Toyota Problems

A CARS such as the Corolla, Mazda3 and Honda Civic will tow a small box trailer comfortably without overstressing the engine, and will be more economical than your Commodores were. But because you have found getting in and out of the Corolla difficult you need to try other cars to see how they stack up. Alternatively, try a compact SUV such as a Honda CRV, Toyota RAV4 and Subaru Forester. They are higher, which may make them easier to get in and out. You should be able to get a two or three-year-old model within your budget.

I WOULD not recommend the turbodiesel Patrol because of the high number of reports of engine failure, which leaves the two Toyotas. Both will do what you want, but I would go for the Prado because it's a little more civilised than the LandCruiser.  I would also go for the diesel rather than the petrol V6 because I believe it will give you better fuel economy on your trip.

BUY a small car with a four-cylinder engine, and if you stick to the well-respected brands, such as Toyota Corolla or Echo, Nissan Pulsar, Mazda2 or 3, Hyundai Getz, or Honda Civic he should be a winner. Buy the car with the lowest odometer reading and in the best condition that fits his budget.

I DON'T think you have much chance of getting a result. The vehicle is 17 years old, it's done 180,000km and you have done the servicing yourself. That looks like three strikes and you're out.

YOU'RE right, it is a messy situation, so we asked Toyota for an explanation, which was: The Land Cruiser diesel automatic transmission gear change points were optimally chosen to ensure the best balance between performance, driveability and economy. In order to maintain the original design for most owners and also provide an option for earlier sixth-gear engagement, an ECU reprogram was developed to change the sixth gear shift point when "S'' mode (S-6) is selected. Once "S-6'' appears in the display, the transmission will automatically select 1 to 6 according to the vehicle speed and driving conditions similar to "D'' range except that sixth gear engages earlier.

YOU have to think of how much the float will weigh with a horse and any gear. My guess is that it will be in excess of 2.5 tonnes. I would rule out the Territory; too many problems from rust to CV joint leaks to front ball joint wear, and you would have to upgrade the transmission cooling to handle the weight. Go for the Prado or LandCruiser, or perhaps think of the Jeep Grand Cherokee that will tow 3.0 tonnes.

THOUGH the original question related to the Camry, the advice relates to all fuel-injected cars.

A MECHANIC mate recommends using the cleaner regularly, whether running on regular unleaded or premium. He advises using it once a month, not once a year, which is too infrequent to be of any benefit.

THE mouse could have chewed through the wiring and caused a short. Have the wiring in the rear of the car checked.

IT'S a common problem with all cars and I would be most surprised if your Prado doesn't have a similar inaccuracy. By law carmakers aren't allowed to have a speedo that reads slow, but they can have one that reads up to 10 per cent higher than the actual speed. If the speedo reads lower than the actual speed you could be inadvertently booked for speeding and have a claim against the carmaker, but if the speedo shows a higher speed than it actually is there is little chance of you being booked inadvertently and therefore you will not have a claim against the carmaker. The simplest solution is to establish the level of the inaccuracy and drive accordingly, or buy another GPS and use that to keep an eye on your speed.