New to me GX470

[Mike NXP]

***12/9 update
After a few months with the GX470 it's become my favorite ride. It starts up so easily and rides really quietly and smooth. I'm lucky enough to own a few other old cars so the GX is going to stay a pavement princess for as long as possible. I paired it with highway tires and hope to not expose it to the winter roads either. What a spoiled little truck

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It may be a little early for this thread but I can't help but get excited. I'm flying out to Washington this weekend to pick up a 2004 GX470 from another Mud Member...... I currently have a 100 series all ready to go for off roading + sleeping in. We started off this journey looking for a used commuter car for under $10K, but I can't help but gravitate back towards these 2UZ driven platforms.


The GX will fill more the role as a daily driver / light duty camping rig that I try to keep clean and stock, but who knows. Thats also what I said about the land cruiser and now it's fully built.


Vehicle details
- 247k miles on the 2UZ
- 2 owner vehicle. First owner brought it to Lexus dealer every 5k miles for service. I've never seen such an extensive service history. Two timing belt jobs along with all of the maintenance you'd hope to see. As we all know, stuff can add up quick with these rigs so hopefully this history will be a good sign
- Doesn't seem too rusty and overall in decent condition
- Has NAV so hopefully it doesn't crap out. Seems like more forum paranoia than actual facts to back up the NAV failing

To-Do list
- First up will be getting the blown amp replaced / sent off to be refurbished since as of now there is no audio. It looks like there is plenty of info on mud in regards to this so I won't repost but there are a few places out there that will refurbish the amp for $400-450
- It still has the original air ride and adaptive suspension setup, seemingly working fine but I suspect this may need some attention after a rough winter in MT

I see the faqs mention an upgraded front diff arm. I think the 04 may have the beefier version but idk ill have to check it out

- PO claims sometimes after sitting a while he gets a bit of a wheel shake but then it goes away when warm. Hoping just tires.
- PO also mentions the odometer fades at times, I don't think this is something I'll try to fix
- I was also told at times the rig has a bump type feel when coming to a stop. I see there was a recall for rear propshaft so lets see how annoying that may be,

Otherwise as I'm thinking about it, I don't think it needs much more right off the bat..... I'll probably do a gear box service at some point and check on some other easy to do maintenance stuff.



Old Man Tan color for the win.pre purchase photo

 

[Mike NXP]

Back in Montana

 

[Rednexus]

Cracked dash, cracked exhaust manifolds, HVAC servos problems, and radiator leaks are some of the more common problems. The first three can be expensive or a pain to DIY, but are totally doable. Some do have the electronic brake booster fail north of 200k, but it's not super widespread.

Most will definitely need a new prop shaft to get rid of the thunk. However, they are only $300 or so from any Toyota dealer, and the part has been upgraded several times.

At 247k, I would budget for a complete suspension/bushing/steering refresh. It can be surprisingly inexpensive being that so many parts are outright shared or similar between the 03-23 GX and 03-24 4Runner.

 

[Mike NXP]

Cracked dash, cracked exhaust manifolds, HVAC servos problems, and radiator leaks are some of the more common problems. The first three can be expensive or a pain to DIY, but are totally doable. Some do have the electronic brake booster fail north of 200k, but it's not super widespread.

Most will definitely need a new prop shaft to get rid of the thunk. However, they are only $300 or so from any Toyota dealer, and the part has been upgraded several times.

At 247k, I would budget for a complete suspension/bushing/steering refresh. It can be surprisingly inexpensive being that so many parts are outright shared or similar between the 03-23 GX and 03-24 4Runner.

Thanks for the heads up.

Yeah unfortunately the dash is cracked a little bit but not too bad. PO said over the years it hasn't gotten much worse.

I'm used to the hum of the 2uz so hopefully the exhaust isn't leaking yet. Luckily the radiator has been replaced already but yeah I'm curious to see how long the original suspension holds up.

