Toyota Land Cruiser

trout14 · August 2003

Just bought a 99 TLC and have noticed that the oil pressure gauge moves quite a bit with driving. Reads a quarter at idle and goes up just below 3 quarters at speed. Is this normal? Has 49000 miles and is in great condition. Love this vehicle so far. Upgraded from an Isuzu Trooper, what a difference.

Thanks

hank14 · August 2003

Thanks Joeeblow1-

The rear diff plug is 24 mm. The front plugs have an inverted hex head with a recessed torx, T30, I think, but it is close to being stripped. I have the Toyota Repair manuals, but haven't completely figured out how to navigate them. They need a new proof reader. Many of the cross referenced pages numbers are wrong.

Trout 14- (2980)- I haven't noticed the pressure fluctuation, but will keep an eye on it.

steelcruiser · August 2003

Re the diff plugs. You need to remove the plastic under engine cover to reach the front diff. The drain faces the rear of the vehicle, and the fill plug is to the upper right of it. Since yours are really tight, suggest you work on the fill plugs first to make sure you can free them up. You wouldn't want to drain the oil and then not be able to refill the diffs.

Oil pressure fluctation is normal as you describe. It will read a bit higher with 5w30 than 10w30.

ccco1 · August 2003

I have a 2000 LC. On the front diff I use a 10MM hex bit socket in a 3/8's drive to get the plugs out. This is just a short piece of 10MM allen wrench mounted on a socket. You might be able to use a regular 10MM allen wrench, but there isn't very much room to work.
To pump the oil in, I just use a pump I bought at the parts store. It is made to fit the one quart bottles the gear oil comes in. It was only $5 or $6. The only bad part is, it takes alot of pumps per bottle to get all the oil out.

And like Steelcruiser said: always, always take the fill plug out FIRST, then the drain plug!

hank14 · August 2003

Thanks again, Steelcruiser and ccco1, for the advice. I think it is a 10 mm hex as you stated. On the rear, I hit the drain plug with an impact wrench and 24mm socket (just to loosen it), and the gear lube lubed myself and the driveway in a hurry. Luckily, the fill plug came out also. Now I know why they put so much info on torque specs in the manual.
My next chore will be the trans fluid, which I am going to try and change all of it by disconnecting the hose from the trans cooler and running the engine while refilling the pan (poor man's flush as one person put it). It's likely to get a little slick on my driveway again.

steelcruiser · August 2003

On my '02 all of the plugs are 24mm. I also have a sweet little Snap-On 3/8" (QJFR-275C) swivel head torque wrench that fits in the tight areas pretty nicely. Torque range is 5-75 lbs in 1/2 pound increments. Expensive, but I've sure gotten my money's worth out of it over the years.

I try to drain tranny fluid every third oil change, in keeping with Hank's poor man's flush philosophy.

And while talking about torque specs, after some research and talking with Toy tech types, I believe that for the alloy wheels, especially the ones on the 100 series with washers for them, that wheel lug nut torque spec is 80 lbs, not 100 as shown in the manual. I believe the 100+ lbs is the steel wheel spec. I've been using this spec for about 12 years now without incident.

Any one have contrary info on this--Doug?

hank14 · August 2003

Steelcruiser-

How much transmission fluid do you use for a flush? I figure it is somewhere between 4 and 12 quarts (the refill amount of 3.4 and the dry fill amount of ~12 qts). I read about the procedure on Amsoil.com FAQ's page.

steelcruiser · August 2003

Hank14 I only drain the pan, so I don't add 12 qts at a time.

Had to chuckle at your earlier posts on the lube oil etc going all over. You haven't lived until you've done that at least once. I remember doing it myself. What a slippery mess

I've also learned the hard way about pulling a nail out of a flat Ssssssssssssss.

jtsang2004 · August 2003

I recently purchased a 1997 LX 450 with 95K and I have noticed a slight problem with the steering. The truck seems to steer to the right when I drive. I have to steer the steering wheel a little to the left to keep the truck going in a straight line. This leads me to believe it might be a alignment issue, so I took the truck to a local mechanic shop and was told they can not adjust the alignment because they were unable to turn the front tie rods to properly align the wheels to the correct alignment. They suggest I replace the tie rods and tie rod ends with new parts ( parts and labors $500) because they think the tie rods are either rusted and they refuse to make any more effort to loose the rod thinking it may break. I then took the car to Sear Auto Center for a second opinion and were told the trucks alignment are fine and they were able to adjust the alignments. After the alignment at sears, I did not notice any difference and still have to steer to the left slightly to keep the truck going straight.

Can any one help?
- Is the original mechanic correct about the tie end rods? Should I change them?

