Maintenance Questions

3

303Crew

New member
I know this has probably already been answered multiple times, but I might as well ask. My 4WD Sport Edition 4Runner has ~169k on her and was curious what maintenance/preventative maintenance should be done? I was thinking something like the following:


  • Get an AISIN timing belt and water pump kit and replace them (currently live like 2 miles from one of their locations in AA, MI so hopefully can get it cheap) I was told the belt was replaced at 100K but wasn't given receipt/ no marking of it being replaced on the cover

  • Replace all the belts (Air conditioning, Alternator and Power steering) while I have it them all off

  • Replace the thermostat (and its gasket)

  • Try and clean the power steering reservoir and do a flush on it

  • Just to be safe replace the radiator, radiator hoses and cap as I know they are prone to fail and give the dreaded pink milkshake

  • Check the transmission fluid and if looks decent try my hand at a transmission flush (with help) and if not just drain it and replace it every ~10,000 miles or so

  • Brake fluid flush

  • Replace the fuel filter

  • Replace the PCV valve

  • And of course oil, oil filter and rotate the tires every 5k
I have already replace the following so I don't have to worry about it:

  • Rear diff fluid

  • Brake pads, shoes, rotors and drums

  • Spark plugs and spark plug wires

  • Lower ball joints (under recall)

  • K&N Air Filter

  • Clean MAF sensor every oil change
Is there anything I am missing? I bought the 4Runner last summer and haven't had a place to work on it (except during winter break) and do all of this stuff. I plan on knocking most if not all of this out at once so I don't have to worry about it, and plan on doing suspension parts after I clean up my frame and when I upgrade my suspension to Eibach Pro Truck Stage 1 lift.
 
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Transfer case, front diff and transmission fluid? If the trans fluid is dark, do a couple rounds of trans fluid while you are at it (drain/fill, drive for a while, drain/fill, etc.).

I'd use Toyota Red coolant when you do the WP/thermostat.

-Charlie
 
I do need to do those, thanks. Yup, from what I've read on here Toyota OEM parts/fluids are almost always/usually the best to use.
 
May need to do the LBJ’s again depending when they were done under recall.
Mine were done under recall at under 60K miles but did them a second time at 180K when I bought it.
If so, spend the $$ and buy OEM from your local dealer or an online Toyota dealer…….don’t forget to replace the 8 bolts as well.
Not a bad idea to hit the grease fittings on your drive shaft, etc
 
Luckily the lower ball joints were just replaced at around ~166k. I originally bought them from a dealer, but then found out mine were recalled so I lucked out on that front as I've read the best ones are the new Toyota design they have for the LBJ's
 
Oh man, 169K is a baby 4Runner. I bought mine used 8 years ago with more miles than that! I left some notes below.



  • Get an AISIN timing belt and water pump kit and replace them (currently live like 2 miles from one of their locations in AA, MI so hopefully can get it cheap) I was told the belt was replaced at 100K but wasn't given receipt/ no marking of it being replaced on the cover. If it was done at 100K then this is unnecessary. Neither part will fail cataclysmically, when a water pump fails it seeps out coolant from the lower timing belt cover and timing belts themselves don't break. Like ever. You could easily go 3-4 more years if not more on the current parts.

  • Replace all the belts (Air conditioning, Alternator and Power steering) while I have it them all off - No need unless they are squealing. Once again, these do not break as long as the pulleys are not marred.

  • Replace the thermostat (and its gasket) - Yes

  • Try and clean the power steering reservoir and do a flush on it - Not a bad thing to do, keeping fluids fresh makes for less repairs later

  • Just to be safe replace the radiator, radiator hoses and cap as I know they are prone to fail and give the dreaded pink milkshake - Always a good thing is mileage on them is unknown.

  • Check the transmission fluid and if looks decent try my hand at a transmission flush (with help) and if not just drain it and replace it every ~10,000 miles or so - Either way works, fresh fluid is always good. I did 3 drain and fills.

  • Brake fluid flush - Good

  • Replace the fuel filter - Probably not needed and it's very easy to strip the compression nuts, leaving you worse off than before.

