Body and electrical issues on 4WDs aren’t always top of mind when
it comes to high-kay repair bills, but they can seriously quickly add
up. We sat down with two of the country’s most experienced
mechanics and vehicle dismantlers who’ve seen the condition of
thousands of high-kay 4WDs to see what they reckon.HIGH-KAY ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
When talking about electrical compontents on 4WDs (everything
from alternators to sensors and all in between), what are the
electrical components that fail most commonly on high kay 4WDs?
“The most common electrical faults we see in high kilometres
4WDs is airfl ow meters and ABS sensors,” says Chris Hole from
Superior Offroad 4WD. “And a strange one of late is airbag/seat belt
sensors. The air bag sensor and or seat belt sensors seem stupid
but it’s a pain in the back side as the fault light on the dash stays on.
It doesn’t affect the vehicle running but the sensor needs replacing
because of a low volt fault. Worse of all is that if the seat belt sensor
is faulty there’s is a chance the whole belt needs replacing even
though the sensor can be replaced but dealers only sell it as a
complete unit.”COST TO REPAIR
ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS
What are some of the most complex and expensive electrical
components that could need replacing on high kay 4WDs? Chris
from Superior Offroad explains a few of the more painful repairs he
commonly sees.
“We have had a few temperatures sensors fail,” says Chris.
“They’re the ones on the dash that tell you the outside temperature,
but if they’re faulty it throws the whole vehicle’s ECU into chaos. The
vehicle won’t start or run because the computer thinks it’s too hot or
too cold! Auto transmission computers are very common these days.They are built into the auto itself and are affected by heat. Worst
case scenario your trans cooler breaks and water then gets into the
transmission oil and then shorts out the computer.”HOW TO AVOID AN ELECTRICAL LEMON
In terms of vehicle electrics, how can you avoid buying a lemon?
We asked Chris from Superior Offroad 4WD what he thought.
“A lot of people don’t realise that your ECU is not just a computer
but also a black box, so everything that happens during driving or
service intervals is all load into the computer. If you have the right
software or car scan you can pull all this info out. That means if you
have the right tools, you can get a good read on the entire health
status of the vehicle. It’s why you should seriously consider a
proper pre-purchase inspection by a qualifi ed 4WD specifi c
mechanic on any vehicle you’re looking at!”ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE
Can any sort of preventative maintenance save electrical
components on high-kay 4WDs? Chris from Superior Offroad sheds
light on this.
“I live by this rule; preventative maintenance is the key to get out
in the bush and back home again,” he tells us. Even though service
intervals are a lot longer these days, I believe these to be too long.
Every 5,000km you should service your vehicle, and transmission
and diff oils should be replaced every 12 months. Your fl uids and
fi lters are cheap compared to replacing engines and gearbox!
Keeping your engine bay clean is just as important as keeping the
outside clean. Mud and dirt get into everything, and electrical items
won’t last long once they’re full of dirt. Treat your electrical system
to regular maintenance like you would the rest of your vehicle and
give it the best fi ghting chance possible.”Often overlooked, but just as important is how the rest of the vehicle fares
BODY & ELECTRICAL
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