hey i just got a 86 4runner yesterday and i'm looking for some advice. I noticed my reverse lights don't work and my tailgate won't go down. Also it seems like its sputtering when I slow down close to stopping and I don't have a knob on the 4wd so I don't know where the gears to work 4wd are. Any suggestions?


-Les
Also im seeing fluid around the diff and I was wondering if the seals on those often go bad

 

Congrats on the new 4runner! I'll try to answer some of your questions, these are just suggestions, wiring is not my best subject, I'm sure others will chime in.


Revers lights: possibly a fuse? Burned out bulbs, hacked up wiring from PO, or in my case the wiring to the trans isn't hooked up, lol.


On the tailgate, is it the window that won't roll down, or is it the tailgate itself that wont drop down? If it's the tailgate, did you unlock it? There's a manual lock that's kinda hard to see, when you roll the window up it automatically locks it, but when you want to open the tailgate, you have to manually unlock it.


here's a pic of the T-case shift pattern:





rear diff: I'd clean it up and then watch to see where it's coming from, could be the pinion seal, or it could be the gasket around the diff itself.


hope this helps some, welcome to YotaTech!

 

I've yet to look at why but my reverse lights also don't work (87 4runner). I glazed through this thread as a primer though, perhaps it will help you out. Seems like there is some sort of separate switch to check out underneath the car... Maybe the contacts are dirty

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...operly-216081/

 

I hope you bought this as a project My self I always get the Factory Service Manual for the Toyota`s I am working on.

The Electrical Wiring Diagrams are a real must the complete book they just have so much other electrical information .

Without them I know I get frustrated very fast.

Quite a few safeties on the rear window that can keep it from working.

Back up lights the switch or it could be damaged wiring burnt out bulbs.

 

Thanks for the advice ill take a look at the fuses first for the reverse lights and its the actual tailgate thats tricky to get open the window works fine

 

Your spray lube of choice on the pivot points will work wonders.

 

I may have a 4wd shift knob. I can check if you are interested in buying. Shipping on your dime.

 

Yeah let me know. I'm in 28211

 

Where would I look on the tranny to see what the model is so I make sure to have the right pattern?

 

Here's schematic that shows that back-up lights get power... from Engine Fuse


Check for voltage at connector and back-up switch, and back up lights themselves.

Yes, retarded design- it combines critical circuits (that could keep truck from running properly (i.e., alternator & ECU), with non-critical circuits that are merely indicators and when down would not keep truck from running (i.e., back-up light, dash combination meters).



Check the other circuits that connect to Engine Fuse and see if they all work.

This post that shows how poorly managed wiring above is, also shows location of back-up switch.