VX 4500 4x4 Question

[beanz2]

swanda,

Could you post a pic of your engine bay ID plate? Somebody here might be able to decipher the level of equipmant that should be on your cruiser.

Dave

 

[Exiled]

That's not Venezuelan-spec. It's got the factory rear tire carrier and offset license plate holder, which come like this from the factory (reinforced body and differently stamped liftgate and tailgate) and was never an option in Venezuela.
It also has a grey interior, which was never available in Venezuela (only brown). If those rims are stock, they were never optional in Venezuela either. Venezuelan'made FZJ80 would have the speedo with kilometers highlighted and miles in small, this one has miles highlighted.

My uneducated guess is tropical-spec Japanese made; Land Cruisers are sold in small numbers throughout the Caribbean, and between the DR and Haiti there's probably a big enough market to justify a small LHD variant.

 

[Stone]

Ok... Thanks. I experimented last night with the throttle a bit and found out that I will probaly never have a use for it here in the DR.

Well, if you do any type of wheeling you will find that the hand throttle is a great little gadget to have when going over uneven terrain at slower speeds. You can crawl along in a lower gear over the bumps with the hand throttle up a little and this eliminates the jolts of having your foot on the throttle while getting bounced around (since now you can just leave your foot off the throttle). Just be careful when you use it in the trails...otherwise a great gadget.

 

[beanz2]

That's not Venezuelan-spec. It's got the factory rear tire carrier and offset license plate holder, which come like this from the factory (reinforced body and differently stamped liftgate and tailgate) and was never an option in Venezuela.
It also has a grey interior, which was never available in Venezuela (only brown). If those rims are stock, they were never optional in Venezuela either.

Somebody here knows Venezuelan stuff!

Venezuelan'made FZJ80 would have the speedo with kilometers highlighted and miles in small, this one has miles highlighted.

Are you sure? The last number visible on the speedo has two zeros on it, which makes 200 km/h more likely than 200 mph.

Dave

 

[Asiarider]

Somebody here knows Venezuelan stuff!




Are you sure? The last number visible on the speedo has two zeros on it, which makes 200 km/h more likely than 200 mph.

Dave

It is 200 km/h !! I wonder about the setup of this VX. It is a 97 model and has no climate control as VX. Has it a fridge in the center? I doubt that there are anywhere VX-models without fulltime 4wd. It has rear air as all LC for the tropical climates have with third row seats. But it has no adjustable shocks as the VX has (maybe there is a difference between a VX and a VX Limited ???) I have a 97 VX Limited Japanese model and it has much more options inside than this VX. Perhaps this one is not a VX but the previous owner placed a VX sign there. It is 100% percent a japanese model and not one from Venezuela. I would like to see a picture from the front and the light buttons. Does it have frontwashers for the lights? Does it have an automatic setup for the driving light with a sensor on top of the dash? Very unusual LC 80 !!

Mike

 

[swanda]

Wow... I am no longer concerned about my problem but now want to know what the heck kind of LC I have!!! I have lots of pics I have taken and will post.

Here is the info on my engine plate... Can not find the VIN (?) It has some repainted spots so I think it was removed... Anyway...

Model: FZJ80L-GNPEK
Engine: 1FZ-FE - 4477
Frame: FZJ80-0165720
Trans/Axle
A442F/K292
Plant/Built: A11

I have to run but will post more later... Thanks!

 

[beanz2]

It looks like a general market VX package.

I think some VX do come with part time transfer and locking hubs though. Especially if the shift lever says "H2-N-L4".

Dave

 

[semlin]

The vin should be on the door sticker where you got that information and also on a plate on the dash in the driver's side, but your truck is made in Japan. The GNPEK means it is a VX model with a liftback. the 442f means it has the A442F "bus" transmissions which is a bonus in a 97. The k292 means you have regular axles do not have factory lockers (not the same thing as locking hubs see the article linked in my earlier post).

 

[swanda]

I have looked EVERYWHERE and can not find the VIN plate but was able to find some more numbers in the glove compartment.

Motor : 1FZ027531

 

[semlin]

ok, well no VIN would be cause for concern here but maybe not in the Dominican republic.

Anyway, let's try and figure it out by testing how your 4wd system works. As per my earlier post, do you have an axle shaped light like a bow tie on your dash that lights up? If so when?

Let's try this. At each of the following steps note whether you can drive or not, whether you hear any tranny clunks or noises, and whether any lights come on or off on the dash.

1. manually unlock the front hubs and turn H4 off and put the transfer case in H. Drive

2. Turn H4 button on. Drive

3. Turn H4 button off again and shift to L4. Does the gearing seem different in L4? Drive

4. Turn H4 button off in L4. Drive

5. ok, now manually lock the hubs. Put it in H with the H4 button off. Do you move? Drive

6. Put it in L4 with the H4 button off. Do you move? Drive

7. now put it in H with the H4 button on. Drive

8. now put it in L4 with the H4 button off. Drive

Report back and we can hopefully figure out what is going on.

 

[swanda]

Ok... There is no "bowtie" shaped light on the dash. When the key is on or when the truck starts up. There is, however, a light that has, what looks like an axile with an arrow going down through it. I'm not sure how to explain it.
\ /
||....||
||''''||
- -
\ /

Like that... Next I'll try the driving test... thanks!

 

[swanda]

Ok... I fixed the problem! I found something that says to drive in reverse for a ways to [reset[ the 4x4. I did it and now it works!??! Thanks for all your help though guys. Maybe as soon as I find out what the heck kind of TLC I have I'll let you all know!

 

[gifu]

Ok... I fixed the problem! I found something that says to drive in reverse for a ways to [reset[ the 4x4. I did it and now it works!??! Thanks for all your help though guys. Maybe as soon as I find out what the heck kind of TLC I have I'll let you all know!

One thing that might make this vehicle's 4WD act funny (the way it's been acting), is that the manual hubs _might_ be auto/manual hubs. I have seen these in central america, where they are auto locking hubs, but allow for manual locking as well... I guess as a fail-safe for when the auto-mechanism doesn't work. If this is the case... driving in reverse reset the racheting mechanism that is the "auto" of the auto-locking hub.

half of what I just said is based on assumption. anyone else know about these auto/manula hubs (the ones i saw were Aisin).