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Is there a Brighter DOT approved bulb for the stock 4Runner bulb? The stock in the car now looks to be Sylvania.
Does Sylvania make a brighter bulb?
Toyota wants me to put in PIAA bulbs for an upgrade.
Here talk about heat, cost and bulb life.
Does a DOT approved upgrade in bulb make that big a difference, off road and city driving?
Anyone changed headlight bulbs for a really great improvement?
Interesting that the figures are about the same. Wonder why your Runner apparently doesn't shift into 3rd as much on hills as mine does. The tranny is supposed to be capable of learning--maybe I haven't taught it right.
So, what kind of mileage do you get when you tow the 4Runner with the Porsche (;>?
Hmm, what a thought! I dunno where I'd find a Class IV hitch for an old 911, but it might be fun to try. Betcha it'd do lots worse than the 4Runner as a tow vehicle :-).
Are you sure your 'Runner is downshifting to third? Remember, that's a 5-speed tranny. With mine, the typical first action when the speed begins to fall is for the tranny to unlock the torque converter (rpm rises 3-400), then downshift to 4th (rpm rises an additional 4-500)if still more is needed. The only time I can remember a downshift from 5th to third was when
I was in the mountains in Pennsylvania and started up a very steep grade.
-Karl
http://www.lighting.philips.com/forum/forum_6/wwwforum.cgi
Give it a try to look at a lot of the technical stuff. Very interesting.
I should point out that this is a relatively minor complaint. Other cars do this too, including my dad's Town Car, and I expect it to downshift more often when towning. I had just hoped that the V8 in the runner would be less inclined to do it. My perception is that at slower speeds on mountain roads the Runner doesn't downshift as often and pulls the grades better than my previous vehicles. I also noticed that I can reduce the downshifting by leaving the cruise control off. All in all still a great tow vehicle.
By the way, I just got my recall notice for the air suspension, and included was a flyer offering a new ball mount attachment if the fit into the receiver is too tight. I probably won't take them up on that as mine works fine now.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
All the Information I can get is a step in the right direction.
If you're willing to feather the throttle when climbing hills, you can reduce the downshifting/torque converter unlocking to a bare minimum. However, I'm lazy and it would be nice to just set the cruise control and forget it.
I've not yet gotten the air suspension recall notice, and mine's a really early build (10/02). I'm beginning to wonder if they forgot me. Mine was delivered with the mis-manufactured ball mount, and they already replaced it.
-Karl
Thanks for your insight on towing. I would think that the auto transporter/trailer from u-haul has brakes. Thanks again -mike
I've been very happy w/ the silver stars and have them installed in both my 4Runner and the gf's Malibu... For more info on silver star bulbs see: http://www.sylvania.com/auto/silverstar.htm
There's also a link to a review at rockcrawler.com on the sylvania site: http://www.rockcrawler.com/techreports/sylvania_silverstar/index.- - asp
i have no idea what theyre going to do (i gave them a call about an hour ago, they were on lunch, should be giving me a call soon), one thing i know for sure, i will not keep a car i payed 30,000 for that is not in working order! wether they replace my vehicle, which is what im pretty sure they may have to do, since their "fix" didn't work, or they wait and trade mine in for an '04, i have no idea, but we'll see
any body have any idea as to what i am gaurenteed as a customer? is it too much to ask that i want a vehicle that doesnt squeek like the dickens lol?
Honestly, your only hope is lemon law, and unless you can prove that it is a HUGE defect that endangers your safety or function of your car, you either take the loss and trade or keep it and turn up the stereo. It all depends on the state you live in.
Honestly, a squeak isn't anything but an annoyance so the best you can hope for is getting in touch with your Toyota dealer's customer service rep and telling him/her what the problem is. From there they will work with the technicians to fix your issue.
Trust me, I have an A4 that is constantly making noises or breaking...and you either live with it or hope it blows up.
and since we were gaurenteed our vehicle would never squeek again, the manager at my dealer told me to bring in a problem/request sheet which will go straight to the GM of toyota motors. they told me they would begin that process ofplacing me inside a new vehicle becuase of the contract.
(in my opinion, its becuase i have a signature from them, and proof they lied, so i think theyd rather lose money and give me a new car than have their butts taken to court thank goodness for that contract!
Was the "it's fixed" contract your idea or the dealers service departments idea ?
I think "lied" is not truly accurate. They must have believed it was fixed or they would not have signed the contract. You have the use of your noisy 4runner for 40 days. You may end up with an 04. I suggest that if you have the 6 ask them if you can please have the new one in the V-8.
Offer to pay the difference.
