I'm looking for a used 4Runner Limited. A lot of them have the automatic running boards on them, which I don't want. Can I just remove them or, since they are automatic, is that going to generate some sort of warning light or error code?

You should be able to simply unplug and unbolt them without a problem. I’d be surprised if you had any issue.

I can see why you might not want the automatic running boards on a 4 Runner that you might off road at times, just makes sense. As far as buying the Limited model which I consider it the Mail Crawler model, I would want them on the vehicle if they were so equipped. I live in Ft. Worth, Texas and you would think most 4 Runners would be the more off road models, but for some reason there are a lot of Limited's, way more than I thought there would be running the streets of Ft. Worth and most are on their way to the Mail, I guess.

Just turn them off so they never deploy. If you want to put on rock rails or fixed running boards, you will have to remove them then.

So, heres the deal, its funny you say that a lot of them have auto running boards, its REALLY REALLY rare that these vehicles have auto running boards, like 1 in 100 Limited 4runners got Auto running boards. So if you are seeing multiple limited 4runners with auto running boards thats kinda crazy.

So, on to this, if you dont want them deploying or are scared they are going to give you problems down the road, you have a switch on the dash where you can just cut them off or you can simply pull the fuse for the auto boards and.... They simply quit working.

If you dont like where they sit, or how far they hang down, or whatever the reasoning is, simply pull the fuse, and then unbolt them from the body and they are no longer there. IF you go this route, and you want to make a few bucks i would be willing to offer you a fair price for the running boards, the switch in the dash, and the computer bolted behind the kick panel.

Do vehicles that did not come with auto running boards, have the wiring for boards and switch? And, is there some computer involved in their operation that might not also be there?

We have the fixed running boards on our 2013 SR5 that I removed to give my wife easier access from her wheelchair and I did not see any wiring or connectors for the auto version.

No, the auto running boards are installed at the time of production on the production line. They have their own wiring harness, computer that controls the boards, switch on the dash, and wiring down to the boards that bolt into the factory location like all other running boards on the body.
You can not get auto running boards for a Limited or TRD Sport (has limited body and low side skirts) from anywhere but the factory, none of the aftermarket companies that make auto running boards make them for the Limited models because the side skirts hang down lower on the Limited. The aftermarket companies make them for the standard models, SR5, Offroad, ect ect. These have a shorter side skirt that doesnt hang down as low as the Limited.

If you have an SR5 or one of the similar models with the shorter side skirt you can buy them from three different manufacturers and install them yourself.
If you have a Limited or TRD Sport then you can only get them from Toyota and they are only installed during assembly. For reference, when Toyota announced the TRD Sport in late October 2021, i had already been looking for a 4wd white Limited with red interior and auto running boards and had been looking country wide for almost a year and was unable to locate one. Once the TRD Sport was announced and it was in super white, i wanted one of them worse than the Limited in pearl. I immediately went to multiple dealers and told them the codes i wanted, and told them to look. For 6 months i kept calling and waiting and had no luck country wide. I paid for the subscription to Moroney and got a vin decoder and started searching weekly for every vehicle Toyota produced searching for the codes i wanted
-white
-TRD Sport
-4wd
-technology package
-premium audio package
-auto running boards
From the time Toyota announced the TRD Sport in October, and vehicles started hitting dealers in December 2021, there had only been 9 4runners built that met my criteria. The auto running boards are the hardest to find, there are tons of them that met all the other stuff, but the auto running boards are very very very hard to come by. This is what makes one with auto running boards hard to find, i bet there were 1000 white TRD Sport 4wd with technology package, premium audio package, but only 9 had auto running boards. You cant order from Toyota, so basically you are waiting for what comes down the line. If you want a Limited or TRD Sport with auto running boards you gotta search for it.
If you have an SR5 or Pro or Offroad ect, you can order them and install yourself.
AMP Research
Go Rhino
Aires
all 3 of those companies sell auto running boards for the
SR5
SR5 Premium
TRD Offroad
TRD Offroad Premium
TRD Pro
Venture
(may also fit some other model i cant remember off hand)

what is a Mail Crawler? you mean mall crawler?

I've seen plenty of built up offroad rigs with not a single scratch on them. Also have seen winches that I'm 100% sure have never been unspooled. perhaps I'm a bit salty since I want a winch and don't have one... I've also seen people wheel CUVs and SUVs youd think have no business being on a trail. sometimes you gotta make do with what you've got

just as an FYI to people the limited has the same torsen centre diff/ fulltime 4wd set up as the GX and landcruiser. with ATRAC the lack of locking rear diff on the trims that don't have it is not going to hamper your ability to hit trails except in the most extreme situations. wheels, tires, suspension and bumpers are removable/modifiable components

Saw something on instagram yesterday, some jeep club was wheeling this mountain in Colorado and got to the top and made a reel.
"we have been running 4Low for 4-5 hours on this trail and we get to the top and this is what we see"
>camera pans around past the 6ish Jeeps decked out<
2 subaru and their owners sitting up there at the top already enjoying the view

i had a hearty laugh.

with instagram and youtube it makes it seem like you need those accessories and built up rigs to hit the trail. and it can be discouraging to a lot of new offroaders. with the prices of vehicles and accessories these days many people can't afford a dedicated trail pig AND have a second or even third vehicle as primary family vehicles

So, it turns out that most, if not all, of the vehicles I was seeing had aftermarket running boards. I saw running boards in the pictures and since I new that the only running boards shown for the Limited in the brochure were the automatic ones, I assumed that was what I was seeing.

The Limited has three options of running boards, and i would say about 40-50% of Limiteds produced come with running boards. These are standard flat platform chrome edge running boards that stick out. You can get the same running board solid black, the Nightshade also comes with the running boards in black. I would venture to say about 1% or less come with auto running boards.
There are plenty of aftermarket options as well.