Fortuner

[Koratlover]

Oh, one other thing I'd have liked to have seen fitted...a turbo timer.

Can anyone tell me what this Turbo Timer does? As I have had some bits and pces fitted onto my Fortunner and they put this on to. All I know is that the number on the timer goes up when I am travelling and when I turn the key to off the car is still running until the timer goes to zero. I guess it is to protect the turbo in some way but how?

[terdsak_12]

If you needed a turbo timer Toyota would have fitted one, I wouldn't mess with the electrics on these cars.

[Meerkat]

Oh, one other thing I'd have liked to have seen fitted...a turbo timer.

Can anyone tell me what this Turbo Timer does? As I have had some bits and pces fitted onto my Fortunner and they put this on to. All I know is that the number on the timer goes up when I am travelling and when I turn the key to off the car is still running until the timer goes to zero. I guess it is to protect the turbo in some way but how?

You got it; the turbo gets extremely hot during use, and is cooled by the car's cooling system. If the engine is off, the turbo can't be cooled properly and damage may occur. The timer simply runs the engine long enough (even after taking the key out) so that the turbo can safely cool down first.

[Meerkat]

If you needed a turbo timer Toyota would have fitted one, I wouldn't mess with the electrics on these cars.

I'd agree with you in principle except the Fortuner manual specifically sates (OK, not specifically - I'm paraphrasing because I'm too lazy to pop down to the car for a look).

The turbo needs cooling after prolonged use.

Stop-start city driving: no need.

Prolonged 80km/h driving: idle the engine for 30 secs before shutting off the ignition.

Prolonged 120 km/h driving: ditto for 60 secs.

I'd never have spotted it if I hadn't got the English manual (the missus knows cars even less than I do - which is saying something...).

That's why I thought it strange that a timer wasn't fitted as standard. I suppose it's a nice hedge for Toyota though; "we told you to cool the turbo down, but you didn't heed the warning and you now need a new one"...ka-ching!!!

Still, all said and done, it's been a cracking motor so far.

[Plus]

Right, that's the thing - you need to leave you engine running when you fill the tank on highways. I mentioned it in another thread but didn't have anything to back it up.

[teej]

Could somebody tell me what kind of Turbocharger the Fortuner runs? Is it a proper turbocharger? Where is the intercooler in the fortuner? what kind of numbers would a NA 3.0 diesel fortuner get?

[Nordlys]

I don't think there is any NA, non-turbo diesel Fortuner (at least in Thailand). All diesel Fortuners are turbo charged and comes with an intercooler standard. You can see the air intake vent on the hood for the intercooler on all diesel Fortuners.

[Bung]

Toyota and Mitsu (others?) have a variable nozzle turo. This means the boost and therefore the speed will vary as the revs rise (I think!).

I was told by the dealer that no cooling down was needed but if you are at highway speeds definately do it as it can't hurt. Stopping the motor after a hard run stops the flow of oil through the turbo while it is still spinning (bear in mind it will be spinning at something aproaching 15000 rpm) and can bake what oil is left in it leaving deposits on the bearing. By the time you get out, have a stretch, give your car the once over and send the family into the restaurant a minute will be easily up.

I think modern turbos have ceramic bearings as well which negates the need to cool down to some extent. I use the Toyota synthetic oil as this helps as well but if it is new use mineral oil until the 10k service, they run in better on normal oil, synthetics can ihibit the bedding in process (even though they say they don't need breaking in!)

[nikster]

The rear view mirror nikster is referring to can be attached, but as an after-market, non-genuine accessory and Toyota dealer won't fit it for you (but can refer you to a vendor that can do it). As PETERTHEEATER said, I don't really find that to be necessary when the rear reverse sensors come standard.

Maybe Toyota dealers follow different standards?

My new shiny (now muddy actually) Fortuner came with this mirror fitted though. It helps and it's for more close range operation than the parking sensors. We ended up getting it for free so it wasnt a big deal.

My dealer also told me that if you want manual transmission, you can't have leather. But I recently saw a manual/leather Fortuner for sale. So maybe different dealers, different deals?

Mine is from the highly official main Toyota dealer in Chiang Mai.

I have some other questions for the experts while I am waiting for the english manual. This is for a white Fortuner "exclusive" (haha) version. 3.0L Diesel Auto and almost all possible options.

* How do I turn off the terribly annoying beep-beep sound when going into reverse gear? I could say many things about that, but let's be civil and just say: I am not an idiot, I know when I switched into reverse gear and don't need a constant reminder while driving backwards.

