Questions

[Ganndolf]

Hey guys! Just picked up my new Natural White 2004 UZJ100 with 150k on the clock in KC the other day! Great drive home! I upgraded from my first car, a 2001 subaru forester with 280K and constant overheating problems(I replaced every conceivable component in the cooling system atleast twice) I've been driving my dad's Audi A6 around but I honestly enjoy the LC 100x more. I'm a mechanical enginering student who is also in an accelerated MBA program so please get as technical as you want! I'm not afraid of nerds! Anyway, I have a few questions:
1: I was spraying 303 on this top driver door trim piece and somehow scratched it, it doesn't look too bad but this whole end of the piece is slightly faded and I would like to find the right type of dye for it, does toyota have this dye, or should I look into replacing the entire piece? (First pic)
2: there is a slight burn mark here, I think from a cigarette! Although car has no smell and no yellowing, and cigarettes lighter is totally clean, maybe the PO had a smoke after a big sale or something, no idea, anyway, he(or she) obviously wasn't very experienced as they dropped it and left a burn mark! What can I do about this? It's not very noticeable, but it just pisses me off. (Second pic)
3: the wooden window switch type of thing pictured above(not a English major), in the passenger side rear door, wiggles frontward and backward, is there a clip that I can replace in there? I have seen this before on LC's and Lexus's.
4: there is some slight surface rust on this car, spend the first 2 years of it's life in Virginia, and then spent the rest in Missouri. So it's not too bad, no pitting at all. And nothing on the tub or frame. But on this "joint" in the passenger side rear wheel well behind the mud flap is by far the worst rust on the car. It is just surface rust as far as I can tell. But it needs to be delt with, should I just use some phosphoric acid rust remover and afterwards paint and check often? Or is this more serious. (Last pic)

Well that's all for now guys! Didn't want to make this thread too big, but I'm trying to just handle one thing at a time. Your guidance helped me pick the perfect one, and I want to keep it perfect! This car is a great escape from school, and a true engineering inspiration, in it's purest form(those are very important to engineers!) haha, thanks guys!

 

[B3A5T]

Congrats on the purchase. The cosmetics are at tiny issue imho. Yes we would all love to have perfect leather etc. If thats the case find a shop to replace, but I wouldnt. What matters is the rust.
I think you need to grind off the rust and use a product to coat the metal. I like Magnet Paints and they have a product just for this:
http://www.monstaliner.com/monstaliner_how_to_stop_rust.htm

 

[Ganndolf]

Yeah the cosmetics aren't the end of the world, but it is an incredibly clean car so even the little things bug me. But wow I can't believe I've never heard of Chassis Saver! This stuff looks perfect! I have been looking for something like this for years! Just ordered a gallon of grey(rust is easier to spot on grey IMO, just in case rust does start to come up again), I can use it alot of different places! Thanks a ton man

 

[Ganndolf]

I got the silver-aluminum primer too, there should be 0 chance of rust ever again!

 

[B3A5T]

Ok for your burned leather:
(Watch video)
http://www.leatherworldtech.com/Liquid-Leather-Professional-Leather-Vinyl-Repair-p/30-039.htm

 

[SWUtah]

I had 2 LX470's when I lived in KC. Every spring I would cleanup the bottom and catch any rust before it made any headway. I always used navel jelly and a can of rustolieum. I know a little over the top but I hate rust. I do the same thing with my current ride even though it never seeing salt. I just like a nice looking bottom

 

[Ganndolf]

Thanks guys! I have another question but I don't want to open another thread and be a nuisance. When the cruiser is running I have been hearing an intermittent noise and i"m wondering what it is. I only hear it in parking lots after I have done alot of turning, so I'm almost positive it is some part of the power steering system (maybe the power steering pump) spooling up. It only really happens when I am sitting still, like after I have just parked and I'm about to turn the car off, for example. It sounds like a old school bell, but one that is way off in the distance. It lasts maybe 3-5 seconds and then turns off. Actually now that i think about it, the air conditioner is also running when I hear this noise, so maybe that's it, not sure. I'm pretty sure I have heard similar noises coming from the power steering pump of other cars though.

 

[B3A5T]

Thanks guys! I have another question but I don't want to open another thread and be a nuisance. When the cruiser is running I have been hearing an intermittent noise and i"m wondering what it is. I only hear it in parking lots after I have done alot of turning, so I'm almost positive it is some part of the power steering system (maybe the power steering pump) spooling up. It only really happens when I am sitting still, like after I have just parked and I'm about to turn the car off, for example. It sounds like a old school bell, but one that is way off in the distance. It lasts maybe 3-5 seconds and then turns off. Actually now that i think about it, the air conditioner is also running when I hear this noise, so maybe that's it, not sure. I'm pretty sure I have heard similar noises coming from the power steering pump of other cars though.

Yes thats the AC. On the other hand if the noise (this is for Gen X and before lol) sounds like a fax or dial-up internet you have problems. Try turning off the AC as soon as you hear it. Or just start the car with it off in the morning (hopefully is cool where you are) and drive bit , see if you hear the noise.

 

[Ganndolf]

Ok so I figured out that the noise is coming from the abs accumulator. It is coming on every 3-4 times I hit the pedal for maybe 3 seconds which is normal. But the thing is that the sound of the motor sounds kindof "weak." I read that an abnormal sound can occur when the bracket clearance is out of adjustment. But maybe the motor is supposed to sound kindof weak. Worst case I will have to take it out and rebuild it I guess. But it bothers me slightly. What do your accumulators sound like? Or can you even hear them at all? Mine isn't loud, but I can hear it inside of the car.

 

[uHu]

Tried to post yesterday that it might be the brake booster, but computer-thingy didn't want to.
My booster is noisy and sounds worn - but it's been like that for 5 years. My 2000 was much more quiet, hardly audible from inside.

 

[AimCOtaco]

That rust is probably coming from inside of the rocker cavity. Mine is a little more advanced than that (holes) but it's from salt and debris building up inside the rocker where it is rarely rinsed out. I think any real repair will require cutting some metal away.

 

[Ganndolf]

If we ever have another day the rest of my life that is under 100 degrees I will take the mudflap off and assess the damage! haha, we don't salt roads in Oklahoma, we just stay home(the sounds weak, but the ice storms really are different than just snow!). So hopefully all these rust spots can be cured with chassis saver. I still haven't figured out what I'm going to do about the little spots of surface rust down in places I cant really reach. I'm trying to find a spray product to use for those but I may just man up and reach down and slap some chassis saver in those spots, even though it wont be too comfortable! I looked at my brake accumulator more closely and it is definitely a bit loose in that mount! it can move maybe 3/8" side to side, the accumulator was also hotter than hell! I had just been driving around in 105F heat but still.. and your words are definitely comforting uHu! It may just be designed that way.