Just bought a LX470. Never had a LC before. Love it, but have a couple questons.

[68W65D]

Howdy!

I've been a longtime reader on this forum trying to learn everything I could before making a purchase. I finally found a 2004 LX470 that I purchased. It was a single-owner vehicle from Nevada and looks 100% perfect inside and out. You really wouldn't know this thing is 12 years old.

I have test driven a couple LCs, but don't really have much direct experience with them so I have some goofy questions that the manuals don't answer and I couldn't find by searching.

1) With the nav system's A/C controls, is the A/C on when the button is green or yellow? It is too friggen cold right now for me to tell by the temp of the air coming out.

2) There is something goofy about the tracking of this vehicle. I feel like I am working too hard to drive a straight line down the freeway. It doesn't pull to one specific side, and it isn't dramatic. I just feel like I am having to make way more small corrections to it than normal. Is this normal? I'm thinking about having the alignment checked but every alignment issue I ever had with previous cars pulled one way or the other.
Maybe unrelated, but it has weird tires on it. Anybody ever heard of Zeetex? It has an all new set of Zeetex SU1000 285/60R18s on it. I think my first upgrade will be the tires...

3) When the vehicle is coasting or decelerating and I press the gas pedal, there is a rough bump where it feels like the drive train is hooking back up. I have no idea if this is normal or if this is a clutch going out or a more serious issue. One friend told me this was normal for LCs.

I appreciate everybody's help leading up to this purchase. Despite its goofy flaws, I can say I love this vehicle. I am even enjoying the AHC

 

[BnvS]

Dont know about point 1.

2. That is odd and 1st thing I would check is your tires and see if there is any uneven ware on them. 2nd actually take it and get the alignment checked. Additionally there is a KTA on the steering column i believe on this car so you may have to search for that on this forum to see if these conditions apply to ur issue.

3. The Thunk...Thats the first thing I noticed when I bought the car. Nothing bad for the most part. You need to grease the slip yoke's and U joints and you should be good. Make sure u grease them from time to time like every 6 months or for sure every 1 year. Again search the forum for the issue and you'll find many post on this.

 

[abuck99]

Welcome-


1: AC- push climate button- there is a small AC box upper left corner of the screen- if it's highlighted it's on.


2: Normal: I noticed this on my 05 driving home the first day of ownership. After you drive it for a month you won't notice it much anymore. If it's still bugging you after a while, you can add a little caster- and some negative toe during alignment to take a little of that away if you highway drive a lot.

3: Normal- first place to start is to lube is the drive shafts and ujoints- search it . On the DS I'm in the camp where you don't put too much in- maybe a few squirts, or just enough until you see the shaft move then stop. Some say to add till it passes the seal, but if the seal is dry then it's not going to pass and you add too much pressure to the driveline.

Good luck

 

[68W65D]

Welcome-

1: AC- push climate button- there is a small AC box upper left corner of the screen- if it's highlighted it's on.

Thank you for the reply.

Would that be highlighted in green or yellow? When I press the little icon, the only thing that changes is a small horizontal strip across the top of the icon. The strip is either yellow or green. I am just trying to determine if yellow or green = on.

The manual does not say.

 

[chrisbruck]

Mine only has "yellow" for on. There is no green (it's kinda a grayish look when not selected).

I also have the "clunk". Doesn't feel very normal but I do think they all do that from what I've read. I just feather the throttle in the situation it's more likely to happen so it's rare I even feel it now. Second nature. The more you drive it, the more you will learn how to compensate for it. Not really a big deal.

 

[jLB]

2) There is something goofy about the tracking of this vehicle. I feel like I am working too hard to drive a straight line down the freeway. It doesn't pull to one specific side, and it isn't dramatic. I just feel like I am having to make way more small corrections to it than normal. Is this normal? I'm thinking about having the alignment checked but every alignment issue I ever had with previous cars pulled one way or the other.
Maybe unrelated, but it has weird tires on it. Anybody ever heard of Zeetex? It has an all new set of Zeetex SU1000 285/60R18s on it. I think my first upgrade will be the tires...

