New Guy - Hello

[CharlieS]

Hi,

My name is Charlie. I am in Vermont (USA). I just got my first Land Crusier tonight. After lots of looking I bought up a 1996 fzj80, bought from the original owner at 177K miles.

PO did the typical oil change (evry 3750 mi), oil change, oil change, brakes, oil change, oil change, oil change, brakes (all done at the dealer), one major repair was a head gasket at 120K. With all reciepts, including window sticker, etc!!!

It is bone stock, but we'll see what happens. It does not have factory lockers so that is the first item on my wish list once I get the basics sorted out. I'm sort of keen on the beerier bull bar bumpers, but although practical for back country driving, they might be kind of "flashy" for around here.

Thanks to the Tech FAQ here I found an answer to one big question - it has a check engine light with a P401 code. PO had the dealer replace the EGR valve and reset the OBDII codes, but the light came on again. Easy enough to straighten out once the weather warms up, according to the FAQ.

One other thing I am worried about is that when I put it in 4Lo it, the center diff lock light does not come on. I think the owners manual says the dash indicator light should come on. Hoping it is a bad indicator light, or something like that and not a failed center diff lock. Any wisdom or tips for troubleshooting it?

Also, any tips for getting rid of the "gold package", I see it was a $599 option - 24k gold plated emblems. I ask myself, "Why?"... Jewlery for a truck? My original thought was to spray paint them, but if they're real gold (according ot the factory paperwork they are), I hate to do that. Can I just replace them with flat black ones from anther fzj80? Save the gold for my retirement fund...

Otherwise this fzj80 has been a grocery getter for 9 years, and I hope to give it some more suitable use on dirt and logging roads this spring and summer.

Thanks for everything I've learned already. This is a neat place and a great resource.

Charlie

 

[CharlieS]

Picture of it

Oh, here is a picture of it last saturday when I test drove it. Nothing fancy, compared to all the nice rigs here, but pretty clean anyways, for a stock 80, I think.

 

[alkaline747trio]

Just do an ebay search or look locally for a wreckec/salvage cruiser to replace the gold plated stuff. I am a newbie myself, so from newb-newb, welcome to the forums.

 

[Bigshone]

Hello,

Welcome aboard and congratulations on your new purchase!

I'm one of the new guys around here too. Sounds like you've already learned what a great resource the forum is.

I don't think I can be much help when it comes to the bling bling (gold emblems) but when you put it in low does your ABS light come on? Maybe the center dif lock light is burnt out.

Best Regards
Shane

 

[LX_TREME]

Welcome to the Club, its rare blue you got there , The gold package it not REAL gold!!! or shave 'em
all clean means no emblems at all.. look better without emblems.Anyways LC80 people already knew it and also arounds the worlds most peoples noticed theLC80 considers very popular & tough SUV

 

[CharlieS]

Wow, thanks for all the replies so quickly...

Just went out and tried agian. When I shift to 4 Lo, I do not get the center diff lock light or the ABS light. Dang it, must be something bigger. Do I need factory manuals to troubleshoot?

Rare blue, neat. I got this specific one for the condition and service history. Rare color is a neat plus (I was looking for a green or black one, actually).

Not making it up - I have a piece of factory paper that says the gold package is real 24k.

It reads:

"oyota
Proper care for genuine toyota gold-plated accessories

Congratulations on your purchase of Genuine Toyota Gold-Plated accessories. These accessories have been plated with pure 24-carat gold and, therfore, require care and maintenace similar to fine jewlery."
<etc>

I could personally care less, gold is not my deal. Any tips on how to "shave" the emblems? Are the rear emblems attached with posts, or just adhesive backing? Can I use a piece of floss and a heat gun to remove them? What about the grille emblem? How is it attached?

Thanks for making me feel welcome!

Charlie

 

[e9999]

hate to tell you this, but even if it's 24K gold since it's probably a micron thick, you may have all of $10 worth of gold there...
Welcome anyway and yes you are among a very small number of blue LCs...

 

[CharlieS]

Oh, OK. Dang, those original buyers got screwed (can I say that here?) - the window sticker says $599 for the "gold package". Thats a lot of money for gold film. Although I guess if they could afford a $50K truck, $599 is no big deal.

In that case, should I save the $$$ it might cost to get new emblems, or the time to shave them and just mask them and hit them with some krylon flat black spray paint?

Thanks!

Charlie

 

[Beowulf]

Are the rear emblems attached with posts, or just adhesive backing? Can I use a piece of floss and a heat gun to remove them? What about the grille emblem? How is it attached?

Charlie,

Welcome to the forum and to 80 ownership. The gold emblems have no value. The emblems attached to the body can be removed as you suggested; heat and dental floss. There are no posts. I'm not sure about the grill emblem but it is easy to remove.

Look for posts by landpimp on what he did with the gold emblems on his 100 series. He painted them black and they came out great.

