The Toyota Landcruiser Owners Club

[GAZZA]

Hi all,I am thinking of uprgrading my old 80 to a 100 ,not sure about what age yet but will be auto and vx spec,I have a diesel at the mo but was thinking of the v8 on gas due to the horrendous diesel prices,
looking for info regarding any probs to look out for ,reliability,servicing costs,running cost on gas/petrol?

is the v8 as reliable as the diesel?as if i  do change i generally keep the car for many years,will be used to tow a twin axle caravan and car trailer too.

also what gadgets do you get on cedrtain years??Active suspension? a friend has had suspension probs on an R reg car altho it has only done abt 60k?

all input welcome thanks

[Google]

[imprator]

I happen to have available several internet links to information which I have found useful. I have provided these at the end of this post, after giving my opinions regarding the items you have mentioned. I hope you find this useful to you.

In my opinion the petrol version of the 100 is a better car. It is quieter, quicker, more relaxed and more fun.

The diesel is comparatively nose-heavy, rattles at idle and becomes loud and raucous when extended (it’s an old-school diesel). It sends a resonant vibration through the body at idle, and a vibration through the throttle pedal at all engine and road speeds. I don’t want to overstate these items. They are minor in nature and don’t make the diesel a bad car. They just make it a slightly less pleasant place to be than the petrol version.

The petrol version is also better equipped when comparing vehicles of the same age. The petrol was often equipped with items long before they made it to the diesel version. The lag was sometimes several years, and some items never made it to the diesel at all. I am speaking here of mechanical or electro-mechanical items – things like traction control, ESP and electronically controlled variable rate steering. Interior equipment was always on a par between the petrol and diesel.

The petrol is also much cheaper to buy used. Looked at logically it is hard to justify buying the diesel on economic grounds because of the large difference in purchase price. This is especially true in light of the increasing differential between the price of petrol and diesel.

Really, the only advantages the diesel has are its greater fuel economy and higher torque at very low engine speeds. However, regarding torque, the diesel’s advantage is minimal. The petrol engine is tuned for torque. It has a very flat torque curve for a petrol engine and its peak torque is actually greater than the diesel. For on-road performance, including towing (I often tow a car transportation trailer with an sll-up weight of between 2 and 2.5 tons depending on the vehicle being carried) the petrol is never lacking in torque compared to the diesel. The only situation where the diesel’s torque from idle is to be preferred is in off-roading. If that is vital to you the diesel is the best option.

In terms of reliability I would take the petrol over the diesel. The petrol is a low-stress unit which is manufactured to close engineering tolerances (for a production engine) and, serviced regularly, will run and run. The diesel, in contrast, is under extra stress from higher compression ratios and the turbo will require new seals and replacement long before the engine needs major work. The diesel also tends to require more regular servicing due to the requirement for interim oil services, although this may have changed with later models (I have a 1999 vehicle).

Service intervals in general have lengthened since the 100’s introduction and this may have increased servicing costs for each service. However, for my vehicle (9,000 mile service interval) I have always found the servicing costs extremely reasonable for this type of vehicle. A standard “A” service at my local main dealer costs £180 or so and a more extensive “B” service about £250.

Regarding running on LPG/Autogas – I do this and it’s a great option, but with an important caveat.

Basically a good system will run so well that you really won’t notice any difference from running on petrol beyond a slight reduction in performance. In fact I have been told that on the latest systems there is no noticeable loss of performance, although I cannot vouch for this myself.

The important caveat is engine wear. LPG is a dry fuel and provides no lubrication. This results in valve recession, and eventually cracked cylinder heads and an unusable engine. There is no damage to any other part of the engine, just to the valve seats and corollary damage to the valves and (eventually) the cylinder heads. I know this to my cost. My car was converted to LPG at 40,000 miles and from about 100,000 miles became increasingly difficult to start. The problem was valve recession and resultant cracked heads. A set of reconditioned heads was required at 115,000 miles. Not cheap…

This problem is, however, preventable with the addition of a low-cast (£33) cylinder head lubrication system from Flashlube. If you buy a car and convert it to gas I suggest that you fit this. (My car actually did quite well to last as long as it did. Some people (with different cars and engines, not the 4.7 LC engine) have reported problems just 10,000 miles after fitting LPG systems.

If you are buying a car which has been run on LPG without such a system this is a problem to be aware of. If the car doesn’t start instantly on the turn of the key on every occasion I would be suspicious of possible serious valve recession, and even if there is no such sign valve recession will certainly have occurred, the degree dependent on the number of miles driven on LPG.