Another possibility for #2, could be worn steering rack bushing, tie rod ends, or something in the front suspension. Do you notice "play" or "slack" in the steering?

 

[ItGoesTo11]

Dont know about point 1.


3. The Thunk...Thats the first thing I noticed when I bought the car. Nothing bad for the most part. You need to grease the slip yoke's and U joints and you should be good. Make sure u grease them from time to time like every 6 months or for sure every 1 year. Again search the forum for the issue and you'll find many post on this.

When greasing the slip yoke, only 2 or three pumps of a good quality grease is enough. Too much and you'll "hydro-lock" the slipping ability of the yoke. It moves the grease around pretty well so it doesn't need a lot.

 

[ItGoesTo11]

Howdy!

I've been a longtime reader on this forum trying to learn everything I could before making a purchase. I finally found a 2004 LX470 that I purchased. It was a single-owner vehicle from Nevada and looks 100% perfect inside and out. You really wouldn't know this thing is 12 years old.

I have test driven a couple LCs, but don't really have much direct experience with them so I have some goofy questions that the manuals don't answer and I couldn't find by searching.

1) With the nav system's A/C controls, is the A/C on when the button is green or yellow? It is too friggen cold right now for me to tell by the temp of the air coming out.

2) There is something goofy about the tracking of this vehicle. I feel like I am working too hard to drive a straight line down the freeway. It doesn't pull to one specific side, and it isn't dramatic. I just feel like I am having to make way more small corrections to it than normal. Is this normal? I'm thinking about having the alignment checked but every alignment issue I ever had with previous cars pulled one way or the other.
Maybe unrelated, but it has weird tires on it. Anybody ever heard of Zeetex? It has an all new set of Zeetex SU1000 285/60R18s on it. I think my first upgrade will be the tires...

3) When the vehicle is coasting or decelerating and I press the gas pedal, there is a rough bump where it feels like the drive train is hooking back up. I have no idea if this is normal or if this is a clutch going out or a more serious issue. One friend told me this was normal for LCs.

I appreciate everybody's help leading up to this purchase. Despite its goofy flaws, I can say I love this vehicle. I am even enjoying the AHC

I have a 1999 LX470 I've owned since new, it has 160k miles now. You did not mention how many miles are on yours, however.

Point 2 - First, have the front wheel bearings checked for play by your local shop and to see if they need replacing. If they are not in need of replacement, get an alignment on the vehicle, LX's are prone to exactly what you described when when out of alignment by a little bit. If either, or both, of these issues are present, it will wander off center and it will feel like it "just isn't right".
The rear axle is a fixed/solid unit so only the front wheels are aligned.

Point 3 - If the bump is loud and consistent, that's abnormal. My LX can make some drivetrain noises here and there as I accelerate abruptly, but only when done abruptly, or shifting from forward to reverse, etc.

Also, change ALL the driveline fluids, it's very easy and will prolong the life of your vehicle. (Front Diff, Transmission, Transfer Case, Rear Diff) Check your owners manual for proper oils, weights and quantities. And you don't have to drop the Trans pan, just drain and refill.

 

[68W65D]

I have a 1999 LX470 I've owned since new, it has 160k miles now. You did not mention how many miles are on yours, however.

145K.

Point 2 - First, have the front wheel bearings checked for play by your local shop and to see if they need replacing. If they are not in need of replacement, get an alignment on the vehicle, LX's are prone to exactly what you described when when out of alignment by a little bit. If either, or both, of these issues are present, it will wander off center and it will feel like it "just isn't right".
The rear axle is a fixed/solid unit so only the front wheels are aligned.

Point 3 - If the bump is loud and consistent, that's abnormal. My LX can make some drivetrain noises here and there as I accelerate abruptly, but only when done abruptly, or shifting from forward to reverse, etc.

Also, change ALL the driveline fluids, it's very easy and will prolong the life of your vehicle. (Front Diff, Transmission, Transfer Case, Rear Diff) Check your owners manual for proper oils, weights and quantities. And you don't have to drop the Trans pan, just drain and refill.

Thanks!

