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Old 14th February 2016, 20:04   #676
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re: Soldier of Fortune: Wanderings with a Trusty Toyota Fortuner - 150,000 kms up!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sheel View Post
Nilanjan, would you go for Pirelli again when the time comes to change the footwear of Bison?
I don't know.

The original Dunlops were fine till 55-60K km. And I did a lot of offroading with them.

Pirellis have done 44K km. I need to wait for 10K more to compare.
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Old 14th February 2016, 20:14   #677
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re: Soldier of Fortune: Wanderings with a Trusty Toyota Fortuner - 150,000 kms up!

Quote:
Originally Posted by nilanjanray View Post
I don't know.

The original Dunlops were fine till 55-60K km. And I did a lot of offroading with them.

Pirellis have done 44K km. I need to wait for 10K more to compare.
I feel my Bridgestone's are ok for on the tarmac use [they are HT] but the moment you make them sniff mud/muck or even sand, have to engage 4H.

I would have blindly gone for the Michelin Cross but they aren't available in 235/65 R17 spec. Latitude Tour HP's are available but I don't think they are AT tires. Haven't heard good things about LTX and they aren't available in the size either. Maybe will have to settle for Continental Cross Contact AT or this Pirelli or .... Very few options for AT's.

If Geolander AT's were available, I might have given it a shot. An acquaintance has fitted on his Classic Fortuner and it really appears purposeful. I am sure it will be better than the OE.

Thanks for your views

Last edited by Sheel : 14th February 2016 at 20:16.
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Old 30th April 2016, 13:20   #678
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re: Soldier of Fortune: Wanderings with a Trusty Toyota Fortuner - 150,000 kms up!

Hi there..
I am in the process of buying a used Fortuner in Bangalore. I have heard a Lotta stories about the odometer fraud by dealers and owners alike.
Could someone please enlighten me how do I check the accuracy of

1) Age of the vehicle,

2) Odometer reading

3) Service records cross checking, will it be possible to cross check the records in the service centers as well..?

4) what are the other important mechanical and technical features to be examined?

5) Will it be wise to buy a vehicle that is around 1,00,000 kms on the odo ?

thanks.
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Old 1st May 2016, 16:21   #679
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sunnydude27 View Post
Hi there..
I am in the process of buying a used Fortuner in Bangalore. I have heard a Lotta stories about the odometer fraud by dealers and owners alike.
Could someone please enlighten me how do I check the accuracy of

1) Age of the vehicle,

2) Odometer reading

3) Service records cross checking, will it be possible to cross check the records in the service centers as well..?

4) what are the other important mechanical and technical features to be examined?

5) Will it be wise to buy a vehicle that is around 1,00,000 kms on the odo ?

thanks.
There should be a few threads on how to buy a used car, check them out.

I would be apprehensive about abuse of the 4wd system e.g. someone driving in 4HL on tarmac, not lubricating the prop shaft etc. Before buying get that checked thoroughly.

100K km is a little too much for India, but I do know that folks in South Africa buy Fortuners that have run 150K km.
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Old 9th June 2016, 16:39   #680
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Update after latest servicing

Got the vehicle serviced last week. Repairs:

1. Wipers changed. I end up changing wipers every year :-(

2. Timing belt changed (the ASC said that it is a good idea to change every 1 lakh km, my vehicle had done more than that). There were small cracks. Not that they were readily visible, but better to be safe than sorry in the middle of nowhere.

3. There was a squealing noise from the front left brake, got that fixed. Disc skimming was done. The service adviser recommended that I change the discs next time. Let's see.

4. Had a minor crack on the rear indicator surface, put some transparent tape over it to keep out water. Didn't bother replacing it. The crack happened due to carelessness while reversing on a narrow forest trail. There was sharp branch sticking out, I didn't notice it.

5. Fixed a puncture. That tyre had been bothering me for a long time, air pressure would go down by 5 psi after a few days. There was a thin nail. One day it came out and the tyre was completely flat. Anyway, got it fixed and now there is no pressure loss.

Tyres have done 45K. Had got the tyres rotated at Madhu's a month back.

Vehicle is raring to go on another long trip.

Here is a shot taken one year back, in June 2015.

Soldier of Fortune: Wanderings with a Trusty Toyota Fortuner - 150,000 kms up!-dsc_3057selective_canvas.jpg

And a snapshot from a recent trip to Kodaikanal (I liked the pattern). Kodai was disappointing. I prefer the Nilgiris.

Soldier of Fortune: Wanderings with a Trusty Toyota Fortuner - 150,000 kms up!-dsc_0170.jpg
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Old 9th June 2016, 16:47   #681
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re: Soldier of Fortune: Wanderings with a Trusty Toyota Fortuner - 150,000 kms up!

As always, good to have an update on your thread, Nilanjan.

