Toyota 4Runner

bmw323is · May 2003

The built in pull they tried to tell you about is a wrong. I've heard that mentioned on other message boards. Apparently this is a popular excuse for dealers to use. The vehicle should hold steady with no pull in either direction. Keep in mind though, that most freeways and city main streets these days are worn, cupped and angled for water runoff. This type of road can make the vehicle pull and keep it from holding a nice straight line. If you can find some new pavement, preferably new blacktop, see if it pulls in one direction - and continually in the same direction. If it does, the wheels need to be realigned.

About the shimy - SUV's have very large, heavy tires. Sometimes a very minor shimy may go with the territory. The severity is the issue. I once bought a set of brand new Firestone's for my pick up truck. They made the wheel shimy most of the time. After two attempts at fixing the problem, I was given a new set of Bridgestones, which were fine. Sometimes the set of tires is just bad. If you continue to experience the problem, and it's significant, you should ask for a new set of tires. If Toyota doesn't help, go to a Michelin dealer - the tires are under warranty too.

corancher · May 2003

It's a real grab bag tonight. Trevor57, the op manual for the V6 says "Select octane rating 87 (research octane number 91) or higher. For improved vehicle performance, the use of premium unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 91 (research octane number 96) or higher is recommended." If memory serves, other posters have reported similar recommendations for the V8. Compression ratio is lower on the V8, but not a lot.

Both engines have knock sensors and adapt to the fuel grade. Should be no danger of damage or problems with anything in this octane range. You'll get better (presumably the full rated) horsepower on premium, but a little worse mileage. Yep, there is actually slightly less energy in each gallon of premium fuel, though it's not nearly as bad as oxygenated fuels such as gasohol or MTBE-enhanced stuff. BTW, Toyota says up to 10% ethanol is ok, but methanol is not recommended.

The tire shimmy thing has got me puzzled. Some posters rave about the Michelin cross terrains as the best of the (several) OEM tires for the 4Runner, but several here lately have reported shimmy/pull problems with them. Reviews on tirerack.com of many tires, including the cross terrains and the Bridgestone duelers include both extremes (good and bad wear, handling, noise, stability/quality) and a lot in between. It sure seems to be tough to get reliable information on the subject.

On the subject of rebates, one source reports variable (by region) incentives to dealers on the SR5s (presumably the ones with the gray cladding) of zero to $2k. The big end of that would make some sense, as there are lots of those sitting on lots around here, and it would take about an $1150 (at invoice price) incentive on those to make them cheaper than the recent ones with the now-standard appearance package, running boards, fog lights, and $150 MSRP reduction. Cheaper in terms of invoice cost to the dealers, anyway. It probably doesn't make sense to assume that the newer units without the gray cladding are discounted as much. Invoice price calculations are all well and good, but in the end it's always supply/demand that sets the price.

If one was compulsive about this (I used to be, but I'm too tired now), one could go somewhere like Edmunds TMV or carsdirect.com and plug in zip codes for different parts of the country and try to deduce something, It would be dodgy at best but might provide some insight.

mttownsend1 · May 2003

My '03 4 Runner shifts strange in 4 wheel low. The automatic shift between 1, 2 & 3 is very abrupt and in some situations off road could be dangerous. I spend quite a bit of time off-road and I'm disappointed in how this system works. I've had 5 other SUV's and I've never had one that shifts with the abruptness and jerk that this one does. Have any of you experienced the same in yours?

I have the V6 model, Sport Edition.

