Jim_Chow

Could also be a bad ground. Usually when weird stuff happens like all lights flash off suddenly, then on, it's a bad ground somewhere. Get a quality AGM battery. I got a Odyssey pc1700mjt used by law enforcement.

Does the starter turn over, or do you just hear a "click?" If it turns over, I would guess something w/ the fuel system. If the latter, your starter contacts are worn out.

I installed an Odyssey PC1700MJT full metal jacket AGM battery.

I heard a similar thread about a year ago about someone's low beam bulbs kept burning out after the DRL recall fix, and he used the same make/model bulbs before and after the fix. For that reason, I refused to let my dealer perform the fix. So far, I'm happy.

The transmission should NOT need anything other than new Toyota ATF every 30K mi (or do a drain & fill of the pan every 15K mi). The only LX's I've heard of that have had tranny issues are the 2000's...apparently, there was a bad batch of shims when they were made, so some failed at only 60K mi. The LX, although posh & luxurious, is basically the landcruiser (sold under the landcruiser label in some countries). In Australia, they tow trailers 1000 miles offroad across deserts including pond crossings, and the rated tow weight is 7700 lbs down there (5000 lbs in the US...I think it's a DOT thing, as the frame, drivetrain, body are all the same as the Oz version except they get the factory auxiliary fuel tank above the spare tire and use 10w30 oil [5w30 is for CAFE in the US only; the rest of the world uses thicker 10w30]). I've used 5w40 synthetic from day 1. The chief engineer of the Toyota landcruiser 100 series (98-07 LX470 & landcruiser) said the design life is 30 yrs. Keep in mind that in most countries, people buy like one or two cars their entire life. What do they buy? A toyota truck (albeit usually diesel since gas quality abroad is questionable and gas costs a lot more than diesel everywhere but in the USA).

You need a winch bumper. I use the ARB sahara bar. A good 9000 lb winch like the Warn will run $1K. IMHO, a winch is really mainly for winching your buddy out. Since I travel by myself, I don't carry a winch, plus I don't do anything really hardcore. I'll do trails that require 4wd low, but not a winch/lockers, at least in the LX. Plus the LX is just kind of big for the hardcore stuff (old 4runner can do a lot more trails since it's over 1 ft narrower, shorter, higher clearance, and most important, a beater car). You will also need to upgrade your torsion bars to heavier duty ones (either the OEM ones for the LC or OME bars will do). The winch weighs around 100 lbs, plus another 80-100 lbs for the winch bumper. The AHC isn't desiged to take that much weight up front.

Is it the inner bearing seal leaking grease, or is the CV boot (the black rubber accordian boot visible when you look at the inner wheel) leaking? If it's the former, that's about a 2 hr labor job (basically repacking the inner bearing). If it's the CV boot, it's more time, as you have to remove all the stuff that you would to repack the front wheel bearing, plus more stuff (you really have to remove the CV joint axle piece that has the rubber boot on either end).

Here's one guy's writeup on the procedure to replace the front rotors... http://www.bajaoverland.com/dba.php