-B-

 

[Scamper]

I could personally care less, gold is not my deal. Any tips on how to "shave" the emblems? Are the rear emblems attached with posts, or just adhesive backing? Can I use a piece of floss and a heat gun to remove them? What about the grille emblem? How is it attached?

Thanks for making me feel welcome!

Charlie

Welcome Charlie.

If you really couldn't care less, then just leave them be. They won't hurt the truck, nor will the weight of all that gold slow you down.

 

[CharlieS]

Scamper,

The thing is that the gold stuff is too shiny/flashy looking for me. I am a low profile kind of guy.

That is one thing about the LC that I love. Super capable, super durable, but looks like your average joe-schmoe-suv to the rest of the world that doesn't know about land crusiers. I don't want shiny gold emblems attracting that "look at me" kind of attention.

Love the falt black of the 40th anniversary emblems. Maybe some krylon would fix that. I'll search for landpimp's changes...

Thanks for the advice.

Charlie

 

[landtank]

I live in MA and had the same LO problem a few days ago. Now that it has warmed up it works just fine.


Where abouts in VT are you?

 

[CharlieS]

landtank,

I'm in Bristol. It is a small town in the mountains, sort of halfway between Burlington and Rutland.

The LC is so new to me that I don't know if this is an issue or is oK, but the indicator lights just don't work.

Wish I knew what the troubleshooting steps were... I'd like to tear into it and figure it out.

Charlie

 

[gregc]

Wow, thanks for all the replies so quickly...
Just went out and tried agian. When I shift to 4 Lo, I do not get the center diff lock light or the ABS light. Dang it, must be something bigger. Do I need factory manuals to troubleshoot?
Charlie

Hi, Charlie...whereabouts in vt are ya? I'm down in central Mass, got a few non-flatlander friends up north still

Here's what's _supposed_ to happen when you shift the transfer...
There's a switch that should trip when the knob is moved to L. This switch is supposed to disable the abs and change the transmission gearing to more appropriate for lo-range use.
At this time you should also hear a small motor whirring for a few seconds to engange the center diff lock.

I would check:
- is there a "Center Diff Lock" button on the dash?
- does the lo-range gearing engage properly?
- lo-range position switch....wiring....ctr diff lock motor/relay/wiring

The Toyota factory service manual (FSM) is essential. The one drawback is that it explains complex jobs in terms that make it sound like a trained monkey can do it. Depending where you are, you local dealer should be able to get one....I've also had good luck with Toyota of Keene (southern NH, I've got Ben pretty well trained ) and there's a guy Dan on the list who works at American Toyota (new mexico) who's a 'Cruiser expert and is very well regarded.

In the mean time, you can also go to http://techinfo.toyota.com and buy daily access to on-line manual and wiring diagram pages.

Sounds like you're off to a good start ...does your rig have the locking diffs?

-G

 

[CharlieS]

GregC,

Give me two minutes to go check...

Well I'll be a sonnuvagun - it works now. I put it in neutral and shifted to L several times and after the 3d-4th time the dash lights started to come on. Now they both (ABS and center diff lock) come on every time. Must have been a stuch switch or something. Maybe not working due to lack of use??? Works now though, which is all that matters to me.

Thanks man!

Oh, yeah, you asked where in VT. I mentioned it above, but I'm in Bristol, sort of 1/2 way between Burlington and Rutland on the Lake Champlain side (West) of the state.

I guess I getter get a service manual. Maybe I'll give Bena call on Monday.

Thanks!!!!

Charlie

 

[CharlieS]

Forgot to answer a question - no center diff lock switch. Where a center diff lock switch should be is a security system switch (rs 3000 factory installed). No front or rear factory lockers either.

Charlie

 

[CharlieS]

Oh, and I call it blue, but the toyota maketing people, who ar no doubt smarter than me by factors I can't imagine, call it "Nightshadow Pearl". Sheesh, I'd never had guessed that, thank goodness for the window sticker.

Charlie

 

[Romer]

Welcome. When it didn't work you just tried it in the garage, didn't move it at all. Next time it doesn't work, try driving 10 feet.

 

[Cruisin'Carolina]

Welcome new guy! (I'm a wannb & and newb)

Romer!! I had the same problem on one I test drove, but I did drive it, tried 6 or 7 times....

Where is the switch located that tells the truck it is in low? Around the hi-low shifter (maybe jiggle side to side? Like a reverse light switch?)) Also, the C diff light didn't come on briefly when starting, should it (maybe light burned out, too, but not the problem as ABS did not come on, and RR FF flashed)

 

[mot]

Oh, and I call it blue, but the toyota maketing people, who ar no doubt smarter than me by factors I can't imagine, call it "Nightshadow Pearl".

Hey Charlie,

I've heard that there were people sitting behind their desks all day at Toyota, getting paid the big bucks, thinking about all the different names for their vehicle colors. Come up with different names for the same colors year after year.

Oh yeah, belated welcome to you.

Mot