skestral

So. I just recently (two months ago) bought a 1990 4runner for 1800. Not bad, eh? Well, it's got a few issues that I've been ignoring but I'm not sure how serious they really are, some small.. others rather noticeable.

1. "Rear Anti-lock" dash light is on. My breaks work fine, the previous own said it had been on for quite some time now. I suspect it's just the sensor.

2. Rear tail-gate window... Not functioning. I've done some research on the issues. I took the rear relay out and looked at it; It clicks and all. And the window works after a few minutes of constantly clicking the up / down button. (Both relays are working). I haven't had a chance to directly test the motor, but I had doubts since it works fine.. when it does work. I had gotten it to go down more easily the other day by shaking some wires. So I suspect a wire is broken somewhere...

3. A strange clank / clunk comes from what sounds like my front passenger side tire when I turn right. It's painful to hear, but I haven't been able to find any obvious culprit.

4. Cracked muffler. When you pull into a gas station and the guy filling his snowmobiles asks if it's a custom exhaust, you know it's loud. It's not bad, just a 3 - 4 inch crack on the under belly. Like the last guy landed on a rock.

5. Driver side lock (Powered). It works when the door is closed or if I have the door very close to being closed. Otherwise it doesn't do much.

6. My backing lights weren't working for a bit. Then worked for a week. Now don't work anymore.. I haven't had a chance to look for the switch yet...

Other than that, it's been running fine. I had an issue with the coolant, but a new radiator cap fixed it. Though, I have a suspicion that i'm burning oil. Though, there are no active leaks. The clutch seems okay, but is getting to it's golden years...

Any advice? (Oh, it's also 4wd. And the front 4-wheel cuffs are torn or something like that... I don't think it's a big deal?)

Thanks!

narfy

most likely just a sensor, however, it doesn't really effect anything other than the rear ABS... it's not always a cheap fix... so i suggest leaving it, or removing the bulb, if it bothers you...

i've sold a lot of window motors, and regulators, and glass brackets and the rubbers for these things... it's a relatively expensive fix, and unfortunately, it hinders trunk/cargo area access

regulator 69801-89122
left glass bracket 69907-35020
right glass bracket 69907-35010
rubber between bracket and glass 69971-35020 (you need 2)
motor 85710-89105

most likely, your steer stops are worn out... they're little black caps that get hammered onto your metal stops that reduce the creak..

45619-36010 (you need 2)

you need a muffler... which is a complete cat-back unit from the dealer, or you can go aftermarket

3VZ-FE 17430-3D061
22-RE 17430-3D051

Blurr

3. you could replace the black caps or put some grease on the stops. that'll stop the noise.

SigEp4Runner

The rear window can be a cheap fix. I did mine when I bought my runner and I only paid $35 for a new motor. The problem is the gear wears down and stops catching. I had a friend get me a refurbished motor for $35 and they bought my old one back for $10 so it ended up being $20 all together. Then you just open the tailgate up from the inside by removing the panel and a couple screws. After its all opened up you need to take the motor out by removing a couple screws which is fairly simple and the window will come down allowing you to open the tail gate. Then just put in the new motor and wire it up and you're as good as new. The dealership wanted $270 to replace the motor.... definatly not worth it. The only problem is finding a place that sells refurbished motors. I am not too good with huge fixes on cars, but this is definatly easy. Hope this helps with your window problem.

olharleyman

How about the name of the place you got your referbd motor from?

linuxrunner

In my 1st gen the driver window motor from Toyota cars is a direct bolt fit for the rear tailgate window motor... I went to the junk yard and picked up 2 for 6.99 each. Installed the first one 3 years ago and it still goes up and down like a champ. Should it fail i have a second one to slap in.

I don't know if this is true for later gen 4runners too.

SigEp4Runner

I am not actually sure where my buddy got the refurbed motor from. He works at a transmistion shop so he knows of places like that. I could ask him what kind of shop would carry this stuff. My best guess would be to ask around at local parts stores like NAPA to see if they know of a refurb place.

blakegeee

"And the front 4-wheel cuffs are torn or something like that... I don't think it's a big deal?"

Are you referring to the cv joint boots? If so, that is important. Get those changed ASAP. Its much cheaper (although not much easier) to change the cv boots than changing the whole CV. With damaged boots, your cvs will wear out fast!