2018 Prado Turbo and Engine experience

[JimmyC Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close JimmyC]

Hi All,
My 2018 GXL Diesel has 4000 km on the clock now and would like to seek others experiences with a couple of things.
1. Touchiness around 60kmh. When travelling around 60kmh the car seems really touchy and almost feels like a wheel balance is out. I had it looked at but Toyota couldn't replicate it. Have others experienced this? It may just be the way the gearing/driveline is?
2. I have a Safari Snorkel. Have people found that sometimes the induction noise is loud (other times it is very quiet). Mostly at idle/near idle.
3. Today I heard what almost sounded like turbo flutter when coming off accelerator. Didn't do it again when driving home today and no performance loss or engine lights noted.

Has anyone experienced any of these?

[ExNissan Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close ExNissan]

Hi Jimmy,
I cant say I've noticed your first point but I regularly notice 2 and sometimes 3.

The safari snorkle is very noticeable with the window down at idle and positively roars when its doing a DPF burn. I came to the prado after a series of Patrols which have the snorkel on the passenger side and always assumed it was the change to the drivers side that I was noticing.

As for the flutter (almost a blow off valve sound) I get that occasionally too - again only noticed with the window down and usually in slower traffic where you're on/off throttle a lot. Its a pretty weird sound considering its a variable vane turbo in the Prado but there you go...

My Prado is at the 3.5 year / 65000km point and these noises have always been present so I'm assuming nothing to worry about.

cheers
-Rod

[Gurilla Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Gurilla]

Sounds normal to me mate my 2018 prado has 14,000km on it now it’s really starting to open up now and drive a lot better ! Especially after the first 10k service with new oil felt a lot better too..

the flutter ? It could of been you were pushing the car and when you took your foot off made a flutter?

ive had it flutter a few times off road though that’s going right foot flat down going up a big dune and once up the top I’ll let my foot off and it will flutter.. but cant say it does it any other time ??

cant comment on the safari snorkel either.. this may be way it fluttered also ??

[JimmyC Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close JimmyC]

Excellent, thanks!
It may just be me feeling the 60kmh thing as others in the car have never felt it even when I am. Maybe i'm crazy.
So the increased noise is during the DPF burn? Interesting. I always assumed the DPF burned rarely (as in it did a burn every few 000 kms or so) but upon reading above and some other stuff this arvo it seems it burns a lot more often than I expected. I'll assume that since it burns heaps and doesn't notify you via dash light that it must be OK to turn the car off when its happening (end of journey kind of turn off).
The flutter was in regular traffic, nothing different to what i've done every other day.
But it seems so far that others have experienced the above and nothing sinister is occurring!

[Gurilla Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Gurilla]

You’ll notice the revs, normal revs are about 600rpm when the dpf burns at idle it’s about 900rpm-1000rpm