New to me '16 Trail, has minor issues and I could use some insight

[Pavement Tested]

Preface: this got long but is an attempt to not start a bunch of threads all at once.

Hello all. I picked up a '16 SR5 Premium Trail a few days ago. It has 91k miles on the odo, has a clean CarFAX (yes, they don't always tell the truth) and a bunch of issues I'm less and less thrilled about. I think I probably paid too much for it but it was priced at FMV, had some pretty regular maintenance records. Besides, all the issues I've identified are just "used car problems". I also bought it from a small used car dealership that didn't have room to move on the price especially in the current market climate. I think there are enough examples of movie depictions to tell you how that experience went. I bought it as is, no warranty so I have what I have.

This is a list of what I have found so far with a question or 2 worked in along the way:

- The exhaust pipe hangs at the rear due to the last pipe hanger being a few inches too far forward on the pipe to reach the rubber mount on the body. This causes a rattle which is very annoying. The whole system looks factory including the muffle which says Toyota on it but everything from the Y pipe back appears to be newer. I'm planning on installing a Borla cat back soon so hopefully that will cure the issue.

- The fog lights do not work. The light on the dash indicates they are on when I turn on the switch on the stalk but they do not come on. They very well could both be burned out but I haven't had time or decent weather to fuss with them. Do these things have a bulb out indicator on the dash that would tell you the fog lights are out? Do LED lights require anything special to prevent any bulb out warnings or the like? A complete lighting overhaul is in the works since I like building quality headlights.

- The windshield washer dispenser does not spray washer fluid. The reservoir is almost full and I can hear the pump run but nothing issues from the nozzles. I have not noted a puddle under the vehicle or any spray under the hood that would indicate it's spraying from a leaky fluid line. Is this a common issue?

- The upper left portion of the touch screen on the radio does not work. I cannot select any icons that are closer than about 2" from the left edge of the screen and in general the touch sensitivity of the scree seems to be sporadic at best. I tried disconnecting the battery per info gleaned off the interwebs, (actually, I replaced the battery so it's been disconnected twice) and it did not correct the issue. Is the digitizer know to fail on these rigs? Do I really need to find the 30A fuse under the hood and pull it for 4 hours as one website suggested?


Things that I've noticed that are irksome but have little to no affect on the vehicle:

- The battery that was in it was not the correct one for the vehicle. It was too short so it slid around under the hold down bracket and the posts were on the wrong side so it was essentially installed backwards. The terminals were towards the front of the vehicle with the positive to the left or passenger side. The cables barely reached the terminals. I replaced it today.

- It only came with the valet key. There is no key/fob with keyless entry buttons, just the plain valet key which is a giant pain in the rear to have to use the key in the door to unlock it all the time. I've ordered 2 "G" keys off Amazon and found a few places on the web that list a very intricate and seemingly complex sequence of on/off, open/close, lock/unlock steps to program the keys. I'm hoping it works.

- Someone painted the factory wheels black, with a rattle can, and did a REALLY crappy job. I kinda think it's actually spray-on bead liner or undercoat. Either way, it looks like doodoo. I suppose I should count myself lucky that they at least removed the wheels to coat them and there isn't overspray all over the brakes and such. The all terrains that are on it are in decent shape so I'll probably look for a wheel and tire package when they wear out.

- There are bits and pieces all over that are missing. The radiator shroud that is immediately behind the grill under the hood is loose and almost all of the plastic push pin retainers are broken and loose. I believe there is supposed to be a rubber seal or gasket under the leading edge of the hood that is not there, the covers that go on the back side of the headlights are missing so the headlight housings are open to the elements and the jack kit is missing. It also didn't have the front license plate bracket installed so the dealership just screwed their advertising plate to the valance which would have been ok-ish but it's crooked as a politician.

Yeah, I know, why did I buy it? Short story, happy wife, happy life. It's for her and she's happy with it from the driver's seat so I guess I'll just fix everything. I'm kind of a glutton for punishment too so here we are. I'm expecting more as well.

At any rate, if you've gotten this far, I appreciate any helpful replies you folks have. Thanks for tuning in.

