New LC Owner: Baselining a 200

[DecreedIt]

Hey folks I am thrilled to be included in this group as a 1st time ever LC owner, a 200 purchased from a family member. I'll be the 2nd owner from new. I am putting together a baselining guide for myself and had some blanks to fill, and thought it might be useful for others.

Pics to follow and when the time comes will do a build thread, because, duh, you have to build these, right?

Details: 2008, Super White over tan, some dings and scratches, 2 fender bender repairs over the years. no pressure to keep it perfect.
Mileage: 159,298

• Maintenance (all records available)
• Routine oil changes every 5,000 miles (synthetic)
• Routine oil filters, air filters, coolant, rotate tires, etc
• Brake pads, battery replacement (once or twice)
• New thermostat and water pump @ 140,710 miles
• New radiator @ 146,469 miles
• New Michelin tires @ 156,620 miles

New battery installed last week. (No maintenance report showing that.) Nothing was wrong. The battery just looked gross (corrosion stuff) so they replaced in for free because it was under warranty.

This was my Aunt's road warrior - might have gone off road onto gravel or dirt a few times, toughest outings hauling dogs and tailgating football. But otherwise commuter all over the SouthEast.

Now, to the baselining list. I've been all over these boards extensively, but forgive me if I missed something - there is a LOT of info here.

Main FAQ thread:

200-series FAQ for Modifications, Repairs and Build Threads. Great place for new users to start

The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for the 200/LX570 series tech section continues to be a work in progress. The goal is to have links in the below to other threads and tech articles. By having these linked, instead of pasting the text, the threads will remain live. The live threads can...

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And the Common Failures & Repairs FAQ:

Common Failures and Repairs - FAQ

This is an FAQ thread. That means no chat or discussing the items posted here. You can go into one of the threads linked based on topics for questions The reason is to help the reader sift through data rather than chat to help solve their issue. Each post is a single topic with Links to...

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Fluids:
Brake bleeding:

What is the brake bleed sequence for 200?

Just picked up a 2010 LC and baselining my fluids. Can someone tell me the brake bleed sequence for a 200 series? I am assuming PS Rear, DS Rear, PS Front, DS Front. Thanks!

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Need to check fluid, several brake jobs over the years, unclear if ever fully bled

Transmission:
Is this required? Not listed in factory maintenance schedule through 120k when it stops, unless off-road/towing. Feels like a yes. Never been done AFAIK.

Diffs/Transfer Case:
Youtube guide: My Videos: Changing the oil in the front/rear diffs and transfer case
Never been done, do it?

Oil changes are up to date but will continue the 5k interval.

Power Steering:
Flush fluid? Is there a filter with the pump?

Coolant:
Done recently due to water pump, thermostat, belts and Radiator, but feels like a check for Toyo red (or whatever is correct for 2008?)

Lube:
Propeller Shaft
Drive Shaft bushings: SQOD Squad - Stupid Question Of the Day

KDDS:
Inspect and lube if needed, mitigate any rust

KDSS valve rust- WARNING

Guys please take a look at your KDSS valve and give it a coating of grease. I had mine replaced under warranty because it was frozen and the replacement looks like this at 12 months old. I took the wire brush to it and gave it a good coating of Yamaha marine grease. Applied grease with the...

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KDSS - UNfrozen! :) How I did it...

As several folks here have discovered, the KDSS cast housings are prone to rust (this is possibly the understatement of the year). The valves - which need to be opened in order to level a vehicle while installing a suspension upgrade - are conveniently located in the place most vulnerable to...

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other? what else takes lube down there? wait - don't answer that one.

Re-torque:
Prop shaft bolt?
All the suspension-y things
All the chassis things
Where to find all torque specs?

Other:
Hoses:
Inspect

Proactive Maintenance:
Starter

Initial Improvements:
Lighting:
LED bulbs? or high from 2011 up? SQOD Squad - Stupid Question Of the Day

Storage box: Amazon product

Wheels & Tires! Stat!

200 Series Tire and Wheel Size Database

I want to give a shout-out to @DirtNap. He has updated my database and made it more user friedly. UPDATE #1: A disgruntled member keeps deleting portions of the database, so I had to remove the editing abilities for everyone. :meh: For now, just submit your info via a reply to this thread...

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Bluetoofs

Connecting A New Phone to Your 200 Series

If your truck is used or you just got a new phone (like a 6s) here are the direction for connecting the phone and it's Bluetooth audio: Go to setting-phone-manage phone-options-select all-delete Go to -settings-audio-Bluetooth Audio settings-remove-and remove all devices Turn off car and...