* What do the different 4WD modes do exactly, and can I really switch into them while driving < 80kph? The dashboard sign looks like differential lock is engaged...

* What's the correct tire pressure for the diesel 3.0. Same 30/30 as for gasoline? I think mine are seriously over-inflated.

* What do I need to protect the underside when doing serious 4WD driving? I won't race it offroad, but I need to go on extremely bad roads sometimes (where I also absolutely need every inch of ground clearance)

Thanks...

Edited August 12, 2006 by nikster

[LoveDaBlues]

The rear view mirror nikster is referring to can be attached, but as an after-market, non-genuine accessory and Toyota dealer won't fit it for you (but can refer you to a vendor that can do it). As PETERTHEEATER said, I don't really find that to be necessary when the rear reverse sensors come standard.

Maybe Toyota dealers follow different standards?

My new shiny (now muddy actually) Fortuner came with this mirror fitted though. It helps and it's for more close range operation than the parking sensors. We ended up getting it for free so it wasnt a big deal.

My dealer also told me that if you want manual transmission, you can't have leather. But I recently saw a manual/leather Fortuner for sale. So maybe different dealers, different deals?

Mine is from the highly official main Toyota dealer in Chiang Mai.

I have some other questions for the experts while I am waiting for the english manual. This is for a white Fortuner "exclusive" (haha) version. 3.0L Diesel Auto and almost all possible options.

* How do I turn off the terribly annoying beep-beep sound when going into reverse gear? I could say many things about that, but let's be civil and just say: I am not an idiot, I know when I switched into reverse gear and don't need a constant reminder while driving backwards.

* What do the different 4WD modes do exactly, and can I really switch into them while driving < 80kph? The dashboard sign looks like differential lock is engaged...

* What's the correct tire pressure for the diesel 3.0. Same 30/30 as for gasoline? I think mine are seriously over-inflated.

* What do I need to protect the underside when doing serious 4WD driving? I won't race it offroad, but I need to go on extremely bad roads sometimes (where I also absolutely need every inch of ground clearance)

Thanks...

I have the diesel auto Tuner.

The annoying beep-beep is not there to remind you that you're in reverse gear. When you get about 20 inches or so from an object in the rear as you back up the beep-beep sound will change to warn you.

I don't have the time to re-type what my manual says about the different 4WD modes. Maybe another poster does....sorry

30/30 psi for tires.

Don't know about extreme off-roading. I stick to pavement and hard-gravel roads.

[Nordlys]

The annoying beep-beep is not there to remind you that you're in reverse gear. When you get about 20 inches or so from an object in the rear as you back up the beep-beep sound will change to warn you.

The beep-beep sound IS there to remind you that the gear is in reverse position. It is another buzzer sound when the parking assist sensor detects an objects in the rear. And I think the beep-beep sound is there for a good reason, I wouldn't do anything to turn it off. You usually wouldn't maneuver your car in reverse for more than thirty seconds anyway. But I think any non-Toyota dealer mechanic can and will remove the noise at ease.

[LoveDaBlues]

I'd be surprised if the beep-beep sound could be disabled and still leave the warning sound enabled. But I'm not a mechanic haha.....maybe it's doable. Anyone actually done it?

[nikster]

[AC and tire pressure tips]

Thanks for the AC instructions. Yes, same spot on Diesels. I did some mud-driving this morning so I checked this hose. It had some water marks on it, but was otherwise clean. I must say it looks to be very high up to be affected by leaves. A little webbing in front of it would probably avoid any issues alltogether.

This is a brand new 'tuner, so of course everything looks squeaky clean even after the mud bath this morning.

VERY good info with the tire pressure. Mine were at a poofy 45 PSI straight from the dealer. I could feel that these were blown up way too high right from the beginning, the car was bouncing around like crazy. Now it's driving like a limo

[nikster]

I'd be surprised if the beep-beep sound could be disabled and still leave the warning sound enabled. But I'm not a mechanic haha.....maybe it's doable. Anyone actually done it?

They are two different things, because I can turn off the parking sensors (there's a button down where the rear air con button is, in the center of the console).

There is two kinds of alert sound when going backwards:

1) Reverse gear sound. On as long as the car is in 'R'-mode, goes "beep-beep-beep.... " until you leave 'R' mode. No off button.

2) Parking sensor sound. Goes on once when entering 'R' mode to show that it's there, and starts beeping when something is within about 1m of the back, goes into shorter beeps as object comes closer and flattens out into a solid "beeeeeeeeeeeeee..." when the car is about 40 - 50 cm from the rear object (really wish it would go to 10, but hey). Off switch on center console.

