Looking to buy a 2002 Limited :)

R

rknight

New member
Hello T4R fans!

I'm on the hunt for a 2002 Limited. I'm curious what in the vehicle history I should be worried about - apart from general used car evaluation, are there any peculiarities with T4Rs that I should look for? I have heard they boast amazing reliability, but each vehicle has it's quirks and character.

I am coming over to Toyota from Jeep, owning a 1997 Grand Cherokee.

I have read that the Limited offers a touch-button Hi-4 control - is this like Selec-Trac, where I can choose if she drives in AWD or 2WD? As well as, the Limited comes with a locking rear differential - what are the advantages to this?

In the future, I may decide to modify the exhaust system. Is there anything I should look for on a Limited that may hinder may ability for mods later on?

Thanks so much everyone! I do have a few more questions, but I do not want to overload you.

Ryan.
 
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You'll be glad you came to t4r from a jeep gc!

Why a 2002 specifically? I have a 2000 limited with push button and the rear locker.

As far as your exhaust question I can't think of anything that would get in the way.



Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
 
The '01's and 02's did not come with a locking rear dif. The last year that was a factory option was '00. They do have a center locking dif which essentially allows you the option of 2wd, AWD and 4WD.
 
Hepar said:
The '01's and 02's did not come with a locking rear dif. The last year that was a factory option was '00. They do have a center locking dif which essentially allows you the option of 2wd, AWD and 4WD.
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So the 2002 allows you to select the drive train? This is standard across all trims/models?
 
Sorry to come off like a prick. But its all right there.



Anywho, I forgot to welcome you to the forums. So, :welcome:

I hope you find a nice 4runner.
 
rknight said:
So the 2002 allows you to select the drive train? This is standard across all trims/models?
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Yep. If you get a 4wd 4Runner, day to day driving will be in 2wd. If you hit the 4wd button, you will engage the front wheels, but they will not be engaged with the rears thus allowing you to still drive on pavement (good for mixed conditions). When you hit the center locking button, the front and the rear lock together, so then you have a traditional 4wd system.
 
Hepar said:
Yep. If you get a 4wd 4Runner, day to day driving will be in 2wd. If you hit the 4wd button, you will engage the front wheels, but they will not be engaged with the rears thus allowing you to still drive on pavement (good for mixed conditions). When you hit the center locking button, the front and the rear lock together, so then you have a traditional 4wd system.
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What is more desirable; the TRAC and center-lock in the 2002 Limited or the e-lock on the 99-00 Limiteds, if I can find one?

When shopping, how do I check if the 99-00 I am looking at has the e-lock option?

My most rugged driving would be up and a down a 1.1km gravel, twisty turny, hilly dusty road, occasionally pulling an 18' boat with a 4.3L motor, and smaller trailers with lumber, furniture, trash.
 
rknight said:
What is more desirable; the TRAC and center-lock in the 2002 Limited or the e-lock on the 99-00 Limiteds, if I can find one?

When shopping, how do I check if the 99-00 I am looking at has the e-lock option?

My most rugged driving would be up and a down a 1.1km gravel, twisty turny, hilly dusty road, occasionally pulling an 18' boat with a 4.3L motor, and smaller trailers with lumber, furniture, trash.
Click to expand...


More desirable depends on what you're using it for. It sounds to me like more desirable for you would be an 01-02 with TRAC and the option to have the center diff unlocked. The locking rear diff is really only useful for real offroading where you have wheels hanging in thin air while going over really rough terrain. Not to mention, with the older system, the center diff is always locked, so you can't use it as safely on paved roads in inclement weather.


Look through that thread some more, and you'll see a picture of each button. The locking rear differential button has orange lettering and says R/R Diff Lock. The locking center differential button is just a typical 4x4 symbol.
 
quicksilvr said:
More desirable depends on what you're using it for. It sounds to me like more desirable for you would be an 01-02 with TRAC and the option to have the center diff unlocked. The locking rear diff is really only useful for real offroading where you have wheels hanging in thin air while going over really rough terrain. Not to mention, with the older system, the center diff is always locked, so you can't use it as safely on paved roads in inclement weather.


Look through that thread some more, and you'll see a picture of each button. The locking rear differential button has orange lettering and says R/R Diff Lock. The locking center differential button is just a typical 4x4 symbol.
Click to expand...

X2.

