First LC Purchased - White 2001- couple questions

[Fitzo]

Greetings,

I am coming over to the LC world from the Tacoma/4Runner world. I still own a 2002 4runner but I do have two kids and the 4runner has been feeling smaller and smaller on camping trips lately. I finally purchased my first LC about a week and a half ago after many months of looking. I finally jumped on a 2001, 169K, original owner, Oregon car its whole life. The rig was posted for $6839.00 with no pics and I almost thought the listing was a scam. Under priced for this market and also, such an odd dollar amount! I ended up getting in touch with the guy within 30 minutes of him posting the listing. He said his phone was blowing up (who knew so many people are still out looking for these). I was fortunately located close by and was the first one able to look at it. It was dirty inside but I had been looking so long that I knew it was a good deal and jumped at the opportunity:

Dropbox - 2001LC.JPG

PO told me the rig had a water leak issue of some kind. He is a retired Dr. and not a guy who ever wrenched on his rig. He said the water was on the passenger side floor. He thought somehow it was coming through the firewall. After much forum reading and researching, I thought it was either clogged sunroof drains, or maybe a leaky windshield as I noticed the windshield was not original. After checking the sunroof drains and pouring water around the windshield area, I dug a little deeper and realized the source of the leak was most likely the AC evaporator cover as it was dripping from the plastic housing.

I used the following thread and dug into the issue yesterday:
How do I remove the panel around the glove box? Can't remove AC evaporator.

I got the evaporator cover off and cleaned all the junk and funk from in there. Since I've been reading this forum for so long, I had previously read about the cabin filter mod for the LC. Since my evaporator cover door did not appear to have the opening for the filters, I referenced this handy thread/forum and have since ordered the parts I need to add cabin filters to my new LC:

www.tlcfaq.com/main/tag/cabin-filters/

So now I'm waiting for the parts to arrive from Toyota of Dallas (when I owned a Tacoma and was a frequent lurker at TTORA I remember everyone ordered their parts from Toyota of Dallas). Took the car though the car wash and was pleased to see no water coming in anywhere so I think the aftermarket windshield is okay and I just need to install the new evaporator cover and should have the water leak taken care of.

I still need to baseline all the fluids as I think the PO did great with the oil changes (synthetic its whole life) but I'm not so sure he did as well with changing the rest of the fluids as the records are a bit more spotty here.

I do have a couple questions for you all. 1st. The PO told me the manual calls for premium fuel and that is all he ever ran in it. Now we all know these things are not light on fuel consumption and I'd rather not be dumping premium fuel into it if I don't have to. I did some research and came to the conclusion that most people say premium is a waste of money and unless your rig is pinging on regular, go ahead and run regular fuel it it. My question here is this: Since I bought this truck from the original owner and he only ran premium in it, is there an additional consideration I should make when thinking about going back to regular fuel? Any issues with 169K miles of all premium and then switching to regular? I've read in the past that you have to be careful switching to synthetic oil in a high-mileage rig that had run dino oil its whole life?

Second question has to do with the window washing fluid reservoir. I was filling mine up last night and got it a little over halfway full when fluid started pouring out from below. After inspection, it looks like my washer reservoir is cracked about halfway down. I did some research but came up empty. Has anyone had to replace this tank and if so, is it difficult?

Next on the list - Interior detailing. baseline fluids. Ditch running boards.

Cheers!

 

[suprarx7nut]

Welcome!

1. Fuel: I ran an elaborate 2+ year experiment with regular vs premium. Tracked every single fuel up MPG, used one octane for an entire year, etc... I should do a video on it someday. Anyways, I got statistically significantly better MPG with premium. It made up for about half the cost difference between the two grades of fuel. For most people, the true cost savings will be minimal. The fact that pinging causes increased wear (however small) makes me a strong advocate of running premium. I want this engine to last well into 400k miles. It's worth the small premium (pun intended) at the pump to use gasoline the engineers designed the engine around, IMO.

I am not aware of any consideration for causing increased harm switching fuel types if it's been run one way over a long period of time.

2. Switching oils: Synthetic generally cleans the engine well. The myth/misnomer you reference with switching oils mostly has to do with leaks becoming apparent after gunk is cleaned out by synthetic oil. My take is that those leaks were always there and were just slowed/hidden by the gunk built up in the engine. I'd rather run top notch oil (and the LONG change intervals that go with it) and fix the leaks that are present. Most modern oils are pretty awesome though so it's hard to use a "bad" oil these days.

3. Ditch those running boards and put some beefy tires on there. It'll be trail ready at that point!

 

[Fitzo]

Welcome!