- Is there someting else I should be concern with aside from the alignment? Since I noticed there are some vibrations on the steering wheel when I drive. Could the tires be bad?

steelcruiser · August 2003

There is a bit of difference between a "pull" and a "drift". Unless you are experiencing a dramatic pull, it sounds like what you're describing is a drift. The information about not being able to adjust the alignment is partially correct. Toe in and toe out are adjustable, but castor and camber are not readily adjustable on a solid axle LC. I assume your vehicle is not lifted?

Similarly, a slight drift to one side or the other is common with the solid axle. Notice which side of the road is "crowned" when you're driving. To check this out, try driving on a road that is crowned to the left, rather than the right and see if you don't notice a similar drift to the left.

Steering wheel vibration may be due to unbalanced or unevenly worn tires. For peace of mind, you may want to consider having a Lexus/Toy dealer check your vehicle out to verify what you've been told. Other than the wheel vibration, it sounds like the Sears tech gave you good information. In re-reading your post, I noticed that you say you have to steer to the left "slightly" even after the alignment, so I think you're just experiencing the normal characteristics of a solid axle vehicle on a crowned road.

For other posters that are wondering (just as I am) about the future of the LC, thought this site might be interesting.

http://www.webwombat.com.au/motoring/news_reports/4_10_toy.htm

jtsang2004 · August 2003

SteelCruiser, Thanks for the information. It definitely feels more like a drift than a pull because the truck slowly difts to the right as the truck moves in a straight road. But what do you mean by crowned road, the problem occurrs even in a straight road. Are you also saying that the difting is a common problem for the 1997 LX450 and TLC's. I believed they placed my truck on a lift when the alignment service was performed.

One more thing, the Sears technician also mentioned that the front right wheel bearings were a little loose and I should have a mechanic tighten the bearings. Is this something that might be the cause of the vibration? and Is this a less expensive than replacing with new wheel bearings?

Do you recommend I go to another mechanic for the alignment?

Thanks again for all the help.

steelcruiser · August 2003

By crowning I mean most roads and streets are higher toward the middle and lower on the right side. Take a look down a long stretch of straight road and you'll see a bit of a dip on each side. You have a vehicle with two solid axles with the wheels at each end. As each axle moves to coincide with the terrain it does so in a single up/down, left/right fashion--both wheels at the same time--one tire raises a bit and the opposite will dip a bit. So if you were on a road with a downward angle to your right, the passenger side would dip down to the right and the drivers side would be up. This height difference is pretty slight, but enough to require a bit of steering correction. I have the same thing on my '02 with IFS. But I remember my first LC and thinking the same thing as you did. The solid axle vehicles take some getting used to if you haven't driven one before.

I've provided a link that might be useful to you. It provides a general overview of the various LC/450 axle & differential components.

Hope this helps. And don't be afraid to post here. There are lots of very knowledge and helpful people here that are more than willing to share their knowledge and experience.

ruking1 · August 2003

In regards to the alignment, there is a Hunter 7500? that does a very state of the art tire balancing. Usually if they have that, they will also have the Hunter laser alignment system. The Toyota dealership that I have gone to for years has it and the independent shop where I take my Corvette Z06 has it also. It gives a very objective computer print out that you can visually see. Best of luck.

capriracer1 · August 2003

I think you meant Hunter GSP9700.

ruking1 · August 2003

Yeah, that is probably the correct #.

cbs03 · August 2003

I recently purchased a '00 Lexus LX470 with 46,000 miles on it. The Lexus dealership where I am buying it is offering an extended warranty of 5 year/100,000 miles. (The 5 years starts on today's date and goes 55,000 more miles). The cost is $2,150. I do plan on keeping my car that long, but should I do this? My initial thought is No since Lexus/Toyota has such good reliability. Any suggestions??
And thanks again in advance! This board is very helpful!

tedcruiser · August 2003

That price for the warranty (assuming it's a Platinum warranty) is retail. If you have the records on the 470 and everything was maintained properly, then I wouldn't buy a extended warranty. If you don't know if it has been cared for, then I would consider it. For a extended warranty on a new Landcruiser, I paid about $700 less than that.

cliffy1 · August 2003

Cbs03 and tedcruiser are talking about two completely different warranties. Tedcruiser is correct that the Platinum plan is cheaper. Not only that, but it covers a heck of a lot more equipment than the one cbs03 is being offered. The catch is, because cbs03 has more than 36K miles on his, he can't get a new car warranty.

Used car warranties are more expensive and their effective dates are from the date of warranty purchase. The new car warranties are good from the date of original vehicle purchase.