I don't mind (2). (2) is useful, and (2) can be turned off. I mind (1). It's redundant information, has no value, and sounds like an "alert" when there's nothing to be alerted about.

I might be a sticker for details here and most people probably don't care but I am a user interface designer and so these kind of things are basically my job.

[nikster]

The annoying beep-beep is not there to remind you that you're in reverse gear. When you get about 20 inches or so from an object in the rear as you back up the beep-beep sound will change to warn you.

And I think the beep-beep sound is there for a good reason, I wouldn't do anything to turn it off.

Hmm... Nordlys, any specific reason you could think of?

[PETERTHEEATER]

NIKSTER WROTE

* What do the different 4WD modes do exactly, and can I really switch into them while driving < 80kph? The dashboard sign looks like differential lock is engaged...

Thanks...

The Fortuner has a centre differential unit.

A centre differential divides the drive between the front and rear pairs of wheels, allowing each pair to differ in speed when negotiating obstacles or driving in slippery conditions

A lockable centre differential is a feature that enables the vehicle to crawl, at low speed, over difficult terrain with more stability and less wheel slip. When locked, it forces power to be split equally between the front and rear wheel pairs and prevents power being drained through wheel spin if either pair has lost traction on slippery ground.

The secondary lever has three positions:

* HIGH ratio - Differential unlocked - Permits diff action between front and rear wheels (This is the normal position for on-road driving)

* HIGH ratio lock - Differential Locked - Power is transferred equally to front and rear wheels, If a wheel loses grip and spins the other wheels will continue to drive - Use off-road on slippery dirt tracks and shallow mud conditions.

* LOW ratio lock - Differential locked but the forward gear ratios are lower to permit higher torque at the wheels for plugging through deep mud or climbing dry, but steep slopes, mountain tracks etc.

The HIGH ratio lock can be selected 'on-the'fly' at (theoretically) any road speed.

The LOW ratio lock MUST ONLY BE SELECTED under the following conditions.

* Stop the vehicle and apply the footbrake or hand brake.

*Put the main box selector into NEUTRAL

*Put the secondary shift lever into 4 LOW

* Engage DRIVE on the main selector and drive forward as usual.

However, if conditions are so bad that 4 LOW needs to be selected then you migh choose to select an appropriate gear manually rather than just putting it into D

Always make sure that you unlock the centre diff before driving on dry roads or your fuel consumption will increase and your tyre wear will accelerate. You do get an audio warning; the tyres squeal when cornering also it's hard to ignore that yellow caption on the panel in front of you.

A significant factor in off-road performance is tyre type. The standard Bridgestone Duellers on the Fortuner are a compromise mainly intended for on-road use. If you intend doing serious mud plugging off-road then look at installing a set of 'knobblies' with a tread pattern optimised for off-road conditions.

Hope this helps.

[svenivan]

VERY good info with the tire pressure. Mine were at a poofy 45 PSI straight from the dealer. I could feel that these were blown up way too high right from the beginning, the car was bouncing around like crazy. Now it's driving like a limo

This must be something universal in Thailand. We were talking about it today my friend and me. His wife had a pickup before and every time when she left it for service or even for a carwash they always pumped up the tyres to around 5 kilo.

Now they have a brandnew little Toyota, Vios I think, and even after a visit in the Toyota place for service they have 5 kilo in the tyres. But in instruction and inside the doors it says : 2.2 kilo!

So why?

[nikster]

NIKSTER WROTE

* What do the different 4WD modes do exactly, and can I really switch into them while driving < 80kph? The dashboard sign looks like differential lock is engaged...

Thanks...

The Fortuner has a centre differential unit.

A centre differential divides the drive between the front and rear pairs of wheels, allowing each pair to differ in speed when negotiating obstacles or driving in slippery conditions

A lockable centre differential is a feature that enables the vehicle to crawl, at low speed, over difficult terrain with more stability and less wheel slip. When locked, it forces power to be split equally between the front and rear wheel pairs and prevents power being drained through wheel spin if either pair has lost traction on slippery ground.

The secondary lever has three positions:

* HIGH ratio - Differential unlocked - Permits diff action between front and rear wheels (This is the normal position for on-road driving)

* HIGH ratio lock - Differential Locked - Power is transferred equally to front and rear wheels, If a wheel loses grip and spins the other wheels will continue to drive - Use off-road on slippery dirt tracks and shallow mud conditions.

* LOW ratio lock - Differential locked but the forward gear ratios are lower to permit higher torque at the wheels for plugging through deep mud or climbing dry, but steep slopes, mountain tracks etc.

