Today went to the dealership for 5000km routine maintenance. Apart from engine oil, oil filter and regular look around the car, they do nothing else. They were clueless when I asked if they lubed the front and rear propeller shafts. The chief technician was like "Isme grease bhi lagti hai?" Upon my pointing out that there are zerk fittings underneath that need to be lubed, he raised the car in front of me to look for the zerk fittings and then agreed "haan agar grease nipple hai tou grease lagti hugi". I showed correct grease spec from the owner's manual for spider joints and slip yokes but every person from the service manager to the head mechanic were clueless. They said we don't have the grease and "mangwaani paregi". I told them to leave it there then, paid my bill and left.
What a pathetic and shameful experience. They have non-technical people hired as mechanics and service managers whose skills are even worse than a roadside mechanic. They are not aware and don't follow their own service protocols. They only seemed to be capable of carrying out basic oil change, filter change, brake service level jobs and nothing even a slightly more technical.
The most time they spent on in the entire routine maintenance was washing the vehicle. And that too they sprayed dirty engine oil under the car without my knowledge. The worst part is that they charge rs7000 for this pathetic service and dirty engine oil spray under the car.
What a pathetic experience. The whole point of visiting the dealership was that they will carry out every job according to the correct service protocol but that does not seem to be the case. It seems that Toyota Pakistan's own dealerships have a hand in premature failure of their vehicles in Pakistan. They do not stock correct lubes (stone age era "Dezon" as engine oil for diesel) and do not follow their own service protocols.
The dealership in question is Toyota Eastern motors Karachi.
Also, what grease are you guys using to maintain your Hilux/Fortuner/Prado/Landcruiser propeller shafts and from where do you do it? Both the slip yokes and u-joints required different spec grease. Given the pathetic experience, I will be doing this as a DIY soon. Will try to document the entire procedure and post it here InshaAllah.