Thanks

pat84 · May 2003

The Toyota receiver that came with my Sport was not a true 2" hitch. The Toyota hitch ( without trailer ball) fit in the original receiver. The original receiver had a metal end to it to keep any hitch put in the receiver from hitting the spare tire.
   Other 2 " items I had were a 2" receiver insert, and a 2" fishing rod holder. Both fit easily in the 2" receiver on my previous vehicle, (a Honda Odyssey) but would not fit in the original hitch on the 4Runner.
  I asked my dealer's parts department about it. The guy there suggested I call Toyota of America and ask them. I did. They gave me a case # and had the Toyota Rep at my dealer, call me.
I made an appointment and had them replace the receiver. It is slightly bigger and can accommodate my 2 " items. It has no spare tire protecting metal end piece. It took about 1 1/2 hours to change the receiver. The rear bumper had to be removed.
  This may be the "new" hitch due out later.
They look alike, but are slightly different.
  Hope this helps.
BTW it was obvious from my call to Toyota of America that they are truly interested in customer satisfaction. The hitch change was done free of charge.

b1rd0g · May 2003

pat84,

I need more info about the hitch situation. My SR5 came with a short receiver. I can no longer use my bike rack (that fits into standard receivers) because of the depth of the receiver and the location of the spare tire. The pin hole no longer lines up with my rack.

What did Toyota provide to rectify your problem?

pat84 · May 2003

The receiver (square hole under bumper) used to have a metal end piece that would restrict the length of what could go in it. The one they put on now has no end piece. A bike rack could go in the new receiver right up to the spare tire. There is no metal end piece. Your bike rack would go right in the new receiver, especially if all you need is a 1/2 inch or less and you would just put the pin in.
You will have to remember not to poke something into your spare. No big deal.

nippononly · May 2003

This was certainly normal in the last generation of Runners...the "low" is a very high torque gear, so you really feel those gear changes.

Mine is a stick shift, so I do not know from my own, but I have driven my friends' '96 and '98 automatics in 4-whl LO and they both did those abrupt gear changes.

From my own experience with their trucks, if you are going fast enough to need third gear in 4-whl LO, you probably don't need to be in LO any more...LO is a crawler gear.

pat84 · May 2003

I had two stick shift Jeep CJ-5's. I used to start out in 2nd low, not first, on level ground, even if I was in mud. Unfortunately, the automatic in the 4 Runner always starts out in first.

abc · May 2003

The 4Runner optional suspension is: Rear Height Control Air Suspension including X-REAS Sport Enhancement Suspension.

The 2003 Lexus GX-470 suspension is: Rear Adjustable Height Control (RAHC) and Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS).

Are these the same suspension?

How does the highway ride quality of this 2003 4Runner 4WD V8 Limited with rear air suspension compare with the 2003 Lexus GX-470?

How does the highway ride quality of this 4Runner compare with the 2003 Toyota Highlander V6 Limited AWD?

I'd appreciate any experiences or opinions.

jeffk11 · May 2003

(Quote)
Have you thought about cutting a bit of length off of the hitch portion of your bike rack so it is short enough to fit without hitting the spare? I suspect any hitch or welding or metal shop could do the job. Removing the spare tire sure isn't the answer.
(Endquote)

Sure- cutting off parts of my bike rack is always an option, but is that really the answer either? This rack has fit fine in four other makes of cars - plus my old '96 4runner. Why shouldn't my new 4runner work with it either? What about anything else I wish to buy in the future?

I'm encouraged by an above post's statement that they received a free solution from their dealer. It appears that Toyota might be willing to admit they made a mistake and are willing to fix it.

triplenet · May 2003

I drove a 4Runner V-6 Limited 4X4 and a V-6 Limited AWD Highlander last Sat. I was really impressed with the Highlander, but occasionally use 4WD lo-range and can't quite get past my impression that the Highlander is pretty close to a Mini-van. It really would depend on your use and needs as I see them as mutually exclusive. If you are concerned about the ride, I'd go for the Highlander. I waited to replace my 97 4Runner, still running strong @ 198K, with a new 4Runner until I saw how ugly they were. Now I think I'll wait and order a 04 w/o sunroof (add AP pkg!!)and hope they add "Desert Dune" color. Also, am curious about the new body for the Highlander as the Lexus version is out now.

brestle · May 2003

I haven't been back to this board in awhile but I'm bringing my '03 Limited in for its 5K tune-up tomorrow and thought I would check on the hitch thing. I tried to find a hitch mount bike rack and the following happened about 4 months ago. I never found a solution:

First I tried the Yakima hitch mounts. Their insert was far too long and hit the tire. My hitch does not have a metal piece on the back, the post can hit the spare. I couldn't even begin to see the holes on the hitch insert through the hitch holes. Then they brought out an extension for small hitches. That one also rubbed up against the tire. This one was much closer but I would have have to shaved about 1/8th of an inch off the extension to get the holes to line up correctly. Even if this worked, the rack would hang out ridiculously far.