1. Fuel: I ran an elaborate 2+ year experiment with regular vs premium. Tracked every single fuel up MPG, used one octane for an entire year, etc... I should do a video on it someday. Anyways, I got statistically significantly better MPG with premium. It made up for about half the cost difference between the two grades of fuel. For most people, the true cost savings will be minimal. The fact that pinging causes increased wear (however small) makes me a strong advocate of running premium. I want this engine to last well into 400k miles. It's worth the small premium (pun intended) at the pump to use gasoline the engineers designed the engine around, IMO.

I am not aware of any consideration for causing increased harm switching fuel types if it's been run one way over a long period of time.

2. Switching oils: Synthetic generally cleans the engine well. The myth/misnomer you reference with switching oils mostly has to do with leaks becoming apparent after gunk is cleaned out by synthetic oil. My take is that those leaks were always there and were just slowed/hidden by the gunk built up in the engine. I'd rather run top notch oil (and the LONG change intervals that go with it) and fix the leaks that are present. Most modern oils are pretty awesome though so it's hard to use a "bad" oil these days.

3. Ditch those running boards and put some beefy tires on there. It'll be trail ready at that point!

Thank you for your response, Sir. I did order a key fob today from you (before your kind response). I do need to wrestle with the tire thing. Whats unfortunate is the PO put brand new tires on it right before selling to me. The tires are so new, I even called discount tire to see if they would be willing to exchange them for a different brand/ larger size and of course, the answer was no. The thing is, the PO put on brand new Yokohama Geolandar 015 A/T tires in the factory size. When I asked the Discount Tire guy about swapping with AT/3 which is the Discount Tire version of the Cooper A/TW that highly regarded and also what I run on my 4Runner, the Discount Tire guy said I should really thing twice about that and that the new Geolandar 015 is a better tire than the AT/3. The Geolandar looks decent enough and I think it will perform decently enough for my mild off-road use....I just really wish they were a size bigger!. Thanks again for your thoughts on the premium vs regular fuel. I certainly didn't want to start a new thread about fuel.

 

[spmarfatia]

Hi,

congrats on the new ride, looks clean and beautiful.

I am in a similar boat as having just bought my first LC on Sat, a 2000 with 214K, and also having a 1998 4runner.

My first fill up was a regular on Sat. And on Sunday, I hauled 5 adults and their stuff to the beach. A round trip of 70-80 miles. didn't experience any pinging. I plan on continuing to use regular unless I discover a reason not to. I also put regular gas in my BMW 1200GS motorcycle, they recommend Premium, bike they claim can go anywhere in the world for any duration. I figured, premium wouldn't be available in many parts of the world(Africa?). I am just pretending I am in that part of the world when I am filling up!

Gook luck.

 

[suprarx7nut]

Thank you for your response, Sir. I did order a key fob today from you (before your kind response). I do need to wrestle with the tire thing. Whats unfortunate is the PO put brand new tires on it right before selling to me. The tires are so new, I even called discount tire to see if they would be willing to exchange them for a different brand/ larger size and of course, the answer was no. The thing is, the PO put on brand new Yokohama Geolandar 015 A/T tires in the factory size. When I asked the Discount Tire guy about swapping with AT/3 which is the Discount Tire version of the Cooper A/TW that highly regarded and also what I run on my 4Runner, the Discount Tire guy said I should really thing twice about that and that the new Geolandar 015 is a better tire than the AT/3. The Geolandar looks decent enough and I think it will perform decently enough for my mild off-road use....I just really wish they were a size bigger!. Thanks again for your thoughts on the premium vs regular fuel. I certainly didn't want to start a new thread about fuel.

Sweet, thanks for your support!

I'd run the tires as is and if it becomes a problem upgrade and sell the used ones on craigslist or something. The Geolanders are still good tires. Enjoy the faster acceleration and braking with the stock size tires for now, haha. The bigger sizes can definitely be felt in the gas and brake pedal.

I didn't see the pic until now, but that thing looks cleeeeean. Is the interior as good?

Hi,

congrats on the new ride, looks clean and beautiful.

I am in a similar boat as having just bought my first LC on Sat, a 2000 with 214K, and also having a 1998 4runner.

My first fill up was a regular on Sat. And on Sunday, I hauled 5 adults and their stuff to the beach. A round trip of 70-80 miles. didn't experience any pinging. I plan on continuing to use regular unless I discover a reason not to. I also put regular gas in my BMW 1200GS motorcycle, they recommend Premium, bike they claim can go anywhere in the world for any duration. I figured, premium wouldn't be available in many parts of the world(Africa?). I am just pretending I am in that part of the world when I am filling up!

