Bought a '02 LC one month ago - help wanted to investigate some symptoms (1 Viewer)

[teckays]

Hello everyone and glad to be here on this forum.
Roughly one month ago I bought a '02 LC100 with the 1HD-FTE engine and there are some problems I would like to get help investigating. Obviously I will visit a specialist but first I would like to know your opinion on that.

So here they are:
1 - Windshield liquid is leaking just under the washer tank. Not sure where exactly is the leak coming from. Should be fairly easy to investigate on my own.
2 - There is an oil leak under the car

3 - In the first week the oil indicator on the dashboard turned on so I checked the oil level and it was under that minimum mark so I bought the same oil (5W40) and refilled with about 0.5L
4 - Around the same time the height control stopped working, it was working when I bought it but stopped working after about 1 week after purchase, no specific noise with the compressor though.
5 - Today when I tried to start it, the batteries were dead, not surprisingly thought as they looked really old and there were noticeable marks on the fill caps after being forcefully opened in the past. Batteries were not identical
- 12V 70Ah 640A
- 12V 95Ah 720A
and I am not sure for how long they've been used. So I bought 2 new identical 95Ah batteries and replaced them.
6 - When starting the card after batteries were changed there was a considerable cloud of smoke from the exhaust pipe. Now every time I start the engine, there is smoke at first but after a few seconds it disappears, although not completely.

7 - The engine runs at ~ 1200 RPM and sounds like it's pushing hard a little bit, no AC or other things are running and it doesn't get lower after time.
8 - Engine coolant is at the LOW mark and looks reddish in color

9 - There is a loud noise on the power steering pump when starting the car and when turning the steering wheel.

Yeah, I know it sounds a lot and most of you would probably jump on giving advices like I shouldn't have bought it in the first place but it is the way it is and I know that this car is a legend and this legend needs help. And that's an opportunity to get involved in the heart of this car, not just driving it.

So please share your thoughts, I'm interested in learning this car from ground up so I can fully rely on it when out on a long forest trip.

Many thanks!

 

[thibaut]

The smoky start up of the engine is probably the biggest source of concern. Could be worn valve seals. What is the mileage of the car ?

For the AHC you have tons of info on the forum. It's a great system fairly reliable but complex. You will need to decide to fix or get rid of it and replace with conventional dampers and springs.

 

[gatormark91]

The smoky start up of the engine is probably the biggest source of concern. Could be worn valve seals. What is the mileage of the car ?

For the AHC you have tons of info on the forum. It's a great system fairly reliable but complex. You will need to decide to fix or get rid of it and replace with conventional dampers and springs.

Replace the PVC valve, I almost can guarantee it's jammed up. That's a normal cause if smoke like that, but not the only possible cause. Be careful of the gasket for it, if it's really old and hard it could break and pieces could fall in the valve cover. If that happens, you HAVE to pull the valve cover and get the bits out. But on that note, a valve cover leak is alsoalso usual culprit for an oil leak.

 

[gatormark91]

Replace the PVC valve, I almost can guarantee it's jammed up. That's a normal cause if smoke like that, but not the only possible cause. Be careful of the gasket for it, if it's really old and hard it could break and pieces could fall in the valve cover. If that happens, you HAVE to pull the valve cover and get the bits out. But on that note, a valve cover leak is alsoalso usual culprit for an oil leak.

PCV, oops

 

[nissanh]

2) The leak is like transmission fluid. It is coming from the dipstick. Could be too much oil in the trans or a leak on the dip stick tube.

3) Lowering the oil level can be related to the blue smoke at initial startup. Most likely it could be a leaky valve stem seals or PCV valve. If you don't have the history of most recent PCV replacement, get OEM PCV valve ( $ 5.73 at 2000 Toyota Land Cruiser Parts - Camelback Toyota Parts - Genuine OEM Parts - Free Shipping) and the grommet around it.

For leaky valve stem seals, you'll need to replace the seals. For that you need a little bit of experience. No need to remove the heads, just find a good mechanic.

4)
5) I use a 24 F battery (which is for a 4Runner) and so far it runs good.

6) Please see (3)

7) Could be a stuck Idle Air Control Valve or a cracked open vacuum line.

8) Refill the radiator with DI water/Red Coolant and also fill the reserve tank to Max mark. See what happens with time. IF the radiator is old/unknown history, replace the radiator OEM or DENSO with OEM radiator cap. If possible replace at least the upper radiator hose (OEM), both is advised.

9) Could be a clogged power steering reservoir. Remove the reservoir and clean the screen inside it. I used brake parts cleaner (ADVICE: WEAR SAFETY GOGGLES) to clean the screen. Flush the Power Steering fluid as follows: fill the reservoir and turn the wheel lock to lock (engine off, front raised) while the return line is disconnected from the reservoir. Continue until you get fresh fluid from the return line. Install the return line and inspect for any leaks after starting the engine.

 

[teckays]

The smoky start up of the engine is probably the biggest source of concern. Could be worn valve seals. What is the mileage of the car ?

For the AHC you have tons of info on the forum. It's a great system fairly reliable but complex. You will need to decide to fix or get rid of it and replace with conventional dampers and springs.

It's ~165K, the previous owner says it's original, not sure about it yet. I will schedule an appointment at the official Toyota Dealer and maybe I can find some service records.

Will keep you posted.