Toyota Land Cruiser: 2H / 12H-T diesel: tired injectors, glow plugs and start-up smoke
2H / 12H-T diesel: tired injectors, glow plugs and start-up smoke is a common engine fault on the Toyota Land Cruiser on the 1980–1989 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $800 to $2,600 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 42 documented faults on the Toyota Land Cruiser.
- Vehicle
- Toyota Land Cruiser
- Engine
- 12H-T
- Years
- 1980–1989
- Fuel
- diesel
- System
- Engine
What you are looking at
Example of the part — not this vehicleA common-rail diesel injector. Contamination damages the nozzle at the tip.
What goes wrong
The 4.0 six-cylinder diesel in the HJ60 is a slow, tough engine that will run a very long time, but after forty years the injectors and glow plugs are usually the weak point. Worn injectors give a heavy diesel knock and blue-grey smoke on a cold start that hangs around longer than it should; failed glow plugs turn a cold morning into a long, smoky crank. Neither is catastrophic on its own, but hard cold starting is hard on the starter, the battery and the head, and persistent white smoke after warm-up is worth taking seriously rather than dismissing as "they all do that". A set of injectors serviced and glow plugs replaced transforms how one of these drives.
What you would notice
- Long cranking on a cold morning before it fires
- Blue or grey smoke at start-up that takes a while to clear
- Heavier-than-usual diesel knock, especially from one part of the engine
- White smoke that continues after the engine is warm
How to check it
Where to look. Injectors and glow plugs along the top of the cylinder head; exhaust at the rear
Ask the seller not to warm it up before you arrive — the cold start is the whole test on an old diesel, and a pre-warmed engine tells you nothing.
Watch the glow-plug light: it should come on, go out, and then the engine should fire promptly.
Stand where you can see the exhaust for the first minute and note how long any smoke takes to clear.
Listen for a knock that is louder or harsher on one cylinder than the rest.
Take it far enough to get fully hot, then look at the exhaust again — smoke that is still there when hot means more than a cold-start quirk.
If a workshop inspection is possible: ask for a compression test and for the injectors to be tested on a bench.
What it costs to put right
$800 to $2,600 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.
Ask the seller
- “When were the injectors last serviced or replaced?”
- “Have the glow plugs been done?”
- “How does it start on a cold morning?”
Now check the Toyota Land Cruiser you are actually looking at
Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.
Where this comes from
- HJ60 diesel reliability and off-road use buyer's guide (Alibaba product-insights)
- IH8MUD Forum — 'FJ60 common problems' thread, HJ60 diesel posts
Toyota Land Cruiser buyer questions
Is 2h / 12h-t diesel: tired injectors, glow plugs and start-up smoke serious on a Toyota Land Cruiser?
We rate it major and common on the Toyota Land Cruiser. The 4.0 six-cylinder diesel in the HJ60 is a slow, tough engine that will run a very long time, but after forty years the injectors and glow plugs are usually the weak point. Worn injectors give a heavy diesel knock and blue-grey smoke on a cold start that hangs around longer than it should; failed glow plugs turn a cold morning into a long, smoky crank. Neither is catastrophic on its own, but hard cold starting is hard on the starter, the battery and the head, and persistent white smoke after warm-up is worth taking seriously rather than dismissing as "they all do that". A set of injectors serviced and glow plugs replaced transforms how one of these drives.
How much does it cost to fix on a Toyota Land Cruiser?
$800 to $2,600 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.
Which Toyota Land Cruiser years are affected?
Our research records this fault on the 1980–1989 Toyota Land Cruiser. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.
How do I check for it before I buy?
Ask the seller not to warm it up before you arrive — the cold start is the whole test on an old diesel, and a pre-warmed engine tells you nothing. Watch the glow-plug light: it should come on, go out, and then the engine should fire promptly. Stand where you can see the exhaust for the first minute and note how long any smoke takes to clear. Listen for a knock that is louder or harsher on one cylinder than the rest. Take it far enough to get fully hot, then look at the exhaust again — smoke that is still there when hot means more than a cold-start quirk. If a workshop inspection is possible: ask for a compression test and for the injectors to be tested on a bench. Look here: Injectors and glow plugs along the top of the cylinder head; exhaust at the rear