Gook luck.

Minor pinging is nothing you'd notice without advanced diagnostic datalogging. If you have seriously bad gas you could get a trouble code for pinging, but my understanding with older ECUs - and I assume the 2UZ ECU - is you can ping without that engine code and the engine will just self-correct (my guess is it pulls timing and perhaps runs slightly rich). I believe that's what was behind the MPG drop with regular fuel in my multiyear experiment. At some point, I suppose it's splitting hairs so it's not worth losing sleep over. I just bring it up to point out you can have detrimental pinging before an engine code or a seat-o-the-pants feeling appears.

 

[Evan Kapel]

The Geolanders are excellent tires (I had them for 10 years on my Gwagen prior to my "new" 2005 land Cruiser) so if it was me I would wait until they are due for replacement. I have had my 100 since April and after 5k miles on all types of fuel cannot detect any differences in performance. Fortunately, in Oregon, we can buy non-ethanol fuel which is my choice due to its inherent stability when my LC is sitting for extended periods.

 

[Fitzo]

Sweet, thanks for your support!

I'd run the tires as is and if it becomes a problem upgrade and sell the used ones on craigslist or something. The Geolanders are still good tires. Enjoy the faster acceleration and braking with the stock size tires for now, haha. The bigger sizes can definitely be felt in the gas and brake pedal.

I didn't see the pic until now, but that thing looks cleeeeean. Is the interior as good?

The interior was dirty. I dropped it off this morning at the detail shop. Everything looks to be in good working order, no rips in the leather or anything like that, its just dirty. Usually when you buy a car on Craigslist or anywhere else for that matter, the car has been cleaned. Not the case here. The guy showed me the car before he had a chance to clean it. Once he knew I wanted it, he had no reason to clean it anymore, and didn't. I'll be happy when I get it back from detail today. The biggest wart on this LC is the nav . Its in working order but of course very antiquated. I do have a good stereo shop in town so I think I'll take it over and discuss my options for hopefully upgrading the stereo and adding bluetooth if possible.

 

[Fitzo]

I emailed the stereo guy and he had a response that leaves me hopeful:

Absolutely!

And, yes, that particular system does not lend itself to replacement.... but that does not mean we can't add capabilities and better sound!

We have done different systems in that particular vehicle twice in the last 30 days.

Stop by. Let's talk and find the right solution for your ears, needs and budget.


I'll try to find time maybe Friday to stop in and see what he has in mind and hopefully what they have done in previous 01's with Nav. Since everything is in working order, I'm okay with a work-around that leaves the factory system in place.

 

[Gnarwgn]

@Fitzo -

First - congrats on the score of a lifetime. I've been scouring the west coast for 6 months trying to find the first owner deal you scored with no luck! Great work man!

Second - like yourself, I also own a 4runner, was feeling the pinch with the kids, and bought a 2001 LC beginning of August. The similarities continue - same a/c drip on the floor issue, same tires, also trying to figure out the stereo scenario.

Here are my questions (apologize in advance if these are well covered elsewhere, thanks for any and all direction, just trying to get the ball rolling on ironing out the wrinkles):

1. a/c drip - did you solve this? Sounds like you popped the evap cover, cleaned it out, and now you're good to go? Or is it more complicated? Also sounds like it varies on a case by case basis to some degree, so I'm guessing my solution will be somewhat different from yours?

2. front wheel well covers (not sure if I'm getting the name right, but the part that protects from mud flying into the engine and headlight area/undercarriage/etc) - unlike the rear, it appears this is not a stock item? I can see daylight into the front bumper area/etc. My 4runner by comparison protects this area on all 4 wheels. I've noticed other LC's around town also don't have this, i'm wondering what the reason is and if there is a solution? Or if its not a big deal?

3. stereo deck - I have a non-nav 2001 - wondering if anybody has any great recommendations on a replacement deck? I'm looking to go apple car play + backup cam + handsfree + nav + cd player. Kind of overkill I realize. But open to suggestions.

4. painting the hood - my hood needs a repaint - is it as simple as taking it to a paint shop or is there more I need to consider?

5. front cupholders behind shifter - these are really large, no cup fits in there without falling out on a corner. Any suggestions on an insert that fits cups more accurately?

6. floormats - want to replace the cloth with rubber - is best bet Weathertech? Would prefer OEM rubber mats but seems Toyota was not on their game in this regard in 2001. Pretty sure they didn't make them?

