The Toyota Landcruiser Owners Club

[Crispin]

Hi Folks,

Not sure if I am being unrealistic or not so bare with me.

Now that I have had my 120 (Manual) for 3 weeks and done 3 weeks worth of traffic, I have a few questions.
My ±hour journey to work consists of 60/70mph for 20 minutes, 30 minutes stop start crawling, 20 minutes of back street ducking and diving (with speed bumps)

One thing I noticed was the engine is very unforgiving if you below boost. If you caught at, or below 1500, forget it. 1750 and she'll pull steadily and 2000+ life is peachy. Most of the time, at 1500, there is bad detonation (which I thought you did not get in a diesel, only petrol)
With the slow crawling, I seem to stir the 'box a lot between 2nd and 3rd. To fast for second, slow for 3rd, then to.... etc.

With other diesel's I've had / driven in the past, anything below the turbo is sluggish but has enough guts to get the turbo blowing. The main thing is, they have not been as heavy as this car. They are "normal" cars. I can only surmise that it's just the weight and sheer lack of power without a turbo that makes it struggle where as on a normal car, the lack of power is still enough power to accelerate.


Is this normal or am I being a whinger?  
Tell me to STFU if need be.

Above all, I really do love driving the car. It's so relaxed (with my skew steering wheel) to drive on the highway / main road with cruise control. The above is not a complaint, just a question. If it's normal, I'll still be happy
_________________
Cheers,
Crispin
Have Snorkel, Will Swim

[Google]

[leon]

AT box for the win turbo lag for the loose
_________________
Should I have these bit's left over ?
1998 V8 LC Amazon VX work in progress
2008 pug boy
2009 pug boy
2010 pug girl
         ^ dogs

[Rick]

I think you might be a bit stuck for opinions on here as I'm guessing that most folk (90%+) have the auto version like me.  The auto is great and very refined and is especially good for off road work and heavy towing.
For stop start traffic jam style driving the auto might be better, however, you've probably got the best box for hustling a machine like this around back streets.  I guess you are always going to have to work the box hard in that sort of driving as these machines were really not designed for that.  Rocket ships they are not, but I personally think the power is more than adequate for the real purpose of the vehicle.
Your only comment that really surprises me is that about the pre ignition (detonation).  Of course that's not really possible in an auto (cos the box won't allow it), but I'm surprised that you get it so easily/frequently unless your driving style really stinks (which I doubt)  Perhaps it is something to just get checked out by your dealer.
I think you're asking quite a lot of the machine, to go from smooth motorway cruiser (which I'm sure you'll agree it is), to back street racer every day, and all whilst having been designed to be able to carry 8 people whilst driving across rough terrain and towing around 2.5 tonnes (all of which it can do).
Go easy on it.  Perhaps you need to buy a cheap Golf GTI for commuting and keep the cruiser for enjoying at the weekends.
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Rick

[Rick]

I must just point out that my last comment was made without the benefit of having read Leons succinct advice.
I wonder if perhaps we were actually trying to make similar points?  Perhaps we'll never know...
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Rick

[Nuclear Chicken]

Crispin,

The car is about 2.1 tonnes, has 160/170 bhp and if a 163bhp model, like mine, less than 400Nm torque (370 I think) . To put it mildly, it's not enough grunt! It's a bit of a dog. Your sounds normal and is probably whay the auto is very popular. It works well and suits the car well too.  I chipped mine to about 200bhp/ 440Nm and it transformed the car. In engine terms, reliability aside, the original engine is a crude and well below the competition. The up sides are that it is capable of silly mileages and is pretty robust and bomb proof.

I got my chip from Lindop Toyota, Queensferry. Email John Devlin at john.devlin@lindop.toyota.co.uk. Couldn't be more helpful and at £350 not exactly a fortune. Transfromed the car too. The Toyota Motorsport chip is well in excess of £1000. Piece of piss to fit too!
_________________
'04 KDJ120R LC5. Died 17th Dec 2010. RIP.

[Nuclear Chicken]

[garystockton]

[Crispin]

I originally wanted the auto but could not find one in time (my landie was due a MOT the day after dealer took it and I knew it would fail )
The auto I did want, the dealer would not budge on price so left it. In hind site was a good thing as it was the older 4 speed box which has mixed reviews.

