Toyota Land Cruiser

stever · January 2005

I used block heaters when I lived up north it were ~10°F or so. Anchorage has been giving block heaters away every fall for a few years to help meet EPA emissions. Now my cars are garaged in Boise and I haven't plugged them in for years.

Any engine with freeze plugs should accept a block heater. Some people use a battery blanket to help the car start too.

Steve, Host

ruking1 · January 2005

Got some new tires for my 1996 Toyota Landcruiser. Bridgestone Dueler AT REVO in the stock size, 275-70-16. They replaced the oem tires Michelin LTX's with 60.5k and app 3/32 left on the treads. While the LTX's are very well rated, the REVO's seem to take almost every category up a notch. This 1996 is driven by 4 different drivers,with another 15.5 year old learning and getting her license on, so I am not too surprized it gave up the ghost at app 60.5k. On a 1994 I got closer to 75,000 with a 15.5 year old learning to drive on this set of tires. While I only have 150 miles during break in I am excited about this new set and can let folks know how they are in the longer term if interested.

steelcruiser · January 2005

Boggles my mind you got that kind of mileage from the LTXs. I got 25K out of my first set on my 80 series, put some Duelers on and only got a bit over 20K. I've been a fan of BFG ATs ever since. Get 60K with no problem from them.

ruking1 · January 2005

Yeah, I was impressed with the BFG AT's also!

I was at first hesitant about getting "duelers" again. I had two sets before (on other Landcruisers) and was not impressed by the first set, nor impressed by the second set, even though my tire vendor said there was a significant improvement.

steelcruiser · January 2005

I hope Bstones work well for you.

grantchstr · January 2005

I have Duelers on mine.....they seem great.....

shutout · January 2005

I bought a new Cruiser in 2002 and started to get an annoying rattle at 45,000 miles. Sounds as though it is coming from the center of the dash near the windshield. Only hear it when I go over bumpy roads. On smooth roads it cannot be heard. The dealer said it was a loose front passenger air vent and replaced it but the sound still persists. The mechanic told me the Tundras had the same problem and the dash had to be removed and foam adhesive added to the underside of the dash. Of course when I brought it back to demo the noise, I couldn't reproduce it because there were no bumpy roads near the dealer. Dealer willing to work with me on this but it is a major inconvenience. They could go ahead and remove the dash but I am worried that the whole assembly may not be put back together like at the factory and I may get worse rattles, etc. Any advice would be appreciated. After spending 58K on a truck, shouldn't have to deal with this! Thanks!

teddy2 · January 2005

Can anyone in the know tell us when the LC 120 will come out? I am presently considering buying the LC 100 however come to think of it the body has been in the market since 97.

thanks for sharing.

grantchstr · January 2005

You mean that body style has been in the market since 1991.....

grantchstr · January 2005

The "Landcruiser 120" you refer appears to be the same as the RX300 in the UK.

teddy2 · January 2005

The rx 3000 looks pretty small for a truck.

I am presently using LC80.

mercara · February 2005

I sold my Mercedes ML320 last week and am in the market for a Land Cruiser. I have ruled out the LX because of two reasons. I need the extra 6500 lb towing capacity vs the 5000 lbs for the LX470, secondly I don't care too much about the variable suspension settings and heigh control, etc etc. The only feature on the LX470 that I will truly miss is the memory settings.

I am holding of on purchasing a new one until I know what's going to happen in 2006. I believe there is going to be some big changes for the LC/LX. These are the flagship trucks in the Lexus/Toyota line up and the still come with the less powerful older 4.7L V8. Even the 4Runner has the new VVTI V8 with 280 HP.

If I find a good used 02/03, I'll get it and trade it in when the new one is out.

flyfish4life · February 2005

I thought the 120 series was the US equivalent of the GX 470 and 4-runner, referred to as the LC Prado overseas. Or are those part of the 70 or 90 series platform?

flyfish4life · February 2005

Toyota has been tight lipped about this one and one would think there would already be news if they were tooling up for a new platform in 2006. I think the earliest will be 2007 and maybe 2008 after the Tundra/Sequoia are introduced. They are all rumored to share the new platform. Maybe they will give us a hint at the FJ debut.