 

[Julian Stead]

Point 2- make sure your ride height is correct, you want to have the right amount of rake.

 

[JayM]

The handling you speak of is what I consider to be nature of the beast. I drive many vehicles and the cruiser is just more work on the interstate. I think it got worse when the 18 inch wheel was introduced with pmetric tires. Feels twitchy. A LT tire should help and a shop that is willing to dial in an alignment. That means adjusting your toe to relieve the dartiness and maybe making multiple adjustments to get it right. Mine completely changed with my +20 offset wheels. It is very planted now and a joy on the interstate with factory spec alignment.
If you want to keep the tires you have now find a shop that does alignments for performance cars and let them know how it feels and they will get it dialed in.

 

[BnvS]

I dont know guys. Point #2 isnt normal. I dont feel my steering to be any different than my other vehicles i own on my LC. Then again i am driving an LC and not LX with AHC. So that may be different. just have someone with an LX in your area drive it to ensure its nothing wrong.

 

[ponytl]

I have the same size 285/60 r18 tires on mine just replaced kumhos with some coopers from simpletire.com... the steering issue you are feeling IMHO is the toe adjustment I "believe" this setting might be a bit more critical on 100's IF it tracks str8 and the steering wheel is centered and you get a "darty" feeling when you change lanes then I would almost bet you need to be toed out a bit more... @ 145k miles I doubt you have much wear anywhere in the suspension most worn stuff shows up on these AFTER 200k if it has been just street driven... I just replaced my oem from 1998 inner tie rods @ 325k which was prob 25k too late...

I've looked at zeetex tires they were owned by the dutch at one time then sold to some UAE state company or something I still get the feeling they are made in China... I would address the alignment if the way it drives does not instill comfort & trust... I've driven mine over a 1000 miles in a day and never felt uncomfortable or not 100% in control... next to my 930 wide body this is the best road car I've ever had...

the 100 series "clunk" is such a non issue with the long time owners we don't even notice... just keep the drive shafts greased and you'll be fine... like i said at 145k I doubt you have any worn parts...

welcome and enjoy your ride... no one ever regrets buy'n a 100 even @ $3 gas we just say "damn all this for only 25cents a mile such a deal"

 

[Flipped Bezel]

1-As abuck99 said above, when you press the AC "button" on the screen and a sliver of that "button" highlights, the air conditioner is turned on. If not the on screen "button" remains gray.

2-Not sure about your wandering steering. My 2006 LX470 has always tracked straight and true even with a leaking steering rack with original bushings, worn ball joints on all front arms and shot tie rod ends.

3-As a fellow LX owner I've learned that there is a measurable amount of "thunk" attributed to play in the driveline of high mileage 100's. However if you become aware or under the impression that it may be worsening, I would look further into the front drivetrain and the conditions of your driveshafts (or propeller shafts as Toyota calls them in the FSM).

After changing my front CV's (front driveshafts per Toyota) and hub drive flanges at 240k miles, 95% of my "thunk" is gone. It previously would arise when letting off or pressing accelerator pedal at speed. Due to the tightened front driveline now, it only still slightly occurs when shifting from reverse to drive or vise versa. You should quickly get used to it and will likely know if something is wrong in advance.

As previously said, modestly greasing both driveshafts periodically may somewhat help this annoying occurrence or lessen the sound and sensation that you're feeling but probably only temporarily. I use the same Valvoline Molybednum based multipurpose grease in both the slip yoke and spiders (u-joints) though some prefer to use non-moly in the latter. Attached is a FSM diagram of the related lubrication points and a link with a more thorough discussion of this notorious "thunk". The OFFICIAL clunk/thunk driveshaft thread

I hope you enjoy your LX as much as I have enjoyed mine. Good luck in your travels!

 

[Sandroad]

Posts so far have have been too "easy" on those tires. Tires can definitely affect tracking and steering control. Get new good ones right away along with the alignment and then re-evaluate the on-road driving.

 

[ItGoesTo11]

145K.




Thanks!

Ok, if the front wheel bearings have never been checked or replaced, it's probably time to have them serviced. I re-greased mine at 60k and changed them at about 150k.