Then we tried a Thule hitch mount. Same thing as the extension. I would have to shave about 1/8th of an inch off the hitch post to get the holes to line up correctly. The two people that were helping me couldn't believe the tire was so close and the hitch was so short.

If I want a hitch mount rack it would seem my only options would be to buy the Yakima and shave off about an inch, buy the Yakima with the extension and shave off 1/8th of an inch off the extension (and have the rack out way far), or buy the Thule and shave the 1/8th of an inch off.

Any ideas? Why did Toyota mess with the tow hitch so much that NONE of the hitch mount racks on the market fit it??? Should I consider a new hitch (is that even possible)?

Chris

beercoll1 · May 2003

Seems like the break-in period answer is common among dealers. A friend of mine has a Tahoe with a V8 and a bad rotten egg smell. He was told by his dealer that it could last up to 10k miles.

I still have the smell, but only when I gun it, and usually, I do not.

tfuzz · May 2003

abc -- I traded a '01 Highlander V6 LTD on a '03 4Runner V8 LTD. I thought the Highlander had a better ride cruising down the highway--definitely more car-like. The seats were more slightly comfortable for me, also. That is not to say that the Runner ride isn't great--it is. Except for the towing performance and other truck attributes I needed/wanted, I would just as soon drive the Highlander. My wife and I both really liked it on long trips with the teenager and the two furry kids (dogs, but they think they are kids), but then we really like the Runner too. It really boils down to: 1) do you want a truck for towing, off roading, whatever; or 2) do you want SUV that is more car-like? If you drove both around the same course that included city streets and freeway cruising I think you would be able to tell which you like the most.

rollie3 · May 2003

To BRESTLE. I just bought Thule "Pro" rack and it fits my 03' just fine. The Pro model holds 4 bikes and sells for $160. I preferred the Thule rack over Yakima because the bike part of rack will fold down against the upright bar when bikes are removed. However, one point about rack you may not like is that the rack attaches to receiver with a machine bolt rather than pin Overall the bolt system is probably a plus except you must use a socket wrence to tighten because of restricted space around the "pin" hole on the 4 runner hitch. The flat wrence included with rack will not work but no big loss.

brestle · May 2003

Rollie3,
What model 'Runner do you have. When I last brought up this issue, there was speculation that the Limited (what I have) may have less clearence space for the post than the other models (possibly due to the bigger spare wheel).

Hopefully Thule has made a rack that fits (I don't recall trying the "Pro" a few months ago). Thanks for the heads up!

vaughn4 · May 2003

Don't kid yourself the smell is the way the emissions system was engineered on the V8 Runner, it will not go away. Mine continued to get worse, not better, as time went on. This is the way the dealers basically blow your concerns off.

kb28 · May 2003

Mttownsend1 are you off road in 4WD LOW using the D gear selection? Right now I have a Land Rover Discovery II (but have ordered a 4Runner Sport)and before that a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Both shift fairly abruptly in LOW if in the D mode. However, in most instances when I'm off road in LOW, I'm crawling and certainly don't want abrupt changes, particularly if I'm on a steep incline/decline and traversing rocks. In such situations, I use LOW 1 (LOW LOW) and generally stay there. If 2 or 3 are needed, I do it manually so I know when the shift if going to take place. As posted above, if you are using LOW in the D mode, it sounds like you should be in HIGH anyway.

rollie3 · May 2003

Brestle---I have SPORT with 17 inch wheels. There should be no difference in length of rceiver hitch bar between SPORT and LIMITED.... Good luck

hotelseven · May 2003

Hello all. I just purchased a new 2003 V6 Sport and have noticed a fluttering or ticking noise coming from the engine. It seems to get faster upon acceleration, and is quite noticeable (especially when you drive by a wall or another vehicle). Has anyone else noticed this, and if so, does anyone know what it is?