Dealers are not supposed to sell used car warranties unless they sold the vehicle as a used car. Some will fudge this so they can sell them to their own customers at a later date. Any dealer can sell a new car warranty, as long as the vehicle is less than 3 years old and has less than 36K miles.

Clear as mud? Good.

cliffy1 · August 2003

Even though the Lexus basic warranty is longer than the Toyota one, the 3/36 limit for selling a new car warranty is stil the same.

jtsang2004 · August 2003

Once again, I will need some help from some of the experts st this disscusion form.

I have some questions concerning the from wheel bearings. Like I said on my previous post, I recently purchase a 1997 LX450 and I have taken the car the sears auto center for a wheel alignment, after the alignment, I was told by the Sears tech, the front right wheel bearings is a little loose and I need to bring it to a mechanic to have it adjusted or tighten with a special tool.

I call several mechanics and were told different stories, two said they can adjust the bearings and two said they can not adjust the bearings on this type of car because the bearings are a "hub" design and they must be replaced.

- Can the wheel bearings be adjusted or tighten?
- Could this be the cause of some steering wheel vibration when at the speed of over 65mphor is the virbation just bad tires since I already have the tire rotated and balanced?

Thanks in advanced for all the help.

hank14 · August 2003

I don't know specifically about the bearing issue, but if the tires have much wear they may be the cause of the vibration. My 99 vibrates as you describe above 65-70 mph, but my tires do not match and I am getting ready to replace them and do a bearing check/repack. I have heard that many people overtighten bearings, which can lead to problems. Perhaps the Sears folks are used to tightening bearings more than they should be.

I think I'd go to a dealer and let them take a look.

hank14 · August 2003

Hicaira said he put these tires on his cruiser and would let us know how they did. Are you out there? I sure would like an update. They have gotten good reviews on Tirerack.com.

dickballard · August 2003

When I went back to a dealer to look at an '03 LC I had seen the day before, the sales guy told me it was in the shop for a recall to replace the throttle body. He said all Toyota V8's are affected. I couldn't find such an item at the NHTSA site.

Any truth to this?

Dick

joeeblow1 · August 2003

The wheel bearings may be adjusted. The only tool they need is a 54mm hub socket plus a torque wrench. The procedure is not difficult, and it's outlined in the factory manual or Haynes, etc.

jtsang2004 · August 2003

Joeeblow1, Thanks for the help.

Should there be any play between the wheel bearings and the tires? The Sears tech demonstrated the wheel bearing issue by placing one hand on top of the tires and the other hand on bottom and then rocking the tires back and fore to show the looseness.

joeeblow1 · August 2003

That's the standard wheel bearing test, but it may include play in the knuckle bearings. Check it at 9 and 3o'clock, too. The only things the Sears folks need to know are the fastener torque values for the hub and adjuster nuts, the axle flange nuts, and the lug nuts. They should be able to handle everything else.

Here's a link to an outline of the procedure:http://www.ih8mud.com/tech/birf-repack.html

Scroll down to "Now back to the wheel bearings..."

miakoda · August 2003

I went to turn off the engine on my 1998 TLC last night after driving around town. The engine turned off, but my key will not come out of the key hole (even when I push the key in and turn to the left). The key is stuck in the "ON" position.

Any help and/or suggestions!?

Thank you

gteach26 · August 2003

but make sure the transmission is in "park" -- this happened to me on a rental once and it drove me nuts for a half hour till I figured out my goof (I had it in another gear when I shut off the vehicle!!)

jtsang2004 · August 2003

Joeeblow1, Thanks for the help.

Should there be any play between the wheel bearings and the tires? The Sears tech demonstrated the wheel bearing issue by placing one hand on top of the tires and the other hand on bottom and then rocking the tires back and fore to show the looseness.

rugeti · August 2003

My wife and I had narrowed our search to the Sequoia and the Land Cruiser. We really thought we were going to do the responsible thing and save the $11k, at least that was until we test drove them back-to-back. We're hooked. The Land Cruiser is a great car, one I can see in the family for a long time. My only wish is that Toyota will continue it in its current form. It's a great size for a normal family, very luxurious (yet rugged as well), and has the Toyota reputation on top of that.

My only question now is when I buy it. Seems like the going rate is $1k over invoice and it sounds like we can special order one for the same deal. Any experiences or suggestions?

hicaira · August 2003

Hi Hank,

I have about 7,500 miles on the Revos and can make a few comments tempered by the fact they are still newish and tires can change characteristics quite a bit as they wear.

Anyway, here is how they stand now: (If you want to save yourself some reading then settle for this summary: These tires rule.)

