new owner! couple pics, few questions

[corrado]

Hi guys- my name is Blair and I recently bought my first T4R! I am coming from the world of VW/Audi and this truck is the replacement to my thoroughly used up 1998 A4.
Anyway, the truck is a 2007 sport 4wd v6. 28k miles. Here are some crappy pics, and I will try to get some better ones asap to add.

Now on to a few noob questions:
- tire pressure monitoring; what psi do i need to get that damn light off? It lit up on day 2 of ownership and 36psi on all 4 hasn't done the trick...
- oil level; this has to be the hardest car to check the oil that i've ever owned. when i got it the dipstick was jammed in up to the pull ring, but it appears that its only supposed to go to the rubber o-ring. is that correct? next, every time i pull it out, wipe it off, stick it back in and remove to check, there is oil running halfway up the stick and there is never a definitive oil level line...
- rust; this was my biggest concern when buying a toyota truck, especially living in the rust belt. obviously proper cleaning etc will be the #1 thing to prevent it, but there is already some surface rust on areas of the front subframe, suspension parts, and hitch area. i would like to address this asap. wire wheel on the grinder, then POR15? any tips would be greatly appreciated...
:beer:

 

[4GLimited]

1 - Check the spare. You have a full size and it's monitored as well.
2 - Look on both sides of the dipstick. Or, let your truck sit overnight and check it first thing in the morning before you crank it.
3 - Move to the South. We don't salt our roads :lol:

 

[8086bruce]

Great looking rig! I myself just bought a 07 sr5 4wd with 27k miles and I live in MN and the frame and suspesion and rust on them as well as the hitch. I took it to the car wash and blasted every thing off and used 3M undercoat and it looks great. The hitch I scuffed with scotch brite pads and used some anti rust paint. Good as new.

 

[alaskaman]

Welcome. at 30K I would suggest switching to synthetic. (gear oil and engine oil) as I assume it gets cold in NY. The V6 is like a Swiss watch. Can you undercoat the vehicle after you address the rust issue? I would. You got a very good price. And enjoy that white sweet Runner. :drummer:

 

[riverider]

As to addressing any rust problems, when the outside Temp. is above freezing,always hose off with water, the underside of your 4Runner after driving where salt has been applied to the roads.

 

[Mike07SE]

1. TPMS can be finicky. However once at a good PSI (like 36), it should go off after a little bit of driving. If you get too discouraged with it you can always search the writeup of disabling it (I have for different reason).

2. You're not alone with this oil situation. My dipstick practically takes gorilla force to pull out if it hasn't been touched in a while. It's also discouraging that yes I have the problem as well that I can never get an accurate reading too as oil seems to run down the whole length of it whenever I check it (even in the morning). When I change my oil I'm just very anal about making sure I put precisely whats needed in it, and when I do check the stick that it's not dry (piss poor way, I know, but what other choice is there?).

3. 3M undercoat it. I live in a salt state and there's no escape. This will be one of my summer projects.

 

[sheik]

About time to put some new plugs in there too. Welcome aboard!

 

[VNT]

the dipstick is a pain, it takes some muscle to pull it out
psi, yes it's annoying
rust, i sanded all rust around my hitch and painted it over with rustolium, sa far no rust

 

[corrado]

Thanks for the advice, guys!

I'll double check all my tires, including the spare (peeked under there and didn't see exactly how to drop it - no bolt?)

I'll tackle the rust in the near future and use some undercoating. Is there any diy threads w/ tips on how/where to apply the undercoating? I don't think you want to just spray liberally, right? If not, i'll try to use some logic and document my steps..

30k mile service: I was planning on going synth at that time. other than the fluid changes, i will take the advice on swapping plugs as well. Should I be able to tackle the entire 30k maint myself? I have a decent tool collection, use of a 4-post lift. I'd like to avoid the dealer if possible.

2 last things for today: is it ok to drive w/ the rear glass down? I have smelled some exhaust doing this, but haven't tried all the possible venting options to try and alleviate it. is there a "golden" combo of windows/roof to use in conjunction to defeat the fumes?
and what tint % is best to use on the 2 front windows to match the rears. looks like 20%???

 

[sheik]

Thanks for the advice, guys!

I'll double check all my tires, including the spare (peeked under there and didn't see exactly how to drop it - no bolt?)

I'll tackle the rust in the near future and use some undercoating. Is there any diy threads w/ tips on how/where to apply the undercoating? I don't think you want to just spray liberally, right? If not, i'll try to use some logic and document my steps..

30k mile service: I was planning on going synth at that time. other than the fluid changes, i will take the advice on swapping plugs as well. Should I be able to tackle the entire 30k maint myself? I have a decent tool collection, use of a 4-post lift. I'd like to avoid the dealer if possible. Should be able to, nothing too major in there IIRC.

2 last things for today: is it ok to drive w/ the rear glass down? I have smelled some exhaust doing this, but haven't tried all the possible venting options to try and alleviate it. This is a common problem. You can cut off the secondary resonator behind the rear wheel and turn the exhaust to the side and eliminate the problem altogether. is there a "golden" combo of windows/roof to use in conjunction to defeat the fumes?
and what tint % is best to use on the 2 front windows to match the rears. looks like 20%??? It's very hard to match the front to the rear windows. Bear in mind the windows in back are just privacy glass and do not provide any UV protection if that matters to you. The privacy glass is between 20-25%, if you can find a shop with a light meter they should be able to match it. Otherwise, 20% usually looks darker, and 35% usually looks lighter. I went 20% over all windows including the back.

Hope that helps.

 

[alaskaman]

Golden Combo: On Highway

With Sunroof Open
L and R front window open 25%
Rear glass 20% to 35%

With Sunroof Closed
L and R front window open 40%
Rear glass from 10% to 80%

In traffic, stop and go neighborhood and/or
parking/backing up.
Rear glass closed (always)

Rule # 1 if you smell fumes. Close it.

:biggrin2:

 

[MSU4Runner]

Regarding the spare - you have to use the tool in the back left compartment of the cargo area. There is a hole in the top of the rear bumper near the latch where you stick the assembled spare tool thru and crank it to lower it by cable. I'm sure it is pictured in the manual.

Nice choice on the 4Runner, I'm sure it will last you a long time!

 

[corrado]

ok, got that taken care of. discovered i am missing a pretty important piece to the whole jack handle linkage assembly so i'll add that to the list of dealer parts i need to buy. TPMS light is off though!

thanks for the help