Builds The YotaMD Build - Cypress (1 Viewer)

[suprarx7nut]

Well, strange update today that's sort of a "no news is good news" situation. I had a parking lot bump with a Tundra today. Thankfully nobody was hurt and it all took place at 0-1 mph. I'm not exactly sure who's fault it was, but I ended up reversing at Austin Powers speed into the side of the bed of a newer Tundra. I had just driven forward past the truck's spot when I saw a friend from work just behind me in the parking lot. I checked behind me, put it in reverse, backed up two spots while looking in my right rear view mirror at a snails pace and then heard a crunch. The Tundra had pulled out into my path from my left side in the sliver of time between me driving past him, looking behind me and then getting two spots back. It must have been a <5 second window for everything to happen exactly wrong. We both got out and had a similar expression of WTF just happened? How did we not see each other? It was bizarre. I was anxious to review my dash cam, but alas, it appears to have stopped recording since Moab last month. Go figure. It records hundreds of hours of event-less travel and then fails to record something of note. No idea why it wasn't recording. Now my curiosity just gets to sit and eat at me as to how long it really took and if he had started reversing (or at least had reverse lights on) when I was passing him.

Anyways, the Dissent tire carrier (and the tire/wheel attached to it) appears to have taken 100% of the force with zero discernable damage. The swing arm moves exactly as it always has and the tire did not deflect enough to make contact with my hatch. My trasharoo softened the blow in the Tundra's bedside and appeared to have stopped any paint chipping or scratches through base coat, but that big panel on the Tundra got reshaped all over. I'm optimistic the guy can have it PDRd back to near perfection, but perhaps that's unrealistic. I made it ~20 years of driving and ~250k miles without a single collision... until now. Damn.

 

[tbisaacs]

Can't seem to get other pics uploaded, but here's one from the end of the day, airring up.

Love the ridge grappler tires at 14psi.

View attachment 2995970

Would love to see closer look at your accessory panel if you have it posted in this thread

 

[suprarx7nut]

Would love to see closer look at your accessory panel if you have it posted in this thread

Sure. Here's a shot from today just outside Boulder with the panel closed.

View attachment 3020975


And here are more shots with the panel open, during the air up in Moab. Also in the pic, the ADGU Kitchen (stove tray acting as my air hose tray this trip) and a standard drawer.

View attachment 3020976
View attachment 3020977
View attachment 3020978

 

[suprarx7nut]

Well, this build thread feels stale. I've had nearly zero time to go have fun with the LX this year. ADGU business has been booming and the order backlog is beyond full. Weekends have been filled with moving and house-related activities for the last ~4 months as we moved across town into our "forever home". I've been racking up miles on the LX, but unfortunately nothing too exciting beyond a growing odometer.

On that note, time for an update that's not about the LX, but really it is.

Guess what's cheaper to pile highway miles on than an LX470 with big tires and armor?! Almost anything.

After many weeks of deliberation, multiple spreadsheets, dozens of charts and a sprinkle of analysis paralysis I settled on a 2018 Tesla Model S P100D. The drive across town into the ADGU shop that used to cost me ~$45 in gasoline now costs me about $5 in electricity. That's ~$800/month in reduced costs (a figure that varies pending current gas prices, of course). And the car drive's itself on the highway. And accelerates from a standstill so fast it borders on physically painful. In my current no-time-to-take-a-breath phase of life skipping gas station stops every other day is also a big benefit. Park in the garage, plug it in, step inside to start on dinner.

Now none of this means the LX is leaving the stable. To the contrary, it means the LX can get some TLC. I can finally take the LX offline to do a few things.

1. Windshield. My nice OEM windshield cracked after a trail run last year. Doing it right is a chore, so I've put it off. Time to do it.
2. Front Control Arms. The rubber is just all worn at 240k miles. I did the rear a while back, but the front is a bit more time-consuming so I never got to it.
3. Roof Rack. Since my recent move I no longer have my 4-post lift. Good news is that I have an extra few inches of vertical clearance and can now do something useful with a roof rack. I'd like to add another solar panel and stow my maxtrax up there.
4. AHC height sensors. There's nothing wrong with the existing ones (yet), but at 240k miles I figure it's a reasonable preventative task.
5. Front CVs. Mine have some play. There's no thunk sensation yet, but I can see that they're rotating a bit within the hub and would hate to be halfway up an obstacle and strip the splines.

Anyways, here are some pictures, because words can be boring.

 

[suprarx7nut]

New Video Update... Finally!



It's been a long while since I published something. Tons of video recording and no time to edit. This one was a one shot production so I was able to get it up promptly.

Lots more to come. Probably need to hire an editor. If you're interested.... let me know.

 

[suprarx7nut]

Kitchen staged in full transformers mode:

 

[suprarx7nut]

Because it's been too long...

 

[suprarx7nut]

Throwback to Aug 2021

 

[suprarx7nut]

Update on a strange no-start issue I've had.