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Saw somewhere I can't find now a really good "cheap" dongle to add BT Audio

Longer Term: The Build:
Nav Delete? Need to relo that thread too.

the very long tail and deep rabbit hole of overlanding/offroading mods. Not yet . . .

thanks for the input y'all, stoked. I'm coming off leased Mercedes GLS - latest a 550 - they are fantastic and quite capable but not long term relationship worthy, IMO. Need something sensible

 

[ceb]

The first thing I do with any "new to me" high'ish mileage car (i.e. out of warranty) is to change all the fluids. Everybody forgets about the brake fluid and looking at it won't tell you much.

Find a trusted garage and have them do a "pre-purchase inspection". That'll generally tell you what is wrong and what needs service soon.

 

[Sac Cerevisiae]

+1 on the fluids. It’s easy to do the trans, difs, and brakes.

Greasing the propeller/drive shaft is also easy and inexpensive on your own.

Check the KDSS valves.

Check torque on bolts.

Check heater “T”s

 

[krice118]

I dont know If i saw the Starter in there - from what I have gathered on the 200 is the starter goes out after 120k without warning.

 

[DecreedIt]

Check heater “T”s

Remember reading that somewhere didn't remember it was applicable to the 200's - good link to the parts or a guide?

 

[grinchy]

For bt solution I’m using a firefly clone. Works fine with an iPhone. My narrow experience with these is it is as phone dependent as rig. My lx has phone integration so I got the model which has audio only.

 

[bloc]

Consider Used Oil Analysis if you want to get a baseline on engine wear progress.

The plastic oil filter cap is known to stick and crack.. toyota makes an aluminum part that is surprisingly affordable. Just transfer your existing filter support tube to it to replace the shorter one that comes with it. BJowett also has a billet version with a fumoto drain valve, it's bomber and quite cool, but I find the stock aluminum part adequate and also gives perfectly clean oil changes if you use the correct procedure.

If it never went offroad periodically exercise the Center Diff Lock.

Transmission filter/fluid: yes

Power steering: no filter that I know of. Just drain and refill a few times like any other car.

Diffs: prepare for the front drain plug to be stuck and strip the 10mm internal hex. VERY common. Hammering in a torx bit or welding a nut to the face are preferred to remove it. Heat with a torch doesn't seem to work. There is a lexus part with a 14mm external hex, even that strips. I plan to get a big nut welded to a stock plug and never deal with the head stripping again.

Xfer case: some discussion about toyota's ridiculously expensive 75w factory fluid.. very dark color for new oil, and an odd smell suggesting atypical additive package. Plenty run regular 75w90 gear oil but others (me, and I'm not the only one) prefer to stick to the stock stuff because we don't know exactly what is different about it and what about the case might need those differences. I have a thread about it somewhere. $80/L over the counter.. discount sites are about $50/L. need 1.5L. f***ing rip-off but cheaper than a transfer case, and per-mile it's not so bad.

I pulled my heater Ts at ~125k and they looked factory new. FYI.

What someone else said about starter. The motor is usually fine but the integrated solenoid fails without warning, and bypassing it requires minimum 2 people, jumper cables, and a 2-foot long screwdriver wrapped in electrical tape. You can replace just the solenoid preemptively.. 1/3 the cost of the whole starter. But this PM job cost me an exhaust manifold and quite a bit of time due to galled downpipe bolts, even on a clean no-rust rig.

If I think of anything else I'll post.

Edit: had the xfer fluid weight wrong

 

[DecreedIt]

@bloc killer info, greatly appreciated. I'll be sure to finesse that front diff plug, and like the solution. You'd think someone would make that part for sale.

 

[bloc]

@blocYou'd think someone would make that part for sale.

I've already lobbed the idea to a cruiser-parts-maker on this board. They are looking into it though it is far from definite.

 

[DecreedIt]

I've already lobbed the idea to a cruiser-parts-maker on this board. They are looking into it though it is far from definite.

I'd buy it in the first batch of stuff for my baselining.

I'm definitely buying this:

BJowett also has a billet version with a fumoto drain valve

You had me at billet

 

[DecreedIt]

If it never went offroad periodically exercise the Center Diff Lock.

Edit: NEVERMIND found this thread: Warning light illuminates when center diff is locked. wherein I learned solid warning light is 100% normal/expected. Still, the case damage is a bit disconcerting, but I guess everything is fine. Still a mystery what the heck was done for $3000 so I'll leave the original post intact. Pics are cool.

Tried the switch yesterday sitting idle, in P, and I get the yellow exclamation mark, stays lit, I have not tried to drive at all because dry pavement. I also noticed on one of the invoices for the rear end "fender bender" a sublet from the body shop (they sent it out) to r&r the "4x4 accumulator". For . . . wait for it . . . $3000. Not a typo. The transfer case housing is damaged and for sure looks like someone has been in there.

hard to see but some red sealant showing between the case halves. Beyond that truck is pristine underneath, got to love southern garaged cars. Hoping this isn't a major repair, we will see . . .

