What color is your radiator fluid? (plus other topics) (1 Viewer)

[IdahoDoug]

Re:What color is your radiator fluid?

Agree with B on this. Your guy's suddenly sounding less like an "LX expert" and more like just a guy who's gonna educate himself on your dime. I think you should go out and spend an hour turning the lockers on and off and trying to get them to engage at that gravelly spot. Without use, they simply gum up a bit and a few dozen cycles almost always get them working. For free.

DougM

 

[Altaf]

What color is your radiator fluid?

I'm pretty sure the dealership will be picking up the cost for repairs (just like they did for the rear main seal). If they are not going to pay for repairs, they will at least call me and tell me what is wrong and how much the repairs will be. I have also purchased a Lexus powertrain warranty that may cover the repairs. Regardless, the dealership has been doing everything they need to be in order to keep me satisfied and has not been jerking me around. I appreciated the honesty of the mechanic, he could have BS'd me but he told me what he knew and what he didn't. This is a Lexus dealership, so the mechanics should have access to every tool/data they need to find the problem and fix it.

Unfortunately, I am nowhere near being a mechanic, so diagnosing and repairing the truck myself is out of the question. I am learning lots from this forum though. I've learned more about the LX/LC on this forum in one week than I have in the past year from any other source!

If the dealership cannot resolve the issue, are there any 80 series gurus in the DC area that I can take my truck to?

 

[Rich]

What color is your radiator fluid?

What you have described, I.E. center diff and front diff motors operate and rear diff motor does not operate pretty much narrows the problem down to electrics going to the rear diff motor or the rear diff motor itself. Once your mechanic reads the service info on the diff locking mechanism I expect that he will have no problem effecting the repair. Sounds like you have a good dealer.

 

[ppc]

What color is your radiator fluid?

[quote author=IdahoDoug link=board=2;threadid=11820;start=msg110437#msg110437 date=1077751871]
Gunna,

You hoping to get your thread back? Dream on. I'm loving where this is going and interested in hearing if there are 2 P/N's for these sensors - Dan? Great stuff.

DougM
[/quote]

Last week some of us were wondering if the two coolant temp senders were the same and might possibly be switched to test. I PM’ed C-Dan and here is the information he provided:

Gauge sender, 83420-20030, replaced by 83420-16040. list $21.24, net $15.93.

EFI sender, 89422-35010, list $53.56, net $40.17.

The connectors are different, I do not have an EFI one to look at the moment. The gauge one has a grey plastic top and a single small male terminal inside.

Based on Rich’s testing the gauge sender didn’t seem to provide much resolution at higher temps. I wonder if the "new" part number addresses this issue? For $16 it may be worth replacing. If the EFI sender could be used instead with some surgery, I think that it would show more detail in the normal operating range but may not be of much use much above 220 degrees based on the graph in the service manual.

 

[Altaf]

ANOTHER UPDATE...

The dealership called me a week ago telling me that they just got in another LX 450 w/lockers and it operated just like mine (the rear locker light just blinks), and that they believe that the diffs should operate in this manner. I told them that I have asked a few experts (IH8MUD ) and they have told me otherwise. So I made an appointment to check out the other LX and see for myself.

When I got into the LX, I tested the diff lock switch and could hear a sound when switched to RR and FR-RR (remember mine did not make any noise when switched to RR). Also, the rear locker light became solid when I engaged it and I could feel the rear was locked as I drove it. The mechanic was with me during my testing and acknowledged there is something not functioning in my truck. They kept the truck and gave me a loaner.

Today the dealership called me and informed me that they know what the problem is:
- Rear actuator assembly
- Transfer switch

I was told the parts are on "national backorder", so it may take a week or two to receive the parts from Japan. The dealership is going to cover the costs for the rear actuator, but I will have to pay $200 for the transfer switch (parts/labor).

I am going to return the loaner and drive my truck in the mean time - they will call me when parts arrive.

Does this sound like the fix?

 

[alaskacruiser]

Photoman- you say you installed an aux. temp guage. I did this as well. At what temp. range should I start to be concerned about running it like that for extended periods?

 

[Beowulf]

BigGunna,
Well, replacing those 2 will most likely get the rear locker working, but it's impossible for us to say whether or not that is the "fix." As you've been told before, 99% of the time it is either a "gummed up" (aka sticky) actuator, or more simply, the switch that tells the ECU that it is locked.

I'm curious why they want you to pay for part of the repair? Something doesn't seem right with that but that's your call.

If it were me, I would insist on getting back all of the "bad" parts. The actuator is pretty spendy and easy to rebuild if it hasn't been physically damaged. (Ask Kurt how that can happen.) If they will give the parts back to you (and they should) then you can rebuild it as a trail spare or ship it to me and I'll rebuild it and use it for a spare.

-B-

 

[Altaf]

Beowulf:

I have a Lexus warranty which covers the powertrain. The dealership tells me that the rear actuator is covered, but not the switch. I'll ask them to give me the bad parts per your recommendation.

