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Bad news - my sunroof started to rattle this weekend! Guess I'll be bringing the Toyota TSB to the service dept. Anyone unsuccessfully attempt to have the dealer fix this?
Thanks
The Fords won't keep their resale value. There is a reason they are so cheap and financing is easy.
I'm surprised you think the Aviator is nicer. I would take a SR5 4Runner over the Aviator. The Toyota is built so much better and it will remain so in 5 years. I don't like to take a crapshoot with my $30K so I got the Toyota.
The 4 Runner has one of the highest resale values of any model. I think the Explorer is below avg.
My local dealer still has several of the old black-plastic-cladding Runners on his lot - they stand out like a sore thumb. They must have been there several months, since they don't make them that way any more. I wonder what the enormous discount is on those...
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Enjoyed it a lot but got some scratches already.
My beauty came with appearance package, so, scratches are noticeable when you have no gray cladding.
Should I take the car to the dealer or is it possible to get the exact paint tone and do it yourself?
This baby is amazing off road !!!!!
It Looks expensive; $760+TAX+Installation.
Has anyone found it cheaper elsewhere?
Zeus - Just saw the Sport Bumper trim. Looks a little small for that price IMO. Have you considered a stainless steel brush guard?
The V6 has "multimode" and the V8 has "fulltime" 4wd. They list using Torsen center differentials with a locking feature? Is that just autolocking as part of the Torsen setup?
So I guess my questions are...is there a 4wd high/low range of gearing? Can you lock the center differential completely or does it always remain an autolocker?
4WD= you can lock the diff completely. THere is a switch on the dash to do that.
There is a 4hi/4lo switch also.
This is a no brainer.
Some folks with the V8 engine have been removing a couple of the skid plates to get to the oil filter, and leaving them off.
These plates don't seem very heavy, so I don't think removal will make much difference on a 4000+ lb. vehicle.
I don't know what grade gas they put in there, so i'll run this down and fill with 87.
Aaron
I know that grease contains alot of sulfur as an additive and might just be causing a short-term smell. It would take many days for this smell to dissipate completely, and possibly longer if the driver only drives short distances with occasional longer or more aggressive driving. During these times, some more grease might either burn off or be thrown off the driveshafts.
I just greased by drive shafts and am getting a nasty smell from some excess grease getting thrown on the exhaust pipe. Thought maybe it tied in for some instances. Some trucks may have a bad seal on one u-joint and throw off grease for a long period.
"I'm in suburb of Chicago. I went to 4 local dealers and at each dealer there is 1 '04 4Runner. All are black LTD V8, SR, GY, RF, RL and Z1 options. 2 have NV and 2 have EJ."
Anybody heard anything from dealers in southern California about the 2004 4Runners yet?
http://www.truckspecialties.com/mitomirror/homelink.htm
regarding the 4runner.i just sold my 96 4rnner lt.for 12000 can. it had 360,000 klm(225,000 miles)it was operating just like when i bought it new.never had a problem except for rear axle seals.rear brakes never replaced.front brakes had 230,000 klm.with over 50% brake pad left.one of our staff has had two explorers and at around 200,000klm had to replace the transmission in both vehicles.i feel that the the 4runner is one of the best built suv in that category
Thanks,
Ray
6 months, 11k miles.
There was a mention awhile back about a Borla exhaust system for $600 parts + tax/labor. I have been quoted a price of over $800 for parts alone. Where did you receive the quote, eastern US? What type was it? I am interested in changing the exhaust system.
Does anyone know of any offroad trails close to Delaware?
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I was interested in the Aviator and then couldn't find any that were 4WD or AWD (same thing with the Explorer). I guess Ford/Mercury has found that it is not an important selling point, but I think its an important safety feature (plus I plan to do some light offroading).
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>I may be wrong, but I thought the frequency of the alternator AC output varied with engine >speed. If so, it is unsuitable as a direct source of 60 Hz AC.
>
>What is your knowledge of this issue?
Yes the frequency of the alternator will track the engine speed and you want something close to 60 Hz for the 115 V AC. I was only pointing out that you might not want to take it all to 12 V DC and then back to 115 V AC.
The output voltage swing of the alternator will also vary as well as a function of engine speed, making it unusable directly.
-Eric
There's nothing stopping anyone from upgrading to the newer hitch by getting it from Canada (see www.toyota.ca).
As for the skid plates I have a few comments. I went through some deep, heavy spring snow and managed to bend one when I came down off a packed-down snow rut. It wasn't real off-road; it was on a regular road, just with lots of wet, heavy snow.
Looking at the skid plates, they're really thin and flimsy compared to what they put on the older models.
The other point that nobody's mentioned yet is that to jack up the front end in the center of the vehicle (getting both front wheels off the ground at once), you need to take off the front skid plate. If you didn't there wouldn't be a place to put the jack without squishing the skid plate.
Looking at the skid plate though, there is a funny, reinforced hole where it looks like it is there to accept a jack or an adaptor for a jack.