 

[repo]

Hate to tell you but sounds like you got a real lemon. I doubt you'll get another 250,000 miles out of it with that fog lamp issue and catastrophic exhaust hanger failure. Maybe 300,000 if you're lucky. Sorry bro.

 

[JaSC1]

"..The upper left portion of the touch screen on the radio does not work..."

My return icon on upper right side is off screen. I've ignored it for couple of years. I'll dig into a fix today that may apply to yours as well.

Take small bites of your things to fix one day at a time.

 

[Jivewalker]

Enter your vin# here.

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Start looking up part numbers and ordering. Peck away at the fixes. Most of your issues sound pretty easy, like clogged windshield washer nozzles, etc. Also, if you search on the site you should be able to find the field service manual in pdf. If you can't figure certain things out, search on here or start a thread with your specific issue, lots of people will chime in with help and ideas.

 

[JoeBand]

i picked up my '16 TEP from a dealer in mid january, been loving it. just to be sure, the fogs only go on with headlights.

mine came with some off brand m/s tires, but on 17" fuel wheels, but the are brand new... so i too will wait awhile before going to bfg ko2.

wife's happy? enjoy that.

 

[Humble Leader]

here are some of my thoughts. long post, but whatever. just skip it if you don't feel like reading

exhaust hanger: most likely there was an exhaust leak and rather than pay for the toyota OEM parts the previous owner or the dealership used an el cheapo part. this is not a big deal but if it was my rig I'd want this fixed and not rattling around for a long time. what is it rattling against? vibration will destroy everything in its path. plan to do the borla soon or replace with OEM.

fog lights: my concern here would be aftermarket accessories that were not done properly. the cheapo battery in there now could be one the dealer had lying around. maybe the previous owner kept an AGM battery and swapped in the cheapest one they could find. perhaps they wired the fog light switch to a light bar. does it look like there's wires under the hood that normally aren't there in a stock 4runner? the bulbs could be burnt out too. electrical problems are a nightmare so maybe move this one up higher on the list to investigate

windshield washer dispenser: probably clogged. do all three nozzles not spray (two front and one rear). if neither of them spray that's suspect. but if only the fronts don't work, probably clogged and can be replaced. you can try cleaning but just replace them. don't run the pump if nothing is coming out - you'll burn it out

touch screen: your head unit is probably on its way out. touch screens do wear out. a bit unusual at 90k miles but maybe it was just used a lot. these are expensive to replace. plan for at least $3k from a dealer. I really don't think it's the fuse but hey I'm wrong sometimes so you can give it a shot

only one key: probably the previous owner had a remote start. older remote starts I believe required you to sacrifice a key fob. maybe they used an aftermarket housing for the key as well and now and there's no OEM ones left. you probably won't want to hear this but when it comes to key fobs just go OEM and take your beats from the dealer

wheels: personal preference. if you have to prioritize costs this isn't a huge deal. seems like you guys in the states can get rims at good prices so look for a deal

missing pieces: clips , trim etc is minor. I'd want to make sure all trim pieces are there though and protecting under the hood from the elements. order the bottle jack and tools. you really don't want to be without these in an emergency. for the front license plate - do you not have threaded holes to screw the plate in? I don't know if my 4runner does but in ontario all vehicles need front plates. there'd be holes in everyone's bumper all over the place whenever a vehicle changes hands if threads weren't there. if you don't need the front plate you can buy these plugs that do a decent job of hiding the holes. if you need the front plate you could just use the plugs anyway and re mount the plate correctly

used cars are all going to have some quirks to them. they're used, some people take care of them better than others and things wear out. as long as your engine and transmission are good everything can be replaced. if it were my money I'd take it to a dealer, tell them you just bought a new car and want an inspection done + give them your list of things to fix. leave the car there for a day or so and get everything taken care of. will it be expensive? yes. but then you have piece of mind and you will know what else needs attention as well. every used vehicle I've bought always required some level of investment in the first year to bring it up to my standards which is simply everything functioning as it should be

 

[Pavement Tested]

Hate to tell you but sounds like you got a real lemon. I doubt you'll get another 250,000 miles out of it with that fog lamp issue and catastrophic exhaust hanger failure. Maybe 300,000 if you're lucky. Sorry bro.

Well...shoot...guessing a bonfire is in my future. LOL!

My return icon on upper right side is off screen. I've ignored it for couple of years. I'll dig into a fix today that may apply to yours as well.

Take small bites of your things to fix one day at a time.

I'd appreciate any info on your results. I've also found a number of replacement digitizers on various electronics repair websites. Relatively cheap to replace at $125 for the part and a bit of my time.

here are some of my thoughts. long post, but whatever. just skip it if you don't feel like reading

Didn't skip a word. I greatly appreciate the feedback. I'm going to breakdown a response into sections.

exhaust hanger: most likely there was an exhaust leak and rather than pay for the toyota OEM parts the previous owner or the dealership used an el cheapo part. this is not a big deal but if it was my rig I'd want this fixed and not rattling around for a long time. what is it rattling against? vibration will destroy everything in its path. plan to do the borla soon or replace with OEM.

If the boss doesn't agree to get the Borla system soon I'm going to be cutting the rear most hanger off the pipe and moving it back so it can be made up properly. The hanger itself rubs against the undercarriage causing the rattling. I definitely do not want the hanger eating its way through the body or causing a potential spot for rust to develope.

fog lights: my concern here would be aftermarket accessories that were not done properly. the cheapo battery in there now could be one the dealer had lying around. maybe the previous owner kept an AGM battery and swapped in the cheapest one they could find. perhaps they wired the fog light switch to a light bar. does it look like there's wires under the hood that normally aren't there in a stock 4runner? the bulbs could be burnt out too. electrical problems are a nightmare so maybe move this one up higher on the list to investigate

There is no evidence of any aftermarket electrical accessories at all. All the wiring under the hood looks good and not hacked up. There are no holes or left behind mounts on the interior or exterior. The only aftermarket thing I've been able to ID on it is a small lift or leveling kit. It can't be more than 1.5". There are spacers above the front coils and what look like spacers on top of the rear springs. I'm going to be pulling the fog bulbs to test them and put a meter on the plugs to test for voltage.

windshield washer dispenser: probably clogged. do all three nozzles not spray (two front and one rear). if neither of them spray that's suspect. but if only the fronts don't work, probably clogged and can be replaced. you can try cleaning but just replace them. don't run the pump if nothing is coming out - you'll burn it out

The rear works fine. It's just the front that won't dispense. A clog makes sense. I'm just dreading pulling the fluid res and the hoses to clean them. I've done that and it is a huge PITA. Feels like they come up with the res and build the car around it.

touch screen: your head unit is probably on its way out. touch screens do wear out. a bit unusual at 90k miles but maybe it was just used a lot. these are expensive to replace. plan for at least $3k from a dealer. I really don't think it's the fuse but hey I'm wrong sometimes so you can give it a shot

If the head unit is shot I'll put in something aftermarket. Now way am I sending $3k for a factory unit. The pulling the fuse thing was something I read during a search for a fix. It was asked if it had to be removed for 4 hours and someone said disconnecting the battery for a few min had the same effect. That's been done to no avail.

only one key: probably the previous owner had a remote start. older remote starts I believe required you to sacrifice a key fob. maybe they used an aftermarket housing for the key as well and now and there's no OEM ones left. you probably won't want to hear this but when it comes to key fobs just go OEM and take your beats from the dealer

The dealer I got it from is supposed to be having a mobile key guy get a hold of me to provide a 3 button key. I'm just impatient and want them ASAP. We'll see how these Amazon deals work out. If they don't then I'll return them and head to the stealership.

wheels: personal preference. if you have to prioritize costs this isn't a huge deal. seems like you guys in the states can get rims at good prices so look for a deal

Meh...the wheels are purely an aesthetic thing. These are round, don't shake violently and hold air so they'll stay for a while. I mount and balance my own tires so it's just a matter of finding wheels I (or my wife) like.

missing pieces: clips , trim etc is minor. I'd want to make sure all trim pieces are there though and protecting under the hood from the elements. order the bottle jack and tools. you really don't want to be without these in an emergency. for the front license plate - do you not have threaded holes to screw the plate in? I don't know if my 4runner does but in ontario all vehicles need front plates. there'd be holes in everyone's bumper all over the place whenever a vehicle changes hands if threads weren't there. if you don't need the front plate you can buy these plugs that do a decent job of hiding the holes. if you need the front plate you could just use the plugs anyway and re mount the plate correctly

I called my local wrecking yard to see if they had an 5th gens in the yard and they've got nothing. I'll research the bits and bobs and slowly replace them. I was just really surprised that the whole jack kit was gone. I mean, who does that on a basically stock rig? The thing came from Mississippi where they don't require front plates so I'm sure the factory bracket was discarded. There were no hole in the valance before the dealer affixed their tag. Washington does require front plates so I'll be sourcing a bracket and installing it properly using the dimples that are conveniently molded into the valance for this reason. Luckly the hole the dealer made will be hidden.

used cars are all going to have some quirks to them. they're used, some people take care of them better than others and things wear out. as long as your engine and transmission are good everything can be replaced. if it were my money I'd take it to a dealer, tell them you just bought a new car and want an inspection done + give them your list of things to fix. leave the car there for a day or so and get everything taken care of. will it be expensive? yes. but then you have piece of mind and you will know what else needs attention as well. every used vehicle I've bought always required some level of investment in the first year to bring it up to my standards which is simply everything functioning as it should be

I agree that used cars are a crap shoot. You get what you get and deal with it. I'll chip away with it over time and get it where I want it. I have a distinct lack of ability to leave a vehicle of any kind in factory form. I also do everything myself. This thing will never see the inside of my local Toyota dealership unless there is a warranty or recall issue. I've had WAY too many bad experiences with dealerships and their poor, unexperienced "techs" that only know how to plug in a machine and read a display.

 

[repo]

Jivewalker has it right. Dig through the forum to find that bootleg factory service manual, put your VIN in partsouq and go to town on it man. Sounds like mostly cheap fixes. That FSM will quickly remove the mystery of things. You have a trail edition and worried about the cosmetic details? This is a depreciating asset built to be used and enjoyed, spend your time enjoying the truck instead of fretting about cosmetics. Tools and knowledge and preventative maintenance are the true investment, not the truck or the mods. If you get stuck you can ask on here or check youtube. As long as the frame, engine and transmission are healthy you're good to go brother!

You got to look at it from the wabi-sabi perspective. Dings and DIY repairs/upgrades are what makes the character of the truck. It's why I still drive my 3rd gen everyday after the single week of 5th gen novelty wore off. I wash it every 2 years or so. When the paint gets messed up to the point rust becomes an issue I'll just Rhino coat the whole thing. I'd rather spend my time doing PM and driving it. Keep all the fluids and filters fresh, keep the rust away, stay up to date on brakes, belts, plugs, etc. Take it easy on the gas and brake pedal. Drive it to 200,000 miles and then sell it with a good service history to a grateful peasant from the 3rd gen forum.

Bobby Hill dropping some knowledge bombs: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C16BE6SakWs

If your wife gives you aggro tell her she's 4runner people now.

 

[repo]

The rear works fine. It's just the front that won't dispense. A clog makes sense. I'm just dreading pulling the fluid res and the hoses to clean them. I've done that and it is a huge PITA. Feels like they come up with the res and build the car around it.

Start with disconnecting the farthest hose section under the hood and work forward or back from there. And make sure that mesh filter cup thing isn't missing from the top of the reservoir fill pipe.

I called my local wrecking yard to see if they had an 5th gens in the yard and they've got nothing. I'll research the bits and bobs and slowly replace them. I was just really surprised that the whole jack kit was gone. I mean, who does that on a basically stock rig? The thing came from Mississippi where they don't require front plates so I'm sure the factory bracket was discarded. There were no hole in the valance before the dealer affixed their tag. Washington does require front plates so I'll be sourcing a bracket and installing it properly using the dimples that are conveniently molded into the valance for this reason. Luckly the hole the dealer made will be hidden.

