2nd Generation Toyota 4Runners (90-95)

nippononly

having separate threads for each generation. But the second gen was from '90-'95............oh wait, I see it is correct in the thread title, just not in the title of your post. :-)

So did everybody have their steering linkage replaced on Toyota's dime per the recall last summer? I had it done on mine just before I wound up selling it - it seemed weird to have free repairs performed on a truck with 220K miles on it. Especially since I never had a problem with the original linkage. And I beat on that truck a fair bit.

stever

lol, I can fix my original welcome post - I'll delete it and we'll just make your post the first one. :-)

Steve, Host

nippononly

well thanks! :-)

I had my '90 V-6 4x4 for a number of years, so even though I finally traded it for a '00 last fall, I am going to be visiting in here from time to time too. Both generations are tough durable trucks that will go forever with a little care. Each has their pluses and minuses - one "plus" I will miss on my old truck is the drop-down tailgate (sort of like a carpeted pick-up, instead of a minivan-style rear door that opens upwards, which the newer Runner has).

jammer6

I have a '95 4Runner that has 178K and two weeks ago I pulled my boat in from the lake and when I came up to a red light and stopped my Check Engine light came on. It had a code 25 - mixture too lean. I took it in for a diagnostic and the mechanic told me he checked for intake leaks, none, checked for blown head gasket, all cylinders were carrying 150 to 180 lbs. He wouldn't do anything else without charging me $250 to pull the intake and check the injectors because he said the #6 plug looked black and I have just replaced the rotor, distributor cap, ignition wires, and plugs before taking it in. I also have replaced the fuel filter and the O2 Sensor but still no luck.
The code 25 has been reset and not come back on but the engine is still very rough like a solid miss most of the time. Sometimes it seems like it is running much smoother so I have run 3 bottles of injector cleaner through it in an effort to help.

Can anyone give me an idea of how to check the injectors without pulling the intake? Or, have any of you experienced this problem with your 4Runners. I am pretty sure it is some kind of fuel delivery problem with probably the #6 cylinder.

Thanks for any help.

jammer6

goltgo

jammer - I had to have the injectors serviced soon after buying my '95 used back in 2000. Service light came on, was running really rough. I didn't have/don't have the mechanical proficiency to deal with it myself, so I don't have any insight for you on how to deal with it. Just wanted you let you know that it has been experienced by at least one other. I can look up the invoice if you want to know what type of service they performed on it.

nippononly

I don't mean to jinx you, but that is exactly the same symtpoms I had with mine when one of the exhaust valves burned out at almost the exact same mileage. And if the plug is black, doesn't that mean it is getting fuel but having some other type of problem?

Needless to say, mine needed a new set of exhaust valves to the tune of a pretty penny. It was worth it though - it ran like a top once again after that, and for several years after before I finally sold it.

tylerh1

I was thinking about buying a 94' 4Runner with a 116,000 miles. The guy who owns it said it has audible ticking noise coming from the engine which someone told him is just the valves and that the valves on that engine (v6) need to be adjusted every 25k miles, and the exhaust has a few leaks from where it has rusted through, but there is no rust on the body. Are these common problems/b.s.? And I heard that these trucks are extremely reliable, is there anything else that goes wrong at about that mileage? Thanks

nippononly

Well, I never adjusted the valves on mine - the manual didn't specify periodic adjustment, or if it did I missed that page! They do make a bit of noise, but if you have an especially loud tick that could be a big problem- get a compression test done and check that all the cylinders are firing properly.

The exhaust pipe does rust notoriously - I finally replaced mine after it became super wormy. It wasn't too expensive - like $200 P&L, and that was at the dealer. Needless to say, that was just the pipe behind the cat, not including the cat itself.

And yes, these trucks ARE extremely reliable. Mine was at 220K when I sold it, and I still see it running around the streets.

carpusuv

I'm interested in a 95 4runner with 137,000, owner says they bought a new one. Researching the vehicle showed several posts where blown or otherwise faulty head gaskets are not uncommon, and I'm interested in knowing if indeed you think this is a common problem with the 95s.... There was some indication that Toyota had a recall on them, but so far I've not confirmed.

