Pros and Cons of 96 FJ-80 (1 Viewer)

[ToyMan67]

Hi all,

I am new here so please forgive me if I am posting this in the wrong section. I am simply wanting to get the Pros and Cons of the 1996 Landcruiser. I am thinking about buying one locally and the seller is only asking $7995.00 for it. It's got 205K miles and is fully loaded with the only flaws being a cracked windshield, ABS fuse being unplugged by owner because of slippage in the ABS (not sure about that one) and the Check Engine light being on as a result of the ABS not being fully activated (does this sound right?) I am concerned about the timing chain, of course, since the current owner mentioned that the only maintenance he's done on it has been regular oil changes and tune-ups. He said that he has not had the timing chain changed and is not sure if the original owner had it done when he traded it in.

Anyway, I've driven it and the engine sounds very smooth and the tranny shifts well. Not a ton of power but I don't expect a screamer from the inline 6 rated at 212HP and pulling so much mass. I own an '86 4Runner and it's still going strong but I would like something a little more comfortable for my daily driver.

So any input, good or bad, would be much appreciated and would go far in helping me to decide whether or not to purchase it. Also, is there anything else that I need to be aware of and have checked out before putting my money down on it?

Thanks in advance,

Michael

 

[mabrodis]

Read the FAQ (sticky thread). The timing chain is rarely replaced, so I'm sure the previous owner did not replace it. Oil changes are good, but vehicle maint is good also. Wheel bearings, knuckle bearings (steering knuckle on front axle, the actual axle joint in there is called a birfield, it needs to be cleaned, regreased, etc, at normally 60K-ish intervals). Don't let the smoothness fool you, it can have problems, probably won't, but a vehicle with front axles/birf/diff near dieing can still be smooth.

Why is the ABS fuse removed? If a ABS sensor goes bad as you slow the brakes can pulse, my '97 did that, however, sometimes it's from extra grease (some think this can cause it) in the birfield (steering knuckle), or from metal bits in there (with mine, if I pulled the ABS sensor from the knuckle and wiped off the grease/metal-bits it'd be ok for awhile). With the ABS disabled it will NOT have the check engine light on though, that is something else. (I have never pulled the ABS fuse however (in my '97), so maybe pulling that fuse could put the check engine light on, I highly doubt it though, since I had the center-diff-lock switch added which disables the ABS (just like putting it in low), and that does not put on the check engine light)...

Good Luck...

 

[RavenTai]

Welcome

The check engine light should not come on because of ABS problems, the ABS light will. the EFI ECU is angry for some reason, most are minor but you should get the code(s) pulled before buying,

ABS parts are expensive

Can you afford to pick one up with fewer miles and fewer problems? Do you think you can get the price down?

Timing chains are not as prone to problems as timing belts you may be more familiar with, chains stay in until engine rebuild

Are you familiar with the head gasket problems on 80's? Have you checked for any of the symptoms?

Have the birfields been serviced? Any clicking noises in tunrs?

Sick thought, wonder if a bard birf lead to a bad ABS sensor.

Does it have Lockers?

 

[Vitesse_6]

Agreed with the above, You should be able to find a good vehicle with less miles and less lights on, You just need to be patient....I know its not easy but I looked for 2 months to find one in my price range, Sometimes I wish I waited longer You may need to look at an older one 94-95ish, It all depends on what you are looking for, If you feel any doubt...Keep looking, You WILL know.
Good luck
This is manditory for newby's

 

[ToyMan67]

Thanks for your input

Thanks to all of you for your education and input. Being new to the LC arena, I was not aware of the potential birfield problem so I thank you for bringing that up.

I do not have to buy this vehicle so I can wait until something better comes along. This is simply an interest in something different (and nicer) than my '86 4Runner which is my daily driver and has absolutely nothing wrong with it. I was wanting to get an idea as to what sort of things I need to prepare for in the way of repairs and general maintenance as well as what this particular vehicle has a reputation for in the way of going bad, i.e. head gasket failures, ABS problems, etc. I bought my 4Runner ten years ago when it was ten years old and have spent about $10K in upgrades to it and it's one of the best purchases I've ever made. Since I have neither the money for a new LC nor the desire to pay for the depreciation, I see no reason not to purchase another 10-year-old Toyota and drive it forever. Especially since the technology is better, the build quality is better and the amenities are MUCH nicer than my '86 4Runner.

I am sure the seller would accept $7000.00 to $7500.00 for it, as he has just purchased another '96 on eBay with the same features but fewer miles. and wants to sell this one to someone who knows and understands Toyotas, not just another status -seeker (which, believe me, I AM NOT!)

I have placed another call to the seller to ask him to refresh my memory as to why he pulled the ABS fuse in the first place and what he said was causing the CEL to come on. I will re-post as soon as I hear back from him this afternoon.

Thanks again fellas!

Michael

PS. Thanks to Vitesse_6 for the initiation too.

 

[cruiserdan]

I would not make an offer until the ABS and CEL issues are at least diagnosed to determine repair costs. For example, an ABS actuator is north of a thousand bucks.

 

[Rich]

A little bit of effort and you should be able to find a cruiser with less than half as many miles. 200k is a lot of mile for any vehicle.

It looks like the seller decided for himself that he would be better off buying a different cruiser than repairing the one he is selling. He may know what he is doing!

 

[Cruisin'Carolina]

Ditto.

 

[Kaderabek]

http://www.sleeoffroad.com/newbie/newbie100.htm

 

[ToyMan67]

Cause of problems

Well fellas, the owner called me back and reminded me why the ABS and CE lights were coming on. It seems that he pulled the ABS fuse because the brakes were "slipping" or not grabbing as well as they should have when driving in wet conditions. He didn't say whether or not this was the case when driving in dry conditions. Whatever the case, that may be a problem with too much grease in the steering knuckle, as suggested by mabrodis. I've decided that IF I do go ahead and purchase it, I will have him replace the ABS fuse and let me drive it around for awhile so I can test it in wet and dry conditions before sealing the deal.

As for the CE light, he claims that it's a result of problems with the catalytic converter being clogged up. He did tell me that "EVERYTHING" was original so my first guess would be that the cat needed to be replaced. Again, I would ask him to do this at his expense prior to signing the check.

After reading your posts and researching this vehicle and all of its good and bad, I think that I will pass on this one and hold off until something else calls my name. Not being one who can afford to needlessly throw money away, I can wait. Besides, my wife gently reminded me of the biggest complaint I have with my 4Runner and that's LACK OF POWER. LOL I need something with a V-8 that will push me back in my seat once in awhile to put a big ol' grin on my face. I just don't think this LC will do it for me.

I appreciate all of your help in this matter and Happy Trails.

Michael

 

[nakman]

Now that CE light sounds a lot more common.. probably needs new cats, new 02 sensors.. then all should be fine ($600-$800 later).. like Raven suggested it could be EFI related too, which isn't killer, but why take on such a project? sounds like a good move to pass on this one, you can do better. welcome.

 

[tarbe]

Good call to pass. I wonder if the EGR is causing the CEL? Sure are a lot of clogged EGRs in 80 series out there.

You gotta figure this guy would rather buy another 80 of the same vintage because he figures this one is too far gone to bother with.

 

[warpdriv]

Buy mine:

https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=34184