Thanks in advance.

jtjackson33 · May 2003

I just purchased my first 4wd vehicle (1990 4Runner, 5spd). Unfortunately, I am not certain on how to put the vehicle into 4wd (I do not have the manual and do not want to mess anything up). It is probably very straightforward (and a simple question to ask). Would someone be kind enough to give me some guidance. Thank you.

ddw5 · May 2003

Actually, my V-6 sport had the same condition spoken of earlier. It came up only under moderate-hard acceleration. After 1,000 miles, it has gone away.

bmw323is · May 2003

I've heard the ticking noise as well when I have a window open and get a sound reflection from a wall or a car. My guess is that it is a common noise from the engine with variable valve timing. My BMW also has VVT and it too makes a light ticking noise at idle (although it sounds great after that). If your noise is louder, or you're concerned, call your service department and ask them about it. If you do, please post their response.

I have a couple of hitch bar extentions from older vehicles and I tried to put them into my 4Runner hitch receiver yesterday. As expected, all of them were too long and they hit the spare tire (by about an inch or a little more). I could not match up the holes for the pin to go through. Obviously Toyota had a bit of a design mistake with this hitch or with the location of the spare. I'm going to call Toyota and see what, if anything they can do. Cutting an inch and a half off the bars is preferable to me compared to letting the dealer try to change the hitch, but that will probably cost a few bucks. Has anybody just tried to cut an inch off the bars with a hacksaw? It would seem that steel would be pretty tough for a common (cheap) hacksaw.

nippononly · May 2003

just so you know, it is all detailed on a placard on the back of the driver's sun visor. Basically to go from 2WD to 4WD, you just have to have the clutch out and speed not too fast (I forget the exact speed limit for this - it is on the visor placard). To go from 4-whl HI to 4-whl LO you have to stop, again clutch out, and push the lever over to the LO position.

The reverse is the same, be sure to be stopped going from LO to HI, and clutch out going from 4-whl back to 2-whl.

In the older Runners, it is easier to get the 4-whl to engage if the truck is moving a bit - if you are entirely stopped and try to engage it, you may not actually see the engagement light on the dash until you have moved forward a little bit. (something to remember to anticipate if you are going to be in seriously muddy or low-traction situations).

jaredmsd · May 2003

I have the same noise (V-6 sport) and I just figured that's how this engine sounded. So you are not the only one.

I previously have only driven and american (loud) truck, a '95 blazer.. and that roared when I accelerated. I've had the 4runner only a couple of weeks and I have been noticing how weird the engine sounded (to me at least). Is this how VVT-i engines or japanese engines sound?

nedzel · May 2003

Did I properly interpret the Toyota web page that you have to get the Limited model to get heated front seats? Or can you get heated seats on the SR5?

vodgut · May 2003

Yeah, I'm pretty sure you have to get the Limited to get the heated leather seats. The heat and the leather seem to go together.

cliffy1 · May 2003

It looks like it is going the way of the Dodo. I just looked over our TVO report and not only are there none listed as being built for the May order, the entire model number has been deleted from the report. There may still be a few incoming but it looks like that will be the last of them.

mrwhipple · May 2003

If you have the ADD (automatic disconnecting differential) system, there is no need to engage the clutch, You can shift in and out of 4WD on the fly up to 55 mph. It's a nice system.

For 4-LO, you will need the clutch and you can engage up to 5mph.