Regarding vehicle specification I have added a link at the end of this post which provides the specification changes for US vehicles. UK vehicles are not identical, but I think the only really major area of difference is that we never received the VVTi engine. There are much more minor differences (for example UK vehicles never acquired lumbar adjustment for the front passenger seat) but this information will give you a good idea of equipment variations. The car’s major revision occurred in 2003 so a vehicle from this model change onwards is a nice choice.


Potential (non-LPG related) problems of which I am aware;

Suspension Height Sensors
I have had problems twice with these (my car has now covered 120,000 miles).
The AHC height sensors usually cause problems due to water ingress. Replacing all three costs about £950 at a main dealer. However, you can seal them against moisture yourself and prevent the occurrence of these problems. You can also usually renovate the sensors yourself after water ingress has occurred (although sometimes the internals are badly corroded, making this impossible).
Unattended, problems with the height sensors can occur at any time after about 30,000 miles, but they usually last between 60,000 to 80,000 miles. Telltale signs of failing sensors include;
Sluggish responses to inputs from the height control switch The car will sit unmoving for anything up to a minute before the height begins to adjust (it should start to adjust within a few seconds at most).
High position can sometimes not be achieved at all (the height indicator light never stops blinking).
In an advanced stage the height will not adjust at all, often locking the front, rear or both ends of the car in the highest position. That makes for an interesting ride, not to mention handling characteristics…

Suspension Gas Cylinders
The car uses a combination of hydraulics over gas suspension. The gas cylinders (aka accumulators) can fail after about 80,000 miles. This leads to a very hard, bumpy ride. I have not had this problem myself, but I seem to recall someone saying that is costs about £1,800 for a dealer to replace two cylinders (there is one cylinder for each wheel). Ouch! However, I believe it is worthwhile importing aftermarket versions from the USA which are much cheaper, and also more robust, than the Toyota units.
Some people choose to fit standard steel suspension when AHC problems occur. This improves reliability, but decreases ride comfort and handling ability. There is also a safety issue; the AHC increases vehicle stability and significantly reduces the potential for the vehicle to roll over, so you might want to think carefully before buying a vehicle which has been converted to standard suspension.

Starter Motor
This can fail after about 50,000 miles. The telltale indication is that, on occasion, when you turn the key there is a clicking sound and nothing else happens. This becomes more regular until eventually there will be an occasion when you may spend 20 minutes turning the key before the starter motor will turn the engine (yes, I have been there!). Eventually the engine will not start at all.
The problem is nothing more than worn contacts inside the starter motor. They can be fixed very cheaply by yourself or a friendly neighbourhood mechanic, but it will cost about £450 (if I recall correctly) to have the starter motor replaced at a main dealer.
Incidentally, the starter motor is located at the top of the engine between the V of the engine’s cylinders. The intake manifold and associated ancillary equipment must be removed to gain access.

Steering Column Adjustment Motor
This can fail at any time from 10,000 miles on. Some, however, will last forever.
The supposed telltale indicator for a failing motor is a squeaking sound when adjusting the steering column position, and in particular when inserting and removing the ignition key (the wheel pulls back out of the way when the key is removed, and returns to the driving position when the key is inserted). However, the motor on my car has been squeaking for at least 80,000 miles and is still going strong.
I believe it costs about £350 to fit a replacement steering column adjustment motor.

Catalytic Converter Heat Shields
There are eight of these. Over time they become loose and rattle. This rattle can, alarmingly, appear to be coming from the engine. However it is an easy fix (but a surprisingly expensive one if you need to buy replacement shields from Toyota).
I have seen reports from owners that the rattling is caused by the heat shields fracturing at the stress points where they are bolted together. However, on my car the problem was caused by the retaining bolts rusting out, leaving the shields to rattle and eventually drop off if no action was taken. (Strangely, my dealer didn’t spot this problem at the service so I had to ask them to replace the bolts at the next service. Maybe they were hoping to sell new ridiculously expensive heat shields to me when the old ones dropped off.)
If any car you look at has a rattle at idle or low revs and on investigation it sounds as if it is coming from underneath the car, just behind the front axle, loose heat shields are the likely cause.


Useful links;

Suspension sensor problem
http://forum.ih8mud.com/100-series-cruisers/102375-ahc-suspension-help.html

Suspension sensor testing
http://www.tlocuk.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?p=7717#7717

US-sourced suspension accumulators
http://www.activesuspensionsystems.com/buylx470ac.html

Flashlube Europe
http://www.flashlube-europe.com/

Flashlube UK retailer
http://www.tinleytech.co.uk/acatalog/FlashLube.html


USA vehicle specs
http://www.sleeoffroad.com/newbie/newbieUZJ100.htm