New to me, 2008 200 Series

[CONGESTEDHIPPO]

Hey All,

After lusting for an LC for a few years and finally coming to terms with parting with my beloved MK7 Golf R, I pulled the trigger on this 2-owner 2008 Land Cruiser. I was convinced I wanted a 100 series, but after driving a 100 and this 200 back to back on the same day, I was sold. I wanted something to serve as a comfy daily, snowboarding rig, and summer camping/trail rig. I drove a '98 T100 in college, and man, it's nice to be back in a Toyota after a stint in a few Subarus, BMWs, and VWs.

I got lucky finding this 200 right here in Denver after looking all over the Rockies for the right one. The second owner babied and maintained this rig as his family hauler, handing me a stack of records about 2 inches thick dating back to about 40k miles. Though it has 205k on it, it has never seen a trail harder than your average dirt road (previous owner had a 3rd gen 4runner rock-crawler for off-road stuff) and is fairly clean aside from a few scrapes and bumps. Here are some pics from day 1, before its first wash (was too excited to take some pics and shame my buddies with Tacoma's)

These last few weeks have been a deep dive into the IH8MUD 200 forums, baselining this rig. I wanted to give a huge shoutout to a few posters who were an amazing resource for baselining:

[SIZE=4][B]2001LC[/B][/SIZE]'s thread​

mceagle555's thread

So far, I have completed:

• Oil change and filter with Mobil 1 0W20 and OEM Toyota filter
• Cabin air filter change with WIX - 24511
• Engine air filter with OEM Toyota filter
• Front Diff, Rear Diff, Transfer case drain and fill with Mobil 1 Gear Oil 75W90, and new crush washers all around
  • I had 0 difficulty getting the front diff drain plug out and didn't strip it somehow haha
• Power Steering Flush with Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF
• Torqued the driveshaft bolts
• Greased driveshafts and U-joints with Lucas Oil X-Tra Heavy Duty Grease
• Cracked the KDSS valve screws loose after soaking in PB Blaster and greased thanks to this thread.
• Spark plug change with Denso Iridium Long Life Spark Plugs 3421
• Brake fluid change and bleed
• Valley Pan reseal with J2hundy gasket
  • I know there is some controversy surrounding this one, but in my experience working on other makes, I always prefer a gasket to the form-in-place stuff. This LC had a new radiator put in at 125k and evidence of the leak, but no loss of coolant in the few weeks I have had it. It seems like the leak sealed itself and left a bunch of hardened coolant in the valley. I decided to do the gasket and will be sure to post updates if it fails.
• Coolant change with OEM Toyota SLLC
• Heater T replacements with the doorman metal ones, thanks to this thread.
  • I know these aren't a huge problem on the 200s, but I noticed a bit of seepage when changing the coolant, and upon removal, one of them crumbled into dust. I can only assume I may have broken one of them while laying across the engine bay to get those damn air injection pump bolts out

Next on the list:

• Clean up the coolbox
  • There was a dried spill under the white thing in the center console coolbox that I cleaned up as best I could, but I'm wondering if I should take it apart to clean the drain.
• Headlight upgrade or facelift headlights
• Cup holder upgrade
• Undercoating/treatment of light surface rust underneath

Looking for a bit of advice on a few things:

A drain and fill was done on the trans at 90k miles, and I am now sitting at 205k. I know there is a bit of love and hate for TCCN on IH8MUD, but after watching this video, I'm debating draining and filling the trans with Toyota WS since it hasn't been done in about 115k.

When greasing the driveshafts, I could not get the rear driveshaft to expand and didn't want to risk pumping in too much grease. I still have a slight clunk, and I'm debating throwing in new u-joints. For those who have taken their driveshafts out and apart to clean and grease them, has anyone replaced the lip seal on the shaft as well?

Anything else I could be missing and add to my baselining list? (besides tracking down a set of rock warrior wheels for a reasonable price, skid plates, sliders, and bumpers haha)

 

[CONGESTEDHIPPO]

Not sure what happened to the link to 2001LC's Thread but I haven't posted enough to edit my posts and wanted to make sure it was linked here.

 

[Mingus Dew]

Beautiful truck man. Love that color.

You seem to have everything under control. I'm sure some of the more experienced vets here will have notes.