If at first it doesn't engage or disengage, just lightly release and repress the the accelerator. This usually does the trick to reconfirm the systems engagement.

beagles3 · May 2003

I had posted ions ago concerning this problem. I have had a 1995, 1999, and a 2002 4Runner and after going crazy with the same vibrations (the dealer was no help because they were not set up to balance the truck tires, just passenger) I finally found a Discount Tire Store who informed me that Toyota's took a special hub balancer made by a company called "Haweka". It was after they balanced my tires/wheels on a road force variance machine with that specific hub, that I had a smooth riding truck.

hotelseven · May 2003

Hi all...Just a quick update regarding the fluttering engine noise (as I posted above)...I took it to the dealer today and they spent the better part of the day running diagnostics on it. Here's what they found:

The say there is a shim somewhere near the lifters (you'll have to excuse me, I'm completely ignorant when it comes to vehicle mechanics). These shims come in 35 different sizes. Apparently the shim in the lifter is too small. Now they have to measure what the new shim should be, order it and install it.

Having said that, I will be withoug my BRAND NEW 4 Runner for 2 days! The guy said it does no harm to the engine but they are more than happy to fix it (as they should be for a $40,000 + vehicle). I'm taking it in this week to have it done (they are providing me with a free rental car - Camry). I will report back with the results.

KicKMan1 · May 2003

The "clunk" when stopping and releasing the brake is a classic symptom of binding in the driveshaft slip yokes. This is easily fixed by liberally greasing the slip yoke fittings at each oil change. Toyota used to recommend using grease containing Moly Disulfide for the slip yokes. I used Moly grease on our '98 4Runner and it worked fine.

Sounds very plausible. If that's not the solution, the source of the problem could be ineffective motor mounts or tranny mounts due to the increase in torque(??) I had the same symptoms on a different vehicle. Had the mounts replaced and problem was solved.

kb28 · May 2003

I ordered a Sport with leather seats. I was told, though, that I could not order them heated; that heated seats were available only on the Ltd as standard equipment, which seems silly.

martin45 · May 2003

What a joke. Still debating the smell problem after all this time. When will you people learn that it is a problem with the 2003 4Runner. It is not going to magically disappear! Toyota doesnt care. Considering todays market, why should they? I thought that with some time, not intelligence, that most of you would come to understand that the smell problem is permanent to the 2003 4Runner.

Anyone who buys this vehicle will get what they deserve. Garbage!

dust90 · May 2003

We thought you went away. No one wants to hear your bias. NOW GO AWAY!

ltc9024 · May 2003

OK OK OK Martin, we have heard you. You do NOT like the 2003 4Runner. Now be like your namesake bird, the Martin, and Flock Off. I have a V8 Runner have not smelled anything yet, if I do so be it, and believe it to be the best on the road. I love it as much as you hate it. Enough said.

tidester · May 2003

That little scroll wheel on your Mouse makes it almost effortless to get past postings you do not wish to read! Try it!

tidester, host

beercoll1 · May 2003

Here, here!!!!!!!!

John_1 · May 2003

Care to speculate as to the apparent demise of the V6 Limited 4Runner? Permanent or temporary?

If the V6 is available in other grades, then it doesn't seem likely that it's due to problems with the new engine. Maybe it's a way to differentiate the Limited, but clearly the V8 is not unique to that grade.

Your thoughts?

rorr · May 2003

Regarding your leather seat question: I was under the impression that only the LTD was available from the factory with leather seats whereas leather was generally done aftermarket for the SR5 and Sport models.

When you say that you've been able to order leather for your Sport, is that leather from the factory? If it is aftermarket, that would explain why you can't get the seats heated.

nippononly · May 2003

that any trim lime called "limited" should have only the largest engine available anyway. It makes sense. There are no 4-cyl Highlander limiteds, are there?

cliffy1 · May 2003

I really don't know what to make of Toyota on this one. I'm not even positive it really has been deleted. There has been no memo on it. The basis of my speculation is something called a TVO report. It is a monthly report that tells us what is being built for THIS region each month. Normally, if our region is not getting a particular model, the model number will still be listed but quantity will read "0". That is not what we have not. The entire model number vanished from the TVO report for May. That normally means the model doesn't exist any more.

