₦airaland Forum

Ashiru: Hello, I need more information about Toyota Highlander hybrid 2007. Is this car good for Nigerian Use. Please I need your advise people
Thanks

I service and repair them here in Abuja and so far it seem like I'm the only technician who understands hybrid technology on this side of the river as I have had training in the UK on Hybrid and electric automobile techology.

The Toyota Highlander Hybrid is a Very reliable car with excellent urban driving fuel economy thanks to the battery driven gearbox.

The main issues you may encounter would be battery pack packing up or the Hybrid propulsion inverter failure.

You will definitely not find the hybrid parts here in Nigeria or worst still, competent technicians who have a good understanding of hybrid technology.

Most parts for the Hbrid system may have to be sourced from the United States and these may take a while for searching and shipping so you need to count the costs before you venture in.

Most other parts are similar to the ordinary models I.e brake pads, brake discs, oil filters, spark plugs etc.

However, if all is well, your highlander hybrid would give you a very lovely driving experience.

Look out for a low mileage and well maintained example if you want to enjoy it for a long while before the main issues I just highlited start creeping up on you.


Car-Doctor.

Vinzee: Thanks Car Doctor. Its a 4 cylinder engine. I observed dat it has stopped. I travelled from Abuja to Enugu with the car and didn't experience the jerking. Thanks once more.

Well, if it stopped then probably during the wash somehow water entered your tank and got into your fuel line. Obviously the fuel/water mixture got burnt out and now you are back to normall conditions.

Keep an eye out agaain when having your car engine washed.

Car-Doctor.

Beautiful car.

[quote author=shoot@sight]car doctor I was of the opinion ∂@t excess oil would be burnt off over time, How come bent connecting rods ?[/quote]Why Don't you try over filling your engine with oil and then wait for it to burn out.

Car-Doctor.

[quote author=shoot@sight]Auto gurus ur attention is needed here pls.... Oga ikenna, sienna, trac, nisparts ,car doctor and co ... [/quote]The level of damage depends on the amount of overfill. Consequences are identified by a smoky engine with lots of smoke from the exhaust.
Damaged oil seals.
Oil spillage over the engine and compartment.
Bent connecting rods or broken rods that would end up smashing the engine block.

Car-doctor.

rebirthto: pls can i use oando transmission fluid for my 2000/2001 toyota highlander?.thanks

Use the Toyota type t4.

I really wouldn't advise you to use Oando atf when there is the Toyota type T4 in the market. That's the best oil for your gearbox.


Car-Doctor.

visitor30: ^^^^
Thanks Car-doctor! I have told him to go look for Nissan gear transmission oil, though he said there is no difference in using the Abbro or Sea Horse........that it is just from different manufactures..........that all those so called big names and what the manuals of most vehicle says ain't applicable here in Nigeria, sine we have a different weather condition. I left him and said after all it is vehicle and his money!


A quick one, what will be responsible for the delay/slow shift in auto gear of a Honda CR-V 98 model. Just change the gear oil using the "Castrol Import multi-vehicle Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF). I attached the product data sheet for your advise!"

From my experience, the Honda CRV suffers from this problem a lot especially the firstvgeneration models of the late 90s to early 2000s.

You will mainly notice the late shifting to final drive when you are ascending a hill no matter how slight the slope may be.

It has a lot to do with the design of the transmission by the manufacturer. If in your own case the late shifting is adverse, then you may consider flushing the transmission and changing the transmission fluid to Honda ATF-Z1. That's the ATF that your gearbox should he running on.

I tried opening the data sheet for the castrol and nothing came up.


Car-Doctor.

The Toyota Picnic is the choice you should go for. Its more reliable, its parts are readily available. Most mechanics know about it better than the Zafira.


Car-Doctor.

[quote author=udemzy_udex]its illegal to drive a car without an insurance cover,at least a third party insurance will do.[/quote]Third party insurance is the most common here in Naija. Problem is that its as useless as a used tissue paper in the event of an accident claim.

Its just mandatory for you to have third party insurance like the one we use here as part of your particulars when demanded of you by the police or other agencies.

Car-Doctor.

Well informative. Thanks for the tips. I hope nairalanders would heed to this.


Car-Doctor.

Change your fuel pump or check your fuel delivery pipes.

Most important is the latter.

Why?

You didn't indicate if your car is a v6 or in-line 4 cylinder engine but the point is this. The fuel line coming into the engine is made of hardened plastic. Over time, they get brittle and become susceptible to breaking.

