I'm a new 4Runner owner! misc questions

[Clifford]

I went to Seattle to look at a rad looking customized '01 but decided against it. Next morning a great cond stock one appeared on CL. There is not a single thing wrong with it- 116K miles- not a drop of oil or fluid anywhere- and the 1500 mile drive back home to LA was simply a pleasure (cruise control is my best friend) The ONLY thing that bugs me is the blind spot looking forward when you are making turns or on tight curvy road. I LOVE my new 4Runner- can't wait to get it in the dirt and do some remote camping I have always dreamed of. It also is a million times safer than the 1980 Camaro it is replacing- that thing would start spinning the wheels when you would say the word "water". Now I have traction control, airbags, etc. YAY!

I have a few questions-

1- I only got 1 key and 1 remote- dealer quoted me almost $400 to make another- anyone know cheaper way to get duplicate key and remote?

2- Some say use 91 gas, others say regular- what do you all think?

3- Are there any Toyota produced mods for performance or longevity? Better air filters, etc?

4- Any tips on preserving seals and keeping things alive as long as possible- like do I need to oil the antenna? heh

5- Radio- is there a way to get 1/8" input added to the stock radio? Are there any good radios that fit in same footprint? Any suggestions on better speakers that would fit without mods?

6- It was dealer certified at 70K- but is it worth $125 at a dealer to have it inspected?

7- It came with a hood scoop held on with 2 sided tape- any tips on removal?

8- Any good sites with quality aftermarket parts like guards and such?
Thanks-

C

 

[alaskaman]

I have used 87 octane in both 3rd and 4th gen without any problems

most of the Toyota products are excellent.

2 sided tape on a hood scoop? not sure what is going on there.

Its certified to 100K/7 yrs?. I would spend the $125 if you are concerned about anything. typically those vehicles are inspected well is my understanding.

depending on your location you could use different products to preserve seals and gaskets. cold?

looks nice. will have to take another look at the scoop.

Welcome. !!

I went to Seattle to look at a rad looking customized '01 but decided against it. Next morning a great cond stock one appeared on CL. There is not a single thing wrong with it- 116K miles- not a drop of oil or fluid anywhere- and the 1500 mile drive back home to LA was simply a pleasure (cruise control is my best friend) The ONLY thing that bugs me is the blind spot looking forward when you are making turns or on tight curvy road. I LOVE my new 4Runner- can't wait to get it in the dirt and do some remote camping I have always dreamed of. It also is a million times safer than the 1980 Camaro it is replacing- that thing would start spinning the wheels when you would say the word "water". Now I have traction control, airbags, etc. YAY!

I have a few questions-

1- I only got 1 key and 1 remote- dealer quoted me almost $400 to make another- anyone know cheaper way to get duplicate key and remote?

2- Some say use 91 gas, others say regular- what do you all think?

3- Are there any Toyota produced mods for performance or longevity? Better air filters, etc?

4- Any tips on preserving seals and keeping things alive as long as possible- like do I need to oil the antenna? heh

5- Radio- is there a way to get 1/8" input added to the stock radio? Are there any good radios that fit in same footprint? Any suggestions on better speakers that would fit without mods?

6- It was dealer certified at 70K- but is it worth $125 at a dealer to have it inspected?

7- It came with a hood scoop held on with 2 sided tape- any tips on removal?

8- Any good sites with quality aftermarket parts like guards and such?
Thanks-

C

 

[MikesToy]

Welcome to t4r.org! I can't answer all of your questions and concerns but here's a few. You just need more practice and get used to your 4R when making turns on tight curvy roads. You can get a blank key w/ transmitter and remote fob from ebay approx. for less than $100 for both. There are websites on how to program these. I think that hood scoop is not OEM (never heard that Toyota put 2-sided tape hood scoops).

