A couple of issues need some insight.

[mikesayboom]

Hey guys I purchased my new to me 4runner back in March with 217k miles with 2 owners and with lots of history of receipts and maintenance. Since then Ive put 10k miles on it as a grocery getter and camping/mountain biking trips. I have loved every second owning this thing I wish i would have purchased one of these a long time ago. Sorry its a long read but its just some things I've noticed since its been in my hands. My runner is a 1998 v6 4x4. I thought I included it but i guess i left it out.

Since owning it I've done a few Things to make sure this thing is in tip top shape. I did the Valve cover gaskets with new plugs and wires and air filter. I had a small oil leak on the valve cover and did lots of research and followed a DIY i found on here to do the whole job and everything went well with no problems at all. BUT I found another DIY that said to change out the cam seals and i didn't do that and it was already to late as I've already sealed up and i didn't notice any kind of oil leaks until recently I was driving pretty aggressive in my car pedal to the metal and when i got home i noticed a few oil droplets on the bottom of the engine around the steering rack. I cleaned everything off and have been watching it closely and haven't seen any more drips. Would me gunning it light to light cause a leak out of the rear cam seals? or where else could that come from?


Another issue I was yesterday I was in some really heavy traffic on my way home and everything was fine and good until i tried to go and my car just died. I put it in park quickly and turned the key and it turned back on and ran the rest of the way home just fine. and this morning in traffic back to work it ran fine as well. I got new tires about a month ago and they did a battery test check and said the battery was below their operating level. Would a bad battery cause my car to just die like that on the highway?


and finally 1k miles ago i did the complete drain and fill of the transmission with brand new mobil1 synthetic fluid all 16 quarts. and the car has been shifting so smooth since I've done it. But what I've noticed now is that every now and then when I come to a complete stop and I go again the whole car kind of shifts i guess you could say. I don't feel like its related to the transmission because i feel like its more from when I let go of the brakes. I checked the transmission levels and the levels are fine I need to drain some i think because when its at a completely cold start and i run it through the gears and check its maybe 1/4in above the cold line. I just hope its more to do with the brakes then transmission. I don't want to deal with having to get a new tranny anytime soon.


Sorry for the long read guys. Ive searched around and couldn't get any direct answer from old threads. and all the info that i get from here has been great. Thanks for the help

 

[mckennar]

Howdy, I can't provide much insight about the cam seal question but the last two I think I can.

First though, can you put your vehicle's year and engine/drivetrain (4x2/4x4) in your original post via an edit? Assuming V6 due to the plural use of "valve cover gaskets" but can't be 100%.

Next, re:stalling, intermittent issues are tough but as a matter of maintenance, I'd clean your MAF (using the correct spray) and clean out your throttle body, paying attention to your idle air controller (IAC) valve area. Your IAC could be sticking, or at worst need replacement. There are writeups for this. Could also be an issue with fuel delivery, so I'd make sure the fuel filter is in top shape. Lastly, the throttle position sensors in these can go bad without throwing an active check engine light. Mine was bad for 10k miles before the light came on. Replaced it and boom, engine ran smoother than I remember.

Last, the "bump". Grease your rear driveshaft with the correct grease for the slip yoke and double cardan if you have one (according to the FSM - these are two different types of grease). Pay close attention to the slip yoke in the rear driveshaft, as that's probably where the "bump" feeling is coming from when you let off the brakes. It was more pronounced for me when I had really saggy rear springs... which brings up another point - you might have a perfectly lubed slip yoke but a bad set of springs causing it to feel like it's sticking.

Take a peek at your rear bump stops (within the spring) and measure how much space there is between the lower spring perch and the lowest part of the bump stop. If it's under 2", you might want to look into getting replacement rear springs ($150 - 200) OR as a temporary band-aid, a $35 set of 1.5" Daystar spacers to restore back end height. There are write ups on all of this, too.

Anyhow, I hope this helps somewhat, I'm sure others will pipe in with more. But welcome to the community and best of luck with your "new" (to you) truck!

 

[mtbtim]

Ok, with the valve cover job you did. Yes, you pretty much screwed up not replacing the cam plugs while you were in there because it is a known spot for leaks. Did you reseal the 2 half moons on each head when you did the job? They are another potential area that can leak.

