The 3rd Gen All Questions Allowed Thread

[phattyduck]

Thank you so much!

As it turns out, the heater problem was just that the control cable had slipped off of the little hook/arm on the valve itself. The valve looks new-ish and has a different hose clamp on one side versus the other, so I am guessing it was replaced at some point. I went down the rabbit hole of another (very well documented) thread on this forum regarding replacing the cable and actuator to help me understand how the hell that whole assembly actually functions. I guess my remaining question here, if the cable slipped off the hook, is that an indication that the cable is not actuating smoothly, or perhaps the actuator itself is going bad? Any preventive measures I can take?

For the window and lock switches, I popped out the controls as you said just to take a look. I idiotically left my multi-meter about an hour away at my boat (another rabbit holse style project...), so I wasn't able to check continuity of the switches. Are the individual switches replaceable? The driver's side window button is almost springy in its housing compared to the other three, and the lock button locks but does not unlock. There are screws to take the control further apart, but I think it is more likely I will break the working switches than fix the broken ones, or am I overthinking it?

Meanwhile, the check engine light popped on. I scanned the code, which came up as an evap issue. I read online that the most common cause is a gas tank cap, so I replaced it. So far the check engine light remains lit. Would you please recommend other likely causes I should check for?

Heater vale: Make sure the clamp that holds it to the assembly is good and holding the cable where it is supposed to be.

Evap: On the 3rd gens (at least '96-'00), evap issues are rarely the gas cap. If you have a '96-'00 4Runner, check the evap box itself - they like to crack at/near the bottom seam. I just sealed mine up with some RTV and the evap codes have stayed off for >1 year.

-Charlie

 

[4runner monster]

Terrible grinding noise

Hey, so I’ve been having this horrible grinding noise on what sounds like front passenger side. I’ve replaced cv axles but after that I went through a river and am thinking there could be rust. Can pinpoint what is causing the sound though.

 

[Jdog98]

Hey, so I’ve been having this horrible grinding noise on what sounds like front passenger side. I’ve replaced cv axles but after that I went through a river and am thinking there could be rust. Can pinpoint what is causing the sound though.

Could be something lodged in your front brake pad or a bad wheel bearing.

 

[toomuchcoffee]

Heater vale: Make sure the clamp that holds it to the assembly is good and holding the cable where it is supposed to be.

Evap: On the 3rd gens (at least '96-'00), evap issues are rarely the gas cap. If you have a '96-'00 4Runner, check the evap box itself - they like to crack at/near the bottom seam. I just sealed mine up with some RTV and the evap codes have stayed off for >1 year.

-Charlie

Thank you!

 

[toomuchcoffee]

I read through the manual and have some questions about the 4WD, since of course I want to go test things out (2002 model). First, I guess, is the ECT button. When to use/not to use? Like, when do I really need the extra power? So far for street driving I've had it off. Does using it result in more wear and tear?

For 4WD high, the manual says this is ok on dry pavement, but I have read/heard in other sources that 4WD on hard pavement causes too much stress on the rig. So, is this ok or not? If so, is this for rainy days, or more like icy but not snow covered roads?

4WD low, my understanding is this is really only for very low speed crawling, getting unstuck, rock crawling, etc, but please correct me if I am wrong. It seems like sometimes it is useful to downshift into 2 or 1, but I'm not sure why that is helpful.

Finally, the diff locker. It seems like having a rear locker is the most useful, and a front locker useful in very special circumstances (otherwise possibly dangerous). I get how the central locker that comes standard on the vehicle could be useful to add more torque in a very stuck situation, but maybe some examples of when it has been useful and when it could be dangerous would be helpful.

 

[3bears]

I read through the manual and have some questions about the 4WD, since of course I want to go test things out (2002 model). First, I guess, is the ECT button. When to use/not to use? Like, when do I really need the extra power? So far for street driving I've had it off. Does using it result in more wear and tear?

For 4WD high, the manual says this is ok on dry pavement, but I have read/heard in other sources that 4WD on hard pavement causes too much stress on the rig. So, is this ok or not? If so, is this for rainy days, or more like icy but not snow covered roads?

4WD low, my understanding is this is really only for very low speed crawling, getting unstuck, rock crawling, etc, but please correct me if I am wrong. It seems like sometimes it is useful to downshift into 2 or 1, but I'm not sure why that is helpful.

Finally, the diff locker. It seems like having a rear locker is the most useful, and a front locker useful in very special circumstances (otherwise possibly dangerous). I get how the central locker that comes standard on the vehicle could be useful to add more torque in a very stuck situation, but maybe some examples of when it has been useful and when it could be dangerous would be helpful.