For now I'm just going to ride it all out and see what issues stand out first. I'm going to pull the amp and get that radio going , hooefully. Next up will be to remedy the clunk if it's happening often

 

[Rednexus]

My OE suspension was toast at 145k. It seemed to feel OK, until I took it to Moab. Then the airbags started leaking and both front shocks blew out shortly after I got home .

Pretty much all of the GX exhaust manifolds leak north of 100K, but it's more of an annoyance than anything else. However, relative to a 100, the cat is integrated with the exhaust manifold. So replacement manifolds or headers are more expensive, and there is less room in the engine bay. Being non-VVTI will make the job slightly easier than it was on my rig.

If you find you like the rig (which I think you really will), it won't be hard to sink $3-5K into it in relatively short order.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

And if you get addicted to overlanding…you will spend $5k annually over 5 years to “overland” your rig!

 

[Mike NXP]

My OE suspension was toast at 145k. It seemed to feel OK, until I took it to Moab. Then the airbags started leaking and both front shocks blew out shortly after I got home .

Pretty much all of the GX exhaust manifolds leak north of 100K, but it's more of an annoyance than anything else. However, relative to a 100, the cat is integrated with the exhaust manifold. So replacement manifolds or headers are more expensive, and there is less room in the engine bay. Being non-VVTI will make the job slightly easier than it was on my rig.

If you find you like the rig (which I think you really will), it won't be hard to sink $3-5K into it in relatively short order.

Yeah good point, I suspect after a few 4x4 trips those airbags may show some weakness but whatever I can always get it fixed.

Fingers crossed on the exhaust manifold , I'm going on 250k miles with my other 2uz and it's fine

And if you get addicted to overlanding…you will spend $5k annually over 5 years to “overland” your rig!

Lol right, my 100 series has already taken the role of the camping build and my piggy bank doesn't like it one bit..... I'm going to keep this one a bit more timid, for now. PS , you win for the best user name I've seen in a while . Canyenarooooohooohooooohhh

 

[dovetails]

Cracked dash, cracked exhaust manifolds, HVAC servos problems, and radiator leaks are some of the more common problems. The first three can be expensive or a pain to DIY, but are totally doable. Some do have the electronic brake booster fail north of 200k, but it's not super widespread.

Most will definitely need a new prop shaft to get rid of the thunk. However, they are only $300 or so from any Toyota dealer, and the part has been upgraded several times.

At 247k, I would budget for a complete suspension/bushing/steering refresh. It can be surprisingly inexpensive being that so many parts are outright shared or similar between the 03-23 GX and 03-24 4Runner.

Rednexus bestows his wisdom again. I followed a lot of his advice and it's helped tremendously so +1 from me.

 

[lndshark]

Hi Mike! Hope you had a good trip home!

I don't have the records in front of me but I believe the radiator was replaced by the PO owner once. I seem to recall this was at the Lexus dealer and the PO supplied the part. I did not have to ever add coolant over the years so fingers crossed!

 

[Mike NXP]

What a nice riding vehicle, for 20 years old it's in solid shape. It didn't miss a beat the entire drive home. I felt an occasional, what some may consider a clunk, but it really isn't that bad at all.

Did this thing ever see mud? =] It was extra clean all around. I went to go do all of my usual new vehicle detailing and it was a pretty quick task.

For curious minds I'll rattle off all my first thoughts and to-do list below


GX470 VS 100 Series

For two vehicles that are so similar, they are so different. The suspension in the GX along with the 5 speed makes this feel much more capable at highway speeds. The suspension setup helps a lot for cornering. Keeping in mind I'm comparing it to my heavy 100 series that sort of drives like a dump truck and has a lot of weight sorta high up.....
I took the GX up some power lines in 4Low and it's so much smoother than what I'm used to.


I do still prefer the 100 series as an off road / camping rig for a handful of reasons that I'll get into another time. The 100 has more space for sure along with bigger glass all around. Also little features like the passenger seat bottom tilt and the nut sack AC vent under the steering wheel are little things that are nice. The center console in the 100 also takes the win compared to the weak little GX console.

The seats seems sorta the exact same visually, but the GX is softer. I even replaced the seat foam on my 100 but the GX is still better.


