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Toyota 4Runner Maintenance and Repair



  • tidestertidester Posts: 10,109
    A spoiler on a race car is intended to improve road grip by producing a downward force on the vehicle at high speed. On passenger vehicles including the relatively heavy and non-aerodynamic 4Runner, a spoiler is mostly just decoration with little practical benefit.

    tidester, host
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  • blackdog4blackdog4 Posts: 67
    I believe that I read somewhere that the spoiler is supposed to keep the rear window cleaner in bad weather as it changes the air flow coming over the top of the vehicle. I have a Sequoia with a spoiler and it certainly is not a perfect solution.
  • If it is to help keep the window clean, why does every 4runner or Sequoia not have a spoiler. If you look most SR5's have one but the Limited's do not. I think that it is just to give the SR5 the sporty look. The Limited already has enough goodies to make it look good.
  • julietjjulietj Posts: 15
    The goofy spoiler serves no purpose whatsoever ... if my 4Runner didn't already have one when I got it, I wouldn't have one; in fact, I refused to pay for it. I can't figure out how to take it off without leaving big holes, or it'd be gone! In any case, the rear window gets so dirty in the rain that I can't see out of it, so that's not a good excuse for them either. My best guess is that some people like them, and it's just another expensive ($400) accessory.
  • tpttpt Posts: 2
    Hi all. Have a 2010 Runner 4wd Limited. First week and so far so good. Really enjoy the size, ride and features. Question -- i washed it for the firs time today and opened the rear door -- there was water up all along the inside of the doors (not inside the car) but in the areas where the door meets the car frame and along the bumper under the door. For example the hydrolic arms for the door were very wet. Is this normal? Am wondering if they left out a door seal or something. Thoughts? Thanks.
  • tsu670tsu670 Posts: 293
    Perhaps the spoiler in the '98 models wasn't very functional, but we have a '08 4Runner Limited with the device, and I must say it does indeed help keep the rear window clear.
  • julietjjulietj Posts: 15
    Unless something has changed since 2003 (the year of my Sport Edition) there should be a gasket around the inside edge of the door where it snugs up to the body of the car, and the outside edge beside the windows, but not the outside edge of the door below the window. Water shouldn't get inside the car, but can get in between the door and the door frame outside the gasket, which is where the hinges are.
  • t4r4met4r4me Posts: 4
    It was listed as a $200 option on the 4th gens on the sticker - $600 dealer OEM and $200 aftermaket ebay jobbie. Looks nakid without em.
  • boats3boats3 Posts: 42
    Here is my issue, I know it is going to be difficult to help but here we go. Just got a 2005, and the air ride light is blinking, has anyone ever had this issue and what was the cause. Also, does anyone know what he cause may be? I am going to take the car to the shop but I was hoping for any insight if someone has run into this before. Thanks.
  • hodapp42hodapp42 Posts: 2
    Had a similar problem on my 92 sr5 Runner. Ran perfect until one day, no spark. did everything i could and it ended up being just a loose/bad connection to the battery. this can cause loss of engine power which could affect braking power under adverse conditions (i.e. down a hill). try removing and cleaning terminal connections (checker or place like that sells terminal scrubbing tools for like 5 bucks just ask an employee) and also check/tighten connections to the alternator. hopefully this helps
  • hodapp42hodapp42 Posts: 2
    So it all worked great until one day it made a popping sound as i tried to roll down the back glass on the tailgate and it sort of fell on the right side like it came off track. it still goes up and down just needs help to go straight. Does anyone know if this could be an easy fix if i were to take it off and work on it? Or should i take it somewhere to have it fixed? And where could i take it? Appreciate any help. Thanks :sick:
  • Have an 03 SR5 4X4 4Runner and the inside temperature will only blow cold air on low and hot air on high. There is no in between. Has anyone seen this behavior before and/or know how to resolve?
  • I have a 1986 4runner, 4cyl. its been sitting for ten years and i put in a new fuel pump, replaced the alternator, and it has new spark plugs and spark wires. it will start but only after recieving a jump. before the new alternator the batterie would not hold a charge but it hold a good one now. the problem is that it still will not start. it attempts to turn over but just cant do it by itself. what should i do? :confuse:
  • dave290dave290 Posts: 2
    oib622, did you ever get a response to your question? I have '95 4Runner with the same problem. I can be driving down the road quietly, hit a small bump and the thing starts howling and I can feel it in the floor board. If I throw it in 4WD it usually stops. Have given the Toyota dealer $4K to fix. They've replaced suspension, tie-rods, wheel bearings, CV's, struts, etc, but it continues...
  • dave290dave290 Posts: 2
    Anybody have an idea what may be causing an intermittent, very loud grinding noise coming out of the left front of my 95 4 runner 4x4? Can be driving down the road quietly, hit a small bump and the thing starts howling and I can feel it in the floor board. If I throw it in 4WD it usually stops. Have given the Toyota dealer $4K to fix. They've replaced suspension, tie-rods, wheel bearings, CV's, struts, etc, but it continues.
  • dsc3507dsc3507 Posts: 2
    My Wife's 2001 4Runner has CEL and VSC lights on. A scan shows P1135 which translates to Bank 1 Sensor 1 Heater circuit.