If I buy, will this truck take me 3 more years or to 195,000 without much hassle?

nippononly

of Runners, the V-6 had a TSB and extended warranty on the head gaskets, which were prone to early failure. However, if the '95 you are looking at is one of the affected ones, chances are good it has already been done. Also, many of the '95s were not included because they had already fixed the problem by then.

You can call or contact Toyota through the website with the specific VIN of this truck to determine if it is included in the TSB. If it has gotten to 137K without any problem, then you are probably OK, but it would be good to check anyway.

Everything else is rock-solid on these trucks, and if the head gasket recall has been done, or this '95 is not one of the affected group, 195K should be no sweat, I would think.

BTW, if it is in the group and has NOT been done, I am pretty sure Toyota will still spring for the new head gasket even now - check with Toyota national or with the service advisor at your nearest dealer.

Oh yeah, one last thing - there was recently a recall for this series of 4Runners for replacement of the steering tie rods - I had mine replaced for free even though my truck had more than 215K miles on it at the time! You might check that it has been done on this '95 as well, or if not, make a mental note to get the recall done if you buy this truck.

jrranks

I just bought an after market right power mirror for my 1995 4runner, I try to install it but the color or the wires are different. On the new mirror the colors are brown,white and yellow. On the door the colors are green, brown and black. Can you tell me which wire goes with which?

rousey

my 95' 4 runner started making a really bad knocking sound the other night. no check engine lights have come on. the oil was changed a little over 4k ago. i have heard multiple things to about the matter. i have heard that i blew a head gasket, i heard i blew my engine , etc. does anyone know what could be wrong with it? has anyone experienced the same problem? :mad:

nippononly

What did the gauges say? Did it ever overheat? Are you getting good oil pressure? Does it make the knocking sound all the time?

rousey

judging by the gauges , everything seems to be okay. i have had a few mechanics say i threw a rod. the engine only has 119,000 on it though. that sounds very odd for a toyota.

nippononly

you can still drive it around? Then you didn't throw a rod. However, you could have rod knock. Drive it around for 15 minutes, go up on the highway, get it nice and hot, then stop and let it idle for a while - you will likely see the oil pressure fall to zero.

It will also run hot. If you really, truly, have totally normal gauges after that type of driving, you could have something else - perhaps a bent or broken crankshaft? Perhaps an accessory that is mis-installed and is banging on something as it turns?

It's hard to know what's up without hearing it. Did you do anything under the hood right before this noise started?

keni

I have a 1995 4Runner with a Toyota L4200 3 disk CD player. When I put CD's in it I see the following message displayed; E-02. Is this an error message? I can not get it to play any CD's.

Thanks for assistance with this problem.

nippononly

If it won't play and is displaying something that begins with 'E', I would say that is an error message, yes! Your manual probably tells you what that code means, if you still have it. If not, since it is a Toyota unit, your dealer service department will be able to tell you what it means.

HOWEVER, unless it is a simple fix, I wouldn't pay to have to it repaired, as a new aftermarket unit would be cheap to buy and install and probably work better than the original ever did.

keni

Thanks, You are right I do not have a manual for this Type CD player.

rjdomingu

Keni, did you have any luck? I have a 97 4Runner with the same problem.

tomr3

I have a 96 4runner with the same problem. It used to work fine, but then started spitting out the changer and posting the E-02 message. Toyota gave me the universal code to change it, and the radio took the code and works fine (SEC shows up and the little red key flashes) but the L4200 still won't work. They must not be connected. Alpine made the cd changer, I believe, and Panasonic made the radio/cassette. I'm switching to a Sony CPA-9C cassette adapter and using my iPod and forgetting the CD changer. The cassette adaptor is usually 19.95, but I found it at Amazon this week for under $13.

tylerh1

My power antenna on my 94' 4runner hasn't been going all the way down for awhile, no big deal, but the other night some [non-permissible content removed] bag broke it off. Anyone know anywhere online to get replacements? Thanks

wuttinup

I have a 95 White 4runner with 102k on it...absolutely love it but was wondering if anyone else has these thread like markings on their wheels. Not quite scratches...these are like thin white markings. Anyone know how to get it off/what to use to get it off with? Thanks

nippononly

Mine was 16 years old when I finally sold it, and the alloys never had any thread-like markings on them. Do you have the steel rims?

