First Time Land Cruiser Owner (1 Viewer)

[KYLandy]

Hello to everyone!

I am new to the forum so I wanted to introduce myself and proved some background on my 2006 Land Cruiser. It needs some catchup maintenance and several repairs so I will need your help getting it back in shape. First of all, I bought the vehicle sight unseen (I have never done this before) because I kept losing out on good deals and having others buy vehicles out from under me. There's lots of demand for these vehicles so I took a chance and paid cash for it without seeing it. Unfortunately, it was a New York state vehicle which means, you know, RUST! The body is perfect except for rust on the passenger side fender behind the rear wheel and some surface rust on the undercariage. It seems that the lip on the fender that the mud flap mounts to has rust away completely leaving the mud flap "flapping" in the wind when driving. It is held on by on bolt and some zip ties at the moment. It only has 113k miles on it so it is just getting started. The interior is nearly perfect with only a few signs of normal wear and tear.

Okay, so here are the major items I am working on:

1. AHC: it was totally disabled when I bought it from the dealer and I was informed of this. The PO had disconnected everything from the AHC CPU. I took it to a local well-respected Toyota dealer to have it diagnosed while I wait for my Techstream cable and software to arrive. The tech diagnosed the pump as having failed. It rode on the lowest setting when I first got it and it hit the bump stops on occasion. He was able to get the pump working long enough to raise it to the highest setting so I would be able to "clear most obstacles". Not a good idea. The truck is nearly impossible to diive on the highest setting. It is very unstable and bounces like crazy. The tech did say that the dampening system still works fine so that is good news. I have ordered a new pump from CruiserParts that will be arriving next Wednesday so I will replace the pump myself at a fraction of the cost. I did not order the electric motor that drives the pump, so I will have to test the motor to see if it is bad as well. I have read the forum and located instructions on replacing the pump.
2. Tilt steering: The telescoping function works fine but the tilt function does not. The tech diagnosed the motor has seized and recommended replacing the whole steering column because individual parts are "no longer available". Ordered new telescoping motor and it will arrive on Wednesday as well. I have read a post on here describing replacing the telescoping motor so I hope it will shed some light on replacing the tilt motor. It is almost impossible to slide in behind the wheel with the tilt feature not functioning. I will disable the automatic feature as soon as I get the Techstream software installed and functioning.
3. CDL: The CDL engages the CD when the button is pushed but the CDL light and VSC Off lights do not come on. The dealer tech says that the console switch is showing an open circuit. I have verfified that the CDL is working by driving the truck around and it definitely was working working when I took 90 degree turns. It clearly pushed to the outside. At first, I suspected the differential lock sensor was bad after I read a thread on here where the lights not comong on was traced to that sensor. However, the tech assured me that he tested it and he is positive it is the switch. I couldn't find a replacement online so I might have the dealer make this repair.
4. 12V power: The center console power works but the one by the ash tray and in the cargo area do not. Tech said that the fusible links were blown. I might have him fix these as well.
5. Rear hatch handle: Completely rusted off. Ordered a new handle and new latch assemble and will replace the whole set up.
6. P0420 and P0430 codes: The TLC is throwing these codes now. They were not present for the first week of driving. Unfortunately, I must shamefully admit that I accidentally pumped 16 gallons of flex fuel into the tank after about a week of ownership. I have never pulled a bonehead maneuver like this before. I pulled up to a new pump that wasn't labeled clearly and my stupidity took over. I believe that this is causing the codes. I ran the tank down to 4 gallons and then put 21 gallons of E10 fuel in it, which still means my E85/E10 blend is still about 20/80. I don't believe the cats are bad so I really need to run this thing dry to get rid of all of the E85. I don't think there will be any long term damage, but I need to get rid of all of the E85 before I will know.
7. Front Splash pan: Completely missing but will be replaced with a Slee skid plate. The carfax stated that the PO said that it rusted out badly so my guess is that he ripped it off because it rattled. I'll have to drill out the mounting holes because the bolts are broken off in the front.

My main reason for posting this was to try to find a way to lower the ride height so I can keep driving it until my parts arrive. Without the pump working, is there any way I can "bleed the fluid" from the shocks to lower the truck to the N position? I can't drive it safely with it raised to the current height. I am getting 21-23 inches from the center cap to the bottom of the wheel well in the front and 19 inches in the rear. When I first got it a few weeks ago, it rode fine on the low setting except for the occasional bump stop incident. I'd like to get the ride height adjusted to a reasonable height so I can keep driving it.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Hugh

 

[Chance]

The P0420 and P0430 codes are most probably due to bad O2 sensors. I would change the upstream ones as they are probably the culprit.

 

[aljollano]

My 100 is a 98 so I'm not expert on AHC, but I can tell you that they are people that have deleted the ahc system and put conventional suspension on them.
Might be something to think about.

Just my 0.2
Btw welcome to the addiction.

A.J

 

[2001LC]

Welcome to mud. May I ask what you paid for it?