Air Ride + Adaptive Suspension ( KDSS??)
This is a great system, why the hell are people removing it!?! I could totally understand if you wanted to build your rig out and add some weight BUT if this system fails I'd be inclined to fix it however possible back to OEM.

Going on 250k miles and 20 years and it all still works. I suspect a hard winter and a bit of off-roading may make it show some signs of weakness but we'll see.



OK first up was to remove the covers in the engine bay , while also dropping and losing just about every clip....So far so good, no leaks to be seen and very clean all around.
**** Something all 2UZ owners should check and I suspect @lndshark has dealt with before. Rodents love to setup shop in the valley of our engine. I found a huge nest in there but luckily it was a polite mouse. It didn't stink too bad and it was all very dry material. I removed 90% of it with a picking tool and then used the leaf blower on the rest

Next up, one of the classiest seat cover installs you will ever see. We still haven't decided if the dog is allowed in the truck. So far, he's not allowed

 

[Mike NXP]

Undercarriage looks great, no real rust to be concerned with. The suspension bushings are a little bit cracked but otherwise all the rubber looks to be in good shape. I gave the engine bay it's right of passage by washing it all down and seeing if any parts cry out for help. Once I fired it back up I got a little squeak that went away after a few seconds . nothing to worry about, next time I'm in there I will see if the idler or something needs to be replaced.

I'm starting to think this vehicle is going to remain a light duty camp truck and daily driver. I've got the 100 series for the more extreme stuff and I like the idea of having a more soft and plush riding truck .

Amp repair
I need music in the vehicle for sure, so the amp needs to get fixed. I sent it off to the website below for $300. It was very easy to remove without having to take the seat out. It looks like someone has been in the amp before since the name plate is missing to expose the screws. Hopefully this will fix the no sound problem.
>>Automotive audio electronics repair | OEM Auto Audio Inc. - https://www.oemautoaudio.com/


Adding bluetooth + mounting tablet
Once the amp is fixed and back in place I should have sound again. Then I need a way to connect to my phone or tablet. I could go the old school cassette tape adapter but bluetooth will be better
BT45TOY should do the trick but I think I need this adapter

This should do the trick for a RAM mount so I can use my tablet but I don't usually like stuff mounted up that high. Will look for other options.

 

[Mike NXP]

Future to-do list items

• Tires. I need something before winter and I'm convinced these tires are worn a bit funky and are causing some wheel shake when cold. I'm going to go all-terrain so I can drive all winter but nothing to extreme and probably not e-rated. I don't plan on weighing the vehicle down too much.
• I should probably add some recovery points to the front and rear, just in-case. I haven't looked to close but I think there are some decent hoops down there already to hook up to???
• Repair chips in windshield
• Tint front windows
• I'm considering swapping out the fog lights with some aftermarket mount. We have some long dark roads out here and something with some reach would be nice but I'm not sure if those little baby LED pods would really provide any light down range.
• Monitor leaky tie-rod and maybe replace
• Maybe send off dash for repair. The odometer sort of goes in and out. A wiggle of the reset stick sometimes helps to bring it back. This will probably bother me less as time goes on, as long as I can view the odometer when needed for maintenance reasons.

Nothing else is really due in regards to maintenance which is nice. Time to just ride it out and enjoy it until 270k miles when the timing belt and some other items will get done.

 

[dovetails]

Hi Mike,

The clunk is most likely the driveshaft, as you probably already know. I'm at 193k and surprised I don't have that issue yet lol.

 

[Mike NXP]

Hi Mike,

The clunk is most likely the driveshaft, as you probably already know. I'm at 193k and surprised I don't have that issue yet lol.

Totally, it doesn't really bother me at all. I'd say just about every vehicle I owned has clunked worse lol. Maybe if it gets worse or annoys me more I may fix it but it doesn't seem like an issue yet.

