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Im caught in the middle with just painting my current grey or just ordering the smooth fenders color matched already from toyota....im just worried that they wont attach correctly.
HID will likely NOT be available either on a Toyota...again, it's probably a "Lexus thing".
Jeep GC's 2 (TWO FREAKING) stars out of 5 on:
1. MECHANICAL QUALITY (that's too darn funny!)
2. Performance
3. Comfort
4. Style
5. Overall Appeal
6. Dealership appearance
3 (THREE) stars on: QUALITY and Features.
Oh yeah, go Jeep!
Not that this is on-topic or anything but I'm fairly sure that HID lights are available on the Celica.......of course there is no Lexus equivalent to this car so you can draw your own conclusions....
2003help: See my post in the accessories board:
#24 of 30 Foglights... by bryancos Jun 18, 2003 (4:24 pm)
Check this place for foglights for your 2003 4Runner:
http://www.overnightautoparts.com/toyota-4runner-4ru-4wdv8-001-fo- g-light.html
Looks like they carry the lenses - not sure about the switch, since it's on the turn signal stalk - who says you can't wire a separate switch? You'll need to call them at 1-888-267-1845 for pricing... Shouldn't matter if you have the V8 or V6... it's the model year that matters.
I'm hoping it's the latter...
The Avalon has had memory seats available for a few years.
How much lower than 20 MPG are you getting? If you're pretty close (19 or better?), you may be doing about as well as anybody in similar conditions. On the other hand if your driving is mostly highway with mild hills and not hauling heavy loads, you should have something to complain about. Unfortunately I don't know who you'd complain to (other than the rest of us here!) because manufacturers don't warrant any MPG performance. Of course, if you're ever getting check engine lights, that's another story.
By the time these things are standard across the line for vehicles like 4Runner, Lexus will have moved on to to new fancy and exclusive gooides anyway! :-)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
i was thinking of purchasing the bulbs for the foglights and normal beam headlights. what are yalls thoughts on this?
also, from what i understand, toyota will ONLY install PIAA bulbs that are sold at the dealer where the installation will take place, i called for a price, they asked $212.62 for 4 bulbs and installation, a REDICULOUS price if you ask me! these same bulbs can be purchased for 30 dollars a peice!
but, just checking on what you guys think, ive heard lesser quality bulbs burn up the sockets and can cause damage to the engine harness from the dealer, but i think this may be something they say to get me to buy their bulbs...
plus, has any body put them in? or does anyone know safe bulbs that wont overheat...
her is the link to the web site where I ordered mine :
http://midnightmoose.com/9005.htm
I once had a Dodge Caravan that I put the same bulbs in that you have (mine didn't have the coating). The bulbs were higher wattage than OEM. As for burning out a wiring harness, that would only happen if the fuze was bad and didn't blow. Not very likely.
I've been using 91 octane premium so far in my 4Runner for the first 1600 miles. Now I am planning to run a couple of tanks of 87 octane, and then run a tank or two of 85 octane. I will see if the performance or the gas mileage suffers as I move down the line. I also stay away from the cheaper brands of gasoline - I ususally use Amoco or sometimes Texaco.
Another strange fact is that the higher the elevation the better my fuel mileage gets. At least that is something positive that offsets the loss of power at elevation.
Well, higher elevation = less available oxygen. O2 sensor detects less oxygen, injectors inject less fuel. Less fuel and oxygen = less power. But also, less fuel = better mileage.
I know that is simplistic but it kinda makes sense to me....
You didn't specify how much better your mileage becomes. I suspect you're just driving slower when you get to higher elevation! :-)
tidester, host
I think higher elevation may be anywhere in CO.
I once drove a rental up to Pikes Peak.
It's something like 14,100 feet. It's near CO Springs which is about 6000 feet high. So it's only an 8000 foot change in elevation.
I had a DC Sport Caravan. I had it floored going up Pikes Peak. It was gasping for breath doing about 15-20 at best near the top. On the way back down there was a Park Ranger with an IR detector and he would point it at your brake disks. If it was too hot, he made you pull over.
It's a little more gruelling than driving over Teton pass on the way to Jackson, WY up here but you can see the toll it takes on engines. Some of those RVs can barely do 10 mph and they have to take it real slow on the way down! I like the IR sensor idea.
tidester, host
Corancher, I do use different gas stations-usually the cheap ones though- usually pump 89 grade -premium sooooo expensive- sometimes 87. The heavy foot thing ...well I don't think so, but my husband might . I very seldom have passengers-and if so, maybe one or two. NO HILLS...only overpasses. I noticed yesterday that the computer calculated 19.8- when I manually calculate it (if I'm doing it correctly-maybe aggiedog can educate me just in case I'm not) I never come out with 19 ! My drive to work each way is approx 22 miles- about 11 of this is hwy . Maybe I'm worrying over nothing! Again, thanks.
