Didn't see that coming!
Allow myself to introduce….myself. (2009 LX570 OEM+ build and maintenance thread) (1 Viewer)
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- 2009 570 lx maintenance
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- #62
New battery day. 27F Interstate from Costco.
Voltage has been a steady 13.8-14.2V since I cleaned the multi-connectors and the battery terminals (which were pretty funky, to be honest). Battery was dated 6/20, so it was time to go regardless.
Still trying (and failing) to recreate the problem. Ordering a new cowl just because the original one has some foam falling off of it. Probably won’t drive in the rain until that is installed just to be safe.
Hit 190000 today
Voltage has been a steady 13.8-14.2V since I cleaned the multi-connectors and the battery terminals (which were pretty funky, to be honest). Battery was dated 6/20, so it was time to go regardless.
Still trying (and failing) to recreate the problem. Ordering a new cowl just because the original one has some foam falling off of it. Probably won’t drive in the rain until that is installed just to be safe.
Hit 190000 today
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- #63
It has rained a few days (including today) since I ordered the new cowl. I wanted to see if driving in or after rain would cause our old voltage surge issue. No issues at all. I’m guessing the 4 year old battery had a failing cell in it or maybe the tiny bit of corrosion in the multi connectors caused it. It has been perfectly well-behaved since I cleaned up connectors and battery terminals and replaced the battery. Regardless, I wanted to replace the cowl, too.
Cowl arrived last night, and I got it installed today. Took a peek underneath while the old one was out, and I still don’t see any moisture issues.
It was good to put a new one in anyway because the old one’s weather stripping was falling off on the passenger side toward the center.
I could easily drive the Tundra on my upcoming 1500-mile trip, but I really want to take the LX so we can put one of our three kids in the third row. It has always been rock solid for us, but now I’m a bit hesitant with 200k miles just around the corner on the OG alternator and starter. We’ll see. It’s basically all highway miles.
Cowl arrived last night, and I got it installed today. Took a peek underneath while the old one was out, and I still don’t see any moisture issues.
It was good to put a new one in anyway because the old one’s weather stripping was falling off on the passenger side toward the center.
I could easily drive the Tundra on my upcoming 1500-mile trip, but I really want to take the LX so we can put one of our three kids in the third row. It has always been rock solid for us, but now I’m a bit hesitant with 200k miles just around the corner on the OG alternator and starter. We’ll see. It’s basically all highway miles.
My starter went a few months ago, also a 2009, around 245k miles. The repair took a couple days to get in and out of the shop. That’s not to make you nervous because I don’t think you should be, just data on how long it might take to get it fixed if traveling.
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- #65
Cowl panel removal and installation WRITE-UP
1 banana job
~30 minutes
It’s so straightforward, I don’t think any pics were needed.
Part needed:
I searched and found the best price at parts.ourismantoyotaofrichmond.com:
Ok, here’s the process.
1. With the hood closed, pop the small covers off your wiper arms where it mounts on the cowl. This exposes a 14mm nut.
2. Use a couple pieces of painter’s tape on the windshield to mark where exactly the wipers lie against the glass before removing if you want (I didn’t do this, but it may make it easier to put the wipers back in the *exact* same place they were before.
2a. Use a 14mm socket to remove the wiper arms (these go back on very easy).
3. Open the hood. You need to remove the trim pieces that run front to back on the sides of the engine bay. Pull toward the front of the vehicle. It should give, and will move about an inch. Pop the end by the hood latch out from under the inner fender sheet metal. Then gently pull up. You can see how it was fixed to the tabs. You may need to pull forward to the front of the vehicle to fully free the tabs. Set these trim pieces aside; you’ll reinstall them.
4. This exposes 1 plastic screw tab on each side of the cowl panel. Gently turn these counter-clockwise with a Phillips screwdriver. Seriously, if you even let the weight of your screwdriver rest on these screw heads, they will spin but not back out of their plastic housing. Remove both parts of this tab.
5. On the driver’s side of the cowl, pop the wiper fluid hose coming from the fender out of the 90º plastic joint. It pulls right out. DO NOT USE PLIERS.
6. The old cowl will pull straight out toward the front of the vehicle. It really helps to have two people pulling at the time from both sides.
7. You’ll notice when it comes off that there are some black plastic tabs on the cowl under the rubber strip edge that covers the bottom of the windshield. These are what pop into place and make it somewhat difficult to remove.
8. Carefully install the new cowl, lining up the rubber strip of the new one where the rubber strip of your old cowl sat against the windshield (this will be obvious). Center the cowl, and push gently but firmly back toward the windshield (again, two people makes this easier). Just make sure that rubber strip is over the lip of the windshield, and the black tabs are below it. Do not smash them against the windshield. It will pop back into place.
