Help me with my 4 runner

[Organ]

Hi I’m Edward and my 4 runner is not runnering. I have a friend from boyscouts who bought this car a year ago. He needed to get rid of it and he can’t really sell it because of where I live and the condition so he gave it to my family. My dad said if we could get it running it would be registered and it would be my first car

Fundraiser by Edward Mitchell : Help me get my first car running

Anything works even a quote helps. This is one of the best community’s on the internet. Thank you for your support of the project

 

[jgue467]

New injectors, starter and spark plugs huh? $900 goal, based on what?

What makes us think it needs those and just those? Were injectors tested? Starters are more common to need new contacts as opposed to the whole starter. If doing plugs, wires are probably needed too.

Have you read thru the Runner's buyer's guide and other related maintenance info?

 

[cl4Rk]

Have you read thru the Runner's buyer's guide and other related maintenance info?

I agree, [MENTION=680234]Organ[/MENTION] read/learn everything you can. And identify root cause by performing tests before making assumptions and buying parts.

Start here: 3rd Gen Informational Threads --- A MUST READ For New Members

And here: 3rd Gen 4Runner Buyer's Guide

And here: 3rd Gen T4R DIY Maintenance, Repair and Modification Videos

Hunt around this forum for a PDF of the Factory Service Manual.

I bet you can get it running for less money and more elbow grease. (Of course, "running" and "running well" are two different things, but it sounds like you only need to get it "running.")

Asking friends/family to buy or gift specific tools (instead of cash) might get you closer to your goal (and tools will continue to be useful even if you end up needing to walk away from this truck).

Anyway, YMMV. Best of luck!!

EDIT: regarding the starter watch Starter Removal and Solenoid Repair - YouTube

 

[mtbtim]

This is my contribution, first, check out my channel and you'll find a host of videos related to the 3rd Gen 4runner.
Timmy The Toolman - YouTube

Second, you're 13 and that isn't too young to start making your own money. I started working at age 11 delivering newspapers. Being a Paperboy is a thing of the past now, but there's other things you can do to make money if you hustle a bit. Find a neighbor that obviously needs some landscaping work and offer your services. Mow their lawn, hedge their bushes, pull weeds, etc. Another idea is offer your car washing services. Pull a wagon with car soap, cleaners, sponges and rags and go around your neighborhood looking for work. If you want to take it up a notch, do auto detailing. People pay big money for that kind of service. Since you will be such a breath of fresh air to people, rather than the usual spoiled entitled kids they are exposed to, you will have no problem getting people wanting to hire you.

If you take my advice, you will be leaps and bounds ahead of any of your friends when it comes to growing up into a well-balanced, respectable, and responsible adult. The world and the people in it owes you nothing. No doubt all of us need help from time to time and it's great when people step up and offer it. But, you're taking the easy way by asking for charity without first putting forth an effort all on your own. If you earn it yourself, you will be much better off for it. Trust me on this.

 

[cl4Rk]

[…] you're 13 and that isn't too young to start making your own money [...] If you earn it yourself, you will be much better off for it. Trust me on this.

Excellent. Well said.

[MENTION=680234]Organ[/MENTION] I hope you document your progress with a build thread. This community is unbelievably helpful if you put in the work.

 

[Organ]

Thanks guys

The injectors are clogged and the starter was tested but I live in a close neighbor hood so I’ll give it a shot

 

[beefsix]

This is the perfect time to get into the wide, painful world of working on your truck. If your parents/grandparents/extended family have a multimeter and a socket set you can get down to business learning how to rip apart the engine of a 4runner (it's pretty easy until you get to the heads, I'd just stop there) and put it back together while also having fun with electricity! The other kids in school will have no choice but to bow down to you, because you'll know how a car works and they won't. Since you've got 2-3 years before you can even drive it I don't think it'd be a bad idea to get down to the nitty gritties and learn how it all works. Plus it's relatively cheap (nothing about fixing cars, even junky ones, is ever cheap) - what is stopping you from just throwing some cheap parts at it and hoping for the best?

I'd be willing to throw $15 your way provided you promise to use it on a Haynes/Chilton manual.

 

[Romeo1]

This is my contribution, first, check out my channel and you'll find a host of videos related to the 3rd Gen 4runner.
Timmy The Toolman - YouTube

Second, you're 13 and that isn't too young to start making your own money. I started working at age 11 delivering newspapers. Being a Paperboy is a thing of the past now, but there's other things you can do to make money if you hustle a bit. Find a neighbor that obviously needs some landscaping work and offer your services. Mow their lawn, hedge their bushes, pull weeds, etc. Another idea is offer your car washing services. Pull a wagon with car soap, cleaners, sponges and rags and go around your neighborhood looking for work. If you want to take it up a notch, do auto detailing. People pay big money for that kind of service. Since you will be such a breath of fresh air to people, rather than the usual spoiled entitled kids they are exposed to, you will have no problem getting people wanting to hire you.

