New owner questions. Bear with me please

[UCrazyKid]

Hey there. New owner of 2011 LX570. Picked up a one owner highly optioned rig with full dearler history (dealer oil changes every 5k, etc.) with some moderate mods, 99,220 miles.

Airfilters: in my other cars I have found a power gain in moving to high flow cloth based filters from aFe. I noticed the LX uses a flossy material filter and not paper. Is there a benefit to changing to a “high performance” filter?

Exhaust/tune: does anyone make aftermarket exhaust for these vehicles? Does it matter? Better to keep the stock heavy gauge exhaust? Does anyone make an engine tune? Any benefit? I saw the supercharger, not interested in that route.

Coolant: I noticed my coolant overflow bottle is at low level. Is this bad or so I just add more? Other cars I’ve had are “sealed” system and if the bottle shows low it means you are losing coolant somewhere (bad). How about with the LX/LC?

Brake pads: Is there an aftermarket semi-metallic pad people move to for better bite and modulation of the brakes? What years are there changes to the brakes in the 3rd gen? I see different parts listed for ‘08-‘10 and then ‘11- Are they the same as the Tundra for certain years?

Fluids: for transmission, does everybody just use Toyota fluid or do they use a Mobil 1, Redline, Amsoil, etc. product? How about the diffs and transfercase?

Transmission fluid change: I have read all the DIY threads on changing out all the “lifetime” transmission fluid. Do dealers/Indy mechanics know how to do this, will they do it? I just don’t have the time/space to do it.

Thanks!

Andy

 

[TonyP]

Air Filters: Stock works fine.

Exhaust/Tune: Nope.

Coolant: Top off, see if it goes down again.

Brakes: I used Hawk SD. Works well.

Fluid: Many schools of thought. I used Redline in everything except coolant and motor oil.

Transmission: Dealer, probably not. Indy, maybe. Transmission shop, yes. I wouldn't worry about swapping unless there's an issue (ie toasted fluid, shifting issues outside of the hesitant cold shifting) or you wheel/tow semi-heavily.

 

[ranma21]

Just top off coolant when low, I do that every few months. I uses EBC 7000 series green pads with oem rotors. Pretty good brake now.

 

[LALC]

For aftermarket exhaust, there is one for the LC offered by TRD I think in Australia (several folks on the forums that can get it to your locale for extra $$). I don't know if it would fit on the LX, but if you're really interested in it it's there.

 

[Sandroad]

Welcome to the 200. Looks like you jumped in with both feet on the modded LX. Cool......

However, I hope you mean "bear with me" and not "bare with me." Otherwise, wrong forum.

 

[UCrazyKid]

Heheh, fixed it. but it did get attention!
Thanks for the warm welcome everyone. Loving the truck! I've stalked TLCs for years and I am really happy to have one now.

 

[linuxgod]

FYI my dealer knew how to do the full fluid swap and charged me $126 (plus fluid, which I brought) to replace all ~12 quarts. My regular mechanic didn't know how to do it (he was happy to read the FSM on how to trigger the fluid bypass but he expected to take a lot longer). YMMV so call the dealer and ask before you show up.

Air filters and exhaust - IMO there's no actual gain. It's my understanding from some other threads that the intake and exhaust are capable of moving more air at WOT than the engine can use. If you supercharge the engine that's a different story, but the mfrs are all engineering for mileage and performance nowadays and with a factory NA motor the days of adding performance intakes and exhausts to a factory vehicle and getting any performance improvement disappeared years ago.

As far as coolant goes if it's not below the Low level it's fine (that's why there's a low and high mark).

I run amsoil everywhere except the engine which is quaker state, mostly because I'm OCD. In reality any synthetic fluid that meets the toyota specs is likely fine. At 100k, I'd probably schedule a full transmission, transfer case, and front and rear differential flush, unless the service records show it was done previously. If you're doing it at the Toyota dealer just use Toyota fluid - I don't believe there will be any difference than redline/amsoil/etc unless you're running your vehicle at its limits.

 

[40Man]

FYI my dealer knew how to do the full fluid swap and charged me $126 (plus fluid, which I brought) to replace all ~12 quarts. My regular mechanic didn't know how to do it (he was happy to read the FSM on how to trigger the fluid bypass but he expected to take a lot longer). YMMV so call the dealer and ask before you show up.

