thailoht

Just how can Ford compete with over a Years wait to get a Ranger?

Being a big time international corporate player, makes it somewhat easier.

Certainly wouldn't you ? with diesel you are stuck with that one fuel and held to what ever price they put on that fuel, years ago when diesel was half the price of petrol or less it was not an issue but now the fuel is the same price, with petrol you have more choice and even an option to convert to gas.

Where to start ....

Economics?

In this class of SUV, you generally get more km/L with the diesel engine than with the petrol engine (and that is w/o having to invest thousands of baht in retro-fits to do so). The diesel engine has an overall longer longevity life.

Of all the SUV models in this class and < Thb 1.5 mil, I believe you will find only one petrol engine offered.

There's no petrol option only diesel.

You mean to say that, especially with the way things are setup here in LOS, you would opt for a petrol engine over a diesel engine??

Do they finally have cruise control?

.... and electric seat(s)?

With little to no change in the initial MSRP, it would seem as though this first year model of the new MU will not have many new features.

This is a nicely designed exterior.

Hopefully these guys will take it into and compete in the 'Big boy' (<THB 1.5 Mil) SUV market!

Just to update everyone in my ventures for a Wildtrak 3.2l in White..... well its been awhile since my last post... i was told by the owner of Ford Phuket it would be Nov 2013. i went to visit Ford Phuket early Oct and was

told not until Jan/Feb 2014 maybe we only getting 3 per month. so i changed my mission. i sent an email to all Ford Dealers in BKK offering an incentive. thb 50,000 whoever could get me a White one ASAP..

So end Oct 2013 i visited 4 Ford dealers out of 5 before hitting the right one.... First dealer maybe 2 weeks for thb50,000 but could be end of month, no thanks i will try no.2 dealer.

No.2 dealer i can give you Black one next week sorry don't want Black. No.3 dealer we have a White one 2 weeks - i really want one ASAP.

Jackpot no.4 dealer, how about tomorrow.... yes please, is it White, yes, how can you do oh its for a client but they away so you can have and we will give them next available White one but this client not fussed about the colour. DEAL.....

Bonus thb50,000 paid, car delivered 28th Oct monday.... sometimes we just have to think outside the square....

Congrats on your new pickup!

I think the Wildtrack 3.2 highback looks cool -

though I personally would have taken that Black one!

Please keep us posted ....

Looks...already boring...

The new 2nd generation MU-x, does look to be contemporarly designed, IMHO - of course.

First off, I would certainly like to have one in that burnt-orange-brown color. I also see that the new models have steering wheel controls, and newly designed console and nice fold-down-flat 2nd-3rd row seat interior! Though I hope the new fold-down-flat seat interior design of the new MU-x is not at the expense of the nice, roomy and (class leading?) comfort of the 2nd-3rd row seats of the MU-7!

We will be able to see first hand next week when they are due to be in the Isuzu dealership showrooms.

The new MU-x was posted here:

http://www.headlightmag.com/webboard2011/index.php/topic,34044.0.html

The prices listed are the same as the 2012 -2013 MU-7 - though it's new contemporary exterior styling is good eye candy!

That's exactly what I thought, but there is some truth. Go to sites like JDPower Assoc. or Consumer Reports and the Toyotas consistently top the list on quality, dependability etc., way ahead of Mitsubishi and Isuzu. I have an affinity to Isuzu though, many years ago I did 3 somersaults in the motorway median at 70mph/120kph after a blown tire and walked away unscathed.

Glad to hear you walked away from that! I, too, was involved in one of 'walk-away-from-it' type of experiences while driving my Isuzu (SUV) a few weeks ago ..... maybe we can get a new category started!

If I was driving a sedan I wouldn't have somersaulted but a sedan wouldn't have had the builtin roll-bar like the Isuzu Amigo had. That vintage SUV were known to be prone to rollover.

Oh no! .... Not that Amigo!!!

When you look up the word, 'Rollover' in the (urban) dictionary, you will see a picture of the 'Amigo'!

Our turbo broke at 150,000 kms. Had to be replaced for an original Toyota part at the dealer at 60k baht. We tried a second hand solution but that was a waste of money as it didn't work.

Other than that, car has been great for 7 years. Knock on wood.

When your turbo broke, what symptoms did you experience?

First it made a whining noise. A high pitched whistle easy to hear when the window is down - you have to accelerate to get the turbo to engage but it happens at low speeds too. Then it would stop working occasionally which is when we replaced it. You hit the accelerator and nothing much happens, basically. Dangerous on overtaking, it happened to my wife when she was going over the mountains and trying to pass someone.