Preface: The Cypress LX470 sits for prolonged periods of time now because it's not my daily and with a newborn this year, our adventures have been... well, zero. The car has solar 100W and gets about half the day in full sun. It's got a fridge and small second battery all connected to the main battery via a DC/DC charger.

Summer 2023: Took the LX to the neighborhood pool. Sat at the pool for an hour. No crank when I went to leave. Just a single sad click of the starter solenoid throwing the plunger. Removed the battery, charged it for about 8 hours, brought it back and it started the car.

Fall 2023: Went to move the LX on my driveway and got the single click again. Charged the battery. Single click. Reconditioned the battery, single click. Watched voltage at the terminals (car side of the terminal) and voltage remained good during the single click. It was around 12.4V. 12.5-12.6V at rest. I could find no significant voltage drop in the connections at any point.

I pulled the starter fuse and relay. No fault found and can clearly hear the relay click during testing. As a last ditch effort before muscling the car into the garage for teardown or arranging a tow truck to Paul @2001LC I left it on the charger for an entire day. 7AM to 10pm. While still attached to the charger I cranked and it fired right up.

I have a CTEK battery monitor on the battery so I have constant data logs of State of Charge. The battery SOC was near 100% during many of the non-crank incidents so it seems unlikely the battery is somehow bad. I also was unable to watch the battery voltage drop so again, seems the battery is likely good.

Sounds like starter contacts, right? I'm thinking it's just barely good enough given perfect conditions. Since that's a big annoying job, I haven't dug in just yet.

I might replace the starter relay and fuse just for the hell of it.

 

[Jczajka]

When my starter died it just was dead. Maybe a little hesitation right before it went, but cooked. Gave it a wack when I was stuck to get it working one last time to drive it home. Replaced it with a fresh one from Toyota and did all the other maintenance & replacements while I was in there.

I've had similar starting and seemingly gremlin battery drain since. I have military terminals install, with headlight relay & Norco charge leads attached. The bolta on the terminals that clamp the battery and hold the extension will get loose sometimes and cause issues. They feel tight by hand, but if I crank on them, I can get them to move. A couple extra turns of a socket wrench and all gremlins gone. This is with properly cleaned and greased everything; battery post, terminals, ground points, upgraded heavy duty ground wires. Using an H8 AGM too, since I had electrical issues in the past.

 

[2001LC]

Update on a strange no-start issue I've had.

Preface: The Cypress LX470 sits for prolonged periods of time now because it's not my daily and with a newborn this year, our adventures have been... well, zero. The car has solar 100W and gets about half the day in full sun. It's got a fridge and small second battery all connected to the main battery via a DC/DC charger.


View attachment 3455509
Summer 2023: Took the LX to the neighborhood pool. Sat at the pool for an hour. No crank when I went to leave. Just a single sad click of the starter solenoid throwing the plunger. Removed the battery, charged it for about 8 hours, brought it back and it started the car.


View attachment 3455513
Fall 2023: Went to move the LX on my driveway and got the single click again. Charged the battery. Single click. Reconditioned the battery, single click. Watched voltage at the terminals (car side of the terminal) and voltage remained good during the single click. It was around 12.4V. 12.5-12.6V at rest. I could find no significant voltage drop in the connections at any point.

I pulled the starter fuse and relay. No fault found and can clearly hear the relay click during testing. As a last ditch effort before muscling the car into the garage for teardown or arranging a tow truck to Paul @2001LC I left it on the charger for an entire day. 7AM to 10pm. While still attached to the charger I cranked and it fired right up.

I have a CTEK battery monitor on the battery so I have constant data logs of State of Charge. The battery SOC was near 100% during many of the non-crank incidents so it seems unlikely the battery is somehow bad. I also was unable to watch the battery voltage drop so again, seems the battery is likely good.

View attachment 3455514

Sounds like starter contacts, right? I'm thinking it's just barely good enough given perfect conditions. Since that's a big annoying job, I haven't dug in just yet.

I might replace the starter relay and fuse just for the hell of it.

It is sounding more and more like starter. Key here, is your logs showing 100% charge, during some no start and your voltage 12.4 or better. It's 90% likely starter is the issue, based this info.

Starters often give early warning signs of no start than start. But it's always a difficult call, as weak battery will act much the same. I know a few, that aren't daily drivers. We found voltage low. Replacing battery and or trickle charge attached all times when parked so always keep at full charge, solved no start.

When my starter died it just was dead. Maybe a little hesitation right before it went, but cooked. Gave it a wack when I was stuck to get it working one last time to drive it home. Replaced it with a fresh one from Toyota and did all the other maintenance & replacements while I was in there.