 

[smallfry]

I went to Seattle to look at a rad looking customized '01 but decided against it. Next morning a great cond stock one appeared on CL. There is not a single thing wrong with it- 116K miles- not a drop of oil or fluid anywhere- and the 1500 mile drive back home to LA was simply a pleasure (cruise control is my best friend) The ONLY thing that bugs me is the blind spot looking forward when you are making turns or on tight curvy road. I LOVE my new 4Runner- can't wait to get it in the dirt and do some remote camping I have always dreamed of. It also is a million times safer than the 1980 Camaro it is replacing- that thing would start spinning the wheels when you would say the word "water". Now I have traction control, airbags, etc. YAY!

I have a few questions-

1- I only got 1 key and 1 remote- dealer quoted me almost $400 to make another- anyone know cheaper way to get duplicate key and remote? That's a joke. Just go to a lock smith and get a duplicate key made then keep the original at your place.

2- Some say use 91 gas, others say regular- what do you all think?
I've ran 85 octane here in Utah and 87 in Arizona with no problems. I've ran 91 a few times but never noticed a difference.

3- Are there any Toyota produced mods for performance or longevity? Better air filters, etc? I've just ran a K&N filter with no problems. Some run a tru flow. There's the ISR mod.

4- Any tips on preserving seals and keeping things alive as long as possible- like do I need to oil the antenna? heh. Just take off the crappie motorized antenna before the motor or the cable goes and replace it with a Tacoma whip antenna. Just keep up on regular and you should be fine, check the rear axle seals.

5- Radio- is there a way to get 1/8" input added to the stock radio? Are there any good radios that fit in same footprint? Any suggestions on better speakers that would fit without mods? Search though the audio tech threads on here.

6- It was dealer certified at 70K- but is it worth $125 at a dealer to have it inspected?

7- It came with a hood scoop held on with 2 sided tape- any tips on removal? Blower dryer/heat gun, goo gone, then I'd wax and polish it. Clay bar?

8- Any good sites with quality aftermarket parts like guards and such?
For form or function? Do a search on here if your looking for tires/wheel, suspension, bumpers, etc. your bound to find something.

Thanks-

C

See response in red.

 

[JohnsD90]

The ONLY thing that bugs me is the blind spot looking forward when you are making turns or on tight curvy road.

???, i drive on some of the worst backgrounds (dont argue most roads you cant pass another car without slowing down alot) and have never had an issue with a blindspot.

2- Some say use 91 gas, others say regular- what do you all think?

ha, ha, thats funny. 87, ALWAYS! dont waste you money on that expensive crap.

 

[alaskaman]

you will have lots of tire questions most likely. the search button here is your best friend.

 

[Clifford]

Man this is what I love about this forum- so many active and helpful users! Thanks for all the input.

1- Will high octane gas potentially do harm?
2- Looks like my rear springs are sagging a little- if I replace with stock OEM will they only last another 100K before sagging again? (searching forums on this- found a lot of suggestions for shocks- is it the shocks or the springs that cause the sag?)

Also- I found some instructions on programming a remote- I'm just not sure how to know if a certain used remote will work with my particular 4R. --->
http://www.fixya.com/cars/t2491553-need_programming_instructions_2002

Regards,
C

 

[Clifford]

That's a trip- that is the same number that is on my remote- thanks
C

 

[psquared77]

- It came with a hood scoop held on with 2 sided tape- any tips on removal?


That hood scoop is awful, and definitely needs to go. The factory scoop (see my pic) is attached to the hood with more than 2 sided tape
Also-try mineral spirits on a rag to remove any tape residue on the paint.
Welcome to the site and welcome to a GREAT vehicle.

 

[Clifford]

Ya that key/remote is nice- I might do that- a remote will cost me $20 or so and key another $13- thanks

As for the hood scoop- ya I know it is kinda cheesy. Is the OEM sport hood the same but has a scoop installed or is the hood itself different as well?