It is a true 4 wheel drive hub so both sides need to be disassembled to replace them, get a quote from your shop first if they indicate replacement is needed. They should be able to tell if they are in need of replacement without disassembly.

And, as I mentioned, if it's not bearings or some steering component, check the alignment.

 

[HypocriticalHippie]

I'm in the camp that the thing should drive straight. Mine drives absolutely straight on the freeway with very little steering wheel input needed. I have 275/70/18 BFG AT tires. If it isn't driving right, you need to have it checked, as the others have said.

 

[LXPearl]

Get a good alignment and good tires... and a good balance on the tires. As mentioned, change the fluids - I like Mobil 1 or Amsoil synthetics. The thunk is likely the F/R driveshaft slip joints and/or the front wheel bearings (see posts for the proper torque - RM gives the starting point, not final spec to get the proper fish scale resistance level). A small amount of the thunk effect is normal, but it can become noticeable and annoying if allowed to go without lubing.

I am suspicious of used cars with new (cheap) tires on them - because usually the dealer/seller is covering up alignment problems. The LX should track straight when aligned properly and with good tires that are balanced properly. I had a tech who would take the time to set the alignment on the spec (not just within); until he retired. I also took sets of new tires to him after the tire shop had installed them to get the balancing done properly (including road force). A dealer should have a computer printout of the settings before and after the alignment. I have been surprised at shops that say the alignment is good when in fact some parts are out of spec. The wear of the tires is an indicator of the alignment. A number of times I drove newer 100s to upgrade, but my 01 tended to ride and handle significantly better than the newer LX/LC; so paying extra for newer lost a lot of luster. Still have the 01.

I have had new name brand tires that had runout that was out of spec and could not be balanced properly. The roadforce balancer does the best to mitigate variances within a tire (all have some), but some tires still can't be brought within balancing specs. A new car dealer tends to get tires that have the tightest specs from a manufacturer. My alignment tech would show me the variation from tire to tire on his roadforce balancer when I got some from a local warehouse store. The tires looked the same until mounted on a rim and placed on the balancer. In general, a road force balance will spin the wheel with pressure on the tread, then indicate where how much the tire needs to be shifted on the rim, and where the weights need to be placed on the rim. When re-tested after the adjustments, it should be optimized for as good as that tire/rim combination can be balanced. Shops tend not to use roadforce unless specifically requested and will typically charge more because of the increased labor required to do it properly.

With a good alignment and balance, I can easily get 75K on a Michelin LTX tire with even wear until I replace them when they get down to 5/32 inch. I rarely rotated tires on my vehicles when I had those perfect alignments, usually doing so around 20K or so. I monitored the wear on the tires to determine when to rotate.

When I had my 60s Mustangs I used to go to a BeeLine shop to get the alignments done properly. I may have to go back to that approach now that my alignment tech has retired; and the techs now do not seem to take the same care.

 

[Dannyboy lx470]

Totally agree my Lx is the same stays in straight line and little play.My rule simple for all cars I had if your car drifts quickly and vibrates at the steering wheel first thing is check wheel alignment.

 

[68W65D]

Update:

I took my vehicle in to a to a trusted mechanic who lubed up everything he could along the drive shaft. This significantly lessened the thunk. It is still there, but way more manageable.

They also did a full tire alignment. This helped the tacking issue, but it was still a little goofy. They said it probably had something to do with the cheap Indonesian tires that were on the vehicle.

Then the coolest thing happened. The PNW was hit with a giant snowpocalypse and roads everywhere were closed. My boss offered to buy me a set of traction tires so I can get to and from work better. Turns out that the BFG KO2 that I was wanting to buy are rated as traction tires with the little peaks and snowflake symbol. So yay!!! I now have a new set of KO2s in 275/70/r18.

What a difference a tire change can make. The vehicle tracks better, rides smoother, and quieter. I think I may have the best boss ever. First major upgrade done.

One question about tires though... in an un-modded unladen LX470, what would the recommended tire inflation pressure be? The guys at the tire shot said the max is 80psi, but they recommended just 35psi. Any thoughts for daily driving on pavement?