Quietness: At most speeds; better than the Dueler At's and the BFG AT's but about the same at the Perelli Scorpion AT's. At high speeds they are as quiet as the stock Michlein's.

Handling: At low (parking lot) speeds they are a bit loose (the same as all AT's with large outside blocks - especially when new) but at any travelling speed they handle as well at the Scorpions. A bit more understeer then the stock tires but that can be overcome by adding 2-3 lbs of air to the rear set. There is no tramlining at all and they seemed well planted on all surfaces at all speeds. At triple digit speeds in 110 degree heat they handled like passenger car tires.

Braking response: the best I have ever seen in an AT tire. On dry, wet, or dirt roads. Better than any LT tire I have ever had in the wet, in fact. This alone makes these tires a winner.

Now the good stuff - Off-road: I spent two weeks vacationing in the San Juans and drove many of the trails around Silverton, Ouray and Telluride (crossing Engineer pass, California pass, Cinnamon pass, Ophir pass, and a few other lessor known places). Thundershowers every afternoon. The only thing that stopped these tires was my own fear (that and a "navigator" threatening divorce). Axle deep mud? No problem. Deep sand and a 30+ degree incline? No problem. Rain and hail-slickend shale at 12,000 feet at a 25-30% down-grade? No problem.

Later, we went to Moab and did the Gemini Bridges trail, the Klondike Bluff Trail and a few other "intermediate" rated paths. Even when firmly resting on the skid plates these tires crawled over ledges, boulders and sand without a hitch. I think I locked the rear diff once the entire trip.

By a large margin, these are the best AT tires I've ever had.

HiC

hank14 · August 2003

HiC. Thanks for the reply.
I'm envious of your adventures. I spent the last four weeks doing a total 120,000 mile service, finally got it all done this weekend. New spark plugs, radiator flush and fill, do it yourself transmission flush, change lube in both diffs and transfer case. Amazingly, it is still running.
Now I need the tires. Are you running stock size? I was concerned about weak sidewalls on P rated tires and am planning on going with 285/75's.

rleong · August 2003

I drive my 2000 Land Cruiser about once a week or maybe less. This morning I had to jump start the LC. I went for a short drive and came back home. I popped the hood and I looked at the battery. According to the battery indicator, charging is necessary. I decided to start the engine and it started up. Throughout the day, I didn't have any problems starting the car. Tomorrow morning might be a different story.

Does it sound like my battery is dying or do I have another problem? I'm interested in the Optima battery. Does anyone have a recommendation?

Thanks for help.

fj100 · August 2003

I went with the Odyessy P1700MJT, about 220 dollars. Supposedly superior to the Optima. It fits in the stock location and you just need to add a block of wood to raise it up or something because it is shorter in height. The marketing story goes like this concerning the 1700, the US Navy tested on its small twin diesel ships and after 25 consecutive starts, they stopped testing. Strongest battery in this size they had ever tested. Also, vibration test was done at sea and it pasted with flying colors. It is starting battery and deep cycle all in one.

I can not remember the website, but I purchased it from battery barn in virginia, took about 3 weeks to come in.

Regards,

Roane

grantchstr · August 2003

Assuming no-one has answered you question, what you need to do is to push the safety catch on the top left hand side of the Park/EngageGear Stick (I dont actually know the correct name of this stick) and keep it depressed while you turn the key and remove it.

4elmer · August 2003

After spending months looking at all different SUV's I finally bought a 2000 LC with 38k miles. It is a great car that drives like new. Any words of wisdom for a new owner about items that need regular attention on this car. I have read a few months worth of posts on this message board to see if there were any recurring problems and didn't seem to find any (try the MB M-Class board if you want to read about problems!).

dabobt · August 2003

I posted a couple of weeks ago saying I plan to get a TLC, but need to do it soon. Was hoping someone had some info on the 2004, just to see if it was worth waiting. Main thought - some new options or other improvements I would enjoy.

I check toyota.com each day - they have info on several other 2004's, but nothing on the LC.

I phoned my salesman who says the toyota reps tell him there aren't any changes for this coming year, but the car will be vastly different in 2005.

I wish someone new about the 04's! If no changes, I would just get an 03 now.

Anybody heard anything else? Bob.

dabobt · August 2003

I just found this at motortrend.com (two paragraphs relating to the LC):

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., announced manufacturer's suggested retail prices (MSRP) for the 2004 Sequoia full-size sport/utility vehicle, the 4Runner mid-size SUV, the Land Cruiser full-size SUV, and the Celica sport coupe. All four vehicles go on sale at the end of August.

