Need advice with an used (my first) TLC

[bhashwat]

Friend of mine w/ a 01 LC lives right on the cliff in La Jolla, parked his LC outside for 3 yrs. Everything bare steel in the engine compartment/undercarriage rusted, rust on the tailgate. Warranty doesn't cover it, as it hasn't rusted through (has to completely rust through). Granted, this is surface rust, not corrosion from driving on salted roads day-in, day-out. Personally, I would never buy any vehicle driven on salted roads. This means anything from the Midwest/Northeast. The LC is very electronic dependent, and the main enemy of electronics is water & corrosion. When I bought my '03 a year ago (local vehicle), I checked the undercarriage...the bolts were still shiny despite sitting outside on the dealer lot for 3 months during the winter. Also, the paint underneath the rear license plate frame was scraped by the frame's edge down to the bare metal (paint is very thin on the tailgate), and still shiny. Gotta love that 5% Arizona humidity.

I will definitely put checking the rust on the undercarriage - including the bolts - in my pre-purchase checklist.

 

[bhashwat]

All cars can/do rust. I've never heard of even LC/LX's that spent their life in Minn. having any problem with rust disabling their vehicle. I've lived much of my life in Missouri and after a snow storm/ melt cycle all local car washes have bottom blasts that clean the salt/crap off the underside plus you just have to wash it more in the winter to keep it clean. I've also in the past and will continue with this LX to every spring get under the truck and use rust arrester to eliminate any rust that could be starting and then spray with rustolem so it doesn't come back. You have to also keep a good coat of wax on your rig. In the rust belt you need to wax every qtr. JMHO I did own a 99 LC that spent its life in AZ and it did not have any rust or corrosion anywhere on the vehicle, but sun damage is a concern in though western states.

So you would think that unless the rust is enough to show neglect, it should not be a deal-killer.

 

[spressomon]

So, is it common to have some wind noise from the top of the windshield?

I noticed it right after I got it...this is my 1st LC so I don't have another to compare. I ended up replacing the windshield after a rock almost went through it...and whether the wind noise is still there or not I don't notice it anymore. Others have commented on the same noise with 100's. Take a close look/inspection to see if the windshield (assuming it is not the OEM glass) is installed correctly (the 100 windshields are partially held in place by two rivet-on strips on the DS and PS side of the glass and covered with a friction fit rubber molding/gasket of sorts).

 

[BMWSTOY]

Check the rubber between the roof and the windshield directly in the middle of the windshield on the top. I noticed mine has some warping - it does not look like an easy install and I have seen my share in the insurance business. I am hoping my noise is the install and not the design.

 

[SWUtah]

So you would think that unless the rust is enough to show neglect, it should not be a deal-killer.

Unless there is corrosion that is bad I would not worry about it. You can use POR 15 to eliminate most surface rust and then paint over it with some rustoleum, it will then look like new. The important thing is to look at connectors for corrosion. the 2002 I looked at from Michigan had major corrosion on all of the connectors and electrical connections "that" would be a deal breaker. So rust on the steel frame or bolts or skid plate can be fixed real easy. Now I would use any rust like this to talk down the price even though you know you can fix it without much hassle. Good luck.

 

[LXPearl]

There are TSBs on the loud bass and windshield noise - covered during the warranty period. I had the bass fix done on my 01 LC, and it was much improved. Did not notice unusual wind noise on it other than from the sunroof wind deflector, which I removed.

 

[bhashwat]

Congratulate a first time TLC 100 owner

After lurking around this board, asking a loooot of questions, test driving a bunch of different vehicles, I finally bit today and bought a 2000 TLC with 94k miles. I have appreciaed Land Cruisers since I was a kid and have always wanted one myself. I paid a hair below 17K for it at a dealership, where they showed me that they had done what they called a 50 piont inspection.

I will get the Throttle body cleaned, TB replaced and the water pump replaced before I reach 100K miles.

Here are the negatives first, just to get the out of the way:

1. Only one key.
2. No owners manual.
3. Emergency brake does not work, but they are going to fix it for me on Tuesday for free.
4. Going against 35mph wind at 75mph, the wind noise was very loud. However, at other times, wind noise was not bad.
5. In the sunglass holder compartment, whatever padding used to be there is gone and you can see plastic and aluminum - looks ugly.

