Random 4th gen questions

[Onefastchevy]

Hey everyone, I picked up a new to me 2003 V6 sport 4 runner with 170k Kms (100k miles) on it about a month ago and have a few questions.

1) the side roads where I live are snow and ice covered, but the mains are clear and dry. Which is better?
a) leave it in 4hi all the time (with a flip to 2 whenever I hit the highway)
b) run in 2 on the mains and 4 on the sides, meaning a minimum of 2 - 2hi to 4hi and back again - changes a day.

2) the heater fan motor squeaks badly when it is cold, and a every now and then when warm. Is there a way to lube it? Or do I have to replace the blower? And is this a major PIA job?

3) there is no visible rust anywhere on the truck, even underneath. But of course I haven't removed the plastic fender covers. Where do these units tend to rust? I want to keep it in check.

4) any preventative maintenance recommendations? I am fairly anal about my vehicles and like to keep ahead of any potential problems. I was very lucky to find this unit as the previous owner had it since new and always had it dealer serviced (and was nice enough to give me all the records). It has been VERY well cared for.

Thanks all.

James

 

[wnelax04sr5]

Hey everyone, I picked up a new to me 2003 V6 sport 4 runner with 170k Kms (100k miles) on it about a month ago and have a few questions.

1) the side roads where I live are snow and ice covered, but the mains are clear and dry. Which is better?
a) leave it in 4hi all the time (with a flip to 2 whenever I hit the highway)
b) run in 2 on the mains and 4 on the sides, meaning a minimum of 2 - 2hi to 4hi and back again - changes a day.

2) the heater fan motor squeaks badly when it is cold, and a every now and then when warm. Is there a way to lube it? Or do I have to replace the blower? And is this a major PIA job?

3) there is no visible rust anywhere on the truck, even underneath. But of course I haven't removed the plastic fender covers. Where do these units tend to rust? I want to keep it in check.

4) any preventative maintenance recommendations? I am fairly anal about my vehicles and like to keep ahead of any potential problems. I was very lucky to find this unit as the previous owner had it since new and always had it dealer serviced (and was nice enough to give me all the records). It has been VERY well cared for.

Thanks all.

James

1. id say leave it 2hi and switch when needed, its good to use the 4wd actuator so you don't have issues down the road

2. I don't know that you can lube it, but its incredibly easy to replace the blower, a few screws and it drops right out with simple electrical connections

3. rust usually happens on the frame rails and wheel well areas where road grime and debris can build up, skid plates are also pretty susceptible to getting rusty

4.since you have an early v6, id keep an eye on the head gaskets, theres been issues with cylinder #6. other than that regular fluid changes and keeping an eye on all wear parts should take you far down the road in one of these

welcome to the club!

 

[RonJR]

Hey everyone, I picked up a new to me 2003 V6 sport 4 runner with 170k Kms (100k miles) on it about a month ago and have a few questions.

1) the side roads where I live are snow and ice covered, but the mains are clear and dry. Which is better?
a) leave it in 4hi all the time (with a flip to 2 whenever I hit the highway)
b) run in 2 on the mains and 4 on the sides, meaning a minimum of 2 - 2hi to 4hi and back again - changes a day.

2) the heater fan motor squeaks badly when it is cold, and a every now and then when warm. Is there a way to lube it? Or do I have to replace the blower? And is this a major PIA job?

3) there is no visible rust anywhere on the truck, even underneath. But of course I haven't removed the plastic fender covers. Where do these units tend to rust? I want to keep it in check.

4) any preventative maintenance recommendations? I am fairly anal about my vehicles and like to keep ahead of any potential problems. I was very lucky to find this unit as the previous owner had it since new and always had it dealer serviced (and was nice enough to give me all the records). It has been VERY well cared for.

Thanks all.

James

1) Your call: You can leave it in 4hi all the time; with the center diff that's just fine on the highway. On the other hand, the actuator can benefit from regular use, so flipping it back and forth is OK too.

2) My experience in the past (GM vehicles) is that the only way to fix it is to replace it. I have no idea how hard that is on a 4runner.

3) Don't know about 2003. On my 1994, the worst rust spot is around the fenders where the chrome strips trap water. Look for any places where water can get trapped - that's where you'll find rust.

4) Change oil regularly, don't let the brake pads get too thin, watch for sticking calipers, change the diff fluid if you don't know when it was last done, same with the spark plugs. Keep the drive shafts lubed. Watch the CV boots for leaking grease. Might want to take a peek at the front wheel bearings and consider repacking them.

 

[Onefastchevy]

Thanks guys. I have been leaving it in 4hi (center diff NOT locked) basically all the time and flipping it to 2 once a week. I have it in my head that switching between the 2 several times a day is going to kill the motor quickly. That just doesn't seem to me to be a "normal use" and I'm not sure it was designed for that many cycles....

The truck is a tank though, Toyota never ceases to impress me. I have owned 2 early 90s turbo diesel land cruisers (Japanese models brought to Canada) and they were incredibly well built. I would own one now if insurance laws hadn't changed so I can't get collision on them anymore, so the 4Runner it is. Been great so far. Looking forward to many happy miles...

 

[Atlanta_man]

i've replaced the blower motor - not difficult, three screws as I remember and one took an angled screwdriver. Failure mode was it started sounding like a family of birds was living in it. Bought one at Napa for 1/3 the price of OEM ($500 if I remember right). And boy do I regret it.

It's been over two years now and it still has the whine from the armature and brushes. Seems it should have worn in by now. I've got several layers sticky back insulation stuck to the housing which helps the noise a tiny bit.

 

[JB.]

4) any preventative maintenance recommendations?

Leaving it in 4hi - unlocked gives you the advantage of being able to easily exercise the low range actuator while, say, sitting in a parking space.

Both actuators (center/low range) like regular exercise.

 

[Hyaline]

All of the above

Also check the transmission cooler lines for rust, radiator for leaks and such. I shift from 2 to 4 once a week or so. Lock the diff center and go 4lo once a month.