LX470 Refresh (1 Viewer)

[ike84]

Hey guys and gals,

I just purchased an 06 lx470 w 283k mi. Pretty excited, we'll be using it as a daily driver (especially during snowy winters) and some state park touring. I had a PPI inspection done by a Toyota dealer which showed leaking CV axles on both sides, an oil pan leak, and a leaking AHC strut in the rear (pics below). Compression test was great (all cyl 208-212) and the rest of the vehicle seems to be in pretty good condition. They quoted around 6K for the repairs and said nothing about preventive services like a timing job.

As a daily driver, I want the vehicle to ride really well and handle like new. I haven't yet seen the truck in person, but I plan on (at a minimum) to reseal the pans, replace the axles and ahc strut, along with all the rubber for suspension, trans, and diffs. Its also is due for a timing job - the last one was done at 170K miles. I have a feeling that the globes will need to be replaced, but I dont mind that as I really want to have a perfectly working AHC.

I have zero background in toyota trucks (if you like porsches though I have a lot of threads on the 986forum!) so I called a shop that has a pretty decent reputation for custom builds on these platforms. They recommended (with only having reviewed the PPI report), that I also replace the alternator with a 150amp unit, replace steering rack and tie end rods, and to replace the orings for the oil cooler and oiler delivery tube. The also reocmmended (rather emphatically) that I should delete the AHC and convert to an ironman profoam stage 2. Total quotes are 8.6K for timing service w/ oil pump reseal, alternator upgrade, steering rack, tie end rods, and cv axles. Quote for ironman is 3.2k.

So I guess a question to the group is this - which route would you go here? I respect that the shop is trying to bulletproof the ride, but would most people agree that these are things that should be done at this point? It seems reasonable to me as a "while you're in there" but I am also not the type of person who replaces ann alternator just becuase it is old. Also, are there any other items that should be addressed on a vehicle at this mileage? Normally I would just do all this work myself, but I am out with a bum shoulder right now and have to let someone else have the pleasure.

All questions and comments welcomed.

Best,
Ike

 

[PLROD]

I have two rear struts off my 99 which I replaced a couple months before removing my ahc if your interested. They're oem

 

[ike84]

Sorry, I forgot to attach the full quotes.

PLRod, thanks for the offer, I'm going to source new parts for the build though.

 

[trdcorolla]

If the CV axles are OEM and not having any other issues Toyota sells a reboot kit. Any oil leak is bad, so I would take care of that one sooner than later. AHC shock leaks can be fixed by getting the AHC pressures in the proper range. Look up ABCs of AHC thread here on mud for all your AHC info. It looks like your steering rack is leaking.

 

[Coin]

Don’t let some shop delete your ahc!
It is fantastic if you take the time to learn how it works and get it in spec.

 

[OwnerCS]

If the CV axles are OEM and not having any other issues Toyota sells a reboot kit. Any oil leak is bad, so I would take care of that one sooner than later. AHC shock leaks can be fixed by getting the AHC pressures in the proper range. Look up ABCs of AHC thread here on mud for all your AHC info. It looks like your steering rack is leaking.

I've seen leaking AHC ram piston issues be solved by cranking up the torsion bars that had been carrying too much load to keep the truck level.

 

[2001LC]

Sorry, I forgot to attach the full quotes.

PLRod, thanks for the offer, I'm going to source new parts for the build though.

View attachment 3764523

View attachment 3764524

FDS (AKA: CV) inner boot weep at small clamp, just need reclamping. Save $: on two FDS and both diff side seals. This assumes they pass inspection (axle splines, snap ring groove and both CV joint to spec)

Not sure why Gasket Hub flange x 2 or Wheel seal x 2. Unless servicing wheel bearings. Which should included Grease caps, snap rings, lock washers, wheel hub seal, grease. At 250K plus, likely needs wheel bearings, if not been replaced. Which will not be known, until torn down and cleaned for inspection.

If R&R FDS, then at these miles. Very likely axle needle bearing & brass bushing will need replacing. At minimum they need lubing. If R&R FDS, consider replace hunckles backside seals. These mate to FDS outer seal.

AT fluid 2 qts synthetic, if for power steering (PS), great! I'd also clean gunk/screen or replace PS reservoir and it's hoses if aged and weeping.

If the 2qts ATF, is for Auto Transmission (AT), it's bad idea. This would be mixing into unknown fluid. Each shop or DIY uses what they like. Mixing fluids is just a bad idea, period. I for sure, would do a full 12 qt flush and have level set w/AT fluid at ~100F. (97 to 115f per Toyota TSB which lowered ATF set temp). I would use either: Toyota WS ATF or Mobil MV full syn ATF (Mobil is not the same as Mobil 1, but near as good)

I'd only used Toyota plastic Heater Tees and the 6 factory OEM clamps. Not the brass or SS clamps.

