Nigel Fryatt - editor

The Toyota’s 2.5-litre turbodiesel engine has never been the quietest around, but the other Monday as I drove up the road, it sounded like a tank. It also sounded that it would be inadvisable to carry on. On stopping to check, it appeared impossible to open the bonnet. It was obviously ‘one of those’ Mondays…

A cautious return down the hill, much of it freewheeling or on a trailing throttle (where the turbo overrun whistle sounded a lot louder than usual), I began to wonder. Hopefully there was a simple solution, something having worked loose, a hose gone astray, something.... well, cheap.

Back home the bonnet refused to budge and so I contacted the guys at Jemca Toyota (www.toyota.co.uk/jemca). The Hilux was due a 10,000 mile first service, so perhaps they could have a look, and thankfully they were able to fit me in the next day. Locking up the Toyota and deciding to wait until the experts could have a look, I was sure I could smell exhaust gases.

Glen at Jemca opened the bonnet (it seems that’s a typical Hilux quirk) and in the time it took to switch on the ignition, and switch it off, he declared: “Your cat’s been stolen.” Now, that is one of those sentences that don’t immediately register. Catalytic convertor. Stolen.

Toyota Hilux

Spec: HL3 D-4D  
Mileage: 9522 
MPG: 32/33 
Recent costs: £1294 replacement catalytic convertor fitted
Arrived: October 2011

You can read more about this Toyota in the March 2012 issue of 4x4 Magazine - available here