vavavavolvo · February 2005

I would be curious to know how they are working. My carrier, Verizon, has introduced one (Motorola V710) that apparently doesn't work very well. I was hoping to get one if they can work the bugs out....until I read this:

http://news.com.com/Lexus+a+nexus+between+cars+and+phone+viruses/- 2100-7349_3-5551367.html

blckislandguy · February 2005

After about six months of intensive looking and, my wife says, agonizing, I finally made my Section 179 purchase on December 31. I bought a Porche Cayenne for 43K which I love as a great AWD go to work rocket. The only (?) reservation I have is that for the 10 year long run, a TLC would have been better. Unfortunatly, I couldn't get over the 60K entry fee for a new one and to buy a three to four year old one for 41-42K didn't seem like enough of a savings to compensate me for the three years put on the car. Now if Toyota wouldn't insist on loading all the TLC with NAV , I would have been interested. (I was told reluctantly by a regional rep that I could special order one NAV less but it would take 5 months etc.) The Seq had no appeal to me.

Since I think that I will pick up a used TLC when our Volvo XC dies, can I still lurk on this site?

ruking1 · February 2005

All of mine were bought under the sec 179. Excluding the sec 179 rules, one had a yearly depreciation of app 3% per year!! So the actual depreciation cost was 500 per year or 42 dollars per month. With the sec 179 rules...well they are also fantastic business vehicles!!

tidester · February 2005

can I still lurk on this site?

Not only can you still lurk you may also participate in discussions, ask questions, offer insights, perspectives and information, relate relevant experiences and convey (on-topic) jokes and humor as well as heap praise on edmunds.com's forums and hosts! ;-)

And, congratulations, BTW!

tidester, host

mercara · February 2005

I am in the market for an LC myself and I saw a used 2003 LC Base version (No NAV, etc). The car fax checks out and the dealer is asking 41K or something like that. The truck has done 16K miles. I would prefer something with the NAV and I know it is really hard to find a base version, so if anyone is interested go to cars.com and search for for 2003 LC within 100 miles of NYC (Zip 10004).

blckislandguy · February 2005

Tilt. IMHO a 2003 TLC with 16,000 miles for 41K is either a real base model (maybe they offer a 2WD base model in cloth?) or is may be a real steal. So, I looked at the ad. Two things jumped out: Lexus of Rockville Center (the dealer offerring it) did not mention color nor if it was 4WD. They did say "fully loaded" though. The dealer's location was 31 miles away from zip code 10004. BUT, the next ad up the page (for 1K more) was from the same dealer. This TLC had 4WD and grey paint. Only thing is, this same dealer is now 21 miles away from the same zip code. As this old lobsterman said earlier, tilt.

coupedncal · February 2005

The Cruiser only comes in 4WD and loaded with most goodies. There are few options like navigation and bling bling wheels. But the base model is very well equipped.

blckislandguy · February 2005

I may have been too skeptical. If a decent '03 TLC still in warrranty at 16,000 miles can be had for 41K asking, this is a good deal. What the heck, that is about the same price as a used '04 Denali which will be worth less than the floormats alone in the TLC in 5 or 6 years.

mercara · February 2005

blckislandguy,

You are probably right. I didn't even bother calling them as the price sounded too good to be true. I figured it was like "We are sorry that particular truck has been sold, But we have a similar one for 47K". Besides, if I want the NAV.

mobiweld · February 2005

I bought my truck with 18,000 miles for $42,000 so it's not ridiculous, simply a wholesale price.

long island lc · February 2005

Have a 2001 LC that we bought new. Shortly after the 60K service at the dealer, the VSC lights came on and stay on. Dealer hooked it up to the diagnostic computer and found nothing wrong with it. They noticed that the "P" light in the dashboard was out and thought maybe it was a related electrical problem. They replaced the "P" light (little bugger cost over $200 in labor to fix; they had to take apart the dash) and for two days, the VCS lighs stayed off and the "P" lights worked. All of a sudden, the lights came back on and the "P" light doesn't work. I'm of course going back to the dealer, but does anyone have a clue as to what the problem is (the car rides fine)? Also, can anyone recommend a LC "expert" mechanic (either dealership or independent) on Long Island NY who may have the experience and expertise to work on this (I go to the local dealer in Amityville and I don't think they work on many LCs).

Thanks

mercara · February 2005

FJ Cruiser to be unveiled at Chicago Autoshow according to a number of online articles.

philg87 · February 2005

I was told from my at friend at toyota that they will build the FJ but don't know if it will come out as a 06 or 07 model year. When i hear more i will let you know

ruking1 · February 2005

Off the top of my head no! But why are you looking to the new Sequoia? I have a 96 TLC and it has 60k. (low low mileage). Most people remark that it looks and smells new. This things are EASILY good to 250,000 and beyond.