Perhaps this is an aberration. Our resident DX manager Steve can take a look at his TVO and perhaps Toyotaken can get a hold of his so we can see if this is a regional issue in the Central Atlantic Region or not.

fsudave · May 2003

I have a 2003 V6 that makes a fluttering noise that is especially noticeable when you drive by a wall or another vehicle. I read about others who also mentioned hearing the same fluttering noise from their 03 4runner V6 engines. However, when they take their new 4runners to the dealer, they are told this is normal. I am curious as to if the dealer will fix hotelseven's fluttering noise.

steveb84 · May 2003

As I posted before, they are still available and on order in the Chicago region. Actually had one come in yesterday. Next week I'm attending a distribution meeting and will try to find out if anything happening on the corporate level.

poseidon · May 2003

Does anyone have experience with the supercharger from TRD? According to the TRD website they only make one for the old 3.4L V-6, but awhile back there was mention in this forum of one for the current V-8. Can anybody shed some light here? Does anyone have the mythical beast? If so can you share your experinces re: performance, mileage, reliability? Before I get jumped on about this, I know it wouldn't have much application offroad and neither engine NEEDS more power, but sometimes we do things not out of need, but more out of WANT. Can you imagine a 300hp 4-Runner? I can. Thanks for any insights.

mrshenry2002 · May 2003

I too noticed what I would describe more of a ticking noise. I remember thinking that it idles LOUD for a new vehicle. Also noticed more when in a fastfood drive thru. My '93 idled kinda like it after 200k miles ! Once again, I convinced myself it was normal. I have to return to the dealership to fix a broken seatbelt and to replace the damper dohickie (per the recall...not yet received notice in mail)...will get them to check & will post the results.

cliffy1 · May 2003

Are they still in your TVO? I think we still have some in-bound as well, but from the looks of the TVO there will not be any more.

Galileo757 · May 2003

Does anyone run Regular unleaded fuel in their 2003 V6 4 runner, the specs call for premium fuel. Owners running regular fuel, any comments would be appreciated. Not a 2003 4 runner owner yet, but planning to trade in my 1998 4 runner limited with 56,000 miles.
Thanks!

hotelseven · May 2003

I run regular fuel in my new V6. Im averaging 13.5 km/100L of fuel. Thats a mix of highway and city driving. I'm sure Id get a bit better mileage on premium but at the cost of fuel, I'm not that concerned about a few extra miles....

ltc9024 · May 2003

For what it is worth. I have the V8 and run regular fuel in it. The manual in BOTH the V6 and V8 says the following and I quote, right out of the owners manual in front of me, "Select Octane 87 or higher. For IMPROVED vehicle performance, the use of premium unleaded gasoline with an Octane rating of 91 or higher is recommended."
The V6 is a higher compression ratio than the V8, I believe 10.0 to 1 for the V6 and 9.6 to 1 for the V8. No matter how you read it, regular fuel is fine in both. The V6 would probably give SLIGHTLY better performance with premium(because of the higher compression ratio!) but I doubt it would be worth it unless the engine is knocking etc. I don't quite understand how a lot of people are saying that Toyota are recommending premium fuel. In my view they are NOT saying that at all, only if you want improved performance(and how much it would improved would be questionable!!!) If premium fuel was required it would say exactly that. Bottom line SAVE YOUR MONEY.
I do intend to try premium in the V8 for a month at some point to see if the mileage improves or not BUT I doubt it would make up for the 8-10 cents a litre difference.
I have averaged 15.3 litres/100 km in 2,300 km of city/highway driving. Not fantastic by no stretch of the imagination but I hope it will improve slightly. On the highway the V8 mileage is as good as my 99 Runner with a 3.4 V6. In the City, well it is quite a bit worse.
I knew this going in. I love the 4Runner, a great vehicle so far.

Toyota 4Runner

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