Rack & pinion, I'd go new OEM. OE may mean equivalent, not OEM. Also most remains are Land Cruiser and many not OEM LC, very few are LX VGRS OEM. Most rebuilderfs don't even know there's a difference. I'd use new, OEM only. LX OEM VGRS are more dollars. Or save some $ and go with Toyota OEM R&P. Alternatively, have your R&P rebuilt, if it is the Lexus VGRS R&P. But the best and only way to get OEM rubber mounting bushing, is new OEM R&P.

If R&R R&P, consider new OEM only TRE.

OEM VGRS R&P have a black painted line marking. 03-07 LC have green marker. No color marking, it's either aftermarket or unknown reman.

Unless alternator bad, why touch it. I stick with OEM, when days comes it needs to be replace. The 03-07 have the higher AMP (130AMP IIRC) which is fine.

Dipstick O-ring weeps is common, which often wrongly thought to be oil pan leak. Oil pan leaks are unheard of, if factory sealed.

PCV hoses and valve, if needed.

FIPD black in T-belt, should read FIPG 1282B.

AHC shock weep, is not a concern, dripping is. We flush and adjust for weeps and watch.

Saw no mention of why rad hoses #1 & 2 being replaced. Which I do with rad R&R or if they're bad (pitted or to soft).

Have the filter in the S.A.I. system inspected with a borescope.

S.A.I. Filter Modification, in VVT engines. To prevent its failure! Alert Alert!

We've a $2.00 part in the S.A.I. (secondary air injection) system of the VVT engine, that is taking-out ~$7,000.00 $15,000 $25,000 (inflation) in parts. WOW! I've a very easy and cheap WORK AROUND. You are going to love this ;) This thread is dedicated to the 4.7L 2UZ-fe VVT engine, in the...

forum.ih8mud.com

I'd flush all ~55 qts of fluid. Over the years/miles, who knows what has been used or serviced correctly.

 

[Malleus]

When you go to a "build shop" to get an estimate for restoring a truck to factory condition, you will always get the opinion that most of what the factory installed needs to be replaced. How else are they supposed to make money? Dealers replace factory parts; build shops "create" new trucks that never would get built otherwise.

You have to make the decision about how you value what Toyota designed and installed on your truck. The only way to do that is to educate yourself. Download the Toyota literature in the Resources section and start learning.

You'd be well served to look through Paul's master thread link. He is a very good resource for practical experience on repairing the 100 series.

 

[smithdoug]

I would definetley keep the AHC if you can get it working ok.

 

[4LoforSno]

plus one on rebuilding(new boots and grease kits) OEM CV axles if after inspection they look good, nobody made as durable a CV as the oem 100 series.

 

[rherrco]

Sorry, I forgot to attach the full quotes.

PLRod, thanks for the offer, I'm going to source new parts for the build though.

View attachment 3764523

View attachment 3764524

Resist the temptation to go down the custom build rabbit hole. Fix what needs fixing and drive it for a year and then decide what to do. You want an LX or a custom build job? What use? Rock crawling or mostly asphalt? AHC is worth keeping.

 

[LJE]

Sorry, I forgot to attach the full quotes.

PLRod, thanks for the offer, I'm going to source new parts for the build though.

View attachment 3764523

View attachment 3764524

Timing belt, oil change, fuel filter change, and sparkplug job for $2800? Ouch! Bring that down to Central Indiana and we'll get ya sorted for way less than that - and I actually understand & work on AHC to boot, hahah. I would definitely keep AHC.

 

[Bisho]

I think that shop is mostly trying to separate you from your money. In addition to what others have said, I would clean everything up and change the fluids, adding AT205 seal conditioner at the appropriate ratio. Then wait and see over the next 5k miles what continues to leak before you throw money at it. No need for a bigger alternator or swapping out the AHC, unless its too rusty to salvage. The weeping shock means the pressures are too high - as suggested above look at the ABCs of AHC thread.

 

[ike84]

Thanks to everyone who has responded. Long story short, I lost faith in both shops that I was trying to work with and had the truck shipped home. I'm (mostly) glad that I did because I think both shops would have wasted a ton of my money (as an aside, I would not ever work with Toyota AutoNation in SW Atlanta ever again).

Cursory inspection yesterday showed showed pretty smooth running, smooth driving, diamond of a truck. Records show that the vehicle was cared for nearly its entire life at a Lexus dealer in FL, and timing belt was replaced just 15K miles ago. The interior is spotless. It drives pretty well. AHC is not functioning but I've got globes and fluid on the way so I'm not too worried about that. The engine runs a bit rough between 2k - 2.5k rpm but otherwise is silky. No bad smells, no obvious leaks on day 1.

Today though, upon starting, she whined like crazy and the dashboard lit up. Codes thrown are P0441 and p0455. I've removed bottom engine plates and removed air intake for better inspection of all mechanics. My heart immediately sank when I noticed one of the fan bolts was half way backed off the stud. One of the intake bolts was sheared off and left sticking out of the mount. Half the skid plate bolts were missing, one was cross threaded. This vehicle was cared for by a Lexus dealer for its ENTIRE life. What the hell? I know these are small details, but we know what happens when mechanics don't pay attention. Anyway, I digress...