1) This has been done by SleeOffroad. You basically cap off the AHC lines and install stock Landcruiser torsion bars, shocks, & springs (or go aftermarket like Bilstein shocks for a firmer ride or Old Man Emu). You will lose the height control and damping features, of course. You should also replace the anti-sway bars (rear & front) w/ stock landcruiser anti-sway bars since the stock LX sway bars, torsion bar are thinner than the LC ones, and the stock LX springs won't hold as much weight as the LC ones since the AHC holds part of the weight. 2) Starter contacts need replacement. This is typical at 80-100K mi. It's simply wear. You can replace the contacts & plunger yourself for $50 in parts, or the entire starter (~$200-300). The trick is the starter is located UNDER the intake manifold, you there's a lot of hoses and heavy stuff to remove to access it, then you need long socket extensions to remove the starter or a child's hands. It's a one-afternoon job for an amateur. 3) 120K service should be the same as the 60k service except you replace the iridium spark plugs at 120K. Everything else should be the same...all fluids, lube drive shafts, cabin & engine air filters, repack front wheel bearings. I did my 60k mi service myself using all synthetic fluids for < $300, and had the dealer replace the ATF. 4) Brakes should cost that much. If you are having your front wheel bearings repacked, have the rotors replaced (not turned) at that time. Reason is, the amount of work is the same since the rotor is bolted to the hub, and the hub needs to be removed to access the inner bearing to repack it along w/ a new oil seal. It's a one afternoon job. I replaced my rotors w/ ART cryogenically frozen & slotted rotors and pads w/ Porterfield R4s carbon kevlar pads. Braking is better than OEM, and all parts cost me $750 total. If you stuck w/ OEM rotors/pads, the pads go for about $50/axle, anti-squeal shims are around $40/axle, rotors are less than $100 each (get the rotors for the Toyota landcruiser, same year as your LX, and from one of the online discount dealers or from American Toyota in Albuquerque. There's a parts manager named Dan there who gives people on a ih8mud forum (Landcruiser/LX DIY forum) like a 25% discount). You should be able to buy all 4 rotors and pads & shims for probably under $600. Figure $300 for labor to repack front wheel bearings and install rotors (only additional work from repacking the bearings is to remove and re-install 6 bolts on the back side of the hub!). If you're a DIY'er and plan to keep your rig for a long time, I urge you to look at the landcruiser 100 series section on the ih8mud forum. There are full writeups on how to maintain your vehicle, plus the collective knowledge & experience of members is better than what you'll find at most dealerships. One of the members is/was a lexus mechanic, too. It's the support of the forum that got me to decide to buy a LX since I maintain my vehicles myself and tend to drive them for 20 yrs.

It sounds like your dealer used the wrong fluid in the resevoir. I've heard of some mechanics using the wrong fluid (brake or hydraulic). It takes some time, but the wrong fluid damages the membranes in the accumulators. If you use the proper fluid, many people go 120K mi on the original accumulators.

It will fit, but you need to shim the base by 1" and cut two blocks to fit under the strap on top. I used a sheet of plywood and cut kerfs in it so it could be placed on top of the existing plastic tray so it won't slide around.

I would avoid mixing red & green. The green is typically not silicate-free. I inadvertently did this back in '00 on my 4runner (forgot to flush the heater core but flushed the radiator and block w/ water); radiator sludged and clogged up in 6 months. Whenever you change coolant brands & color, make sure you flush the entire cooling system (radiator, both V-banks, and heater core(s)) with distilled water until it runs clear. By "flushing," I mean use steam distilled water (ideal) or at least reverse osmosis bottled water. Don't use tap water. I've yet seen a shop that uses distilled water to save time/money, including the dealer. Whatever you do, NEVER use a flushing agent/additive. If you drain both the left V-bank and radiator, it's about 11 qts of the 16 qt capacity in the LX. Make sure you have the front & rear heaters cranked when you run the engine. The lexus coolant is Toyota coolant. Buy it from Toyota and save $$. Ditto with other parts, like brake pads/shims, oil/air filters, etc. Same parts, same packagin, lower price. Check out http://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/453...ed-coolant.html

Definitely replace the water pump and serp belt. Get the pre-mixed toyota red coolant since dealers use tap water w/ the self mix stuff...minerals in the tap water are BAD on the radiator!! You'll need 4 gal. IIRC, my dealer wants something like $1.3K for the t-belt replacement only, but they are more expensive than most lexus dealers as they have a monopoly in town. You can also get a Toyota dealer to do the work for probably half that. Water pump is typically billed as 0.5 hrs extra labor plus parts.

