Back to the 4Runner - looking at 3rd Gens with multi-mode

[Seattle_SR5]

99-00 ftw!

That’s what it’s looking like!

I grew up in the Midwest and know what road salt does to cars. Any 4Runner that I am serious about will get a pre purchase inspection at a local shop. If the seller won’t play ball then no dice.

A lot of dealers have the carfaxes available for their trucks. The ‘00 that was really nice except for the mismatched tires has been in Western Washington all its life so there’s that. There’s also a low mileage ‘99 that’s a local truck as well down in Portland, OR so I may have to check that one out.

As for J-shift 4WD - I had a 4Runner with that system. ‘00 5-speed. I didn’t care for the fact that I couldn’t use it in changing conditions that we often have in PNW winters. For me it was a choice between leaving the truck in 4WD and messing up the transfer case/shifting in and out of 4WD which was a pain especially at highway speeds (going down to under 50 mph to change in and out of 4WD)/leaving the truck in 2wd which had no benefit. So, multimode for my needs.

 

[2ndhandyotaman]

As for J-shift 4WD - I had a 4Runner with that system. ‘00 5-speed. I didn’t care for the fact that I couldn’t use it in changing conditions that we often have in PNW winters. For me it was a choice between leaving the truck in 4WD and messing up the transfer case/shifting in and out of 4WD which was a pain especially at highway speeds (going down to under 50 mph to change in and out of 4WD)/leaving the truck in 2wd which had no benefit. So, multimode for my needs.

The '99-'00 Limited models have the "j" shift and the multi-mode, the best of both worlds. I used mine in the icy/sleet this morning. I purposely cranked the wheel and punched the throttle to start a rotation, then halfway through steering with the slide I hit the AWD button and the truck came back around in line instantly. I reminded me of the way my old Subaru would straighten itself out of a slide.

 

[Mgyver1]

But I would suggest not spreading what isn't backed up by more than a couple-three instances as true around here. :cowboy:

I think there’s enough evidence on this forum, plus my direct knowledge of 6 different 3rd gens, some ‘00 and below and some ‘01-‘02, that 3rd gen brake boosters go out. A lot. It’s not a ‘01/‘02 problem, it’s a 3rd gen problem. But I’d rather replace a booster on a ‘00 or below due to the cheaper cost.

 

[jgue467]

If an 01-02 4Runner hits a wrecking yard, the first things to get copped are the transmission or booster.

Good empirical information!

Keep in mind though we don't know why the trans failed, could have been poor totota design, could have been poor toyota manufacturing, could have been poor toyota assembly OR could have been poor maintenance or simply abuse. Your pick.

But we do know this much. The parts mentioned are not used Only by 4unners; tacomas, sequoias, camrys and tundras (some tranny, some booster) of the era used the same parts for several years in their generations. That's alot of vehicles produced with the same parts. So the failure rate isn't only what's taken off a junk yard runner but a much larger population, so that failure rate has to be spread across them all.

Just keepin' our minds open. Luck to all on these expensive parts! :cowboy:

 

[Seattle_SR5]

So I ordered an inspection on a one owner ‘99 Limited 4WD for sale in Oregon (originally a California truck that spent most of its time around the Bay Area).

Overall the 4Runner came out of the inspection pretty well but the following items were noted:


- The truck’s steering wheel is slightly off center and it pulls slightly to the left. Sounds like it maybe needs an alignment?
- Needs new tires - current tires at 4/32nd inches
- Slight leak from the steering rack
- The auto climate control system was described as hesitant to respond when changing the temp settings.

Any items of particular concern to note in the above? Other than that the truck was road tested and the shop tech said it drove really well with decent power and the transmission shifted well. 4WD system works.

 

[dcT4r808]

So I ordered an inspection on a one owner ‘99 Limited 4WD for sale in Oregon (originally a California truck that spent most of its time around the Bay Area).