4runnertank

I have a 95' 4 Runner with 138,000 miles, it runs like a tank! Very solid, but also very slow. My daughter has a 94 identical 4 Runner with 40,000 more miles than mine, but her truck is "zippy" while mine takes it's time getting up to 65 miles an hour. She has the stock p225/75 R 15 tires while I have the big 31X10.50 R15 size tires on my truck. Will I get more torque by switching to a smaller stock size tire? I also have noticed that the bigger tires are giving me an incorrect speedometer reading. I'm always going a little faster than it reads!

4runnertank

My 95' had a broken antenna when I got it in August this year, I bought a replacement from a seller on ebay, cost $25 with shipping, it took about an hour to fix, it was a little involved because you have to remove the unit inside the fender, take it apart to remove the old piece inside, but after that you just thread the new antenna and you're done. Piece of Cake! The replacement I got on ebay was a brand new OEM part, everywhere else I asked about this part wanted $100 even the salvage places!

nippononly

Yes, the much larger tire size in effect makes your gearing taller (running at a lower RPM at any given speed) - that reduces the zippiness of the off-the-line performance.

Just guessing here - if your daughter's truck has the smaller tires and you have the large ones, is it possible that she has a 2WD and you have a 4WD? That adds about 300 pounds and would slow down your truck as well.

4runnertank

We both have 2WD, I have owned this 4 Runner for about 3 months, and the other day while mine was getting a leaky steering box fixed, I had a chance to drive hers, and was blown away by the quickness of her truck. I should also disclose that her truck was one of the recalls for the bad head Gasket, so she's had a rebuilt engine at some point, whereas mine is a true 138,000 miles! I want to downsize my tires anyway to get the extra power no matter how small! My work is 120 miles (round trip) with some long steep inclines, and even with the ECT on I lose speed and have to move to the right too much for my taste!

nippononly

there's also a lot less rolling resistance with the much narrower base tire for that gen of 4Runners, which I believe was a 225/75/15, or something like that? Mine had those when I bought it, but at the first opportunity I upgraded to the 265/70s. I immediately witnessed a 3 mpg plummet in fuel economy, and a reduction in off-the-line zippiness (which was fine, as I used it mostly for offroading and snow trips, where speed was not a priority, and was sometimes a liability! :-))

BTW, if you are looking for tires, it was my experience that there is a much bigger selection in 235/75/15s, which is the stock size for the Ford Explorer, than there is in 225/75/15s.

4runnertank

Thanks nippononly, I had heard from a tire guy that a 235/75/15 (instead of the 225/75/15) would be a better size tire to buy because of the vehicle's propensity to roll over, and the little bit of extra width would be to my benefit.

nippononly

Ah, tire guys! While what he said is sorta true (but not much), it is certainly true that if you go with a 235/75, he is much more likely to stock a bargain-of-the-day he can sell you at maximum profit to himself! :-P

And 4Runners do not have a "propensity to roll over". :-/

4runnertank

I put smaller tires on my tank and am delighted to report a substantial increase in horsepower in all ranges, I get nice off the line acceleration, I get up to 65 real quick, I also get a little better gas mileage, as well as a pretty close to accurate speedometer reading! All this just by changing from 31X10.50 R15 to 235/75/R15's.....The only thing is, "I now have a nagging tire noise comming from the right rear tire" (chi, chi, chi, chi sound when its coasting) I don't think the guys who put the new rubber on did any re-balancing! They just switched the big tires with the small ones. Should I have these wheels re-balanced after putting new rubber. The tire guy says its normal for these tires to make this noise.
4runnertank!

