l have an offer for V6 Toyota camry 2000 model.do u think i should take it or rather go for a V4.a bit confused here.

deleted

v6 without a doubt

I do prefer a four cylinder over V6 cos of the cost of maintenance. Their parts are a but different from the 4cyl series.

During maintenance, you get to change 4 plugs instead of 6 in a V6. also 4 injector nozzles instead of 6 in a V6 option. There are many more extra parts that they need to keep them in good shape (extra engine oil). Think of the extra fuel consumption and other things. Little wonder V6 is cheaper than a 4 cylinder engine.

This is just my opinion and i stand to be corrected by those who know more than i do. Best of Luck in your choice man.

ikuoma4rea:

l have an offer for V6 Toyota camry 2000 model.do u think i should take it or rather go for a V4.a bit confused here.

None of the above.

Take a V8 and you will love the feel  (Im not sure they have that for your Camry/model). BUT for your instance, the V6 was the right choice. 4 has always been below average in performance.

I had the same problem before i bought my toyota camry 1999 model V6, if you buy a trouble free V6 you will never regret it. As a matter of fact i can NEVER buy a 4 cylinder car, having experienced the joy and satisfaction of driving a V6 engine.

PRACTICAL PROOF.

The car is 5 yrs old and i have never done anything the engine except to change oil.

In a month, i have been to ijebu ode thrice, uromi in edo state once, portharcourt once and also heavy runa round within the town.

On all my journey, i have not heared a single stop on the way nor have i had to fill the radiator with water.

It was on one occasion that i was overtakenon the express while travelling by a toyota tundra V8

its a myth that have been overtaken by experience ofthe few that has taken the courage to by V6 engine cars.

Ever wonder why most jeeps come in V6, if V6 engines are bad why are they coming out with V8 and V10 engines.

I regret buying a 4 cylinder honda 2003 before i bought my camry V6 cos my honda stays more in my garagecos i drive the V6 most often.

Its stronger, faster, sharper, trouble free and i can assure you will never regret it if you buy a TROUBLE FREE one.

4 cylinder and V6 is like heaven and earth, its a pleasure a v6 engine car but wonder what a V8 and V10 will drive like.

If you try a V6 engine car, i can assure you will never touch a 4Cylinder car anymore.

On the fuel issue,its not as bad as they might want you to feel and the driving experience covers up.

My last trip from port, to satisfy my curiosity i filled my tank 4,700 and it took me to ijebu ode before i saw the reserve light on, so whats the stress, how well can a 4 cylinder go?.

Make up your mind and go for the best, its like saying a picanto is better than a toyota camry.

Again, I will point out. . .no such thing as a V4 engine, unless you're referring to the ancient Saab V4's, that came in 1,2 and 2,0L versions. Modern 4 cylinders engines are I4.

I would always go for a V6 / V8. My esteemed friend, EEL of Eastside Engineering Limited has pointed out what he feels are reasons not to go for a V6. Well, a V6 does have more parts to replace come service time, but only spark plugs. Injectors seldom require replacement, on a modern engine, all the cases I've come across in petrol engines, 90% of these are replaced due to ill advice. It's diesel injectors that are most likely to require replacement, when performance begins to drop off. Worth noting both diesel and petrol injectors can be serviced, rather than replaced.

Not all V6 engines will use more oil than an I4. The sump of an I4 could well be larger than that of a V6, and it could also be thirstier. A larger capacity V6 has a smoothness a smaller capacity I4 will never match, even those I4's that have counter-rotating balance shafts, which are designed to iron out roughness whilst the engine's in service. A powerful V6 has better cruising ability than a comparable I4 (in the same car) which means the vehicle can be driven with less throttle angle, which in turn saves fuel. A small capacity I4 in a relatively heavy car, let's say a 2008 Toyota Camry will be underpowered, especially in terms of torque, so will be thirsty. The engine will also have to work that much harder, which means it'll wear out faster than the V6.

V6 engines tend to develop their power and torque at higher RPM - meaning they have to be revved harder and higher to make decent progress. The V6 on the other hand, like V8's, delivers maximum power and torque from relatively low RPM, so is less "peaky" compared to the I4. The V6 has the crankshaft and camshafts supported by more bearings, so will handle greater loads without sacrificing longevity.

