Gear Up

While I was driving two weeks ago in the Landcruiser a sudden whining sound started, when ever I stepped on the gas. I knew something was wrong but I didn’t know what exactly and luckily I was close to home.

The odometer was at 154’000 Kms and I recently did the 150K service a couple of weeks back so I’m surprised something went wrong. I thought it would be a minor issue and would be resolved quickly. Dropped off the car at Al Rai Toyota Service on Wednesday, they said Thursday is a half day and I have the car back on Saturday. I thought that would work out fine for me. I got a call early Thursday morning with a list of items and a quote of 450 KD, I was about to start shouting on the phone because he basically wanted to replace the gear box and other items in the car. I told him that you recently did a 150 K service and supposedly checked all these items, I argued with the guy on the phone for about 15 minutes and told him that I will be passing by in the afternoon before they close. Got in by noon and the guy had a different tone, and the Egyptian manager was trying to explain. I told him I will pay for wear and tear such as replacing the clutch, but items that should have been checked at the 150 K service is something they will replace but I won’t be paying for it. After making me wait for about 30 minutes, I had the original parts list and told them they are going to replace all that they listed, and they came back to me with a 340 KD quote which is a huge difference.

They started working on the car on Thursday, but I didn’t get it back until Monday because even when I picked it up on Saturday it seems nobody bothered to do a road test drive because the huge whining sound was still there and turns out it had nothing to do with the gear box. Once they fixed that the car has been driving like it was when I first picked it up 10 years ago, the gear box felt solid and the change smoother, not so loose as it was before. Al Sayer service is probably the best in Kuwait, but sometimes you do have to get into an argument.

Parts Replaced:

  • Front Axle Assembly
  • Clutch Assembly
  • Bearing Kit
  • Boot and Cover Assembly Kit
  • Bushings
  • Front Shocks Seals
  • Radial Kit for Shocks