 

[isthatalexus]

Congrats on your 2008! As a fellow 'first out of the chute' truck owner, I'll happily make myself available for inquiries about the weird things about this truck. Yes, it's a great LC200, but I have a long-running, often-confirmed suspicion that the 2008 US market import had a few months of 'let's just throw this part in here, or let's not.' Nothing terrible, but I just want to save you the insanity of locating VGRSS when your steering feels clunky. Welcome aboard!

 

[tominboise]

Congrats on your 200. Here's my 2008 that I bought in 2017 with 65k. Now has about 135k. Sounds like you've got most of the bases covered. I did replace my starter proactively this last winter. Which I would consider doing if I was you. I also have replaced the serpentine belt and idlers/tensioners.

 

[CONGESTEDHIPPO]

Beautiful truck man. Love that color.

You seem to have everything under control. I'm sure some of the more experienced vets here will have notes.

Thank you! It was honestly my last choice among LC200 colors, but after a good wash and wax, it pops in the sun.

Congrats on your 2008! As a fellow 'first out of the chute' truck owner, I'll happily make myself available for inquiries about the weird things about this truck. Yes, it's a great LC200, but I have a long-running, often-confirmed suspicion that the 2008 US market import had a few months of 'let's just throw this part in here, or let's not.' Nothing terrible, but I just want to save you the insanity of locating VGRSS when your steering feels clunky. Welcome aboard!

The 2008s seem to be all over the place with stuff like this, mine has remote start! First pre-facelift I've seen with it (among the 200s I looked at). Thank you for the warm welcome!

Congrats on your 200. Here's my 2008 that I bought in 2017 with 65k. Now has about 135k. Sounds like you've got most of the bases covered. I did replace my starter proactively this last winter. Which I would consider doing if I was you. I also have replaced the serpentine belt and idlers/tensioners.
View attachment 3939938

LOVE the Rock Warriors on the Beige.

Starter is on my list as well. Forgot to list it here (I have a giant Google Doc I've been tracking everything in and must have passed right over it). Mine isn't showing any signs of age, but I would hate to get stranded. Luckily, they don't look too bad on these vs the 1UZ, did one in a gs400 for a buddy. The serpentine belt was replaced at 160k along with the AC compressor. Not sure about the pulleys, I'll have to dig through my records again!

 

[D21FJ60]

one of the best colours imho congrats

 

[bloc]

Congrats on the rig, and welcome!

The lip seal isn't available separately for the driveshafts, though the U-joints are.

Before you order joints get access to the FSM and look into the replacement process. It is quite involved, requiring a stock of different thickness clips that take a significant amount of time to receive through toyota. Aftermarket joints will not follow this process (or the manufacturing tolerances), for the record.

 

[Zill]

Congrats on the rig! That color is a rare bird and you get some points for that.

At that mileage, I would still put some new transmission fluid in it. 115k on the fluid is getting long in the tooth, but at least it’s not 200k fluid. Though, I would not drop the transmission pan to replace the filter if there’s undercarriage rust. There’s a good chance you will break a bolt off and it turns into a nightmare quick. If you don’t want to mess around with pinning open the thermostat and undoing cooler lines to get all of the old fluid out, 2-3 drain and fills will get most of the old fluid out and get some new additives in their.

Also, time to swap over to 5W-30 on your next oil change.

 

[CONGESTEDHIPPO]

one of the best colours imho congrats

Thank you! It has grown on me so much. It really works with the two-tone interior.

Congrats on the rig, and welcome!

The lip seal isn't available separately for the driveshafts, though the U-joints are.

Before you order joints get access to the FSM and look into the replacement process. It is quite involved, requiring a stock of different thickness clips that take a significant amount of time to receive through toyota. Aftermarket joints will not follow this process (or the manufacturing tolerances), for the record.

The u-joints have gone a while without any grease, so that could honestly be the source of my clunk. I'll probably pull the rear driveshaft and clean and regrease it as well.

Congrats on the rig! That color is a rare bird and you get some points for that.

At that mileage, I would still put some new transmission fluid in it. 115k on the fluid is getting long in the tooth, but at least it’s not 200k fluid. Though, I would not drop the transmission pan to replace the filter if there’s undercarriage rust. There’s a good chance you will break a bolt off and it turns into a nightmare quick. If you don’t want to mess around with pinning open the thermostat and undoing cooler lines to get all of the old fluid out, 2-3 drain and fills will get most of the old fluid out and get some new additives in their.

