Lots of questions! Help! New 4runner owner

M

mannydantyla

New member
A few days ago I bought a '08 SR5 v8 4x4 w/ 162,000 miles. I love it! It is awesome! This is replacing my '97 Jeep Cherokee XJ that has been a nightmare to maintain.

I have some many newby/idiot questions that I don't know where to begin so I'll just make a big list and folks can reply the numbered questions by putting the same number next to the answer. That would be super helpful! Thank you!

  1. What octane does the v8 engine need?
  2. What spark plugs are recommended?
  3. What is the purpose of the spoiler? Looks, aerodynamics, keep dust off the back window, or to keep exhaust fumes from entering through the open back window? I'm thinking about removing it.
  4. Is there no air dam under the front bumper from the factory? Or is mine missing??
  5. Should I have a skid plate under my front axle? I feel like there should be one there but it is missing. There's one under the gas tank though
  6. what is the best site to order aftermarket parts from? For example, Off Road Design is the best for Chevy K10 parts, Quadratec is biggest supplier of Jeep parts. ??
  7. are manual locking hubs a possibility?
  8. What are things I should check around my used 4runner? I hear that ball joints can go bad, brake calipers can drag, etc. Anything else?
  9. So far (only a few short trips around town) I'm getting 13 or 14 mpg. Does that seem low? I'm pretty sure that the previous owner installed a flowmaster (or gibson or who-knows) muffler, and I've read that they reduce backpressure at low RPMs too much. Is that true?



Thanks!!!

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mannydantyla said:
A few days ago I bought a '08 SR5 v8 4x4 w/ 162,000 miles. I love it! It is awesome! This is replacing my '97 Jeep Cherokee XJ that has been a nightmare to maintain.

I have some many newby/idiot questions that I don't know where to begin so I'll just make a big list and folks can reply the numbered questions by putting the same number next to the answer. That would be super helpful! Thank you!

  1. What octane does the v8 engine need?
    Engine doesn't care.
  2. What spark plugs are recommended?
    Engine doesn't care.
  3. What is the purpose of the spoiler? Looks, aerodynamics, keep dust off the back window, or to keep exhaust fumes from entering through the open back window? I'm thinking about removing it.
    Unknown. Speculation on engineering designs are meaningless unless you are the engineer in Japan who designed it.
  4. Is there no air dam under the front bumper from the factory? Or is mine missing??
    Never saw one on my truck.
  5. Should I have a skid plate under my front axle? I feel like there should be one there but it is missing. There's one under the gas tank though
    There should be a wimpy factory skidplate
  6. what is the best site to order aftermarket parts from? For example, Off Road Design is the best for Chevy K10 parts, Quadratec is biggest supplier of Jeep parts. ??
    Don't order aftermarket parts. Most are made in china and fail immediately.
  7. are manual locking hubs a possibility?
    no, you have full time 4wd, meaning all the time, meaning there is no time when you can not be in 4wd.
  8. What are things I should check around my used 4runner? I hear that ball joints can go bad, brake calipers can drag, etc. Anything else?
    Transmission maybe, its supposed to have lifetime fluid but I changed mine because it was black.
  9. So far (only a few short trips around town) I'm getting 13 or 14 mpg. Does that seem low? I'm pretty sure that the previous owner installed a flowmaster (or gibson or who-knows) muffler, and I've read that they reduce backpressure at low RPMs too much. Is that true?
    Nobody can answer that question accurately without a $450,000 4wd dyno with engine management data interception and DSP processing. All answers to that question without said equipment are guesses.



Thanks!!!
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In red quotes
 
 
 
 
I’ll chime in real quick here. Congrats on your purchase! Those V8’s are awesome. Love mine. One thing about the gasoline octane, I always put 93 in mine. The reason for it is because through the manual it says Toyota recommends 91 or higher for the V8, but it CAN use 87. Since I always go by the manual, I prefer 93 since that’s the closest I can get here in town. I know I’m spending more money and people will debate with me. But if that’s what the manual recommends, I’m going to follow it.
 
Hey fellow Kansan! I'm just over in Topeka. I was surprised at the price you paid and makes me feel better about my purchase :) (I saw your post on reddit) I had to drive for Omaha for mine though. And I looked for about 2 months before pulling the trigger, also at a private party.
 
Samm25 said:
I’ll chime in real quick here. Congrats on your purchase! Those V8’s are awesome. Love mine. One thing about the gasoline octane, I always put 93 in mine. The reason for it is because through the manual it says Toyota recommends 91 or higher for the V8, but it CAN use 87. Since I always go by the manual, I prefer 93 since that’s the closest I can get here in town. I know I’m spending more money and people will debate with me. But if that’s what the manual recommends, I’m going to follow it.
Click to expand...

I read the entire owners manual that I found in the glove box this weekend and it only says that it needs "87 or higher"

In one of the links given to me by bossman, someone pointed out that the wikipedia page for the v6 engine says that the engine gets a little more horspower and a good amount more torque with 91 octane over 87 octane. They didn't provide a source though, and it was the v6 not the v8.

I've been putting 89 octane in mine so far
 
from my 2005 V8 owner's manual...

Fuel type:
Unleaded gasoline, Octane Rating 87
(Research Octane Number 91) or higher.
For improved vehicle performance, the
use of premium unleaded gasoline with
an Octane Rating of 91 (Research Oc-
tane Number 96) or higher is recom-
mended.


I think it applies to both V8 and V6
 
swampdodo said:
from my 2005 V8 owner's manual...

Fuel type:
Unleaded gasoline, Octane Rating 87
(Research Octane Number 91) or higher.
For improved vehicle performance, the
use of premium unleaded gasoline with
an Octane Rating of 91 (Research Oc-
tane Number 96) or higher is recom-
mended.