When you have your tires rotated, ask them to cross-rotate them rather than front to back. At 25K mi, there's really nothing to do. The main service is at 30K mi. At 30K, you'll need to do the engine oil/oil filter, front bearing repack (not really needed that early unless you drive in water or offroad, but it's spec'd in the service manual), engine air filter, cabin air filters (2), lube driveshaft, rotate tires. You should be okay on the tranny fluid and coolant since the '04+ models have the long life tranny fluid and coolant (toyota claims 100K mi on the ATF and coolant, but I'd change them at 60K mi to be safe. There is no such thing as a lifetime ATF. BMW had one, but they changed the service interval from 100K to 60K when they found the ATF was toast). I did my 60K service last year...took a couple of days to do, but I saved $1.4K even after using all synthetic fluids. For the warranty, the new car warranty to 50K mi covers everything, even creaks and cracked moldings. The extended warranty and CPO platinum warranty to 100K don't cover anything cosmetic, creaks, or anything associated with the glass (like the plastic molding on the leading edge of the rear quarter windows tends to crack. That piece is only sold with the window; I have the warranty to 100K, but dealer won't replace it under warranty, wants $900 to replace a window with a broken $10 piece of molding!) The extended warranty is mainly good for electronic stuff that might go wrong like power seat motors, antenna motor, dvd, etc. The only mechanical things that tend to go wrong on all landcruisers/lx470's is the exhaust manifolds tend to crack around 100K mi ($1500 each to replace), starter contacts wear out around 80-100K mi (starter is under the intake manifold, so non-trivial to replace), a plastic piece keeping the front driver's window in the track tends to break eventually (not covered under extended warranty). Oh, and on the LX, the motor that retracts the steering wheel goes bad. I had mine disabled to save it. It will still work when you adjust it manually or use the memory seats, but just won't retract/extend when you remove/insert the key.

Are you sure it's not your wheel bearings? An easy way to find out is to jack up each wheel in front (or the front of the car) and grab each front tire at 6 o'clock and 12 o'clock and push-pull with opposing forces. You shouldn't feel any play. Another thing you could try is when it starts to shudder while braking, what happens if you put the transmission in N? Transfer case is between the transmission and splits the power between the front and rear driveshafts. It has a 2-speed gearbox inside. Normally, you drive in 4wd "hi" mode, so the gear ratio is 1:1. If you are offroad on steep up/down terrain, you can put the t-case in "low" for a 1:2.48 gear ratio, meaning the transmission output shaft has to turn 2.48 times to make the driveshafts turn once. The t-case is what make the vehicle full-time 4wd. Different transfer cases do different things. The AWD vehicles like the RX have a t-case with 1:1 ratio only. Part-time 4wd vehicles like the 4runner V6 have a t-case that normally only turns the rear driveshaft (RWD), but when you hit the 4wd button, it also engages the front driveshaft to turn the front axle. In a dedicated 2wd vehicle, there is no transfer case. The engine output just goes to the transmission, then to the driveshaft.

While standing in front of the car facing the windshield, you pull on the light towards you. It will suddenly release and feel like you must have broken something, but you haven't.

You only need to replace the alternator when it dies (usually the brushes get worn). When this happens, the "charge" light in the dash will come on warning you that the ignition is running only on battery power. I just replaced the alternator on my '86 4runner. Original Denso alternator lasted 21 yrs! You only need to remove the serpentine belt for the alternator on the 100, so no real gain in labor savings. The serp belt should last around 60K mi or more (40-45K in AZ, closer to 90K in coastal CA).

If you like to customize your vehicle (bumpers, roof racks, etc.), the older style has more accessories available. What I don't like of the newer stuff is the trend to replace mechanical levers like the transfer case shifter with electronic push buttons plus a host of not-so-useful gizmos that add to cost and reduce reliability (like tire pressure sensors albeit those are or will be federally mandated). For any new car, whether it's toyota, lexus, or a domestic, I'd wait a couple of years until the bugs are worked out. Look at the Tundra. First engine problems, then the tranny not shifting smoothly, then faulty rear tailgates.

