LC 200 dust

[Graham & Cathy]

The rear air foil/deflector or whatever Mr Toyota wants to call it is a Danger on dusty roads.

The design is so bad it actuall creates a low air pressure around the rear of the vehicle allowing dust to enter any tiny orifice in the vehicle.

Also it deposits dust in large qyuantities onto the back window and completely obscuring any vision through the back window , THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION on Australian Back roads , I have had 3 near misses as I could not see via the window at all.

Because dust is dry you cannot clear it with the wiper / washer combo , wet weather is as bad but at least you can clear the window when it is wet.

I have contacted the Toyota Customer Service line only to be told that it was designed this way for improved fuel consumption !!!!!, doesn,t matter if it creates a dangerous situation !!!!!!!!!.

So I am on the lookout for an aftermarket air deflector like the ones available on other model cruisers ..

Reagards Graham & Cathy

;)

[tempestv8]

Hi Graham,

I have driven my 200 Series on a super dusty road where the rear window on the outside is caked with talcum fine dust to the point where it has really obstructed visibility.

But the interior is squeaky clean. So I suspect you have a dust leak, and there is one very common entry point for dust that all LC200 owners should know about if the trailer wiring loom is fitted. This is my theory, so please take it at face value.

There is a big rubber grommet that is part of the trailer wiring loom which 99% of the time is not fitted where it should go, and this is where dust is entering the vehicle. If you take off the plastic cover that hides the hydraulic jack, have a look in that cavity to see if there's lots of dust in that area. If yes, then its quite likely the grommet was not fitted, and so dust that comes off the rear wheels is being pumped inside the vehicle.

Hope that your problem is as simple as this.

Good luck in your investigations and let us know whether you have a trailer wiring loom fitted.... ;)

[Graham & Cathy]

Hi Graham,

I have driven my 200 Series on a super dusty road where the rear window on the outside is caked with talcum fine dust to the point where it has really obstructed visibility.

But the interior is squeaky clean. So I suspect you have a dust leak, and there is one very common entry point for dust that all LC200 owners should know about if the trailer wiring loom is fitted. This is my theory, so please take it at face value.

There is a big rubber grommet that is part of the trailer wiring loom which 99% of the time is not fitted where it should go, and this is where dust is entering the vehicle. If you take off the plastic cover that hides the hydraulic jack, have a look in that cavity to see if there's lots of dust in that area. If yes, then its quite likely the grommet was not fitted, and so dust that comes off the rear wheels is being pumped inside the vehicle.

Hope that your problem is as simple as this.

Good luck in your investigations and let us know whether you have a trailer wiring loom fitted.... ;)

Yes I fitted the trailer kit myself, I sealed the entry point grommets with silcone after fitting .

I have noticed that the dust is entering several areas , I lifted the floor trim to lay some new cables and found a fair bit of fine powder dust around the plastic retainers that locate in the floor.

My rear window was ok internally but externally is a major problem.

The dust also enters around the tool kit storage panels and around the door locks and handles,

This model is the poorest for sealing , .

Reagards Graham & Cathy

:(

[tempestv8]

Hmm, I have not experienced the dust issue with the tool kit, etc. In fact I had to show someone the tool kit and that was after driving on a dusty unsealed road. The interior remained spotless. Maybe it could be that Toyota have made some dust sealing improvements in the latest models? Mine is the updated model that was introduced mid 2009.

What has your Toyota dealer done to address your dust ingress problem?

[TCO]

Hmm, I have not experienced the dust issue with the tool kit, etc. In fact I had to show someone the tool kit and that was after driving on a dusty unsealed road. The interior remained spotless. Maybe it could be that Toyota have made some dust sealing improvements in the latest models? Mine is the updated model that was introduced mid 2009.

What has your Toyota dealer done to address your dust ingress problem?

Ours is one of the first models - delivered Dec 2007.

As long as the "fresh" is selected then it will pressurize the cab.

If I travel for more than 4-5kms on the gravel with "Recirc", I can smell the dust.

What I do is use fresh until another vehicle approaches, then switch to Recirc then back to fresh when the dust has cleared.

Our LC200 now has 95,000kms of which at least 15,000kms would be on the gravel and it is still relatively dust free in side.

Yep, the rear spoiler is a waste of time as far as keeping the back window clean.

TCO.

[Graham & Cathy]

Dealer has put in a report !! to Toyota but no action as usual.

[Mnemic]

I haven't got my 200 yet (it's a few days away), but I think that if you could somehow reduce the "vacuum" of air getting sucked out of the cabin by the breathers in the rear of the vehicle (like on the sides of a troopie), then even on "recirc" the cabin would be pressurized. By sealing them almost (or even completely) would be a start. Just gotta watch co2 buildup on long trips!

Your thoughts?

[DennisG]

My experience with travel in dusty areas is this.
When travelling in dusty areas, always keep the front air vents open to Fresh and have your ventilation fan running on high. That way you pressurise the cabin from the front. If you keep the vent on recirculate, in order to stop dust coming in the front, then you are inviting the entry of dust from the rear. I have used this technique on both 60 series GXL and 80 series GXL and it was always effective. I now have a 200 series Altitude and don't expect to find anything different in that respect. Try it, you might be surprised!
I learnt this technique from Army days on series 2A and 3 Landrovers. Even with canvas canopies, having the rear flap down, sides rolled up, vents open and fan running fast, the dust intrusion inside the vehicle was minimal, relatively speaking.

Edited March 28, 2015 by DennisG