Thanks-

C

 

[KellyJ]

Ya that key/remote is nice- I might do that- a remote will cost me $20 or so and key another $13- thanks

As for the hood scoop- ya I know it is kinda cheesy. Is the OEM sport hood the same but has a scoop installed or is the hood itself different as well?

Thanks-

C

On the OEM scooped hood it's molded into the hood. Scooped and non scooped hoods have the exact same dimensions. Only problems I can find with them are 1) they are expensive and somewhat hard to come by and 2) they are non functional. They do look good though.

 

[RonMAIDEN]

Very nice find but is your front bumper a bit off since it looks like there's a gap at the fender flare and looks bent upward ever so slightly.

 

[Clifford]

Ok so to get the OEM scoop you have to get the whole hood.

Ya I noticed that gap in the bumper too- hope it is nothing to worry about. I am actually wondering about what it would take to change a few things eventually. Here are 2 pics of the 4R I originally went to get- I really love what he did with it- said he did custom paint and got the hood- etc. I notice not all bumpers have chrome- do people just paint over it or are there types with no chrome? Is the crome just a top layer that can be removed?

C

 

[RonMAIDEN]

Your bumper might just need a small adjustment to be straightened out and should not be an issue.

 

[Clifford]

The bumper has the same gap on both sides which I think is prob a good thing- no twist or asymmetrical damage hopefully.

pic attached of the one I originally went to look at- love the wheels and paint and scoop. I guess a lot of folks remove the running boards too it seems.

C

 

[KellyJ]

The bumper has the same gap on both sides which I think is prob a good thing- no twist or asymmetrical damage hopefully.

pic attached of the one I originally went to look at- love the wheels and paint and scoop. I guess a lot of folks remove the running boards too it seems.

C

That's one bad ass 4R that you looked at too. Specs on that?

 

[410toy]

quick easy mods here you go !!!!!!!!!

http://www.top4runners.com/ja/cleantb.html

http://www.top4runners.com/ja/diff.html

http://www.top4runners.com/ja/perf.html

Toyota service bulletin EL011-00. DRLs off !!!!!!!

if you want to lift it go to toyotec.com

 

[Clifford]

That's one bad ass 4R that you looked at too. Specs on that?

Ya I know- way cool. It is an '01 I think just a regular SR5, he bought hood after, paint, old man emu lift, cold air intake, 168K miles, HID lights etc., custom black leather (but still tons of tan interior which looks wonky), Flowmaster muffler (resonates in interior- would have drove me batty on 18hrs back to LA) located just outside Seattle- look on Craigslist in Seattle- he might still have it.

C

 

[Clifford]

quick easy mods here you go !!!!!!!!!

Thanks! I LOVE these kinds of things!! Oooo DRL off- I like them but never being able to turn off is annoying (blinding people last night as I pulled up to an outdoor cafe is an example)- I will be doing the deckplate mod and the rear diff breather for starters- thanks a ton!!

 

[Clifford]

Found a slightly different daytime running lights article as the one you sent was from 2000 and I wanted to make sure of the procedure for my 2001-

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_turn_off_the_Daytime_Running_Lights_on_a_2001_Toyota_4Runner

"On the 2001 4Runner the DRL relay is inside the vehicle, near the driver's right leg, just left of the center console. It is labeled "Running Lights." You can reach it without taking apart the dash at all; just reach behind it and unplug the connector, remove pin 2, tape it securely out of the way, and plug the connector back in.


I have a 2000 4Runner which has a grey box that is unlabled. I followed the instructions above and it worked. To assist any who attempt to remove PIN2 please note you will want to find a very small flathead screwdriver. I actually grinded a small screwdriver down very flat so I could push it into the backside of the PIN2 hole which relieved the catch inside the connector. Once I had the small screwdriver inserted into the backside of the PIN2 hole I pushed backwards from the front and PIN2 slipped out. This way if you decide to replace PIN2 all you have to do is snap it back in. "