UZZ32 Maintenance and Repair: Difference between revisions
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Latest revision as of 11:44, 15 June 2023
Introduction
Although Toyota designed the UZZ32 to high quality standards, maintenance and repair is still necessary:
- Like any motor vehicle, they require basic regular servicing (including items such as, eg, new oil and oil filter)
- There are also items that are more specific to Soarers in general (including sagging door hinges on older vehicles).
- Finally, there are service items that apply only to the UZZ32 Soarer.
Owners also need to be aware of modifications that may have been performed by previous owners.
As of 2024, UZZ32 Soarers are now between 28 and 33 years old and have often travelled 200,000 kilometeres or more. This means that, even if the vehicle has been well maintained, it will likely require a significant investment in time and/or cash, either immediately and/or over time.
Basic Servicing
- Check fluid levels
- Oil & Oil Filter Change
- general lubrication
- Air filter clean / change
- Brake Fluid Change
- Engine coolant change
- Brake Pads & Discs / Rotors (when worn out)
- Spark Plugs & Leads, distributors & rotors, ignition coils
- Timing belt change (100,000 km), including water pump replacement as well as related seals and bearings
- Automatic transmission fluid change
- Differential fluid change
- Wheel alignment
- Exhaust system maintenance, in particular the Oxygen sensors and Catalytic Converters
- Power Steering fluid change
- Light bulb replacement
- Wiper blade replacement
- Battery check / replacement
- Alternator
- Fuses
- Drive Belts
- Wiper Blades
'Generic' Soarer Servicing
- Engine mounts, transmission mount
- Suspension bushes and/or replacement Lower Control Arms
- Steering rack bushes
- Door hinges sagging with age
- Boot & Bonnet struts
- Electronics (eg EMV, Combination Meter (dash), Engine ECU, Airbag ECU and Radio/DSP units) as well as other ECUs which also fail when eg the capacitors age
- Interior trim plastics (eg inside front window trims, door pockets, air vents, front seat side covers) failing and cracking with age
- Headlights leaking and/or becoming dull with age
- Engine (cooling) Fan fluid change
- ABS / TRC brake booster replacement
- Radiator "top tank" replacement
- Worn or cracked leather in "high-traffic areas" including the edge of the driver's seat back, the steering wheel, the gear shifter and the parking brake
- Faulty (or dirty) fuel sender, resulting in inaccurate and/or fluctuating fuel tank level readings
- Fuel pump ECU failure, resulting in eg an engine that fails to stay running
- Steering wheel in-out and/or up-down adjustment fails
- Replace in-cabin air filters
- Replace filter in air purifier (if fitted)
- Maintain the Powered Leather Seats
- Replacing the Window Regulators
UZZ32 specific service items
- Change the hydraulic suspension fluid
- Replace worn or disintegrated suspension 'boots' that cover the suspension pistons
- Service or replace worn parts inside the hydraulic suspension struts
- Repair or replace the Suspension Accumulators ("gas springs") to ensure the nitrogen gas is retained or re-filled
- Suspension Pump and Valve Body - eg replace internal seals and accumulators
- Rear Steering
- troubleshooting the Active Suspension Computer voltages and Error Codes
- Drive Belts include a separate belt for the suspension pump
Common Modifications
Modifications such as the following are common on Soarers, either as part of the initial registration process after importation to eg the UK or Australia, or because of a preference by the owner:
- Replacement of the Japanese Toyota-branded seat belts with eg Klippan-branded units
- Replacement of the (convex) drivers' side mirror with flat glass, with the (unintentional) side effect of rendering the mirror's vibration feature inoperative
- Removal of the feature which allows the drivers' side window to be operated for a limited time after the ignition has been turned off
- Installation of child seat anchorage points
- Removal of the rear-seat's middle (waist-only) seat belt
- Reconfiguration of lights to allow "fog light" operation on vehicles where they were not previously installed
- Radio frequency shifter, allowing the Japanese-spec radio to receive frequencies set a higher band, albeit with an offset display frequency
- Removal of the 108 km/h limit on the cruise control
- Upgraded front light bulbs
- Replacement of early-model (plastic-lens) high-beam lights with the upgraded glass units from a '94+ model
- Replacement of early-model tail lights with those from a later-generation Soarer, including solutions for a) correcting the flashing rate of the indicators, and b) the lamp failure detection (which notices that the number of working light bulbs is "wrong") after the change
- Replacement of the original (Toyota, "Soarer" and Griffin) badges with Lexus badges on eg the front bumper, boot lid, engine, airbag, wheel covers
- Wheel upgrades, typically to 17" or 18" size but sometimes larger
- Installation of a DVD player
- Bypassing of the EMV screen safety features, allowing eg an after-market navigation system to be viewed whilst driving
- Fuel pump ECU may also have been bypassed if faulty (safety risk!)
- Boot release button valet-lockout may have been bypassed
- An after-market immobiliser and/or alarm may have been fitted
- Removal of the reversing beeper
- Removal of the "door open" warning chime
- Exhaust system modifications
- Air intake modifications
- Installation of an after-market stereo, often in conjunction with the removal (or in some cases, relocation) of the cassette player and/or removal of the EMV
- Replacement of the wiper blade assemblies with a more modern design
- for UK cars, conversion from kilometer to miles for speedometer (and odometer)
- Aftermarket height controllers are often found on UZZ31 (airbag) models, but rarely on UZZ32s
- Exhaust System
Whilst personal (and legal) opinions differ on whether such modifications are "good" or "bad", owners are encouraged to understand the current and original state of their vehicle before making decisions regarding what modifications to make (or "un-make") as part of servicing and/or restoration.
Diagnostics
The UZZ32 (and other) Soarers feature on-board diagnostics which can assist in troubleshooting.