Im sure everyone will have different opinions...
I rarely use ECT now in town, as I want it to get into more economical gears quicker. However I now live in a sleepy town and dont need fast acceleration, when i lived in a big city I used it alot. Prob rarely had it off. I will use my ECT entering freeways, going up mountains ( with OD off) .

4wdlow. Rock crawling, muddy back roads, I use it mostly now in heavy snow to cut down on wheel spin.

Rear locker, Again, heavy snow, mud. It will get used maybe 3 or 4 times a year. Howevere I have done the mod so I can engage locker in 4wdhi and 2wd. While I have not used it in 2wd that I can recall, it does get used in 4wd hi in the snow as I live in the hills and it can help

 

[phattyduck]

I read through the manual and have some questions about the 4WD, since of course I want to go test things out (2002 model). First, I guess, is the ECT button. When to use/not to use? Like, when do I really need the extra power? So far for street driving I've had it off. Does using it result in more wear and tear?

For 4WD high, the manual says this is ok on dry pavement, but I have read/heard in other sources that 4WD on hard pavement causes too much stress on the rig. So, is this ok or not? If so, is this for rainy days, or more like icy but not snow covered roads?

4WD low, my understanding is this is really only for very low speed crawling, getting unstuck, rock crawling, etc, but please correct me if I am wrong. It seems like sometimes it is useful to downshift into 2 or 1, but I'm not sure why that is helpful.

Finally, the diff locker. It seems like having a rear locker is the most useful, and a front locker useful in very special circumstances (otherwise possibly dangerous). I get how the central locker that comes standard on the vehicle could be useful to add more torque in a very stuck situation, but maybe some examples of when it has been useful and when it could be dangerous would be helpful.

ECT: Just changes shift points. No extra wear and tear. Drive it in either mode as much as you want. The only time it *should* be on is towing (along with OD off).

4WD:
- You have 'multi-mode' 4WD system - it can be RWD, AWD or true 4WD. When you press the "4WD" button, you are not in traditional 4WD - it is an AWD mode that can be used in any conditions. When you lock the center diff, that is traditional 4WD that should only be used in loose situations. Save that for snowy/icy conditions or situations where you might lift a wheel off the ground off road.

4LO:
- This is a way to save the transmission (and brakes, somewhat) off road. Long difficult climbs easily overheat the transmission in 4HI. There are zero issues in 4LO. It also allows you to be in 1st/4LO going up or down steep hills with much better control (lower speed and engine braking). No need to use 4LO very often, but it is very helpful in certain circumstances. Make sure to be stopped in neutral - then shift with 'authority' from HI to LO or back. It is like shifting a manual transmission with no synchros - you have to do it right or there can be grinding and damage.

-Charlie

 

[I❤️4runners]

Rear end will be fine. You may be dissapointed with all the downshifting at highway speeds on just about any hill. 33" tires (especially that wide) will also need clearance on the cab side of the front wheel wells. Rear fenders can be an issue too, depending on offset and bump stop length.

I run 4.88 gears with metric 32" tires (265/70-17)... It makes a huge difference in around-town and highway performance - though you do have to get used to 2400-2500 RPM on the highway.

-Charlie

Thanks for that info, Charlie. Very helpful. I'll probably end up doing my rear end at some point in the future I just wanted to make sure that it wasn't a prerequisite for running larger tires. I think i'm going to end up going with the 285/70R17 set up versus the 33x11.5R17. It's a hair shorter and narrow and I think will work perfectly for what I'm looking for. Thanks again for the wisdom!

 

[AlfiT4R]

For the window and lock switches, I popped out the controls as you said just to take a look. I idiotically left my multi-meter about an hour away at my boat (another rabbit holse style project...), so I wasn't able to check continuity of the switches. Are the individual switches replaceable? The driver's side window button is almost springy in its housing compared to the other three, and the lock button locks but does not unlock. There are screws to take the control further apart, but I think it is more likely I will break the working switches than fix the broken ones, or am I overthinking it?

The front left switch is a master switch, and is all 1 solid unit, very expensive for a new one. Rockauto is ridiculous at about 400-800 for some reason. OEM part# is 84820-35060 for reference. Me myself and I would check amazon/ebay for either a cheap aftermarket with some good reviews, or a used unit, especially if the switch feels finicky or inconsistent. (I'd search for an option that allows returns as well, incase the replacement is faulty).

