Just bought a 2006 Black/Tan - Some newbie questions! (1 Viewer)

[Red Beard]

Hello IH8MUD! After about 1.5 years searching for a 100 Series, I’m finally back to driving a Land Cruiser.

Some under carriage photos (southern owners avert your eyes!)

History of the vehicle: It just hit 200k miles, one owner, AHC, Nav. Seems like it was kept in a garage most of its life, but not all its life in Eastern PA. All dealer maintenance, but not too many visits it seems. Red coolant is in the radiator. There is rust in the usual spots but not too bad. And for the price I got it at, I’m happy with it. Body seems to be good in condition, random scratches every where and the paint is fading on the passenger side quarter panel near the hood. Timing belt needs to be done, Nav DVD unit doesn’t work (Just says System Loading…”).

My history:
I had a ’92 FJ80 that was passed down to me from my Dad but that was totaled while parked in Philly, sold it a while ago: (For Sale - 92 FJ80, Heavy body damage, Hudson Valley, NY)

So I’m very happy to be back in the driver seat of a Land Cruiser. I want to get this thing baselined and ready to go for the next 100k.

But a lot of time has gone by and things have changed so I’m out of touch on a few things around here. There are a ton of features to this series LC that seems just like my 80 but there are new things that might be worth getting more info on like all the traction controls, the PWR button, AHC, etc.

So here are my questions:

1. Timing belt - I’m planning on getting it done - Are dealers still ok to do this type or work or should I take it to a shop that someone recommends? Is DIY worth it?

2. Where do you guys buy parts now? Back in my day, I shot a PM over to Cdan and he’d get the parts for me. Is there a place you guys are looking up part numbers and then relaying that info to Toyota? I couldn’t find a good thread on this for newbies. I especially wondering for this next project:

3a. Bushings, Steering - I find there is a little play in the steering, especially at highway speeds and the steering wheel prefers to be tilted to the right. I’m seeing a lot of posts of people replacing all the bushings at 200k and loving the feel. I would love to do that as my first project but its really hard to track down what parts and all that.

3b - Should I just replace the steering rack while I’m at it? I know, its a big project but if its worth it while I’m down there - it could be worth it.

4. Other 200k preventative maintenance items?

5. Rust treatment and prevention. I’ve seen a lot of products thrown around, what are the best options? I want to treat the rust I have and then apply something. I’ve heard Fluid Film, POR-15, and something by 3M. I reached out to Land Cruiser Heaven in Hagerstown, MD for a price on that.

6. Media console. My plan is just to do use my phone for nav and I ordered the BT45 TOY to play music. Where are people mounting their phones?

And then some nice to have stuff that I want to do just for myself that if anyone has thoughts on these problems:
- Fix the “Land Cruiser” hatch detailing - the black is bubbling and has ripped off.
- Top hatch is rusted around handle and light - probably need to treat it somehow.
- Headlights and foglights are a little foggy, would love to clean them up
- Hands free doesn’t seem to work. Can’t hear anything and person I call can’t hear anything. I’m assuming this is just broken? Is it better just to use the BT45?

 

[Red Beard]

Some more photos

 

[Travis Bickle]

Start soaking everything in PB Blaster, NOW.

 

[Red Beard]

Also, here is the bubbling on the back hatch. Low priority but I'm assuming others have dealt with this:

 

[suprarx7nut]

Hello IH8MUD! After about 1.5 years searching for a 100 Series, I’m finally back to driving a Land Cruiser.

View attachment 2509881
View attachment 2509885
View attachment 2509886

Some under carriage photos (southern owners avert your eyes!)
View attachment 2509896
View attachment 2509897

History of the vehicle: It just hit 200k miles, one owner, AHC, Nav. Seems like it was kept in a garage most of its life, but not all its life in Eastern PA. All dealer maintenance, but not too many visits it seems. Red coolant is in the radiator. There is rust in the usual spots but not too bad. And for the price I got it at, I’m happy with it. Body seems to be good in condition, random scratches every where and the paint is fading on the passenger side quarter panel near the hood. Timing belt needs to be done, Nav DVD unit doesn’t work (Just says System Loading…”).