 

[DecreedIt]

Otherwise she's a beaut

 

[bloc]

Edit: NEVERMIND found this thread: Warning light illuminates when center diff is locked. wherein I learned solid warning light is 100% normal/expected. Still, the case damage is a bit disconcerting, but I guess everything is fine. Still a mystery what the heck was done for $3000 so I'll leave the original post intact. Pics are cool.

Tried the switch yesterday sitting idle, in P, and I get the yellow exclamation mark, stays lit, I have not tried to drive at all because dry pavement. I also noticed on one of the invoices for the rear end "fender bender" a sublet from the body shop (they sent it out) to r&r the "4x4 accumulator". For . . . wait for it . . . $3000. Not a typo. The transfer case housing is damaged and for sure looks like someone has been in there.

View attachment 1996737View attachment 1996738

hard to see but some red sealant showing between the case halves. Beyond that truck is pristine underneath, got to love southern garaged cars. Hoping this isn't a major repair, we will see . . .

Was under my truck today and got a pic of a healthy transfer case. The broken boss is just for some kind of vibration damper. Not sure how it would have been damaged other than maybe driving the truck off a ledge or a car going under it or something. The good thing is that it shouldn’t impact the operation of the case at all.

As for the rtv.. Same color as my 2013. Yours looks a lot more haphazard in its application though.

I wouldn’t give up on your case just yet. Look on this board for CDL troubleshooting... I don’t have much experience with it.. but do recall some people with initial problems getting it all working without major repairs.

 

[DecreedIt]

@bloc thanks very much for the reference pic. Now I'm really wondering how critical that dampener is, they put it on there for a reason. Crap, really going to bother me, have to address it, got the has to be done right curse. Will be calling this body shop that charged $3000 for the sublet repair Monday. Inexcusable hackery.

 

[bloc]

Personally I wouldn’t worry about it. In all likelihood just there to address some tiny frequency some NVH engineer found.

 

[scott037]

If you're super worried about the t case get it welded drilled and tapped

 

[TheGrrrrr]

Was under my truck today and got a pic of a healthy transfer case. The broken boss is just for some kind of vibration damper. Not sure how it would have been damaged other than maybe driving the truck off a ledge or a car going under it or something. The good thing is that it shouldn’t impact the operation of the case at all.

As for the rtv.. Same color as my 2013. Yours looks a lot more haphazard in its application though.

I wouldn’t give up on your case just yet. Look on this board for CDL troubleshooting... I don’t have much experience with it.. but do recall some people with initial problems getting it all working without major repairs.


View attachment 1997084

Pretty sure that vibration dampener bolts on with like 9lbs of torque, so they probably just overtightened it with a gun and broke the mount.

 

[bloc]

Pretty sure that vibration dampener bolts on with like 9lbs of torque, so they probably just overtightened it with a gun and broke the mount.

Yes, 9ft-lb in my FSM. Probably exactly what you describe.. M10 bolts usually go much higher than that so the mechanic likely messed it up going by "feel".

 

[DecreedIt]

Updates: @ 176k now.

Baselining still in progress; in no particular order since I've had her:
Trans flush done
P/S fluid done
Full brake job, pads, rotors, steel braided lines, parking brake shoes & hardware, new fluid
Starter done
Diff fluids done
Back to OEM wiper blades all around
Heater switch knobs replaced
Jowett Oil filter housing & plugs installed
Cup holder upgrade

This week/weekend:
Fan bracket, fan clutch, Idler, Tensioner
--turns out non-oem thermostat was leaking (had been replaced w/ radiator around 140k) - replaced with Toyota OEM
--did the belt too
Oil change & drive shaft lube
details here: Alternator or tensioner... how can you tell? - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/alternator-or-tensioner-how-can-you-tell.1200851/post-13637969

Interesting to me she loves ethanol-free gas - around here it prices somewhere near Premium, sometimes less, sometimes more, but I can get 13.5+ around town driving compared to 11's on mid grade 10-15% ethanol. I put in the good stuff whenever possible.

 

[DecreedIt]

181k report. Since last time, had a small RF fender ding repaired at body shop, fender repaired, resprayed, blended. Deleted the pin stripe. While it was there had them once over the door handle cups take the major scratches out and repair lower corner of Driver's door.

Another O&F change, man the Jowett kit makes it so nice. Replaced some missing 10mm coolant hose bracket bolts left out when the new radiator was put in. Finished drilling and tapping the 1 busted belly pan bolt, still need a replacement since had to retap bigger 9mm x 1.00. Replaced worn/missing belly pan bolts w/ new OEM.

Next up, P2447 code - going to try to replace the pumps with el cheapo ebay Chinese Tata branded aftermarket. Only $100 for the pair. If that fails or we start getting different SAIS codes, I'll pony up for the harness.