I have been searching for an SR5 V8 4x4 with AP package and few options...no sunroof...no JBL...and it's been a bugger trying to find one! All the V8's seem to be LOADED around here. (DC)
I've looked at the biggies (Koons, 355, ...) but they don't really have what I'm looking for. Can we expect more shipments in the near future? How about the 04's? Aren't those coming in Sept/Oct?
perhaps they may throw in a couple small options, but i told them specifically, " i wont accept a new vehicle with less options than my previous one"...(moonroof, foglights, running boards, double decker, sport edition seats, roof rack, alloy wheels) i would be willing to pay for 4x4 or V8...i should be speaking with my dealer today when i drop off the request for my new vehicle
AutoZone is the place 19.95.
The clean light from the bulb is nice.
There is also a rebate of 10.00 from Sylvania when you buy 2. One per household. So my neighbor bought a set.
Saved 20 bucks on the 80 invested.
Offer expires 6/30/03 though.
Nothing like saving 25% in the auto game.
www.sylvania.com/auto/pdfs/coupon.pdf
Perhaps your noise is different. In mine, it isn't bad enough to really even ask the dealer. Different engines sound different to different people.
About four weeks ago it was the squeaky belt,auto tentioner deal. Dealer changed belt, sound went away for a week , then it came back. Went to different dealer told me nothing could be done at this time, but the all mighty Toyota is aware of the problem. Drove it for another week and the squeaky belt, auto tentioner deal just went away Don't know why it's just gone But I now have a rear passenger side body flex creaking noise. It's noticable at slow speed backing in and out of the driveway. Can anyone help with that?
This week while driving on the freeway with my moon roof open I noticed when the truck reached 55mph the Moonroof motor would get an impulse of slight motor engagement, as if it was going to close. I also noticed as I reduce my speed to 45 mph It would do it again. And this happens every time at these speeds. It's like it engages at 55 and disengages at 45. Any help on this electronic beauty?
Because as of Monday it's "Hi Ho, Hi Ho off to the Service Department go". Only 1500 mile in 5 Weeks and this will be trip #5 to Warranty Service.
This is normal for the moonroof as the wind deflector is speed sensitive. It is not the moonroof closing, it is the wind deflector moving. At about 55MPH you will see that it retracts slightly, and as you lower your speed, it rises.
Also, I have had no problems with my 4Runner, no squeaks, no smells, no issues; although I do have the V8. Gas mileage has continued to increase from 15 mpg originally, to almost 19 mpg currently at 7000 miles.
Gas mileage is good under 70mph and terrible above. Though the V8 power is a nice trade off especially when passing....anyone ever driven the life- threatening stretch from Page to Flagstaff, AZ? V8 power is a life saver!
Put a Load Warrior Yakima roof rack on mounted directly to factory rack - no need for any other Yakima hardware. Even mounted a bike rack on the Load Warrior. Gas mileage decreased 1-2 mph (again worse at high speeds.)
Noticed the moonroof noise describe above - thanks for the info!!
Carried 3 little kids and 2 adults. Everyone was comfy.
Sulphur smell. Well, it is definitely a "characteristic" of this vehicle made worse by certain fuels. I would NEVER fill my tank in Phoenix, AZ!!! All the little gas stations along the way in NM, CO, UT, ID and MT seem to have good smelling fuel.
Safe. We passed some tragic road scenes. One in which another vehicle hydroplaned off the road and flipped. The 4runner kept plugging away!!
Running boards - very useful for top loading!!
Clean up after the trip - quite good. Only left with a red grape stain on back carpet and tar on cladding. Any good ideas on keeping cladding clean? Been using an Armor All Vinyl cleaner/protectant (not reg. Armor Al).
Oh yeah - the cargo nets that come with vehicle are excellent to keep gear from falling out the back when door is opened! Double decker cargo thing - useless. Always kept down.
Cargo area is ample. Had to pick up a mounted mule deer head on the way home. Remarkedly, it fit right on top of our luggage. No...it was NOT a little spike
Thanks for all the help in this forum - I read it weekly to keep on top of what is "normal" and what is not in my 4runner.
BTW - Great vehicle. I have a silver sport...maybe you have seen us on the road!!
Just read through most of the posts in this forum - hoping for some information on my 4Runner. I just bought a 2000 SR5 4WD with 35K miles on it. Very clean. No problems with this vehicle (yet). This is my first 4WD and my first SUV. Traded in my 2000 Accord on the 4Runner. I needed something to haul stuff. I spent alot of time investigating the 4WD mechanical stuff. I didn't want to screw it up. I'll bet it is expensive to fix.
My 4Runner seems to run better with Premium gas. Anyone find this to be true with their vehicle? Might just be my imagination...