My history:
I had a ’92 FJ80 that was passed down to me from my Dad but that was totaled while parked in Philly, sold it a while ago: (For Sale - 92 FJ80, Heavy body damage, Hudson Valley, NY)

So I’m very happy to be back in the driver seat of a Land Cruiser. I want to get this thing baselined and ready to go for the next 100k.

But a lot of time has gone by and things have changed so I’m out of touch on a few things around here. There are a ton of features to this series LC that seems just like my 80 but there are new things that might be worth getting more info on like all the traction controls, the PWR button, AHC, etc.

So here are my questions:

1. Timing belt - I’m planning on getting it done - Are dealers still ok to do this type or work or should I take it to a shop that someone recommends? Is DIY worth it?

2. Where do you guys buy parts now? Back in my day, I shot a PM over to Cdan and he’d get the parts for me. Is there a place you guys are looking up part numbers and then relaying that info to Toyota? I couldn’t find a good thread on this for newbies. I especially wondering for this next project:

3a. Bushings, Steering - I find there is a little play in the steering, especially at highway speeds and the steering wheel prefers to be tilted to the right. I’m seeing a lot of posts of people replacing all the bushings at 200k and loving the feel. I would love to do that as my first project but its really hard to track down what parts and all that.

3b - Should I just replace the steering rack while I’m at it? I know, its a big project but if its worth it while I’m down there - it could be worth it.

4. Other 200k preventative maintenance items?

5. Rust treatment and prevention. I’ve seen a lot of products thrown around, what are the best options? I want to treat the rust I have and then apply something. I’ve heard Fluid Film, POR-15, and something by 3M. I reached out to Land Cruiser Heaven in Hagerstown, MD for a price on that.

6. Media console. My plan is just to do use my phone for nav and I ordered the BT45 TOY to play music. Where are people mounting their phones?

And then some nice to have stuff that I want to do just for myself that if anyone has thoughts on these problems:
- Fix the “Land Cruiser” hatch detailing - the black is bubbling and has ripped off.
- Top hatch is rusted around handle and light - probably need to treat it somehow.
- Headlights and foglights are a little foggy, would love to clean them up
- Hands free doesn’t seem to work. Can’t hear anything and person I call can’t hear anything. I’m assuming this is just broken? Is it better just to use the BT45?

Welcome! Those 06-07 LCs just look awesome.

1. Timing Belt. The basic job is straightforward. VVTI adds a little extra work, but nothing crazy. When I DIY'd my 99 T-belt job at ~260k miles, I found a lot that needed attention beyond the basic t-belt. I would seek out a shop that's interested in being thorough and not interested in getting you in and out at a low price. I had ~$1,100 in parts cost alone. Had a dealer done it, total bill would probably be around $3k. I think it pays to be thorough.

2. McGeorge, EB Toyota, Cruiser Outfitters, Slee.

3. You can only get aftermarket bushings. Toyota sells them with the rack only. This is on my to do list. Have the bushings on hand.
3b. I wouldn't. That's a huge jump in price/labor.

4. Bushings. All of em.

6. I went with the Grom VL2. Phone mounts to the windshield on a RAM mount.

Bummer seeing all that rust. Common in your region, I'm sure, but a bit sad to see as somebody living in the southwest. That's going to make AHC maintenance/repairs quite difficult.

 

[Mars06LC]

Bubbling on the tailgate is normal I think. I believe it isn't rust and is just the plastic/vinyl/whatever detaching. I just leave it but feel free to replace.

Phone mount: I use a vent clip phone mount by Anker, works fine.

Headlights: restorer kits work but will eventually reoxidize. Could try sanding down and coating w UV protector.

Buttons: read owners manual. PWR=higher shift point in RPM band, 2nd= starts in 2nd gear for low traction situations.

As far as maintenance items: make an account on Toyota to see service history, then proceed to below stuff.
-As a heads up, AHC globes may start going bad soon. Would at least flush fluid, but if you have very harsh ride will need to replace.
-Replace or repack front wheel bearings unless service history says done <30k mi ago. Lots of threads on DIY. CruiserOutfitters has a kit online w parts.
-Replace diff's + Tcase + Trans fluid. First two easy DIY, trans is done using internal pump through cooler lines, a bit more involved, may want to just do some drain and fills. --Actually just do all fluids in the vehicle. Brake, Coolant, Power steering
-***Important*** Heater T's
-Rust: Wire brush and fluid film/POR/whatever everything you can.
-Spare tire winch: Drop it and grease the heck out of the system. Likes to rust up. Don't wanna get caught with it not working.
-Exercise the H/L shifter frequently, likes to corrode and seize up.