  • Replace the PCV valve - Yes

  • And of course oil, oil filter and rotate the tires every 5k
 
I would remove the top timing belt cover enough to inspect the belt condition before changing it. I’d also recommend replacing the power steering reservoir o ring when you clean the reservoir. 90301-11016
 
@ 303Crew All the above is great information, from all that have chimed in. If your budget allows for it, I’d highly recommend the B&M 70268 external transmission cooler, as this will help prevent the strawberry milkshake from happening. They’re like $70-$80, and for that price tag, it’s a no-brainer to me. I’m sure others can chime in regarding the external cooler and their experiences with them. There are other companies that make them, but I’ve been fortunate to have had good results from mine. You seem pretty squared away on the main things that need attention on your rig, so be confident in the information you have here
 
Leave the MAF alone. Your going to hurt it way more than help it. If it’s getting dirty it’s due to the K&N filter……
 
[MENTION=115347]gamefreakgc[/MENTION] Yea I feel I was pretty lucky and got her pretty cheap considering how much people are selling and trying to sell them for now.

I don't currently have a place to work on this/ I don't know the next time I will. So I was trying to knock it out so I wouldn't have to worry about it, but I guess it is a Toyota. This is my first Toyota (I came from fords) so I know about their reliability but don't really know how long they will actually last on stock parts. I think I'll do what [MENTION=319302]Bad Luck[/MENTION] said and take the cover off and inspect it, the water pumps i'm not really sure how long they last, it seems from what you said it should be fine for some time and is pretty easy to spot when its needed before it completely fails and overheats. So it sounds like don't replace the fuel filter until I actually have to/need to, is that correct?
[MENTION=97491]JoeT4R[/MENTION] are you saying do that in conjunction with the new radiator and parts or do that instead of replacing the radiator? I thought about doing it when it bought the vehicle as my dad had one just laying around and said I could have it. I mean I don't really do a whole lot of off-roading and the only time I've hauled something was when I moved. But I do plan on moving and putting a lift and larger tires on it so it couldn't hurt right?
[MENTION=643801]Romeo1[/MENTION] I guess I just got used to doing it as I lived on out in the middle of nowhere and most of my driving consisted of gravel roads. I rarely drive on gravel now so it wouldn't be as useful as before, but why do you say it will cause more harm than good?
 
303Crew said:
So it sounds like don't replace the fuel filter until I actually have to/need to, is that correct?

[MENTION=643801]Romeo1[/MENTION] I guess I just got used to doing it as I lived on out in the middle of nowhere and most of my driving consisted of gravel roads. I rarely drive on gravel now so it wouldn't be as useful as before, but why do you say it will cause more harm than good?
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For the fuel filter - I finally did mine for the first time at 270k miles or so. I wouldn't consider it regular maintenance, but you can do it once if you want.

The hot wire in the MAF is very sensitive to damage. Go with a quality paper filter for max filtration and you won't need to clean the MAF with any regularity. I don't think mine has been cleaned in 300k miles and my fuel trims are still near 0... It has probably had 20k of dirt roads in that time.

-Charlie
 
303Crew said:
[MENTION=115347]gamefreakgc[/MENTION] Yea I feel I was pretty lucky and got her pretty cheap considering how much people are selling and trying to sell them for now.

I don't currently have a place to work on this/ I don't know the next time I will. So I was trying to knock it out so I wouldn't have to worry about it, but I guess it is a Toyota. This is my first Toyota (I came from fords) so I know about their reliability but don't really know how long they will actually last on stock parts. I think I'll do what [MENTION=319302]Bad Luck[/MENTION] said and take the cover off and inspect it, the water pumps i'm not really sure how long they last, it seems from what you said it should be fine for some time and is pretty easy to spot when its needed before it completely fails and overheats. So it sounds like don't replace the fuel filter until I actually have to/need to, is that correct?
[MENTION=97491]JoeT4R[/MENTION] are you saying do that in conjunction with the new radiator and parts or do that instead of replacing the radiator? I thought about doing it when it bought the vehicle as my dad had one just laying around and said I could have it. I mean I don't really do a whole lot of off-roading and the only time I've hauled something was when I moved. But I do plan on moving and putting a lift and larger tires on it so it couldn't hurt right?
[MENTION=643801]Romeo1[/MENTION] I guess I just got used to doing it as I lived on out in the middle of nowhere and most of my driving consisted of gravel roads. I rarely drive on gravel now so it wouldn't be as useful as before, but why do you say it will cause more harm than good?
Click to expand...

