NEWSERVICING LIGHT TRUCKS THE BY PAUL WEISSLER Things are popping this year in light truck land, with new models and plenty of safety, performance and convenience upgrades for existing models. or 2003, there’s a fresh crop of SUVs (and one truck)truck) fromfrom thethe U.S.,U.S., EuropeEurope andand Asia—andAsia—and AsiaAsia Fdoesn’t mean just Japan anymore. The U.S. offers the new Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator and Aviator, GM’s Hummer H2 and the Chrysler Group’s hemi-powered heavy- duty Dodge Ram pickups. Europe is sending thethe VolvoVolvo XC90XC90 andand thethe British-builtBritish-built (BMW-(BMW- powered) Range Rover. Japan has models fromfrom itsits BigBig Three—theThree—the newnew ToyotaToyota Dodge Ram 22 January 2003 Honda Element Lincoln Navigator (background) & Aviator Volvo XC90 January 2003 23 SERVICING THE NEW LIGHT TRUCKS upscale Lexus cousin, the GX 470, this winter. It’s a slightly long-stroke engine (94mm bore x 95mm stroke). Com- bined with variable intake valve timing, it produces 282 ft-lb of torque at 3800 rpm (245 hp at 5200). It’s a very lively engine that actually produces more horsepower than the V8 (235), but less torque (the V8 delivers 320 ft-lb). The V6 block has an open-deck de- sign with siamesed bores, but there’s a water passage between them. The cylin- der liners are very thin and not recom- mended for a rebore, so long down the road they’ll have to be resleeved. The main bearing caps are held by four “plastic region” (torque-to-yield) bolts The new Toyota 4Runner’s base engine, a 4.0L V6, has an open-deck block de- from underneath and two bolts thread- sign with siamesed cylinder bores. A drilled coolant passage (red arrow) in ed in from the sides. the siamese joint prevents a hot spot from developing. There’s a dual oil pan design—a main aluminum casting (for structural rigidi- 4Runner and Lexus GX 470, the Honda are ongoing, of course. Volvo has made ty) and a steel pan as a secondary reser- Element and the Nissan Murano. Add the most impressive moves, with its gy- voir to provide needed oil capacity. the Kia Sorento to the ’03 list, which roscopic stability control. However, Cheers to Toyota for the oil filter, which joins the Hyundai Santa Fe, introduced both Range Rover and Toyota/Lexus, is surrounded by a bracket shaped like last year. These two Korean products with their hydraulic cross-linking of the part of a funnel. Attach a hose to the have been changing a lot of minds. shock absorbers, also have significant pipe on the bracket, loosen the filter We know there’s more in the new technology. and the oil flows through the pipe and pipeline, too, with Nissan ready to show So here’s a rundown on the newest hose into a drain container. us the Pathfinder replacement this SUVs and light trucks now—or soon to The clutch-type fan has a thermostat- month, a new GMC SUV based on the be—on U.S. highways. ic bimetal valve that provides three- Envoy coming a bit later, plus all-new position control of the silicone fluid GM compact pickups and the 2004 TOYOTA/LEXUS valve inside the coupling—off and low Ford F-150. Even Porsche will soon A brand-new 4.0L V6—Toyota’s first and high speeds. bring its Cayenne SUV to these shores. all-aluminum truck/SUV engine—is The intake air chamber is a plastic The efforts to improve SUV stability coming for the new 4Runner and its housing with a solenoid valve actuator to provide two airflow paths based on engine rpm. That actuator is laser- Oil Filter welded onto the chamber, so if it ever needs replacement, we hope there’ll be a field service kit that allows you to avoid installing an entire chamber. The 4Runner and Lexus GX 470 share the same 4.7 V8 and Torsen (torque-sensing) center differential 4WD system, although each has differ- ent controls. Surprisingly, the more lux- urious GX 470 has the “rugged” 4H-to- Drain Pipe 4L shift lever, while the 4Runner has an With Cap electrical control system with a dash- board knob. The 4Runner/GX 470 cross-linking Oil Filter Bracket of the shock absorbers is a diagonal set- up, somewhat like hydraulic brakes. The curved bracket under the 4.0 V6’s oil filter is shaped like a funnel. All you Midpoint in the hydraulic line between have to do following an oil filter replacement is remove the cap from the pipe one front and the opposite rear shock is end and attach a drain hose and oil flows neatly into a container. a “center absorber.” When the vehicle 24 