Probably missed some stuff. Read through the FAQ and keep an eye on the forum to see other frequent topics pop up. Best of luck.

 

[Red Beard]

4. Bushings. All of em.

6. I went with the Grom VL2. Phone mounts to the windshield on a RAM mount.

Yep, that's the plan for the bushings. I'm having a hard time narrowing down what part numbers and all that, I'm going to spend more time tomorrow. There seem to be a handful of threads but I haven't found a good one with all the numbers yet.

As far as maintenance items: make an account on Toyota to see service history, then proceed to below stuff.
-As a heads up, AHC globes may start going bad soon. Would at least flush fluid, but if you have very harsh ride will need to replace.
-Replace or repack front wheel bearings unless service history says done <30k mi ago. Lots of threads on DIY. CruiserOutfitters has a kit online w parts.
-Replace diff's + Tcase + Trans fluid. First two easy DIY, trans is done using internal pump through cooler lines, a bit more involved, may want to just do some drain and fills. --Actually just do all fluids in the vehicle. Brake, Coolant, Power steering
-***Important*** Heater T's
-Rust: Wire brush and fluid film/POR/whatever everything you can.
-Spare tire winch: Drop it and grease the heck out of the system. Likes to rust up. Don't wanna get caught with it not working.
-Exercise the H/L shifter frequently, likes to corrode and seize up.

THIS is great. Seem like all projects I can get done this month which will be great to head into the winter with. So thank you for writing that up.

I am concerned about the AHC system. Seems like it gives people a ton of headaches. Should I go ahead and replace the globes ahead of time? Everything seems to work for now. There isn't any mention of that in the Toyota service history.

 

[Mars06LC]

Yep, that's the plan for the bushings. I'm having a hard time narrowing down what part numbers and all that, I'm going to spend more time tomorrow. There seem to be a handful of threads but I haven't found a good one with all the numbers yet.



THIS is great. Seem like all projects I can get done this month which will be great to head into the winter with. So thank you for writing that up.

I am concerned about the AHC system. Seems like it gives people a ton of headaches. Should I go ahead and replace the globes ahead of time? Everything seems to work for now. There isn't any mention of that in the Toyota service history.

I wouldn't replace until they go bad (ain't broke don't fix). You'll know when they go bad, the ride will slowly feel like you are in Sport+ mode all the time, aka no damping whatsoever, very harsh. There's no guarantee that they'll fail at any certain mileage/age though. As for keeping the AHC, it depends on how much you value it and your plans for the rig. If you're putting weight on the vehicle (bumpers etc) and plan to do lots of off-roading/overlanding, AHC may not make as much sense vs. say an OME or other aftermarket setup. If you are on-road often, height control and adjustable dampers may be nice to have.

When the globes fail however you can DIY the replacement for around 1-2k. There are probably threads detailing that, getting parts, etc.

 

[B0nesaw]

Bump.

I just picked up an 02 100 off C&B and have many of the same questions. First time owner. Super excited. Don’t have my hands on her just yet but want to get a head start on the media situation - Apple CarPlay compatible head unit with Bluetooth connectivity and usb chargers is my first planned upgrade. Don’t like pioneer units that stick out from dash and hope I can find one that remains integrated/inside current head unit housing.

@Red Beard can you link me thread with info on the “BT45 Toy” option?

Don’t mean to hijack thread - If it’s not clear, I’m a complete noob so anyone feel free to jump in as well - Would this option even work for an 02 100-series cruiser?

 

[Red Beard]

@Red Beard can you link me thread with info on the “BT45 Toy” option?

Don’t mean to hijack thread - If it’s not clear, I’m a complete noob so anyone feel free to jump in as well - Would this option even work for an 02 100-series cruiser?

