Thread: Prado Questions

Ok, so....I think i've settled on a Prado to double as the family vehicle while also useable for camping/hunting trips.

I hear people mention things like what year engines were the best, or one particular year they had issues with that engine...bla bla.

So what should I expect to pay for a 2006-2010 Prado with not much more than 100k on the clock? And were there any particular year models to look out for in the last 10yrs?

Rare as rocking horse crap but look out for a manual, mate has one and for a dirty ole 3l coal burner its blimmin quick, his is cranking up to 300k and still doesn't mis a beat.

I think generally they're pretty good trucks. My boss has ~350kms on his 2003 VX diesel one. Still drives ok. No issues with it so far.

Check out some of the Toyota forums in Australia, they are full of helpful information.

If it has the 3 litre D4D engine then Make sure you keep the MAP sensor filter clean, this keeps your boost in time with the throttle, restores lost boost, and also keep your airflow sensor clean to avoid horsepower loss.

All Hiluxes benefit from this service as well.

First remove plastic engine cover



The MAP sensor filter is the filter centre pic with the grey base and black top, it has a gauze inside which gets filled with engine breather oil mist and slows boost response dramatically.

Use carb cleaner ONLY and spray it into the grey base intake until no more black contaminate comes out

Lightly blow with compressed air until clear of carb cleaner., reinstall.





The airflow sensor is nearly on top of the airfilter



There is no need to remove the electrical fitting, just remove the two screws and twist as you lift out, the airflow sensor looks like two wires with a resin covered resistor at the end.

Spray clean with mass Air Flow Sensor cleaner ONLY

Dont be a cheap bastard and try a home remedy, supercheap have the crc or nulon aerosol product, do it right and you will have a clean resistor with no residue on it, follow the instructions on the can.

When clean you will see the resistor is a slightly yellow colour and you can see the shiny wires inside it.

Reassemble.

Fuel usage with 40 psi in road tyres should average 7.7 litres per 100km.


Dont get me started on disabling EGR valves and the carbon they put in the inlet manifold.

Research putting a filter (catch can with filter) in the engine breather pipe so it removes the oil mist before it enters the inlet manifold (and unfortunately enables carbon buildup there )

Check every 10,000 km when you do a service and you will maintain top fuel economy.

The D4D engines like Shell Helix ultra 5W - 40


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Haha thanks Saum.

Test drove a 2015 yesterday with the new 2.8l diesel 6 speed auto. Can't find much info on the engine - anyone in the know? General consensus online seems to be positive but I wonder if it's as reliable as the older 3l?

Definitely seemed quieter than the hiluxes i'm used to driving. Power is hard to compare as hiluxes take off quicker being smaller and lighter.

@cambo

Originally Posted by scottrods

@cambo

Well @cambo ?

Sorry been away from comp.

The new Prado with the new 2.8 is very quiet compared to the older D4's. Seemed to go alright though.
Too early to say what they'll be like yet. Same engine as the new Hilux's.
Only seen 1 of the new Prado's through work so far as a demo vehicle. Can't tell you much else as we haven't had the blurb yet either.

If you're looking at a used vehicle, best advise is to get it checked out! So many people bring vehicles into us to be checked over ONCE they have purchased only to find it is a pile of crap.

Unless you're going to be doing a heap of towing, the 4L V6 would be hard to look past. Very nice smooth V6 and plenty of grunt.
Cheaper to buy, and cheaper to maintain than a diesel . Only downside is resale value. They don't hold their price like the diesel models.

Originally Posted by cambo

Unless you're going to be doing a heap of towing, the 4L V6 would be hard to look past. Very nice smooth V6 and plenty of grunt.
Cheaper to buy, and cheaper to maintain than a diesel . Only downside is resale value. They don't hold their price like the diesel models.

Ended up pulling the trigger on a brand new GX with 2.8l diesel. Get it in a couple weeks. Pretty excited...first decent vehicle.

Thought about the petrol but it's only available in VX with the new model and the budget already doubled so another 10k was too much. Not fussed on leather either - always hot or cold.

What do you figure a litre of diesel actually costs if you figure in road charges and maintenance?

my guess, more than petrol.

AA calculate diesel and RUC's together as $1.45/L for a vehicle doing 14000kms on average per year.

But by my calculations:
RUC's for a Prado are about $68/1000kms
Rego is $270/yr
Basic servicing would be $520/yr with no extras like wipers, air filters, diff oils, brake fluid, brake pads, tyres etc. (Unless you got a service plan with the purchase)
Add it all up and it gets pricey.

Originally Posted by cambo

AA calculate diesel and RUC's together as $1.45/L for a vehicle doing 14000kms on average per year.

But by my calculations:
RUC's for a Prado are about $68/1000kms
Rego is $270/yr
Basic servicing would be $520/yr with no extras like wipers, air filters, diff oils, brake fluid, brake pads, tyres etc. (Unless you got a service plan with the purchase)
Add it all up and it gets pricey.

Got 5 years warranty and 5 years free services.

I thought RUC's were set at 50-odd bucks per 1000k's? Well researched obviously but it wouldn't of changed the decision. Wanted a 7 seater and i'm sold on Toyotas after working in aus and watching them eat dust, extreme heat and shitty roads for years on end and we never had one break down. Few flat batteries that was it, and these vehicles were doing 20-40k a year.

I think you have made a good choice MattyP - they look nice
My wife and I sat in a new Prado for about ten minutes at the Waikato Field-days recently - all the Sales people were talking with the TV fishing star who was on their stand - so we left
I got a WOF for my Cruiser in Tauranga a couple of months back and spent about half an hour looking at a new Prado with a sales lady - she said they would get me a price on my Cruiser that was out the back - never heard back from her
Went over to the Toyota yard in Tauranga yesterday and looked at a 2013 Cruiser and a slightly used 2015 Prado for about ten minutes - sales people were all too busy inside - so f**K them
When I am ready I will go over to Thames where I will get some respect
I reckon Toyota sales service rates with real estate agents - absolute crap - they get their money too easy

Originally Posted by MattyP

Got 5 years warranty and 5 years free services.

I thought RUC's were set at 50-odd bucks per 1000k's? Well researched obviously but it wouldn't of changed the decision. Wanted a 7 seater and i'm sold on Toyotas after working in aus and watching them eat dust, extreme heat and shitty roads for years on end and we never had one break down. Few flat batteries that was it, and these vehicles were doing 20-40k a year.

Nice choice MattyP.
You will have to bring it into my work (Ilam Toyota) when you need the servicing done