January 2003 starts to tilt, the shock in compression spring on 2WD, torsion bar on 4WD, transmitter, which identifies the transfers pressurized fluid to the center compared with air suspension on all wheel, is built into the tire valve, so a absorber, and through it to the extend- Navigators (but a forthcoming option tire change is no longer a simple “re- ing shock, increasing its damping force. on Expedition). place the valves” matter. Those parts The Expedition/Navigator 4WD has are 1. not going to be cheap and 2. spe- FORD EXPEDITION a new Control Trac system, which cific to the wheel, so you can’t use LINCOLN NAVIGATOR brings a true 2WD position, while also just any one. As for tire rotation, we The two full-size Ford SUVs are all-new providing all-wheel drive, 4-High and 4- might have to look forward to repro- models for ’03, featuring rack & pinion Low. In 2WD, the system disconnects gramming. There are other types of steering, four-wheel-vented disc brakes at each front wheel hub, not merely at in-wheel transmitters, separate from and independent rear suspension, with the front axle, so the axle shafts and the tire valve, but they’d complicate axle shafts passing through slots in the gears are motionless. That helps im- installation of accessory wheels. frame, a design pioneered in the Ex- prove fuel economy. The wheel hub dis- plorer. But there are also lots of techni- connect is a next-generation version of LINCOLN AVIATOR cal differences between the Expedition the Warn vacuum chamber system that The Aviator is built off the Ford Ex- and Navigator. had been used on Ranger pickups. plorer platform, and looks much like a The Expedition’s base engine is the There are lots of electronically con- Navigator that got shrunk. So it’s no surprise that it has a DOHC version of the 4.6L V8 (vs. the DOHC 5.4L V8 in the Navigator). There’s no shrink- Extending age in horsepower; in fact the 4.6 V8 Compressing all-aluminum design develops 2 more horses (302), though significantly less Center Control torque (300 ft-lb vs. 355 for the 5.4 V8 Absorber in the Navigator). Rear The Aviator’s brakes resemble those Shock in the Explorer. They’re twin-piston Absorber calipers over vented discs in front, sin- Front (RH) Shock gle-piston over solid discs in the rear. Absorber However, the brakes are significantly (LH) larger than the Explorer’s, so you can’t Orifice do any parts swapping. There’s a 2WD model Aviator, but no Control Trac 4WD. Instead, an all- wheel-drive option, similar to what’s Cross-linking of shock absorbers with fluid tubing and a “center absorber” used on the Mercury Mountaineer, is improves vehicle stability on the Toyota 4Runner and Lexus GX 470. The shock available. under compression transfers pressure through the center absorber to the As with the Aviator’s bigger brothers, shock on extension, to increase its damping force, reducing body tilt. direct tire pressure monitoring will be an option, late in the model year. SOHC 4.6L V8, which has the same trolled features on these vehicles. The horsepower as in ’02 (232 horses), but a optional running boards on the Naviga- RANGE ROVER new torque curve that peaks at 291 ft- tor, for example, are not some simple There were many snickers about the lb. However, the engine block is an all- switching setup. They stay deployed un- Range Rover’s 4.0 and 4.6 V8s being new aluminum casting, and many en- til the vehicle is moving at least 5 mph. based on a 40-year-old GM engine, but gine internal parts were redesigned. For reliability, all wiring and bearings that was a distortion of history. The The Expedition offers a 5.4L V8, but are sealed against moisture, and the cylinder bore spacing may have been it’s also a SOHC, with a new stiffer and track is a self-cleaning design. unchanged, but the engine has been quieter cast-iron block rated at 260 hp, There are a powered liftgate, option- modernized repeatedly over the years. with a reworked torque curve that al power-folding third row seat backs, The pushrod engine, still available on peaks at 350 ft-lb. even power folding side mirrors (which the Rover Discovery, is all-aluminum The Navigator has just an iron-block are heated, by the way). and develops a respectable 217 hp and 5.4 V8, but it’s a DOHC version rated at Late in the model year you can also 300 ft-lb of torque. 300 hp, also tuned for torque (355 ft-lb look forward to optional tire pressure When BMW bought Rover (which it at 2750 rpm).