If you decide to go back in to do the cam seals, here's a video [MENTION=102606]infamousRNR[/MENTION] and I did for the job:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N5fAXAuGozI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The dying issue sounds like a potential bad connection. I'd take off the battery cables, clean them up and clean up the posts on the battery as well. Look for the ground connection and see that it's not corroded and tight. The fact that it restarted and then ran fine the next day doesn't sound like a charging issue but I would suggest going to an auto parts store that will check the strength of your battery and test your charging system as well. If you have a multimeter, you can do this yourself.

The issue where you're feeling the vehicle shift after a stop sounds like the very common slip yoke binding problem with our rigs. The slip yoke binds on the driveshaft because the zerk fitting does a poor job of lubricating the upper splines of the yoke. I've found a fix for this and it involves removing your slip yoke, greasing it, and reinstalling.

And, here's a couple of videos I did for the slip yoke binding problem:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oKX5UeE2Txs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jyltxe2nPEg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Good Luck!

 

[shahsmerdis]

If you doubt your battery, go to any auto zone, or advance auto and they would be happy to test your battery. Only way is to load test.

make sure you measure your tranny at operating temp. take a rag at the back of your engine and see if you have any leaks. [MENTION=120071]mtbtim[/MENTION] Pretty much explains every step you need to watch out for when doing your valve cover. You probably need to go back and seal them up.

 

[mtbtim]

One thing I forgot to mention is use one of those telescoping mirrors with a built-in light to visualize the backs of the heads where the cam plugs are. I'd wipe off the area with a rag and cleaner and then keep an eye on it to see if any oil is seeping out from there. If you don't already own one of those telescoping mirrors, I'd suggest buying one because they are very handy.

 

[runnyrunnerton]

make sure your alternator is good. Make sure the battery is charged, fire up engine, disconnect battery. If the alternator is bad, the car will die. (i think you I bought a new battery, and almost killed it till i tested the alternator and realized it was gone. Good chance to do the alternator upgrade and a big three conversion, but swapping out the alternator is no big deal, if you don't want to upgrade. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9n9kt24wnO4

no help from me on oil leaks because i have yet to stop all of mine.

your transmission slip, or shifting, could me a number of issues. before you blame the transmission, make sure all your suspension components are tight. My passenger rear shock has come loose 3 times and get a signature clunk when it settles, this mystified me for years. I had a bolt back out on my lower link and cause a settling/takeoff clunk as well. Then there are the u-joints.....

 

[StreetCreeper]

Don't disconnect the battery when the truck is running. That's an old-school method for old-school vehicles. It's my understanding that doing that to modern vehicles can result in voltage surges or other nasty things to your charging system or ECU.

Use multimeter or take it to someone with the proper tools to test your charging system.

 

[mikesayboom]

Ok, with the valve cover job you did. Yes, you pretty much screwed up not replacing the cam plugs while you were in there because it is a known spot for leaks. Did you reseal the 2 half moons on each head when you did the job? They are another potential area that can leak.

If you decide to go back in to do the cam seals, here's a video [MENTION=102606]infamousRNR[/MENTION] and I did for the job:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N5fAXAuGozI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

sadly I want to say I saw your post afterwards that showed that me not doing the cam seals is what got me thinking about the leak. The previous owner didn't fix the oil leak around the valve cover so there is oil all over the back. this weekend i plan on degreasing it and doing a few more hard runs and be able to see if any oil is coming out. i don't see oil coming out from anywhere else on the VCs. i have a small telescopic mirror but i dont have one that has a light so ill look into finding investing one.

I plan on getting a new battery here soon since cooler weather is on the way. but I'm going to head to the auto parts store after work to do a alt/batt test after work and see what happens there.

The next round of maintenance and upgrades will be around the end of november Ill add the fuel filter, and do your diy of the slip/yoke binding issue as well. i have some rear sag going on now that i carry a bike rack full time and now my car looks pretty ridiculous rake going on. Its very minimal but it drives me nuts.


Thanks for all the help guys. I love learning to do stuff myself and saving the money to add to my lift and other outdoor sports.

 

[PWD4R]

With the random dying... that seems to be common but no one has a real answer as to why. They say it happens every 3-4 months lol. I am right on par with that.. just out of nowhere then it'll be good to go for a while lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mikesayboom]

With the random dying... that seems to be common but no one has a real answer as to why. They say it happens every 3-4 months lol. I am right on par with that.. just out of nowhere then it'll be good to go for a while lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

ha yeah it was extremely random and a bad time to do it too. really bad traffic here in dallas and the guy in my review had his hands in the air like wtf why isn't he moving

 

[gamefreakgc]

Hey guys I purchased my new to me 4runner back in March with 217k miles with 2 owners and with lots of history of receipts and maintenance. Since then Ive put 10k miles on it as a grocery getter and camping/mountain biking trips. I have loved every second owning this thing I wish i would have purchased one of these a long time ago. Sorry its a long read but its just some things I've noticed since its been in my hands. My runner is a 1998 v6 4x4. I thought I included it but i guess i left it out.

