Toyota Landcruiser – Maintenance Update VIII – (111813 Kms)

111813 Kms on February 15, 2011

Post this update the the maintenance log is upto date.

As I had to go for the Desert Storm 2011 I started to drive the vehicle quite extensively and since the last service interval I drove the vehicle for a shade under 1000 kms. And am glad that I did. The issues that cropped up during this period were

• The Fuel pump had started leaking diesel, and started to leak quite a lot
• The Head Lamps went kaput, in a span of 10 days. Actually the low beam was working but on switching on the high beams the vehicle was not giving any power on the high beams.

Toyota Landcruiser – Major & Minor Maintenance Update(s) IV, V, VI & VII

 

Post the previous service interval, I had taken the vehicle for an outstation trip to Tordi, Rajasthan for some dune bashing and off-road fun. This was a three day trip and the TLC performed remarkably well during the entire trip both on and off-road.

However there were some parts that conked off during/ after the trip and I had to replace them after I came back to Delhi. The following was the job done

110295 kms on November 22, 2010

Power Steering Pump replaced

Brake Master Cylinder replaced

Rear Differential Seal Replaced

Oil Pressure Switch (This was not working since the day I bought the vehicle)

Radiator Cap

Differential Oil

Power Steering Oil

Brake Oil

Grease

Washing

Labor Charge

Power Steering Change

Brake Master Cylinder Change

Differential Seal

Front Guard Setting

Washing

Toyota LandCruiser – Maintenance Update III (108105 Kms)

Hey Guys
The ODO has now (as of today) crossed 111k kms and now reads approx 111030 kms .
In the past couple of months I took the vehicle to the workshop thrice to sort out some small and big issues that are natural to crop up with the ownership of the vehicle especially when one buys a second hand or in my case a 3rd hand vehicle. Please do not misunderstand me as I am not cribbing or complaining, I am rather happy that these issues are cropping up as, as and when I am resolving these issues my vehicle is getting close to near perfection, atleast mechanically.

This particular maintenance/ update was carried on at 108105 Kms on 09th Of November 2010.

 

Toyota LandCruiser – Maintenance Update Part II (105100 Kms)

Fast forward to Friday 10th September 2010
We had scheduled the work remaining the last time for today. This post you would have to excuse me for the crappy pics as I forgot to carry my camera and all pics are from the crappy phone cam!!!

Toyota LandCruiser – Maintenance Update I (104600 Kms)

Summary of Maintenance of the TLC
Thursday 2nd September 2010
Now that I was back in Delhi I had to get the vehicle checked up completely.
I’d earlier decided that I would get it done at a trusted garage in Vasant Kunj. The name of the garage in BE BOBBIE AUTOMOBILES (BBA) and is owned by Benedict Bobbie. Bobbie has been in this business for the past 20 years and my friend Neeloy Sarkar, another TLC owner, has been getting his vehicle serviced and maintained from Bobbie since the past 3 years and needless to say that he is extremely happy. Also I had been to Bobbies workshop previously, and the kind of vehicles standing there simply amazed me. I had seen the likes of Range Rover Sports, a Mercedes M class, numerous E Class’s, Pajeros, PARADO’s amongst many other vehicles. So I thought if these owners can trust Bobbie with their vehicles why can I. I’ll be honest that all these vehicles were not there for mechanical work, some of them were just for a complete paintjob, but still many of them were for mechanical work. Then moreover I do not really want to go to high profile places to get my TLC services, reason being one I didn’t want to overspend and second in my experience independent garage do the work better, So as I’d decided earlier that I would first hunt for a decent garage and then buy the vehicle. My simple philosophy is that if I don’t know or understand the vehicle, I should know and have to trust the person who is doing or working on the vehicle.

 

Bengaluru to Delhi : Trip Log- Day II – Pune to ???

For previous posts related to this travelogue

Bengaluru to Delhi:Trip Log- Day I (Part 1)

Bengaluru to Delhi:Trip Log- Day I (Part 2)

Day II
31st August 2010
Today I decided to treat myself and instead of setting the alarm for 4 I set the alarm for a little later and was out of the hotel by 530 and on the Mumbai Pune expressway.
Now let me warn everybody that the initial enthusiasm was dying down a little so the pictures will be a little less. Anyways I crossed the Pune Mumbai expressway and the moment I entered Mumbai my navigation skill went for a toss. I am not sure where I made a mistake and still cannot recall the name of those part of the towns but I think that I entered Mumbai around 8 and left Mumbai Ghodbander (I hope I have the name of the area correct) around 1130ish. So 3 hours and 30 minutes. But hey as this was my first time driving in Mumbai I guess that it was OK. During this time I could hear that a couple of flights also got delayed due to the heavy rains that lashed Mumbai during that day. So I guess that its just one of those day. Also I filled up the tank I think 80 liters of diesel only to see later that diesel is a little cheaper in Gujarat than Mumbai.

 

I do not know what wrong turn I took, here is a detailed GPS track of the route that I took while entering and leaving Mumbai

 

And here is the GPS track from the moment I entered Thane till I exited Mumbai

 

Getting the Jeep CJ3B home!!!

Update on April 18th, 2009

Hey guys
I have been busy over the past week, that’s the reason that I haven’t been able to update this thread.

Alot has happened since I wrote last.