The manual is very light to change and clutch is more than acceptable. Don't get me wrong. I do not begrude the car. As you have said, it is not a racer (I never expected it to be) and above all, do not want it to be. I am merely curious about the turbo lag (I guess it's a bigger turbo than my audi so again, acceptable / expected)

I know the engine is way down on power compared to german ones (there is another thread on this). An example was my 2.0L audi which is 103KW and 320NM (don't ask me about pounding feet or other imperial stuffs) which is more than the 3.9D4D. Will the audi do 250k miles with only two timing belts and a few bits and bobs? Not sure. it might. Will the detuned, stronger d4d do it? yes. I am not knocking them for it. if I wanted a racer, I would buy one. If I wanted a 4x4 that has an Audi engine, I would have bought one. I did not though. I bought this for many reasons.

Rick - It has enough power to (I assume) drag me up a 42 degree incline or along the hiway at 100mph (Which I would never do because it's naughty) with ease. Do I want more? No. Do I want to time my 0-60? No. Yes, it is a lovely car to drive and does what I ask.

As for chipping it, I am on the fence with it. I plan on driving this car, along with a 90 (for spare   ) to Cape town in 3-4 years time. Mr T and friends are not thick. I am sure they could erk more out of the engine if they wanted to but chose not to for a reason. If I knew I was selling the car in 5-10 years I would have done it. The last thing I need to a broken yet, damn-you-should-have-seen-how-powerful-this-engine-was-before-it-broke engine in the middle of nowhere
Would probably not happen but I would rather not... (Trust me I have thought about it)

I guess it's just driving style for a heavy car "without" a turbo. Still curious on the pre-ignition thing though. I never felt that on a diesel before. Could it be that it could always pull itself out of my mistake?
_________________
Cheers,
Crispin
Have Snorkel, Will Swim

[uk_vette]

[uk_vette]

[leon]

[dannyson]

Tempted to have the chip fitted ..... but would it harm the engine etc.    

If not fitted in the first place their must have been a reason.  Maybe later models like the 'invinsible' have an uprated engine and other bits to accomodate.  So I doubt the 'invincible' has exactly the same spec. as original models bar the chip.  I doubt nobody will guarantee the original LC 120 spec. will easily accomodate this chip without potential problems.

[leon]

all engine's in all cars are de-tuned to a degree for fueling,comfort,emishion's and so on


Take for instance the V8 4.7 LC even at 230 bhp it has it pulls away smoothly and bild's up speed ...that engine is more then capable of ripping the tarmac up and putting your neck out the reason it dosnt is the chip in the ECU .I agree that a uprated engine would be needed to hit power out put of 600bhp but the engine could do it with out changing form tomutch

So this is how the " sports chip's " can boost power out put's without harming the engine to a degree still taking in to mind fueling,comfort,emishion's and so on

menny main car makers offer chips them self's in fact i beleave the chip were talking about is based on the "uprated toyota chip" your main dealer could get you
The Nisan pickup i beleave with only a uprated head gasget and a "uprated Nisan chip" take's up the the level of there limited  adishion "Paris Dakar" truck (280 bhp for a desil )  

With a uprated chip you will only brake what would have broke any ways

As long as you get one from some one who know's what there doing and have been dealing in them for a wile (coman sence i know )
_________________
Should I have these bit's left over ?
1998 V8 LC Amazon VX work in progress
2008 pug boy
2009 pug boy
2010 pug girl
         ^ dogs

[uk_vette]

I did consider a chip, but then I thought different.
I would rather have longer life than extra power.
All the internal parts of the engine and gearbox and drive train will have to work harder.
As you have more power available, you will naturally want to use it.

making the engine give more power must have an adverse affect on longetivity.

It is plain to see.

Just how much shorter the mechanicals will be is any body's guess.

if I am driving through to Cape Town, I would much rather have a reliable 170 bhp, than a possible unreliable 204

Any way, I am happy with the power from my engine (D4-d) just as it is.

This was my previous cars, so speed is not important to me in my LC.
.

.

.

Both big V8, both with speed over 170 mph -

'vette  

[leon]

your just showing off now Vette  

a mild chip i would think would be fine with out taking life out the car good chip's remap the pickup of the engine so it driver's better as aposed to pileing on the BHP ..as i say far as i know there based on a chip toyota them self's do


sidenote : is it true all cars made in the USA cant take corners then vette ?
_________________
Should I have these bit's left over ?
1998 V8 LC Amazon VX work in progress
2008 pug boy
2009 pug boy
2010 pug girl
         ^ dogs