mobi-arc- if you are confusing it with the straight-six, that was a very old chevy design that toyota knocked off.
Starter woes
- Thread starter rule303
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Cruiserdrew said:I hope you are not referring to me. If anything, I was saying the ones I have had held up fine. The boots on my Subaru were a different story. I am expecting 150k service at least out of my Sienna, and maybe more since it gets the best maintenance schedule you can imagine.
That's not to say I don't blame you for having an inferiority complex about the CV joints....
No, not you personally. Personally, the front axle/birf repairs are a pain in the neck. In the trail they're a super pain.
After the dealer gave me free boots and put one on wrong, one CV started making noise in Moab. Robbie said he could swap one in about an hour. That's a heck of a lot easier than rebuilding an entire side of a SFA. Paid dearly for that on the 80 already. Give me 100-SERIES CV's and I'm happier! Better yet, give CV's that flex like a Jeep!
Rule303 - Have you had any of the interior panels off to see if this cruiser was flood victim ? You do live awfully close to flood country and the 100s high value might make it worthwhile to salvage for a shady operator.
Flood Vehicles - Flood-damaged cars can be hard to spot. An obvious giveaway is a moldy swamp-like smell emanating from the seats and carpeting, but beware: a good doll-up and some new carpeting and interior components can mask most symptoms. If you suspect a car has been flood-damaged and the title doesn't so indicate, look under the carpeting for sand, silt or salt. Check the engine compartment, trunk, and inner doors for silt. Flood cars are sometimes very hard to detect, even for professionals, but avoid them if at all possible. I have yet to find a known flood car that didn't have electrical problems -- problems that can change on a daily basis.
While there is no sure method to test for vehicle flood damage, experts offer several inspection tips that may help detect significant water damage. At a minimum, a prospective buyer should:
Examine the interior and the engine compartment for evidence of water and grit from suspected submersion.
Check for recently shampooed carpet and under the floorboard carpet for water residue or stain marks from evaporated water not related to air-conditioning pan leaks. Look for rusting on the inside of the car and under interior carpeting and visually inspect all interior upholstery and door panels for evidence of fading.
Check under the dashboard for dried mud and residue, and note any evidence of mold or a musty odor in the upholstery, carpet or trunk.
Check for rust on screws in the console or other areas where water would normally not reach unless submerged.
Check for mud or grit in alternator crevices, behind wiring harnesses and around the small recesses of starter motors, power steering pumps and relays.
Complete a detailed inspection of the electrical wiring system, looking for rusted components, water residue or suspicious corrosion.
Inspect the undercarriage or other components for evidence of rust and flaking metal that would not normally be associated with late model vehicles.
While these inspection suggestions will not detect flood damage in every case, they do provide some information to protect consumers from purchasing a vehicle damaged by floodwaters.
Examine the interior and the engine compartment for evidence of water and grit from suspected submersion.
Check for recently shampooed carpet and under the floorboard carpet for water residue or stain marks from evaporated water not related to air-conditioning pan leaks. Look for rusting on the inside of the car and under interior carpeting and visually inspect all interior upholstery and door panels for evidence of fading.
Check under the dashboard for dried mud and residue, and note any evidence of mold or a musty odor in the upholstery, carpet or trunk.
Check for rust on screws in the console or other areas where water would normally not reach unless submerged.
Check for mud or grit in alternator crevices, behind wiring harnesses and around the small recesses of starter motors, power steering pumps and relays.
Complete a detailed inspection of the electrical wiring system, looking for rusted components, water residue or suspicious corrosion.
Inspect the undercarriage or other components for evidence of rust and flaking metal that would not normally be associated with late model vehicles.
While these inspection suggestions will not detect flood damage in every case, they do provide some information to protect consumers from purchasing a vehicle damaged by floodwaters.
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Jim_Chow
V8_Fan
Isn't the 100 the first toyota 4x4 where the starter and other components are located in inaccessible areas? Look at the mini's or 60's. I think one reason why you see quite a few minis on the road these days is the engines have great accessiblity, no fancy electronics, replacement parts are cheap and easy to come by (like $120 for a master, not $1400), and they run for hundreds of thousands of miles. I believe ditto goes for the 70 series (well, 1HZ parts aren't easy to come by here, but they are overseas, and the vehicles are designed so you can perform maintenance in the field).
