2001 3 LT TD towing power

[cranky Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close cranky]

Hi all new to the forum, just after some info on people who own 90 series 3 LT TD Auto Transmission mine is stock standard apart from a Safari Snorkel & alloy bull bar. i tow a camper trailer which weighs approx 1.2 T & the car is usally pretty full with roof rack as well, it seems to go OK on flattish ground and slight hills but some of the bigger hills it seems to struggle having to plant the accelerator almost to the floor. Just to compare hills like Katoomba it will do 60kms all the way but thats flat out, just after some comparison with other people who tow with the same vehicle thanks.

[Prado BB Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Prado BB]

Re: 2001 3 LT TD towing power

Cranky, I have a 120 with the same motor and no mods to exhaust or chipping either and I am very familiar with the hill you refer to. i tow a Jayco and yes it's normal, i.e. slow going. At the moment I put up with it, but when funds permit I will upgrade the exhaust and get an engine chip.

[cranky Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close cranky]

Re: 2001 3 LT TD towing power

Thanks for the reply Prado BB, we are thinking of upgrading to a jayco expanda which weighs approx 1355kg dry according to their website i figure with all the gear we take away with us in the camper trailer and the car being full with two engel fridges an 80lt & a 40lt all our clothes & the roof rack being full as well all this weight in the car could be removed (not required) i figure a realistic all up weight the jayco could come in at 1700-1800kgs fully laden. what sort of weight are you carrying as a comparison with your jayco thanks.

[Prado BB Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Prado BB]

Re: 2001 3 LT TD towing power

Mine is the onroad version, approx 950kg dry, but I have added offroad wheels and tyres + other gear + luggage + water + wife and 3 kids, I would say it's close to 1,200-1,300kg. I intend on adding a battery soon, so say another 35kg. Hope this helps. I would not be too concerned with the expanda, however would chip and exhaust for better results.

[cranky Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close cranky]

Re: 2001 3 LT TD towing power

Thanks again for the info Prado BB, i have been contemplating on a exhaust upgrade from the turbo back from beaudesert exhaust im still unsure about a chip, appreciate your feed back as similar results to my performance when towing if i do buy an expanda i will have to try and keep the weight down fully loaded im expecting approx 1700-1800kgs.

[Signature035 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Signature035]

Re: 2001 3 LT TD towing power

Hi Cranky,

Like Prado BB, we have a 120, 3.0ltr (same motor), we tow an Ourback Eagle..... with a fair bit of stuff :lol: I would estimate ours at somehing closer to 1500, maybe more when we go away for a month at Christmas....... 5 of us.

I have a DP Chip and noticed a significant improvement when I installed that some 3 years ago........ however I recently upgraded to a larger more aggressive tyre, and it feels as if most of the benefit of the chip has now ben lost. :evil: Its those l o n g gradual hills that knock it about.

Next step is a 3"Mandrel exhaust.

Having said that, most of our trips are up and down the east coast, and if your familiar with the NSW east coast, there are no hills between Sydney and Brisbane that (even fully loaded) see me doing less than 60kph (Mooney Mooney......Aghhhh)

[cranky Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close cranky]

Re: 2001 3 LT TD towing power

Thanks Signature035, i do travel up and down the east coast live in Sydney just did a trip over easter to crescent head (Kempsey) for 7 days and then onto Mudgee for 4 days to stock up on Wine & Honey for winter, i hear you about moony moony you have to take a good run up and then you still run out of legs. but the good thing is they are a very reliable engine i can drive mine flat out all day camper in tow and she just keeps on going, out of interest what sort of fuel economy are you getting with your Prado with camper in tow and is it Auto or Manual.

[Signature035 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Signature035]

Re: 2001 3 LT TD towing power

Hi Cranky,

Ahhhh Crescent..... been going there (& Hat) since the mid 70's...... great spot.

Mines an Auto...... and loaded up it can varry, but generally between 17 -20

[Prado BB Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Prado BB]

Re: 2001 3 LT TD towing power

I have a DP Chip and noticed a significant improvement when I installed that some 3 years ago........ however I recently upgraded to a larger more aggressive tyre, and it feels as if most of the benefit of the chip has now ben lost. :evil: Its those l o n g gradual hills that knock it about.

Next step is a 3"Mandrel exhaust.

Hey Rob, that's disappointing about the loss of power. Might wait and see how you go with the Mandrel before I spend anything. 3 grand + for exhaust and chip would want to match a Clubsport I say :lol:

[Signature035 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Signature035]

Re: 2001 3 LT TD towing power

Hey Rob, that's disappointing about the loss of power. Might wait and see how you go with the Mandrel before I spend anything. 3 grand + for exhaust and chip would want to match a Clubsport I say :lol:

Yeah, the ST's are probably overkill 90% of the time.... but gee I like them when it matters. :mrgreen:

I would hate to think what impact the tyres would have made without the chip......., it's still better than standard though.


