Common 4th Gen Tune-up Items?

[luke87gt]

Hey guys,

I recently bought a 2006 4Runner V6 2wd with 115k miles.

I've noticed that the car has hesitation/shutter when accelerating from a complete stop on very steep hills (so under heavy load). Only does it on steep hills.

Given that I want to do a tune-up anyway since I can't be sure of the cars history, I was hoping to check with you guys to see what the common tune up parts are.

Oil, oil filter, air filter and cabin filter: just replaced all of these a couple of weeks ago.

Transmission fluid: what transmission fluid does it take and what's the capacity? Is there an oil level check dipstick on these cars?

Spark plugs: how often should these be replaced? I read that non OEM spark plugs should be avoided.

Coils: I read that these generally don't go bad and if they do, the OBD-II is pretty good about telling you if there is a problem and which cylinder. I'll avoid replacing any coils.

MAF: I will remove this and clean it with electrical parts spray cleaner.

Fuel filter: a search told me that these are actually in the gas tank and these generally don't need replacement?

Anything else I am missing for a complete tune-up?

Since its cheap and commonly causes acceleration stuttering problems, I am thinking of replacing the throttle position sensor as well for insurance.

Thank you for any feedback in advance.

Luke

 

[black4vcobra]

Hey guys,

I recently bought a 2006 4Runner V6 2wd with 115k miles.

I've noticed that the car has hesitation/shutter when accelerating from a complete stop on very steep hills (so under heavy load). Only does it on steep hills.

Given that I want to do a tune-up anyway since I can't be sure of the cars history, I was hoping to check with you guys to see what the common tune up parts are.

Oil, oil filter, air filter and cabin filter: just replaced all of these a couple of weeks ago.

Transmission fluid: what transmission fluid does it take and what's the capacity? Is there an oil level check dipstick on these cars?

Spark plugs: how often should these be replaced? I read that non OEM spark plugs should be avoided.

Coils: I read that these generally don't go bad and if they do, the OBD-II is pretty good about telling you if there is a problem and which cylinder. I'll avoid replacing any coils.

MAF: I will remove this and clean it with electrical parts spray cleaner.

Fuel filter: a search told me that these are actually in the gas tank and these generally don't need replacement?

Anything else I am missing for a complete tune-up?

Since its cheap and commonly causes acceleration stuttering problems, I am thinking of replacing the throttle position sensor as well for insurance.

Thank you for any feedback in advance.

Luke

The stutter on a steep hill sounds like a transmission issue. Toyota says the 2005+ 5 speed transmission does not need servicing under "normal" operating conditions. Many people here still do partial fluid swaps though just to keep some fresh fluid in the transmission. There is no dipstick on your 4Runner so you'll have to get under the vehicle and you'll be able to notice the fill plug on the passenger side and the drain plug on the bottom. There are threads with pictures if you do a search but make sure you use Toyota WS ATF only. It's pretty expensive but far less expensive than a new transmission!

You are pretty accurate with your other ideas. Get the Denso plugs if they haven't ever been changed or just do it anyway as its pretty cheap

 

[dchild]

A couple others to consider:

Brake fluid flush (brake fluid absorbs water over time)
Gear oil changes in diffs & transfer case
Replace coolant (use "pink" Toyota SLCC)

I recommend pulling your skid plate to look for any pooling fluid; my water pump was leaking slowly and I wouldn't have seen it otherwise since the plate kept it off the ground. I also recommend ensuring the spare tire storage mechanism works.

For spark plugs in the V6 iridiums are not recommended. If there are two brands of plugs that means they've never been changed (the gap in mine was twice what it should be.

For transmission fluid you can't go wrong with OEM WS fluid. However some use aftermarket WS-compatible fluid (Valvoline Maxlife in my case) successfully for a significant cost savings.

 

[b.hog]

A couple others to consider:



Brake fluid flush (brake fluid absorbs water over time)

Gear oil changes in diffs & transfer case

Replace coolant (use "pink" Toyota SLCC)



I recommend pulling your skid plate to look for any pooling fluid; my water pump was leaking slowly and I wouldn't have seen it otherwise since the plate kept it off the ground. I also recommend ensuring the spare tire storage mechanism works.



For spark plugs in the V6 iridiums are not recommended. If there are two brands of plugs that means they've never been changed (the gap in mine was twice what it should be.



For transmission fluid you can't go wrong with OEM WS fluid. However some use aftermarket WS-compatible fluid (Valvoline Maxlife in my case) successfully for a significant cost savings.

Dang I just changed the plugs in mine(v6) and used iridiums. Why is that a no no?

 

[dchild]

Dang I just changed the plugs in mine(v6) and used iridiums. Why is that a no no?

