bet u have some good advice for me...

S

sara4runner

New member
I just bought my first Toyota, first 4RUNNER!!! used 1998...

and i have a few things i would love your opinion about!

first of all, background... for YEARS, i HAD been driving a 98 ford windstar van, piece of crap. so, i totally just upgraded in a BIG way, and i'm so excited about it!

i'm a single mom of 3 awesome kids and i'm very hard working.

i have been saving up my tips for the last year. mattress account. i saved 4500.00 bucks. i just bought a 98 4runner, v6, 4wd. black. :)

my only hesitation was that it had 215,000 miles on it. but it was only 3700.00. needs a timing belt in 5,000 miles. needs 2 new tires. (money left over from purchase covers both of those things) thats about it. GREAT condition, my mechanic approved....and everyone assured me that it t4r can run a very long time. :::whew::: lets hope.

questions:

1. the overdrive button. wth. when u push it in, the dash light comes on that says "O/D OFF". really? a light that says OFF? isnt that weird? shouldn't it be the opposite? so, i'm leaving the button out so that the light isnt illuminated bc it just *sounds* like thats the correct rpm's. yes??

2. REMOTE start. I really want to buy this since it's almost dead of winter here. But what are the price ranges? best kinds to buy?

3. auto-locking or safety-lock feature is a problem at the moment bc i try to start it early in the morning to melt the ice on the windshield and warm the car. but when i start the car with my extra key, and then lock the doors so that i can go in the house without fear of my car getting stolen..... the locks just pop right back up, no matter how i try to trick it, it knows. drives me insane. is there any way around this annoying little "feature"?

4. based on the last 2 questions.... if i get that remote start, will i be able to have my car STAY LOCKED when i remote-start it??????

5. went 245 miles on a full tank of gas, is that good? seems good. OH and how many miles (approx) do u think i can go once the fuel light comes on? (lol, i'm bad at pushing it) would just be nice to know. ;)

well, thats about it i think. i could ramble about the stupid cup holder, but after reading other threads about that i realize this is futile. :ybrick:

overall, i am ecstatic with my new 4runner. ECSTATIC!!! love how tough and bad-ass it is, i've always loved the way they look and never thought i could ever afford one, so its pretty much my baby right now. :)

thanks in advance for any help or advice you lend!

~sara
 
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your over drive is better used for towing or if your goin up a mountain and you really start to slow down, or if you just wanna get a quick burst on down the road (i had the same thing in my last vehicle)

remote start, not sure bout that one. id do a lot of research on em before i decided on one.

the auto lock i thought only happened once you put the car in gear, then the doors lock?
if you get the remote start then you should still have your keys with you so a locked door wouldnt be an issue, and im sure if you get a "higher end" remote system it can integrate the starting with the electric locks

gas sounds bout right.. according to my odo i can get just over 300+ on a tank in my 22re 4cyl :)

congrats on your purchase... i wish i could have another truck instead of drivin my trail rig everyday
 
:welcome:

1: leave the overdrive alone unless you are towing or something where you do need to be in "3rd gear"

2: Don't go too cheap on the remote start, and same with the install. There should be a lot of places around you that will have some deals. Most of the DEI (directed electronics) products are decent. I would stay away from the cheaper lines: bulldog, prestige, and I'm sure there are plenty of others. Install on the 4runner is about as straight forward as you can get.

3: you should be able to lock the door with the key from the outside once its shut.

4: yes the locks function normally when the doors are closed

5 better than I do, but i'm not stock

You can go quite a ways with the light on but there really is only one way to find out. Hope you never find out.
 
so, i should keep overdrive off, and that light just always stays on? ok. glad i asked. thanks!

and i try to lock the locks when i get out of the car, but they pop right back up. i even tried tricking it by opening the back door and pushing the front lock down. seemed to work. then i went to the pass side to do the same thing, and it wouldnt let me, kept popping back up. grr...