7. Shifting into drive - rig makes a solid jerk shifting into drive from park. I wouldn't call it a 'clunk,' its just a bit more jolty than I would expect. Anybody else experience this?

8. 'Drive' indicator on dash - all my other gear indicators (reverse, park, etc) light up on the dash. When I shift into drive it is dark. I'm guessing the bulb went out. Anybody know how to fix this?

Thanks again, excited to be in the 100 club !

 

[geanes]

@Fitzo -

First - congrats on the score of a lifetime. I've been scouring the west coast for 6 months trying to find the first owner deal you scored with no luck! Great work man!

Second - like yourself, I also own a 4runner, was feeling the pinch with the kids, and bought a 2001 LC beginning of August. The similarities continue - same a/c drip on the floor issue, same tires, also trying to figure out the stereo scenario.

Here are my questions (apologize in advance if these are well covered elsewhere, thanks for any and all direction, just trying to get the ball rolling on ironing out the wrinkles):

1. a/c drip - did you solve this? Sounds like you popped the evap cover, cleaned it out, and now you're good to go? Or is it more complicated? Also sounds like it varies on a case by case basis to some degree, so I'm guessing my solution will be somewhat different from yours?

2. front wheel well covers (not sure if I'm getting the name right, but the part that protects from mud flying into the engine and headlight area/undercarriage/etc) - unlike the rear, it appears this is not a stock item? I can see daylight into the front bumper area/etc. My 4runner by comparison protects this area on all 4 wheels. I've noticed other LC's around town also don't have this, i'm wondering what the reason is and if there is a solution? Or if its not a big deal?

3. stereo deck - I have a non-nav 2001 - wondering if anybody has any great recommendations on a replacement deck? I'm looking to go apple car play + backup cam + handsfree + nav + cd player. Kind of overkill I realize. But open to suggestions.

4. painting the hood - my hood needs a repaint - is it as simple as taking it to a paint shop or is there more I need to consider?

5. front cupholders behind shifter - these are really large, no cup fits in there without falling out on a corner. Any suggestions on an insert that fits cups more accurately?

6. floormats - want to replace the cloth with rubber - is best bet Weathertech? Would prefer OEM rubber mats but seems Toyota was not on their game in this regard in 2001. Pretty sure they didn't make them?

7. Shifting into drive - rig makes a solid jerk shifting into drive from park. I wouldn't call it a 'clunk,' its just a bit more jolty than I would expect. Anybody else experience this?

8. 'Drive' indicator on dash - all my other gear indicators (reverse, park, etc) light up on the dash. When I shift into drive it is dark. I'm guessing the bulb went out. Anybody know how to fix this?

Thanks again, excited to be in the 100 club !

#8 isn't really a problem. Most on this board view a non-working D light as an upgrade as it's annoyingly bright when driving at night

 

[Fitzo]

@Fitzo -

First - congrats on the score of a lifetime. I've been scouring the west coast for 6 months trying to find the first owner deal you scored with no luck! Great work man!

Second - like yourself, I also own a 4runner, was feeling the pinch with the kids, and bought a 2001 LC beginning of August. The similarities continue - same a/c drip on the floor issue, same tires, also trying to figure out the stereo scenario.

Here are my questions (apologize in advance if these are well covered elsewhere, thanks for any and all direction, just trying to get the ball rolling on ironing out the wrinkles):

1. a/c drip - did you solve this? Sounds like you popped the evap cover, cleaned it out, and now you're good to go? Or is it more complicated? Also sounds like it varies on a case by case basis to some degree, so I'm guessing my solution will be somewhat different from yours? ---> I believe I have fixed my leak while also adding the cabin filters. Had I known you can also buy the foam gasket from Toyota, I would have purchased these with the new evaporator door and cabin filters. After taking off the evaporator cover and examining the foam gasket, it was clear where the water was leaking out. Since I didn't have the new seal, I did what some others have done and added a little sealant on the lower seal area to prevent it from leaking again.

2. front wheel well covers (not sure if I'm getting the name right, but the part that protects from mud flying into the engine and headlight area/undercarriage/etc) - unlike the rear, it appears this is not a stock item? I can see daylight into the front bumper area/etc. My 4runner by comparison protects this area on all 4 wheels. I've noticed other LC's around town also don't have this, i'm wondering what the reason is and if there is a solution? Or if its not a big deal?

3. stereo deck - I have a non-nav 2001 - wondering if anybody has any great recommendations on a replacement deck? I'm looking to go apple car play + backup cam + handsfree + nav + cd player. Kind of overkill I realize. But open to suggestions.