Petrol Tank issue I had no luck with the original fuel tank, so I purchased a local (desi) tank and put that in. In the meantime the spare part guy is on the lookout for a new petrol tank, and as soon as he finds one I will take it and put it as a spare.
The Hood and the Seats As I wrote last, I got the rear seats frame fabricated new from Mayapuri itself. I found and bought an original driver seat. The passenger seat is the same that came with the jeep. All the seats have been fabricated and covered with the army print seat covers
Electricals & Misc The re-wiring has been with all old fittings changed The front D hooks and rhino hook has been fixed.
Delivery Day
On Tuesday the 14th, I was in Mayapuri for the whole day and after a little this and a little that, finally I got the jeep at 8 in the night. I can tell you all that the small-small things take the most time. And the most difficult part is trying to get these guys work on your vehicle.
Anyways with everything ready, I took the jeep home. The ride though enjoyable, but I was very tired, Standing since 10 in the morning, and the Delhi traffic didn’t do anything to help.

The problems faced by me on the drive back were

• The vehicle was very hard to drive. I mean the wheels were not moving freely. When I was standing on an incline the vehicle even though in neutral was not moving backwards.
• The gear lever was very tight and I had to literally fight with it to engage the gears.
• The 2nd gear used to slip into neutral every now an then, while driving
• The small 4×4 lever, one used to set the high and low ratio was also slipping into neutral too often.
• The engine was loosing a lot of oil from the oil filter
• The jeep was heating a lot too. I mean that 10 kms from Mayapuri to my house, the temperature had risen to 120 degrees. I was shocked!!!

Now these were some of the problems that I faced, but as I had anticipated and know that it will be a while before most of the issues are sorted out.

So next day 15th April I left the jeep back at the mechanic, and told him to give me a call when it was ready. Received the call in the evening and then next evening on Thursday the 16th I went to pick it up.
Now it drove much better than what it was driving like earlier.

• The wheels were loosened and now it was driving like it should.
• The gear lever was changed. They call it something like a Tapa. So the gears were engaging properly.
• The 2nd gear was not slipping now.
• The 4×4 High-N-Low lever also didn’t slip into neutral
  
• The heating, Oil dripping issue, well I will have to drive it around to see whether they are resolved. The radiator cap was missing, so a new one was bought and put on the vehicle.

So I took the car from the mechanic and got new footwear for the CJ3B from Khan Market.
I bought four new MRF 6×16’s NDMS. Paid 2450 per tyre and tube.
While I was there, I got the Ignition coil also changed. The earlier one was not changed by the electrician and was heating alot. So I put in a new ignition coil, the same one that is put in an Amby with an Isuzu motor. 380 for the coil and 50 for the fitting.

The sad part was the heating problem still remained. For even a 10 KM ride the vehicle takes in almost 2 liters of water. Also there is no visible leak in the radiator. But the funny thing is that the temperature gauge was not rising at all. Was this because I was refilling the radiator with water every hour or so????? I do not know.

Secondly the oil leak issue also remains. This I discovered next day in the morning. On a cold start the oil used to come out like a jet from the oil filter. Also I discovered that oil was leaking from the gearbox too.

I thought that the heating issue is because of the chocked radiator and I better get it cleaned. So I took it Mayapuri yesterday evening to show the problem. You see when I start from my house I top up the radiator and reach mayapuri drive time 20 mins distance must be 12-14 kms and the vehicle take in 2 liters of water.
So the mechanic examined it. After examination he told me to send the vehicle next morning and he will get the radiator cleaned, and also he suspects that the head gasket has a slight leak, so he will change that too.
Secondly the oil filter was taken out and the problem for the oil leakage was an oversized rubber ring as a result of which the oil was leaking from the gap when under pressure.
Oil was also leaking from the gearbox chamber and the engine chamber, so this too he said that he will check today. But this was veryless compared to the oil spurting out from the oil filter.

My driver is there now getting these thing resolved. Hopefully it would be done today.

Another peculiar issue that I am facing is that, the vehicle refuses to start in the morning, unless I take off the air hose on the carburetor and put the palm of my hand on top. I am not able to understand this problem….

Starting Problem on the CJ3B Posted on April 20, 2009

Hey guys
I have having this peculiar problem with my 3B.
It refuses to start in the morning, even after prolonged periods of cranking the engine.

I am not able to understand the problem. But once it starts which is after i press the palm of my hand on the carburetor, after removing the air filter pipe, thereafter it starts with half a crank.

Moreover when I talk to my mechanic he says that its ok as it is an old vehicle. Further to show him the problem, I have to take the vehicle to his workshop and to do that I have to start it with the palm of my hand and take it to him.

Please advise as I know that even if an old vehicle, and that too a petrol it is bound to start easily and not manually.

Solution

What I have done today is added the electric fuel pump. Now I will check tomorrow morning and see if the same problem occurs tomorrow morning…

BTW I came back and parked the jeep around 2 PM and the driver tried to crank the jeep late in the evening, it would not start. So I went and switched on the electric pump for 3-4 secs and then while it was on cranked and it started with half a self. But I would be satisfied if this is helpful in the morning’s too…

Result next morning…

Good news guys!!!
I tried starting my jeep today morning, first without using the electronic fuel pump. Again the same issue. It did not start

Then I used the electronic fuel pump for 5 or maybe 6 seconds and while it was still on, cranked the engine. And WOLLA it started without a hitch!!!!

I am so happy!!!

I had a little doubt in my mind yesterday whether this contraption will work or not… Thank god it did…