1989 Diesel RH Drive

N

nynole

New member
A friend of mine is moving out of the country and he is leaving behind his '90 4Runner. It is a diesel RH drive that he brought into the U.S. from BC Canada. It has approx. 110,000 miles and it appears to be in good running order. He's had it for about 3 years and it has been his daily driver. He has all his service records. He has offered to sell it to me.

My greatest concern is reliability. My wife doesn't like the fact that it is a 22 year old truck. This is going to have to last me a while and I have never owned a diesel passenger vehicle (I use to own a '98 Peterbilt). I've looked it over, didn't notice any leaks or wet spots on the undercarriage. Body is fair with a spot of rust in the door jambs. It needs shocks, but that's about all I can tell from my test drive.

Anybody own one of these or have a guess on how many miles one of these diesel motors can last?

Thanks for reading my post
 
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The diesels are very rare, but there are a few here with them.

For reliability, I would assume that the combination of diesel and Toyota would mean for a very reliable engine, but that is off assumption (and personal bias).

I drove my '87 4Runner as a daily driver for a year and a half before retiring it to an additional vehicle in January. If it was well taken care of, and you take care of it, expect it to last. Be mindful of it's age, and play gently as much as possible, and keep an eye on everything. I check oil every time I fill up, and glance at other fluids and around the engine bay as well. Listen for changes in the way the engine runs, as well as any other sounds the vehicle makes.

Most of all, enjoy having one of the rarest 4Runners here. :cheers:
 
nynole said:
A friend of mine is moving out of the country and he is leaving behind his '90 4Runner. It is a diesel RH drive that he brought into the U.S. from BC Canada. It has approx. 110,000 miles and it appears to be in good running order. He's had it for about 3 years and it has been his daily driver. He has all his service records. He has offered to sell it to me.

My greatest concern is reliability. My wife doesn't like the fact that it is a 22 year old truck. This is going to have to last me a while and I have never owned a diesel passenger vehicle (I use to own a '98 Peterbilt). I've looked it over, didn't notice any leaks or wet spots on the undercarriage. Body is fair with a spot of rust in the door jambs. It needs shocks, but that's about all I can tell from my test drive.

Anybody own one of these or have a guess on how many miles one of these diesel motors can last?

Thanks for reading my post
Click to expand...


I believe that one was the 2.4l TD engine? The 2.4's had dodgy heads that would overheat and crack. There was a fix for it so check it that was applied or not.

Wikipedia sums it up fairly well:-

"A commonly noted weakness on the 2.4 turbodiesel engine is a tendency to crack the cylinder head. Any episode of overheating may result in internal cracking of the head. Some were recalled in their domestic market and had the head replaced. The replacement "modified" head is the same head as fitted to the 2.8 normally aspirated diesel models."

Otherwise you stand to save a bit on fuel costs. I hear those can get 30+ MPG. Enjoy!
 
Thanks for all the replies. I also feel that the combination of Toyota and diesel would make for a reliable engine. My friend did mention the issue with the heads when he offered me the truck and he did say that the fix was applied.

Its in good shape and well taken care of. The problem is that the last 2 vehicles I bought ('03 LR Disco & '01 Saab 9-3) were total lemons. I was wrenching under the Disco every w/end, and the Saab succumbed to a failed oil pump. So my wife doesn't trust my car buying judgment, especially on a 22 year old truck.

Wish me luck!
 
i dont blame her, given your sh1te past selections..... jesus man, its funny that common sense comes in the form of a 20+ year old vehicle. Welcome to sensibility! not the kardashians
 
Any Toyota would be better a Saab, and in the early 2000`s GM + Saab = Junk. LR Disco? Wow. There is a reason why owners of Land Rovers ditch their rides as soon as the warranty is up. You will be much happier with a Toyota. Make sure it gets a little TLC once in a while. Just warn your wife about the wipers. I always hit the wipers instead of the signals on RHD vehicles. Funny thing is I had no problem hammering through the gears.
 
So I have the service records for the past 4 years. Here is a list of repairs/maintenance since September 2007:

9/2007 Head Conversion

6/2008 Rear Pinion Bearing/Seal

10/2008 Rebuild Starter

4/2009 Muffler

10/2009 Alternator; (L)Tie Rod; Idler Arm; Timing belt; Engine Block Heater

11/2009 Harmonic Balancer

12/2009 Front Wheel Bearing

2/2010 Left Rear Door Glass

10/2010 Exhaust

11/2010 Brakes/Front Caliper; Hood Alignment


One thing I noticed is that the shop replaced the idler arm (and left tie-rod assembly) on 10/16/2009. Then on an invoice dated 11/16/2010, the same shop recommends that the idler arm be replaced (again). I haven't asked the truck's owner about that yet.

The truck's got 164,281km on the clock (the gauges are metric), around 102,000 miles.

We haven't haggled about price yet. Any suggestions?

:thanks:
 
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