First Post By AnguillaKen

[AnguillaKen]

Hello to everyone,

I just received my first Hilux from Japan. I live in Anguilla, originally from Canada. I'd never heard of the Hilux, it was picked by a friend here who imports cars from Japan.

My project manager (my company is in Canada), however, sent me some wild torture test YouTube videos by a BBC show and some Googling shows it seems to have a real cult following.

Anyway, I'm glad I found this forum. It seems to be THE place on the Web for Hilux info. OK, I'm off to the FAQ to figure out what the little red button and ECT are, as well as how to work the 4WD! :-)

Best regards to all,
Ken

[TobyJug]

welcome to the forum mate....
Hope u found what ur looking for and otherwise there will be people on hand to give u an answer.....

[POPEYE]

Welcome, sure you'll enjoy the site and find a wealth of info, i think "that"
clarkson vid tuned a lot of people in to the hilux, it was certainly a factor for me, the surf being a close cousin to the pickup, was gonna get a paj at first, also a good truck in my view but the surf has a better "look"

[Phantom]

Hello to everyone,

I just received my first Hilux from Japan. I live in Anguilla, originally from Canada. I'd never heard of the Hilux, it was picked by a friend here who imports cars from Japan.

My project manager (my company is in Canada), however, sent me some wild torture test YouTube videos by a BBC show and some Googling shows it seems to have a real cult following.

Anyway, I'm glad I found this forum. It seems to be THE place on the Web for Hilux info. OK, I'm off to the FAQ to figure out what the little red button and ECT are, as well as how to work the 4WD! :-)

Best regards to all,
Ken

Hi Ken and welcome. The little red button is for moving the gear shift out of park when the engine is not running. The ect is like a sports mode for the gearbox, the engine will rev higher before changing gear.
Hope this helps.
Steve.

[JUDWAK]

welcome dude to the mad house
you joined the best place for hilux info

[Predictable Bob]

I was going to commiserate with you for being sent away by your firm - then I checked where Anguilla is .......

Anyway, welcome to the asylum - just remember that some of the people in white coats are inmates !

[AnguillaKen]

Thank you for the nice welcome

Wow, a very active forum. Thank you, all, for the nice welcome! :-)

I found all the info I was looking for in the FAQ. Seeing as how there was user's no manual (and if there was, mine would have been in Japanese), it was super-useful. Red button and ECT were there (and thank you, Phantom 18) -- and most importantly that 4WD gear changer-with-button -- it was really puzzling me. There were two excellent posts in that 8-page thread that nailed it down. I copied-and-pasted-and printed and then went and compared. It all made sense. :-)

So.... thanks very much for all the answers!

I've never driven a 4x4, always lived in a city and laughed at the urban nitwits with 4x4s, most of whom never took them beyond the suburbs, I'm sure, but they sure seemed happy stuck in downtown traffic in them. Obviously, everyone here is seriously into some crazy driving -- it seems that there is no place a Hilux can't go.

In Anguilla, there are a ton of rugged back roads and "no-roads" to explore. Heck, after watching those BBC videos, I just may take it cliff-diving! I'll check the airbag first.

We had already bought a mint 1999 Honda Saber from someone moving to Turks & Caicos, a great road car. I've already trashed all the spoilers, though. I wanted something go really get off-off-road. I love to explore this island and will field-collect large specimen cacti. It's certainly roomy enough to accommodate the largest of cacti. :-)

And yes, Predictable Bob... Anguilla's a pretty nice place -- no need to commiserate. ;-) My daughter has a site about it... anguilla-beaches.com -- expect to see a page or two about some Hilux adventures. :-)

Our special spot in the world, we're just about to move into a home we've been building for 18 months here. The company is my own (it's an Internet company with 60 employees worldwide and no office at all), so I must say that I sent myself here.

Anguilla is, by the way, a UK independent territory -- we drive on the same side of the road as you do, which is why importing cars from Japan is so popular here.

By the way, it's 84 and sunny today in this UK part of the Caribbean (not far from the British Virgin Islands). Drop by anytime, we're related! I'll add a photo of my HiLux near a palm tree shortly, to my profile. OK, that's enough rubbing it in, I guess. Um, except to say that I won't have to worry about whether my rear-window defroster is working or not (something else I found in the FAQ). ;-)

All the best,
Ken

P.S. I did have one newbie question that I can't find an answer to. I've noticed reference to "overdrive" in these forums. But I can't find how to do that on my Surf (1999 SSR-X). Is that not available or am I not seeing a button or how to do that. And, um, oh yes, a real red-facer...

What does SSR-X mean? Are all Surfs of that year SSR-X? Are there various models that mean different things?

Thanks again. This is an incredible spot on the Web. :-)

[BioHazard]

Welcome to the nuthouse ,,,,,beware the squirrel



This might help with the missing manual

http://forums.bauchan.org/portal/downloads.php?dcid=16



and a good FAQ section here......


http://www.showmesome.info/hilux/info/faq.htm

[Phantom]

The overdrive button is on the gearstick you opperate it with your left thumb. An orange light will come on in the dash saying od off when you press it.

[AnguillaKen]

Downloading handbook now

Thanks very much, Phantom 18 and BioHazard. I guess that about exhaust's the idiot-level questions. Downloading the handbook now, I guess the Gen 2 is pretty close to the Gen 3 which isn't available for download, it seems.

Thanks again,
Ken

[Diezel Weazel]

Suminelse we 2nd genners don't have is curling tongs..unlike 3rd genners
By the way, Hi n welcome to the Planet's best Forum of Fun !!!

There's always a Payback .... Just don't expect a Warning !!!!

[That Ruddy Squirrel]

Welcome to the nuthouse Ken,

Make yourself at home and feel free to join in the banter

I'm the squirrel that overweight, mouldy, windbag of Yeti (biohazard) warned you about


Trev

[BioHazard]

Thanks very much, Phantom 18 and BioHazard. I guess that about exhaust's the idiot-level questions. Downloading the handbook now, I guess the Gen 2 is pretty close to the Gen 3 which isn't available for download, it seems.

Thanks again,
Ken

The 3rd gen 4wd system is different as it has a center diff