If you take my advice, you will be leaps and bounds ahead of any of your friends when it comes to growing up into a well-balanced, respectable, and responsible adult. The world and the people in it owes you nothing. No doubt all of us need help from time to time and it's great when people step up and offer it. But, you're taking the easy way by asking for charity without first putting forth an effort all on your own. If you earn it yourself, you will be much better off for it. Trust me on this.

Well said Tim. Very well said.

Tim’s right, the universe owes you jack and squat. Go make your own money Roy. There’s driveways to shovel, yards to mow, leaves to rake, stalls to clean. In this economy you can essentially do anything you want at the moment. There is more opportunity than people willing to do something about it.

Don’t be a beggar, you’re better than that. And if you’re not better than that, you should try harder and have a little pride so that so you are better than that.

Go get after it. Seize the carp.

 

[brillo_76]

I was already working on cars and other things at 13. Probably started working on motorcycles by 8 and 9 with assistance from my dad, uncle and cousins. I saved money from doing jobs and chores and worked on my vehicle for a few years before I was 16. Probably 14 or so. When I turned 16 it was really to roll..

Very solid advice from all the users on this thread. I agree everyone always appreciate things more when we work hard and earn money to pay the the things we want. It builds not only a strong work ethic and let's us value things more fully.

I do hope in time to see your build thread with the progress you make along the way.

Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

 

[phattyduck]

The injectors are clogged and the starter was tested but I live in a close neighbor hood so I’ll give it a shot

So the injectors were removed and tested already? If so, the same place can clean them and send them back to you - likely for a good price. New o-rings/seals and install them. Done.

Starter tested? New contacts and plunger for $50 and you'll have a reliable starter again.

Then get to whatever is next.

-Charlie

 

[AJPuleo23]

I'd say if you're handy with a wrench, first "learn it, know it, live it" all of Tim's videos on YouTube. That resource for this community is invaluable.

Second, get familiar with PYP (pull your parts) salvage yards. Here in the northeast, I frequent LKQ if/when 4runners become available (you can set up alerts for when any type of vehicle enters a particular yard). Know that 4Runners around here get scavenged very quickly however so you have to be quick on your feet once you get the alert. Hopefully you'd be able to catch a ride to the yard.

You would then be able to wrench on something that isnt your own (yet) after getting familiar with just about everything 3rd gen 4runner courtesy of Tim's YT channel. Grabbing parts you need (if they're there, and good) at a fraction of what it would cost you new.

Lastly, is this forum. There is a ton of information on this site, even if it makes you work for it while searching for it.

Cheers and good luck.

 

[D'arce]

What a great way to fix a broken down rig, throwing other peoples money at it. Genius.

 

[JohnMc]

If you are short on money, start looking at pick-and-pull style junkyards.

FWIW, I bought a 'new' set of 'OEM' injectors for a couple of hundred bucks on eBay, they turned out to be counterfeit junk and made the car run poorly (not quite as bad as before with 1 failed injector making it run on 5). So I yanked them off and returned them and got my money back. And got a set from a PnP junkyard for $30 (IIRC) that work perfectly.

 

[willyd520]

I agree with all of the advice above! Being 13 and already having a potentially free first car sitting there is a great spot to be in. I had to buy my 4Runner when I was 17 from my older brother - no hand me downs here!

Take this opportunity to learn about the 4Runner and diagnose it properly. Set some goals as to where you want this car to be in the next two years and start doing some independent research on what it's going to cost to get it reliable and running.

If your dad has a shop vac and you can make an investment in some microfibers and MaGuires I'd start detailing the inside of cars to get some money together. If you do a really good job on the inside people will pay anywhere from $50 - $125 for a detail depending on how good of a job you do.

Getting a free car is an incredibly rare opportunity - let alone getting a 3rd gen 4Runner! Make the most out of it. We'll be here to help guide you along the way with knowledge - but invest some time into getting some money together and you'll be more proud of this truck than you can ever imagine.

Good luck!

 

[02_SE_Runner_DAD]

Perfect time to learn about your new truck. That's how most of us learn and get into this hobby.

 

[TheSaturnV]

Agree with the gang here, you've already been given a huge boost with a nice looking free 4runner. Plenty of grown adults would be thrilled to be gifted that truck. You could have $1000 in no time just doing odd jobs for neighbors. Get yourself an app like NextDoor and you will quickly find homeowners looking for anyone that will show up and clean gutters, do some paint touch up, etc. They'll pay you cash that day and ask when you can come back for other odd jobs.

Take down that beggar page and good luck to you!

 

[subzjc]

bro that truck looks clean, give us some shots of the engine bay and underneath.