I've had similar starting and seemingly gremlin battery drain since. I have military terminals install, with headlight relay & Norco charge leads attached. The bolta on the terminals that clamp the battery and hold the extension will get loose sometimes and cause issues. They feel tight by hand, but if I crank on them, I can get them to move. A couple extra turns of a socket wrench and all gremlins gone. This is with properly cleaned and greased everything; battery post, terminals, ground points, upgraded heavy duty ground wires. Using an H8 AGM too, since I had electrical issues in the past.

View attachment 3455606

Whack or tapping on starter" is one of the best diagnostic tools I know of. It's never failed me, to diagnose bad contacts. Unfortunately the VVT intake manifold, makes reaching starter with metal rod, near impossible.

If we can get a "click" at no starter. This is much like tapping the starter. Both vibrate plunger contact washer.

There is another starter issue, we may get a click no starter. It's when the drive fails. Either bearing or locking clip, are the failures I've seen.
The start no start condition went on for 2 years, in this 98LC w/250k.

 

[ClassyJalopy]

As long as your battery terminals are guten tight , it is more than likely your starter!

Consider refreshing fuel injector seals when you take off the intake.

 

[suprarx7nut]

As long as your battery terminals are guten tight , it is more than likely your starter!

Consider refreshing fuel injector seals when you take off the intake.

Yeah, that seems most likely. Annoying thing is that the starter is a new Toyota reman from 2020. 30k miles on it.

 

[ClassyJalopy]

Yeah, that seems most likely. Annoying thing is that the starter is a new Toyota reman from 2020. 30k miles on it.

Ooh, that sounds familiar
I know someone who bought a new set of Toyota globes that shát the bed in under 30k miles too

 

[suprarx7nut]

Ooh, that sounds familiar
I know someone who bought a new set of Toyota globes that shát the bed in under 30k miles too

I thought we bought Toyota's because all the parts last forever. If we wanted to replace things every 30k we could have been cruising around in a Mercedes or something...

 

[2001LC]

A few years ago, I was given a tip: "Reseat" the contacts in all reman starters. Adds time to service, but reduce chance of early failure. Which I do regardless if a Denso or Toyota Denso.
Toyota Denso, rebuilder has specific parts list that are required to be replaced. Denso it's at discretion of rebuilder. But in both, it's a person working to get as many per hour rebuilt as possible. Workmanship is second to speed.

 

[suprarx7nut]

A few years ago, I was given a tip: "Reseat" the contacts in all reman starters. Adds time to service, but reduce chance of early failure. Which I do regardless if a Denso or Toyota Denso.
Toyota Denso, rebuilder has specific parts list that are required to be replaced. Denso it's at discretion of rebuilder. But in both, it's a person working to get as many per hour rebuilt as possible. Workmanship is second to speed.

During the reseat, is it just a matter of allowing the contacts to settle in a more natural position? What exactly is being reseated? I've replaced contacts before, but never given it much consideration beyond "undo the nut, take old out, insert new, tighten again."

 

[2001LC]

They're pressed down with wood block, then torque the nut(s) before releasing press. This is to insure contact washer of plunge, makes even (square) contact with both contacts simultaneously.

This is found in 98-02 FSM. Not shown after that, because solenoid is sold as assy after 2002. 03-up contacts are slightly different in size. But all require to be pressed in during assembly. If yours does turn out to be contact issue. The solenoid can be replaced with new. New solenoids do not require re-seating of contacts.

Difficulty is the nut. Toyota has SST for it.

New solenoid 03-up:
28150-50110

I keep these on hand. Use almost every starter service. Trick is to breakaway old brittle housing.

 

[2001LC]

The 06-07 are a little more work to get at starter. The S.A.I stuff is in the way.
I always count on replacing the large S.A.I hose, as I cut old out.

I'll add again. This is a great time to do any S.A.I work. I do starters just because I'm in there, while doing my S.A.I filter mod. Also the water bypass gasket if any leakage.

S.A.I. Modification in VVT engines to prevent its failure! Alert Alert

We've a $2.00 part in the S.A.I.S. of the VVT engine, 1s taking-out ~$7,000.00 $15,000 (inflation) in parts. WOW! I've a very easy and cheap WORK AROUND. You are going to love this ;) This thread is dedicated to the 4.7L 2UZ-fe VVT engine, in the 2006 & 2007 100 series Land Cruiser & Lexus...

forum.ih8mud.com

Once I had 7 bad wire housing blocks. It was the record for a starter & S.A.I service on 4.7L VVT. Couldn't believe it! Local Toyota had all seven in stock.

Where a mask, if you find the nasty. Which I find so very often, Yuk!

 

[suprarx7nut]

The starter annoyance continues. I think it's am mix of weak battery and bad starter. Today it wouldn't crank on its own, but did crank with a jump pack attached. CTEK battery monitor had battery SOC at 73%. 12.4V while cranking before the jump pack.

Anyways, here's a live update of the cargo area. Top Secret ADGU Kitchen Prototyping underway. Solid Aluminum is sooooo satisfying to machine....