Since owning it I've done a few Things to make sure this thing is in tip top shape. I did the Valve cover gaskets with new plugs and wires and air filter. I had a small oil leak on the valve cover and did lots of research and followed a DIY i found on here to do the whole job and everything went well with no problems at all. BUT I found another DIY that said to change out the cam seals and i didn't do that and it was already to late as I've already sealed up and i didn't notice any kind of oil leaks until recently I was driving pretty aggressive in my car pedal to the metal and when i got home i noticed a few oil droplets on the bottom of the engine around the steering rack. I cleaned everything off and have been watching it closely and haven't seen any more drips. Would me gunning it light to light cause a leak out of the rear cam seals? or where else could that come from?


Another issue I was yesterday I was in some really heavy traffic on my way home and everything was fine and good until i tried to go and my car just died. I put it in park quickly and turned the key and it turned back on and ran the rest of the way home just fine. and this morning in traffic back to work it ran fine as well. I got new tires about a month ago and they did a battery test check and said the battery was below their operating level. Would a bad battery cause my car to just die like that on the highway?


and finally 1k miles ago i did the complete drain and fill of the transmission with brand new mobil1 synthetic fluid all 16 quarts. and the car has been shifting so smooth since I've done it. But what I've noticed now is that every now and then when I come to a complete stop and I go again the whole car kind of shifts i guess you could say. I don't feel like its related to the transmission because i feel like its more from when I let go of the brakes. I checked the transmission levels and the levels are fine I need to drain some i think because when its at a completely cold start and i run it through the gears and check its maybe 1/4in above the cold line. I just hope its more to do with the brakes then transmission. I don't want to deal with having to get a new tranny anytime soon.


Sorry for the long read guys. Ive searched around and couldn't get any direct answer from old threads. and all the info that i get from here has been great. Thanks for the help

Lots of good advice so far. Here's my 2 cents:

1. If the leaks stops, don't worry about it. Could just be residual oil leaking down or even from an oil change if things got messy. No detrimental effects to a valve cover leak anyway, other than being a little messy.

2. Clean the MAF sensor, throttle body as described above. Then check your battery terminals and clean also like mentioned. A bad battery would not cause the entire vehicle to shut off when running though. Once the vehicle starts the alternator is what powers the vehicle, not the battery. A bad terminal would though, since power may not be flowing well and have too much resistance.

3. When you say the vehicle "shifts", you mean like a clunk/jerk move or does the vehicle just lean back like it's a recliner or something? It if just leaning, you just need a newer suspension. New front and rear coils paired with new shocks will make the ride much more comfortable. If it just "clunks" or "jerks" from a stop is the rear slip yoke that needs some grease.

 

[mikesayboom]

When i say shift its not like a transmission shifting back into gear roughly. Last time i felt something that was sort of like it was when i had a really bad motor mount on an old honda i had but that also had a bad vibration at idle. So i don't think that could really be it.

 

[alumarine]

Don't disconnect the battery when the truck is running. That's an old-school method for old-school vehicles. It's my understanding that doing that to modern vehicles can result in voltage surges or other nasty things to your charging system or ECU.

Use multimeter or take it to someone with the proper tools to test your charging system.

I agree.
I haven't heard of people doing that trick since generators were around.
Good way to fry an alternator.

 

[StreetCreeper]

I agree.
I haven't heard of people doing that trick since generators were around.
Good way to fry an alternator.

I'm no mechanic or electrical guru, but it's my understanding that the alternator puts out voltage in spurts and not as a smooth flow. The engineers use the battery as a way to absorb those voltage spikes before they get to delicate electrical stuff like the ECU and other thingamajiggies.

I think of it kind of like a harbor on the coast and the voltage spikes are like waves coming in off the ocean. Without the harbor mitigating those big ocean waves ( voltage spikes ) the delicate boats and yachts ( ECU and thingamajiggies ) will take an unnecessary beating. Maybe they will weather the storm — maybe they won't.

Perhaps one of the electrical gurus on the forum can set us all straight on this subject since I hear this type of advice every now and again in regards to disconnecting the battery while running the engine. I'd hate for someone to fry their trucks computer or whatever.