A few comments:

New Wipers every monsoon is a good idea actually. With our harsh winters up north resulting in hardening of rubber, I used to change them just before every Monsoon in my Civic. Plan to do the same in my (new) Fortuner as well.

Timing Belt at 100k: Too early IMHO. Toyota recommends it at 150k. EWas there the glowing Timing-Belt light on the dash? I will be going for Timing Belt change in my next service at 1.5L kms.

Rest of all run-of-the-mill repairs. Part of regular life.

Good to see Bison kicking in all its glory. Do share some latest snaps. Ciao.
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Old 6th July 2017, 22:28   #682
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re: Soldier of Fortune: Wanderings with a Trusty Toyota Fortuner - 150,000 kms up!

Just saw this amazing article in theguardian.com. And was very pleasantly surprised to see a familiar name there.

Exceptionally rare 'pale tiger' photographed

What stunning pictures! Lucky you!

Hope we are going to see a full blown account of this latest wandering from the Nilgiris.

A small peek below for the rest of us in the meanwhile.
Soldier of Fortune: Wanderings with a Trusty Toyota Fortuner - 150,000 kms up!-1103.jpg
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Old 17th July 2017, 20:46   #683
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re: Soldier of Fortune: Wanderings with a Trusty Toyota Fortuner - 150,000 kms up!

Also, it was covered in Indian newspapers.

I had read it and took a screenshot of it from "the hindu".

Missed posting it earlier.

Attached here.

Name:  Screen Shot 20170706 at 7.31.04 AM.png
Views: 3231
Size:  200.9 KB
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Old 4th October 2017, 20:23   #684
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re: Soldier of Fortune: Wanderings with a Trusty Toyota Fortuner - 150,000 kms up!

Quote:
Originally Posted by deetjohn View Post
Just saw this amazing article in theguardian.com. And was very pleasantly surprised to see a familiar name there.

Exceptionally rare 'pale tiger' photographed

What stunning pictures! Lucky you!

Hope we are going to see a full blown account of this latest wandering from the Nilgiris.

A small peek below for the rest of us in the meanwhile.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tanwaramit View Post
Also, it was covered in Indian newspapers.

I had read it and took a screenshot of it from "the hindu".

Missed posting it earlier.

Attached here.
Visiting this thread after a while.

Thanks :-)

Can't talk much about the specific circumstances, since I promised to keep certain things confidential. The pale fella was covered across the world. Times of India, Hindu, Hindustan Times, Guardian, Fox News, Russia Today, CNN, The Independent etc.
--------------------------

Dilemma. Which A/T tyre now?

Dunlops did fine, but they were HT, and I don't wanna go back to HT.

Re A/T Pirellis, I have mixed feelings. They are nice on highways (wet and dry conditions). Though I always got a -1 kmpl penalty when I shifted to A/Ts. But I have had 4-5 punctures when driving on trails. And a few sidewall/near-sidewall ones too. The Dunlops had a different endurance curve compared to the Pirellis. Dunlops fell off steeply after 60K. Pirellis are close in terms of kilometres, but I had the first puncture after 10K, just when I got back from a crazy Kanha/Tadoba roadtrip.

I wish we had extra load tyres here. Would have been perfect for me, since they are tougher.

Anyway, the current A/T choices are Pirelli Scorpions, Continentals, and Yokos. Let's see.

Last edited by ampere : 4th October 2017 at 20:39. Reason: Fixed quote
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Old 28th October 2017, 16:13   #685
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Affair?

Would be doing a wildlife/conservation focused roadtrip with Condé Nast, Land Rover, and leading wildlife photographers + conservation journalists in the North East. Won a seat by winning the 'Share your Discovery' contest.
https://www.cntraveller.in/microsite...ith-a-purpose/

Should be interesting comparing notes, apart from the luxury/sophistication factor. Hope I get a chance to use the Land Rover Discovery in interesting terrain.

Plan to write a trip report+share photos when I get back. A few months away though.

Edit: This is the photo that accompanied my entry.
Soldier of Fortune: Wanderings with a Trusty Toyota Fortuner - 150,000 kms up!-paletiger_nilanjan2small.jpg

Last edited by nilanjanray : 28th October 2017 at 16:18.
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Old 28th October 2017, 16:43   #686
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re: Soldier of Fortune: Wanderings with a Trusty Toyota Fortuner - 150,000 kms up!

Quote:
Originally Posted by nilanjanray View Post

Plan to write a trip report+share photos when I get back. A few months away though.
Will wait for it

And you were everywhere, not just mainstream media

Quote:
Originally Posted by nilanjanray View Post

Anyway, the current A/T choices are Pirelli Scorpions, Continentals, and Yokos. Let's see.
No Michelin or GoodYear? Appears Michelin isn't making a size which fits either the new Fortuner or the older one.

Yokohama has come up with a new pattern for their Geolander SUV tires in AT. You may look at it.