If your careful taking it apart and be sure to take pictures for reassembly later, I don't think it'd be easy to damage it more than it is. It could just be as easy as corroded contacts (maybe someone spilled something on it before) or something to that effect, which you could clean up as needed.

Charlie covered the rest with about exactly what I'd have said too, so ya should be good to roll with that for a bit!

Good luck

 

[oliviaoutwest]

Hello, new here and not sure if I should make a new thread or post here but I've run into an issue with my 4WD dash light on my 1997 Limited with an automatic transmission.

At first the light on the dash would not come on when pushing the button on the 4WD shifter, but 4Hi was definitely engaged. Someone outside the vehicle could see the front drive shaft spinning. So based on some reading in the threads, I replaced the ADD switch on the front differential. I thought the problem was solved as that evening the light turned on and off several times when engaging 4Hi. But the next day the problem resumed.

Since then I've realized I can get the light to turn on and off in 4Hi, if I first shift into 4Lo and then back to 4Hi. The light will be on in 4Lo and it will turn on and off like normal when pushing the button for 4Hi.

At this point, I'm thinking it's likely one of the switches in the transfer case itself and am debating replacing all three (low, neutral, high), but thought I'd check in here first to see if anyone else has encountered this or has other ideas. Thanks

 

[wilbo]

Hey Olivia, did you check your dash lights?

 

[oliviaoutwest]

Hey Olivia, did you check your dash lights?

Hi, i don't think it's the light in the dash because I light can turn on and stay on if I go through 4lo and back to 4hi.

 

[4RunAffairs]

Hi, i don't think it's the light in the dash because I light can turn on and stay on if I go through 4lo and back to 4hi.

You have a 4wd button? There is no button on my '99, however I can tell you the 4wd light takes anywhere from an instant to 10-15 seconds to come on when I shift into 4 hi or lo? Sometimes I have to put it back in drive and move for the light to come on. Even if its physically engaged sometimes it takes a few seconds. Its always been like this and I have had no issues with the 4wd system. Is this the delay you're talking about?

 

[lakeshorebrewer]

Problem partially found...

Thanks again for the ideas. I haven't been able to shake the thought of being able to actually test the cam and crankshaft sensors so spent some time digging into that. I found a video where the mechanic did a cam to crank correlation with a scope. This helped me begin to think about testing with an analog meter. I can't find the link right now but did find a reference to measuring AC voltage on 2V range looking for something around 200mV. The cam sensor will generate a higher voltage based on the correlation video I referenced earlier.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=E8ERV8h7a8JpFqK5&v=rjtvFEUWyMk&feature=youtu.be

My meter only went down to 10V range so not able to be as precise as I wanted but I was getting a decent pulse on the analog meter while checking the cam sensor so that seems to be good. The crank sensor was not registering any voltage at all. Not even a tiny bump. It should have been a smaller signal but still noticeable on an analog meter.

Went and got a new crankshaft position sensor, removed the old one and found it to be damaged. There was a good amount of metal shavings on the sensor and I can see some just inside the sensor hole so looks like the project has shifted into something else.

Note for myself...
Reluctor gear is what passes the sensor to generate a pulse.

Not sure how the sensor could have gotten damaged that way. Will have to dig deeper to see what else may be damaged. Need to figure out what to remove to be able to properly inspect inside and clean up / repair .

OK... back again after quite a detour. So the original problem was that my 4r would crank but not start... no spark. After a ton of research, poking and testing I finally pulled the crankshaft sensor which metered fine in both ohms and the wires free of short or ground back to the ECU. The front of the sensor had been bashed in by something that left a hefty groove on the surface of it. I decided to strip the front of the engine to get to the crankshaft gear and found a good sized washer pinned between the gear and block. After freeing it I was able to match is as the "thing" that bashed in the sensor face. So where did it come from?? We decided to do a timing belt change and all of the fun that goes with it. I noticed that the tensioner bolt was free and the tensioner wheel was sliding front to back. The bolt must have backed out and the washer fell into the crankshaft gear then it ultimately found the sensor.

Mystery solved on that part... now I have a different problem.

The damn thing still won't start but I have spark now. :/

I took my time getting everything back together to clean and touchup paint what I could along the way. Putting on the timing belt I had checked no less than 5 times my marks on the cams to belt and crankshaft gear to block marks were correct. What I did not check was the crank shaft to belt mark as I only focused on the crankshaft marks itself. Is it even possible to have the cams and crank set correctly and not get the belt to align with the mark on the crankshaft? For the project, I got a new harmonic balancer as the original had a chunk missing and was pretty rusty. Could that be a part of the issue?

