Deferred Maintenance Advice For a Rookie Hundy Owner... (1 Viewer)

[Gnarwgn]

Hey Team -

Need some help. Picked up my 2001 Hundy over the summer (in my rookie year still) and since have been accruing a list of 'small' deferred maintenance items (thanks previous owner), none of which I believe are that serious (fingers crossed). As a whole however (10 items total), it has become a PITA made worse by the fact that my wife drives the rig. To complicate matters further still, I have a newborn in the house, so my available time to knock out the simplest of items is basically zero. If you've never experienced this 'life with a newborn' thing, let me just tell you its insanely frustrating as they single-handedly make time evaporate. Like a chihuahua is biting you in the ankle but you can't do anything about it type of frustrating, something along those lines...

That being said, I recently took it into the local Yota Stealership for an oil change, because I wanted the multi-point inspection report to see if there were any additional surprises lurking in the darkness. Fortunately it came back clean with the 2 exceptions of a power steering flush and a 150k service (currently at 153k).

All this being said I wanted to float the list out there, and get your feedback/opinions/comments on how I can get all this knocked out and get my Hundy back on its A-game. My hunch is that I find a reputable private garage and have them get to work. That being said I need to warn you in advance that I don't come from a long line of mechanically gifted rugged over-landers (though I aspire to one day join these ranks), so some of the following questions will likely be so painful that I'm sure at least one if you will momentarily black out. My apologies.

1. 150k service - do I have this done at a Toyota dealership? Do I have Toyota garages bid against each other? Only reason I can think to do this at a Toyota dealership vs. other garage is because it 'looks nice' on a Carfax report, should I ever sell. I'm wincing as I write this so I'm guessing thats not the answer...private garage?

2. Power Steering flush - straightforward. Something I could do, except I'm too busy changing the power steering fluid constantly leaking out of my newborn, if you will...

3. Driver side power lock actuator - I think mine is shot, because it only fires the lock every other attempt or so. I only realized this while on the 1 yard line of doing my own master key replacement.

4. Master Key Replacement - Had 2 new keys ordered/cut based on advice on this blog (which was great btw). Was working great until I ran into the problem above. Pretty sure #4 doesn't complete until #3 is working correctly. #sodamnclose #sodamnfaraway

5. A/C Recharge - just needs it which I noticed late summer, just don't have an a/c re-charger machine sitting around anywhere handy turns out...

6. 'Rear' heat - too hot (like hotter than hell status), as in I thought the rig was on fire last weekend on the freeway. My kids were in the back and I was feeling some EXTREMELY hot air coming up through the driver's seat and center console. Stuck my hand back against the foot vent at the back of the center console and it was uncomfortably hot. Wondering if its related to #5.

7. Steering will clicks, especially when cold, especially turning left (I'm not making this up even though it sounds like it at this point). This is covered here on the blog and at some point the string turns into rocket science and I got completely lost. I'm wondering if I can pop the cover on the steering column and apply some lube somewhere. And by 'I' I mean the lucky mechanic that I'm going to hand this list 'o fun to at some point in the near future...

8. Undercarriage armor rattle - covered on the blog as well. Straightforward again. Just time that I still don't have...

9. Valve Cover Gasket Replacement - I'm getting the occasional 'burnt oil' smell coming through the cabin, and all searches point to gasket replacement (covered extensively on the blog). Parts are $37 on Amazon and the strings are full of alot of you more talented folks saying this is an 'easy job.'

10. The damn roof is leaking - yep saved the best for last here. I'm getting a leak that is dripping from the corner of the center roof console where you stick your garage remote clicker. Super old school feature that made me laugh when I was literally sticking my garage clicker in there. Anyway its getting the last laugh as it leaks on my leg lately. I believe this is due to 1)improper windshield seal and/or 2) bad sunroof seal 3) roof rack issues

Thanks in advance for any thoughts or direction. If any of you are in the Seattle area please suggest local shops that you would recommend. Much appreciated!

 

[BudgetLC]

Even though I've had my 100 for 3 years, I am no expert on it but a few observations.

1) I would follow the factory service schedule, not what the dealer might be trying to sell you. That being said, you should back track on the service to see what the PO might have neglected, especially major items like the timing belt, water pump, wheel bearing repack, etc. When I bought mine w/155K miles, it was still sporting the original timing belt/water pump. I found the dealer was very competitive price wise and knew I would be getting OEM parts.