Make sure the center diff lock switch is off (if you see a light in the dash of a symbol w/ 4 wheels and a "X" in the middle lit up, the CDL is engaged. If you try to turn with it engage, the drivetrain will bind, making it difficult to get the transfer case out of L or H and into the other gear. After unlocking, you need to unbind. If you have turned, backing up and undoing the turn works, or drive on a dirt road/slippery surface, or jack up the front end of the car and lower it. ;) Remember, turning is bad when the CDL is engaged since it forces both driveshafts to turn at the same rate while the front axle and rear axle (but the nature of having different turning radii) will resist). You should only shift the t-case lever when < 5mph (preferably when stopped), CDL disengaged. You can even put the transmission in N

Yokohama now makes the geolander AT/S in the OEM size.

The trick to retrofitting in xenon (HID) bulbs is to match the bulb design w/ the projector type. In other words, each reflector/projector lamp is designed with a certain focal point. The problem is, HID projectors/reflectors have a different focal point than halogen reflectors/projectors. If you just put a HID bulb into a halogen projector/reflector, the light won't focus properly, and the light ends up spraying all over. There are two way to get around this: 1) Retrofit a HID projector into the LX lamp and use HID bulbs (best) 2) Use HID bulbs that have been rebased so the focal point matches that of the halogen projector/reflector (next best) I did (2) using the xenondepot kit. They use rebased Philips bulbs and Philips thin ballasts. When you get a HID kit, you want to go w/ a name brand (Philips or Denso). Make sure you do not touch the glass on the bulb (I wipe mine w/ alcohol before installing regardless). For the retrofit, I bought 2 spare gray plastic caps w/ wire that goes between the stock H1 bulb and vehicle lighting harness. You can get these at the dealer. The reason was so I could switch back one or both lights to the OEM halogen ones if, say, one of the HID's blew out on a road trip. You have to drill a 25mm hole in the rear of each cap to fit the bulb in. I then cut off the connector (from the cap) and soldered that to the xenondepot harness (to trigger the relays). This way, you don't alter the vehicle harness in any way. You just plug the HID harness into the vehicle harness, install ballasts, igniters, and bulbs, and you're done! (took me an afternoon to tidy up the job, as I solder all my connections and encase them in split loom/zip ties). The light output of the 4300K HID's was measured to be 4x more than that of the halogen H1's using a photographic light meter capable of measuring light output differences in 10% increments. This is equivalent to a 50 yr old being able to see as well as a 20 yr old in the dark! The HID's also give far superior peripheral view (shoulder of the road, etc.) compared to the halogens.

I think he's referring to HID's, not white/blue light bulbs. Read my tag line.

I heard the '06 grille will fit the '03-06 (build date of 8/02+, i.e., 5 speed tranny). To make it fit earlier vehicles (at least this goes for the landcruiser '06 front grille on '98-02 vehicles), you need to replace the plastic strips between the grille and bumper. S/C: this was discontinued by TRD. Apparently there were 2 s/c's made. One was cast (mainly sold in the US) for the Tundra. Those developed cracks and were discontinued. The other made for the LC was forged, no issues other than they are virtually unobtainable in N. America. In Japan, they are like $8K. Another JDM option is the Tom's super charger. For better performance, go w/ an I/C turbo. The JDM AVO turbo is sold by Slee Offroad in CO. Cost is $10K, though, but you gain 100+hp and 100+ ft-lbs torque, and this was on a dyno at 5280 ft! Actually, Toyota offers a 4.5L V8 twin turbo diesel on the '08 LC 200 and LC 70 series sold overseas...puts out like 450 ft-lbs torque while getting 20+ mpg.

Did he check to see if all cylinders are firing correctly? There could be a failure in a spark plug igniter. This will throw a code as a cylinder misfire.

Specific emissions components are covered under federal law for 8 yr/80K mi and 7 yr/70K mi under CA law according to my owner's manual, but it also says that lexus needs to be the one making the determination that the emission component is faulty. If you had a third party mechanic diagnose and replace it, you're legally out of luck. If it was a lexus dealer, I'd contact lexus USA and try to get a refund. It doesn't hurt...worst they can say is "no."