This dealership does not seem to have an experienced 80 series tech. Since I do have a warranty, I would like to find an experienced 80 series shop in my area that will go over the truck in detail and find anything else that might be wrong. If I can get it in writing, I could take the truck back to a Lexus dealership and have it fixed on their dime (assuming it's covered under warranty). I just don't think Lexus will be very proactive in this regard. :-\

 

[landtank]

What color is your radiator fluid?

[quote author=BigGunna link=board=2;threadid=11820;start=msg112237#msg112237 date=1077985137]
OFF ---> RR (no sound) blinking rear diff light, no front diff light
OFF ---> FR-RR (sound) blinking rear diff light, solid front diff light
RR ---> FR-RR (sound) blinking rear diff light, solid front diff light
FR-RR ---> RR (sound) blinking rear diff light, no front diff light
[/quote]

The transfer switch is fine because your front locker locks. These guys don't have a clue!

 

[cruiserdan]

[quote author=BigGunna link=board=2;threadid=11820;start=msg118732#msg118732 date=1078953568]

I was told the parts are on "national backorder", so it may take a week or two to receive the parts from Japan.
[/quote]

Really?

I wonder what they plan to do with the one in Ontario Ca? :whoops: (41450-60042)

 

[Photoman]

Alaska-,

Maybe this chart is the best way to answer your question. FWIW, on a level hwy at 65mph or so I run at 180-185F. I test on a two mile 5 percent hill near here and at 65 the temp will have climbed to 210F and is still going up when I crest the top. Headwinds are especially bad - gas mileage has dropped to 7 mpg. I set the alarm on mine at 225F and head for the berm if it goes off. After awhile, I kind of know the thing and know when to look at the gauge. The alarm does really come in handy for unexpected things like when I was running electric fans and the fuse blew without me knowing it. Hope this is helpful. What a crazy thread!

Bill

 

[Altaf]

[quote author=landtank link=board=2;threadid=11820;start=msg118788#msg118788 date=1078957647]
The transfer switch is fine because your front locker locks. These guys don't have a clue!
[/quote]

[quote author=cruiserdan link=board=2;threadid=11820;start=msg118799#msg118799 date=1078958367]
Really?

I wonder what they plan to do with the one in Ontario Ca? :whoops: (41450-60042)
[/quote]


I wish I could take you guys with me to the dealership! :-[

 

[landtank]

Sorry but I don't have the mental fortitude to reread this thread, but if there is a way to get Toyota corporate involved you might think about it. One member had a hell of a time with a front axle service at that's what it took to get his truck working properly again.

 

[ppc]

[quote author=BigGunna link=board=2;threadid=11820;start=msg118843#msg118843 date=1078960765]
I wish I could take you guys with me to the dealership! :-[

[/quote]

I'm guessing that the "transfer switch" is really the indicator switch in the rear axle.
If it was one of the three switches in the transfer then either:
the center would never attempt to lock, or
show locked and the front locker in either case would not lock.

I'm guessing that all of the indicator switches are all the same part number and "transfer switch" is what is listed in the parts catalog. In my opinion this is ultimately going to be the root cause of the problem.

Basically what they are doing is blindly replacing most of the parts in the rear to hopefully solve the problem. There also is a wiring harness and an ECU that could still be the problem. I don't have an issue, other than the time you have already been inconvenienced, in the replace everything strategy as long as its using their dime. Doubly so, considering you have a Lexus warrantee. After all you do get new components and the problem fixed.

 

[Beowulf]

Rick,

Do you think they're talking about the rotary dash switch as the "transfer switch"?

If so, BigGunna, then you can also send the "bad" switch to me.

-B-

 

[landtank]

[quote author=Beowulf link=board=2;threadid=11820;start=msg118890#msg118890 date=1078964083]
Rick,

Do you think they're talking about the rotary dash switch as the "transfer switch"?

[/quote]

Who the fawk knows.

 

[Photoman]

Here are a couple of graphs I ran on the three temp related sensors. The equipment I used was a temp probe on an Raytek ST80, and a Multi meter. Accuracy is supposed to be 2 % with the probe, 1 % with the Raytec. I'm not sure if I tested properly, but I think it further gives an idea of how the sensors operate like Rich's graph. The test on my AC cutoff sensor showed it opening at 250.1F and reclosing at 242.9F. Marked on the sensor is 108C so it should open at 226F so I don't know if I did something wrong or the sensor is off. FWIW I did test the probe and it showed water boiling at 208.5F so I don't know if it's off or it is the elevation I'm at. All test were done in oil.

Bill

 

[Photoman]

ECU sensor.

 

[Photoman]

Tools used.

 

[cary]

I'm going to throw in a few thoughts here based on memory. I remember the article about the BMW gauges and don't believe it is the sender that is causing the guage to be innaccurate. I believe that the guage is designed that between a certain resistance (i.e. 80-400 ohms) to sit in the middle and once it gets outside that range it moves.

The way to check this would be to throw an auxilarly guage on the stock sensor and see how much it moves. If anyone here has a backround in electronics, they may understand how the circuit in the guage is designed and if it is something as simple as clipping a resistor in the guage to make it work accurately.

Cary