The HIGH ratio lock can be selected 'on-the'fly' at (theoretically) any road speed.

The LOW ratio lock MUST ONLY BE SELECTED under the following conditions.

* Stop the vehicle and apply the footbrake or hand brake.

*Put the main box selector into NEUTRAL

*Put the secondary shift lever into 4 LOW

* Engage DRIVE on the main selector and drive forward as usual.

However, if conditions are so bad that 4 LOW needs to be selected then you migh choose to select an appropriate gear manually rather than just putting it into D

Always make sure that you unlock the centre diff before driving on dry roads or your fuel consumption will increase and your tyre wear will accelerate. You do get an audio warning; the tyres squeal when cornering also it's hard to ignore that yellow caption on the panel in front of you.

A significant factor in off-road performance is tyre type. The standard Bridgestone Duellers on the Fortuner are a compromise mainly intended for on-road use. If you intend doing serious mud plugging off-road then look at installing a set of 'knobblies' with a tread pattern optimised for off-road conditions.

Hope this helps.

Thanks a lot! Explains everything, yes.

Edited August 12, 2006 by nikster

[nikster]

VERY good info with the tire pressure. Mine were at a poofy 45 PSI straight from the dealer. I could feel that these were blown up way too high right from the beginning, the car was bouncing around like crazy. Now it's driving like a limo

This must be something universal in Thailand. We were talking about it today my friend and me. His wife had a pickup before and every time when she left it for service or even for a carwash they always pumped up the tyres to around 5 kilo.

Now they have a brandnew little Toyota, Vios I think, and even after a visit in the Toyota place for service they have 5 kilo in the tyres. But in instruction and inside the doors it says : 2.2 kilo!

'cause they figure the higher the pressure, the lower the fuel consumption.

Apart from being pretty uncomfortable, over-inflating tires has some other bad effects though: An overinflated tire rides on just the centre portion of the tread. The smaller contact area means reduced grip on the road, leading to a harsh ride, handling issues (such as steering and stopping problems) and increased wear on tires and suspension components. (from theTransport Canada website)

The most serious is reduced stopping power. The anti-locking brakes will prevent the tires from blocking but you will have a much longer stop path.

Edited August 12, 2006 by nikster

[Nordlys]

The annoying beep-beep is not there to remind you that you're in reverse gear. When you get about 20 inches or so from an object in the rear as you back up the beep-beep sound will change to warn you.

And I think the beep-beep sound is there for a good reason, I wouldn't do anything to turn it off.

Hmm... Nordlys, any specific reason you could think of?

I thought it was obvious. Well, there has been more than one instances in my driving career that I shifted the gear into D or N position but was actually in reverse, or I shifted the gear into R and forgot to shift it back to D or N after a short stop and had the car reversed when I actually intended to go forward.

As far back as I remember all the cars I drove in Japan had this beep alert sound feature when the gear is in R position. Do they not have this in Europe and US? I think it's a good feature for a careless driver like myself if your car doesn't have a gear position indicator on instrument panel.

Edited August 12, 2006 by Nordlys

[nikster]

I thought it was obvious. Well, there has been more than one instances in my driving career that I shifted the gear into D or N position but was actually in reverse, or I shifted the gear into R and forgot to shift it back to D or N after a short stop and had the car reversed when I actually intended to go forward.

As far back as I remember all the cars I drove in Japan had this beep alert sound feature when the gear is in R position. Do they not have this in Europe and US? I think it's a good feature for a careless driver like myself if your car doesn't have a gear position indicator on instrument panel.

Thanks! At least now I understand the motivation to do this in the first place.

I am thankful for any warning sound - lights, key in ignition w/ door open etc, but that particular one, unintentional reversal, has simply never happened to me in 20 years of driving.

So to me the warning sound is a useless annoyance. To others, it's helpful.

[dubeditions]

to all sirs! i just want to ask regarding the turbo timer wiring diagram.... i bought and installed the timer which specifically designed for toyota fortuner but i have an extra wire (orange) that i dont know where to connect it

i heard there are timers that can automatically detect how long it should shut down like the apexi and blitz... but i need the wiring to connect it to the ECU.

could someone help me on this thanks

[dubeditions]

to all sirs! i just want to ask regarding the turbo timer wiring diagram.... i bought and installed the timer which specifically designed for toyota fortuner but i have an extra wire (orange) that i dont know where to connect it

i heard there are timers that can automatically detect how long it should shut down like the apexi and blitz... but i need the wiring to connect it to the ECU.

could someone help me on this thanks