 

[Mike NXP]

Other than my depression at the gas pump the GX470 has been treating me well. I sent off the amp for repair and look forward to hopefully having audio again.
The BT45 adapter is kind of spendy for bluetooth and I don't need hands free calling. Might look for a cheaper alternative that will plug directly into the oem receiver like the BT45

Door lock beep
I see in the owners manual there is an option to change the door lock beep volume as well as turning it on/off. I sort of like the beep, my highlander has it. I'm not like a press the beep a dozen times type of lunatic but a single tone is nice confirmation that its all locked up, especially if it has an option to turn the volume down.

I poked around under the dash and on the google but no luck


*** Yay, I can press and hold unlock and the sunroof and all windows open.... and auto wipers, hill start assist, auto crank mode.... geez this is one classy vehicle.

Time to stick my hand in the window and see if it has pinch protection lol

 

[Mike NXP]

Wow a 6 disc CD changer in the glove box, fancy stuff.

I assume it's got a 12 pin connector back there and I can install a Bluetooth adapter and ditch the CD function but I'll need to do some more research

I wonder what this is all about from grom . Updated hardware for android auto but uses factory screen? Hmmm

Select Lexus GX470 2003-2004 VLine VL2 Infotainment System Upgrade Video Interface CarPlay Android Auto

Select Lexus GX470 2003-2004 VLine VL2 Infotainment System Upgrade Video Interface CarPlay Android Auto

gromaudio.com

So does anyone know what happens when a nav screen craps out , is it the screen itself or the hardware driving it . This grom integration is pretty slick but would be lame if the screen s*** out.


Also , I can't help but think nav failure is more forum paranoia than reality .

 

[Rednexus]

They definitely do fail, as evidenced by the cost for a used one on eBay ($350+). When I listed mine multiple folks were trying to low-ball me on it, claiming they had a dead one.

My rig came with a Phoenix PX6 in it. I never would have rolled the dice on a Chinesium tablet, but it's honestly been pretty good in the nearly 4 years I've had the rig (not sure how long it was installed before that). Since it's basically just an Android tablet, it will load most any app. I have wireless Android Auto, Torque Pro for watching sensor readings and clearing any codes, several mapping apps with offline maps, etc. Overall these apps really help modernize the rig and increase the functionality of it. Plus a better backup camera.

 

[Mike NXP]

They definitely do fail, as evidenced by the cost for a used one on eBay ($350+). When I listed mine multiple folks were trying to low-ball me on it, claiming they had a dead one.

My rig came with a Phoenix PX6 in it. I never would have rolled the dice on a Chinesium tablet, but it's honestly been pretty good in the nearly 4 years I've had the rig (not sure how long it was installed before that). Since it's basically just an Android tablet, it will load most any app. I have wireless Android Auto, Torque Pro for watching sensor readings and clearing any codes, several mapping apps with offline maps, etc. Overall these apps really help modernize the rig and increase the functionality of it. Plus a better backup camera.
View attachment 3675430

Yeah true, my 100 series screen is starting to like spiderweb and fade a bit compared to the lx. This larger screen setup would be cool to tryout in the future it seems like they're getting better

I did some more research on the grom integration that adds the same functionality to the stock screen but it'd be a gamble since the screen could go .

I think I'll just at the basic bt45 Bluetooth for now and keep everything else pretty stock in this rig ( boring I know )

Amp fix + Seat covers next so I can let my dog rid along , he's sad he hasn't been in the new truck yet

Tires shortly after as the wheel shake is a bit annoying and the tires seem visibly work. They're going on 14 years so will refresh before winter

 

[drowzyGX]

DM me if you feel comfortable sharing a PO Box or address. I’ll send you my Bluetooth adapter. Forget if it’s the BT45 or not, but it piggybacks off the CD player.

Worked great, but I did the non-nav conversion a few years ago. It’s sitting in a parts box in my crawl space.

 

[drowzyGX]

For dogs, check out this seat cover on Amazon. I forget if I got the standard or XL, but it’s held up to 3 dogs for 3ish years now.

Was gonna go with covers, but the second row seat is pretty narrow. My dogs couldn’t really get comfortable. Opted for the hammock, and as a bonus it keeps the door cards and seat backs protected.