Here’s my post:

BT45 TOY Install

I think there are a handful of threads on this exact topic but this is one of my first upgrades to my LC and I wanted to try doing a post about it. I couldn't seem to get my iPhone 11 with the latest iOS to work with the handsfree interface, so the BT45 was perfect. I also wanted to give my...

forum.ih8mud.com

there are plenty more out there too.

Pretty sure it’ll work just fine with your 02. But I’m assuming you don’t have a nav, so you more options for an after market unit. You can check the bt toy manufacturer to see if it’s compatible.

definitely get used to using the search feature on the forum. There are so many posts about any topic about your 02.

 

[Dziobak]

Bump.

I just picked up an 02 100 off C&B and have many of the same questions. First time owner. Super excited. Don’t have my hands on her just yet but want to get a head start on the media situation - Apple CarPlay compatible head unit with Bluetooth connectivity and usb chargers is my first planned upgrade. Don’t like pioneer units that stick out from dash and hope I can find one that remains integrated/inside current head unit housing.

@Red Beard can you link me thread with info on the “BT45 Toy” option?

Don’t mean to hijack thread - If it’s not clear, I’m a complete noob so anyone feel free to jump in as well - Would this option even work for an 02 100-series cruiser?

Is your ‘02 with or w/o nav? That’ll make a huge difference.

I’ve got the same year w/ nav and didn’t want to do the full nav delete (even though that thread here is full of walkthroughs). The Grom-BT3 was a pretty easy install and made a huge difference. I’d also add the aux cable which fixed me and my wife’s problem of dueling Bluetooth pairings.

 

[B0nesaw]

Is your ‘02 with or w/o nav? That’ll make a huge difference.

I’ve got the same year w/ nav and didn’t want to do the full nav delete (even though that thread here is full of walkthroughs). The Grom-BT3 was a pretty easy install and made a huge difference. I’d also add the aux cable which fixed me and my wife’s problem of dueling Bluetooth pairings.

@Dziobak Looks like w/ Nav. Which I imagine is completely useless at this point and I would prefer full delete. I'll check out the Grom unit you mentioned - does it do Carplay via Bluetooth? Aux would be ok but the new phones don't even have the 1/8" jack right? I'd like a USB for charging - because that's typically what I forget to do anyway. Thanks for tips!

 

[Dziobak]

@Dziobak Looks like w/ Nav. Which I imagine is completely useless at this point and I would prefer full delete. I'll check out the Grom unit you mentioned - does it do Carplay via Bluetooth? Aux would be ok but the new phones don't even have the 1/8" jack right? I'd like a USB for charging - because that's typically what I forget to do anyway. Thanks for tips!

If it's w/nav, you'll have a head unit that looks like this:

We're just outside the Carplay party (available in '03LC's - onward) so a full head unit swap would be necessary to get Carplay integrated. I'd recommend checking out the thread for pre'03 nav-delete. Even though I'm a fan of learn-as-you-go, splicing in 56 individual wires to do the delete was too much for me.

The Grom unit plugs into the CD/DVD port and lets you control from the head unit or your phone. USB charging and Aux are bundled as an add on but you could easily skip it with 3 cigarette ports nearby. I end up using the wireless charging baked into my phone mount more often anyway.

True, I had to use a lightening/3.5mm converter from Apple for the aux. It still pisses me off that I have to decide between plugging in headphones or charging my phone, but I guess Steve Jobs is to blame for that one.

 

[B0nesaw]

Oh that's beautiful. It would be first project so I'm not going to commit now but glad to know it's possible. Thanks for the link!

 

[Red Beard]

For me, the Bluetooth connection is all I wanted So much easier to connect my phone that way rather than a cord. Then I use the charging plug that came with the device to charge my phone when I want to, no need to choose between Aux or Charge. And it keeps the cig adapter open. So that's why I went with just the BT TOY.

Carplay is cool but I prefer to use my phone for phone stuff (nav, selecting music, reading texts). Carplay is buggy in my wife's VW Atlas, so maybe I'm biased.

 

[J1000]

I would recommend a cheap poly bushing set for the steering rack: https://amzn.to/3kOJwtM Really easy job if you have an air hammer: https://amzn.to/30e7Dso

Also sloppy feeling steering could be your wheel bearings needing a repack job. Easy but messy.