thissilentstar

So this is my first post on this site, but I have been checking it out for the last couple of months. After waiting for a few years, I was able to get a 92' 4runner. (I have been commuting up til' this year, so could not trade in my 35mpg car!)

Anyways, bought a 3.0 4runner and right away realized that the engine was not warming up and the heater was not warm! So, I figured it was a stuck open thermostat (thanks to many postings I read on this site), and went about trying to replace it. I opened it up, and there was no thermostat at all. Put the new one in, and it was leaking a little bit, so we tightened it just a tad and cracked the housing. Crap! We were being so careful not to do that too. So waited a few days for that part to come in, redrained the fluid and put the new part on. Worked great, except 5 miles down the road the engine started overheating. I stopped at a friend's house, boiled the thermostat to make sure it worked--it did, and we ended up drilling a few little holes into the thermostat (another option I read on this site I think...) and now it works great!! After 3 times of draining and installing a thermostat there is now some hot heat in our 4runner! Wooo!

Another stupid thing I did right away to try to clean the MAF.. I did it wrong and took out those two screws that should not come out (why is there no warning there, in fact why are are there screws anyways??!).. so I spent a little while soldering some little parts back on.

I am not a car guy, but have been trying to learn how to do things, and at times that means I will learn the hard way!

I also replaced the spark plugs, cleaned the throttle body, new air filter, and tried to do the PCV valve--with no luck at all!! Spent so much time trying to get it out. Took it to the dealer today, and they spent 45 min. working on it, and only charged me $15!! I was pretty excited. I made sure beforehand that they would not charge me more even if it took over an hour and they said it was just a flat rate. Oh yeah!


Yet to do once it gets warm out--- Fuel Filter, Elbow Mod, ISR Removal Mod. And I think that will be it for now. Eventually we are going to add a turbo muffler and a little bit bigger pipes back there. Thanks to everyone for all of the posts about the 3.0's as they have been a HUGE help in everything. Ideas to mod for more power, gas mileage, etc... Oh-- driving the 4runner home the first day, we got 10mpg with it. After sparkplugs and thermostat it was getting about 16!! It's sad though, my tank costs twice as much to fill up than my old car, and I can only go half as far with it before the next fill up.


I am loving my 4runner though, fell in love with them a few years back and my wife had one in high school, so she has been begging me to get one. They are great fun!

Thanks guys for all the help these boards have been--

-Peter-

P.S. We need a new driver's side arm rest. It would need to be out of an SR5 with pw/pl. Just the arm rest part though. If anybody has one, that would be awesome. --needs to be gray! cracks in the dash and cupholder does not stay in either.

razrwild

Welcome to the addiction. Where's the pics?
Sounds like the PO gave her as much neglect as she could handle. Do your thing and treat her right and that should be the end of problems for a bit.

thissilentstar

I will take some pics tomorrow when it is light out. Other than a few little engine things, inside and out is pretty clean--no rust, dents or anything like that! They should have just spent a little bit now and then to keep the engine in better shape. I will do my best now!