Some questions

[Trevor]

Trying to work out whats normal or not on my LJ70

1) The oil level indicator works when I turn the ignition on before starting and indicates the oil level. Once started the needle falls away completely out of sight. Is this usual or should it be indicating level all the time?

2) Whilst the charging needle stays above halfway in the white section, the charge light is very faintly glowing red, needle drops but stays in the white as I add load by switching stuff on. The faint lamp glow does not change whether I'm loading the electrics or not. Alternator problems or normal?

3) Not having had MT's before, I get a whine with what sounds like a slight oscillation between 35 and 45 MPH, I thought it might be a wheel bearing but can't detect any play or gritiness. Not sure if it's tyre noise, transmission howl or what.

Any ideas chaps?

 

[Red Oktober]

battery light should be off once started.

battery gauge on the dash stays around well within the white bit no mater what's switched on

don't get any oil pressure until the engine has fired and running.

M/T's will whine on the road


hope that helps

 

[Andrew Prince]

3) Not having had MT's before, I get a whine with what sounds like a slight oscillation between 35 and 45 MPH, I thought it might be a wheel bearing but can't detect any play or gritiness. Not sure if it's tyre noise, transmission howl or what.

MTs are noisy but with a mix of tyres and sizes, there's no surprise that you might get funny noises.
Other thing to check is UJs - give them a squirt of grease and check for play. Could also be diffs I guess but I'd rule out the other possibilities before fussing with the diffs (other than checking they are full of clean oil!!)

Cheers,

 

[Jimbo4x4]

1) Sounds like the oil pressure gauge, top right of the dash pod? Should always read between the two lines while running although a little bit out isn't really a problem. Sounds like your gauge is faulty.
2) Yep, normal, although the faint batt. light isn't. I have a similar thing happen with my difflock light sometimes and now it won't come on solid - difflock still works though
3) Could be anything in the drivetrain, including the tyres. As Andrew said, check everything important then you don't have to worry.

Good buy btw

Jim.

 

[John_McCartney]

I would deffo try to get the oil pressure (gauge?) sorted. Could be goodbye to the engine if that gauge is accurate. It's common for 70 series oil pressure gauges to stay between the marks only until the engine's up to temperature when idling. Thereafter it will register much lower - down near the bottom of the scale - when on tickover, but should climb to the lower mark once you get up to about 2k revs. If your gauge registers at first then drops right off the scale I would suspect some sort of oil bypass problem. Even a diesel engine without any real oil pressure will run for quite a few miles, but eventually it will self-destruct - big-end bearings first.

 

[Trevor]

Blimey and botheration!!! Okay, oil is filled to correct level and appears to be making its way up to the top of the engine. I have done around 250 miles since purchasing the truck and it seemed to run okay but this is a big concern to rule out now.

I assume my next steps are to probably get a pressure reading done without relying on the gauge in the dash (not quite sure how yet), maybe change the oil pressure sender, dump the oil and check the strainer?

Don't want to pay the garage (blown the budget already) and would like to have a go myself but this is pushing my knowledge at the moment.

 

[Chris]

Trev, as long as the oil pressure light goes out when you start it, I wouldn't worry about the gauge. How many cars on the road have a gauge? Not many. Do we all worry about oil pressure in a car with no gauge? Nope, we don't.

What it is, is annoying. Mine doesn't work and I am trying to fix it. Not because I need it to tell me the pressure, but because I want it working dammit. I might just move the needle halfway up and drop a spot of super glue on it to hold it there. Then I'll feel better. If the oil light comes on THEN worry.

I'd check your fan belts, battery connections, earth to engine strap and connector on the back of the alternator and see if any of those are crook. It may be that they alternator is not charging well due to wear, but eliminate the common stuff first.

Great looking toy by the way.

Chris

 

[John_McCartney]

The oil warning light on the 70KZJ is simply an oil level warning light - it's triggered by a low oil level in the sump and is nothing to do with oil pressure. The gauge is the only warning of low oil pressure. I assume the LJ is the same, but I stand to be corrected if not. If it's the same as the KZJ I'd deffo get the pressure checked. Any competent local (ie cheap) garage ought to be able to do it for half an hours labour at most.

 

[Chris]

Getaway! Really? Hmm, well then Trev, I'd get that fixed then. I have had Toyotas since I learned to drive and I have never had on without a light I don't think. Deff had some with a low level warning light too. In fact the 80 has one. Wonder if you could just replace the sender with a pressure sender and link it to the same light? You could get an after market gauge from a multitude of sellers and have a little dial mounted in the cabin. If that is, you can't get the dash one working.

Well if you haven't learned something new every day, then you have been asleep or a fool.

Chris

 

[Trevor]

My warning lights from right to left are:- Mainbeam, Handbrake, 4WD and a red one that I can't identify. This red one (top left of binnacle) does not illuminate at all, whether pre ignition or when the truck is running. I've tried taking some photos with and without flash to try and pick out a symbol but no luck.

I found the sender for the oil pressure gauge and and disconnected it, turned on the ignition and nothing on the gauge, so for now I have to think either faulty sender or low pressure problem.

I can borrow a pressure gauge on Monday so am going to try and unscrew the sender and take a pressure reading at idle and 2500 revs and see what I get and go from there.

 

[Trevor]

And the good news is...... Engine has oil pressure, 35 PSI at idle and 87 PSI at 3000 RPM. So next step is to change the sender and see where we go from there.

 

[Birder]

Great news, i would do the lottery this week while you have this streak of luck......

 

[John_McCartney]

Excellent news.

 

[Roger Fairclough]

The oil warning light on the 70KZJ is simply an oil level warning light - it's triggered by a low oil level in the sump and is nothing to do with oil pressure. The gauge is the only warning of low oil pressure. I assume the LJ is the same, but I stand to be corrected if not. If it's the same as the KZJ I'd deffo get the pressure checked. Any competent local (ie cheap) garage ought to be able to do it for half an hours labour at most.

On the KZJ70 the instrument cluster has a tachometer. On this set up John is correct in that there isn't an oil pressure warning light.

The hand book also makes reference to an instrument panel that does not have a tachometer. In this case there is a low oil pressure warning light and a low oil level warning light but no oil pressure gauge. As Trevors motor has a gauge, I have no idea which model doesn't have the tacho!

Roger

 

[roscoFJ73]

My warning lights from right to left are:- Mainbeam, Handbrake, 4WD and a red one that I can't identify. This red one (top left of binnacle) does not illuminate at all, whether pre ignition or when the truck is running. I've tried taking some photos with and without flash to try and pick out a symbol but no luck.

Without running out to look in the rain at 5.30 am,its probably a spare for extrs like diff locks.
The one in your 1st post probably means a fault in the alternator/regulator but is probably still charging.

I found the sender for the oil pressure gauge and and disconnected it, turned on the ignition and nothing on the gauge, so for now I have to think either faulty sender or low pressure problem.

If you need a new sender,it is the same as about 50 toyota cars,4x4, trucks and buses ,diesel or petrol.
Good ones can be bought for about 15 quid on ebay.Some have an extra lug for earth,ignore it.
A wrecker told me once that generally ,the 70 series oil gauge will drop right down well below the min level when not in use if it is knackered.

I can borrow a pressure gauge on Monday so am going to try and unscrew the sender and take a pressure reading at idle and 2500 revs and see what I get and go from there.

Got a manual? I think the minimum is 4 psi idling when warm and 32 psi at 2500 for 2 minutes warm.
Good readings are 8psi and 50-60 psi