Best General Use of a 150 D4D

[woody50 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close woody50]

Hi Everyone

This is my 1st new thread - did a lot of searching to find something on the issue of the best general use of a 150 D4D but could not find anything that answered my question.

I have just ordered a 150 GXL D4D - due end Jan and after reading many PP posts and other reviews about how diesels function (1st diesel I will have owned), I am concerned about the use of the vehicle for lots of short runs - (10kms to work - 80% on Freeway and back each day) with no decent long runs for say a couple of months at a time as I am still working full time and there will be times when I just won't get the prado out on the road for long runs. The engine will hardly get hot before I turn it off again.

Main purpose for buying the prado (apart from being a prado tragic) is to tow my 2t GTM Van which see more usage over coming years as I begin to wind down work time and we get out on the road including the Big Lap around Oz. I intend to keep the Prado 10 years or more if possible.

I am wondering whether it would be better to keep my existing vehicle a 07 C'dore wagon and use it for weekly short trips to work and other short city trips so that the prado just does the big stuff.

Would appreciate any comments or experience that would be helpful on the issue.

Cheers
Woody

[William Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close William]

Re: Best General Use of a 150 D4D

I'm a little confused at what answer you're looking for... I would have thought you had a hard long think about what you were going to use it for before buying a 60k+ vehicle. At the end of the day, its a car, use it how you would any other... "soccer mums" use prados on a daily basis to drop and pick up their kids from school, I don't see how driving to work and back everyday would be of any concern.

[Strider Member Find all posts View Profile Close Strider]

Re: Best General Use of a 150 D4D

Hi Woody, modern diesels get to running temp very quickly so you will have no concerns IMO.

Alan.

[woody50 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close woody50]

Re: Best General Use of a 150 D4D

Hi William

Sorry I did not make what I was looking for clear enough.

Your answer though was what I was looking for.

All the info and advice I have gleaned pointed to the diesel prado being the best vehicle for what I required for towing so I went in that way.

The issue revolves around the first few years of the prado's life doing a lot more very short runs V getting out on some long runs and would that sort of mix of use unnecessarily shorten the life the motor.

Thanks for your advice.

Cheers
Woody

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

Re: Best General Use of a 150 D4D

don`t worry about it, just drive it. If you are only doing about 5000-10000km a year and only short trips, you may call that "harsh conditions". Advice from Toyota may well be to make sure you stick to your service schedule, ie change oil every 6month regardless of km. Also discuss with your service manager stuff like brake fluid flush or any other fluid or oil that benefit from being fresh, the service schedule should cover it though.

You may also potentially shorten the life of your exhaust, never gets hot enough and it may rust, but that could take 10 years to show up. Well judging by the diesel Jackaroo that only got used for short trips during the last 5 years that is.

[William Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close William]

Re: Best General Use of a 150 D4D

Hi Woody,
I see where you're coming from now. I'd have to say that an engine's life span depends on two main factors. Firstly, the frequency of maintenance on such things as engine oil, oil filter and air filter. I usually do these every 5,000kms although Toyota state a longer interval. Secondly, how you drive it, i.e. don't flog it around every corner etc. As for short and long runs, I don't believe that's an issue given you adhere to the first two factors. Hope this helps.

Cheers

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

Re: Best General Use of a 150 D4D

Hi woody, once u get it u won't want to be driving the old dunnydore, buy it, drive it and most of all enjoy it.

[LaoK User account deleted at own request. Find all posts View Profile Close LaoK]

Re: Best General Use of a 150 D4D

Hi woody, once u get it u won't want to be driving the old dunnydore, buy it, drive it and most of all enjoy it.

How true. I have a Commodore that has factory sports suspension and low profile tyres and it corners like it is on rails but it can stay in the garage. I prefer to take the Prado wherever I go; short trips, longer trips. The stereo in the Commodore is crap and I am becoming hooked on the Prado and all the technology that it has.

[ozwapet2 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close ozwapet2]

Re: Best General Use of a 150 D4D

I agree with the others, anguishing over things like running it on short trips is not worth it.
Drive it to fit YOUR lifestyle and enjoy it.
As long as you keep up the maintenance regime and perhaps take out extended warranty,
If you're really concerned you could change out the oil between services, like some on here do.

[Snowmann Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Snowmann]

Re: Best General Use of a 150 D4D

Hi Woody
I am in exactly the same situation as you. I travel 15km to work each day in the Prado but, on the weekends I want to tow a 16ft ski boat and on holidays I want to travel outback. Before buying the Prado, I looked seriously at the diesel x-trail. However, their forum had a lot of discussion about clogged Diesel Particulate Filters which required a sustained run over about 75kmh to burn off the soot. There has been a bit of discussion here about the Prado diesel not generating the same power as high tech engines although the flip side is that we don't have the issues with DPFs needing long runs to burn off the soot (yet!). Before you or anyone else tells me that the DPF is an anti-pollution device and not something to make the diesel produce more power, I already know. The point I want to make is that the current diesel prado is happier around the suburbs than many other diesels. If you want someone to flog the engine a bit now and then, just lend it to my 18 Y.O. son. I know from the avg fuel consumption readout that he works the engine harder than me.

Regards
Mark

[woody50 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close woody50]

Re: Best General Use of a 150 D4D

Thanks guys for the advice on this thread.

Puts the mind at rest not have had a diesel before.

The arrival day is one day closer.

cheers Woody