Its possible that while your engine was being washed they may have snapped the pipe. I have seen this happen on a lot of ocassions and the usual measure to be taken would be to get a pipe bridge in the line and then use two clips to tighten it on the fuel line.

The tightening of the jubilee clips constricts the fuel pipe and may restrict the fuel pressure to the injector rails.

On normal engine idle or slow pace driving, you may not notice anything. The jerks would usualy happen when you accelerate hard or when you intend to increase your speed.

Have a look in your engine bay and see if you would notice any bridging of your fuel supply line held by clips.

Car-Doctor.

chuqudy: Is it Muhammadu Buhari? Well nice work.

Lol

visitor30: Good Morning Car-doctor,
Please kindly help me with best Auto-Gear Transmission Oil to use in a Nissan Pathfinder 1996-1998 model. A colleague of mine in the office wants to make a fluid change. He is planning on using the regular Abbro product. Will that fly or will it land him into problems later? Thanks!

Better be careful with Abro ATF. It can easily damage your gearbox. I think its better adapted for power steering use.

Use Nissan Matic-D oil if you can find that in your area or ask nl member Nissparts if he has any.


Car-Doctor.

Kamanda: Pls Car Doctor,I just got a new auto gear box for 90K,which ATF and Coolant is best for Ford Galaxy 1995-2000 model?.My Mechanic used Seahorse on the last one that got busted and he insists its ok.

If your galaxy is a 1995-2000 model then all you need is a good quality Dexron 3 and Seahorse is ok.

As for the coolant, there's quite a few good ones in the market. Just look out for authenticity.

Car-Doctor.

Very reliable car if its well maintained.

No issues at all.


Car-Doctor.

I really wonder how this will work but let's see. Naija is full of surprises.

Car-Doctor.

I know that Chuqudy is fond of posting outrageous and sometimes unintelligent topics but this topic is ok.


Don't forget to add those Rover products I.e Roger 75, 45, 25 etc. Jaguar S type. The list goes on . Pls add your own.

Car-Doctor.

For more info on automatic gearbox problems, follow the link below.

https://www.nairaland.com/1364064/automatic-gearbox-problems



Car-Doctor.

watino:
Hi Experts in nissa quest, please help me to find a solution to fix my mercury villager, after refueling 2000 naira today and i drove a short while and the fuel went down, what would be the cause of this. heavy fuel consumption, and how could it be fix on DIY? I will appreciate your inputs tnx all.

Do you expect your fuel not to go down after driving for a short while?

Trac: Not at all. Nice sales tactic.

See naija man?

He thinks I'm trying to sell him one. Unfortunately, I Don't sell cars. I only repair them.

Car-Doctor.

Back in the UK I owned a 1998 Honda Legend 3.5 v6. It was just 2 years old then on an "s" reg plate and I must confess that it was one of the smoooooothest cars I've ever driven.
Ice cold ac.
Black leather seats.
Automatic.
Night club sound system.
Very powerful engine that never skipped a beat.
Perfect, perfect car. Only the S type Jaguar sport I bought later just about managed to compare with it.

That car gave me plenty of joy but had to sell it due to high fuel costs in the UK and also high insurance premiums.

The Chinese guy I sold it to occasionally called me to thank me for the ride.

Still wish it was still here.

Car-Doctor.

naturallysmart: Goodmorning house, please how much can i get a gearbox for my mazda mpv 2001 automatic, the car jumps when changing from gear one but runs smooth afterwords. Ȋ̝̊̅§ there anything i can do about it or i shud change the gearbox or convert it to manaul. Please advice me on which Ȋ̝̊̅§ best cuz i'm thinking of using the car for transport on tHe warri-abuja route.thanks

I can help you out if you are in abuja.

Car-Doctor.

[quote author=muhd. T]Please drop me your contact. I need to speak with you.[/quote]My phone number and address are below.

Car-Doctor.

aejaywhite: Car doctor
Do u work on toyota avalon gearbox?

Yes we do repair Avalon gearboxes as well as that of many other models of cars. That's one of our specialities and you get 3 months guarantee.


Car-Doctor.

awolols: please where can one get the original z1?

You can get it at utako market, Abuja.

olobank: Hello car doc,
Anything wrong with changing the auto gearbox in honda hala to manual?

The only thing wrong is that you won't get the automatic gear shifting anymore.

Its quite a straight forward job but you have to replace brake and clutch pedals as well as the gear lever. Gearbox mounts and certain electrical adjustments have to be made.