The underlying problem in 2UZ accessibility is probably because it's based on the 1UZ from the LS400, which wasn't designed for repair in the field. Isn't the main difference between the 1UZ and 2UZ is bore & stroke to increase displacement from 4L to 4.7L, as they are made at the same (Tahara) plant using the same machinery? Engine space was also a premium, which is certainly why the water pump is behind the t-belt rather than in the traditional outer location, and the starter is built into the engine itself. Unfortunately, the trend for all cars now is to maximize passenger space and horsepower/torque while minimizing engine space, hence the V-blocks instead of inline's, cramped engine compartments, etc. Long gone are the days of the I-6's w/ rear wheel drive (look at the 90's supra...half the car was engine compartment!). Don't the BMW 3/5-series still use an I-6 w/ rwd?
The underlying problem in 2UZ accessibility is probably because it's based on the 1UZ from the LS400, which wasn't designed for repair in the field. Isn't the main difference between the 1UZ and 2UZ is bore & stroke to increase displacement from 4L to 4.7L, as they are made at the same (Tahara) plant using the same machinery? Engine space was also a premium, which is certainly why the water pump is behind the t-belt rather than in the traditional outer location, and the starter is built into the engine itself. Unfortunately, the trend for all cars now is to maximize passenger space and horsepower/torque while minimizing engine space, hence the V-blocks instead of inline's, cramped engine compartments, etc. Long gone are the days of the I-6's w/ rear wheel drive (look at the 90's supra...half the car was engine compartment!). Don't the BMW 3/5-series still use an I-6 w/ rwd?
- Thread starter
- #45
No flood damage, but it did have salt corosion under the hood. Unfortunately I bought the vehicle sight unseen from a dealer based on his previously good reputation. I talked to anther dealer and he guessed maybe the dealer was really selling it for a friend as a favor and didn't really check it out as he normally would. Who knows. They guy sells $50,000 used Mercedes and other expensive vehicles. I think he bought a lemon and just didn't want to be honest and eat the loss. So he passed it on to me knowing his reputation could probably survive a few bad deals.
The corrosion is the issue. Unless i go through and clean every ground screw, every connector, it will never be right. I'm an electrician, believe me I know electrical connections. The car had been jinxed from the start. I won't bore you with the list but its probably 15-20 items long. The latest jinx? We had the alternator replaced at a major corporate repair place two months ago. Its acting up so we take it back because its still under warranty. There's a sign saying they've gone out of business. The whole damn corporation, not just the store itself. So we are screwed yet again. Just a bad vibe on this vehicle like I've never known. Brand new Bosch alternator and we will probably have to buy another one to get it fixed. Can these be easily repaired? My guess is the regulator in it.
Most inline engines have lots of room on the sides though, just cramped front and rear. I always liked working on my inline six jeep. Great access.
On a side note I drove my Dads Lexus Suv the other day. I borrowed it as he is out of town for 2 months as a replacement for the LC. Its the small Suv, not the LX. Not impressed. I can't believe people shuck out in excess of $45,000 for these things. Not horrible, but nothing special. Loud, weak 3.3 v6. Its basically a minvan engine. Goofy dash that intrudes on your right knee. Understeers and has that crappy FWD torque steer. Another reason I won't have a minivan. I can't stand torque steer. The front wheels want to pull you back to straight in a turn. Next to no utility with that puny cargo area. What's the point? Its basically a raised Camry with leather and fake wood from what I could tell.
The corrosion is the issue. Unless i go through and clean every ground screw, every connector, it will never be right. I'm an electrician, believe me I know electrical connections. The car had been jinxed from the start. I won't bore you with the list but its probably 15-20 items long. The latest jinx? We had the alternator replaced at a major corporate repair place two months ago. Its acting up so we take it back because its still under warranty. There's a sign saying they've gone out of business. The whole damn corporation, not just the store itself. So we are screwed yet again. Just a bad vibe on this vehicle like I've never known. Brand new Bosch alternator and we will probably have to buy another one to get it fixed. Can these be easily repaired? My guess is the regulator in it.
Most inline engines have lots of room on the sides though, just cramped front and rear. I always liked working on my inline six jeep. Great access.
On a side note I drove my Dads Lexus Suv the other day. I borrowed it as he is out of town for 2 months as a replacement for the LC. Its the small Suv, not the LX. Not impressed. I can't believe people shuck out in excess of $45,000 for these things. Not horrible, but nothing special. Loud, weak 3.3 v6. Its basically a minvan engine. Goofy dash that intrudes on your right knee. Understeers and has that crappy FWD torque steer. Another reason I won't have a minivan. I can't stand torque steer. The front wheels want to pull you back to straight in a turn. Next to no utility with that puny cargo area. What's the point? Its basically a raised Camry with leather and fake wood from what I could tell.
It actually IS a camry platform. Or at least the original RX300 was...
