Fortuner replacement

[neotech93]

Hey guys, my Fortuner's (diesel) in the shop (casa) because it's EGR needed to be replaced. That'll be 25k Ouch! Usually I'd be fine with the cost as the car is a few years old now, well-maintained. But the casa mechanic told that the EGR is a common problem with Fortuners - usually needing replacement every 2 years. I don't want a car that has a ticking time bomb every 2 years so I'll be selling the Fortuner in favor of a more reliable one. What do you guys suggest? I'm thinking the usual culprits but I need your opinion, especially on reliability.

More notes:
Some of my friends are saying that the EGR problem is common with diesel engines, is this true? Or is it only a Toyota problem? Does the Montero have an EGR (is it reliable if it has one)? Then again I do love my petrol cars because of the response I get. I'm biased towards petrol  But this is a workshorse so a diesel suits my needs more. But if the EGR is a common problem with diesels, I don't mind getting a petrol one.

Your inputs are greatly appreciated. 

[rdjl_13]

What is an EGR? Sorry noob.

[neotech93]

Exhaust Gas recirculation. It's for emission standards. Most (if not all) cars have it. So what I'm really wondering is why my Fortuner is "wearing and tearing" it's EGR real fast. :|

[bvnzn]

The cause of failure for the EGR may be from poor quality diesel that you put in the car. Not all diesel brands are clean especially here in the Philippines. The EGR valve gets stuck due to dirt in the fuel.

Another cause may be from unnecessary idling or even revving of the car, either from a stand still or when driving aggressively.

EGRs are a very common problem in cars today especially in certain brands. Toyota I think is one of those brands for they have a different kind of EGR valve. But in general, EGR valves need only cleaning at certain points and not replacement at often times. It is unusual for the EGR to be replaced every 2 years unless the EGR is of poor quality or may be you're doing something wrong with the car.

Have you gotten a second opinion about the diagnostics of your Fortuner? Sometimes they get it wrong and just say it's broken to charge you extra.

[neotech93]

Good point sir bvnzn. For the diesel quality, I don't think it's of poor quality though because I regularly top-up at Shell. And sometimes even the V-Power diesel (which I assume is cleaner than Fuelsave)

As I said, the car is well-maintened and I know it's properly driven (I have the MX5 for aggressive driving  ) I guess it's just the lack of cleaning of the EGR valve then. It's been about 4 years since I bought the car and only now did it break. And with all that time, not once was it cleaned. So I guess it's that then. As for the changing every 2 years, I think it's one of those schemes to get you to trade in your car for a newer one that they say has a supposedly "better" engine design.

Thanks for helping sir bvnzn, I guess I won't be selling it then. Either way, I'll be buying a new car this year (I'm looking at you Ford Ranger/Kia Optima/Mazda CX5/Honda CRZ). I just wasn't sure if I would sell the Fortuner so I could get 2 cars for 2012 

Thanks again.

[bvnzn]

Glad to help! Anyways, since you use one of the best quality of fuel Philippines has (Shell) and you drive normally with the Fortuner, then I would say it's the casas fault. Generally I think they don't do a thorough job maintaining the cars we paid them for. They probably didn't clean the EGR when they were suppose to on your regular scheduled check-up. Since it's a Toyota, you will expect a lot of cars being maintained in a single day and if I were them, I would be frustrated and be exhausted at the end of the day or even during their work hours so I'd get lazy checking everything on the checklist. That's just me being really negative.

Sometimes a mechanic friend outside the casa can be handy so he can double check the EGR for proper maintenance. It's a major crush on the wallet when that breaks down costing thousands. 

Anyways, good choices for a brand new car! Hopefully everything works out for you 

[neotech93]

Got the car back already. I t runs great! At least I can now say lesson learned. I guess I have to make sure the mechanics clean the EGR from now on then. Maybe I should transfer my Fortuner service to where I have my MX5 serviced. 

What 2 would you guys get between my choices for the new cars and why? These will be secondary cars already as many people in my family need secondary cars for coding days. What do you think suits the garage right now?  (refer to my signature  )

[bvnzn]

Got the car back already. I t runs great! At least I can now say lesson learned. I guess I have to make sure the mechanics clean the EGR from now on then. Maybe I should transfer my Fortuner service to where I have my MX5 serviced. 