And if you do decide that the rear diff is what you think you want, make sure to look at the rear diff housing. You'll see extra components around the housing since it's an electronic locking rear diff. Some people have bought 4Runners thinking they had a locking rear diff only to find out later that it was just the button in the dash without the actual locker.
 
rknight said:
Just because the 2002 the youngest model of the generation I like best!
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First off, welcome. Second, normally I would be with you on this thought, but I would recommend not to limit yourself to 2002's only here. You would be better off to understand what features were available for what years and decide what your must haves are, then be willing to consider a range of year models. Why? Because the more specific your search, the harder it is to find it. There are a ton of 3rd gens on the road, which is why we love them, but there aren't a ton for sale. There are enough for sale that they are available, but not typically a "dime a dozen".

If you've read the buyer's guide by now, you can see that there are some common issues to look out for, but most are either preventable or repairable. And tough as they may be, we are talking about 10+ year old vehicles here, so would you rather buy a 2000 model in peak condition with full maint. records and 120k miles, or a 2002 with a questionable maint. history and 110k miles, all other things being equal? If you can find a 3rd gen with a solid history that shows it was taken care of inside and out, that's worth much more to you than the model year by itself will be.

As to the e-locker question, if the seller knows what they have, they will most likely add that to the list of features they advertise. If not, look for a button down on the left by the interior dimmer switch that says diff lock on it. There are pictures of it posted on this site. The locker wasn't a requirement for me, because it may never get used, but it's nice to know it's there if needed somedday.
 
T4R_Finally said:
First off, welcome. Second, normally I would be with you on this thought, but I would recommend not to limit yourself to 2002's only here. You would be better off to understand what features were available for what years and decide what your must haves are, then be willing to consider a range of year models. Why? Because the more specific your search, the harder it is to find it. There are a ton of 3rd gens on the road, which is why we love them, but there aren't a ton for sale. There are enough for sale that they are available, but not typically a "dime a dozen".

If you've read the buyer's guide by now, you can see that there are some common issues to look out for, but most are either preventable or repairable. And tough as they may be, we are talking about 10+ year old vehicles here, so would you rather buy a 2000 model in peak condition with full maint. records and 120k miles, or a 2002 with a questionable maint. history and 110k miles, all other things being equal? If you can find a 3rd gen with a solid history that shows it was taken care of inside and out, that's worth much more to you than the model year by itself will be.

As to the e-locker question, if the seller knows what they have, they will most likely add that to the list of features they advertise. If not, look for a button down on the left by the interior dimmer switch that says diff lock on it. There are pictures of it posted on this site. The locker wasn't a requirement for me, because it may never get used, but it's nice to know it's there if needed somedday.
Click to expand...

I certainly agree! I will choose history and use over age.

Back the diff question... I will also be putting/pulling in/out my boat of the water at the boat launch. The rear wheels are guaranteed to be on sand and likely up to half underwater, while the front wheels stay on pavement.
 
rknight said:
I certainly agree! I will choose history and use over age.

Back the diff question... I will also be putting/pulling in/out my boat of the water at the boat launch. The rear wheels are guaranteed to be on sand and likely up to half underwater, while the front wheels stay on pavement.
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If both front wheels have traction then regular 4x4 will get you out of that, no problem.
 
4-Ripcord said:
If both front wheels have traction then regular 4x4 will get you out of that, no problem.
Click to expand...

Thank you, Ripcord. I have finally finished the 3rd Gen Buyers thread, the breakdowns anyway, not the users' responses yet. I need to read through it again, there is so much information, other wise I will get lost by page 2!

This will MY first vehicle. Everything I have driven up to this point has been a 'hand me down' so to speak, and unfortunately I have very limited experience with mechanics. To beat a dead horse, what does the e-locker do that differs from the center differential/TRAC (some thing?) in newer models. Some one said that the e-locker is only beneficial if your rear wheels are in thin air - does enabling the e-locker send 100% to the front wheels?

I want to choose the trim and options that are right for me so I can be right to them. I'd love to learn how and start to do some entry-level mechanics myself - oil changes, some mods, etc.

Thanks!
 
First, an open diff is where it has mechanical power coming in through a driveshaft, but each side of the axle comng out of the diff can rotate independent of the other. Like when turning, the outside wheels need to spin faster than the insde wheels, but both need power. This is bad when offroading though. Because if one of the wheels on an axle gets to a point where it has no traction (in the air or mud) then all the power coming from the driveshaft will go to that wheel. Because it is the path of least resistance. If you lock the diff, all of the power through the driveshaft goes to both wheels no matter what. The center diff works much the same.

Look on youtube for videos of how they work. But honestly, unless you will be hardcore offroading you will have no use for one. I have yet to get to a point where i needed one in my 3+ years of owning my 4runner.
 
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