Overall the 4Runner came out of the inspection pretty well but the following items were noted:


- The truck’s steering wheel is slightly off center and it pulls slightly to the left. Sounds like it maybe needs an alignment?
- Needs new tires - current tires at 4/32nd inches
- Slight leak from the steering rack
- The auto climate control system was described as hesitant to respond when changing the temp settings.

Any items of particular concern to note in the above? Other than that the truck was road tested and the shop tech said it drove really well with decent power and the transmission shifted well. 4WD system works.

Sounds like a good find. Those items seem like small fixes but use them to negotiate the price. Do you have any maintenance history? What's the specifics like mileage, color, mods, etc? You should just drive down and buy it if you like it! GL

 

[Seattle_SR5]

Sounds like a good find. Those items seem like small fixes but use them to negotiate the price. Do you have any maintenance history? What's the specifics like mileage, color, mods, etc? You should just drive down and buy it if you like it! GL

No history unfortunately. I looked on Toyota.com with the VIN and couldn’t find any service records.

224k miles, all stock Limited, no e-locker (nice to have but not a deal breaker). Millennium Silver. Agree on those items being negotiating points, I wanted to make sure that the pulling isn’t indicative of a lower ball joint that’s about to fail. I had the shop that did the PPI specifically look at the front end to see if there were any issues and also to check the coolant/trans fluids for any signs of a milkshake.

 

[Kanoe]

Sounds like you found a nice one! Likely very little rust. Good.

Sounds like it could use an alignment. If the PO can't tell you when those LBJs were replaced, you should just plan to do them and alignment right from the start. Those LBJs could be original and you don't want to mess up your new truck.

Use the known LBJ issue and timing belt replacement as bargaining points.

 

[dcT4r808]

No history unfortunately. I looked on Toyota.com with the VIN and couldn’t find any service records.

224k miles, all stock Limited, no e-locker (nice to have but not a deal breaker). Millennium Silver. Agree on those items being negotiating points, I wanted to make sure that the pulling isn’t indicative of a lower ball joint that’s about to fail. I had the shop that did the PPI specifically look at the front end to see if there were any issues and also to check the coolant/trans fluids for any signs of a milkshake.

With no service history, I would address all the known problem areas: radiator, LBJ, timing belt. Decide if the price is right for this truck or just keep looking. GL

 

[Seattle_SR5]

I got the seller to come down to 6 grand. I’m buying the truck and then taking it to a shop a couple blocks away for new tires, LBJs, and an alignment. Will put an external transmission cooler in soon to avoid the possibility of a milkshake.

Photos to come in a few days. I’ll have a scenic drive home to Seattle from
central Oregon.

 

[Xntrik7]

I got the seller to come down to 6 grand. I’m buying the truck and then taking it to a shop a couple blocks away for new tires, LBJs, and an alignment. Will put an external transmission cooler in soon to avoid the possibility of a milkshake.

Photos to come in a few days. I’ll have a scenic drive home to Seattle from
central Oregon.

Congrats and good luck with your new truck!

 

[dcT4r808]

I got the seller to come down to 6 grand. I’m buying the truck and then taking it to a shop a couple blocks away for new tires, LBJs, and an alignment. Will put an external transmission cooler in soon to avoid the possibility of a milkshake.

Photos to come in a few days. I’ll have a scenic drive home to Seattle from
central Oregon.

Congrats! Looking forward to pics

 

[Scramble]

I got the seller to come down to 6 grand. I’m buying the truck and then taking it to a shop a couple blocks away for new tires, LBJs, and an alignment. Will put an external transmission cooler in soon to avoid the possibility of a milkshake.

Photos to come in a few days. I’ll have a scenic drive home to Seattle from
central Oregon.

Congrats! Gotta love one owners! I just picked up this Silver one owner last month...copycat!

IMG_2723 by Mike Campbell, on Flickr

 

[Seattle_SR5]

Copycat? Well maybe if I had found the ‘99 Limited with the e-locker

I found an ‘00 Limited with the locker near Seattle for $8900 with 135k miles. 2 owner truck, but the poor thing had been in 2 accidents per Carfax. Just too many unknowns (imo) with that scarred history. Passed.