Whine is coming from PS pump. There is play in the pulley shaft and the bearing is shot. The rest of the accessory pulleys seem to be in good shape and the tensioner seems taught.

Oil staining seen on pan is most likely coming from dipstick oring. I can plainly trace the oil stains up to that point and nothing higher. There is a drop of oil ready to fall from the drain plug on the lower pan - I'm guessing that an oring was reused based on the quality of work I've seen so far.

Oil staining seen on PS rack is real. No active dripping though.

FDS on drivers side looks fine, very little residue on the shaft and boot looks fine. FDS on passenger side has a bit of grease extrusion from under the cover but again boot looks fine.

Windshield is a MESS. Holy cow. Only 1 trim fastener left in tact on each side, one rivet and one screw?!?! Trim is horribly warped.

My plan at this point is to get the AHC working properly, replace the power steering pump, reclamp the passenger fds, and put at-205 in the PS. After that I will flush all fluids and then go through the evap system (I hate chasing vacuum leaks) and gets those codes cleared.

I'm a bit worried though that if the Lexus dealer can't tighten the damn fan bolts properly then the who knows what is going on with the timing components, and my gut is stelling me to pull the timing covers and see how the pulleys look.

A few questions for the group -

The rough running at 2k - anyone noticed this before? I know engines have harmonic ranges where things aren't as smooth, but is that typical of the 2uz or is this something I should look more into.

Also, on the interior, I noticed the driver's seat will not angle forward and backward but all other functions are operable. Looking a bit more I found a black box that does not appear to be factory. Also, there's a yellow LED under the drivers footwell dash. Also not sure if factory. My suspicion is a low jack. Pics below, has anyone seen this?

Best,
Ike

 

[LJE]

That black box isn't OEM, but that yellow LED is. (or at the very least, my 2005 LX has the yellow LED too).

And when you say 'a bit rough between 2-2.5K RPM) - what do you mean? Is the truck in neutral at that point?

 

[2001LC]

Make sure the fan clutch and fan bracket are squared away.
Check for vacuum leak.


____

I use carfax and Toyota Lexus service history, to do a pre PPI. I used them:

• To look for good fluid and filter change history.
• Red flags.

Long service history, is no assurance of proper service.

More than 70% the Dealership and 95% of INDY shops, can't keep a good mechanic. They as most all shops are about speed. (get them in get them out fast) These to facts result in shops doing work that results in damage and higher long term service expenses.

 

[rbrave]

I picked up my ‘98 LC 18 months ago after looking for quite a while. It had zero service records, and was listed as a fleet vehicle. Frame was nearly rust free, and the seller was in charge of an auto auction and brought it home to flip. He did the timing belt and got it to pass inspection, and largely I was able to drive away with minimal or no repairs on my end.

Earlier this year, I had it in for tires and found my upper and lower ball joints had gone, as well as a CV boot. Was quoted $3k by a reputable shop for that and brakes. Did it with a neighbor using (almost all oem) parts for around $700 including lots of replacement bushings.

Pro tips - don’t replace rubber that you don’t need to! My sway bar bushings on the frame just sheared the bolts on their way out, and the rubber wasn’t all that bad. Do the sway bar end links/bushings and call it a day. Frame side LCA bushing - lots of threads about removing it “easily” but you won’t know how far into it until you are too far in to go back. Mine would have been totally fine, in retrospect.

Plug away a little at a time. I still haven’t found a shop by me that will willingly work on mine, nobody knows LCs for some reason - probably because they all rusted out already?

 

[ike84]

Thanks for the replies. I'll pull the driver's seat and seeing what's going on with the box. Thanks for confirming it's not OEM. For the led under the dash, what is it's purpose?

The fan runs smooth, no issues that I can see or hear with the clutch on startup, and the bearing spins freely and smoothly. Anything else I should look for on that?

Thank you for all the help with this. I'm brand new to the Toyota world so all the advice and experience is truly appreciated.

 

[Malleus]

You sound like you have things well in hand. Everyone's advice so far is exactly what I would have said, so I can't add anything useful.

In addition to the service manual and EWD in the Resources section, I'd recommend getting a copy of Techstream and a dongle, so that you can work directly with the controllers. FWIW, unless it's an obvious wiring fault, I'd leave that seat problem for another day, if you can hold your nose. It's likely to be a time sink, and you'll probably need Techstream to sort it out.

 

[AARONTLC]

"Windshield is a MESS. Holy cow. Only 1 trim fastener left in tact on each side, one rivet and one screw?!?! Trim is horribly warped."

Move this up your priority list below checking spark plug torque (18ft lbs) and fixing emergency broken stuff.

I would immediately remove the 2 trim pieces and get them out. (Good chance to check for rust.) Get some pliable butyl rubber strip from Lowes or Amazon and plug the 8 rivet holes until you are ready to tackle this job in its entirety ($$$). I just did this, it is expensive and time consuming to fix PO's botched window job. The longer you leave that leaking windshield in it will cause all kinds of electrical issues. High percentage of these vehicles have leaking "A" pillars due to rivets replaced with screws or nothing at all.