toy4run

I got this vehicle for christmas in the year 2005 from the wife. Its the thought that counts. But I have done tons of work to it. Started out with the radiator and heater hoses replace, the heads replace, oil pan leak and main seal leak, new shocks and replaced the coil springs in the rear for heavy duty ones, and just recently the heater core and starter got fixed. :P I currently have two issues with it and that is sometimes when i press the accelator the car kinda bogs down and seems to want to turn off then it runs like a champ. only happens early in the mornings. :confuse: and the steering wheel is to loose i can turn in either direction without changing the direction of the vehicle. :confuse: Even though i have done all this to this vehicle i still love it. they are great vehicles had a 92 before that with a 2.4 cylinder engine in it, but traded it for another vehicle and always wanted another one. and now i have it. Like I said before its the thought that counts with this vehicle. :P

Thinking of trading it for a 2003-2005 toyota 4runner what do you guys think of those? :shades:

Thanks

4runnertank

the 95 4runners have a recall for the steering linkage, I had mine done free at the toyota dealer! That might alleviate your steering problem for free!
I recently sold my 95' because of an engine going bad at 140,000 miles. I Loved my truck, but have soured on the 2nd Gen 4Runners. Get rid of that money pitt and get a late model 3rd Gen, if you can afford it. ex-4runnertank

toy4run

why a 3rd gen? what are the known pros and cons of it? and what modifications have you done to yours?

saggrl25

I'm looking into the 2nd gen 4runners as a beater SUV, just for use with mountain bike, camping gear and home depot trips. From what I've seen they are generally reliable. Are there any recommendations on what I should be looking for as signs of a lemon? I don't plan on paying much but don't want to end up putting a lot of money into it either. Any help is appreciated!

4runnertank

Your best bet is a private owner selling one, don't buy from a dealer (trust me on this). have a mechanic check it out for leaks or unforeseen problems (cost $50 or $60 bucks), 90-94 had a recall on head gaskets, some got re-built engines for free by Toyota, some got brand new engines free from Toyota!, ask if the recall was done. The 95' I owned had an engine that went bad at 140,000 miles which shocked me. The 95's were not under any recall, they said they fixed the problem. I still Love these trucks. They have a unique combination of things that no other vehicle has. Cool Trucks for Cool Guys! 4RunnerTank

saggrl25

Great thanks for the info. I am planning on buying private. I just wanted to make sure I was going to get something reliable so I'm not stuck out in the backwoods somewhere. Other than the engine blowing up, did you expereince any other problems? I've read about the power and how tire size can affect this...any opinions?

4runnertank

No, Nothing to speak of......A high mile vehicle will normally have integrity problems, thats to be expected, door handles, sunroof switches, window switches that go bad, stuff like that you just gotta keep up with it, no big deal! 4Runners are solid trucks, but after a certain amount of miles, they need TLC just like any other vehicle! 4RunnerTank

dang2

I have a 1991 Toyota 4 Runner 6cyc. 5 speed. My power back window will go up but it won't come back down. It has worked off and on for about 6 months but it seems to have completly stoped in the up position. I hear a click when I hit the up but nothing when I hit the down.

Thanks

toy4run

I had a 1992 Toyota 4Runner 4cyl 5 speed awhile back. Had a similar problem the window will go down but will not come up...I didnt hear the click you speak of. But I figured it was the switch not working since there is power to it going down. So I bought a new one and the window worked again. I bought it from toyota and it cost $75 bucks...thought it was expensive but didnt want to go to a junk yard and come to find out it will give out. I would think also it would be the cheapest way to start trouble shooting it.

4runnertank

My wouldn't work either way (up or down) on my 95' 6 cly 4 Runner, I had to use the key to move the window. I found a rear window switch on ebay for $5.00 dollars, about $10.00 total with shipping, it took 10 minutes to replace with the old one and its been working for 6 months now with no problems......

luvmyrunner

:confuse: Hi,
We recently bought through a used car dealer a 1990 4runner, with 175,000 miles, stout vehicle, ran a carfax report and we are the 2 owners. The report didn't say anything about the vehicle being repaired. My question is being the second owners are we entitled to take our 4runner to Toyota to be repaired?
And my other question is where can I find a owners manual for my '90, because I have located the fuse box (under the hood)and I want to replace the fuse(guessing here) for the lighter. but the are buttons that I have no idea what they are. The "Haynes Book" doesn't cover that.
The buttons in question are
Located near the shifter "ECT" BUTTON
Located on the shifter is "shift lock over ride"

I need to know what they are for, and if the recall applies to us.