Personally, I have used the GoodYear Wrangler AT/SA tire in my 4WD S10 and I am impressed for the past 20,000 kms. No pressure drop and no punctures. The tires are grippy, wet grip is amazing as is the grip in slush.

My experiences

1.

2.

The 17 inch Wranglers are very different from the regular 15/16 inch Wranglers. The central rib design is the giveaway. Despite ~20,000 kms, the tires don't appear more than 5,000 kms run.

I extensively read and reread lots of reviews on Australian 4X4 threads as well as Americans and there were just two choices, this or Scorpion ATR's. Your advise here as well as what I read at both places helped me with my decision. Most people on forum are happy with the other choice, save for one BHPian with the Cross Contact AT's. Will happily answer if you have any queries.
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Old 28th October 2017, 17:13   #687
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re: Soldier of Fortune: Wanderings with a Trusty Toyota Fortuner - 150,000 kms up!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sheel View Post
Will wait for it

And you were everywhere, not just mainstream media



No Michelin or GoodYear? Appears Michelin isn't making a size which fits either the new Fortuner or the older one.

Yokohama has come up with a new pattern for their Geolander SUV tires in AT. You may look at it.

Personally, I have used the GoodYear Wrangler AT/SA tire in my 4WD S10 and I am impressed for the past 20,000 kms. No pressure drop and no punctures. The tires are grippy, wet grip is amazing as is the grip in slush.

My experiences

1.

2.

The 17 inch Wranglers are very different from the regular 15/16 inch Wranglers. The central rib design is the giveaway. Despite ~20,000 kms, the tires don't appear more than 5,000 kms run.

I extensively read and reread lots of reviews on Australian 4X4 threads as well as Americans and there were just two choices, this or Scorpion ATR's. Your advise here as well as what I read at both places helped me with my decision. Most people on forum are happy with the other choice, save for one BHPian with the Cross Contact AT's. Will happily answer if you have any queries.
Thanks Sheel :-)

The Wranglers are available in the right size as per this: https://www.goodyear.co.in/tyres/goo...wrangler-at-sa

Will research. Need a mix of good highway + offroading/trail driving performance. A/T.
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Old 28th October 2017, 18:45   #688
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re: Soldier of Fortune: Wanderings with a Trusty Toyota Fortuner - 150,000 kms up!

Quote:
Need a mix of good highway + offroading/trail driving performance. A/T.
__________________

Can easily recommend Yokohama, try this new pattern G015. Mod. Anshuman had recently bought these for his Isuzu V Cross and sounded positive. I am using G094 on Endeavour for a while.

Quote:
This is the photo that accompanied my entry.
Drool-worthy, where did you met this beast
Attached Thumbnails
Soldier of Fortune: Wanderings with a Trusty Toyota Fortuner - 150,000 kms up!-yoko.jpeg  


Last edited by Turbanator : 28th October 2017 at 18:47.
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Old 29th October 2017, 11:00   #689
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re: Soldier of Fortune: Wanderings with a Trusty Toyota Fortuner - 150,000 kms up!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Turbanator View Post
Can easily recommend Yokohama, try this new pattern G015. Mod. Anshuman had recently bought these for his Isuzu V Cross and sounded positive. I am using G094 on Endeavour for a while.

Drool-worthy, where did you met this beast
Thanks. Manuuj has had great experiences with Yoko, so will look carefully at these. Do we get extra load tyres in India, for any A/T brand?

That rare tiger was shot in Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. More details in the Guardian link above.
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Old 18th June 2018, 18:59   #690
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re: Soldier of Fortune: Wanderings with a Trusty Toyota Fortuner - 150,000 kms up!

Bison has got new shoes. Yoko G015 all terrain. Went for this because I am hoping to do some winter driving in the mountains. The Yoko has got good snow rating. Hope the sidewall holds up. Need to take it for a highway spin to understand the pros and cons over the Pirelli Scorpion ATRs. Initial feel: perhaps a little better over potholes (could be the new tyre effect). And less noise. But FE could take a hit, there seems to be a little more rolling resistance.

Other options I considered: Contis, Michelin LTX Force, and Pirelli Scorpion AT Plus. The last one is not available in India, else I might have gone for it. The Pirellis were nice on highways, but I had too many punctures. Btw, the Wrangler AT/SA has a nice deal going for it. 2 years unconditional warranty, and cheaper. And one can go for a zero emi option with the Michelins. Almost went for the Michelins (has deeper tread, sidewall seemed stiffer), supposed to be great on highways.

Brakes, handling, aquaplaning etc. - need to drive a few hundred km, fast. Maybe a cruise on NH7

Changed spiral cable (horn wasn't working), brake pads and discs. Robbery to charge so much for the cable replacement.

Anyway, the vehicle is ready for new adventures

Last edited by nilanjanray : 18th June 2018 at 19:17.
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