If one is doing highway miles at higher altitudes, mileage may be better because of lower air resistance. Seems like I read somewhere that air density (and thus resistance?) in Colorado is about 15% less than sea level. Since the biggest load at highway speeds is often air resistance, this might make some sense.
Mileage may be lower in some cases if the fuel you're buying is oxygenated, such as gasohol or MTBE. Those additives help the fuel burn better, but they aren't as potent a fuel themselves. Sometimes it's hard to tell if stations are selling these fuels at a particular time or not. Often, the pumps just say that the fuel *may* be oxygenated.
I wouldn't suggest using octane less than 87, especially in the V6. It's a high-compression engine (around 10:1) and using fuel below 87 octane is contrary to the manual if I remember correctly. Lower octane fuel would tend to cause knocking, though the engine computer will presumably hear (via the knock sensor) this and further back off the timing. But I'm not sure it can back off the timing enough, or that such a dramatic retarding of the timing might not cause other problems. On such an expensive and complicated part as the engine, I wouldn't disregard the manufacturer's instructions on something as important as fuel grade.
BTW, I think the biggest consequence of using premium (as opposed to the minimum recommended mid-grade 87) is that you can get the max peak HP out of the engine of 245 or so.
mrshenry2002, you never said just what MPG you were getting, but you may be 1-2 short of what I'm getting for equivalent use. I'm at sea level, though, and don't know what elevation you're at. If you're using oxygenated fuel, I think the MPG you're probably getting is typical.
Also, I hear a clicking noise from engine during accelation. What can cause this?
I find the seats comfortable in my 03 SR5 although maybe a little soft. Maybe leather would be more firm though. It's actually more pleasant than my wife's MB though, driving that is like sitting on granite blocks. My one big gripe though is with the cloth seats, every time I exit the vehicle I generate enough static electricity to power the entire Western power grid. If I do not hold on to the roof (or something else that is grounded) I zap myself when touching the door.
As far as mileage, make sure that the tank gets completely full. If the pump shuts off prematurely you will not get an accurate mileage reading as you will be dividing a lesser number of gallons by miles driven giving you a false (higher) MPG calculation.
For all that find the flip up luggage thing in the back as useless as I do, it can be removed. It requires a 10mm socket. Just behind the rear seats there is a panel held down with 2 capscrews (that are in the tie-downs). Remove the two tie-down assemblies and remove the panel. There will be 2 more capscrews holding 2 black metal brackets. Remove these and the flip up storeage "thing" will come right out. I recommend that you replace the 2 bolts in order not to lose them. Replace the panel and re-install the 2 cargo tie-downs. It truly does not buy you much as you will now have a 1 1/2" high ledge (with a gap) there when you fold the seats down. It will be helpful though if you need to haul something really heavy (such as BIG rocks for landscaping) as I occasionally do as it will not crush the cargo thing.
Average MPG on 61 fillups without the trailer: 16.48
Average MPG on 15 fillups with the trailer: 14.30
Average MPG on 3 fillups with some trailer/some without: 17.56 (don't know why, but this may have been mostly mountain driving after we left the pop-up in a campground).
All MPG figures are computed.
The Runner, by the way, towed great for the most part. We hardly knew the trailer was back there, except I noticed somewhat increased stopping distances (even though the Coleman has trailer brakes). The only thing I don't like about the Runner is that it downshifts out of OD and even into 3rd too much at highway speeds. My perception was that it did much better at slower speeds (30-50 mph) on mountain passes--the torque seemed to be there to do the job. On several occasions I was able to easily pass motorhomes chugging up the hill at 20 or so. I mostly drove with OD on, although if the tranny was hunting up and down I turned OD off. Also left it in 4th when descending steep grades.
1 mpg difference between what you calculate and the trip computer, is probably within the norm.
you might want to check your tire pressures to verify they are in the normal range. if low, a little bit higher pressure can improve your gas mileage without compromising the ride very much.
i havent heard even the slightest hint of any noises or squeeks coming from the engine, ive hears reports from people who claim to have had their vehicles "fixed" and then a week later, the engine squeeks again. ill let you know, but as far as i can see, the engine is as good as new!!
Does anybody know if the supercharger is always on or can you turn it on and off?
I tow a Porsche on a light open trailer, about 4,000 total, and I've been very pleased with the towing performance, except for the tranny's frequently unlocking the torque converter or shifting down to 4th (not 3rd). Toyota recommends you tow with OD locked out, but I don't do that unless it's hilly where I am.
