If off-roading in CO with the windows down I will collect a layer of sandy dust on the interior. So far I've had my clock spring go bad an when I removed it it I found was very dusty. My auto up functionality on driver side also stopped working. I'm wondering if dust is the culprit, getting into the contacts, since my truck is only 8 years old. Does anybody else have these problems?

I’ve been 4-wheeling the Great Basin, Sierra Nevada, Death Valley, for the past five decades with all manner of trucks and have never had any issues. I was a stickler for windows down and AC turned off while off road until the last decade and now am getting too old for toughing it out.

My last two 4x4 vehicles have been Toyotas, an ‘02 Tacoma TRD and my current ‘18 4Runner SR5 and neither have had any electric or other problem. My grandson owns the Tacoma, which I gave him when I got the 4Runner.

I don’t do as much off roading as I used to, but I do use my 4Runner as an implement on my rural and isolated acreage. When dragging my driveways and the dirt road out to the highway, I keep the windows up and the AC in recirculation mode in warmer weather. I still get some dust, likely build up on the cabin air filter after dragging then pulling in the built up dust when I put the system back in fresh air mode. When dragging I have to remove the cabin air filter and blow it off with the air compressor often.

Given that I live on a dirt road and dirt ones outnumber paved ones out here, I seldom wash my rigs. But I do like to keep the interiors clean. After a dirty job or I let my rig get dirty inside, I generally take the air hose to the interior, focusing on climate control outlets, panel gaps, the CD player, upholstery and the like, before vacuuming and wiping down the surfaces.