Would love your advice - Maintenance on 2008 4Runner at 200,000 miles

Hey guys,

I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm just not a car guy. I love my 4runner, but I'm absolutely at the mercy of common sense and local mechanics when it comes to recommended maintenance. I keep my 4runner up, making sure to replace anything that needs it and always listen to the mechanic when he recommends something. All that being said, I don't have a regular mechanic who I trust to tell me when my 4runner needs preventative maintenance, and I'm long past Toyota's recommended maintenance lists now that I'm at 200,000 miles.

So, what would you guys recommend? I have a 2008 4runner, V6 4WD. I use the 4WD occasionally, maybe once every 3 months on a muddy gravel road. As far as I know, I've never had any type of maintenance done on the drive shaft or the differential. I've never had the radiator flushed. I've never had the transmission fluid messed with (due to it being sealed). I'm not listing these things to limit your recommendations to those parts, only to illustrate the kind of thing I'm talking about. Recommendations? What would you do if you were given a 4Runner w/ 200,000 miles on it and you didn't know what preventative maintenance had been done and what hadn't? I'd really like to put a list together, take it to a mechanic, and just ask them to do it. I love my 4Runner and want to keep it in good shape.

You guys have always helped me in the past and I'd love your input again. Thanks!

180k

Hi,

I am at 180K. My list would be.

-100K mile spark plugs
-brake fluid flush
-super long life coolant flush
-power steering flush
-air filter
-cabin air filter
-rear differential oil flush (get the fill cap loose before draining)
-keep the tranny sealed until you have issues
-run seafoam in your gas tank when you have at least 50% of a tank left and a little in your oil 50-100 miles before changing it. I run full synthetic high mileage oil.

I have 205,000 miles on my 2005 gen 4 V6 SR5 4WD.

Recommendations as a matter of good maintenance at high mileage:
- detail the entire vehicle inside and out, this lets you know what needs attention
- top up coolant, steering fluid, brake fluid and washer fluid
- rear axle oil change
- transfer case oil change
- front axle oil change
- transmission oil change (it is not sealed)
- engine oil change (assume you have done this regularly anyway)
- spark plugs replacement
- engine air filter replacement

Wear items if you need them:
- front and rear stabilizer bar bushings
- front and rear stabilizer bar links
- front CV shafts
- front wheel bearings
- front and rear shocks
- front and rear rotors and pads
- tires

Fix what's broken, if you have anything. Too many possibilities to list, but here are some common ones:
- headlamp assemblies replacement due to hazing
- LED bulb replacement in climate control panel
- all light bulbs on the vehicle, as needed

Post your progress and keep asking questions.

Recommendations on preventive maintence at 200K?

Anything I'm forgetting? Preventative maintenance at 200k miles... - Toyota 4Runner Forum - Largest 4Runner Forum

200k Maintenance for 4th Gen T4R

Approaching 200,000 miles

180k Interval Service? - Toyota 4Runner Forum - Largest 4Runner Forum

rbmcmurt said:

Hey guys,

I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm just not a car guy. I love my 4runner, but I'm absolutely at the mercy of common sense and local mechanics when it comes to recommended maintenance. I keep my 4runner up, making sure to replace anything that needs it and always listen to the mechanic when he recommends something. All that being said, I don't have a regular mechanic who I trust to tell me when my 4runner needs preventative maintenance, and I'm long past Toyota's recommended maintenance lists now that I'm at 200,000 miles.

So, what would you guys recommend? I have a 2008 4runner, V6 4WD. I use the 4WD occasionally, maybe once every 3 months on a muddy gravel road. As far as I know, I've never had any type of maintenance done on the drive shaft or the differential. I've never had the radiator flushed. I've never had the transmission fluid messed with (due to it being sealed). I'm not listing these things to limit your recommendations to those parts, only to illustrate the kind of thing I'm talking about. Recommendations? What would you do if you were given a 4Runner w/ 200,000 miles on it and you didn't know what preventative maintenance had been done and what hadn't? I'd really like to put a list together, take it to a mechanic, and just ask them to do it. I love my 4Runner and want to keep it in good shape.

You guys have always helped me in the past and I'd love your input again. Thanks!

Click to expand...

This is my current completed maintenance 2008 SR5 4x2 V6
Oil changed - full synthetic/synthetic oil specific filter at ~189,000, change at 196,500. Use new crush washers on plug.

Tires rotate every 6000 - 8000 miles. Trip B tracks tire mileage.

Rear differential - fullsynthetic changed at ~189,000. Change at 249,000.

Power steering fluid changed at ~184,000. Change at 244,000.

Trans fluid replace with 14 Qts WS + Long Life Additive and new filter and seal ~182,000. At 232,000 you will want to drain the pan (this will provide 2.5 - 3.5 qts of fluid. You have to measure the exact amount and then replace. This allows you to check the fluid condition and put some new in without a full service. The full service I would recommend at 257,000 (~75,000 more miles).

Coolant drain and fill. Fully replaced at ~184,000. Drained the radiator and the block. Change at 244,000.

Throttle Body and MAF Sensor Cleaning. ~184,000. Change at 244,000.
Check earlier if you notice any changes in gas mileage or feel rough throttle conditions.

K&N Charged at ~179,000. Recharge every 15,000. Charge at 194,000. Change cabin air filter also.

Brake fluid exchange at ~189,000 with new rear Pro-Act Akebono premium pads and Bosch premium rotors.

Upper Control Arm (UCA), driver side is new at ~184,000. New castle nut and pin added at alignment ~ 189,000.

Steering knock sound at slow speed Issue is discussed in link. Grease added on wheel stops. Fixed issue.
Nasty sound on right turn

Spark plugs:
Long life plugs NGK at ~ 100,000 change at 220,000. If you notice any issues with fuel economy or startup/idle change before hand. Make sure you hand thread spark plugs with ease always before any torque tightening during install. Use an antisieze to prevent them getting frozen. Tape your socket wrench attachments together so they don't come apart in the head of the engine.

Continental drivebelt changed at ~189,000.

New OEM positive battery terminal replaced. ~189,000

This is a good list. I would only add a couple things that I *think* I didn't see:

-fuel filter
-spark plug wires

I buy almost everything from RockAuto these days. It's very easy to get a 5% off coupon for them