It's a drag

[Gecko123]

Lately my 4runner feels like its dragging or pulling a small trailer. When I step on the gas at time it does accelerate smoothly until it reaches a certain threshold. Almost as if its dragging something or the brake is being applied at the same time. I don't think the brakes are seized or anything or else I would notice the brake calipers being very hot


What can it be? Bad gas? Fuel filter clogged....is there a fuel filter?
Can it be bearings? The mileage is 135,000km (84,000 miles)


It's a v6 4wd.

 

[settytb]

Easiest thing to check is seized brake calipers.... if you are on the freeway... and hit the brakes pretty hard does it pull one direction slightly? The dragging (hotter) rotor won't be able to stop as well as the cooler non dragging brake therefore causing it to pull to the side that isn't dragging. It's super common with the 4th gens. I would start there and then move onto different things after that's ruled out. Good luck!

 

[Gecko123]

Thanks Settytb

Any other ideas from the rest of you guys

 

[JB.]

Check to see if the center diff got locked.

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It's a little early to try too hard to diagnose it since confirmation should be pretty easy. Something that pronounced should show up easily in gas mileage.

If you haven't filled up yet, are you familiar with how your mpg display normally reads? How's it reading now?

 

[ebg18t]

Don't take this the wrong way, but is your e-brake on? I ask as my dash bulb for the e-brake is out.. So I wouldn't have a visual light indicating mine being on..

 

[TRDCal]

Whens the last time you had a good tune-up. How old and fouled are your spark plugs? Is your air filter clogged? Are your fluids fresh? Do your tires have the right pressure (altho it would be odd for them all to be low). Either way, just give her a good once over, make sure everything is in good shape.

This may seem like an odd question but, have you been driving it more lately than usual? I find that when I get in my truck after being away with work for 3 weeks, it feels like a race car. After being home a couple days it goes back to its normal self. I realize it's all in my head, could you be having the same problem but opposite?

 

[Gecko123]

Check to see if the center diff got locked.

--

It's a little early to try too hard to diagnose it since confirmation should be pretty easy. Something that pronounced should show up easily in gas mileage.

If you haven't filled up yet, are you familiar with how your mpg display normally reads? How's it reading now?

Mpg is a little more but then again we hit winter weather now and I user 4wd mode than 2wd mode in winter months.

If Diff is locked it would cause problems when cornering hard and the car would "skip", would it not?

 

[Gecko123]

Don't take this the wrong way, but is your e-brake on? I ask as my dash bulb for the e-brake is out.. So I wouldn't have a visual light indicating mine being on..

Parking brake is off and I notice the brakes are not hot when I stop the car

 

[Gecko123]

Whens the last time you had a good tune-up. How old and fouled are your spark plugs? Is your air filter clogged? Are your fluids fresh? Do your tires have the right pressure (altho it would be odd for them all to be low). Either way, just give her a good once over, make sure everything is in good shape.

This may seem like an odd question but, have you been driving it more lately than usual? I find that when I get in my truck after being away with work for 3 weeks, it feels like a race car. After being home a couple days it goes back to its normal self. I realize it's all in my head, could you be having the same problem but opposite?

Spark plugs changed two years ago and only put 20,000 miles since last spark plug change. Air not clogged. Fluids are fresh. Tires pressure good.


I drive on the highway everyday to work so engine should be running very clean

 

[Burt]

Possible bearing? You bet....
I had an Expedition that when I hit 50 mph, it also seemed as if I was towing a good load. End up being a bearing in the transfer case. At high rotation it would cease due to heat. a VERY expensive repair, because the bearing damaged the case and whole transfer case was swapped out. Luckily, I had warranty that covered it.

 

[JB.]

Mpg is a little more but then again we hit winter weather now and I user 4wd mode than 2wd mode in winter months.

If Diff is locked it would cause problems when cornering hard and the car would "skip", would it not?

You'd feel it in the cornering for sure and even a little in straight line driving but it would be very hard to identify in the mpg numbers. Unlocked 4wd should be nearly impossible to find in the mpg numbers without a large sample size. Most of the reduction of mpg because of 4wd is simply because of the weight of the hardware. The extra drag of being in AWD instead of 2wd is a tiny effect.

If it were me, after checking quick things like ebrake, diff lock, I'd want to know how my perception of the problem matched up with an objective measurement like mpg. If you found nothing there, you'd at least know the reality was much milder than the perception of it.

 

[Gecko123]

You'd feel it in the cornering for sure and even a little in straight line driving but it would be very hard to identify in the mpg numbers. Unlocked 4wd should be nearly impossible to find in the mpg numbers without a large sample size. Most of the reduction of mpg because of 4wd is simply because of the weight of the hardware. The extra drag of being in AWD instead of 2wd is a tiny effect.

If it were me, after checking quick things like ebrake, diff lock, I'd want to know how my perception of the problem matched up with an objective measurement like mpg. If you found nothing there, you'd at least know the reality was much milder than the perception of it.

Ok thanks

 

[Greydog]

I've experienced this too. Try a 1/2 tank of 93 octane and see if its different. Mine seems to run kinda weak/noisy and "drag" more on 87 fuel.