 

[KYLandy]

Trust me. I am considering doing away with the AHC but I want to see if I can get it working for a reasonable price. This will be my daily driver for now so I don't want to customize it too much just yet. Once I get the pump working, I can test the other parts to see how bad everything is and if it is worth fixing.

As for the O2 sensors, the tech said he tested them and that they are fine but I'm not sure what tests he performed on the sensors themselves. He did do an exhaust "pollution test" like they do for vehicle emissions so that test would naturally fail with the E85 fuel in the tank.

 

[KYLandy]

Welcome to mud. May I ask what you paid for it?

Yes, but I am afraid you would think less of me if I told you the answer.

 

[PADDO]

You can bleed fluid just from the front shock actuator circuit to get it down to a more manageable height. Simply crack one bleed valve on a front damper assembly and the front will lower evenly as the front corners are normally connected hydraulically. This assumes your bleeder valves aren't too corroded and the system is currently inoperable. The Tech most likely drove the height circuits in manual test mode to get it where it is (so the pump must be outputting pressure) but this requires the ECU to be connected, fuses good etc and I'm not clear on your current status (i.e. ECU reconnected, fuses installed and OFF flashing?).
I'm surprised a failed pump was diagnosed as they are extremely robust (gear pump - don't get much simpler) and often a "pump failure to operate" is a result of it being airlocked and unable to prime before the protection ccts time it out or locked out due to another DTC. Unless the Tech was able to give you a definitive failure mode of the pump then I'd honestly hold off on swapping it out until you've been able to connect Techstream and capture the systems status, clear faults, drive it manually in test mode to prime etc. I'm not entirely sure how the damping system was assessed as good when the system isn't fully functional; to check and tune the damping system requires the vehicle to be lowered to L and raised to N whilst you read and mechanically adjust your pressures in the front. Your rear pressures are determined by your rear coils and how set they've become, actual height and cargo weight. A road test at its N height, system operable, and stepping through the comfort settings is necessary. You'll need additional AHC fluid and good luck. It can be challenging to try and fault find and repair a defective system if you're not familiar with how a normal functioning system works.

 

[KYLandy]

You can bleed fluid just from the front shock actuator circuit to get it down to a more manageable height. Simply crack one bleed valve on a front damper assembly and the front will lower evenly as the front corners are normally connected hydraulically. This assumes your bleeder valves aren't too corroded and the system is currently inoperable. The Tech most likely drove the height circuits in manual test mode to get it where it is (so the pump must be outputting pressure) but this requires the ECU to be connected, fuses good etc and I'm not clear on your current status (i.e. ECU reconnected, fuses installed and OFF flashing?).
I'm surprised a failed pump was diagnosed as they are extremely robust (gear pump - don't get much simpler) and often a "pump failure to operate" is a result of it being airlocked and unable to prime before the protection ccts time it out or locked out due to another DTC. Unless the Tech was able to give you a definitive failure mode of the pump then I'd honestly hold off on swapping it out until you've been able to connect Techstream and capture the systems status, clear faults, drive it manually in test mode to prime etc. I'm not entirely sure how the damping system was assessed as good when the system isn't fully functional; to check and tune the damping system requires the vehicle to be lowered to L and raised to N whilst you read and mechanically adjust your pressures in the front. Your rear pressures are determined by your rear coils and how set they've become, actual height and cargo weight. A road test at its N height, system operable, and stepping through the comfort settings is necessary. You'll need additional AHC fluid and good luck. It can be challenging to try and fault find and repair a defective system if you're not familiar with how a normal functioning system works.

This is extremely helpful. The current status is that everything is connected to the ECU. The dash lights for height control are on when before they weren't. The console lights for dampening are now on as well as the height control. When I push the down button for height the L light blinks while the N light stays the same but nothing happens. The L light keeps blinking for a few seconds but eventually stops.

Here is the exact quote from the technician on the AHC pump:

"Found that the AHC pump has failed and overheating when raising the vehicle. There may be other issues with AHC system that cannot be seen at this time.was able to raise vehicle to max. level and the dampening function of the system is still operative".

He told the service advisor that someone had exposed the wires in an attempt to operate the pump and they would need to be repaired. I saw the exposed wire and it is a minor issue that some electrical tape will easily fix.

 

[KYLandy]

Also, the service advisor said the technician advised that I not "mess with the controls too much" for dampening and ride height but didn't say what might happen as a result. The technician quoted a price of $2,800 for the pump and 8 hours of labor for a total of $3,720. I found the pump for $302 and it will arrive Wednesday:
http://shop.cruiserparts.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=7_5753&products_id=12774
Height Control Pump 100-Series 01/1998-07/2007 [48901-60010] - $302.12 : CruiserParts.net, Toyota Landcruiser Parts

I don't hear anything from the pump motor when I select a different ride height and I don't think the fluid level changed much although I did not mark it before and after. I'll read up on testing the system in manual mode but IIRC there is a way to connect 12V power directly to the electric motor to test its operation. I'll be sure to read up on that here in the forums before attempting to test the motor. The fluid reservoir is full and I ordered all of the seals and extra AHC fluid from the link above. I will measure front and rear heights and bleed the fronts to something more manageable. What is the positive rake I should aim for and what should the fender heights be close to in the N position?

