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Good luck...
2 separate topics here:
1. Rear wiper blade in winter conditions
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I've done some winter driving here in the Colorado mountains. The rear wiper blade ices up really easy and becomes useless. Has anyone tried to find a "winter" style replacement blade?
When I ask for a winter blade everyone thinks I'm crazy to want a new blade for an '03 vehicle, but what's the point of even having a rear wiper if it's useless?
2. VSC (vehicle skid control)
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Before owning the car, I assumed that VSC would increase you ability to maintain control on slick surfaces, especially while turning. Actually, it simply cuts engine power when it senses "too much" slipping. The "too much" is some amount that they decided on as there can be some slipping without VSC turning on. My conclusion after having VSC kick in in real winter driving situations is that the unpredictable behavior when VSC kicks in, is worse that the unpredictability of spinning a wheel. It's not that big a deal, since it only it kicks in when accelerating through turns at intersections (for my driving habits anyway), but it was annoying.
The way the '03 4Runners are set up, the VSC is ALWAYS on if the center differential is open. There's only one button that controls both features. I wish I could turn on the VSC but keep the center differential open. Sure you can always turn off the VSC but your center differential is closed then. That's fine when it's a winter storm and there's no dry pavement, but for varied conditions (some ice/snow and some dry pavement), I don't want to forget that I have the center differential locked off.
Does anyone know if another button could be added to be able to separately control the VSC from the center differential?
Thanks,
Eric
Second; thank you for your help-everyone. i found this site & all the information on negotiating very helpful. i am now convinced to buy my 4-runner v6 lmtd, on line...i do have a queston: is it true that at the end of february the sport will be available without the hood scoop?
tidester, host
The circumference of the 17 inch is 96 in, of the 16 inch is 96.2 inches. So the 16 inch goes 659 revs per mile to the 17 inch 660 revs/mile. The only differeces other the rim size is sidewall size. The 16 inch has a sidewall of 7.3 inches, the 17 inch is 6.8 inches.
A few days ago I was driving on the freeway with 66 mph showing on the speedometer, and my GPS said I was going 65 mph.
I think that's fairly typical for all cars.
The tires being the same size explains why the ground clearance is the same for both 16 and 17 inch tires.
The answer to your question is no, there is no way to disable this feature without locking the center differential.
BTW, have you checked your mileage to make sure it is worse in 4WD? Many people assume this but there are a few folks in the Sequoia topic who have different real world experience. Sometime when the weather is nice, try one tank of gas in 2WD and one in 4WD. Make sure you are doing the same kind of driving each time and under similar weather conditions. The Sequoia owners who have done this found the difference was less than 1 MPG.
Thanks...
You can pull the fuse out that controls the VSC, but I'm pretty sure that it controls ABS as well. So there you go, if the fuse box is in arms reach, clamp a little clamp on that fuse, and you now have a switch.
</BAD ADVICE>
Hope that helps,
Jared
I’m looking at a 2002 4Runner
9300 miles
Color: Silver Millennium
With these options:
Power Tilt/Slide Moonroof, 16" Aluminum Wheels, P265/70R16 tires, HD brakes, 4.10 axle ratio, Chrome Wheel Molding, Cargo mat, Towing Receiver Hitch, Rear Wind deflector, Roof Rack, Chrome Running Boards, Certified Used from Toyota Dealer.
Price: $23,200 before title & taxes
I'm in Southern California.
Is this a good deal?
Thanks for your help.
2.Does the Gold warranty cover XREAS? I am sure that the Platinum will.
3.I am getting alot of different opinions on Sport model with Appearance pkg. I had a guy at 1-800-GOTOYOTA look into for me and he said it would be available in 1 month. However a Dealer today told me that it would not.
Does that mean Toyota will redesign the 4runner? The GX470 is quite a bit taller due to the third row seat.
sv
Hope this helps
Ken
1.Rear spoiler
2.Daytime running lights
3. color keyed side mirrors
4. 17 inch alloys
5.luggage rack
Can anyone add to or ammend this list? Thanks
I got a great price, approx $500 under invoice and also got $11,050 trade in value for my CRV (53.2K miles). Overall I'm happy with the deal I got and the vehicle I got.
I did notice one thing though. As I was driving home I took the long way :-) and after spending some time in it, it seemed that the ride wasn't as smooth as the other SR5s I had test driven. I got to thinking back and I believe the others I had driven had 16" wheels rather than the 17"s. Does anybody think this is the difference in the ride? I don't think there is anything mechanically wrong. I'm just trying to determine if the wheels made that much of a difference or if this is some kind of post-purchase psychological phenomena.
BTW if anybody in the Denver area wants the same price I got they should go to John Elway Toyota. I know they had one and possibly more, equipped as mine is for $27,686. (no haggle price)
Thanks,
Rick
Rick
btw, before you lose sleep about the ride, check the tire pressures. Sometimes (often) the dealers forget to adjust them as they prep the new cars.
Steve, Host
It was a pretty painless experience and I get everything I wanted except the navigation system. For some reason they're getting an exhorbitant amount more for units with navigation, so I just took the 6 disk changer instead.
Steve, Host
Then there's those two big Toyota distributors who like to load up every rig with a bunch of high profit stuff. Ah well, you're well armed with info - enjoy shopping!
Steve, Host
The trade off is they will handle better on the street .
I would recommend something that was recommended to me on this board, and that is to price one out at carsdirect.com. Their price was really competitive and I started to contact them but I balked at the point that it asked for my credit card number. It said a credit card number was needed to secure the price but they would not charge anything to it without authorization. But you can get the vehicle price before it asks for the credit card. Maybe you can ask rentschl about the details of the experience of buying from these guys, if you're interested in buying through them.
Anyhow the carsdirect price might be a good bargaining chip and you might decide to go ahead and buy through them if local dealers won't work with you. Good luck.
One of the concerns that I had before I bought the V6 was if the cylinders are steel sleeved. I called 1-800-GO-TOYOTA and asked them and they told me that it IS steel sleeved. That was good to know because I didn't want to end up with a throw away engine (ala the '73 Vega).
As to the Gold level warranty, I don't know if it covers the X-REAS, but I really don't recommend that warranty anyway. The Platinum isn't too much more money and it does cover the CD, the moonroof, ignition coils and a bunch of other items. Stick with the Platinum plan.
Just FYI, here was my 4runner deal-
I bought a black w/oak int V8 LTD last week.
Options were Moonroof, JBL w/6-disc in dash, airbags, running lights, spoiler and floormats/cargo net.
MSRP- 39.9k...I paid 35550 before tax and liscence. Purchased at Rudy Luther Toyota, Golden Valley Minnesota, and had a wonderful dealship experience through the internet sales manager. World of difference between Honda and Toyota in my experience. Toyota has respect for the educated buyer, and I think I got a fair deal. Couldn't be happier with the new 4runner, drives beautifully.
Regards,
1) Rattle in moonroof: My local dealer said they got a 6 page service bulletin about this. They worked on it when I took it in for its oil change and that fixed it...for about 5 miles. Rattles worse than ever now.
2) Occasionally the engine will take much longer than normal to fire after turning the key (normal being less than 2 seconds, abnormal being 6-9 seconds and sounding like it's starved for fuel or something.)
3) Squeak from front end when going over speed bumps & the like (mentioned in another thread.)
4) CD changer is MIGHTY picky about discs it doesn't like and hangs rather than just spitting them back out. Usually takes until the next day before it will eject.
I love the way it drives but these things seem pretty un-Toyota-ish if you ask me.
Oh, and the 6 disc CD is notorious for being finicky. Get it taken care of while you are still under warranty.
I want a sunroof so bad, but seems like everyone is having a problem with it. Is it the actual sunroof making noise (glass) or the baffle (I'm assuming the plastic wind gaurd) that is when opening/closing it?
Cliffy1...I noticed you say you don't charge more for the warranty at a later time. Are you a manager/salesman for Toyota? Just curious. Thanks again!
Jason
Hey, today is an anniversary! I started on 2/15/94.
sstatic--the rattle in the moonroof sounds like a loose piece of hardware, like a hex nut came adrift or something. It sounds like it's coming from the headliner just above the right side of the passenger seat. I had moonroofs in both of my other Runners, and it's not like Toyota is new at putting them in their vehicles. Go figure...
magic35--You can get a 2WD V8 if you want. Drive them both...the V8 sure feels nice!
The V-8 uses the new 5 speed trans. The V-6 uses the reliable 4 speed trans that has been around awhile and therefore gets my vote, all other things being equal.(also consider the extra constant mechanical wear, and mileage penalty, that occurs with the V-8 full-time 4WD as opposed the ability to select 2WD with the V-6.)
I realize that there are other considerations in the overall decision, but my response only addresses the apparent concern for mechanical reliability.
Regards -- Neil
So take your pick a new trany or new block. Either way the Platinum warranty is loking good to me.
All your concerns about someone "ripping" apart your dash and factory unit to install an aftermarket unit are valid concerns. Here's my take on things. First off, don't for any reason go to Best Buy or Circuit City to buy or install a stereo. They are the McDonalds of car audio, don't let them touch your $30k vehical. (To those here that might work for either of those fine establishments... yes, i'm sure there are SOME good installers who work there, but they are the exception and not the rule).
Find a good shop, one that does custom installs (not that you have to do something really custom, but the fact that they CAN says something about them). Preferably a shop that can do custom fiberglass molding and door panel molding. Also look for the brands they sell (this will separate the mcdonalds shops from the higher end shops), for instance if JBL, Kenwood (not excelon), sony are their popular brands, they are most likely a mass market, low-end shop. On the other hand, if their head units are alpine, kenwood excelon, eclipse (i love eclipse head units), clarion (though they have been slipping lately), etc. and their speaker selection includes MB Quart (best aftermarket component speaker out there), JL Audio (best subs out there), Eclipse, and Alpine then they are most likely a high-end shop. That kind of shop (even for simple installs) are the ones you want to shoot for. The installation tends to cost more, but it is worth it when your car is getting taken apart. Stay away from the $1 installs that places like the good guys offer, because they have to pay their installers something, and they are just going to rip you off in the price of the system. The biggest thing though, go to the shop! Look at what they are installing, see if anyone is getting something intalled and look to see if it looks like crap! For something like the 4runner, a new headunit will change the look of the dash a bit, but if you pay extra, instead of using a default mounting kit, they can put forth the extra effort to make it look nice and smooth. Also, you don't have to lose the functionality of stereo controls on your steering wheel, most good shops can hook those up as well, not to mention the dimming/brightening of the backlits when you turn on/off your lights. Ask around your area, good shops stay busy, the place I call home for stereo equipment, California Soundworks in Lancaster, Ca. is in a city of only like 50k people, but it takes like a month to get a 30 minute installation appt. And frequently I've seen 100k boats and cars getting all dressed up there, and I garauntee they are not locals! All my experiences with aftermarket equipment have been great and mostly because I did what all you guys did with your new 4runners, shopped around.
Hope that helped,
Jared