I wouldn't call it a no-no, you're not going to hurt anything, but Toyota only recommends the iridiums for the V8 and there is anecdotal evidence for problems with non-OEM plugs. When I wrote that I was thinking of this recent thread, but I see those were platinums not iridiums. Perhaps I should have said "recommend OEM plugs" instead of "not recommend iridium". I seem to recall similar threads about the 1GR-FE using iridiums though.

I also recall lots of people saying they used iridiums in the V6 with no issues, just a couple that experienced minor power loss. If you've got them, by all means keep them.

FWIW, I changed mine when I bought my truck at ~130K. I believe they were the stock plugs since there were 3 each of NGK and Denso. If so, they were 100K overdue for a change. The gaps were like .086", over twice what they should be, and the engine still ran fine. I did not notice a significant power difference with the new plugs (though when you pull the fuse to reset the ECM there is an adjustment period that makes it hard to compare). So my take is that these things are pretty tolerant and probably not worth sweating over.

 

[b.hog]

I wouldn't call it a no-no, you're not going to hurt anything, but Toyota only recommends the iridiums for the V8 and there is anecdotal evidence for problems with non-OEM plugs. When I wrote that I was thinking of this recent thread, but I see those were platinums not iridiums. Perhaps I should have said "recommend OEM plugs" instead of "not recommend iridium". I seem to recall similar threads about the 1GR-FE using iridiums though.



I also recall lots of people saying they used iridiums in the V6 with no issues, just a couple that experienced minor power loss. If you've got them, by all means keep them.



FWIW, I changed mine when I bought my truck at ~130K. I believe they were the stock plugs since there were 3 each of NGK and Denso. If so, they were 100K overdue for a change. The gaps were like .086", over twice what they should be, and the engine still ran fine. I did not notice a significant power difference with the new plugs (though when you pull the fuse to reset the ECM there is an adjustment period that makes it hard to compare). So my take is that these things are pretty tolerant and probably not worth sweating over.

Cool, I thought I read somewhere it was ok. Thanks for your thoughts on it. I swapped mine out last weekend and they were the original plugs also. Huge gaps. 112k miles.
Re set ecm?

 

[dchild]

Re set ecm?

Sorry, I meant reset EFI (electronic fuel injection). It's optional. Here's the procedure.

As I understand it, the computer learns the specifics of each individual engine and optimizes the things it controls for that setup. So when you change something it is now optimized for the wrong setup. In my case, I changed my plugs and cleaned the MAF at the same time, and a clean MAF will read slightly differently than a dirty one, so the computer needs to adjust to the "new normal". It will adjust on its own without pulling the fuse but apparently that can take a few days, so pulling the fuse forces the issue. But on that first drive after you do it, you'll notice some variability in performance as the computer re-learns your engine, so it's harder to do a direct before-and-after comparison than it was on older cars.

 

[b.hog]

Sorry, I meant reset EFI (electronic fuel injection). It's optional. Here's the procedure.



As I understand it, the computer learns the specifics of each individual engine and optimizes the things it controls for that setup. So when you change something it is now optimized for the wrong setup. In my case, I changed my plugs and cleaned the MAF at the same time, and a clean MAF will read slightly differently than a dirty one, so the computer needs to adjust to the "new normal". It will adjust on its own without pulling the fuse but apparently that can take a few days, so pulling the fuse forces the issue. But on that first drive after you do it, you'll notice some variability in performance as the computer re-learns your engine, so it's harder to do a direct before-and-after comparison than it was on older cars.

Thanks a lot.

 

[luke87gt]

Guys,

Thanks for the input. Few comments:

- I have read about 3 dozen posts on this forum about spark plugs today. Although the user manual calls for the run of the mill Denso or NGK copper plugs (about $3 from rockauto.com), I haven’t heard any reports of problems by going to the more durable platinum or iridium. In any case, I’m sticking with Toyota recommendation and going OEM regardless of more frequent change intervals. I just ordered a set of 6 (Denso K20HR-U11 OEM plugs).

- Why in the world did Toyota use half Denso and half NGK? I understand wanting to keep two suppliers, but really? Lol

- Regarding the EFI reset, wouldn’t disconnecting the battery do exactly the same thing?

Thanks,
Luke

 

[Lowetony]

I would inspect the PCV valve to make sure it's operating. If it's stuck when you shake it, either clean it with some carb spray, or replace it for about $6.

 

[dchild]

- Regarding the EFI reset, wouldn’t disconnecting the battery do exactly the same thing?

Sure, but unless you are disconnecting the battery anyway isn't it easier to pull a fuse?

 

[av8ter]

Hey guys,

I recently bought a 2006 4Runner V6 2wd with 115k miles.

I've noticed that the car has hesitation/shutter when accelerating from a complete stop on very steep hills (so under heavy load). Only does it on steep hills.

