Ask The Guide

I can only hope so. Trying to start an engine with an obvious and large fuel leak like the one you’ve described is really tempting fate. This leak needs to be fixed before attempting to start or drive the vehicle as it’s a major fire hazard.

Even turning on the ignition will have the pump spraying fuel everywhere from the leak, so I’d disconnect the battery until the hose is repaired and the leak stopped. There’s a chance the computer has detected the lack of fuel pressure, but whether that’s what is preventing the engine turning over is another thing. You may have multiple problems.

A squeak when taking off from rest could be anything from a brake problem to a wheel bearing fault, a noisy engine drive-belt, bent axle, a dry suspension bush, worn universal joint or just about a hundred other things, including the driveshaft you already suspect.

Of potentially greater concern is the cut-off exhaust system or, more correctly, the previous owner. Anybody who cuts up an exhaust to make more noise is also a likely candidate to have driven the vehicle hard. It might be better to find a vehicle that hasn’t been messed with and potentially abused.

A sawn-off exhaust system shouldn’t harm the turbocharger or engine, but it can make a difference to performance due to reduced back-pressure. It also makes me wonder what else has been changed of fiddled with in the name of more power. Sometimes the performance will actually be improved, but you also open a can of legal and insurance worms by changing things like factory exhaust systems in what is a fairly agricultural way.

I’d say that you’re absolutely spot on that the rising level on your engine’s dipstick is caused by diesel getting into the sump. At this point, you have a problem because the diesel will be diluting the engine oil, meaning it won’t be lubricating the engine parts as well as it should. Leave it unchecked and eventually you’ll damage the engine internally.

There are a couple of major ways for this dilution to occur. Firstly, a worn, damaged or stuck fuel injector can dump excess fuel into the engine. At this point, the engine can’t burn it all, and some finds its way past the piston rings and into the engine’s sump.

The other common way for this to happen is when the vehicle’s Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) becomes full of soot and needs to regenerate (clean itself). If you haven’t been driving at highway speeds for a while, the exhaust system may not have got hot enough to force this regeneration. At that point, the computer will inject extra fuel into the engine to make the exhaust run hotter. And, again, some of this excess fuel can find its way into the sump.

An oil change is your best plan of attack, and then keep a close eye on the level of the dipstick. Any increase in level should not be ignored.

There was a recall for a batch of manual-transmission Rangers built between 2015 and 2016 which had a poorly installed clip on the gearshift cable on the production line. Your car is from an earlier batch, but it’s not inconceivable that the problem is the same one.

The cable clip in question could allow the cable that operates the gear changes to make contact with the car’s driveshaft. At that point, gear-changing could become difficult or even impossible, which sounds pretty much like your symptoms. Check with a Ford dealer to see if your vehicle was covered by this recall.

I kind of agree with the workshop you used that the problem was a prime candidate to be caused by the TIPM unit. This is basically a fuse-box, relay-box and electrical control unit rolled into one and, when it fails, it can often cause the problems you’re seeing all happening at once. This unit performs a very similar role to the body computer in other makes and models and it’s used to allow various functions of the car to talk to other components and functions.

I understand that the new TIPM hasn’t fixed things, but faults with these units are not uncommon and it wouldn’t be the first time a brand new component has been faulty before it has even been fitted. A good check would be to try the TIPM from a car you know works properly and see if that fixes the issues. Certainly, the random and grouped nature of the faults points to the TIPM in a big way. If it really isn’t the TIPM at fault, I’d start looking for a bad earth somewhere on the car that is causing the mayhem.

But try this test first. Disconnect the battery and leave it overnight. Next morning, reconnect the battery and see if the problem has gone away. It’s worth a try even though the fix may not last indefinitely, but it’s simple and free.

It depends on which engine your Navara has. If it’s a D22 with the 2.5-litre engine, the oil-change capacity is 5.6 litres. If your car has the three-litre engine, it will need 6.7 litres to complete an oil change. If your car is the later model D40 version, the 2.5-litre engine will require 6.9 litres. Those amounts should allow for an oil-filter change as well.

In each case, the recommended oil is a 5W40 semi-synthetic.

The Toyota LandCruiser is one of those vehicles that defies conventional wisdom by being super long-lived. It kind of depends on which model LandCruiser you’re talking about, but if it’s a diesel-engined version, there’s every chance that it still has lots of life left in it at 320,000km.

That presumes, of course, that it has been serviced correctly and has not been used to drag an excavator on a trailer at 110km/h every day of its life. Any vehicle with this many kilometres needs a very careful pre-purchase inspection but, being a LandCruiser, the cost of this inspection is warranted where it may not be on many other makes and models.

This could be caused by any number of things, and an electronic scan of the vehicle will surely reveal some of its secrets and may point you towards the fix. It almost sounds as though the car is going into limp-home mode when you first start driving it, but then reverts to proper operation once the engine has warmed up a little. But this could also suggest a turbo-boost leak somewhere in the system that is closing up and disappearing once there’s some heat built up.

If there’s oil around the intercooler hose, you may have oil in the intercooler itself. This can cause all sorts of problems and is often caused by a worn turbocharger. I’d definitely be having a close look at the turbo unit, checking for wear and damage as this could be the root cause.

The GWM Ora is actually a cool piece of gear. It looks great (if you’re into that kind of thing) and it drives pretty well, too. The interior is different enough to be interesting, yet it still works properly.

The big question is whether your lifestyle meshes with the constraints imposed by going fully electric. You need to have access to appropriate charging infrastructure and, if you can charge at home from solar panels, then you’re a long way in front.

But range is also an issue, so you need to know that the Ora’s range will be sufficient. Perhaps spending a bit extra on the extended range model is worthwhile. Keep in mind its claimed range on paper will also be difficult to reach in the real world, you can shave as much as 30 per cent off depending on driving style and environment.

Ultimately, the Ora is a city car and that’s where it works best thanks to its size and its ability to regenerate power in stop-start driving. That doesn’t mean it won’t work for you, but you need to assess it carefully.

This is another classic example of body-computer-fault behaviour. The body computer on a modern car controls multiple (hundreds, in fact) functions such as the heating and cooling, dashboard, media and entertainments, wipers, lights and, of course, the central locking. If the computer has a glitch, the central locking can develop a mind of its own.

Ultimately, you may need to replace the body computer, but this is potentially a warranty job since your car is a 2019 model and should, therefore, carry seven years of factory cover. Take it back to the dealership and have the situation assessed.