Also, time to swap over to 5W-30 on your next oil change.

Thank you! I was thinking the same for the trans fluid. I may also be missing a service record, it doesn't seem like the last owner to let it go for so long after changing everything else regularly. The diffs/transfer case oil was the cleanest used fluid I've ever seen in my life. For oil 60k miles on it, you could have bottled it up and sold it as brand new, and no one would notice.

 

[CONGESTEDHIPPO]

Congrats on the rig! That color is a rare bird and you get some points for that.

At that mileage, I would still put some new transmission fluid in it. 115k on the fluid is getting long in the tooth, but at least it’s not 200k fluid. Though, I would not drop the transmission pan to replace the filter if there’s undercarriage rust. There’s a good chance you will break a bolt off and it turns into a nightmare quick. If you don’t want to mess around with pinning open the thermostat and undoing cooler lines to get all of the old fluid out, 2-3 drain and fills will get most of the old fluid out and get some new additives in their.

Also, time to swap over to 5W-30 on your next oil change.

What do you think about running 5W-30 in the winter? I was considering changing to 5W-30 now and maybe going back to 0W-20 for the winter, though I ran 5W-30 in my Golf R year round running 30 PSI of boost and never worried about it haha.

 

[Zill]

What do you think about running 5W-30 in the winter? I was considering changing to 5W-30 now and maybe going back to 0W-20 for the winter, though I ran 5W-30 in my Golf R year round running 30 PSI of boost and never worried about it haha.

I wouldn’t be worried about running 5W-30 in the winter if you are dealing with higher temps than -10F. Though, the charts show it being safe to around -20F.

It really does quiet the motor down and it’s like the engineers designed it for it (which they absolutely did, but spec’d out 0W-20 for EPA efficiency reasons).

 

[Zill]

Thank you! It has grown on me so much. It really works with the two-tone interior.


The u-joints have gone a while without any grease, so that could honestly be the source of my clunk. I'll probably pull the rear driveshaft and clean and regrease it as well.

Thank you! I was thinking the same for the trans fluid. I may also be missing a service record, it doesn't seem like the last owner to let it go for so long after changing everything else regularly. The diffs/transfer case oil was the cleanest used fluid I've ever seen in my life. For oil 60k miles on it, you could have bottled it up and sold it as brand new, and no one would notice.

Hah, you could always check the fluid color really quick. If it’s a nice cherry red color and doesn’t smell burned, I wouldn’t hesitate to change it.

Since these rigs have dedicated trans coolers, the fluid doesn’t degrade much since the fluid doesn’t get exceedingly hot to break down (the one exception is if the rig is towing a ton of weight and the previous owner didn’t run it in a lower gear to lock up the torque converter… that’s where issues can arise).

 

[TimCFJ40]

What do you think about running 5W-30 in the winter? I was considering changing to 5W-30 now and maybe going back to 0W-20 for the winter, though I ran 5W-30 in my Golf R year round running 30 PSI of boost and never worried about it haha.

I'd go to 5w30 year round. I switched my 08 over back around 215k miles, and it has over 293k now. No issues, and smoother/quieter at idle.
I'd recommend replacing all the transmission fluid if you can versus a drain and fill. There's a thread out there showing how to do it via the transmission cooler lines.

My 08 also is no tint, but it has no coolbox, and no wood on the steering wheel. The early trucks seem to have more variation in options than the later ones.

 

[CONGESTEDHIPPO]

I wouldn’t be worried about running 5W-30 in the winter if you are dealing with higher temps than -10F. Though, the charts show it being safe to around -20F.

It really does quiet the motor down and it’s like the engineers designed it for it (which they absolutely did, but spec’d out 0W-20 for EPA efficiency reasons).

It rarely gets that cold here, I'll probably switch over soon. Didn't have any blackstone kits on hand when I changed it the first time and was eager to get it done so I don't mind changing here sooner than 5k miles.

I'd go to 5w30 year round. I switched my 08 over back around 215k miles, and it has over 293k now. No issues, and smoother/quieter at idle.
I'd recommend replacing all the transmission fluid if you can versus a drain and fill. There's a thread out there showing how to do it via the transmission cooler lines.

