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Toyota has grown to the world's largest car manufacturer. Originating in Japan, Toyota now produces vehicles around the globe. The extensive lineup covers most shapes and sizes from small hatchbacks to mid-size sedans, sports cars, SUVs in various sizes, off-road wagons, people movers, utes and light commercial vehicles. Several of these models are available with a choice of petrol or diesel engines, with manual or automatic transmissions, and many are available with petrol-electric hybrid drivetrains. Models include the 86, Aurion, Camry, Corolla, HiAce, HiLux, Kluger, LandCruiser, Prado, Prius, RAV4, Rukus, Tarago and Yaris.
If the engine power has returned since this episode, I’d be willing to suggest that what happened is that the vehicle had gone into limp-home mode. This happens when something like the transmission or engine becomes hot enough that to continue at normal pace might cause damage to the vehicle. It’s the car’s way of saving its own life, if you like. When it does, you can expect a warning light and a reduction in power, just as you experienced.
Towing a caravan up hills is a great way to get a transmission really hot, or even a turbocharged engine such as the one in your LandCruiser. If the vehicle returned to normal once it had cooled down, then you shouldn’t have any ongoing problems, but another oil change and perhaps transmission service might be a good idea as these fluids can lose their mojo once they’ve been really hot even once.
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The 2022 Kluger does have Android Auto (and Apple CarPlay) but there’s a catch. While the Kluger’s Apple CarPlay will pair with a phone via Bluetooth, the Android Auto system needs the phone to be tethered to the car via USB cable. Try it again with a cable and you should have success. But it’s far from being as convenient as a Bluetooth set-up.
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It’s a tough one isn’t it? But in the first instance, the filter replacement could simply have been overlooked on the job card when the mechanic was allotted to your vehicle. That said, I certainly hope you took the vehicle back and pointed out that you’d been charged for something you didn’t get. From the dealer’s reaction at the point, you might get a reasonable idea of how seriously this was taken at management level.
As for proof of oil changes, there’s a couple of things you can do. You can ask to see the old oil before it’s poured into the recycling drum, or you could even ask for a photo to be taken of the differentials and transfer-cases with their drain plugs removed to prove that the old oil was at least removed.
In the past, some car owners have even resorted to placing secret marks on various fasteners to make sure they’ve been undone by the mechanic. The trouble with that starts when the mechanic spots the mark they weren’t supposed to see. That’s when the customer-mechanic war really escalates.
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