Yeah we were completely neglecting any turbo care. Not anymore, we aren't. even got a turbo timer installed though that's overkill - it's rare that you'd really need it. Also not flooring the pedal when the engine is cold anymore...

Thnx, now we diesel noobies can better know what to expect.

What are your suggestions for an owner to keep a turbo in good running order?

I basically ditched the book at 100,000k. As long as you do the oil at about every 15-20k and all the other fluids every 60k or so, you'll be fine. An annual visual underneath for weeping shocks etc should tell you a lot too if you hadn't noticed it wallowing on corners already.

That plus bushings once they rattle and or creak. Belts same. There's few things that go wrong without tell tale noises to accompany them. Trick is to notice and address those things instead of ignoring them as the majority of people do. Preventative maintenance.

Be pro active as opposed to reactive and your vehicle will last a very long time irrespective of make.

Trick is to notice and address those things instead of ignoring them as the majority of people do.

Preventative maintenance.

Be pro active as opposed to reactive and your vehicle will last a very long time irrespective of make.

(3) Excellent points!!

That's exactly what I thought, but there is some truth. Go to sites like JDPower Assoc. or Consumer Reports and the Toyotas consistently top the list on quality, dependability etc., way ahead of Mitsubishi and Isuzu. I have an affinity to Isuzu though, many years ago I did 3 somersaults in the motorway median at 70mph/120kph after a blown tire and walked away unscathed.

Glad to hear you walked away from that! I, too, was involved in one of 'walk-away-from-it' type of experiences while driving my Isuzu (SUV) a few weeks ago ..... maybe we can get a new category started!

Our turbo broke at 150,000 kms. Had to be replaced for an original Toyota part at the dealer at 60k baht. We tried a second hand solution but that was a waste of money as it didn't work.

Other than that, car has been great for 7 years. Knock on wood.

When your turbo broke, what symptoms did you experience?

(A double post!)

This is going to be interesting!!

the axle with the /65 would be 1 cm higher than the /60 ! So to speak you get a 1 cm lift ! ( 215 x 60% = 12,9cm . 215 x 65% = 14 cm )

technically your car will also be faster with the "bigger" tire but slower in acceleration.

But you won't really feel it as the difference is to small.

As for the different profiles. as long both are the same type of profile ( off road , on road, rain, all terrain etc. ) I wouldn't mind to much but always prefer same profile on all 4 tires.

If you go ahead, put them on the rear. guess the car looks funny if the front is a bit higher than the rear.

I would order the correct size and wait for.

or order 4 tires of the bigger size.

I also agree.

The best scenario would be to have the same size for a set of 4 tires but in reality, each vehicle owner's personal circumstances may vary.

Kurnell, has yours developed that annoying knocking sound?

No,but it has a whirring sounds for the first 2-3 km

Until you get more specific about the whirring sounds, it could (and you should hope that it is) easily be bad drive belts or water pump (propeller) that is going and needs to be replaced - ASAP.

Splendid, and good advise. The car has had a service at the Toyota service centre every 10,000km so most of the above should have been done, or if not should be in the service manual. Cheers. I'll keep it for another 10 years. Any way to soften the bumpy ride?

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Yes, most of the above should have been done 'then, at that time', but good car maintenance (and fluid changes) have to be performed continually on a regular basis.

Along with the water pump, I forgot to add the critical (2) radiator hoses and all drive belt replacements.

To 'soften the bumpy ride', you have to upgrade to a nice riding set of tires and change to quality gas shock absorbers.

Anybody got a Fortuner with 300,000km on the clock?

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I recently sold a 1996 Toyota 2.5L that had >260K km on the clock and it still drives nicely. It looked practically new with it's 3 year old re-spray paint job!

To the OP:

Does your Fortuner have a petrol or diesel engine? A diesel should last longer, though either way, I would say you're at or approaching the half-way point.

To 'extend' your engine's, transmission's and mechanical components life, at this point I would at least do the following:

1) (As TransAm suggests, replace the timing belt) AND install new water pump.

2) Change radiator coolant.

3) Change and replace the transmission fluid and filter.

4) Change your rear axle (and/or transfer case) oil. Lubricate any front end components.

5) Change oil and filter regularly.

6) Change air filter.

Doing all of the above should easily give you another 150K km of worry-free driving.

http://www.bbautobattery.com/Boliden_Dry_Price.html

These shops don't do you a favor if they buy your old battery, they sell it again and make a further profit.

People do collect plastic bottles, glass and paper and sale it..

What you think makes a car battery so heavy, water?

I just answered to your 5500 THB battery offer cause it is not just a little bit more then the usual sticker price...