My 08 also is no tint, but it has no coolbox, and no wood on the steering wheel. The early trucks seem to have more variation in options than the later ones.

Are you running Mobil 1 still?

Also, I’m guessing both of you are running Toyota WS for the trans? Would love to put amsoil in it but I’ve seen mixed opinions on sticking with oem here. I put amsoil in my old T100 (which called for t-iv) and it cleaned up the shifting a ton.

I actually have the window sticker, can’t remember what the package is called but it seems like I have every option that you could order on the 08. Cool box, wood grain steering wheel, rear heated seats, rear screen, remote start. For a truck with such a small options list, the early ones are all over the place.

 

[TimCFJ40]

It rarely gets that cold here, I'll probably switch over soon. Didn't have any blackstone kits on hand when I changed it the first time and was eager to get it done so I don't mind changing here sooner than 5k miles.

Are you running Mobil 1 still?

Also, I’m guessing both of you are running Toyota WS for the trans? Would love to put amsoil in it but I’ve seen mixed opinions on sticking with oem here. I put amsoil in my old T100 (which called for t-iv) and it cleaned up the shifting a ton.

I actually have the window sticker, can’t remember what the package is called but it seems like I have every option that you could order on the 08. Cool box, wood grain steering wheel, rear heated seats, rear screen, remote start. For a truck with such a small options list, the early ones are all over the place.

I run whatever Full Syn 5w30 is on sale at the time with a Toyota Filter, and change when the 5000 mile maintenance indicator comes on. I have sent out a few samples to blackstone over the years, and all have suggested I extend the interval, but instead I just stick with the 5000 miles on whatever's full Syn 5w30 is on sale plan. It's easier since the maintenance indicator already reminds me every 5000 miles.

I ran the Valvoline Maxlife Multi Vehicle Full Syn ATF last change, and it seemed to have improved shifting performance slightly (very slightly crisper shifts) but it's very possible the fluid that came out was 250k mile factory ATF. I would not hesitate to use the Valvoline if you plan to change regularly, but you can't go wrong with Toyota WS.

Wow, rear heated seats and rear screens and remote start! Three more options I didn't realize I missed out on!

 

[CONGESTEDHIPPO]

I run whatever Full Syn 5w30 is on sale at the time with a Toyota Filter, and change when the 5000 mile maintenance indicator comes on. I have sent out a few samples to blackstone over the years, and all have suggested I extend the interval, but instead I just stick with the 5000 miles on whatever's full Syn 5w30 is on sale plan. It's easier since the maintenance indicator already reminds me every 5000 miles.

I ran the Valvoline Maxlife Multi Vehicle Full Syn ATF last change, and it seemed to have improved shifting performance slightly (very slightly crisper shifts) but it's very possible the fluid that came out was 250k mile factory ATF. I would not hesitate to use the Valvoline if you plan to change regularly, but you can't go wrong with Toyota WS.

Wow, rear heated seats and rear screens and remote start! Three more options I didn't realize I missed out on!

You can actually add the remote start! I was looking at another 200 before this one that didn’t have it and considering adding it later. It’s a bit disappointing for a factory remote start (it shuts off when the door is opened), but still cool.

I’ll stick to 5k or less, I’ve always done oil changes before the recommended mileage. Can’t imagine running oil out to these crazy intervals on new cars.

I would love to change all the fluid at once but I may just drain and fill a few times over the next few thousand miles. We’ll see what I can pick up a case of ws for.

 

[Yossarian]

@CONGESTEDHIPPO congrats on the 1st gen of the 200 series, the best in my biased opinion.

FYI - the rear drive shaft, or propeller shaft as Toyota calls it was under a replacement campaign in years past. I had mine replaced within months of purchasing the truck free of charge. Worth looking into as Toyota might still honor the campaign. HTH.

 

[lx200inAR]

Also, if you catch a parts sale, I think the driveshaft is under $500 shipped to just order an whole new one.

 

[sedole]

Late to the party but I'm also in CO and just run 5w-30 year round. Frequently in the mountains to ski all winter as well and no issues at all. Once in a while when we get one of those -20F wind chill storm week she might take slightly longer to start but no issues otherwise. Sounds fine and does fine in those temps too once warmed up. Only time where it didn't sound great was last winter in Jackson Hole. I think we saw temps around -30F with wind chill that trip.