Potential faults on the Toyota Hilux 4.0 V6

Most likely not give you any problems when it comes to breakages

The Toyota Hilux 4.0 V6 is considered by many to be a vehicle that will most likely not give you any problems when it comes to breakages. There are many reports by both owners and mechanics that never experienced any breakages. This should be the status quo as long as the vehicle is frequently serviced. In this regard the Toyota Hilux 4.0 V6 is truly a Titan of its class. There is – as in most other things in life – seldom something made flawless, and when it comes to this Titan, it also seems to, at times, reveal its single flaw.

The Autobox

The 4.0 V6 engine of this Titan is a wonderful piece of machinery. The designers went for long gearing because this improved overall consumption. Even though the V6 and automatic gearbox combination is seen by many owners of the Hilux 4.0 V6 to be awesome, there have been a lot of complaints about the auto-box “hunting for gears”, specifically when the cruise control is activated. This may be due to the long gearing. At a drivable speed of 120 km/h, the motor seems to be too low on torque to perform effectively on up-hill runs with the cruise control active. The best advice when this happens is to drop down one gear. If your vehicle runs at 2000 rpm in fifth gear, and your speed is 120km/h, and you feel torque is lost, then drop one gear. Many owners feel that the lower gear – in uphill situations – is a suitable replacement for the higher gear. This will eradicate the “hunting for gears” on the side of the autobox.

Another concern pointed out by vehicle owners is that when gearing down from second to first gear, and then from first to second, the gear change is not as smooth as it used to be. It also seems to have a subtle “thump” in its attempt to get back into gear again. Many may be of the opinion that this “thumping” is specific to V6 Hilux vehicles and as such should not be taken serious. There may, nonetheless, be a valid reason for any thumping and/or shuddering, and this ought to be addressed.

This could be caused by a few things.

•  The U-joints on the prop shaft or centre bearing could be worn, so get those checked and the problem may most likely go away. It might even help with the downshifting thump when coming to a stop.
•  Worn or broken engine or gearbox mounts may also be a cause of this, so have these checked as well.
•  Wrong or insufficient Automatic Transmission Fuel (ATF) used/present.

Most gearbox issues these days are either electrical or bad ATF are used or low ATF levels are present. The simplest thing to do is to have an ECU scan done at your nearest Steves Auto Clinic branch and to check your vehicle’s ATF level/condition. Also have the ATF filter checked. This is not only the simplest but also the cheapest.

A final remark – the cost of changing all your vehicle’s diffs and transmission oil is much less than replacing a gearbox or diff.

Related Articles:
My Toyota Hilux 3.0 D4D and the setbacks I may encounter as its owner!
A few potential faults on the Toyota Hilux 2.5 D4D
Toyota Hilux & Fortuner 3.0 D4D Performance Upgrades

Within the above article, potential problems, causes and fixes have been identified as founded on the experience of vehicle owners and repairers, online sources such as discussion blogs, technical service bulletins and SAC experience. This information is provided solely for reference purposes. SAC strictly instruct readers that only properly qualified individuals should carry out repairs and/or modifications on your vehicles. It should also be made clear that the number of times an item is identified within this discussion should by no way be seen as an indicator of a model’s reliability or the frequency with which they may occur. Two of the exact same vehicles, owned by tow entirely different owners, driven in entirely different ways and on different terrains, and looked after in their own unique ways, will each behave differently. As mentioned, this information is provided solely for reference purposes but we hope – in the process of doing so – to empower you with relevant information which may enable you to make informative decisions whenever you experience any of the mentioned setbacks.