Air filters and exhaust - IMO there's no actual gain. It's my understanding from some other threads that the intake and exhaust are capable of moving more air at WOT than the engine can use. If you supercharge the engine that's a different story, but the mfrs are all engineering for mileage and performance nowadays and with a factory NA motor the days of adding performance intakes and exhausts to a factory vehicle and getting any performance improvement disappeared years ago.

As far as coolant goes if it's not below the Low level it's fine (that's why there's a low and high mark).

I run amsoil everywhere except the engine which is quaker state, mostly because I'm OCD. In reality any synthetic fluid that meets the toyota specs is likely fine. At 100k, I'd probably schedule a full transmission, transfer case, and front and rear differential flush, unless the service records show it was done previously. If you're doing it at the Toyota dealer just use Toyota fluid - I don't believe there will be any difference than redline/amsoil/etc unless you're running your vehicle at its limits.

This is just as much as a question as it is a comment: My understanding that the coolant should be between the L and H level when the engine is cool and above the L level when running as fluid gets pulled in the radiator, or you do not have enough fluid. I assume you shouldn't be losing much, if any fluid if there are no leaks, as I have never had to add fluid unless I had a leak on any of my vehicles. If you add fluid, and it gets low again, I'd assume there is a leak somewhere.

 

[UCrazyKid]

All great info so far guys, thanks!

 

[SWUtah]

FYI OEM exhaust is heavy gauge stainless steel I doubt you can buy a better one. Welcome to the club

 

[mark71]

Just top off coolant when low, I do that every few months. I uses EBC 7000 series green pads with oem rotors. Pretty good brake now.

Not to be a smart a$$, but do you think you might have a leak? You shouldn't have to keep topping it off.

 

[ranma21]

Not to be a smart a$$, but do you think you might have a leak? You shouldn't have to keep topping it off.

I don't see any leak, I top off my 2014 Sienna with 35k miles the same way too. I will have to look up and down again I guess, but it will be very unlikely with the Sienna, possible with my LX, perhaps time to replace waterpump at 91k miles now.

 

[KLF]

You shouldn't have to add any, none. If the level in the reservoir is going down, then it's going somewhere it shouldn't be. It doesn't get used in running the engine and it doesn't evaporate.

I installed the Hawk SD brake pads this summer. Much better braking, but now they are starting to squeal. Not happy with that.

 

[slowride]

For a Land Cruiser / LX 570 run a paper air filter... Toyota type filter or some other high quality paper filter... oiled filers may breath easier and all the other good stuff, but this LC /LX570 is a barge/tank/truck/hunk of steel anchor, not a racing car... Lots of particulates can get through an oiled filter that can't get through a paper filter... If your on dusty mining roads or trails to weekend cottage paper filter are good... If your tracking your LC / LX 570 go with the sexy after market filters... The oiled filters are cool and sexy and fun to install, but on this rig if Toyoda engineer's thought the oiled air filter was the way to go... There would be one under your hood already...

The LC / LX 570 has what the Toyoda engineer's deemed to be the BEST for these vehicles.... Clearly price is really not a factor/consideration when dealing with and applying to the materials and features when building a LC / LX 570... Toyoda engineer's are well aware of the existence of oiled filters... The 1900- 1920's technology (A thin sock with oil on it, then spread out by a weak spring), spend your money on changing your fluids and filters and enjoy your new rig...

Jeff

 

[I6turbo]

...Lots of particulates can get through an oiled filter that can't get through a paper filter...

This is definitely true. I've personally seen it on a vehicle where I ran a large K&N truncated cone type filter with the rubber end cap facing downward. After only about 5K miles there was a small pile of grit sitting on inside of the end cap. It had passed through the filter element but hadn't been sucked into the engine due to gravity. The scary question is, how much WAS sucked into the engine instead of falling onto the end cap??? Way too high a price to pay to possibly gain a couple of HP (if it'll even do that).

 

[HRTROB]

Not to be a smart a$$, but do you think you might have a leak? You shouldn't have to keep topping it off.

Some engines seem to lose coolant. I've had to top off the coolant every couple of months on my 2013 Toyota 86 which I've had since new. It seems to be normal since a lot of other owners are experiencing the same thing.

Same thing with my 80 series. No leaks and holds pressure during a pressure test but the coolant will need to be topped off every couple of months.

 

[Angelo1]

Post up pics of your new LX. I’m considering a ‘15 and like to see how they look with the upgrades

 

[UCrazyKid]

I think I have one of the few LX’s with bumpers.