slow_xc_star

so i might have to take this 150 mile trip north soon. I am scerd to drive my second gen 170k mile 4Runner. i do not drive it much out of my town. maybe once or twice a month i drive it 50 miles to another city. about a week ago i drove on the interstate at about 70 for probably 15 miles...first time i have done that, usually its no more than 60 to wherever i go. Part of this trip is on the interstate so about 70 miles will be going 65mph. Think it will be ok? i have not had any probs with my truck while driving, but a couple times when i stop at a light it died or my rpms would idle really low like 3-5 hundred and then jump a little and die. or i stop somewhere and turn off my engine and when i leave it will start up and the rpms will jump and then die immediatley or they will just jump really low for 5 seconds and then die...its weird

Epic Ed

Yer gonna die.

Plays_with_Toys

I know your concern. I've been on several hundred mile + trips recently and the truck has handled itself well enough. I had a high pressure radiator leak, so I had to keep the heater on towards the end of the trip to maintain engine temps, but if faired pretty well. Biggest thing is your probably gonna be slower then everyone else. I was surprised that my little 4banger could hit 75mph on flat sections of highway, and maintain it with 3/4 throttle. But I am selling it for fear of 200 mile trips every weekend killing it.


Anyway, just take it easy, and let people pass you. Keep an eye on the engine temps. As for your idle problems, what engine do you have? Is it carbed, EFI, v6?

tulsa_97SR5

The first time I drove my 90 was a road trip from CO to los angeles with the previous owners, it had about 180k on it then. Once I owned it We drove it from Denver to PA & VA on seperate trip, straight thru both trips, it prob had 210-215k at that point. Did speed limit + 5 the whole time. If I still had it I'd trust it to drive Alaska at the drop of a hat.

slow_xc_star

sounds pretty encouraging...i know that they are hardy trucks that can take a beating, still worried though. it's a 3.0 v6

leebee

we just got home from a 350 km( 220 mi approx) round trip today. not one problem temp wise, idle wise. my truck has 211000 kms on a v6 auto. just make sure you do regular maintenance and check fluids, belts hoses etc about a week prior to your trip. if anything needs fixing, you have time. have a safe and fun trip.

lee

carose725

i drove mine on a 350 mile trip two weekends in a row to go camping even towing a bass tracker fishing boat. Ran fine the whole way. If your worried do yourself and your truck a favor (TUNER UP). Fresh oil & filter, New plugs, wires, distributor cap, rotor button, fuel filter, air filter, pcv valve, and posibly o2 sensor if you dont mind spending a few bucks. then reset your ecu. U should notice a nice change in your engine quality. I did all that when i got mine, and could definately tell a good change. Then drive her anywhere you want.

GaBowman

Drove my '91 P/U from Atlanta to Cinci last Nov. and plan on it again this Nov. It's got the 6 cyc in it. I drove anywhere from 75 mph to 90 mph and everything was fine, all interstate miles. It had 155K on it last Nov. and now has 163K on it.

GB

Scofco

I'm about to head on a 4800km round trip next month, I'm also very worried about my truck.
Something is bound to go wrong covering distance like that.

Highland Runner

There is nothing wrong with the 3.0. It is a very good engine, just not a lot of power. I drove mine on a 1400 mile round trip to FL last year. It had 190,000 miles on it at the time. Make sure you're timing belt is OK.

superjoe83

i just went on a round trip of about 400 miles with the runner which has 230k on it, and was pulling some of the mountain passes in 3rd gear at 4k rpm for about 2-5 minutes at a time, and the water temp never got over 200

oly884

If it makes you guys feel better, I drove my old truck (lifted on 33's '90 with the V-6 and 170K on the truck 15K on the engine) from bozeman to seattle (700) miles (roughly) 10 or 12 times. It held up great. I know that my engine had a lot less miles than yours does, but as long as you've taken care of it and it has some fresh oil in it, you should be fine.

Also, keep in mind that on those trips I saw some extreme weather/temps. 100+ to -30°'s. Snow, wind, rain, and sun. Have faith, it's a Toyota!!!!

tulsa_97SR5

4800km, what's that convert to in American miles, about 23? j/k

I guess there's always a possibility of any vehicle breaking down, saw a thread a few days ago about a member (doc?) who had an engine blow while on vacation. I'd rather have a maintained yota with 250k than a new ford for a long trip though.

sounds like a fun trip!

98 Joes

I drive mine 300 miles round trip to go skiing all winter long. I've never had a worry with it making it. If it's in good shape and has been cared for, there should be no problems.

Glenn

I have gone on 1200 to 1800 mile road trips with both of my Toyota trucks, and have never had a problem. I would not hesitate to go on one now if I had the time/money to do so. If your truck is in good mechanical condition, you should have no worries.

ChickenLover

I've never questioned my 2nd gen's reliability. The first year I had it I put 40k in roadtrip highway miles on it with out a problem. Most of those trips were 1000 miles plus one way. My speed is usually kept around 80mph on these trips. The bottom line: If you take care of your truck it will be fine.

AgRunner06

I think you need to clean your throttle body to address the idle problem. Readjust your idle and see if it still does it. I bet that's your problem.

Otherwise just do your tune-up stuff and you should be fine. I used to make 100 mile trips going to and from school all the time and never had a problem. I'm pretty sure I'll be making a about a 375 mile trip in the next couple weeks. I'm not worried at all. My 4runner has been running great and soon to be running even better once I swap in my rebuilt injectors.

I wouldn't be too worried.

gwhayduke

I agree. There is a hose on top of the air intake, close to the TB. Remove that hose, get some spray throttle body cleaner and spray the heck out of it while the engine is running. Remove the air intake and spray the inside of the TB and clean it with a tooth brush. Reassemble the intake and restart the engine...It will probably idle must faster now...Mine did. Adjust the idle using the air bypass screw on the top of the TB.

About being nervous with the 3.0 and driving distance. We just did about 500 miles yesterday at speeds up to 75mph. My wife is driving the same distance tomorrow. I make sure the fluids are topped off, U-joints are lubed and she's good to go. It could die on the road, but so could a new 4th gen. My 2nd gen with the 3.0 has been absolutely reliable and is still our primary vehicle. I keep it in very good mechanical condition. We'll finally get a new "something" this year, but we're keeping the '95.

gwhayduke

Also...All the bad reports about 3.0's dying on here has had me worried also. But when a 3.0 dies, the owner posts and the post gets a lot of attention...Especially from us 3.0 owners. There are far more 3.0's that are still doing service every day than dying by the side of the road. I've even thought about buying another '95 2nd gen. They're built well, getting cheaper all the time, and I'm getting better at working on them all the time. Ya bought it to drive, so drive it.

Maddog

It sounds like you have a similar idle problem to "red 59".keep an eye on a couple of post of red's on this page.