Test Drive Issue

[kzak]

I am currently shopping for a 3rd gen w/ 4wd. I found a nice one and went to test drive it. It seemed solid. When the lot owner was taking me on a second test drive to show me the 4wd, the engine wouldn't start immediately. It would crank for a few seconds but not start. After a couple tries, he got it to start by cranking it and giving a little gas. That completely scared me away from the vehicle, but am I overreacting? Is that a common, or easy problem to fix? Anybody experience that before with your 4Runner?

 

[quicksilvr]

Alot of 4runners long crank. Did he let off the key after it cranked several times? If he would have just kept holding the key in the start position, it would have caught by itself. Him giving it "gas" did nothing....



Now, if you can turn the key and it just cranks and cranks and never starts no matter how long you hold it....that's a problem.

 

[kzak]

I would say he cranked it for maybe 3 or 4 seconds. He did that about twice and I think it started on the 3rd time.

 

[JT3HN86R]

I would say he cranked it for maybe 3 or 4 seconds. He did that about twice and I think it started on the 3rd time.

I have owned at least 6 3RD generation 4Runners. NONE of them had long crank times. 2 seconds at most. It is probably something simple to repair like plugs or possibly a dirty throttle body. How many miles ?

 

[JT3HN86R]

In the Midwest, when we see a 4Runner on a used car lot it brings up a red flag. The new car dealers in this area keep used 3RD gens even with high miles. They seldom wholesale them out to the small dealers. Nothing against the small dealer but I would be a little skeptical of the truck. Make sure you Carfax and check it out thoroughly, including the undercarriage.

 

[kzak]

185k mileage

1998 Toyota 4Runner Limited

 

[GottaBeTRD]

it could be just a bad battery. back in the day mine would do exactly that. sometimes it would fire right up but then sometimes it would takes some time. when i put a fresh new battery in it, it fires right up all the time now!
you can still get the runner just make sure the lot guy fixes the problem(s) they will do almost anything to get the sale.

 

[koulee]

it could be just a bad battery. back in the day mine would do exactly that. sometimes it would fire right up but then sometimes it would takes some time. when i put a fresh new battery in it, it fires right up all the time now!
you can still get the runner just make sure the lot guy fixes the problem(s) they will do almost anything to get the sale.

Yeah sometimes dealers let their cars sit for a long time without a start to charge the battery and its charge gets real low.