as though you won't make money with bigger engine displacement, of say 2.4 etc but by the time you remove overhead, your take home is drastically reduced. Realistically, you will get your current salary in about 2 weeks of driving with a little more time to play with plus getting to be with your family which is much more important than even the money you may not make working with your current employer.

Having said the above, the bitter kola is not as sweet as it sounds in the mouth. To make the money, you must work hard. Concerning insults associated with driving on uber, that should not discourage you as every profession has its perculiar challenge. For as long as you keep your eyes on the ball, you will always see reasons to smile. Before you set off each day to drive, keep your ego & pride at home knowing that your goal is to make money. Of course, as much as some riders will insult you, so many others will appreciate you & encourage you.

If your decision favours driving on uber, there are drivers' and partners' group that can always guide you.

Finally, since the car belongs to you, there's no loss on the uber platform if you consider it a full time business.

Good luck with your choice.

sooperrescue:
That is true but it is possible. It is a case of improved national security and we have already identified a lot of the engine numbers especially for the Range Rover brand

For National Security, you're better off working with the vin. This is what obtains in Europe and America including other developed worlds. Car Engine can be replaced but you can't change a car's vin. Even with an altered vin, the specific vehicle could still be tracked.

It's also very easy to access then vin rather than the engine number which for most cars, is hidden.

sooperrescue:
In line with the new trend for vehicle inspection, we urgently seek experienced candidates to be able to locate engine numbers on all vehicles. The job entails working with the police in collecting data for all vehicles in the country The successful candidates will be needed in Lagos Awka Abuja and Minna. Send us your details to info@arcnigeria.com

Whatever experience the person has, you cannot locate the engine number of some vehicles without have to either dismantle the engine or bring it down for the engine bay. For instance, 2ar - fe, 3MZ - FE etc.

These engine numbers are hidden on areas hard to locate. So they officers need to be properly guided before the destroy people's cars in an attempt to get the engine.

This is also why some cars are registered with the engine number as nil.

Readonee35L:

I under what the op is saying.
The camry, prado ,fortuner ,landcruiser , corolla sold brand new in Nigeria are the middle east specifications popularly known as Dubai Spec.
This cars have stripped down options and accessories compared to the American spec.
My in law has a 2016 Camry Xle v6 (middle east spec) and I can tell you that the car is a little shitty , the display of the sound system looks like an mp4 player .
It has few options.
Note most of them don't have
Panoramic roof
Heated seats
Extra airbags on doors and curtains
intelligence sensors .
Tpms
e.t.c

The above unleashed my curiosity in thought; does it mean there's no universally acceptable standard adopted by these automobile manufacturers with different quality builds for different regions of the world?

I bet if they are to manufacture some automobiles to Africa & indeed Nigeria, it will not only be stripped down but would lack basic safety equipement such as airbags and may be seat belts.