I think it applies to both V8 and V6
Click to expand...

OP bought an '08. This is all my 2007 owner's manual says about octane. I have a V6 though, does the V8 have a different manual?

==
OCTANE RATING
Select Octane Rating 87 (Research Octane Number 91) or higher. Use of unleaded fuel with an Octane Rating lower than 87 may result in engine
knocking. Persistent knocking can lead to engine damage.

If your engine knocks...
If you detect heavy knocking even when using the recommended fuel, or if you hear steady knocking while holding a steady speed on level roads, consult your Toyota dealer.

However, occasionally, you may notice light knocking for a short time while accelerating or driving up hills. This is normal and there is no need for concern.
==

Unless recommended, buying higher than 87 octane for any vehicle, other than in special conditions such as higher altitudes, is a waste of money. In fact, ask yourself this: why does 89 octane exist when virtually no manufacturer recommends it for their vehicles? The answer is marketing research that shows that when consumers are presented two price points, they choose the lower one, but when there are three choices, many choose the middle one.

Look, we all want to believe higher octane provides better performance and/or fuel economy, but everything I've seen that isn't personal opinions or anecdotal evidence says it doesn't.

I'd be pleased to be wrong; if somebody has definitive evidence that buying higher octane fuel for normal operations has cost-justifying benefits, please cite it.
 
You're probably right. But this is the most technologically advanced vehicle I've purchased so I wanted to make sure before I put the wrong fuel into it. My last vehicle was a Jeep with a tractor engine, essentially, and before that it was a carburated chevy truck! That actually needed 89 or 91 octane because it would ping with 87 octane due to the fact that someone put 305 heads on the 350 which increased the compression.

Would you put 85 octane in it? I've seen that option at a few places in Colorado
 
mannydantyla said:
Would you put 85 octane in it? I've seen that option at a few places in Colorado
Click to expand...

You should see it at pretty much all gas stations in Colorado.

Because almost all of Colorado is above 5000 feet elevation, absolute engine compression is lower than at sea level and consequently the tendency to knock is lower as well. Colorado gas stations typically offer 85, 87, and 91 octane fuel which has roughly the same knock performance at altitude as the typical 87, 89, and 93 octane fuels do at sea level.

If you have a turbo-boosted engine this doesn't apply, and you need to run the same fuel at altitude as you do at sea level.

I run 87 octane in my '06 V8. Most computer controlled engines with knock sensors (which includes ours) will perform slightly better with higher octane fuel because the ECU can advance ignition timing more before the onset of knocking. That improves performance and fuel economy, all else being equal.

Run a few tanks each way and carefully track your mileage to see if it makes a difference for you. It does for me, about 5% mileage increase with 87 vs. 85 octane here in Colorado.
 
mannydantyla said:
You're probably right. But this is the most technologically advanced vehicle I've purchased so I wanted to make sure before I put the wrong fuel into it. My last vehicle was a Jeep with a tractor engine, essentially, and before that it was a carburated chevy truck! That actually needed 89 or 91 octane because it would ping with 87 octane due to the fact that someone put 305 heads on the 350 which increased the compression.

Would you put 85 octane in it? I've seen that option at a few places in Colorado
Click to expand...

Not unless the manual calls for it.

If you didn’t get a manual with yours, you can download one online. You can’t go wrong with whatever is in the manual.
 
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Rant: I only have 1 key for my 4Runner so I went to the dealership on Saturday to get a new one made with the chip in it. They were too busy so I reluctantly agreed to come back on Monday (it's all the way on the other side of town). I went back today, but drove my old Jeep so I could drop of the Toyota key and do some shopping while they make the new key. Well that apparently was a bad idea because they needed the vehicle itself it make the key. :rant:

end rant

But while driving back irritated that its so much of a pain just to get a key made for these new dang-o-confangled vehicles, the Jeep started to run hot and got close to being in danger of overheating. And its a cold rainy day! So that reminded why I bought a new vehicle in the first place and, oddly enough, I'm actually happy that the Jeep was having problems because it made it a lot easier to appretiate my expensive new Toyota.

You see, I'm (or I was) pretty attached to that old Jeep. Driving it today, I was reminded how nimble and maneuverable it is. And sitting in it today, it's literally like an old leather glove that perfectly fits. I know right where to rest my elbows to hold the steering wheel. And I know how to quickly flip the windshield wipers to just the right setting. On the new 4runner though, I have to fiddle with them for a second and I always mess it up at first. And I'm still trying to adjust the electric seat to get the same position I had in the Jeep but it's not quite right.

Maybe its just a matter of "breaking it in," and soon it will feel like that old leather glove, and all the controls will become muscle memory. But, most importantly, the engine will run like it should without giving me so many problems.

RonJR said:
It does for me, about 5% mileage increase with 87 vs. 85 octane here in Colorado.
Click to expand...

That's a significant difference, IMO. I do a lot of short-distance, stop-and-go city driving. I work only 2 miles away and make that trip 4 times a day, so my fuel economy is pretty bad. So I'll take any help I can get.
 
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That would be annoying - would have been nice of them to tell you they needed the vehicle.

Something you (and anyone else new to the 4Runner) may want to do is get what's usually referred to as your "build sheet" or Vehicle Inquiry Report. It's a printout that lists tons of info for your specific vehicle, even the exact date it rolled off the assembly line. That's how I know that my truck's "birthday" is 9/21/06.

To get it, choose the email option on this page, provide your VIN, and request your Vehicle Inquiry Report. They sent mine within a day of my message. Please lmk if you have any issues. If not, I'll post the process so all new owners can get one.
 
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