So I have spark, air and fuel pressure. I think it has to be timing.

Any thoughts or suggestions are welcomed. Snow is coming and I need to get this rolling.

Thanks in advance... this is a great place.

 

[ajh75]

Injector search

Hello, new here and not sure if I should make a new thread or post here, but I’m currently in the process of installing a SC on my 01 4Runner and want to make sure I do some preventative maintenance to keep my engine running well. I’m looking for injectors for my engine that are 300ish cc’s and are OEM, preferably part number 23250-46050 from the 2JZ non-vvti. Does anyone know a reputable source to buy some from, or have any that I can purchase? If not these injectors, does anyone know where I can find 300-310cc injectors for my 5VZFE that are plug and play? Thanks!

 

[Spiker Engineering]

Mirror glass adhesive

The glass on my side mirror fell off, wondering what adhesive to use to reattach it. It's a heated mirror, in case that matters. The OEM adhesive seems to be some kind of sticky non-hardening material.

 

[[email protected]]

Best OBD2?

I am new to this and the Forum won't let me start a thread. So, I will give this a try. Thank you

I've have a 2001 Limited Edition, since about 2021. Everything worked fine until just recently. Now it runs rough, as if a cylinder is not firing. And there are strange issues with the transmission (both 2wd and 4wd). So, I want to by an OBD2. Is there a particular OBD2 that is preferred for the 2nd Generation 4-Runner?

I had lent it to my sister so was not present when the issues began. But she says they began 'out of nowhere'

Thank you

 

[5VZ-FE]

Best OBD2?
Is there a particular OBD2 that is preferred for the 2nd Generation 4-Runner?

Welcome to the forum. OBDII is a standardized protocol so all readers will be an able to read trouble codes (check engine light) and certain other parameters. There are some very inexpensive readers that you can connect to your phone with bluetooth or wifi and read trouble codes and other parameters that way. More expensive units often have a built-in screen and can interface with the SRS system and other systems on newer vehicles.

TLDR; there is no preferred reader for these vehicles.

Also, 1996-2002 4Runners are 3rd generation. The 2nd generation was model years 1990-1995.

Good luck with the diagnosis

 

[Dangotti]

Timing issues! At a bad time... HELP!!

Hello 4heads! This is my first time posting. That just means I'm in some deep $h... 2002 SR5 224,xxx daily driver. My theory as to what happened is this. I was degreasing my engine compartment, valve covers, block, etc. It had some oil gunk on it and it was time to clean we up. I believe that I got a little too much degreaser beyond my timing belt cover and my passenger side cam pulley slipped on the belt. I think this because immediately after doing the cleaning, I got a rough idle, poor performance, etc. So I plug in my DTC reader and get some random misfire codes. All for odd number cylinders 1,3,5. So I thought I got some electrical components too wet. Gave it a few days and it persisted. I then replaced #1 coil and plug, no dice. Replaced cam position sensor, no change. Decided to check the timing. Turned the crank to , "0". The right side cam pulley lines up perfectly. Left side is off. It still sits about a half inch to the left of the mark. Before I tear into this to move the pulley to the correct position, is there anything I need to know or anything else I can do besides take off the entire front of the engine? I feel like the pulley slipped on the belt so easily, why is it so difficult to get it back to the correct position? Thank you!

 

[3bears]

Hello 4heads! This is my first time posting. That just means I'm in some deep $h... 2002 SR5 224,xxx daily driver. My theory as to what happened is this. I was degreasing my engine compartment, valve covers, block, etc. It had some oil gunk on it and it was time to clean we up. I believe that I got a little too much degreaser beyond my timing belt cover and my passenger side cam pulley slipped on the belt. I think this because immediately after doing the cleaning, I got a rough idle, poor performance, etc. So I plug in my DTC reader and get some random misfire codes. All for odd number cylinders 1,3,5. So I thought I got some electrical components too wet. Gave it a few days and it persisted. I then replaced #1 coil and plug, no dice. Replaced cam position sensor, no change. Decided to check the timing. Turned the crank to , "0". The right side cam pulley lines up perfectly. Left side is off. It still sits about a half inch to the left of the mark. Before I tear into this to move the pulley to the correct position, is there anything I need to know or anything else I can do besides take off the entire front of the engine? I feel like the pulley slipped on the belt so easily, why is it so difficult to get it back to the correct position? Thank you!

I dont think your belt slipped, I think you got somethign else going on like water where it should not have gotten