If you are interested in an Escalade, get a used one. I understand they DROP (depreciate) like a heavy boulder.

blckislandguy · February 2005

If someone wants to buy from the General, why buy the P..mobile? A Denali is less money without the 'tude.

mercara · February 2005

I was looking at the latest issue of Money magazine. Has a good article on residual value of most cars/suvs/pickups. The Escalade EXT seems to hold it's value well.

amg2y · February 2005

Hi Tia,

I own a 96 Tlc and loving it since i got it back in 2001. It has 103k miles on it when i got it. it's been running great since.

So far i only been doing regular maintenance, oil change, trans fluid, differential fluid, grease on axles (greasing the axle is important, i usually add grease everytime or every other time i change oil. i was told that it the grease dried up and the axle messed up, it's going to cost arm and leg).

Last year i had to replace the rod bearing, because there were slight knocking inside the engine. According to my mech. and toyota dealer, this is rarely happen. so probably just my luck.

Now it's already 150k and still no problem.

Anyway, back to your question.

1. Mpg - 14 average city & hwy (I used to live in CA too)

2. A/C is sufficient for CA summer, third row may need full blast though.

3. Transmission, smooth

4. Front pad seems to wear out faster than the rear.

5. Insurance is about the same as any other car.

I think mine was some $800/yr full coverage, 100/300k coverage.

6. Just get a good test drive, check out the engine real good, make sure is clean, no funny noise, leaks, check the axles for leaks, things like that.

7. at 70-90k i don't think there would be anything wrong. on a 96, it uses timing chain, so it is good for 250k.

hope that help.

ivan

mercara · February 2005

I am sure that Sequoia/LC debate is pretty stale here. I had look at an SR5 with Navigation and starndard options for 37K with incentives and 2.9% 48 months special financing in the NY/NJ area.

I am a huge fan of the TLC and what I really want is an TLC. But sometimes I think it may not be worth the 20K more. I would gladly pay a 10K premium over the Sequoia for the LC. Heck, I would even pay 20 if damn Toyota would put the 280HP VVTI engine it it. I am really pissed at Toyota messing up with the LC just when I am in the market for a new SUV. What's really holding me back is the fact that they are still selling with the older V8. I don't want to shell out 60K only to find the 2006 models are out with a 5.0L VVTI with 300 ponies. That would hurt !!!

philg87 · February 2005

Has anyone had a problem trying to find a comfort zone with the heat set on auto. Example i have the heat set on 70 everything is fine 20 minutes later it gets cool and your wondering what happen than all of the sudden you start burning up have to turn it down? I have a 02.

cruiserlust · February 2005

Alright, I know this may sound funny but sometimes when I back my LC (05) out of the garage and up the slight incline of our driveway, I can smell sulfur/rotten egg type smell. I have not noticed it in any other situation; not a huge deal but just curious what it is.

And no, it isn't me. and I can't blame it on the dog either.

cruiserlust · February 2005

Has it always done that, or just recently? I am in awe of the climate control in mine (05); I was somewhat concerned that dual-climate isn't an option but it works so well it hasn't been an issue... makes me think that yours might need to be looked over by your mechanic.

flyfish4life · February 2005

The GX470 has the new VVTI engine and only increased HP to 270, this will likely be the case with the LC given that the old HPs were very similar. This extra HP only kicks in at higher RPMS so its unlikely you will ever notice. I would be more concerned about torque ratings. I think the move to VVTI is primarily a marketing move by Toyota until they introduce a new engine in 2007/8.

philg87 · February 2005

Thanks for the reply i will have the mechanic look it over for me and see what they find.

ppdoc · February 2005

if the land cruiser and the 470 are essentially the same why would the LC be rated to tow 6500 lbs but the lexus only rate for 5000 lbs. any ideas?

mercara · February 2005

flyfish4life,

You got a point. The toruque is prety much the same. Somethingl like 330 vs 335 for the VVTI. I guess unless you drove at really high RPMs you probably don't feel the increase in BHP.

vavavavolvo · February 2005

I noticed the same thing the other day. The temp went up and the airstream was uncomfortably hot, even though it was set to 68. The temp didn't perceptibly change until I set it to 64 and it went into "Max Cool" mode.

