yes another looking to buy thread...problem found..

[theizzardking]

so i found a 1999 4runner with the center locking diff and all the options for 9K and 156K miles on it everything looked nice and clean but then i found a patch of wetness under what looked to be the front axle pumpkin/diff, after further inspection it looked to be motor oil as it was black in colour, if i remember diff fluid is red right? moving on, it seemed the oil was dripping on to the front sway bar and coming from somewhere above it in that general area, can you 4runner guru's give me a list of possible symptoms and a p.i.t.a. scale to fix, also if there are any other make/model/year specific defects to look for that would be great, i've been a jeep guy for years and know that the 46re tranny used in most grand cherokee's need to be replaced after 140k ,blend door failures in later models ect ect ect is the sort of information i'm after in reguards to the 1999 or gen 3 (?) 4runners. thanks alot guys and sorry if this is a broad question, as it seems it could be a myrid of things, just trying to narrow it down.


:xnutsjust cause i like this one, lol)

 

[97-4xFunner]

Where to begin? As far as diff oil, it looks like regular oil only thicker and smells different. If it is really black than the truck hasn't been serviced regularly. Or it could be engine oil making its way down from a higher point. Again really black oil is not a good sign. I would be careful with this truck. The one thing I that I know is a for sure failure on the 3rd gen. is the rear axle seal. Easy fix though. If you look at some other threads you'll find more info on that topic. Good luck gotta go.

 

[theizzardking]

hey thanks for that i must of been thinking of trans fluid then, yeah it was pretty black and i did notice it coming from above the axle, so i was thinking rear main seal from the engine to trans, i think i may need to get it on a rack to really find the problem. my main concerns really are the main points of faluire on these trucks, rear axle seal is a good one to point out as i can tell if it has been replaced recently or been serviced due to this and that seal is what a 20-30 min job? no biggie....like i said i was a jeep guy and we all know the number of things that can fail on those depending on the year i can list 10 things on each year that are common to failure, i know you could do the same on any vehicle and am just wondering what the list is for the 3rd gen 4runner, so i got 1 now look at teh rear axle seals , thanks alot and keep them coming,

you guys should have an faq covering this stuff, lol.
thanks again!

 

[jamess]

Valve Cover Gaskets

I just replaced my valve cover gaskets back in January because they were leaking pretty badly from the rear of the gasket. From what I understand, this is a common problem with 4Runners after the miles have been piled on. Mine had about 155K on it at the time. So, the issue may not be as bad as one would think.

 

[theizzardking]

I just replaced my valve cover gaskets back in January because they were leaking pretty badly from the rear of the gasket. From what I understand, this is a common problem with 4Runners after the miles have been piled on. Mine had about 155K on it at the time. So, the issue may not be as bad as one would think.

yeah it'll be really cool if it was a head gasket problem, you say it was dripping down the rear of the engine? cool, i'd be really happy if that was the case some stupid seal or gasket somewhere, i know i can talk them down hella becuase of it i just need to know how serious this may be!

thanks alot guys!

 

[theizzardking]

Just curious, what state do you live in? That's expensive. I see 99-01 limiteds with 95-120k miles for $9,000 all the time. In MN that would go for $7.5k at best. Is it 4WD?

i'm in washington, yes it's 4x4 with the center locking diff.

good to know what the going rates are too, thanks for that can anyone else comment on pricing for my region?