Thanks to all who reply.

toy4run

Hello,

You are eligible to get it repaired for any recalls on it. I have a 1995 and am the 5th owner and got something repaired on it that had a recall...the steering rod.

The ECT button is just like a power button...gives you more power up the hills...basically holds the rpms longer.

Not to sure on the shift lock over ride button dont think mine has one.

As for the Manual maybe you can find on ebay or craigslist.

toy4run

:shades: Selling my 4Runner not sure how much I should sell it for hehe! I know it sounds bad. Gas prices are going up and out of my three vehicles its the one that would be the best to sell. Has 196500 miles on it. The heads have been replaced, new radiator, new front heater core, new shocks, HD coil spring in the rear, magnaflow exhaust, brighter headlights, if you look on my carspace the have pictures of it. Has no oil leaks got the oil pan leak fixed and the main seal was fixed as well. Really hate to get rid of this vehicle but it has to go! Let me know if you have an offer. Its located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. :shades:

stever

That's a lot of miles - for a price, appraise it and get the True Market Value.

reutlinger

did Toyota make 4 cylinder 4runners with sun/moonrof? what years did they make the 4 cylinder? What is the gas mileage with standard tires, generally on average? Did they have the same problems (and recall) with steering tie rods and the head gasket?

How much would i expect to pay for one? thanks, Liz

toy4run

I believe they made 4cyl all thru 1st and 3rd generations. It was the base engine so i would imagine they came with no sunroof. I had a 1992 with a 5speed 4wd; with a 4cyl 22re is the engine code. It averaged 18 in city and like 20 highway...but the power band for it was low going uphills i sometimes had to shift to 3rd gear. Np with the head gasket the only think is the timing chain would wear the timing cover and it would leak radiotor fluid into the engine causing engine death. You can go to lcengineering.com they have all kinds of stuff for the 4cyl engine. if you have any question feel free to email.

reutlinger

thanks for info re: 4 cyl's. I need a good sound car/truck for Baja, (have a house there on bad, deeply rutted road.) needs to be reliable and have good suspension as well as enough clearance; and 4x4 is a must. Im put off by bad mpg's of the 6 cylinders but 4 aren't much better...........

Im currently driving an '84 tercel wagon, it is perfect BUT the clearance is pretty low and the suspension is not beefy enough for the roads. it's a tough little engine though.

what about Toyota's rav4? or a pickup? any suggestions? thanks, Liz

jeremy18328

My engine hesitates when I hit the throttle causing it to die. It still drives when I'm easy on the throttle. The check engine light does not go on. I have replaced the fuel filter, fuel pump, throttle position sensor, and the mass airflow sensor. What else could it be? By the way it's a 92 Toyota 4runner 3.0 liter V6

papifx

hello please i need help from all of u guys, i have a 95 4runner 3.0 4x2 ,,, this truck, some times runs good, some times runs baddd, i have it since new from the dealer, the car its not burning the gasoline complete, some times thorws the gasoline by the exaust, some times u can see white smoke coming out from exaust.. ok this is not all, when the truck is in park position, i can hit the pedal and accelerates fine, but one i put it on drive, the truck does not run, sound like if it was carburated ... and very hard get 35 miles per hour, sometimes what i do, is tunr it engine off while im driving, and then turn it back on in neutral, and runs better, but still runs like crab, i have replace, cables, spark plugs, maf sensor, computer,gas filter,gas pump. etc etc, 2 weeks ago i did a ring job, i replaced rings, oil pump. water pump. and timing belt, sensors, val job and etc... please some one help me, im driving crazy with my truck

toy4run

have you change the head gaskets....i had a 95 4x4 v6..i had the white smoke problem and alot of what you describe...it turned out to be the heads. Call toyota dealership they may have a recall for your vehicle. They will ask for your vin number of the vehicle. You may get a head job for free! If not then you should check in that direction.