-Karl
Drove about 400 miles with 4 adults and a very full luggage compartment. Got 21.8 mpg (calcualted by me) with the V6. Engine provided plenty of power in any situation including passing on a 2 lane road, climbing to the Eisenhower tunnel at nearly 12,000 feet, and a couple of off-road low-speed steep hills. The rear passengers found room to be excellent, including one that is 6'4". The engine still sounds anemic with the windows open, but it certainly does the job. On one 50 mile stretch of road that has undulating hills, the transmission did constantly shift from OD to third and back. With the unlocking of the torque converted between those shifts, it seemed to shift a lot. I tried to hold it in 3rd. While that prevented the down shifts, it wasn't necessary to stay in 3rd on the flat stretches. So I just left it in Drive and let it shift at will.
The double decker cargo system is pretty useless to me. It takes an inch or two of height in the down position and it really isn't condusive to using for luggage in the up position. We also had something fall out of the back almost every time we opened the rear gate. Make sure you don't pack breakable items in the very back - lesson learned the hard way.
The back seat passengers could not hear the rear speakers (with the base sound system). When I used the fader control to turn on only the rear speakers, they didn't have very much volume and didn't sound very good. The front speakers sound fine though. I wonder if there is something wrong with the rear speakers since they were fairly muffled.
My friends were very impressed with the 4Runner and couldn't believe all of the nice equipment that was on the truck (most came as standard equipment). Very quiet, very smooth - 2,000 miles without a problem.
Has anyone heard if the 5 spd auto will be available with the V6 in 04? That would place the latest engine and transmission technology in the same vehicle.
I have been test driving the v6 and v8 and noticed that the average mileage on the trip computer display goes down to 17 on the level when you are at driving 70 with the v8. At 55, it shows around 21. Most of the people that I talk with are somewhat disappointed with the v8 highway mileage which they say is around 17mpg driving at 70. Perhaps a few more mileage posts from the v8 and v6 crowd would help. Thanks in advance.
Tangman
I've notived people posting about mileage...in all honesty one must have predicted such mileage when buying a truck with a V6 or V8! As for the difference between 55mph and 70mph, my guess is that the higher surface area of the 4Runner will create significantly more drag at 70mph versus 55mph....explaining the loss in mileage.
Now, you also have to consider it's very very hard to test the AVERAGE among various trucks considering all the different variables (weather, altitude, fuel) and most importantly...DRIVER HABITS. I can tell you that I would average 1-2 mpg better than my wife on our exact same car under same conditions...she's just not a smooth operator.
In other words, I can see how it would be easy for one person to average 17mpg, but another might squeak 19mpg.
As for those who are getting 22mpg+ , let me know your magic...we're all curious.
What about the Sport seats? No power adjustment there, right? What about the comfort? Please comment
It takes a little planning to find the correct route from A to B that is all downhill accompanied by tailwinds! ;-)
tidester, host
ok, 22 mpg on a long trip sounds reasonable. The people who expect anything higher have been breathing too thin of air, I suppose.
As far as seat height goes, I hope everybody is trying out all the available adjustment combinations before coming to a conclusion. While there is a seat height adjustment, the body-on-frame nature of this vehicle, along with a desire to keep step-in height reasonable may mean that seat height is closer to the floor (as compared to other vehicles, especially unibody ones or very tall ones).
I've read many different opinions on the seats, and can only conclude that a lot depends on the shape and size of your body. Lots of individual variation, even among people of the same height and weight. Just look at leg length vs. torso length of people of the same height. I'll bet folks with long legs (in relative terms) are more likely to find the seat too low to the floor. That does not include me.
As far as mileage goes, factors like headwinds and hills can be a really big deal for vehicles like this. It takes energy to roll a big rock like this uphill, and aerodynamics just don't favor something this size. Also, air resistance doesn't go up linearly with speed, so the mileage difference between 65 and 75 MPH will be significantly bigger than the difference between 55 and 65 MPH.
Finally, it looks from the mileage posts like the V6 may be about 2-3 MPG higher than the V8. Not a surprise, given the displacement difference and the V6's variable valve timing and variable intake geometry. I wonder if the V8 will get one or both of these technologies in the next year or two? It's already got a very broad powerband, but might gain some efficiency.
I noticed a significant difference with my V8 between doing around 70mph and around 80mph. Probably on the order of about 2mpg. It also seemed to get a lot better with break-in, probably 2 or 3 mpg better after 4000 miles than it was before 2000. Best I've seen on a roadtrip is around or a touch above 19 mpg.
I did note that there are basically no footwells on the vehicle, I'm assuming as part of the BOF design. I'm 6'1 with fairly long legs and I don't find this uncomfortable or too low for me.
Need to take it off road a bit more, what I've done so far has been a blast. I may get to do the Pikes Peak drive this coming weekend.