Quiks66
New member
Hey guys-
I'm new to the forum, but have been in various car/motorcycle scenes and forums over the last 10 years (Honda-Tech, WERA, etc). I moved to Hawaii from the mainland (SoCal) last year and have been able to get by without a car since moving. To make a long story short, my girlfriend and I are splitting up and I'm in need of a reliable vehicle, looking to purchase in the next week or so.
I know my way around an engine and usually know what to look for when buying a car/truck, but I'm stumped with this one. A seller has a 1999 4Runner SR5 w/172,000 miles for sale on-island for $6,500. Here's a link to the ad, for those who have a spare minute or two: *****BEAUTIFUL!!! 1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER SR5*****.
I spoke with the seller and have a tentative appt to see the truck myself on Sunday, but I humbly ask for your opinions and input about this vehicle. The seller said that the 4Runner overheated and blew the head gasket recently, which is why all the work has been done. Reading through the forum and the 3rd Gen Buyers Guide by 4-Ripcord (awesome thread BTW), I'm wondering if the blown head gasket was likely related to the Stawberry Milkshake radiator/transmission cooler problem.
The seller said that the head gasket, radiator, timing belt, and water pump were all replaced when this happened, which I like. What I'm not sure about is that he said the knock sensor was replaced because "it melted when the truck overheated". Is that normal? I've replaced a knock sensor on a motor before (among other sensors), but I have a hard time thinking that the kind of heat that would melt a knock sensor would also cause other damage to the block.
Just to be clear, he said that his brother/friend who works at a repair shop did this work. It was not done under the Toyota recall (that I'm aware of). I asked about other issues (burning oil, overheating still, etc) and he said it runs great. Have any of you experienced this kind of thing with 4Runners before and been able to put miles on the motor afterwards?
If it's going to be a reoccurring issue that I'll battle every 20k miles or so, I'd rather not deal with it. I just need a truck that will last me a year or two that I can sell when I leave. I've had great success getting advice from knowledgeable and passionate people who know their stuff. Hoping to have a similar experience this time around. Any input you can offer is valuable!
Thanks in advance :thumb3:
I'm new to the forum, but have been in various car/motorcycle scenes and forums over the last 10 years (Honda-Tech, WERA, etc). I moved to Hawaii from the mainland (SoCal) last year and have been able to get by without a car since moving. To make a long story short, my girlfriend and I are splitting up and I'm in need of a reliable vehicle, looking to purchase in the next week or so.
I know my way around an engine and usually know what to look for when buying a car/truck, but I'm stumped with this one. A seller has a 1999 4Runner SR5 w/172,000 miles for sale on-island for $6,500. Here's a link to the ad, for those who have a spare minute or two: *****BEAUTIFUL!!! 1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER SR5*****.
I spoke with the seller and have a tentative appt to see the truck myself on Sunday, but I humbly ask for your opinions and input about this vehicle. The seller said that the 4Runner overheated and blew the head gasket recently, which is why all the work has been done. Reading through the forum and the 3rd Gen Buyers Guide by 4-Ripcord (awesome thread BTW), I'm wondering if the blown head gasket was likely related to the Stawberry Milkshake radiator/transmission cooler problem.
The seller said that the head gasket, radiator, timing belt, and water pump were all replaced when this happened, which I like. What I'm not sure about is that he said the knock sensor was replaced because "it melted when the truck overheated". Is that normal? I've replaced a knock sensor on a motor before (among other sensors), but I have a hard time thinking that the kind of heat that would melt a knock sensor would also cause other damage to the block.
Just to be clear, he said that his brother/friend who works at a repair shop did this work. It was not done under the Toyota recall (that I'm aware of). I asked about other issues (burning oil, overheating still, etc) and he said it runs great. Have any of you experienced this kind of thing with 4Runners before and been able to put miles on the motor afterwards?
If it's going to be a reoccurring issue that I'll battle every 20k miles or so, I'd rather not deal with it. I just need a truck that will last me a year or two that I can sell when I leave. I've had great success getting advice from knowledgeable and passionate people who know their stuff. Hoping to have a similar experience this time around. Any input you can offer is valuable!
Thanks in advance :thumb3:
