what should I do to my new 1998 LTD?

[ccorbridge]

what should I do to my new 1998 LTD? one problem

Hi,
I'm new here, but have been lurking for a few days. Just pulled the trigger on a new to me 4runner. Nice rig.
I'd like some help getting it in tip top shape.

1998 LTD 4x4 V6 3.4 Automatic Evergreen Pearl
92K Very clean condition
stock everything except trailer brakes under dash

My plan is to take it to the local dealership and have the 90K service done.
Replace engine oil and oil filter
Replace engine air filter
Replace engine coolant
Replace non-platinum spark plugs 1
Lubricate propeller shaft and re-torque bolts (4WD)
Rotate tires
Inspect the following:
Ball joints and dust covers
Brake linings/drums and brake pads/discs
Drive belts
Drive shaft boots (re-torque flange bolts) (4WD)
Exhaust pipes and mountings
Fuel lines and connections, fuel tank band and fuel tank vapor vent system hoses
Fuel tank cap gasket
Steering gear box for leakage
Steering linkages
Transmission, transfer and differential oil
Inspect nuts and bolts on chassis and body
Replace timing belt
Inspect nuts and bolts on chassis and body
Replace transmission, transfer and differential oil

Also I was thinking to replace the radiator as a preventative.
And have them install a K&N Air Intake as an upgrade.

I should add that on my first drive over a small mountain pass I had some trouble. After pulling the grade at about 65 or 70 and coming down the other side everything was running smoothly; trany, engine, everything. Then all of a sudden, down on the flats, the vehicle started shuddering, like the engine wasn't firing right. Running very rough. Check Engine light came on. I pulled over and checked all fluids. Everything looked good.

So I turned around and limped home over the same pass. This time going no faster than 50 mph. It seemed to run better with OD off in all situations. Check Engine light went off. Coming into town it continued to run terrible and idled very rough at stop signs. Also the rear center floor boards were very hot and hot air was pouring out of the rear center console even with the rear temp control in the coolest setting. It was about 70 degrees outside at 10 am BTW.

Went home, got another vehicle and headed to the car lot I bought it at 2 days ago. The check engine light came on again, but the truck ran better intermittently. Still very hot back floor boards though.

The car lot guy said it was the catalytic converter and is having it replaced.

Anyway, is there anything else you think I should do. She may have done some heavy towing judging from the trailer brakes. What should I look out for because of that? I want this vehicle to be a dependable ride back and forth from Oregon to Montana. And negotiate the back roads at both ends.

Sorry for the long winded first post, but I'd love any input or any suggestions.

Charlie

Also it was eating gas like crazy...

 

[ccorbridge]

Fuel Injectors: Replace one or all 6?

Replying to my own post.

Update:
Did all the things I mentioned above: timing belt, K&N cold air intake, plugs, radiator, injection system cleaning, etc.
They said #2 plug was in really rough shape.
Test drove it over the pass. started out pretty good, but coming back the CEL started flashing intermittently and it ran really rough in 4th gear when accelerating.
Drove back to dealership. They checked the codes. misfire 6th cylinder. and O2 sensor. They swapped out spark plug wires and number 6 still misfired.
Soooo... It looks like a fuel injector may be bad.

Monday the saga continues. If it is indeed an injector, once they're in there to replace it, I'm thinking I may as well do the others. What would you do?

 

[trailmix]

a buddies 4runner acted similar a couple weeks ago, running really rough and the check engine light would start flashing and after a minute or two it would stay on. We ran a code scanner and it kept bringing up misfire cylinder 2, ended up being the injector. The coil inside went bad so he replaced it and it runs as good as new. Changing injectors isnt all that hard but if you are gonna keep having them work on your truck it may be cheaper to do them all at once rather then have to bring it back later if another decides to go out on you. Hopefully they can figure it out soon, its frustrating when you cant figure something out.

 

[ccorbridge]

All injectors replaced. Runs like a top. Found a motorvac shop nearby, so that's next. Just to be sure.

 

[FoneRunner]

Were they able to tell what happened to the injector? My 98 is at 223k and has never had injector issues that I know of. The previous owner was very good about service records and I went over them when I bought the truck. I'm just curious what causes them to go bad since mine are fine with a ton of miles on them...

 

[ccorbridge]

Bad fuel Injector causes?

I'm concerned about that too. I have no previous history on the vehicle so it's all guess work. AND I'm not much of a mechanic so these are shots in the dark. But, I thought maybe:

1. Since it's got low miles for 1998 at 92K, it could be the vehicle sat for an extended period and the gas in the tank degraded. Maybe the motor didn't like not being run either.

2. Someone just used cheap gas and never did anything to clean the fuel system.

I'd be interested in a more educated guess than mine. What are the causes of a bad fuel injector?