Now the good:

1. Virtually no rust on the underbody or anywhere else.
2. Every electronic component/button works (the ones that I know the function of).
3. No problem about the loud bass.
4. Sound system is very good+6cd changer.
5. No dings, dents
6. There is some rattle, but not much at all for a vehicle with almost 100k in it.
7. Clean carfax and no evidence of any any accident.
8. The inside is well taken care of, but worn down in places from use (you can tell that kids have riden in the vehicle a lot). However, there is no noticeable damage anywhere worth mentioning - just regular wear from use.
9. The ride is so freakin' sweeeeeeeeeeeet.
10. The view is excellent.
11. The quality of the ride is awesome.
12. I have had it for only a few hours, but I cannot imagine going back to other vehicles.
13. Tires have a loooooooot of tread left on them. I think they will give me around 30K miles.
14. Even the floormats look decently clean.

I love it!!!!!!!


Buying a used vehicle is always risky. I hope I get lucky on this one.

Thank you so much for the advice/suggestions you provided me.

 

[drsales]

Purchased my 2000 the same mileage. Love the truck. I have done much pm. Did not clean the throttle body yet. But baseline your fluids. Allows you to keep track. Make sure your brake pads are good, hopefully this was done with the 50 point inspection. Mine were ok but were aftermarket and developed a squeek which was removed with turned rotors in the front and new oe pads all around.

Your purchase price was not bad. So drive the crap out of it and never look back. Good Luck.

 

[SWUtah]

Congrats, Just do the PM, timing belt water pump and fluids/repack and you should be good to go. About the rust just get a rust converter and treat the spots on the frame and skid plates, then get some rustoleum and spray them. That will eliminate that surface rust problem. Then when you have snow and salt on the road make sure you do a good bottom blast cleaning after the roads clear off and you should eliminate any future surface rust problems.

 

[EdsCruisin]

- Going against 35mph wind at 75mph, the wind noise was very loud. However, at other times, wind noise was not bad.

- In the sunglass holder compartment, whatever padding used to be there is gone and you can see plastic and aluminum - looks ugly.

Check the position of the roof rack rails. The new Toys actually have the lowest wind noise position marked.

What sunglass holder compartment? I am not in mine right now, but I can't picture that space.

Sounds like a nice rig, enjoy! I know that I won't turn back either - best riding vehicle I've ever had.

 

[LXPearl]

Congratulations - it sounds like you did well on your LC. I would prefer handling the PM myself, so I feel you did well by not paying the dealer to do it.

I trust the key you received is a master key (e.g. has the remote buttons on it). You can buy master and valet blanks for "relatively" low cost and program them yourself. CDan can help you out. If it is not the master, there is no inexpensive solution to get additional keys - even with the one-time ECU exchange by Toyota.

The LC will have some wind noise just because of its suv profile; however, I have considered it remarkably quiet for its profile.

 

[bhashwat]

Congrats, Just do the PM, timing belt water pump and fluids/repack and you should be good to go. About the rust just get a rust converter and treat the spots on the frame and skid plates, then get some rustoleum and spray them. That will eliminate that surface rust problem. Then when you have snow and salt on the road make sure you do a good bottom blast cleaning after the roads clear off and you should eliminate any future surface rust problems.

Thanks bud. I will do the rust treatment once it warms up here in Minnesota. Here, as I type this, it is -6, with a wind chill of about -25.

 

[bhashwat]

Check the position of the roof rack rails. The new Toys actually have the lowest wind noise position marked.

What sunglass holder compartment? I am not in mine right now, but I can't picture that space.

Sounds like a nice rig, enjoy! I know that I won't turn back either - best riding vehicle I've ever had.

What should I check on the roof rack rails? I do not know what look for in regards to that.

About the sunglass holder compartment... Uhum..... It was the garage door opener compartment..... My bad.....

 

[bhashwat]

Congratulations - it sounds like you did well on your LC. I would prefer handling the PM myself, so I feel you did well by not paying the dealer to do it.

I trust the key you received is a master key (e.g. has the remote buttons on it). You can buy master and valet blanks for "relatively" low cost and program them yourself. CDan can help you out. If it is not the master, there is no inexpensive solution to get additional keys - even with the one-time ECU exchange by Toyota.

The LC will have some wind noise just because of its suv profile; however, I have considered it remarkably quiet for its profile.