I have since reset the climate control away from "Auto" (where it seemed to favor putting the heat out through the floor vents) to the top (not windshield) or top/bottom vents. On these settings the car seems to keep the temp regulated just fine at my setting.

Some of this may relate to where the thermostat is located and how long it takes for the car to equillibrate. With such large volume of air to heat/cool it comes as no surprise that the system may heat unevenly or overshoot in some areas as it is attempting to satisfy the thermostat quickly.

serranot · February 2005

Yep. The 470 weighs a lot more because of all of the luxury stuff. It's that simple.

Regards,

Tom

vavavavolvo · February 2005

I think we have an example of "Don't bother me with the facts, I've already made up my mind"

There is a 200 lb difference in curb weight between the two vehicles (5590 for LX and 5390 for LC) and a 1500 lb difference in towing capacity.

Guess it isn't "that simple".

( N.B.: he isn't an LC owner...just a lurker)

Might it have something to do with the air suspension?

tidester · February 2005

( N.B.: he isn't an LC owner...just a lurker)

That is a non sequitur since lurkers do not post. In any case, let's stick to discussing vehicles and not each other.

tidester, host

mgreene · February 2005

I could be wrong, but these tow ratings are misleading. The maximum numbers are usually with the vehicle in low gearing and diffs locked. If that is the case, because of the air suspension on the rear of the LX, it does not have rear diff locks; hence the lower towing weight.

coupedncal · February 2005

I believe the last model year the LC and LX had independent front and rear lockers was 1999. Since 2000, the system is linked with ABS and VSC etc to provide the traction during compromising position. There still is center lockers in the equation though. LX and LC both have the same system.

tlcman · February 2005

I have never seen a UZJ-100 with front lockers, ive seen rear lockers but never front lockers and i belive 99 was the last year they were offered. Now maybe in different countries they had opt front lockers but lets rememerb that is some other countries the UZJ-100 has a solid front axle, and like here in brasil the Land Cruiser is a GS470 rebadge Toyota, mutch like when the US had the Lexus SC300 and SC400 and Austrailia had the Toyota Soarer (same car, but with loads more options and even more mechanical gismos)

ironside7 · February 2005

As a follow-up to my prior message no. 4310 (reproduced below)I finally got around to removing the wiper cowl on my 98 TLC and applying felt between the cowl retaining clips and the windshield, as illustrated in the links in 4310 (which were directed to a RAV4 fix for the same problem). While the process was slightly different for the TLC, the solution worked just as well. My cold temperature-related rattles are about 95% gone. If anyone wants more detail on the process, I'd be happy to respond to any follow up questions.

-Ironside

____________Message 4310_____________________

I have a 98 TLC and have been living with the temperature-dependent rattle noise for two years now, but the recent messages on this topic have motivated me to find an answer. In researching this issue on other Toyota boards, it appears that the RAV4 is well known as having precisely the same type of rattle noise that many of us have been experiencing (there was even a TSB issued). Apparently, the noise on the RAV4s is caused by certain structures associated with the wiper cowl contacting the windshield. The links below have a nice description of the problem/fix (with pictures). Hopefully, the fix isn't much different for the TLC. I'm trying it this weekend and will post the results here.



http://members.tripod.com/ri_rav4/rattle.htm





http://members.tripod.com/ri_rav4/rattle_tsb.htm





-Ironside

grantchstr · February 2005

My Prior post:

I have had an Fj80 for many years but have never had the problem I am having now in the middle of the Blizzard of 2005.

Here in Connecticut its so cold that the middle seats will not stay down - I am guessing that the metal bars in the floor and on the clamp mechanism at the base of the seats that usually grip around that bar have shrunk below the minimum and cant grip anymore (I am sure that explanation is as clear as mud!). So the middle seat passengers pitch forward when the car stops... I dont have my third row in right now but this might happen back there as well if installed.

New Post and Answer:

Now its warmer weather - presto my seats stay down, so as I thought it was metal shrinkage!. I am surprised no-one else had ever had this problem.

hprjr · February 2005

philq87-did your mechanic find a problem with your heater/ac output. I have a '02 LC with the same problem-either blows lots of cold air or too much hot air when set on 70 or so degrees in the winter. Thanks for any help.

philg87 · February 2005

no not yet hprjr will go in a couple weeks.will keep you up to date on all that i fine out.

Toyota Land Cruiser

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