Given that I want to do a tune-up anyway since I can't be sure of the cars history, I was hoping to check with you guys to see what the common tune up parts are.

Oil, oil filter, air filter and cabin filter: just replaced all of these a couple of weeks ago.

Transmission fluid: what transmission fluid does it take and what's the capacity? Is there an oil level check dipstick on these cars?

Spark plugs: how often should these be replaced? I read that non OEM spark plugs should be avoided.

Coils: I read that these generally don't go bad and if they do, the OBD-II is pretty good about telling you if there is a problem and which cylinder. I'll avoid replacing any coils.

MAF: I will remove this and clean it with electrical parts spray cleaner.

Fuel filter: a search told me that these are actually in the gas tank and these generally don't need replacement?

Anything else I am missing for a complete tune-up?

Since its cheap and commonly causes acceleration stuttering problems, I am thinking of replacing the throttle position sensor as well for insurance.

Thank you for any feedback in advance.

Luke

Plugs(copper/resistor), PCV, clean the throttle body out while the air box is off(reset the ECU at the same time), grease the driveshaft u-joints.

Change all your fluids if you haven't already, leave the trans alone though.

 

[who done it]

Personally I wouldn't leave the transmission fluid alone. I've drained and refilled at 60k and did the full flush at 130k via the write-up this weekend. The fluid was definitely used and abused.

I refilled with Valvoline Maxlife ATF as a couple guys here have suggested and everything is good as the toyota ATF is overpriced.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/195074-atf-exchange-using-cooling-line.html

 

[fdbyrne]

Personally I wouldn't leave the transmission fluid alone. I've drained and refilled at 60k and did the full flush at 130k via the write-up this weekend. The fluid was definitely used and abused.

I refilled with Valvoline Maxlife ATF as a couple guys here have suggested and everything is good as the toyota ATF is overpriced.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/195074-atf-exchange-using-cooling-line.html

I agree that you should consider replacing the transmission fluid. It's safe to do so if done correctly and the above link has worked for many of us. I went with OEM fluid but can't say that it's any better than the other options.

 

[CBR]

Grease the fittings / zerks in the drive line.

 

[happaflapp]

Guys,

Thanks for the input. Few comments:

- I have read about 3 dozen posts on this forum about spark plugs today. Although the user manual calls for the run of the mill Denso or NGK copper plugs (about $3 from rockauto.com), I haven’t heard any reports of problems by going to the more durable platinum or iridium. In any case, I’m sticking with Toyota recommendation and going OEM regardless of more frequent change intervals. I just ordered a set of 6 (Denso K20HR-U11 OEM plugs).

- Why in the world did Toyota use half Denso and half NGK? I understand wanting to keep two suppliers, but really? Lol

- Regarding the EFI reset, wouldn’t disconnecting the battery do exactly the same thing?

Thanks,
Luke

My '07 T4R is due for a plug swap.

I was wondering...were there any major difficulties changing the plugs? My 3rd gen ('98 V6) the drivers side rear plug had never been changed and was dead. It was extremely difficult to get to.

4th gen V6's a little easier?

 

[sr3tlaw]

Take pictures please!

 

[verman84]

Plugs are easy. Just take your time. Make sure you have a spark plug socket with the rubber gasket or magnet to hold the plug or you risk dropping it into the engine and not being able to retrieve it easily or damaging the plug.

Also, get some long extentions. Ideally you don't want an extension shorter than the depth of the engine. 10-12" should be good.

A torque wrench is also good, something that can measure 10-20 ft lbs so that you don't over torque your plugs.

Passenger side is easy as there is a lot of room.

Do one at a time so that stuff doesn't fall into the engine. Remove the 12mm bolt on the coil, remove the clip and pull the coil out. Remove the plug, put the new one in, torque it and put the coil back on.

Driver side is tougher but that's just because you have to move some stuff around to gain access. Might take an hour if you take your time but it's easy.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eoolxFXsCfw

 

[happaflapp]

Plugs are easy. Just take your time. Make sure you have a spark plug socket with the rubber gasket or magnet to hold the plug or you risk dropping it into the engine and not being able to retrieve it easily or damaging the plug.

Also, get some long extentions. Ideally you don't want an extension shorter than the depth of the engine. 10-12" should be good.

A torque wrench is also good, something that can measure 10-20 ft lbs so that you don't over torque your plugs.

Passenger side is easy as there is a lot of room.

Do one at a time so that stuff doesn't fall into the engine. Remove the 12mm bolt on the coil, remove the clip and pull the coil out. Remove the plug, put the new one in, torque it and put the coil back on.

Driver side is tougher but that's just because you have to move some stuff around to gain access. Might take an hour if you take your time but it's easy.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eoolxFXsCfw

Good stuff verman84! Thanks.