The legendary Land Cruiser carries over largely unchanged for 2004. Like the 4Runner, Land Cruiser's optional navigation system will now be equipped with a rear back-up camera monitoring system. The Land Cruiser will carry a base MSRP of $54,225, an increase of $270, or 0.5 percent.

Here is the article:

http://www.motortrend.com/features/news/112_news030820_toy/

fj100 · August 2003

The rear view camera could probably be added by a local electronics shop. The value of the 2004 is the fact that it may be the last true Land Cruiser to come to the states and that is sad. Rumor has it that Toyota will have the Sequioa has the top of the line vehicle, the LC will go back to its roots on a tacoma platform and Lexus will try to pull off the scam of the century and offer the sequioa as a Lexus VX550 to compete against the escalade and navigator. A sad day indeed if this happens, the real LC or 100 series replacement will still be sold around the world just not in the U.S.

I will just keep buying used 100 series for the rest of my life if this happens. I hope this does not happen but there are way to many Americans concerned with the bling, bling image and not real SUVs! Real SUVs will become a thing of the past.

fj100
ARB Winch Bumper & Warn 12,000lb
OME Lift
And a bunch of other stuff!

rugeti · August 2003

dabobt: You're my hero. I've been dying to get this same information myself as I am doing the exact same thing as you are. I'll go ahead and wait for the 2004 since I'm in no real hurry.

fj100: I'm new to Land Cruisers, but have admired them for a long time. It's a real bummer. This reminds me of how I felt when the Japanese did away with the great sport coupes some years back.

Oh well, once we get one we are going to keep it for some time. Hopefully by then Toyota will have come to its senses and will have resurrected the LC as we know it.

hank14 · August 2003

As I'm sure you have read, everyone here reccomends following the scheduled maintenance to help ensure longevity. That includes periodic inspection of body parts, hoses, wiring, etc. The only problem I've seen with my '99 (119,000 miles) is some interior issues- loose screws and panels. The cover for the center console cup holder came off after the screws fell out. Checking these things periodically would be a good idea.

dabobt · August 2003

Glad to be of service!

My salesman (25 yrs at one dealer) says Toyota is telling him that in 2005 it will be an altogether different vehicle. My bet is something like the concept machine they showed a couple of years ago. Rough and tough, wash it out with a hose kind of thing. Hummerish.

Go after a different demographic altogether (ie. younger).

Coming from a Navigator, I have no interest in the Sequoia.

Seems like it would be good to have the last model year of such a successful model run.

Good luck to all. Now, what color to get?

Bob.

guest · August 2003

Hope this link is not too long. Just saw this on Auto Spies web site.

If this is what the next generation looks like, it matches the description I got about 18 months ago from my local Toy GM who said he'd seen it and it looked somewhat like the current generation.

Of course this doesn't answer the question of whether or not we'll see this vehicle in the U.S.

http://www.imakenews.com/autospies/e_article000177344.cfm?x=a244v- 2K,a1chH8qW

rugeti · August 2003

we're thinking galactic gray with a gray interior. We want a dark color, but not black and the ivory interior is too light for our kids.

mdcruiser · August 2003

Hi I recently got a 1998 LC with 62K miles on it and it drives superb. I wonder what routine maintenance is needed now?

stever · August 2003

Check The Edmunds Maintenance Guide for starters.

Steve, Host

fj100 · August 2003

http://www.rosenentertainment.com/rosenindash-r6500.htm

They are finally bringing these to the states. Toyota has been offering something similiar to this in Australia for sometime.

This means any double din vehicle can have indash, cd, dvd, stereo, tv, back up camera (optional) and nav (optional). All in one. This is at the top of my xmas list.

fj100

rugeti · August 2003

I'm really beginning to wonder about AutoSpies. I went to the Club Lexus site and found the posts with that picture. Some of them were from as early at 2001!

Guess what, that picture is a picture of a Hyundai that appears to have been modified. No joke! I copied the link, but lost it. If I could find that out, why couldn't AutoSpies? Their credibility is falling quickly in my mind.

steelcruiser · August 2003

rugeti. After posting the link, I went back and checked the pic more closely and it looks to me like it's really a GX, not an LX. So, my thoughts now are that someone just doctored a GX photo and posted it as the LX 500. I've been looking all over for pics of the next generation LC/LX and I've come up empty handed so far. Toy/Lex must really be keeping a tight lid on this.

I remain optimistic that the US will get the new LC

joeeblow1 · August 2003

Maybe you guys didn't read the text . . .

"We thought this was funnysomeone photoshopped this but its a good effortnote the third mirror on the hood.

Unfortunately, thats not what the car will look like

But, while we wait, its fun to dream..."

Toyota Land Cruiser

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