Just one week before leaving, our 2015 VX 200 series Landcruiser decided it wouldn't cooperate. Firstly, the water pump was leaking, and more importantly, three warning lights appeared on the dash. The 4WD low light was flashing constantly, while the engine warning and slip indicator lights stayed illuminated. A call to Toyota, located just over 10 km away, suggested I could drive it there, but there's a risk the engine could enter limp mode. So, our roadside assistance through Ken Tame arranged for a flatbed truck.
I couldn't believe our luck when Toyota said they would cover the parts. Our warranty had expired two and a half years ago, during which we'd travelled 87,600 kilometres. We collected the Landcruiser just a day before departure, and Toyota assured us the problem was now fixed.
With COVID-19 still causing problems across the country and many states imposing restrictions, our trip will be limited to New South Wales only. Our fully self-contained van relies solely on the amount of water we can carry, making this holiday similar to previous ones, with a stay of up to three nights in caravan parks. Hopefully, this also minimises the chance of coming into contact with anyone who may have the virus.
Our trip coincides with NSW school holidays, but by leaving the coast and heading into parts of Outback NSW, we hope the crowds will be fewer than if we stayed along the coastline. Regular readers of our blog know that on our first day's drive from home, we prefer a short journey just to get back into the rhythm. This holiday will be no different; our first night's stop will be at one of our favourite spots, just 152 km from home. Cangai is just over 60 km west of Grafton and east of the Gwydir Highway. The site is located in a valley beside the Mann River. The following photo was taken last year.
To summarise, there's an issue with the EGR valves, and they require replacement. Parts alone cost over $ 2,000, with an additional $500 for labour.
I couldn't believe our luck when Toyota said they would cover the parts. Our warranty had expired two and a half years ago, during which we'd travelled 87,600 kilometres. We collected the Landcruiser just a day before departure, and Toyota assured us the problem was now fixed.
With COVID-19 still causing problems across the country and many states imposing restrictions, our trip will be limited to New South Wales only. Our fully self-contained van relies solely on the amount of water we can carry, making this holiday similar to previous ones, with a stay of up to three nights in caravan parks. Hopefully, this also minimises the chance of coming into contact with anyone who may have the virus.
Our trip coincides with NSW school holidays, but by leaving the coast and heading into parts of Outback NSW, we hope the crowds will be fewer than if we stayed along the coastline. Regular readers of our blog know that on our first day's drive from home, we prefer a short journey just to get back into the rhythm. This holiday will be no different; our first night's stop will be at one of our favourite spots, just 152 km from home. Cangai is just over 60 km west of Grafton and east of the Gwydir Highway. The site is located in a valley beside the Mann River. The following photo was taken last year.
Understandably, it's the beginning of the school holidays, but we couldn't believe how many groups of campers were already set up. Anyway, we were only there for the evening and planned to leave in the morning.
An early departure the following morning, just after 7:30 am, saw us heading further west before ascending the Gibraltar Range towards Glen Innes. We cruised up the range with our auto transmission temperature never exceeding seventy degrees, until just three-quarters of the way to the top, when the same three lights that were supposedly fixed by Coffs Toyota reappeared on the dash. To make matters worse, the engine went into limp mode.
The hazard lights came on as we inched forward at just a few kilometres an hour until we found a spot where only half the van remained over our lane, then I turned off the ignition. I cleared a P1251 and C1201 code using our Scangauge before restarting the engine. During this time, many caravans and cars overtook us, and although the warning lights stayed on, we were thankfully no longer in limp mode.
A decision was made to proceed to Inverell and visit the Toyota dealership on Monday morning. The engine entered limp mode two more times before reaching Inverell, but fortunately, both times we were on overtaking lanes. We checked into the Inverell Caravan Park, as it was the closest to the town centre.
Of course, nothing is ever simple, and we had to remove the Hitch-Ezy from the van and replace it with a ball mount so the van could connect to the truck's tilt tray.
The Landcruiser remained at Grafton Toyota for two and a half days, but they couldn't identify any issues or codes, despite driving the vehicle multiple times and recording data each time. All their data shows that the car is functioning normally. The 97 km return trip was smooth, with the Landcruiser performing as it always has in the past.
