Prado 90 Service - 3.4L Petrol

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Jaco Versfeld
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Prado 90 Service - 3.4L Petrol

Post by Jaco Versfeld »

Hi there

The wife's Barbie Cruiser is due for its 280 000 km service, normal one, engine oil change, and filter change (apparently no spark plugs changed, as the Prado has spark plugs that lasts for 60 000km ??)

I was quoted R4000 :shock: . Is this the going rate for a normal service, as opposed to a major service?

If I want to do this service myself, what oil should I use on the Prado? (I don't know if I can use Delo 400, used it with my Hilux 4y ...) Does anyone know how much oil the Prado takes?

I assume best would be to buy the air filter from Toyota self, and get a GUD oil filter.

I will also have a look at the brakes.

Anything else I should look out for?

Thanks
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Re: Prado 90 Service - 3.4L Petrol

Post by GeorgeJvR »

I serviced my Prado 3.4 on Sunday
GTX high mileadge oil +/- 6.5L ( i bought 10L)
Oil, air, and fuel filters.
And wiperblades
R900.00
She is sitting on 296000Km at this stage
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Re: Prado 90 Service - 3.4L Petrol

Post by Family_Dog »

I ws also a staunch GTX user but have been cautioned about it too many times - it forms sludge apparently. So rather look at Shell Rumimax (sp?) or similar.


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Re: Prado 90 Service - 3.4L Petrol

Post by JohanM »

Jaco as far as I know it is part of every 20000 km to have the auto box oil drained and refill also. thus looking at the parts and labour including auto box oil and labour to drain and refill 4K is still relatively steep but it does add up. I would suggest you get a written quote as mine is due for 290000km soon and was quoted about +/- 1500 for the service which is in my view reasonable but still it is only a minor service, so I will get the parts from Toyota and then send it in for service.
GeorgeJvR wrote:I serviced my Prado 3.4 on Sunday
GTX high mileadge oil +/- 6.5L ( i bought 10L)
Oil, air, and fuel filters.
And wiperblades
R900.00
She is sitting on 296000Km at this stage
George you should look at changing the cambelt as it is due to be done @ 300000 km as it is due at that mileage.
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Re: Prado 90 Service - 3.4L Petrol

Post by Jaco Versfeld »

Ralph of Toyo Centre said that the 5VZ-FE doesn't have a timing belt? I am confused.
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Re: Prado 90 Service - 3.4L Petrol

Post by JohanM »

Jaco the 4.0lt v6 1GR motor has got timing chains. The 5VZ-fe motor has got a belt that is due toe be replaced every 100000 km pre facelift models and facelift models is due at 150000 km inrervals.
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Re: Prado 90 Service - 3.4L Petrol

Post by Family_Dog »

It does have a timing belt.
5VZ-FE (3.4 V6) ENGINE REPAIR MANUAL - TIMING BELT.pdf
(103.11 KiB) Downloaded 496 times

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Re: Prado 90 Service - 3.4L Petrol

Post by Rusti »

Hi Jaco,

I am also new to servicing etc but luckily for me my dad is a mechanic. So 6 months ago we did a minor service on my hilux and it cost around R 1000.

My dad had 2 key pieces of advice. 1 Never buy anything from the agents. Not sparkies, filters nothing. You can get the exact same brand names from your local spares shop for literally half the price. 2 And I hope no Toyota agents are listening... get an itemised quote from Toyota and then use that as a shopping list. It won't show you how much oil etc to buy so I just phoned another branch told them I was doing it and asked for the amounts. A few times in my dad's experience they gave him the wrong filter etc so he had to go back so when I went I took the current filter with so you can open the box and make sure it's the same and you don't have to rush back and stand in the queue again before they close on Saturday.

On the oil type. Shell and our corrupt government can stick their fracking wells up their.... I don't buy their products or stop at their stations. They would put a franking well in your children's play ground if it made them an extra R5...

Back to servicing.. We also changed the break fluid and he had a neat trick (that you and the other guys might already know) after another mechanic suggested that I bleed the breaks completely and then refill.. We just took a suction thingy(that's the dictionary term) and suck 95% of the break fluid out of its reservoir. Then we filled it up with clean break fluid and bled the nipples 1 at a time until we could see the clean fluid come out. We gave it a few extra pumps just to make sure it was 100%. Just 2 things to remember.. 1 you have to keep topping up the reservoir after each nipple or it will empty and you'll pump air in. Then you'll be pomping all night long.. and not the good kind... 2 There were allot of tiny bubbles when we poured in the new fluid so we let it settle for a few minutes before just so those bubbles can rise to the top.

This weekend we are changing the coolant. This is not as easy as it sounds because that reservoir(mine anyway) is lined with ancient anti freeze. This means that the radiator looks the same on the inside so we are going to drain that and remove it. Then we'll put some engine cleaner in that and it will be the appy, that's me, job to shake out the old gunk. The reservoir also needs to be removed and similarly shaken but my dad says were just going to put a small lappie inside as well to help rub the gunk out.