PS.....Keep an eye out for me..... I'm working out your way ATM.

[cranky Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close cranky]

Re: 2001 3 LT TD towing power

Yeh Signature035 Crescent Head is a great spot, 17-20 LT/100kms, the worst i have had is 15.5 just recently that was from Crescent to Mudgee we ended up leaving Crescent a little late in the morning and i wanted to get to Mudgee with enough daylight to setup the camper & head off to the Lawson Hotel for dinner great steaks by the way at the Red Heifer Restaurant so i pushed the old girl a bit from Maitland to Mudgee 100-110 all the way. I suspect your fuel consumption is probably a little higher due to the 120's weigh approx 300kg more than the 90's anyway thanks for the good info.

[dhula Member Find all posts View Profile Close dhula]

Re: 2001 3 LT TD towing power

rigged like this

Van weighed in at 1400, prado at 2700 with us in it and fully fueled

can relate to power loss but she just kept on going without complaint

Fuel use was a weird one tho.
At 90-95 kph (trying to be easy on fuel) average was 18l per 100 km
At 100-110 kph average was 15.5l per 100 km
Once I worked that out you can guess what the speed changed to (when I could)
Only reason I can come up with is that at 90-95 kph the engine is a little below it's sweet spot and at 100 kph it's singing along nicely

[cranky Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close cranky]

Re: 2001 3 LT TD towing power

Thats a good setup dhula, yeh fuel consumption can vary depending on how you drive, i was always very happy with my power output until i got myself a camper trailer when i hit those big hills you know about it foot flat and try and get a good run up, ill try and post a pic of my rig i have had it since new 2001 model Auto GXL and its been a very reliable vehicle except for last year with CT in tow on big hills the temp gauge would start to climb to 3/4 surprised me because the temp gauge has always sat on just under half no matter what. the upshot of the temp problem ended up being the fan viscous coupling replaced it with a new one from Toyota approx $480 & still the same problem getting hot on big hills, next was replace radiator and flush cooling system replaced thermostat guess what still getting hot, so went back to looking at the viscous coupling and pulled the thing apart added an extra tube of silicon oil and also found the internal adjustment of the bi-metalic spring two phillip head screws was all the way to the off side if that makes sense so i adjusted it to half way and now you can actually hear the fan cut in at about 82-85 deg c i know this because i fitted an engine watch dog which measures engine temp not coolant temp so all going well now. Sorry coulden't post a picture i think their to big 5 megapixel camera.

[Steve M Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve M]

Re: 2001 3 LT TD towing power

Reasons why I wouldnt buy a beaudesert exhaust





Have since done some more searching and was told by steinbourer (spelling) they sell the chips like dpchip and I spoke to the manager and he said if you want to waste $1000 go for it, gain is only around 4kw, he said just to get rid of the factory muffler and replace with straight through one (muffler only not the exhaust pipework), will do the same job and for about 1/4 of the price, he said you dont need to go a 3 inch on the size motor we have 1kz, for cruisers and patrols yes but not the 1kz. I did ask about the outlet been bigger on the turbo then the exhaust dumpipe and he said it is so minimal it would have virtually no effect in power gains by going bigger. Regards Steve

[Steve M Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve M]

Re: 2001 3 LT TD towing power

Hi Cranky, was talking to a turbo fitter the other day and he said the main reason for the 1kz blowing heads was the visous coupling on the fan shitting itself and not cutting in to cool things down, he said all the talk about 1kz's blowing heads (supposidly common problem) people not keeping an eye on guages and by the time they noticed it climbing into the red it was all over red rover, damage done, not as bad now anyway if you needed a new head, no where near as dear as they use to be..What lift in yours if any ?? I think Im going to go the OME like I had in previous prado was happy with that, cant justify the extra $500 for bilstein. Regards Steve

Thats a good setup dhula, yeh fuel consumption can vary depending on how you drive, i was always very happy with my power output until i got myself a camper trailer when i hit those big hills you know about it foot flat and try and get a good run up, ill try and post a pic of my rig i have had it since new 2001 model Auto GXL and its been a very reliable vehicle except for last year with CT in tow on big hills the temp gauge would start to climb to 3/4 surprised me because the temp gauge has always sat on just under half no matter what. the upshot of the temp problem ended up being the fan viscous coupling replaced it with a new one from Toyota approx $480 & still the same problem getting hot on big hills, next was replace radiator and flush cooling system replaced thermostat guess what still getting hot, so went back to looking at the viscous coupling and pulled the thing apart added an extra tube of silicon oil and also found the internal adjustment of the bi-metalic spring two phillip head screws was all the way to the off side if that makes sense so i adjusted it to half way and now you can actually hear the fan cut in at about 82-85 deg c i know this because i fitted an engine watch dog which measures engine temp not coolant temp so all going well now. Sorry coulden't post a picture i think their to big 5 megapixel camera.