On that note, tons of 3rd gen trucks on Autotrader and Cargurus have accident histories. And then there’s Craigslist, where it seems like 50% of them have salvage titles.

 

[Tyler James Inc]

We'd all be fine with a '96-98- until we got a '99+ [emoji23]
Congrats on the purchase! Looking forward to pics. Threads like this are fun- I like seeing guys that are particular about what they are looking for, and are thorough about looking it over.
I LOVE the multi-mode in my '01. I've been off-road with it quite a bit this winter, and I've never actually NEEDED to use 4WD more than once; the AWD really works great!
I ditched the auto trans, all traction control systems, and the electronic booster- so those "issues" don't affect me- but I love my '01 [emoji1360]
We could grab a beer if you happen to be comin through Sandy on your trip!

 

[silver4est]

We'd all be fine with a '96-98- until we got a '99+ [emoji23]
Congrats on the purchase! Looking forward to pics. Threads like this are fun- I like seeing guys that are particular about what they are looking for, and are thorough about looking it over.
I LOVE the multi-mode in my '01. I've been off-road with it quite a bit this winter, and I've never actually NEEDED to use 4WD more than once; the AWD really works great!
I ditched the auto trans, all traction control systems, and the electronic booster- so those "issues" don't affect me- but I love my '01 [emoji1360]
We could grab a beer if you happen to be comin through Sandy on your trip!

you Got rid of the electronic brake booster? How? Can you do this with the auto trans too?

 

[alanflies]

Great find... Be Sure that shop uses OEM lower ball joints. Aftermarket is a no go on this part. I might even buy them first, mark them, and take them with you to the shop so you know they are OEM.

There's a guy on this forum JRZEE2000TR4LTD who will refurbish your auto climate control for a very reasonable price, and He's very quick with turn time also. I have used him with fantastic results.

Post some pics when you can...

 

[Seattle_SR5]

We'd all be fine with a '96-98- until we got a '99+ [emoji23]
Congrats on the purchase! Looking forward to pics. Threads like this are fun- I like seeing guys that are particular about what they are looking for, and are thorough about looking it over.
I LOVE the multi-mode in my '01. I've been off-road with it quite a bit this winter, and I've never actually NEEDED to use 4WD more than once; the AWD really works great!
I ditched the auto trans, all traction control systems, and the electronic booster- so those "issues" don't affect me- but I love my '01 [emoji1360]
We could grab a beer if you happen to be comin through Sandy on your trip!

Thanks for the offer! I’m gonna take a different route. 97 to 197 to I-84 to I-5 to get home. It’s not the most direct but there’s some photos I want to try for between Madras and The Dalles. 197 is a great mostly deserted stretch of road.

 

[Seattle_SR5]

Great find... Be Sure that shop uses OEM lower ball joints. Aftermarket is a no go on this part. I might even buy them first, mark them, and take them with you to the shop so you know they are OEM.

I called the shop:

Me: "Are you going to use OEM Toyota parts or aftermarket?"

Them: "We can use aftermarket. Typically we put Moog ball joints in"

Me: "PLEASE put OEM Toyota ball joints in. I don't care if it costs more. No Moog ball joints in the 4Runner, please"

Them: "Ok. Thanks for letting us know, we'll make sure that OEM ball joints are put in - nothing aftermarket"

Thanks for bringing this up!

 

[alanflies]

I called the shop:

Me: "Are you going to use OEM Toyota parts or aftermarket?"

Them: "We can use aftermarket. Typically we put Moog ball joints in"

Me: "PLEASE put OEM Toyota ball joints in. I don't care if it costs more. No Moog ball joints in the 4Runner, please"

Them: "Ok. Thanks for letting us know, we'll make sure that OEM ball joints are put in - nothing aftermarket"

Thanks for bringing this up!

Good on ya!
Hope to see some great pics real soon.