OH ALSO....where would you suggest getting an antenna? previous owner ruined it in the car wash. radio not so much fun right now. but i am planning on getting a very nice stereo soon, does that matter? are there other ways to have an antenna, without replacing the original?

sorry i'm so NOT auto-savvy.
 
ya dont want the light on for overdrive.
and you would probably be better off just getting who ever you have install the new radio to just fix/replace the antenna
 
i don't have a 4runner yet but to answer your question about the overdrive ( O/D )
When you press the button and the light comes on that means you loose 4th gear. or your highest gear. this is only used for towing or off roading. for regular driving leave the button alone and keep the O/D on. you'll get better gas milage with it on. not off.
 
cztheman64 said:
your over drive is better used for towing or if your goin up a mountain and you really start to slow down, or if you just wanna get a quick burst on down the road (i had the same thing in my last vehicle)

remote start, not sure bout that one. id do a lot of research on em before i decided on one.

the auto lock i thought only happened once you put the car in gear, then the doors lock?
if you get the remote start then you should still have your keys with you so a locked door wouldnt be an issue, and im sure if you get a "higher end" remote system it can integrate the starting with the electric locks

gas sounds bout right.. according to my odo i can get just over 300+ on a tank in my 22re 4cyl :)

congrats on your purchase... i wish i could have another truck instead of drivin my trail rig everyday
Click to expand...

cztheman64 said:
ya dont want the light on for overdrive.
and you would probably be better off just getting who ever you have install the new radio to just fix/replace the antenna
Click to expand...

Sorry cz, but your wording is really confusing...

OP, the "OD OFF" light should NOT be illuminated for 99% of your driving. if you are towing, or heavily loaded going and and down mountains, then and only then do you want to turn the OD off (light illuminated). The idea is that you don't want to be shifting in and out of overdrive repeatedly, and being under load will do that. All other times, you want it on, especially on the highway.

Also, go to the top of the 3rd gen section of this forum and click on the "Reference and tutorial documentation" sticky thread. There is tons of information here very well organized, including links to the FSM. There's more links in some of the replies in that thread as well that just haven't been added to the first post.
 
My '00 4Runner has, so far, gotten about 220 or 240 before refills (then again, I don't run it down completely), so that's about right. :)

Welcome to the board.
 
Sara, congrats on the 4runner. I bought a brand new one for my wife earlier this year and just bought a 2000 for my daughter last week. We love them both and hope to drive them for thousands and thousands of miles.

Overdrive - don't touch a thing when you start the vehicle. If you aren't towing or trying to get up the side of a mountain, you want overdrive on by default - you'll get better mileage. Because it being off is the exception, that's why you get a light when it's off vs. when it's on. Just as 4wd being on is an exception, therefore you get a light when it's on vs. when it's off.

Timing Belt - did your mechanic also recommend changing out the water pump when the timing belt gets changed? If not, plan on doing it. It's one of those "may as well do it while your in there" type of preventative maintenance things and it's a common practice to do both at the same time.

Auto-lock/unlock - this is actually a feature to prevent idiots like me from getting out of the vehicle while it's running and locking myself out. I'm not sure if there is a way to overide it or not but it may be something you find yourself thankful for someday. I haven't tried it but it may be possible to lock the doors back with a keyless remote or with a separate key after it unlocks itself and it will stay locked.

Gas mileage - it's hard to rate your mileage based on how far you went on a tank of gas. You could have filled up and still had several gallons left in the tank. Figure your mileage the old fashioned way - fill up, note your odomoter mileage, drive, fill up again, not your mileage, and do the math. A lot of it will depend on the type of driving you are doing, as with most vehicles. City driving, I'd be happy with 16 - 17 and highway driving, I'd be happy with 20 or above and might settle for 19.

Remote start - I don't have this and never have. But, don't skimp - find someone that sells a decent system and has experience installing it.