I'm just erring on the side of caution and not speaking with any authority on this subject. Everyone should take everything I say with a grain of salt.

 

[mikesayboom]

Well my car shut off on me again. I got home and ran inside to grab my snowboard (needs a fresh coat of wax for the new season ) I ran in and out and and when I put my car in reverse and gate it some gas it just turned off. I drove to the auto parts store and did an alt/battery test and he said the alt is good but the battery is no bueno. They didn't have my battery there unfortunately so I'm going to go get one first thing tomorrow morning on my way to work. Any recommendations on a certain battery? I normally would go with the top of the line autozone. But wanted to get talks .02 cents.

 

[mtbtim]

Well my car shut off on me again. I got home and ran inside to grab my snowboard (needs a fresh coat of wax for the new season ) I ran in and out and and when I put my car in reverse and gate it some gas it just turned off. I drove to the auto parts store and did an alt/battery test and he said the alt is good but the battery is no bueno. They didn't have my battery there unfortunately so I'm going to go get one first thing tomorrow morning on my way to work. Any recommendations on a certain battery? I normally would go with the top of the line autozone. But wanted to get talks .02 cents.

This doesn't add up. If you have a weak battery, it's going to let you know by not turning over your truck. If the truck dies while driving, that could point to a charging issue because the battery wasn't getting a charge from the alternator and you'll eventually not have enough juice to run the electrical systems of your truck and then it dies.

The fact that your charging system is ok and that your truck restarts after it dies leads me to believe it's not just a weak battery. Like I said before, I think something else if going on like a bad battery connection or bad ground.

 

[mikesayboom]

Yeah, I'll need to find my little battery cleaner Tom and clean the terminals and the connectors and check all the grounds. The oil leak out of the vc was everywhere maybe that could have ruined a bad ground? After I check everything and It happens again I'll go get the new battery and see if that fixes it.

 

[poleclimber63]

What gamefreakgc said about 2. and 3...the clunk is the slip yoke. I had that clunk for a couple of years until I read something about it, so the next time I was under the truck, I pumped a ton of grease into the zerks--- 6ea front to back. I haven't heard anything since.
Mckennar also is on to something. I can not say enough about how much an improvement I experienced after I replaced the rear, then the front springs and shocks. I had fairly bad rear sag, and I was aware of bottoming out. I found some OME906's <1yr old, on Craigslist for $80, and later, for the front, OME2880 (also on Craigslist never used and still in the original box) for $100. As far as shocks are concerned, I went with Rancho but I would go for Bilsteins, if I was to do it again. There are definitely less expensive options than Ranchos. As Mckennar stated, sagging rear springs can exacerbate the slip yoke binding. Replacing the rear springs and shocks isnt difficult. check this out:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-g...pring-replacement-ome906-rancho-rs9000xl.html

As far a leaks are concerned, I have none. I did an engine replacement in 2014 and when I had the replacement engine on an engine stand, I replaced all seals and gaskets --- everything from the long block up. When I did the VC gaskets, I replaced the half moons and ensured it was sealed as per the FSM. The one mistake guys make is they tighten the bolts on the covers TOO much. Torque to spec.

That's my 2 cents!! Welcome to the community!!! Good luck!!

 

[mtbtim]

No detrimental effects to a valve cover leak anyway, other than being a little messy.

Well, the one thing I've seen personally on @infamounsRNR rig when we were replacing his steering rack bushings is the oil dripping down onto the steering rack made it's way into the rubber bushings and had a pretty dramatic affect mainly on the middle bushing. It was obliterated. So, I learned oil is no bueno for rubber bushings.

 

[mikesayboom]

Yeah when I did the valve cover I followed a diy I found that I thought covered everything gasket, spark plugs, spark plug guides and half moons. It just didn't have the cam seals. But I followed everything and tightened everything to spec and haven't noticed a leak until recently when I was really putting the runner through its pace. I'm normally a right lane speed limit slow driver. I'm going to clean off the rear of the valve cover were the seals are and see what happens.


I couldn't find my battery cleaner tool anywhere in my garage I think I leant it to a friend. So I'm going to go buy another one later and clean everything really good. I also looked at the battery more and saw that it's a WALMART brand don't know about the quality but it's 7 years old not bad. But im probably going to clean it really good and replace he battery Anyways just for peace of mind and see how it goes from there. Thanks for all the help fellas