9. Reinstall plastic screw tabs, one on each side of the new cowl.
10. Reinstall your side trim pieces (my wife did this for me; her hands are super small, and she could get them seated on all three tabs on both sides very easily)
11. Close the hood.
12. Reinstall your wipers. Just start the 14mm nut and then lay the wiper out to make sure the blade lies in the right spot on the bottom of the windshield. Torque ‘em down. I just used the GFT method.
And you’re done!
1 banana job
~30 minutes
It’s so straightforward, I don’t think any pics were needed.
Part needed:
I searched and found the best price at parts.ourismantoyotaofrichmond.com:
55708-60101 | Cowl Grille | $517.48 |
Ok, here’s the process.
1. With the hood closed, pop the small covers off your wiper arms where it mounts on the cowl. This exposes a 14mm nut.
2. Use a couple pieces of painter’s tape on the windshield to mark where exactly the wipers lie against the glass before removing if you want (I didn’t do this, but it may make it easier to put the wipers back in the *exact* same place they were before.
2a. Use a 14mm socket to remove the wiper arms (these go back on very easy).
3. Open the hood. You need to remove the trim pieces that run front to back on the sides of the engine bay. Pull toward the front of the vehicle. It should give, and will move about an inch. Pop the end by the hood latch out from under the inner fender sheet metal. Then gently pull up. You can see how it was fixed to the tabs. You may need to pull forward to the front of the vehicle to fully free the tabs. Set these trim pieces aside; you’ll reinstall them.
4. This exposes 1 plastic screw tab on each side of the cowl panel. Gently turn these counter-clockwise with a Phillips screwdriver. Seriously, if you even let the weight of your screwdriver rest on these screw heads, they will spin but not back out of their plastic housing. Remove both parts of this tab.
5. On the driver’s side of the cowl, pop the wiper fluid hose coming from the fender out of the 90º plastic joint. It pulls right out. DO NOT USE PLIERS.
6. The old cowl will pull straight out toward the front of the vehicle. It really helps to have two people pulling at the time from both sides.
7. You’ll notice when it comes off that there are some black plastic tabs on the cowl under the rubber strip edge that covers the bottom of the windshield. These are what pop into place and make it somewhat difficult to remove.
8. Carefully install the new cowl, lining up the rubber strip of the new one where the rubber strip of your old cowl sat against the windshield (this will be obvious). Center the cowl, and push gently but firmly back toward the windshield (again, two people makes this easier). Just make sure that rubber strip is over the lip of the windshield, and the black tabs are below it. Do not smash them against the windshield. It will pop back into place.
9. Reinstall plastic screw tabs, one on each side of the new cowl.
10. Reinstall your side trim pieces (my wife did this for me; her hands are super small, and she could get them seated on all three tabs on both sides very easily)
11. Close the hood.
12. Reinstall your wipers. Just start the 14mm nut and then lay the wiper out to make sure the blade lies in the right spot on the bottom of the windshield. Torque ‘em down. I just used the GFT method.
And you’re done!
- Thread starter
- #66
Still haven’t completely buttoned up this overcharging issue. Here’s a quick recap:
Over Thanksgiving, the truck’s voltage randomly spikes to 17+ V for a few seconds. It burns the headlights out without burning out any fuses. Happens *several* times at varying speeds and RPMs over this trip.
First thought: water ingress. I remove door sills, kick panels, cowl grille. Everything gets cleaned out. Cowl weatherstripping is in poor shape. Order a new one. New cowl grille installed. New battery installed. New OEM battery terminal clamps installed.
And for the next three weeks (and 1,000 miles), it doesn’t happen again.
Then, on Dec 21, the night before we leave for another big trip, it happens again: voltage spikes to 17V, headlights burn out.
So we take the Tundra instead, and I order a new alternator from Toyota.
Alternator is installed, everything appears to be good, except now the battery light on the dash won’t turn off. I’m getting 13.8 V while the truck is running and 12.6 V after it sits overnight. Alternator and battery are both new and appear to be working properly. Yet the battery light stays on constantly.
I checked the plug and the charging cable connections at the alternator. Negative battery cable is currently detached. Maybe it just needs to stay disconnected for an extended time. I’ll reconnect it in the morning.
Feels like I’m grasping at straws. This issue sucks. Any ideas?
Over Thanksgiving, the truck’s voltage randomly spikes to 17+ V for a few seconds. It burns the headlights out without burning out any fuses. Happens *several* times at varying speeds and RPMs over this trip.