Next is replacing all the rubber pipes. Francois and Hoppy were replacing my timing chain last year(my dad lives in large ban so it's not always easy) and leaned on the radiator pipe and it tore without hesitation so it must have been the original one.

You should have a look at the manuals on the forum and download one. I bought an old Haynes manual on Gumtree and it's amazing! Step by step for nubes like me.. I can't wait to learn more! And if you save money on servicing you have a great excuse to buy nice toys like snorkels etc.. :dance1:

Good luck Jaco!
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Re: Prado 90 Service - 3.4L Petrol

Post by GeorgeJvR »

Thanks Johan Will look in to that
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Re: Prado 90 Service - 3.4L Petrol

Post by Rusti »

Hi Jaco,

Just talking to my dad now about tomorrow's coolant change etc. Seems I got it slightly wrong in my previous post.. He says the radiator is too sensitive to remove and shake etc so we're just going to drain it and use radiator cleaner to flush it out.
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Re: Prado 90 Service - 3.4L Petrol

Post by Jaco Versfeld »

Thanks everyone.

So I popped into Toyota to ask for a quote for the 270 000 service, just to get a feel of it. Ended up speaking to a Mechanic. He reckons that all Toyota Petrol engines have timing chains :o: .

Did anyone order a timing belt from Toyota? What is the part number, and approximate price. I am scared that the Prado's belt has never been changed, especially if the above is the ignorance displayed by Toyota mechanics. Most engines are totally wrecked if the timing belt goes, assume the same for the 5vz-fe.
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Re: Prado 90 Service - 3.4L Petrol

Post by Jaco Versfeld »

So I took leave on Monday, and set it aside to service the Prado.

Gee, took me 15 minutes to locate the oil filter. For future reference, it is beneath the alternator. Also, good luck to anyone trying to loosen it. It took me a good 2 hours to get it loose. I ended up breaking one of those 3 legged oil filter wrenches (the black one from Midas). Had to go back to Midas, and get the silver oil filter wrench. This one luckily did the trick. (I worked through the wheel bay of the left wheel, only way I could get access to the oil filter)

In the two hour battle of the oil filter, I managed to blow the alternator fuse. So, when the new oil was in, car didn't want to start. Wife is ready to phone FiL, so I am not impressed. My ego is at stake. Luckily, I remembered the sparks, and look at the fuses. Yip, alternator fuse has blown (100 Amp). This is Monday evening. With the last bit of light, I try to remove the fuse. Break it in the process, and the two legs are stuck in the fusebox. And I can't get it out. When it got dark, I decided to wait till Youth day.

Finally Youth Day to arrive, and hope that I can get hold of a fuse. Eventually got one at Midas. I then immediately realised why I could get the damn fuse out. The legs are bolted to the fusebox. Back to the Prado, I then started to dismantle the fusebox. Also realised that I needed to remove the battery. Eventually got the fuse replaced, and everything back to original form.

I was quite relieved when the the Prado started with the first turn of the key :yahoo:
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Re: Prado 90 Service - 3.4L Petrol

Post by Jaco Versfeld »

I have read that the 5vz-fe is a free-running engine - "Also, the V6 is a non-interference engine, or "free running", meaning if your belt breaks you have a bad day, but your engine is not toast."

Is this true?
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Re: Prado 90 Service - 3.4L Petrol

Post by Rusti »

Hi Jaco,

François and Hoppy replaced my timing chain. I think it was only R600 for the chain itself(genuine Toyota chain) and then a little extra for labour. I must say that despite what I said about the agents adding big mark ups on 3rd party spares I will always buy genuine Toyota parts from them. They are worth it.
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Re: Prado 90 Service - 3.4L Petrol

Post by JohanM »

HI Jaco,

A few answers to your questions...

I have read that the 5vz-fe is a free-running engine - "Also, the V6 is a non-interference engine, or "free running", meaning if your belt breaks you have a bad day, but your engine is not toast."

Is this true? - Correct it means that you only replace the belt and get going again. No damage to the engine internals.

So I popped into Toyota to ask for a quote for the 270 000 service, just to get a feel of it. Ended up speaking to a Mechanic. He reckons that all Toyota Petrol engines have timing chains - Not true, most new petrol engines does have them, but some older petrol engines still use cambelts. Maybe the Mech is actually still a learner on the product.

Did anyone order a timing belt from Toyota? What is the part number, and approximate price. I am scared that the Prado's belt has never been changed, especially if the above is the ignorance displayed by Toyota mechanics. - Jaco I haven't ordered mine's cambelt yet, but the cambelt will be replaced with the tensioner and 2x rollers. Price wise it seems like its going to +/- 4000 (before discount) for the complete kit from Toyota which I think is reasonable compared to the Volvo's cambelt kit.
Johan Marais
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