PO could have taken it out and forgotten about it in their garage or lent it to someone, who knows. I'm guessing 4th gens probably have the exact same jack kit so might be easier finding one of those. Ebay is good for that kind of thing.

I agree that used cars are a crap shoot. You get what you get and deal with it. I'll chip away with it over time and get it where I want it. I have a distinct lack of ability to leave a vehicle of any kind in factory form. I also do everything myself. This thing will never see the inside of my local Toyota dealership unless there is a warranty or recall issue. I've had WAY too many bad experiences with dealerships and their poor, unexperienced "techs" that only know how to plug in a machine and read a display.

Right on. It's been a tough time to buy vehicles lately but at least these trucks are built extremely well and if you have evidence of regular oil changes you should be good. That "maintenance required" oil change scare light is a godsend for used buyers haha. I'm thoroughly impressed with how well all the components have held up so far. I mean just look at how few posts about mechanical repairs there are in this section and we're at the 12 year mark already.

 

[Pavement Tested]

Washer fluid issue fixed. Looks like a critter chewed through the hose where it passes through the fender on it's way up to the hood. Replaced a 24" section of hose through the fender and it works great.

Confirmed the fog lights are both burned out. Hopefully it's coincidental and didn't blow simultaneously due to an electrical issue. I did notice that the passenger side light has a shroud over the back side of the light housing presumably to protect it from crud coming off the tires. The diver side does not have the shroud. Add that to the list, and a decision on what route to go for fog lights.

While under the frond end I noticed something a bit more concerning than pretty much everything else. If I'm not mistaken there are 8 total bolts that hold on the bumper (actual structural part, not the plastic cover). Well, I've only got 2 of them. One on each side through the inner mounting holes to the frame. The 3 outer holes are empty on both sides. So that's fun...

I did find the thread with the the FSM and am trying to figure that out. Hopefully I'll have it downloaded pretty soon.

 

[catrains]

you have to change all the drive train fluids.grease the drive shafts /yokes.
a rodent chews in the vehicle ..look up the wiring harness..many have wiring rodent damage... I use silicone/peppermint ...
engine oil 0-20wt synthetic with the spec sn plus..rotate the tires and look up the brakes.
next replace the power steering fluid ...120K miles replace the spark plugs.
probably the rear exhaust tail pipe got whacked .. got bent...
drop the spare tire inspect it clean it ...

 

[JaSC1]

I did manage to find some things I did not know from an unfamiliar source. Work has been madness so I'm not fully focused on finding answers.

Diagnostic menus.

How To Reset The Toyota Entune - Troubleshooting Common Problems - Car, Truck And Vehicle How To Guides - Vehicle Freak

 

[wcjeep]

Any chance the previous owner had hidden offroad lights in the grill. Then removed them when selling the vehicle?

For wheels, consider take offs. People buy new 4runners. The immediately buy new wheels and tires. Then sell factory wheels and tires. Usually at a great price. Expect to buy or move your current tire pressure sensors.

Consider Carista app to customize any computer settings.

 

[Pavement Tested]

Any chance the previous owner had hidden offroad lights in the grill. Then removed them when selling the vehicle?

For wheels, consider take offs. People buy new 4runners. The immediately buy new wheels and tires. Then sell factory wheels and tires. Usually at a great price. Expect to buy or move your current tire pressure sensors.

Consider Carista app to customize any computer settings.

I think there were a few bolt on mods that were removed before the PO sold this thing. I took a close look up under the bumper at the sheet metal and support structure looking for evidence of a previous collision. I didn't see any. I just find some of the missing parts to be strange. So far the hood leading edge seal and the bumper bolts are very curious.

I'll eventually go with aftermarket wheels because I'd like to go with a slightly wider wheel.

Carista app? First I've heard of this. What is it? What does it do? I have been curious about apps and/or software that allows changing settings etc. I'm particularly interested in finding out what errors these rigs throw when lights are changed out for LEDs. I'm eventually going to be doing lighting upgrades but that's for another thread.

 

[honda250xtitan]

Confirmed the fog lights are both burned out. Hopefully it's coincidental and didn't blow simultaneously due to an electrical issue. I did notice that the passenger side light has a shroud over the back side of the light housing presumably to protect it from crud coming off the tires. The diver side does not have the shroud. Add that to the list, and a decision on what route to go for fog lights.