First thought: water ingress. I remove door sills, kick panels, cowl grille. Everything gets cleaned out. Cowl weatherstripping is in poor shape. Order a new one. New cowl grille installed. New battery installed. New OEM battery terminal clamps installed.
And for the next three weeks (and 1,000 miles), it doesn’t happen again.
Then, on Dec 21, the night before we leave for another big trip, it happens again: voltage spikes to 17V, headlights burn out.
So we take the Tundra instead, and I order a new alternator from Toyota.
Alternator is installed, everything appears to be good, except now the battery light on the dash won’t turn off. I’m getting 13.8 V while the truck is running and 12.6 V after it sits overnight. Alternator and battery are both new and appear to be working properly. Yet the battery light stays on constantly.
I checked the plug and the charging cable connections at the alternator. Negative battery cable is currently detached. Maybe it just needs to stay disconnected for an extended time. I’ll reconnect it in the morning.
Feels like I’m grasping at straws. This issue sucks. Any ideas?
So you have the FSM? Did you follow the troubleshooting for Battery Light On?Still haven’t completely buttoned up this overcharging issue. Here’s a quick recap:
Over Thanksgiving, the truck’s voltage randomly spikes to 17+ V for a few seconds. It burns the headlights out without burning out any fuses. Happens *several* times at varying speeds and RPMs over this trip.
First thought: water ingress. I remove door sills, kick panels, cowl grille. Everything gets cleaned out. Cowl weatherstripping is in poor shape. Order a new one. New cowl grille installed. New battery installed. New OEM battery terminal clamps installed.
And for the next three weeks (and 1,000 miles), it doesn’t happen again.
Then, on Dec 21, the night before we leave for another big trip, it happens again: voltage spikes to 17V, headlights burn out.
So we take the Tundra instead, and I order a new alternator from Toyota.
Alternator is installed, everything appears to be good, except now the battery light on the dash won’t turn off. I’m getting 13.8 V while the truck is running and 12.6 V after it sits overnight. Alternator and battery are both new and appear to be working properly. Yet the battery light stays on constantly.
I checked the plug and the charging cable connections at the alternator. Negative battery cable is currently detached. Maybe it just needs to stay disconnected for an extended time. I’ll reconnect it in the morning.
Feels like I’m grasping at straws. This issue sucks. Any ideas?
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- #68
I don’t have the FSM. Do I need to buy it?
This is a somewhat tech intense thread, but it's the best "free" way to get the FSM. Otherwise, you can also buy 2 day passes from Toyota for $25.
FSM for 200 series
Thanks everyone. I'll PM those who've responded. If anyone else wants to contribute just PM me.
forum.ih8mud.com
Here's where you go to get the 2-day pass (never noticed, but interestingly enough it appears to be hosted by Snap-On?).
On this same topic, I always recommend getting FSM and a version of Techstream. You can get legitimate Techstream from here with Techstream Lite. Or you can order something like the VCX Nano for Toyota, or you go even cheaper and get any old OBDII kit off eBay or Amazon that says it will give you access.
I like the VCX Nano with Wifi myself.
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- #70
Ok, I used Transmission to download the entire 200 series FSM that @linuxgod has seeded for us all. I’ve left it open and have seeded a few GBs since. I’m scrolling through the PDFs. This seems wildly unorganized (a common forum complaint, I’m finding).
Is it too much to hope there is a troubleshooting topic for the battery light (charging system indicator light) somewhere?
You should finish reading the posts. There are steps to convert that 40gb file into the backend of a webpage so that you can explore TIS just like if you were on the website. It explicitly says in the directions to not bother with trying to navigate the PDFs.
On a positive note, you've already done the hard part. Getting the rest of it set up takes just a few minutes.
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- #72
I’m wondering if the fact the old alternator was overcharging the system made the system think the new alternator is undercharging, even though it’s performing properly. 
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- #73
Got this set up with Abyss, and now I'm reading through it. This is super helpful. Thanks to @linuxgod for putting it together and spelling out the steps to get it set up. It looks like I need to check a few things if the charge warning light circuit (battery light) is not operating properly. The below steps are to be performed with the truck running:
If we pass those tests–which I really think we will with this being a new alternator and all–then it seems I should check resistance in the circuit. It looks like I should check resistance from the #3 pin in the D connector on the alternator and the 32nd pin (or wire?) in the C53 ECM panel. Am I reading this right?
For my own reference when I can actually get to this, here's the connector at the alternator.
...and C53:
If that test fails, I'll probably just replace that part of the wiring harness.