4. painting the hood - my hood needs a repaint - is it as simple as taking it to a paint shop or is there more I need to consider?

5. front cupholders behind shifter - these are really large, no cup fits in there without falling out on a corner. Any suggestions on an insert that fits cups more accurately? --- >While I have no solution, I agree completely. The 4runner cup holders were so much better. I think I lost my coffee in the LC on about my 3rd time driving it.

6. floormats - want to replace the cloth with rubber - is best bet Weathertech? Would prefer OEM rubber mats but seems Toyota was not on their game in this regard in 2001. Pretty sure they didn't make them? I'm going Weathertech.

7. Shifting into drive - rig makes a solid jerk shifting into drive from park. I wouldn't call it a 'clunk,' its just a bit more jolty than I would expect. Anybody else experience this? --> Mine clunks pretty hard mostly in and out of reverse from both park and drive. Sometimes its worse than other times. I'm going to get everything well-lubed up and see if it makes a difference. Seems pretty common, but I'd like to minimize it as much as possible.

8. 'Drive' indicator on dash - all my other gear indicators (reverse, park, etc) light up on the dash. When I shift into drive it is dark. I'm guessing the bulb went out. Anybody know how to fix this?

Thanks again, excited to be in the 100 club !

 

[KillerBox]

This is my LX 470 stereo upgrade, if it helps you any?

Pic heavy stereo build & wanted to share it in case it helps someone in the future

 

[Runner2aCruiser]

I use regular gasoline 87 octane never had a problem

 

[KillerBox]

I use regular gasoline 87 octane never had a problem

My 2001 had 107,000 miles on it when I purchased it and now it has 108,500 miles. In that 1,500 miles, it has shuttered and went dead twice. Both times the only difference I could find was that I was running 87 octane.

My theory is that I only live about 100 feet above sea level, so maybe that is why some people can run 87 octane and some of us do better with 93 octane?

 

[OregonLC]

For me, the true benefit is increased range. That there is some economic benefit is a bonus on the side. In a group of vehicles, the 100 hits the range limit way before the others. Getting an extra 3%-5% of range is worth the extra few dollars on a fill.

 

[twicecookedpork]

Got a 2001 two years ago in the Bay Area. Had comments on the below:

A/C drip - opened the case, vacuumed all I could out of there and put clear silicone sealant all around. Seems to have solved the issue.
Stereo - Replaced all the speakers, fixed the blown out sub with a repair kit (wasn't too hard).
Nav - Updated the system to 2013, broke the nav, downgraded to 2002.
Cup Holder - Got a new insert from China on eBay, was like $20, ok solution
Floor Mats - Going to get rubber, not sure which though
Shift to drive - I get that too
Drive light - Mine is out as well. I read somewhere that it looks better driving in the dark. I'm using that as excuse not to deal with it. Someday maybe.

As for gas, I started with 89, and tried 91 one time for giggles. I think it runs smoother and my mpg is a mile or two better. Have been using 91 since.

 

[TXSunDevil]

I emailed the stereo guy and he had a response that leaves me hopeful:

Absolutely!

And, yes, that particular system does not lend itself to replacement.... but that does not mean we can't add capabilities and better sound!

We have done different systems in that particular vehicle twice in the last 30 days.

Stop by. Let's talk and find the right solution for your ears, needs and budget.


I'll try to find time maybe Friday to stop in and see what he has in mind and hopefully what they have done in previous 01's with Nav. Since everything is in working order, I'm okay with a work-around that leaves the factory system in place.

If you are handy you can do this. You can sell your old factory parts and make money on the deal.

 

[RyanStl]

Welcome, and glad to read you got a good deal. I really need to tackle that A/C condenser leak problem, but a box of kleenexes positioned in the right spot has made me lazy.

Going on almost two years I have only used regular fuel and I get the upper end of EPA mpg range with suburban driving.

I also switched mine to synthetic after I bought and have no issues.

 

[RyanStl]

My 2001 had 107,000 miles on it when I purchased it and now it has 108,500 miles. In that 1,500 miles, it has shuttered and went dead twice. Both times the only difference I could find was that I was running 87 octane.

My theory is that I only live about 100 feet above sea level, so maybe that is why some people can run 87 octane and some of us do better with 93 octane?

You should really try cleaning the throttle body and MAF.

 

[Gnarwgn]

@Fitzo can you share a link to the evap cover gasket you discovered? I tried to search toyota parts and am not having much luck locating...