The 3200 THB in the above link is still expensive.

I used the same links when I googled before buying the battery. I also had some buddies do some price checking at battery shops along Sukhumvit Road in Pattaya before I got home. Nobody had prices like the online people claim. Maybe if I lived in Bangkok, I could use a Bangkok-based on-line battery shop that comes to the door. But I don't so I didn't.

Do these battery shops ship their Boliden batteries via EMS / Thai post?

Serious question?

Post office does things by weight.... think about it.

Believe me, it was meant to be a serious question.

I really like these batteries for use in LOS with their higher CCAs and dry cell technology.

I am trying to determine if the battery store has some means of shipping that keeps its total cost reasonable in the event I can't locate a Boliden battery in my local area.

http://www.bbautobattery.com/Boliden_Dry_Price.html

These shops don't do you a favor if they buy your old battery, they sell it again and make a further profit.

People do collect plastic bottles, glass and paper and sale it..

What you think makes a car battery so heavy, water?

I just answered to your 5500 THB battery offer cause it is not just a little bit more then the usual sticker price...

The 3200 THB in the above link is still expensive.

I used the same links when I googled before buying the battery. I also had some buddies do some price checking at battery shops along Sukhumvit Road in Pattaya before I got home. Nobody had prices like the online people claim. Maybe if I lived in Bangkok, I could use a Bangkok-based on-line battery shop that comes to the door. But I don't so I didn't.

Do these battery shops ship their Boliden batteries via EMS / Thai post?

Good point!

Hour meters for automobile engines, as on gas generators, would record all of the time the engines are 'On' and not just when the vehicle is moving.

In hot, tropical climates, motorists often run their engines and A/C while parked and waiting for shoppers and passengers as well as in start and stop traffic. The same is true in cold climates.

It would be a good idea if someone would like to fill the demand and produce 'Hour Meters' for automobiles so I will sign away my proprietary rights for a (relatively) small fee to the first mfg.

That mountain life is (can be) good living! Are you sure you wouldn't enjoy it more while riding the roads in a nice (SUV) Fortuner?

No Thanks , a Pig can only take so much Lipstick before it looks Daft. If i Feel Suicidal, i take the Lads TBlazer down to Town.

Well, we certainly respect your personal opinions ...... but ...... that Trailblazer you mentioned would also be a nice SUV choice to cruise those mountain roads!

Sorry Nooooooooooooooooo..... Front wheel drive car 4wd car better.

Not when you're carrying 7 people plus their luggage for an overnighter at Doi Suthep, or traveling with the family plus the 2 35kg pet dogs, etc., etc., - and all in comfort!

I like the universality SUVs give me when I do my (mountain) driving. The 2010 Fortuner handled those mountain roads very well, my MU-7, too, only it's more roomier .......

Swapped the O.E Badyear Eagles for Mitch Pilots, before delivery Mich are generally quieter, and the Civic needs all the help it can get on front end road noise. Also, I like Tyre Plus service, they stock all the Mich Range. As for Hi Ride Trucks as they all bleat here the Visibility is better than a Car. I fully agree. You can see into the Ravine before you Roll Into it !!.. I scrub out the Fronts rather fast, living in the Mountains, N/s Front goes first. Not much else to do these days. Car Wash, Mom n Pops n Leo..

Good tire choice going with the Michelins! I was just reading where someone was asking about 'DeeStone' brand tires - only in Thailand (and related markets)!

That mountain life is (can be) good living! Are you sure you wouldn't enjoy it more while riding the roads in a nice (SUV) Fortuner?

No Thanks , a Pig can only take so much Lipstick before it looks Daft. If i Feel Suicidal, i take the Lads TBlazer down to Town.

Well, we certainly respect your personal opinions ...... but ...... that Trailblazer you mentioned would also be a nice SUV choice to cruise those mountain roads!

Swapped the O.E Badyear Eagles for Mitch Pilots, before delivery Mich are generally quieter, and the Civic needs all the help it can get on front end road noise. Also, I like Tyre Plus service, they stock all the Mich Range. As for Hi Ride Trucks as they all bleat here the Visibility is better than a Car. I fully agree. You can see into the Ravine before you Roll Into it !!.. I scrub out the Fronts rather fast, living in the Mountains, N/s Front goes first. Not much else to do these days. Car Wash, Mom n Pops n Leo..

Good tire choice going with the Michelins! I was just reading where someone was asking about 'DeeStone' brand tires - only in Thailand (and related markets)!

That mountain life is (can be) good living! Are you sure you wouldn't enjoy it more while riding the roads in a nice (SUV) Fortuner?