Antenna - did yours have a power antenna? Mine does and I'm just waiting for it to brake - either by carwash or something else dumb. If/when it does, I'll replace it with a fixed antenna. On the other hand, my daughter listens, almost exclusively, to CD's and her iPhone/iPod, so the antenna won't be up 99% of the time, so it may never be an issue. I just bought her a new stereo with an iPod port on it, so I'm sure that's what she'll use most of the time.
 
from my experience, you have about 60 miles when the light comes on. However, coasting in to gas stations isn't always very fun, especially if you don't make it quite there and end up pushing. I think if you treat the light like you have 50 miles you'll be good.
 
Welcome to T4R.ORG You did the right thing in purchasing (Not making payments) a 3rd generation Toyota 4runner. If you keep up the maintenance, it will take care of you and your beautiful children for years to come. :party:

These are two of the best threads/stickies to get you familiarized with your new TOY. : http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/69744-tutorial-documentation-reference.html and http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/82033-3rd-gen-4runner-buyers-guide.html Good Luck and again congratulations..


PS: :worthless
 
I went with a viper remote start alarm system on my 97 t4r and love it. I paid the guys at bestbuy right around 450. I love having it great feature. Welcome to the forum.
 
TR4 FINALLY said:
Because it being off is the exception, that's why you get a light when it's off vs. when it's on.
Click to expand...

and

nelsonmd said:
OP, the "OD OFF" light should NOT be illuminated for 99% of your driving. if you are towing, or heavily loaded going and and down mountains, then and only then do you want to turn the OD off (light illuminated).
Click to expand...

ok, now i finally understand. wow. so i just drove for the last few days with the damn overdrive off. lovely.


SO MUCH GOOD INFO!! thanks so much! and i love that i just saved the user manual to my computer, thanks for the pdf link! (did not come with one)
 
as far as your lock issue:

if you were to get an alarm installed that featured remote start as you'd like (example: Viper 5901), then you'd kill two birds with one stone. I love letting my car run when I need to with all the doors locked. Best part is that you can always turn it back off with the remote.

Nothing better than a 2-way alarm system to protect your new investment.
 
Congrats on the new 4Runner :) I remember saving up my tips when I work as a valet a few years ago. I bought my lift kit with tips from one summer.

There is nothing wrong with getting an alarm but I don't think it is worth it if you paid less than $5000 for the vehicle. An alarm + remote start + install will run you $500 - $750 and for what? It is very unlikely anyone will steal your 4Runner, they are rarely stolen.

Just buy a CLUB for $50 on Amazon. Unless you are planning on putting a fancy stereo in it there really is no reason to invest in an alarm and even then you could just remove the faceplate.

With the high mileage you will probably need the cash to fix a few things down the road.

:hatsoff:
 
brianemc2_42 said:
Congrats on the new 4Runner :) I remember saving up my tips when I work as a valet a few years ago. I bought my lift kit with tips from one summer.

There is nothing wrong with getting an alarm but I don't think it is worth it if you paid less than $5000 for the vehicle. An alarm + remote start + install will run you $500 - $750 and for what? It is very unlikely anyone will steal your 4Runner, they are rarely stolen.

Just buy a CLUB for $50 on Amazon. Unless you are planning on putting a fancy stereo in it there really is no reason to invest in an alarm and even then you could just remove the faceplate.

With the high mileage you will probably need the cash to fix a few things down the road.

:hatsoff:
Click to expand...


I don't hear about the trucks being stolen often, but I do read here quite often about a catalytic converter being stolen. A decent alarm will have a shock sensor that is set to go off the min that saw tries to get the converter off (if not before). That alone could save you the price of the alarm and then some.

I could maybe see not doing an alarm at all (if you have factory keyless), but if you are already doing the remote start, then the alarm really isn't many more wires to add so installation shouldn't be much more.
 
Stick_Figure, I am going to have to disagree with you. I dont think having an alarm will stop/prevent your cat from being stolen, at least not by much.
 
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