Hi LXPearl, The key I recrieved is the master key. It does have the remote buttons on it. I think I will buy another master and valet keys and do the programming myself. I saw the instructions on the main page for doing so.

 

[SWUtah]

Thanks bud. I will do the rust treatment once it warms up here in Minnesota. Here, as I type this, it is -6, with a wind chill of about -25.

nothing will rust at that temperture I think the rust starts when you pull into the garage and the frozen stuff melts and gets wet. It's the salt on the road when it gets wet and sprays on your ride that gets the rust started. Good washing of the entire vehicle, plus the bottom on a consistant basis is the key. If you do a search you will find that rust corrosion is not a big issue with LC/LX's even up in Canada where they use more salt then about anywhere in the world. On the wind noise, when the weather gets nice just move the roof slats back over the third row area of your LC/LX.

 

[SWUtah]

Hi LXPearl, The key I recrieved is the master key. It does have the remote buttons on it. I think I will buy another master and valet keys and do the programming myself. I saw the instructions on the main page for doing so.

On my 99 I got a new valet key at the local Toyota dealer it was only $35 and included the programing. Only took the guy a couple of minutes to program.

 

[bhashwat]

Writeup after 1500 miles

So I took my rig for a looong ride over the weekend to drop off my fiance to her school in Kansas. I have put about 1500 miles on the LC after buying it last Wednesday. Here are my impressions, first the bad and then the good:

The not-so-good:

1. I am 5'5 and the seat's lumbar settings are designed for someone much taller than me. I feel like my spine is getting put in an uncomfortable spot no matter how I adjust it. If I lift my uhum... butt about an inch to an inch and a half, I can feel the back supported very well. So I will probably have to get some cushioning to put on the seat so that I can sit a bit higher. Any suggestions on this?
2. Gas mileage. Ouch.. I am a first time SUV owner and filling up the gas tank is painful. My calculations show that I have been getting 14-15 miles to the gallon on all-highway driving.
3. I want to get the owner's manuals on it. What is the cheapest way to get those? Other than ebay......

Now the good:

1. What a sweet ride!!! My other vehicle is an ES300 that drives well too. But I love the ride of the LC.
2. Driving in Kansas in the middle of a snowstorm, I never lost traction at any point. This vehicle gives me a lot of confidence to tackle unfavourable road conditions. Does not mean that I will be driving reckless.
3. I loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeee this vehicle and so does my fiance.
4. No annoying rattles or such.
5. There is so much room to put luggage. We put it to use this weekend.
6. Love the third row seats and put it to use already. Yesterday, I was driving 8 people on it.

I was afraid that this being a used vehicle and this being the first long ride I was taking it in, that I would find some unpleasant surprises. No such thing.

I will be doing the 90k service on it soon.

 

[bhashwat]

nothing will rust at that temperture I think the rust starts when you pull into the garage and the frozen stuff melts and gets wet. It's the salt on the road when it gets wet and sprays on your ride that gets the rust started. Good washing of the entire vehicle, plus the bottom on a consistant basis is the key. If you do a search you will find that rust corrosion is not a big issue with LC/LX's even up in Canada where they use more salt then about anywhere in the world. On the wind noise, when the weather gets nice just move the roof slats back over the third row area of your LC/LX.

I was curious about that. So if it is frozen, there is no need to worry about rust. Just wash the underbody when it starts melting and it is good, right?

 

[SWUtah]

I was curious about that. So if it is frozen, there is no need to worry about rust. Just wash the underbody when it starts melting and it is good, right?

Right

 

[uHu]

The not-so-good:

1. I am 5'5 and the seat's lumbar settings are designed for someone much taller than me. I feel like my spine is getting put in an uncomfortable spot no matter how I adjust it. If I lift my uhum... butt about an inch to an inch and a half, I can feel the back supported very well. So I will probably have to get some cushioning to put on the seat so that I can sit a bit higher. Any suggestions on this?

2. Gas mileage. Ouch.. I am a first time SUV owner and filling up the gas tank is painful. My calculations show that I have been getting 14-15 miles to the gallon on all-highway driving.

I will be doing the 90k service on it soon.

Congrats! And welcome to the club.

I find the lumbar support must be made for somebody much shorter than my 6'2. So who is it made for I wonder.

Gas milage.... Why not go for diesel?

A write-up on your 90k will be nice.