Car-Doctor.

laluski: Mr siena,ikenna,car doctor,Zim drill,pls what do u think

Switch off the engine if you are sure that you may be spending some time before the traffic starts moving again.

What better way could you possibly conserve fuel if your engine is switched off?

Make sure your starter motor is in good working condition and your battery is good if not you could end up adding more to the traffic problem if your car fails to start.

The people held up behind you will not have mercy on you o.

That's Lagos for you.



Car-Doctor.

[quote author=muhd. T]Are you an ex-trainee of AutoMedics Diagnostic Training, If yes, drop me a mail naijalite@gmail.com[/quote]Sorry mate, I'm not an ex trainee of automedics. I'm a qualified uk trained Automobile Master Technician with ATA accreditation.

I happpened to know the team while I was in Lagos shortly after returning from the UK and took interest in their style of educating the nigerian public on automotive related isssues through their award winning radio programme on Radio Continental in Lagos.

The Automedics training programme is another stage in their developments.

Car-Doctor.

nasonaso: I want a Toyota Product. Which toyota product is The best around 1-1.5million

What a question.

Go to Nairaland auto section and make YOUR CHOICE then post a thread asking for more info on the Toyota car that tickles YOUR fancy.

Car-Doctor.

roosebolton: I have heard quite a lot of positives about the quality of oven baked painting over normal paint job (for a car). I just got a fairly used car.. And although it's quite clean to the casual observer. I would really love to take it to a "new car" level of cleanliness. However I would rather keep the manufacturer's paint job than have a shoddy attempt. Would really appreciate if folks who have tried oven baked share their experience on the quality level when compared to what u get with a new car. Also is it easy to determine if a car has had an after market paint job when u use oven as compared to a normal paint job (which is always quite obvious)

Oven bake respraying is the best way to spray a car in order to acieve the best results.

That's what we specialise in at Autobrite Automotive Solutions Ltd and from my experience you can achieve the best results in spraying a car to any colour.

The oven bake system allows the paint to be sprayed in a dust free environment and the temperature of the oven while being in use allows paint to dry instantly avoiding any drips which can occur when multicoats of paint is being applied.

There is also a filteration system incorporated in the manufacture of the oven that eliminates the possibility of dust settling on the paintwork before it dries.

The car is then left in the booth to slow bake for approximately 1 hour at temperatures of around 55 degrees centigrade.

Baking creates a hard compound of the paint and makes it more durable and resistant to scratching. It also gives a glossy enamel finish that delivers a mirror effect.

Unlike most car sprayers that use open air spray spaces or corrugated zinc spray spaces where cars being sprayed are subjected to dusty and humid environments, the oven bake system delivers the best qaulity finish.

It comes with a higher cost as electricity and gas may be require to power the oven bake booth. It also requires a lot of experience from the sprayer to get the job done perfectly and its possible to achieve factory standard finishes.


https://www.nairaland.com/1151435/please-where-best-place-respray#17542197

Car-Doctor.

Siena: Sounds like your "mechanic" either over tightened the spark plug, or cross-threaded it when he fitted them. The cylinder head of your BMW is aluminium, and won't tolerate abuse.

The adapter solution is no good, junk that idea immediately. It will place the spark further away from the piston, and the burn in that cylinder won't be efficient enough.

Your option is to have a stainless steel helicoil insert fitted. This is a world-wide recognised industry-standard for repairing damaged threads, is stronger than the existing aluninium thread, and best of all, can be done with the cylinder head in situ. You're looking at maximum 30 minutes repair time by a competent machinist.

@Sienna

Who knows about heli-coil in Naija?

The only real solution here is to replace the cylinder head. I can't really imagine what a blacksmith will do to repair a spark plug hole thread as the op is suggesting but I believe it will lead to more issues.

Cat-Doctor.

kakameks: What could be the cause of fluctuating headlights, slow wiper speed especially when the air condition is on. My battery can not stay for more than two days in the car without discharging to the point that it cannot start the car, i have been searching for what drains the battery to no avail, i have changed my alternator (tokunbo) yet the problem is still there. My battery is a 75AH battery sealed type, could the problem be from there? i am considering increasing the engine idle rev to about 1000rpm or slightly higher to compensate but am extremely reluctant in doing this.

Or will a little oil in the AC compressor help lub. it's function?

When am stuck in traffic at night and it is raining, headlight, wiper and AC needed, does this problem shows itself.
suggestions will really be appreciated.

Seems like a bad earth (negative) connection.

Get your electrician to check all the negative terminal links to your car engine and body.

@op
You didn't state the make and model of your car.


Car-doctor.