The issues with V6 / V8 motors in Nigeria, is more to do with Nigerian mechanics, who are very resistant to change, and unwilling (read as lazy) train in modern technology. They are likely to put off prospective buyers, as they're aware once their old customers buy these, they'll lose them as profitable customers. These are the same mechanics that resisted automatic transmission, all those years ago, now auto's exceed manuals in Nigeria by about a 8:3 ratio.

I'm an enthusiast, and can't remember when last I had an I4 engined car. My Audi's have of late been V6 / V8, prior to these, I was into the I5's, I love the soundtrack of multiple cylinder cars (as in V6 / V8). The I4 sounds flat in comparison, and far from exciting to drive.

Ikuoma4rea: I would go for the V6. The 2,2-16V I4 Camry is sluggish, nowhere near as brisk, or nice to drive as the 3,0-24V V6. 133 and 192hp - I know which I'd choose!

Best of luck, whichever you decide.

V6 and 4 cylinders which is more cost effective in terms of fuel consumption, parts maintenance, etc?

jposuagwu:

V6 and 4 cylinders which is more cost effective in terms  of fuel consumption, parts maintenance, etc?

Please read my above post, and that of others. I don't wish to repeat myself.

I may have to go get a V6 at this time. The comments are too tantalizing. I actually use a TOY Car - Toyota Yaris. Enjoing it though and dont prepare to buy another Car, but i will have to consider a V6 this time.
Cant wait to enjoy these benefits of high torque.

@ siena and fhemmy
u guys seem to be very knowledgeable on autos, and i quite appreciate dat.
I'm quite confused about radiator coolants, my camry01 came wit the pink one but we lost a lot of it while removing the thermostat, so I topped it up with the green abro coolant available here in naija. I later learnt that mixing the coolants (the pink and green one) does more harm than good in vehicles, so i flushed out everything and put just the green one, mixed with water.

the question,

wat r the dangers in mixing water with coolants, esp when the ratio of water is higher in the mixture?
is there any danger removing the thermostat?

Nothing wrong in using green / blue coolant, as long as the original pink / red one is flushed out. If the water ratio is greater than the coolant, say 7:2, then there's a greater tendency for the coolant to boil over, in Nigeria's hot climate. Ideally, you need a 50/50 mix.

You're asking about the downfalls of removing the thermostat, when you've already taken it out?  Why did you remove it in the first place? 

The thermostat is there for a reason - to allow the coolant to reach optimum operating temperature. If it's removed, the engine will take longer to warm up, not good! You'll also notice when it does reach normal operating temperature, (about halfway on the gauge, or 90 degrees if scaled) if the car's being driven at a constant speed, say 50 mph and beyond, the needle will gradually drop into the "cold" section, as the constant flow of air from higher speeds will actually over cool the engine. This is bad! High engine RPM's when cold will cause damage later down the line. Fuel consumption is directly related to engine temperature, if it's too cool, the coolant temperature sensor (not the one that indicates your dash gauge, but the one that tells your ECU what temps the coolant's running at) will see the engine as cold, and keep the injectors open for longer durations, which means excess fuel. Excess fuel leads to "bore wash", a condition whereby the excess fuel injected washes the oil from the cylinder bores, which will cause premature wear, due to the piston rings scraping the bores unlubricated.

This is one of the reasons you'll see relatively new cars in Nigeria burning oil (blue smoke from the exhaust). Once bore wear sets in, engine performance drops off, as cylinder compression is lost. The car will become very thirsty, both for oil and petrol. In the advanced stages of bore wear, the car will become harder to start, especially from cold, till eventually it won't run at all!

It's sad how Nigerian mechanics ill advice drivers to have their thermostats removed. Most Toyota's in Nigeria were imported from the United States, where some states have much hotter climates, Arizona, Texas and Nevada being prime examples. These cars still run with their thermostats, if they're removed, they won't pass emission tests, due to over-fuelling. If you feel your car runs too hot with a thermostat in place, then get one with a slightly lower opening temperature. The original one opens between 86 - 92 degrees Celsius, in both the 2,2-16V I4, and 3,0-24V V6 Camry. You can fit thermostats that operate between 80 - 84 degrees.

Don't run your car without one at all, unless you're prepared for premature engine wear, and the accompanying big repair bills.

premature engine wear, repair bills chei!

i still hv the thermostat, i'll get my automec to put it back asap!

