High idle on 4th gen V8. Any fixes?

ovrrdrive

ovrrdrive

New member
I've seen a lot of mention of other people mention having this problem but no fixes at all...

Our '03 runner idles too high in my opinion. If your foot slips off the brake the truck actually jumps forward enough to slightly rise the hood, then the quick stab at the pedal that follows of course gives it a big nose dive.

I understand that these trucks are supposed to idle a little high for what ever reason, but I really would feel better if this were lowered some.



In gear at a light after being warmed up the tach registers around 700-800 rpm's, but it pushes against the brake too much for my comfort level...

Has anyone had any luck getting it lowered?
 
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No harm...no foul. This is the nature of the beast. There has been no problems resulting from this that i know of. My G does the same thing.
 
That's what I was afraid of...

I've read various complaints about this on the forum but didn't see any resolutions. From what I heard the idle was controlled by the computer and wasn't adjustable. I was just hoping that someone had figured out how to get a dealer to drop it down a little.

I'm a big guy and find that I have to really push the brake pedal down firmly to make the truck stay stopped at a light. And if I reposition my foot the truck usually jumps forward.

It's my wife's truck during the week though and she's pretty petite and I worry about her I guess.

It just doesn't make sense that they wouldn't have provided some sort of adjustment...

You don't suppose I could recalibrate the tachometer a little higher so it would compensate with a lower idle do you?

Anyone? Beuler?
 
ovrrdrive said:
That's what I was afraid of...

I've read various complaints about this on the forum but didn't see any resolutions. From what I heard the idle was controlled by the computer and wasn't adjustable. I was just hoping that someone had figured out how to get a dealer to drop it down a little.

I'm a big guy and find that I have to really push the brake pedal down firmly to make the truck stay stopped at a light. And if I reposition my foot the truck usually jumps forward.

It's my wife's truck during the week though and she's pretty petite and I worry about her I guess.

It just doesn't make sense that they wouldn't have provided some sort of adjustment...

You don't suppose I could recalibrate the tachometer a little higher so it would compensate with a lower idle do you?

Anyone? Beuler?
Click to expand...

Changing the idle speed could prove to be a bigger job than you might imagine, the onboard processors know everything. There are many things such as engine lubrication, cooling fan effectiveness, alternator performance, and misc. others that need to be considered when setting idle speeds. Lowering it may not be the best idea.

The 4Runner's torque converter stall speed is a little low in my uninformed opinion, and the idle speed can be a little high when the A/C is on. But even still, being able to push the brake pedal firmly enough to keep the thing at a standstill hasn't been an issue for me.

Can your wife push the brake hard enough to engage the ABS in an emergency stop? If not, have your brakes looked at.
 
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It's more of an annoyance than a safety issue... Stopping isn't a problem at all it's just that the push is just bothersome. I just worry too much about her.


I suppose that if this is my only issue with the truck I'm not doing too bad.

I guess there is always the possibility that I have a bad sensor or something.
 
Iowa4Runner said:
Can your wife push the brake hard enough to engage the ABS in an emergency stop? If not, have your brakes looked at.
Click to expand...

That is why 4runners have Brake Assist.:D
 
Iowa4Runner said:
Changing the idle speed could prove to be a bigger job than you might imagine, the onboard processors know everything. There are many things such as engine lubrication, cooling fan effectiveness, alternator performance, and misc. others that need to be considered when setting idle speeds. Lowering it may not be the best idea.
Click to expand...

What is the idle speed when you are stopped? Anything over about 800 RPM should not pass most state vehicle inspections. If it is over this, you can and should take it to the dealer so they can adjust the idle... It used to be a simple screw to adjust the idle, but since everything is computer controlled, the computer needs to be told to idle down a bit.

If the idle is normal, there is not much choice except start building those leg muscles (with the brake assist - you really shouldn't need too much work).
 
I only experience the annoying higher idle when the A/C compressor kicks on when stopped. If you don't feel like keeping your foot on the brake so firmly, then slip it into neutral until the light turns green...
 
OUTRNNR said:
I only experience the annoying higher idle when the A/C compressor kicks on when stopped...
Click to expand...

Or in cold weather when the engine is idling pretty high before it warms up and the brakes are cold.
 
N8G said:
Or in cold weather when the engine is idling pretty high before it warms up and the brakes are cold.
Click to expand...
Yeah, then too...Its not even summer yet and I've already forgotten about cold weather...maybe its that 13 out of the last 15 days have been in the 90's :confused:
 
Brake assist has nothing to do with helping you keep the pedal down at a stop. Nothing anyone's mentioned would point to a malfunction with that system.

The idle is not adjustable, so there is no easy way to change it.
 
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Northof49 said:
Brake assist has nothing to do with helping you keep the pedal down at a stop. Nothing anyone's mentioned would point to a malfunction with that system.
Click to expand...

Who's talking about keeping the pedal down? Pedal position is not being discussed here.

Brake assist reduces the pedal force required from the driver. If that system malfunctioned, high pedal force would be required, which just so happens to be the core issue of this discussion.
 
Iowa4Runner said:
Who's talking about keeping the pedal down? Pedal position is not being discussed here.

Brake assist reduces the pedal force required from the driver. If that system malfunctioned, high pedal force would be required, which just so happens to be the core issue of this discussion.
Click to expand...
Brake assist, as Thai mentioned, is an electronic system that senses a quick jump off the throttle and onto the brakes, such as in an emergency situation. It applies full brake pressure faster than your foot can jam the pedal to full brake pressure.

It has nothing to do with the pedal pressure required to hold the vehicle at a stoplight.....as pertaining to this thread. Even if that system malfunctioned, your power-assisted brakes would still work normally and react just as quickly as vehicles without brake-assist.
 
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Northof49 is right. BA is ONLY for emergency braking. It is not activated in normal stop-n-go traffic. It is quite a jolt when it activates...it is better than a cup of coffee to wake you up!:p
 
Thai said:
Northof49 is right. BA is ONLY for emergency braking. It is not activated in normal stop-n-go traffic. It is quite a jolt when it activates...it is better than a cup of coffee to wake you up!:p
Click to expand...

Oops... I incorrectly assumed you (and N of 49) were talking about the traditional "power brakes" system. Sorry...

I thought I was pretty familiar with the features of my 4Runner. Where is brake assist written about? I guess I need to revisit my owner's manual...
 
Just thought I'd say it here too...

I FCUKING D-E-S-P-I-S-E Brake Assist. I hate it.

Maybe its just the way I drive, but I've activated it in traffic more than once. I'm pretty sure Northof49 has it figured out. It seems to activate for me in the situation he described, not really pertinent when stopped at a stoplight...

Thanks for caring:p
 
I've had very few emergency stops and didn't notice the activation of brake assist, probably because I was nearly soiling myself at the time. I hate deer!

Next time I take the 4Runner out I'll see if I can get it to activate under less dramatic situations, just to see if I can get it to annoy me...
 
To activate it just get up to speed in a safe area and hit the brake pedal fast (jab the pedal) and immediately let up a little without taking your foot off the pedal.

Koz
 
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