Allow myself to introduce….myself. (2009 LX570 OEM+ build and maintenance thread) (3 Viewers)

[CheiftaiN]

As far as the globes/ahc goes, i have a 2011 lx 155k miles, and I'd like to do the globes soon.

What about the other suspension components? what else is a common maintenance item to knock out? Shocks/springs?

 

[LX Cruiser]

The passenger side wood laminate dash piece started cracking/peeling, so I ordered that from Carmarka. It was significantly cheaper from overseas. $370. Part number 55476-60060.

No before pic, but here is the new OEM piece from Carmarka installed:

As far as the globes/ahc goes, i have a 2011 lx 155k miles, and I'd like to do the globes soon.

What about the other suspension components? what else is a common maintenance item to knock out? Shocks/springs?

I think most people leave the shocks alone until they start to leak. You might check yours for signs of leaking.
Big ole thread on globe replacement.
Heads up when ordering parts: you do not need the O-ring spacers. New globes have a significantly narrower channel where the O-ring goes, and the O-ring comes installed on new OEM globes.

 

[scrubolio]

Thanks for the awesome thread!

Going through this on a 2013 lx570 right now.

 

[SDHQJORDAN]

Installed the battery terminal kit from SDHQ…what are y’all using to cover the positive terminal? I don’t like how both of these are exposed. It’s odd to me the kit didn’t come with something that covers the positive terminal.
View attachment 3588288

Those top pieces are left open to attach different electrical components to. I.E. lights, winch, switch panel wiring. We have found no issues or cause of concerns about those being open and allows for a cleaner install when adding different parts to the battery terminals. In some vehicles, the entire terminal is exposed and still no signs of any issues. Please let us know if you have any other questions!!

 

[LX Cruiser]

Attempting (and failing) to find where the water is coming in to my LX. Sunroof drains weren’t completely blocked, but after fishing some trimmer line into them and running small amounts of hot water through, they drain faster than before. I took the kick panels apart and checked all the connectors on both sides, and they are dry.

LX showed the typical signs of water ingress with dash lights flickering, losing radio volume, and completely losing headlights (while driving at night, fun).

Everything is back but the headlights. These kick panel connectors are clean. Slight amount of discoloration on the bottom connector held by a 10mm bolt on the drivers side. But no moisture I can see anywhere. It did sit overnight outside in 25°F and has been in a 65°F garage for the past few hours while I’ve been working on it.

 

[LX Cruiser]

After driving for an hour today, headlights still don’t work. Checked the fuses under the hood (four fuses for high and low beams left and right). They are fine.

I read in the 80 series forum that head lights not working can be a grounding issue. Where would I check such a thing on a 2009 570?

 

[grinchy]

I ended up getting a hole in a sunroof drain line. My cheap fix was to vinyl over (wrap) the sunroof. If you’re fancy you can cut an oval in the center and keep the moonroof function.

It didn’t last forever, after a couple years the vinyl started cracking at the sunroof joint area from wind flex. I had to reapply a new layer.

It is astounding how much water can come in thru a pinhole . . .

 

[LX Cruiser]

Looks like this foam falling off of my cowl panel might be the issue? It’s right over the cabin air intake. I still can’t find anything wet in the cabin at all. The foam is wet on the end hanging off however. There is a bit of pooled water under the cowl, but it appears to drain properly on both sides.

Driver’s side drain under the cowl. Looks like pieces of foam being washed away by the water that gets in under the cowl. Still can’t find how or if it is getting behind the firewall.

 

[lx200inAR]

Looks like this foam falling off of my cowl panel might be the issue? It’s right over the cabin air intake. I still can’t find anything wet in the cabin at all. The foam is wet on the end hanging off however. There is a bit of pooled water under the cowl, but it appears to drain properly on both sides.
View attachment 3782245

This piece was also hanging loosely off the driver’s side of the cowl panel before I removed the cowl:
View attachment 3782247

Driver’s side drain under the cowl. Looks like pieces of foam being washed away by the water that gets in under the cowl. Still can’t find how or if it is getting behind the firewall.
View attachment 3782248

Check the black panel under the glove box. When my cowl was leaking, that filled up first. On an LX there is a pad to dampen noise that gets soaked. Once that fills up, it drips onto the floor. Once I had all weather mats, the water pooled on that.

 

[LX Cruiser]

Check the black panel under the glove box. When my cowl was leaking, that filled up first. On an LX there is a pad to dampen noise that gets soaked. Once that fills up, it drips onto the floor. Once I had all weather mats, the water pooled on that.

The small fuse panel? I checked it. All dry.

The black trim panel that covers the underside of that side of the dash was all dry, too.

I have a 9-hr drive tomorrow. We’re leaving early so we get home before sundown haha

 

[lx200inAR]

The small fuse panel? I checked it. All dry.

The black trim panel that covers the underside of that side of the dash was all dry, too.