^^^ Please do so.

You never stated why it was removed in the first instance?

@ siena
thanks for ur concern.

my automec advised me to remove it cos the weather here is too hot and it'll be of no use, the engine will need free flow of the coolant 98% of the time.
It made some sense to me then. He also said that the radiator needs to be changed to double cell radiator, the single cell there now will soon be less effective.
I also noticed that water flows from under the engine wenever the AC is on, as in, like a flowing tap

Thank u Mr Siena

V6 has a poor resale value in Nigeria,get ready to dash ur mechanic the car when ure tried with it.

katki:

V6 has a poor resale value in Nigeria,get ready to dash your mechanic the car when ure tried with it.

Which confirms my initial point - Nigerian mechanics, with their poor knowledge put potential buyers of V6-engined cars off. A V6 is superior to an I4 in every way. Which is why they're the choice when it comes to powering large vehicles.

The BMW 5 series E34 used to have an I4, the 518i up to 1993. It was dropped for the '94 - '96 MY, as it was thirstier than the 6-cylinder 520i that replaced it as the base model.

I personally buy cars to enjoy them - I wouldn't buy an I4 just because I was worried what would happen come resale time. In the United States, Britain and most Western countries, I4's are shunned, due to their under-powered performance, and shorter service life. The V6 / V8 engines power most modern SUV's light trucks and heavy rigs. If the I4 was that great, it would be used by major automobile manufacturer's in their flagship models.

Try picturing a 4-cylinder Porsche, Audi Q7, BMW X-series, Volkswagen Touareg. A frightening thought! How come 4-cylinder engines don't power these?  They would be poor sellers, that's why - unless in Nigeria, whereby if there was a BMW X5 with a 1,8L I4, Nigerians would rush out in droves to buy.

chelseabmw:

fuc, k V6/V8

Try debating constructively, without resorting to verbal abuse and / or swearing.

siena,
still expecting ur reaction to my post above about the double cell radiator,

elite:

siena,
still expecting your reaction to my post above about the double cell radiator,

I have little knowledge about the double-cell radiator, but from all accounts, it works well. I would presume it has a much larger surface area to dissipate heat, so keeps temperatures low.

Water dripping from underneath the engine, whilst the aircon's running is perfectly normal. It's condensation, off the evaporator behind the dash. It has a collector, which allows the water to flow outwards, rather than into the passenger compartment.

its a pity that car lovers had allowed themselves to be brain washed due to their inability to seek for information and open their mind to change.

I can say with all sense of responsibility that i know about my car more than my mechanic cos i take time out to research, need to say that he knows the intrigues cos he has done it overtime but i understand the dynamics more than him.

It is clear to me that these guys who prefer 4 cylinder cars to V6 will never drive jeeps cos they mostly come in V6 engine and above.

Dare buy a jeep with 4 cylinder and you will know what we re talking about.

I will advice you try out a friends V6 car for a trip and you all will be convinced.

In no distant future, just like manual cars are getting the butt, 4 cylinder cars will be a thing of the past, WATCH OUT.

Travellling by road is better than air travel cos of the risk?, may be you will need to drive through the sea to travel abroad then.

Wake up and tune your mind to technological changes that have come to stay, wonder why we still remain as consumers in this part of the world?. How many of you guys still have the old video player at home rather than the dvd player?, the black and white Tvs rather than Lcds, a desk top rather than laptops?.

We hardly accept change until its glaring and staring us in the face.

Good for you guys who have decided to stuck to 4 cylinder cars, by the time you all will wake up, some of us will be driving on V12.

Get one of the V engines from a friend for a test drive and you will experience the best driving pleasures you can ever imagine.

GO ON THE INTERNET, INFORMATION THERE IS FREE. WAKE UP

^^^ Very true, Seal.

I disagree about manual tranny's getting wiped out though. A manual tranny's for true enthusiasts, rather than just sitting back, and letting their cars drive them, they prefer to shift their own cogs, myself included. 

V-engines are the business though. 

@ siena,
the thermostat has been re-installed. the coolant temperature guage rises to almost half the way in about 3-4 mins of engine idling and remains there, unlike b4 dat it took much longer and still drops wen u start driving.
Pls hdw can one know wen the transmission oil needs to be changed

Anticipating ur prompt response!

^^^ Please refresh my memory - what car are we talking about, and what year is it?