    The car has 104,000 miles.

    At this point I have disconnected the front A/F sensor and I measure about 2 ohms heater resistance. I also measured the source voltage and it is about 9.5 volts, measured across the heater pins.

    I cleaned and reseated the connector and reset the code but it returns after the engine heats up or after driving less than a mile.

    At this point I am in a quandary as to what to do. The sensor has never been replaced so it it probably due but the heater seems to be OK by the resistance measurement. Possibly the element could open up as it heats. I am not sure if this is a possible failure scenario.

    I am assuming there is only one forward O2 (A/F) sensor in the 2001 4runner? I did check the rear one and it measured a higher heater resistance which I think is expected.

    In checking through internet data on Toyota I see there is an A/F relay talked about. Is there one in the 2001 4runner?

    Any help or guidance on where to go from here would be appreciated.
  • mhuddlesmhuddles Posts: 1
    I have recently bought a 2004 4Runner SR5 4WD and I am looking for help with 2 problems I am having with it. I do not know much of anything about cars so any help is helpful. When I am driving and press the accelerator I can hear a clicking noise that sounds like it is coming from the engine. The fast I go or harder I press the accelerator the louder it gets. Any ideas? Second problem, I live in the mountains and drive on a lot of steep hills. The traction light in the car is always coming on. A LOT and the engine makes a grinding noise and then sometimes the car starts to beep. It has also staled on me twice when this has happened. If anyone has anyideas please let me know. Thanks
  • canddmeyercanddmeyer Posts: 384
    The stalling I have no useful info, but the traction light is probably a sensor going awry. Best bet is to have the dealer tackle the traction light issue. Then if it stalls on them they may also find the stalling issue. They'll have to hook the computer up to a diagnostic tool for the VSC, so it may find the stalling issue too.

    As for the engine clicking, I dunno. The V6 engine is known for noisy fuel injectors. The noise though could be many a thing.
  • japfanjapfan Posts: 4
    I previously posted a question asking if anyone has had problems with their dash lights going on and off. I am having other problems now as well. The air conditioning is stuck on all the time now! Whenever I turn on the fan, the AC goes on. The switch on the dashboard that is supposed to turn the AC on and off still seems to be working, ( at least it lights up when I push it in). Also, my radio has just stopped working as well. I looked for a fuse that is connected to the radio circuit, and I can't locate one. ( nothing in the fuse box labeled "Radio"). I am going to try and get a TSRM from the library to see exactly how to tear apart the dashboard and locate any fuses for the radio, possibly it may have an inline fuse? I will also have to test the AC switch with a voltmeter to see it that is really working. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
  • I have a 1995 4Runner with 193,000 miles- 3.0 liter V6. The head gasket was replaced at 135,000 by a mechanic. Recently, after driving for 20 minutes I noticed white smoke coming from the engine. Figured I blew a radiator hose somewhere but was confused as I just replaced the two hoses at the radiator and the 6 hoses by the heater core within the past 2 months.

    Upon filling radiator, I turned on the car to notice a fair amount of radiator fluid dripping under the car and coming off the area by the front differential. Unfortunately, I cannot see around the differential from below or down from above to eye ball this leak.

    If I blew the gasket again, why is there no water in the oil pan(dipstick clean) or why did I not have smoke from the tail pipe? Seems like this leak has to be something else, as the head gasket only has 50k miles on it. Your thoughts and comments are appreciated. buckeyetom
  • duke15duke15 Posts: 161



  • duke15duke15 Posts: 161



  • boats3boats3 Posts: 42
    Water pump possibly?
  • rooter2rooter2 Posts: 1
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