I have a 9-hr drive tomorrow. We’re leaving early so we get home before sundown haha

If you don’t have water there, or in the sills. The only place you should also check is under the big piece of styrofoam under the carpet. Some of this probably depends on which way your vehicle is pointed when parked (assuming it’s rain coming in through the cowl).

 

[LX Cruiser]

under the big piece of styrofoam under the carpet

Where is this styrofoam?

Sills, kick panels, footwells are all dry. I took both black trim panels off the underside of the dash. They’re both dry, and I couldn’t find any moisture with a flashlight under there.

I let two hairdryers run for a couple hours on high (medium heat). Still don’t have any headlights.

Is it possibly to fry a relay? Maybe I need to try replacing those in the engine bay fuse box.

@bloc gave me an idea to bypass the relays in the fuse box. I’m away from all my tools and multimeter.

 

[bloc]

The green stuff is 100% corrosion of the pins in that connector. Double check that all of the populated holes have the whole male and female portion remaining.

Edit: and in a pinch you can make the jumper using the tools in the stock tool kit plus maybe a knife to make stripping the wire easier. Electrical parts from any auto parts store.

 

[bloc]

Finally back home to a real computer and was able to look at the ground points in the EWD.

i don't think that is your issue. The right and left low beams have separate grounds, and again the odds of both going bad at once are very low. The high beam grounds are tied together, but they end up going to a branched circuit with two grounds, so again, super low odds that's the issue.

 

[LX Cruiser]

Finally back home to a real computer and was able to look at the ground points in the EWD.

i don't think that is your issue. The right and left low beams have separate grounds, and again the odds of both going bad at once are very low. The high beam grounds are tied together, but they end up going to a branched circuit with two grounds, so again, super low odds that's the issue.

Would a failing alternator cause my issues?

 

[LX Cruiser]

Instagram

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Here’s a quick video. This is what happens. All of these lights turn on, I get the check AHC message, and my battery voltage spikes.

Oh, also, I have no headlights and no radio volume.

 

[bloc]

Instagram

www.instagram.com

Here’s a quick video. This is what happens. All of these lights turn on, I get the check AHC message, and my battery voltage spikes.

Oh, also, I have no headlights and no radio volume.

Alternator, I'm not sure. I've never really heard of that failure mode before, but it could just be rare. I seem to remember the ECU can report low voltage, possibly as a CEL, I wonder if it would do the same thing for high voltage..

You may see if you can find some kind of cigarette lighter accessory that shows voltage.. and maybe that would help you figure out if what's happening to the voltmeter gauge is real or some other kind of system freakout.

I can't watch that video without logging in.

 

[LX Cruiser]

Alternator, I'm not sure. I've never really heard of that failure mode before, but it could just be rare. I seem to remember the ECU can report low voltage, possibly as a CEL, I wonder if it would do the same thing for high voltage..

You may see if you can find some kind of cigarette lighter accessory that shows voltage.. and maybe that would help you figure out if what's happening to the voltmeter gauge is real or some other kind of system freakout.

I can't watch that video without logging in.

Here it is on youtube.



We lose radio volume, but it comes back next time the vehicle is started.
We lost headlights, and they’re just gone—DRLs, hi, and low. Going to grab my multimeter now that I’m home…

PS: I took off the door sills, kick panels, and black panels under both sides of the dash. No water anywhere. Inspected the cabin air filter housing and all underneath it. Dry as a bone, too.

Edit to add: After poking my head around the 80 series forum, (this thread in particular), I’m leaning more toward alternator failure. Voltage spikes, headlights going out, I even had a bit of a burning rubber smell that I think might be the alternator pulley. Not sure. More searching to do…

 

[bloc]

You may not see water but that green stuff would not be in that connector without exposure to water. So maybe not a leak now, but you definitely had something going on in the past.

The thing that would concern me if it is alternator failure is why aren't the headlights working now? You'll need to check the bulbs themselves.. I guess if voltage got that high they could have just burned out.

 

[LX Cruiser]

So here’s where I’m at now:

• Replaced headlights (to my surprise, the new bulbs work)
• Checked again for any moisture. None to be found
• Shot multi connectors in both kick panels with Deoxit. Let sit for two hours. Cleaned and reconnected
• Cleaned a bunch of corrosion off of battery under my sweet SDHQ aluminum tie down

So whatever happened caused my dash to go crazy, radio volume to disappear, and headlight bulbs to burn out without affecting ANY associated relays or fuses. The radio volume comes back every next time the LX is started. Maybe there is a secondary circuit protection involved there?

It kind of makes sense the headlight bulbs burned out due to a brief voltage surge that wasn’t quite high enough or sustained enough to break fuses but fried the tiny filaments in the bulbs themselves.

Talked to a few different mechanics. Everyone’s first thought is the alternator. Voltage regulator is not regulating said voltage. One guy suggested the BCM but still thinks it’s the alternator.