These engine are very stout, perhaps the most reliable ones Toyota ever made. An inspection of the top cover won't really say much, as the belt is thick and normally doesn't show wear. Obviously if it's frayed or cracked that'd be a bad sign but every timing belt I've taken off will look just fine and still have plenty of life. Normally I do the timing belt if I have an engine out of the vehicle just for ease of working on it.

Fuel filter at 169K will most likely not be needed. You will need a set of crow's foot or brake line wrenches and it's not optional. If you have rust, you may never get the compression nuts off at all. They are stuck on there good from the factory.

And yes, for the transmission cooler it's an either or, not both. If you replace the radiator you're already addressing the problem so a cooler would not be needed unless you tow often or create excess heat like us crazy people with superchargers.
 
phattyduck said:
For the fuel filter - I finally did mine for the first time at 270k miles or so. I wouldn't consider it regular maintenance, but you can do it once if you want.

The hot wire in the MAF is very sensitive to damage. Go with a quality paper filter for max filtration and you won't need to clean the MAF with any regularity. I don't think mine has been cleaned in 300k miles and my fuel trims are still near 0... It has probably had 20k of dirt roads in that time.

-Charlie
Click to expand...

Gotcha, thanks for the info. I always did it on the fords I owned and it didn't seem to cause any issues (that I could notice) but I think ill cut back on it based off of the info and experience you've provided. Thanks!
 
gamefreakgc said:
These engine are very stout, perhaps the most reliable ones Toyota ever made. An inspection of the top cover won't really say much, as the belt is thick and normally doesn't show wear. Obviously if it's frayed or cracked that'd be a bad sign but every timing belt I've taken off will look just fine and still have plenty of life. Normally I do the timing belt if I have an engine out of the vehicle just for ease of working on it.

Fuel filter at 169K will most likely not be needed. You will need a set of crow's foot or brake line wrenches and it's not optional. If you have rust, you may never get the compression nuts off at all. They are stuck on there good from the factory.

And yes, for the transmission cooler it's an either or, not both. If you replace the radiator you're already addressing the problem so a cooler would not be needed unless you tow often or create excess heat like us crazy people with superchargers.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the advice! I do have have the tools for fuel lines, but from what you've said it sounds more like a hassle than what is worth especially with 169K on it. Gotcha on the transmission cooler, do you have a recommendation on whether to do one or the other?
 
303Crew said:
Thanks for the advice! I do have have the tools for fuel lines, but from what you've said it sounds more like a hassle than what is worth especially with 169K on it. Gotcha on the transmission cooler, do you have a recommendation on whether to do one or the other?
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A new radiator is best. They are known to crack not just at the plate that separates coolant from the transmission fluid but also crack on the plastic top cover.
 
Why not replace the fuel filter though? Pretty cheap in the grand scheme of things. It’s the only thing that ensures clean fuel goes to the injection system. Debris and condensation all live on a fuel tank. Filters aren’t a lifetime part. A set of metric and SAE flare nut wrenches is mandatory for a tool box. It’s the only way not to damage fasteners in many situations.

Far as the MAF, like Phattyduck said, they’re a delicate piece. This video goes into the why, but it is super technical and geared toward trained auto techs fyi. It even shows how they get damaged with just use and time.

Wells TechConnect Ep. 19--Does cleaning a mass air flow (MAF) sensor really work? - YouTube

K&N filters are what they are. See, here’s the thing, filtration is a function of restriction. To flow more air, you have to have a larger area, or filter less. There isn’t any magic sauce in filtration. It really is that simple.
 
Replacing the radiator is a no brainer. These radiators are inexpensive, and inexpensively made.
Remember that the cause of the pink milkshake is corrosion-induced failure of the heat exchanger located in the bottom tank. The corrosion results from the anti-corrosion chemicals in the coolant being exhausted. If you use old fashioned green coolant, that means you need to change the coolant once a year, maybe let it go 2 years max. If using the Toyota red coolant, that can be stretched to 3 or 4 years.
There is no substitute for replacing the coolant on time.
Also, if you reroute the trans cooling to only an external cooler, you lose the benefit of the radiator warming up the coolant on very cold days.
 
@ OP, in conjunction with. Do both. You will thank yourself later. Trust me. My original started leaking when I was 3.5 hours away from home. Just do both. Any brand I’m sure is better than none. I used B&M, but have heard equally good things about Hayden
 
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