.

one shroud is correct. only passenger side has it. most of us didnt bother putting it back on when upgrading fog lights.

 

[Pavement Tested]

Welp, exhaust is fixed. Installed a Borla cat back today. It's not as loud as I thought or hoped it would be but it does give a decent tone. Maybe it'll break in over time.

Also swapped out the puddle lights with some LEDs I had laying around. That led to finding out the passenger sideview mirror is not OEM. The color matched portion of the mirror shell is plain black where the rest of the paint, including the driver side mirror shell, has blue flake in it. The light housing is also different than the driver side with a twist lock for the bulb socket where the passenger side has a rubber push in socket. The lower black plastic piece doesn't fit as well and is a little loose. Oh well...used vehicles, can't expect too much I guess.

Just sharing and maybe venting a little frustration. Thanks for reading...

 

[JaSC1]

Welp, exhaust is fixed. Installed a Borla cat back today. It's not as loud as I thought or hoped it would be but it does give a decent tone. Maybe it'll break in over time.

Also swapped out the puddle lights with some LEDs I had laying around. That led to finding out the passenger sideview mirror is not OEM. The color matched portion of the mirror shell is plain black where the rest of the paint, including the driver side mirror shell, has blue flake in it. The light housing is also different than the driver side with a twist lock for the bulb socket where the passenger side has a rubber push in socket. The lower black plastic piece doesn't fit as well and is a little loose. Oh well...used vehicles, can't expect too much I guess.

Just sharing and maybe venting a little frustration. Thanks for reading...

I came to the conclusion that a new part called a Digitizer is needed to fix the touchscreen icon wander, at least in my case. Will probably continue to ignore although I have a front camera install I'm doing so might replace then. Depends on how motivated I get.

How to disassemble and repair touchscreen on a Toyota 4Runner Panasonic Entune 2.0 Radio - YouTube

HOW TO INSTALL A TOUCH-SCREEN 14-19 TOYOTA 4RUNNER REPLACEMENT glass 6.1" Digitizer NAVIGATION LCD - YouTube

 

[Pavement Tested]

I came to the conclusion that a new part called a Digitizer is needed to fix the touchscreen icon wander, at least in my case. Will probably continue to ignore although I have a front camera install I'm doing so might replace then. Depends on how motivated I get.

How to disassemble and repair touchscreen on a Toyota 4Runner Panasonic Entune 2.0 Radio - YouTube

HOW TO INSTALL A TOUCH-SCREEN 14-19 TOYOTA 4RUNNER REPLACEMENT glass 6.1" Digitizer NAVIGATION LCD - YouTube

The digitizer was my first inclination for replacement. At about $125 for a replacement one, it's worth a try. They're not all together difficult to replace in many applications. I've done several cell phones, a Kindle Fire and a GPS unit. The GPS unit was the easiest. Cell phones have gotten much more difficult to do since they've gone away from a separate chassis that everything mounts to. But that's a different subject entirely.

 

[Humble Leader]

Welp, exhaust is fixed. Installed a Borla cat back today. It's not as loud as I thought or hoped it would be but it does give a decent tone. Maybe it'll break in over time.

Also swapped out the puddle lights with some LEDs I had laying around. That led to finding out the passenger sideview mirror is not OEM. The color matched portion of the mirror shell is plain black where the rest of the paint, including the driver side mirror shell, has blue flake in it. The light housing is also different than the driver side with a twist lock for the bulb socket where the passenger side has a rubber push in socket. The lower black plastic piece doesn't fit as well and is a little loose. Oh well...used vehicles, can't expect too much I guess.

Just sharing and maybe venting a little frustration. Thanks for reading...

now you can do the rav4 side mirror upgrade and get rid of the mismatched mirrors. I know a lot of people seem to do that mod

 

[Pavement Tested]

now you can do the rav4 side mirror upgrade and get rid of the mismatched mirrors. I know a lot of people seem to do that mod

Hmm... I'll have to do a little reading on that. Is there a benefit to it like a larger mirror or just a styling thing?