3) The actuator can probably be repaired by replacing the motor in it. Plenty of info on this site about it. Just a matter of having the time and ability to do it.

10) You might see about cleaning the sunroof drains. Again, it's been covered on this site.

I'm sure that more experienced members will chime in on the rest of the list and have more suggestions on the three I covered.

 

[suprarx7nut]

Recent new dad myself. Can relate to the time sink!

1. Never heard of the 150k service. I'd forget it. Look at each item individually and see if you can knock out the easy stuff. Otherwise, I'd forget it entirely.

2. I'd forget it for now. Slightly old power steering fluid isn't going to kill the rack or the pump.

3. Could be motor, but weak batteries can cause similar faults. My locks have been rarely faulty for the last 2 years. Works fine about 99.5% of the time. They always work with the physical key so I've never bothered to fix it.

6. Yes, rear heat is stupid hot. The multiple some climate system is super simplistic. If the rear needs heat it gets a flaming blast of heat at the bottom of the console. Nothing's wrong with yours. It's normal to be scalding hot. Heat only comes out the bottom and ac only comes out the ceiling.

9. Valve cover gasket. Are you sure it's that? Can you visually verify anything?

10. That's real annoying. Thankfully, getting into the roof isn't actually too bad. Spend $20 on a set of plastic interior trim removal tools and look up panel removal on the 100. You might be able to see the source of the leak by print back the roof liner.

All in all, that's pretty minor stuff so don't let it get you too stressed.

Most importantly, welcome to the club! Both dad-dom and 100 series owner!

 

[Dwight S]

#4 - Key programming can be accomplished manually. It may take a couple of attempts, but I did it, so it does work.

 

[Ohthetrees]

2) will take 30 minutes if you go slow. 5 min if you know what you are doing. Howtos available on this forum.

 

[aging fleet]

@Gnarwgn, regarding kids, the best advice I can give you is to plan ahead and have realistic expectations of what you can accomplish when you have time to work on the cars. We have 3 kids so my time is limited too, what worked for me was saving larger projects for weekend nights or those long holiday weekends where I could take my time and spread the work over a few days. You can knock the smaller projects out while your kid naps. I also ordered parts way ahead of time, that way, when opportunity knocked, I had everything ready to go.

About a few of the maintenance questions...

1) To drastically oversimplify the factory service schedule, you have larger maintenance intervals every 30k and at 90k this service includes the timing belt. There is no specific 150k service in the book, but that would be a 30k interval so maybe that's what the dealer is trying to sell you. I bought mine right at 90k so it was due for a big service in addition it needed the fluids flushed, new tires, TPMS sensors, the front wheel bearings serviced, etc. All part of buying a used car. I just prioritized the work and did it as my time and finances allowed.

3) Replacement motors are inexpensive on ebay, there is a thread on mud explaining the installation process. I need to do my driver's door and have motors on hand, just haven't gotten around to it because the lock still works 95% of the time.

10) This one sucks and would be a priority if it were my car. Check the sunroof drains before you do the hard stuff, hopefully you'll luck out.

 

[blatant]

T's. They're brittle by now if original, and they'll definitely leave you stranded if they go. The rest of the main't you can piece meal as time and money allow.

T's.

 

[Gnarwgn]

#4 - Key programming can be accomplished manually. It may take a couple of attempts, but I did it, so it does work.

@Dwight S thank you for this great video! Took me a couple attempts but I was able to sync my new master with the remote locks. Very much appreciated.

 

[Gnarwgn]

Recent new dad myself. Can relate to the time sink!

1. Never heard of the 150k service. I'd forget it. Look at each item individually and see if you can knock out the easy stuff. Otherwise, I'd forget it entirely.

2. I'd forget it for now. Slightly old power steering fluid isn't going to kill the rack or the pump.

3. Could be motor, but weak batteries can cause similar faults. My locks have been rarely faulty for the last 2 years. Works fine about 99.5% of the time. They always work with the physical key so I've never bothered to fix it.

6. Yes, rear heat is stupid hot. The multiple some climate system is super simplistic. If the rear needs heat it gets a flaming blast of heat at the bottom of the console. Nothing's wrong with yours. It's normal to be scalding hot. Heat only comes out the bottom and ac only comes out the ceiling.

9. Valve cover gasket. Are you sure it's that? Can you visually verify anything?

10. That's real annoying. Thankfully, getting into the roof isn't actually too bad. Spend $20 on a set of plastic interior trim removal tools and look up panel removal on the 100. You might be able to see the source of the leak by print back the roof liner.