What 2 would you guys get between my choices for the new cars and why? These will be secondary cars already as many people in my family need secondary cars for coding days. What do you think suits the garage right now?  (refer to my signature  )

That's great news! At least now the EGR can run smoothly for a couple of years now.

My 2 choices would probably be the Kia Optima because it just looks really cool, sporty, a looker, and quite rare in our roads (for now). My second choice would probably be the Mazda CX-5 or the Ford Ranger. Quite practical nowadays because of the rain and floods in certain parts of Manila, but I would go more on the CX-5. Though the Ford Ranger has plenty of benefits and positives, being a pick-up doesn't really makes sense unless you haul a lot of stuff nearly everyday. I really like the Ford Ranger though, but being someone who likes to be with friends and family, the CX-5 does the work bringing them along.

What suits the garage? I can't say the MX-5 coz I love that car and that has been my favorite car ever since being a car enthusiast. It's a goal of mine to own one. If I had an MX-5, I would drive it everyday unless I need a car with more seats. So I would go for the Fortuner since it is prone to illnesses now. Like you said, it will be a secondary car or back up car for coding days only and I would do the same.   
 

[neotech93]

Now that you've mentioned rarity and flood, I'm leaning towards the Optima and the Ranger now. I live in Marikina so flood is a common worry. I just saw the Ranger in person and it is really big. Sure it's not as big as an F150 Raptor SVT but it still is sizable. I was looking at the flatbed and was thinking - "I wonder if I could mod the flatbed so it could carry the MX5 if the house gets flooded"  Then for the Optima, it really is rare. Frankly, I have never seen one on the road. I've seen more exotics than an Optima  That would be cool ) Too bad they don't sell the hybrid here. I quiet luxurious mid-size sedan would be a nice contrast to the hardcore natures of the Ranger and the MX5. 

I'll check the Optima in person once I set an appointment and will report back here what I find (dealer says we have to go to their Pasay plant if I want to check it out).

[bvnzn]

Now that you've mentioned rarity and flood, I'm leaning towards the Optima and the Ranger now. I live in Marikina so flood is a common worry. I just saw the Ranger in person and it is really big. Sure it's not as big as an F150 Raptor SVT but it still is sizable. I was looking at the flatbed and was thinking - "I wonder if I could mod the flatbed so it could carry the MX5 if the house gets flooded"  Then for the Optima, it really is rare. Frankly, I have never seen one on the road. I've seen more exotics than an Optima  That would be cool ) Too bad they don't sell the hybrid here. I quiet luxurious mid-size sedan would be a nice contrast to the hardcore natures of the Ranger and the MX5. 

I'll check the Optima in person once I set an appointment and will report back here what I find (dealer says we have to go to their Pasay plant if I want to check it out).

Marikina? Yeah the Ford Ranger is the one that suits your survival needs and especially for the MX-5, if the flatbed you plan to modify will work out Just as Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond from Top Gear always say, "Ambitious, but rubbish." hahaha..

I've only seen one optima here in the Philippines and it's owned by a Persian guy and thought it would be much cooler to see more of those here in our roads. It really looks sporty even without any modifications. It will be a huge competition between the Mitsubishi Lancer EX variants.

At first I thought that the Optima are just for special orders because I didn't see one on the Kia website or at any Kia dealers nearby. Now that you mentioned that Pasay has one, then I might as well check it out for myself.

[maranello_5775]

The cause of failure for the EGR may be from poor quality diesel that you put in the car. Not all diesel brands are clean especially here in the Philippines. The EGR valve gets stuck due to dirt in the fuel.

Another cause may be from unnecessary idling or even revving of the car, either from a stand still or when driving aggressively.

EGRs are a very common problem in cars today especially in certain brands. Toyota I think is one of those brands for they have a different kind of EGR valve. But in general, EGR valves need only cleaning at certain points and not replacement at often times. It is unusual for the EGR to be replaced every 2 years unless the EGR is of poor quality or may be you're doing something wrong with the car.

well said

[d.lake]

Ranger then optima. Ranger is much suitable for a marikina resident compared to optima but both of them are great. Specially the ranger is price competitively.