The Toyota Landcruiser Owners Club

[colineddy]

Hi All,

Am intending to fit a towbar myself to my 120 LWB d4d. Got a witter bar (TY139) and shield cos the toyota one was one of those weedy swan neck things... but did get the toyota electrics, they look much better....

Anyway all looks simple apart from rear bumper removal and replacement. The witter destructions even state that it can be tricky.

Anyone done a rear bumper on a 120 and can give me a couple of 'watch out for this' pointers ?

Cheers,

Col
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LWB 2001 3.0 D-4D Auto VX Colorado

[Google]

[Landcrusher]

Yes, wasn't tricky at all. 10 minute job. Did it twice. Not sure what they could mean by tricky at all. Just go with the obvious fasteners.

LC
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HDJ 80 but still a 90 owner at heart (yeah right!)

[colineddy]

OK cool. Did wonder how hard it could really be...

Just FYI - Witter state "- unclip bumper tips (NOTE: these clips can be very awkward and may need to be levered apart in some cases, whilst ensuring no damage is caused to the bumper) - slide bumper off rearwards"

That was the bit I was concerned with.

Prolly they are just trying to cover their *beep*.

Col
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LWB 2001 3.0 D-4D Auto VX Colorado

[Rick]

Yeah, as landcrusher says, it's not difficult, but the clips are rather tricky.  You do have to lever them apart (obviously without damaging paint), but the problem is not breaking them or at least keeping them reusable.  They are cheap enough to buy replacements if you want though.  I think most of mine were still reusable when I had done.
I had to re-fit my tow bar that was fitted when I bought the car.  Inchcape Toyota of Nottingham assured me that they would fit the tow bar themselves.  In the event, they contracted it out to a dodgy towbar 'specialist' in Nottingham who mashed half the parts and then threw several parts away including the car's bolt on towing eye.  I discovered that they had only fitted about half of the main securing bolts, throwing those away that did not immediately line up easily.
Obviously I was furious and ended up getting the whole cost of the tow bar and fitting returned to me, together with a large box of brand new bits and pieces to replace those that the fitter had thrown in the bin.
The job is fine now, but I wouldn't recommend Inchcape at all I'm afraid.
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Rick

[colineddy]

Thats exactly why I'm fitting this one myself. I paid for a fit in the past and it was the biggest cowboy job I ever saw:

Earths just twisted together and wrapped in black tape...
Fuses not used.....
12v fridge / battery supply not routed from the battery - they just find any old wire on the loom that has 12v on it, peeled back a bit of the insulation, soldered it on and wrapped it in black tape....
They even routed both fridge and battery supply (best part of 30A) through one relay (15A rated) even though they fitted a dual relay anyway !
etc etc etc.... it goes on... they were thick basically I think.

result was scorched wiring - most had to be replaced, melted 7 pin sockets - also replaced and a melted relay...

This was a cheapo buy though, my toyota dealer seems brill but they want £200+ just to fit it.... too much !!

I will buy a couple of clips for them in readyness for when mine break and then do the job myself.
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LWB 2001 3.0 D-4D Auto VX Colorado

[colineddy]

Are these 'clips' those really annoying button / popper looking ones with the bit that pushes down the middle to push the fingers out ?
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LWB 2001 3.0 D-4D Auto VX Colorado

[Rick]

Yeah, they're the ones.  As I said, most of mine were reusable, but you get the impression that they don't grip as well as they used to.  I could probably do with some new ones.
Good idea fitting your own; I would never pay to have someone do it again.  It's a poor doo though when you can't get a towbar fitter to properly fit a towbar.  Makes you wonder what they can actually do.  Luckily, our electrics seem to have been done reasonably well (sorry, adequately), although we only have the standard road light electrics.  If I ever need the other ones for a caravan etc I would fit them myself.
Good luck with it.
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Rick

[colineddy]

OK put the supplementary wiring in from battery backawards to boot cavity this morning.

Sure - it was a fiddle, a right fiddle actually, dashboard bits off both sides, going through the bulkhead etc.. but am so glad I did it myself. There is NO WAY that the usual cowboy crew would have gone to to the trouble I went to. Toyota might have done but charged me an arm and a leg. This is the only way to get a proper job done, cheaply.

Anyone read the forum and got any questions - just drop me a line.

Cheers,

Col
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LWB 2001 3.0 D-4D Auto VX Colorado

[colineddy]

OK it wasn't a big deal removing the bumper. various clips and bolts. As said the press clips either side were tricky but worked out fine - had brother in law helping too and no worries.

Whole thing is in with the Toyota dual electric kit - very pleased. Used lighting board to test and every thing great - even the fog light !!

Except one thing...

The parking sensro system seems to be malfunctioning now. When the car is in reverse I get constant high pitched wail from the speaker in the side panel of the boot.

Took the whole bar back off again to see if the bar was being detected - no change.

Checked the 12n and 12s wiring and they are correct.

Checked disconnected each of the sensors (there are 4) - no change.

Its driving me potty......

Any ideas ?
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LWB 2001 3.0 D-4D Auto VX Colorado

[Landcrusher]

OK, first things first - I'm no expert in this. But, if you have rev sensors and you tow something, isn't there going to be a bit of gubbins that bypasses the sensors or something. Or every time you reverse there'll be something behind you err like a caravan! It could be this that needs sorting out. If you plug your light board in, do you still get the squealing? Looks like you may have tried some of this stuff already.

LC
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HDJ 80 but still a 90 owner at heart (yeah right!)

[colineddy]

Yeah I thought there should be 'some' sort of modification to the park system.

The sensors at the corners should not be a problem but I think you'd want to somehow damp / deactivate the two in the middle of the back bumper....

Can't see that there is any mod to it though. The park sensor system just has 4 sensor inputs (each two wire), 12v supply, speaker output and finally a connection to the reversing light / reversing system to only switch it on when the car is in reverse gear.

I assume that now I've installed the towbar electrics Ive either:

Been unlucky and broken the box or sensors somehow.
Or installed it wrongly - but I have checked it all quite carefully.
OR - there is a mod that a toyota dealer would do when installing it themselves that I don't know about...... I've asked them.

Cheers,

Colin
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LWB 2001 3.0 D-4D Auto VX Colorado

[colineddy]

OK I know some more now - toyota sent me their workshop fitting instructions for the park thingie.

Ordinarily the unit is installed and will ALWAYS be 'on' when in reverse gear, whether towing or not.

An option is described in the destructions to lead an activation switch out into the nearside passager cubby hole in the boot - enabling you to turn the whole thing on and off when towing / not towing.

There's no automatic switch that occurs simply when you plug in your 12n.

I don't have the switch although I could but one in.

The problem I have is not that the park sensors are 'seeing' the towbar and beeping... the whole thing's going absolutely bonkers with the piezo constantly wailing like a wounded banshee.....not the subtle beep you get from an object detection.

The problem is that if I assume there's some kind of problem like, its broke, or bad earth, or faulty supply etc etc then all I can imaginge happening is silence - difficult to see how it would fail 'on'...

Anyway something is up with it - will have another fiddle in the daylight 2morrrow.

BTW - it wasn't installed quite as the toyota workshop instructions said.. why why why ???? why can't you get the simplest of things done these days without it getting mucked up or bodged ?
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LWB 2001 3.0 D-4D Auto VX Colorado

[Wroey]

You have persuaded me to get the Witter TY142 (spare wheel under body).