Since I didn't buy a 2003, just thought I'd mention from an objective standpoint that the cladded 2003 4Runners certainly do look different, but only different, not bad. I wish I had known about getting a good deal on the cladded 2003 earlier, I might have been able to add just a few thousand $ to the price of my 2000 4Runner and got a new one with the cladding. Maybe still too much for my budget though.
Anyway, thanks for the information in this forum. I will lurk and read what is updated in the future. I will probably be in the market for a 2006 or 7 4Runner in a few years.
Now it's only the body flex noise they need to address on Monday
base model? Or is, as I suspect, the Monochromatic SR5 a permanent
added cost option from now on and the grey-cladded wonder will continue to occupy the base model spot in the 4-Runner lineup??
WRONG. i drove it home after purchasing it and found that the rattle was still there and that it is also annoying and obnoxious. when i press tight on the headliner upwardly, it goes away - it also diminishes somewhat with the sunroof fully open. a brand new vehicle with 50 miles on it now with a bunch of rattles in the headliner?!? whatever happened to quality control at the factory and test driving it there before releasing it to be sold?
I am calling the dealer tomorrow and after reading over this forum have seen now that my expectations that the 2003 4Runners would be as solidly built as ever are due for a rude awakening. even if they can fix it, should consumers buying a new vehicle have to hassle with going to the dealer and hoping they will be able to fix something that shouldn't have even been happening to begin with? it kind of ruins the new car buying experience!
my question is this: i noticed a lot of other posts about the sunroof and headliner rattle issue - so - did anyone get theirs fixed? how was it fixed? is there a technical service bulletin on fixing it? surely not everyone is just living with this, are you?! it is UNACCEPTABLE on a new vehicle in this price range!
please give me follow-ups on how you got this fixed if you were able to!
so perhaps it's not a design defect? has anyone who mentioned having the problem here found that it cannot be fixed? i am taking this back this morning to the dealer where i purchased it and will see if they can fix it and if they are able to i will try and determine how.
your post is not encouraging. i am going to call toyota headquarters and see if they will admit to hearing of any widespread problems.
i would hope that if enough people have the problem they are reporting it and not just accepting it as being too minor to care about.
I know this doesn't help, but my moon roof doesn't make any rattles, open or closed. I don't even have the wind deflector noise like it's opening and closing at any speed. I have not been much over 70, though.
TSB# NV003-03
TSB# NV011-02
one of them apparently involves the installation of a noise kit, some clamps and greasing some parts and both are less than one hour fixes.
i am feeling better about this!
There should be 2 nets. One does indeed go flat, but the other is vertical across the back and affords a handy pocket for small items. It attaches to two molded hooks at the rear of vehicle. There are two sets of hooks one closer to rear hatch. At first it was odd, but now I am used to keeping it up and easily unattaching to load large objects!
Headliner noise. Is different than moonroof noise? My moonroof does not make noise, but if the back windows are down the headliner makes a LOUD beating noise that even hurts my ears. Seems to be a vacuum sort of deal.
I am sure someone who knows physics could tell you exactly what causes it. My girlfriends 02 Acura does it and all vehicles I have owned.
on a smooth road it doesn't happen but just going over freeway lane bumps produces the noise. it's annoying but hopefully following the TSBs will fix it. I have mine at the dealership now being worked on so i will report back later.
otherwise i pretty much love this. i got black with the gray cladding and taupe interior. i went back and forth with the engines and opted for the new 6 and the ten more horsepower and better gas mileage. i know the torque is a bit less but i'm very pleased with the 6 so far.
however, the engine noise, IS a big problem...
as far as safety is concerned, there is no chance of the engine blowing up or getting over heated (god forbid)
It is a manufacturer flaw, and can not be fixed, simple as that. some 4runners have the noise worse than others, some don't have a noise at all. luckily, my toyota dealer was very very helpful, as I am looking to be seated in a new vehicle within the next month or so. for the rest of you, my advice would be complain to you're dealer, and simply say you are not satisfied, if toyota sticks true to their word, and they care enough about customer satisfaction as they say, they should be willing to look into a solution with you. I have been to my dealer 3 times for the same problem, and each time, there was no fix, and my dealer was very honest with me and told me that they were as unsatisfied as I was, and told me that a new vehicle was the only solution, before I even mentioned getting a different 4runner. also, on a personal note, I think from now on, every time a vehicle is re designed (i. e.- the 4runner) I will wait until the following year of the new body style is produced, that way they can fix these annoyances and repair any problems with the vehicle
i went back and read all your posts and see that you have the 6 cylinder too. could you please describe the problem in more detail - what exactly do you mean by squeaking, when did it start happening and what has the dealer and toyota done along the way? what is the date of manufacture for your vehicle as shown on the door jamb plate?
i know you've somewhat covered this previously in different posts but if you could give a brief summation of all this again in one post it might be helpful to new readers, owners and potential buyers.