Want to purcahse an IO
Hi
My first post so go easy with me!
I initially looked at purchasing SWB's 2000 - 2001 models as this was all I wanted to spend on a vehicle.
Although I found a few suitable vehicles, the fuel consumption is just too much to justify for a vehicle that will spend 80% of its time driving a 30km trip back and forwards to work (in traffic), the vehicle it will replace is a Polo.
So I thought maybe an io 5dr would be more applicable.
The trips the vehicle will be used for (apart from using for work and driving around Cape Town) will be to various parks.
I know an io isn't an out and out 4x4 but would it be adequate for trips to the 4x4 areas of say the following parks:
Karoo National park
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Namaqua National Park ( the new 4x4 camping section)
and basically similar areas.
It seems that there isn't many models around after 2001, is that when they stopped importing to RSA?
I also would like to fit a rooftop tent to one and maybe an awning, would this be possible has anyone done it?
I looked at an io today but the upper wheel lights on the dashboard were constantly flashing when in 2WD even when driving( when vehicle was put into 4H the lights were solid), is that a solunoid (spelling not good!) / actuator issue?
Any other tips when buying one would be very much appreciated.
Thank you all in advance for your time
Marcus
welcome
Welcome to the forum, and I hope that you get the best io from where you are !!
The Polo is a nice little car and my only concern regarding the swap over from the Polo to the io is the fuel consumption, the io average 10 to11 l/100km. This said you will get to places that no Polo have ever seen....
Happy io
Syndicate
I'm not in South Africa ...
Since I'm not in South Africa, I'll skip over the questions that relate to the vehicle being adequate for trips to the specifed locations - there are a couple of members better equipped to answer those - what I will say is that the iO is as much an "out and out" 4x4 as anything else you would care to name - for example - a Land Rover Defender, or a Toyota Hilux - both of those may have more ground clearance, and larger tires, but, as far as the drive train goes, the iO is a true 4x4 with low range, in fact, it uses a SuperSelect 4WD system that is very similar to that of the full sized Pajeros.
The flashing "upper" lights can have several possible causes - what it is basically telling you is that the SuperSelect system thinks that the front axle freewheel clutch is engaged when it should not be, which may or may not be the case - possible causes include defective sensing switches, defective wiring, and if the freewheel clutch is in fact engaged, defective vacuum solenoid valves, defective vacuum lines, a defective actuator or a problem with the freewheel clutch itself. I should also point out that some owners have been known to simply tie the freewheel clutch engaged rather than figure out where the problem lies.
Some iO's come with roof rails and I would day a roof top tent can be fitted - getting both a roof top tent and an awning on at the same time might be a challenge though.