I wonder what the story is on that; they went to some trouble to have the hole thing???
Ideas?
-Eric
Aaron
I don't think it really contributes to giving the truck a more cushy ride.
Guess it depends on your driving habits. I'm coming off a sporty sedan so I enjoy that sort of driving.
Aaron
There is a conflict with a Navigation System and a 3rd row seat. You can't get both together. On my 2003 Limited, our Nav. system is above the right rear wheel well which probably will get in the way of the right rear 3rd row seat. That's unfortunate that they couldn't find another spot for the Nav. System.
-Gene
If that's true, and regular fuel gives fewer miles per gallon, What $$ would we save?
I've been using 87 and 89 Octane for the past 1500 miles and have averaged 23mpg on the highway and 17-18mpg in the city with a V8. MPG is most dependant on how you drive (jack rabbit starts, weather conditions, aggressive high speed driving, etc).
***
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
There is alot of interesting facts from this site.
From the ftc.gov site:
The Low-Down on High Octane Gasoline
Are you tempted to buy a high octane gasoline for your car because you want to improve its performance? If so, take note: the recommended gasoline for most cars is regular octane. In fact, in most cases, using a higher octane gasoline than your owner’s manual recommends offers absolutely no benefit. It won’t make your car perform better, go faster, get better mileage or run cleaner. Your best bet: listen to your owner’s manual.
The only time you might need to switch to a higher octane level is if your car engine knocks when you use the recommended fuel. This happens to a small percentage of cars.
Unless your engine is knocking, buying higher octane gasoline is a waste of money, too. Premium gas costs 15 to 20 cents per gallon more than regular. That can add up to $100 or more a year in extra costs. Studies indicate that altogether, drivers may be spending hundreds of millions of dollars each year for higher octane gas than they need.
What are octane ratings?
Octane ratings measure a gasoline’s ability to resist engine knock, a rattling or pinging sound that results from premature ignition of the compressed fuel-air mixture in one or more cylinders. Most gas stations offer three octane grades: regular (usually 87 octane), mid-grade (usually 89 octane) and premium (usually 92 or 93). The ratings must be posted on bright yellow stickers on each gasoline pump.
What’s the right octane level for your car?
Check your owner’s manual to determine the right octane level for your car. Regular octane is recommended for most cars. However, some cars with high compression engines, like sports cars and certain luxury cars, need mid-grade or premium gasoline to prevent knock.
How can you tell if you’re using the right octane level?
Listen to your car’s engine. If it doesn’t knock when you use the recommended octane, you’re using the right grade of gasoline.
Will higher octane gasoline clean your engine better?
As a rule, high octane gasoline does not outperform regular octane in preventing engine deposits from forming, in removing them, or in cleaning your car’s engine. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires that all octane grades of all brands of gasoline contain engine cleaning detergent additives to protect against the build-up of harmful levels of engine deposits during the expected life of your car.
Should you ever switch to a higher octane gasoline?
A few car engines may knock or ping — even if you use the recommended octane. If this happens, try switching to the next highest octane grade. In many cases, switching to the mid-grade or premium-grade gasoline will eliminate the knock. If the knocking or pinging continues after one or two fill-ups, you may need a tune-up or some other repair. After that work is done, go back to the lowest octane grade at which your engine runs without knocking.
Is knocking harmful?
Occasional light knocking or pinging won’t harm your engine, and doesn’t indicate a need for higher octane. But don’t ignore severe knocking. A heavy or persistent knock can lead to engine damage.
Is all "premium" or "regular" gasoline the same?
The octane rating of gasoline marked "premium" or "regular" is not consistent across the country. One state may require a minimum octane rating of 92 for all premium gasoline, while another may allow 90 octane to be called premium. To make sure you know what you’re buying, check the octane rating on the yellow sticker on the gas pump instead of relying on the name "premium" or "regular."
If you are in California, then you have no worries about the sulfur smell. California's has lower sulfur levels in their gas than any other state. Only people in like 10 or so states have commented on the sulfer problem.
-Jared
In reality, their optimum (default) ignition timing is dialed in by the computer when a higher octane gas is used. I have had a couple of cars that required 93 octane to run their best, both in performance and gas mileage. Both of these attributes suffered significantly when the owner's manual's recommendation on 87 octane fuel was followed. It was common knowledge that you needed 93 octane fuel to get the most from the engine. However, 87 was fine for undemanding driving.
What color do you recommend? You probably had the same interior I did, the light grays with seats the looked like light patio furniture (sort of!) I was thinking a darker gray. I wonder if the interior guys could add more padding for leg support. Anyways, thanks again...
Thanks!
Personal mileage will vary, but to my limited driving (1500 miles) thus far, I haven't seen any significant differences in fuel economy, but I do notice a bit more "get up and go" when using Premium Unleaded, but not enough to justify the additional 20 cents/gal. These days, with the price of gas pushing 1.99 for regular unleaded, every penny counts.