Toyota Townace 2003 Problems

The reason your van feels like it’s revving hard is because it is. The demands of being potentially loaded up with gear and relatively low-tech 1.8-litre engine to push along a fairly unaerodynamic shape meant that Toyota deliberately geared the vehicle low to make sure the engine could stay within its comfort zone. The fact that you’re only dealing with 60kW of power only made the requirement for short overall gearing even more critical.

That said, the van should pull smoothly in fifth gear, provided you’re not shifting into fifth prematurely and making the engine labour. With electronic fuel-injection and a very simple mechanical layout, this engine shouldn’t throw up too many problems. Perhaps a decent tune-up is all it requires to be singing again. Don’t forget the basics like the fuel filter, spark plugs and the high-tension leads.