- Thread starter
- #47
You know, I think you are right about that. Anyway, my point was that the Lexus brand image is smartly marketed to auto know-nothings, who'll buy a nameplate over substance every time. Lexus made its image with the LS series and to a lesser degree the GS. Rightly so too. The LX as we know is just a re-badged Land Crusier. Not that there is anything wrong with that of course!! But Lexus needed a Sport utility as the SUV craze was at its peak. They didn't even have anything on the drawing boards, so they borrowed the Land Crusier. It took them several years after that to rush the RX300 into production using the Camry parts bin. Nothing wrong with a Camry at $20,000, but slapping on nice leather and wood accents in SUV form isn't worth $20,000 more in my opinion.
I like the LX470s but I'd feel foolish spending $75,000 on one. I apologize in advance to those out there who bought them new. If you got it, you got it, but I dont' have that kind of bread for a truck and even if I did I wouldn't.
I like the LX470s but I'd feel foolish spending $75,000 on one. I apologize in advance to those out there who bought them new. If you got it, you got it, but I dont' have that kind of bread for a truck and even if I did I wouldn't.
"salt corrosion" ?
Is that what I would get if I drove in the surf allowing the seawater to spray up under the hood or is it what I would get from highway driving several winters behind a snow plow in the snowy northlands ? Sorry I am in landlocked dry and sunny New Mexico the only enviromental threats are UV damage to your leather seats/paint/dash and drunk drivers.
Hope you find a good replacement vehicle. I think you should be able to find a place that could honor the Bosch warranty on the alternator. Might take a call to Bosch customer service though.
Is that what I would get if I drove in the surf allowing the seawater to spray up under the hood or is it what I would get from highway driving several winters behind a snow plow in the snowy northlands ? Sorry I am in landlocked dry and sunny New Mexico the only enviromental threats are UV damage to your leather seats/paint/dash and drunk drivers.
Hope you find a good replacement vehicle. I think you should be able to find a place that could honor the Bosch warranty on the alternator. Might take a call to Bosch customer service though.
Jim_Chow
V8_Fan
My guess is it would take a lot more than driving on the beach once to cause major rust. I lived in central NY for 6 yrs ('90-96) and drove an '84 extracab 2wd at that time. Winter temps were from -5F to 25F. Distance was mostly short distance (6 miles each way). I had the underbody tar coated (Ziebart's) when I first moved there. Roads were salted from Nov-May. I'd only wash the car once or twice a winter (power hosed it). After 6 yrs, only the tailgate was rusted badly (from salt water going up through the bottom and rusting from inside out. The rest of the body was fine, as was the chassis, etc. I had ZERO electrical problems. Vehicle had 5spd manual transmission, manual windows, EFI, and power steering. Everything held up...alternator/starter were still the original when I sold the vehicle in '96 (only had to replace the battery in '90 before I l moved to NYS). The vehicle never let me down, and I did minimal maintenance...basically oil/oil filter changes using 10w40 dino and cheapo Fram filters. Vehicle still ran fine when I sold it. This kind of reliability is what made Toyota's legendary. So you can't just say that salt caused Rule303's electrical gremlins. It's either more than that, or salt combined w/ poorly located components or poor component quality. While one can attribute one bad part (like an alternator) to a fluke bad component (statistics), a bunch of stuff going wrong can't be from that reason. Oh, BTW, back in the 80's, Toyota sold the exact same basic vehicles here as it did overseas (i.e., the same engine/chassis/tranny/suspension w/o the electrical gizmos like nowdays that you get in developing parts of the world).
rule303 said:
Sounds like you got a lemon. I would trade it for another LC. Odds are in your favor that the next one will be a joy to own. Good luck.
- Thread starter
- #51
It was corrosion from salted roads I'm sure. Owned in NY. If someone never went to the trouble to rinse it off ever, then you'll have that. Some brands are better at resisting corrosion. Use zinc fasteners etc. Another LC I drove locally also had a little more rust than I was used to on cars. The Porsches I owned were practically immune to rust. Designed to be driven in Germany with snow I guess. They had the best corrosion warranty in the business at the time( mid 80s). I forgot the exact process, but they coated the entire vehicle with some sort of zinc compound that actually chemically reacted with corrosive causing salt and neutralized it. Its been a while, but I remember reading about it. My fault for buying a northern car I guess. I'm from the South and we don't have that problem. Warning to others, stay away from Northern vehicles!! Every screw under the hood is rusty. Some worse than others, but still not good. Shame in a $60,000 vehicle they couldnt' spring for another $30 or so in corrosion proof fasteners. Most modern cars are pretty immune to rust now.
rule303 said:
No *&^%...my '99 came from NE...never again! Removing anything underneath turns into a nightmare...especially when the 8mm bolts snap. Normally an oversize coil insert works great...get this: You can buy a 9mm Tap, 9mm die, 9mm easy coil kit...but you can't find 9mm bolts...go figure eh?