All in all, that's pretty minor stuff so don't let it get you too stressed.

Most importantly, welcome to the club! Both dad-dom and 100 series owner!

Thanks @suprarx7nut for the wisdom - I'm absorbing all of it but jumping on the valve cover gasket and roof leakage. I was able to snap a picture of what I believe to be a 'smoking gun' of sorts suggesting valve cover gaskets being the source of the periodic burnt oil smell that I'm experiencing (happens only when the heat is on I believe)...pic attached/below, this is the front passenger side:

 

[tacoduck]

I have a 2001...Its a great truck. The start up rattle is probably your heat shields on your Cats. You can fix this in 10 minutes with a stainless band clamp from Home depot. Mad I didn't do this when I first bought the truck.

Heater T's are the first thing I would address... Honestly, at your skill set, I would pay the dealer to do it.

Im running M1 extended performance at 10k oil change intervals and recommend it to anyone that will listen. My wife DD her LX470, and 10k between services keeps makes it easier on us. That ends up being every 6 months.

Good luck!

 

[Dwight S]

Heater T's are the first thing I would address... Honestly, at your skill set, I would pay the dealer to do it.

I agree with replacing Tees, disagree with getting the dealer or shop to do it.

Read through this thread for more information.
DIY: Replacing heater hose pipe T's *important*

Get the part numbers from the above thread and replace the tees and the 6 hoses at the same time. You’ll need basic hand tools and something like this Chraftsman utility cutter helps too.
Craftsman Edge Utility Cutters 009-37300

All you need to do is remove the plastic intake cover for easy access to the tees. Mock up the new hoses and tees before you actually start working. This way, you know you have the correct hose in the correct spot. Next step, cut out the old tees by cutting through the hoses on all three sides around the tees. This prevents the old tees from crumbling apart and getting into the cooling system. Also easier to deal with the spring hose clamps. Once you have the old tees off and the rest of the hoses off, transfer the clamps to the new assembly and reinstall. In the entire process, you may loose a quart of coolant. Test for leaks by removing radiator cap and starting the truck and cranking up the heaters. Let the truck come up to temp.
Once the truck is up to temperature, you may see coolant level in the radiator drop. Refill the radiator to pre-start level with new Toyota red coolant, replace radiator cap and you’re done. All of this may take an hour or a little more. But you will save money and gain confidence to do more.

 

[2001LC]

I saw one thing concerning in your OP list, "Rear heat". It should be hot and so should front cabin heater. That said, you should have coolant system checked out. Your engine may be running hot, or you may have a flow issue in front cabin heater core.

Finding a good mechanic is not easy. Corner shops that work on every model and make, often do more damage than good. Even Toyota/Lexus Dealers mess up a lot. Slee and I agree; we correcting what others have done poorly all to often.

Your best bet is to finding a Land Cruiser specialist in your area. A two or three hour drive with the family may be worth it. Get to know your mechanic. With the help on this forum you'll gain the knowledge you need to inspect the work done and ask question.

 

[abuck99]

#7 Could be the clock spring warning that its about to break. This will disable airbag, steering wheel audio & control buttons, Abs & VGRS lights.

There are a couple of threads here on replacing it- fairly easy, and options for aftermarket parts which are about 75% less than OEM part price.

 

[Dwight S]

The hot rear heater sounds normal to me. Mine gets really warm. Replacing the tees and a proper system burping and coolant top off and the interior heat should be good.

 

[Dwight S]

If you want to turn over all repairs and maintenance to a shop, MUD member recommendation for Seattle is @torfab .

 

[Spike555]

Baseline the truck, that means all fluids and filters get changed.

Check for a cracked/broken wire in the drivers door wire harness, I had a broken wire and the power window/lock would only work sometimes, then not at all.

A/C, just buy the DIY cans. Then you'll find out your rear a/c line is rusted through and you you won't be out serious money.

 

[tacoduck]

I agree with replacing Tees, disagree with getting the dealer or shop to do it.

