great... another freakin' n00b.

[weimar97]

Well, after more than a year - my wife and I finally found a 4Runner and bought it. We initially wanted to find a dark gray Limited with Nav, V8, heated seats, tow package, AWD and sunroof. We're saving to buy property and build a house, so we decided to purchase a used one. We basically spent the last 14 months looking for a 4Runner with all of the options we want plus with as low miles as we could find. Finding one matching our criteria was difficult as we could never find a Nav with a sunroof....

After seeing reliability problems with the nav in my sister's Sienna, we decided to just get a portable GPS. Bought a few different ones and decided on one that wound up to be a bit cheaper than the rest anyway. The back up cam is cool but I decided its something I don't really need anyway....

This took the GPS requirement off of our list and opened up the possibilities. We found a 2006 shadow gray mica with 24k miles on it at a steal of a price. No chips, scratches, stains or even swirl marks. Called the dealer and drove the 4 hours to purchase it.

Since then, I've been lurking on this site for a few weeks doing research on what to do next... Only problem thus far is the rotten egg smell but I plan to go to the stealership and see if I can get it taken care of. Could anyone supply me with a copy of the TSB?

Another fickle item for me is the fact that you can't roll the back window up with the remote but I know that's been beaten to death. I'm planning on looking into an aftermarket alarm system with programmable controls (I used to install neat stuff like this when I was in college (7 years ago....)).

So far, I've done a few fun things:
- wired a new 12V (constant) outlet for the cell phone charger (mounted under dash on passenger side)
- wired GPS to 12V (constant) and ran wire/mounted GPS at top of windshield on passenger side
- ordered iPod interface and harness (Peripheral Electronics PXDP2) / should be in within couple days and I'll install unit to iPod resides in cubby below AC controls
- clay barred the paint and waxed
- door windows tinted 20% so as to match factory tint
- went ahead and got the entire windshield tinted with 35%. Feeling a bit ballsy so I decided to just have it done - if I get caught then I'll go with just an "eyebrow"/"sunband"/"whatever-its-called"
- took the running boards off. Now I need to find something to put in their place.... Not really planning on a lift but like rock sliders.

Pics will come another time. Right now I just wanted to brag about my new car. It's a blast and I'm enjoying it. I had a 99 WJ and don't miss it a bit. I was into it enough that I was a Mod at a different forum dedicated to the brand but have since grown tired of the problems I was having with it.

Thanks for starting a great forum - and I'm looking forward to posting with other chuckleheads who like this vehicle. .

 

[Mark86]

Welcome to the board and good luck with the new truck! Wait until you start spending more time around here. You will find a lot of projects for your truck. What year and trim 4Runner did you end up purchasing?

 

[JosephD05]

What problems did you sister have with her OEM Nav? I have to say the OEM NAV is excellent. You have to realize that with the OEM NAV, you also get the backup camera, 4 disc changer, voice activated controls for radio, AC, etc, also you get the blue tooth headset built into the truck. Excellent deal. Also, OEM nav are more accurate since they take tire rotation into account where aftermarket only use GPS signals. That being said, I think you made the right choice by not letting the lack of NAV hold you back from purchasing the ONE.

 

[blink]

Welcome, sounds like you have a sweet ride! Im supposed no one has told you, but be prepared to spend $$$$. This board is great at encouraging that

 

[Falls]

Whats an Ipod interface ? Does it not just plug into the center counsel ?

I would be interested in hot wiring my power point in the center counsel , and you added an add'l one in front also ? Do you have any pics of these mods ?

Also just so you know you have a full time four wheel drive , not AWD . AWD dont have a transfer case to switch tom lo range ect.

Sounds like you have a lot of cool mods already . Any plans on tires or lift ?

Congrats on the new truck

One other thing I had the new cats and pipes put on about 2 weeks ago , worked like a charm , no bad smell anymore. Its great after a year and a half I can actually open the rear window when driving.

 

[toto]

Congrats!

The 2006 Sulfur Smell TSB's are in this thread:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?s=&postid=249559

 

[weimar97]

The nav in my sister's Sienna froze up on a regular basis and the back up camera went out often. Not only that but the map itself was not exactly calibrated nor detailed - I think it could be compared to the nav my Dad's Toureg. Either way, when bug-free it's a neat tool.

Thanks for the clarification about the AWD. Even the dealership stated it as being "full time 4WD" but I thought it was the same as AWD.

Regarding the iPod interface, members of this forum have found the aux plug in the center console to provide poor sound playback and does not allow the user to utilize the text and control abilities of their factory head units. An interface basically provides a link between the iPod and the stereo - essentially allowing the user to better utilize the options within the radio. Some are limited in what they allow to be controlled, and other provide complete control of the iPod without having to set up playlists, etc. in order to be used.

As for the extra power point, I ran new wiring from the fuse panel on the driver's side dash and mounted an after market 12V outlet. I did not make any attempt to wire the 12V outlet in the center console because my wife wants to keep the lid closed - plus I didn't want to screw around with the electrics so I figured it'd be easier to just put in a new outlet.

Lastly - thank you very much for the printable TSB. I have searched high and low looking for it but resorted to gleaning the threads because there are so many. I must have missed it but now it's safe on my desktop so I can print it out.

Thanks for the welcome! I'm still letting my wife hang on to my wallet (she's safer than I am with it!)

 

[Uneek]

Whats an Ipod interface ? Does it not just plug into the center counsel ?

It allows you to control the iPod as if it's like your CD player. The auxiliary audio jack just patches audio into the 4Runner's audio system. You would still need to mess with the iPod to change tracks.

Peripheral Electronics is one of the makers of iPod integration products. There are others, but I think PE is the only one that works well with factory nav.