Since the front is higher than the rear, I suspect that the dash indicator is reading from the rears but there is no way to be sure until I connect to Techstream. When I first drove the vehicle home from the dealer, the dash indicator was H and it DID move to N after I pushed the down button but the front did not lower and I cannot be sure that the rear lowered either since I did not measure the rears before pushing the button. I suspect that the rear did lower but the fronts stayed the same, hence the current state of things.

I know this is going to be a challenge but I also know that I am up for it. Patience and perseverance will be the theme of the day. I am mildly OCD so this works in my favor!

 

[PADDO]

Normal heights are 19.75 inch front and 20.5 rear, hub center to fender bottom. The pump runs to recharge the height accumulator and when pressure is required when raising height, (unless you're underway above specified speed) it doesn't run during a lowering cycle for instance when stationary. The L,N and H that illuminate on the dash represent the three usual system heights (there are 2 others based on L range and loss of traction w H selected) and they should be considered as "pre sets" based on the 3 height sensors feedback, it can't show front or rear height independently. The pump/motor is well covered by the inbuilt fault protection so honestly I'm a bit skeptical as to the diagnosis of failed due to overheating whilst raising, but hey, never say never. You may we'll be looking at just a failed height sensor here.

 

[Bama4door]

I can't believe it ran ok on e85, but it sounds like you're on the right path.

Where did you order your techstream from?

 

[KYLandy]

I can't believe it ran ok on e85, but it sounds like you're on the right path.

Where did you order your techstream from?

Well, it's not running okay, but it runs. There is an occasional hesitation when taking off but the computer is trying its best to adjust the mixture and it makes things acceptable. I can't wait to get it all out. At the current 20/80 E85/E10 mix, it is barely noticeable but it is still there.

 

[KYLandy]

Normal heights are 19.75 inch front and 20.5 rear, hub center to fender bottom. The pump runs to recharge the height accumulator and when pressure is required when raising height, (unless you're underway above specified speed) it doesn't run during a lowering cycle for instance when stationary. The L,N and H that illuminate on the dash represent the three usual system heights (there are 2 others based on L range and loss of traction w H selected) and they should be considered as "pre sets" based on the 3 height sensors feedback, it can't show front or rear height independently. The pump/motor is well covered by the inbuilt fault protection so honestly I'm a bit skeptical as to the diagnosis of failed due to overheating whilst raising, but hey, never say never. You may we'll be looking at just a failed height sensor here.

Okay, I bled the lines on the front down to 19.5 inches and it looked good so I test drove it and sure enough, the height in the front went back up to 22-23 inches. The pump is definitely working. After bleeding the lines, the indicator showed N but after driving it dropped to L even though the height went back up in the front. The rears remained the nearly same at 19 inches. Looks like your theory is spot on. The rears are a little low so they seem to concur with the indicator light but the fronts are way high. The technician might have been experiencing the inbuilt fault protection due to a bad sensor on one of the fronts. Since the height sensor is not providing accurate height data, the pump keeps trying to get the sensor to report back and then overheats and shuts down.

I should have posted before I ordered the pump. I guess now I need to wait for my cable and Techstream software to arrive to locate the bad sensor. I suppose this is good news for me but I will have to pay a 25% re-stocking fee and only receive store credit on the return. I suppose I could put it on eBay for my cost or just hang on to it.

Is there a good diagram for the sensors so I know where to locate them?

 

[KYLandy]

I can't believe it ran ok on e85, but it sounds like you're on the right path.

Where did you order your techstream from?

I bought it on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AUK6YB8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[KYLandy]

BTW, my cable and Techstream is scheduled to arrive between November 14 and December 1.

 

[PADDO]

More evidence implicating a front height sensor is defective. Pumps last forever, height sensors fail all the time. I'll pm you some info and other stuff in the am. It's steak and beer time!

 

[Skidoo]

Disconnecting the battery will clear the ECU and it will more quickly recalibrate to the correct fuel.

 

[KYLandy]

Disconnecting the battery will clear the ECU and it will more quickly recalibrate to the correct fuel.

I have a code scanner that I can clear the codes with once I get all of the fuel out. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Sandroad]

If you have parts falling off (mud flap, splash pan, hatch handle) due to rust, it's safe to say the vehicle has a rust problem. There are good ideas on this forum about scraping/cleaning/wire-brushing, then using a rust converter, then using paint, then using pre-treatment like Kroil prevent further damage. It's good you're working on the mechanical stuff, but my advice would be that if you don't take care of the rust as best you can and as quickly as you can, it will be a bigger problem than the mechanical issues fairly soon.

 

[aging fleet]

@KYLandy , sounds like you have your hands full with this one. Best of luck getting it all sorted out.