Read through this thread for more information.
DIY: Replacing heater hose pipe T's *important*

Get the part numbers from the above thread and replace the tees and the 6 hoses at the same time. You’ll need basic hand tools and something like this Chraftsman utility cutter helps too.
Craftsman Edge Utility Cutters 009-37300

All you need to do is remove the plastic intake cover for easy access to the tees. Mock up the new hoses and tees before you actually start working. This way, you know you have the correct hose in the correct spot. Next step, cut out the old tees by cutting through the hoses on all three sides around the tees. This prevents the old tees from crumbling apart and getting into the cooling system. Also easier to deal with the spring hose clamps. Once you have the old tees off and the rest of the hoses off, transfer the clamps to the new assembly and reinstall. In the entire process, you may loose a quart of coolant. Test for leaks by removing radiator cap and starting the truck and cranking up the heaters. Let the truck come up to temp.
Once the truck is up to temperature, you may see coolant level in the radiator drop. Refill the radiator to pre-start level with new Toyota red coolant, replace radiator cap and you’re done. All of this may take an hour or a little more. But you will save money and gain confidence to do more.

I’m going to disagree. I own 2 of these trucks and replacing heater t’s can be a real bitch. And, if you get stuck, the truck is dead in the water. My .02.

 

[Gnarwgn]

Baseline the truck, that means all fluids and filters get changed.

Check for a cracked/broken wire in the drivers door wire harness, I had a broken wire and the power window/lock would only work sometimes, then not at all.

A/C, just buy the DIY cans. Then you'll find out your rear a/c line is rusted through and you you won't be out serious money.

Thanks @Spike555 - question about the DIY A/C suggestion - would you agree with this selection below, and should I do the 'super seal spot leak kit' at the same time? I see they are 'frequently bought together' on Amazon so wondering what your thoughts are there...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007USCM7E/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I2744QGZ5IFWO1&colid=LNEV426OMAZT&psc=0

https://www.amazon.com/MRL-3-R-134a...rd_wg=8AGyX&psc=1&refRID=7Z83T99B2YE10SN9KXZR

 

[Gnarwgn]

Recent new dad myself. Can relate to the time sink!

1. Never heard of the 150k service. I'd forget it. Look at each item individually and see if you can knock out the easy stuff. Otherwise, I'd forget it entirely.

2. I'd forget it for now. Slightly old power steering fluid isn't going to kill the rack or the pump.

3. Could be motor, but weak batteries can cause similar faults. My locks have been rarely faulty for the last 2 years. Works fine about 99.5% of the time. They always work with the physical key so I've never bothered to fix it.

6. Yes, rear heat is stupid hot. The multiple some climate system is super simplistic. If the rear needs heat it gets a flaming blast of heat at the bottom of the console. Nothing's wrong with yours. It's normal to be scalding hot. Heat only comes out the bottom and ac only comes out the ceiling.

9. Valve cover gasket. Are you sure it's that? Can you visually verify anything?

10. That's real annoying. Thankfully, getting into the roof isn't actually too bad. Spend $20 on a set of plastic interior trim removal tools and look up panel removal on the 100. You might be able to see the source of the leak by print back the roof liner.

All in all, that's pretty minor stuff so don't let it get you too stressed.

Most importantly, welcome to the club! Both dad-dom and 100 series owner!

@suprarx7nut - regarding the valve cover gasket - I tightened as many of the bolts as I could reach (based on a quick hack I read elsewhere on mud) and the smell is basically gone. Only occasionally do I catch a small draft. At least half were so loose I'm surprised they hadn't fallen out completely.

 

[Spike555]

Thanks @Spike555 - question about the DIY A/C suggestion - would you agree with this selection below, and should I do the 'super seal spot leak kit' at the same time? I see they are 'frequently bought together' on Amazon so wondering what your thoughts are there...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007USCM7E/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I2744QGZ5IFWO1&colid=LNEV426OMAZT&psc=0

https://www.amazon.com/MRL-3-R-134a...rd_wg=8AGyX&psc=1&refRID=7Z83T99B2YE10SN9KXZR

DO NOT use a/c stop leak, it will clog your condenser.

You probably have the classic corroded rear a/c line that is guaranteed to happen on these trucks, get the cheapest refrigerant you can becaus eif the rear line does have a hole in it it's all going to leak out anyway until you fix the leak.

Do yourself a favor and buy a a/c recharge hose kit, then you can buy the cans of refridgerent which are super cheap, I buy them when they go one clearence in the fall for like $5 a can. The hose kit lasts forever.

A/C PRO GBM-4 R-134a Air Conditioning Pro Heavy Duty Charging Hose and Gauge https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004QQ8SEY/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_tai_P0sBAb7ZAP4Z0

3 Cans R-134a DuPont Suva A/C Automotive Refrigerant/Freon R134a (12oz Cans) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WXBYYR4/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_tai_M1sBAb4ZX9Y65