My brother-in-law is buying an '88 4runner this coming weekend. It is an SR5 with all the options, V6 and automatic transmission and 190,xxx miles. The engine runs great (it is a Toyota after all) but the vehicle has a couple of seemingly minor things that need fixed that I'd like to get some input on.

1. Oil pan leak - There is a leak in the gasket but with the way the pan wraps over the front axle, is there anything special we should be aware of as far as getting the pan off to do the gasket?

2. Antenna - Factory power antenna has been broken off. If we can find a junkyard one, would it be worth replacing? Or would it be more practical to just get an aftermarket fixed antenna and replace it with that? I.E. - how easy do the factory antenna's/antenna motor break?

3. Rear window - According to the previous owner, the switch stopped working for the power rear window. He ran some wires directly connecting the battery to the window motor that he could use to raise and lower the window. We want to get the switch working again and wiring isn't exactly a foreign concept to either of us, but again, is there anything special we should be aware of on these vehicles?

4. Power leak - According to the previous owner, the truck does not hold a charge in the battery for more than a couple days, even with a brand-new battery. PO did not drive this truck much (once every few weeks or so) so it may just be that it needs to be run regularly but are there any common power draws on this gen of 4-runner that may be sapping out the battery? When we test drove it, it restarted just fine after sitting off for a few minutes so the battery doesn't appear to be totally shot and the alternator appears to be charging it just fine. We'll be swapping out the battery cables so maybe that will be enough to fix it, but any other thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

5. Transmission - When we test drove it, the owner hadn't run it in a couple weeks and the transmission seemed to shift pretty hard coming out of first and was a little sluggish to downshift when we mashed down on the throttle but got better as it warmed up. We intend to swap out the transmission fluid and see if that helps, but any other thoughts on this would be appreciated. I'm not real familiar with auto transmissions so some advice would be greatly appreciated.

6. Tires - Current tires are OK, but he wants to go a little more aggressive so we are looking at putting 30x9.5 BFG All-Terrains on it. Any problems with that tire size on the stock suspension?

7. ECT - What the heck is this? The button appears to work and the light on the dash changes when you push it, but nothing else seems to happen. What is it supposed to do and how would we go about figuring out if it's actually doing what it's supposed to?

8. Gas mileage - Just on a bit of a side note, what kind of gas mileage do these truck usually get? I saw somewhere a rating of 16 city and 19 highway with the manual trans. Is that about comprable for the auto trans?

Overall, the truck seems to be in great shape. Only minor surface body rust. All of the chassis parts look in great shape, including the suspension bushings. CV axles look to be in good shape and no cracks or leaks in the boots. Engine is strong and doesn't appear to burn oil or have any other issues. PO kept up all basic maintenance and other than what's listed above, I think this truck will be great for him as this is his first vehicle.

A little on me: I've been a car guy for years. I have a '95 Acura Integra I have done a lot of work on and have tried to keep it as ricer-free as possible. I've run it in a couple of seasons of Auto-X with that and have had a lot fun. I got into 4-wheeling when I bought myself an '87 FJ60 when I graduated college and have been having fun working on that beast and doing some trail runs. It's also my response vehicle for the local Search and Rescue team I belong to.

I'm looking forward to working on another Toyota truck so I'm glad he has decided to buy a 4runner!

Thanks in advance for answers to the questions above. Links to other threads addressing the above would be great too!

 

I recently picked up the same truck - 88 4Runner SR5 with the V6 3vze and auto trans. stock everything so far. the one i got was "rescued from an abusive family" (i.e they were trashing the truck, never replacing anything, pouring straight tap water into the rad instead of coolant/distilled water). by the time i got the truck it was in impound, so i got it for the price of releasing it. couldn't pass up that deal!
i can't answer any of yr q's since i'm pretty much in the same boat. just wanted to welcome you to the club!
my truck came with an overheating problem, so i'm in the middle of replacing the water pump, t-stat, timing belt, idler pulleys etc. next i'm going to change the oil and filter with a K&N filter and Mobil high-mileage synth oil. in the process, i'm cleaning every surface i can reach so i can better pinpoint problems in the future.
once all that is done, i figure i'll see how she runs and see what weeps. i'm crossing my fingers that this tune up will keep her running smooth for awhile. worst case scenario = i've already blown the head gaskets by overheating it, but i don't think so...
even with these probs, we calculated our mileage during the 4 hour drive home on the highway. would swear it was getting somewhere around 18mpg, even before a tune-up! so i have confidence it will get great mileage when i'm done tinkering. (as long as i get the timing right and it starts again!)
Good luck!

 

the power mast can be replaced pretty easily. i bought my new online and saved a bunch from buying it from the dealer.

3. Check 4crawlers website.. he has a write up on rear window fix's it sounds like a wiring issue. shouldnt be too hard to fix.

6. you can run 31x10.5 with no problems, you can even run 33x10.5 with minor pounding of the pinch weld

7. the ETC button changes the shift points so that you have more power... but your gas milage will suffer.

8. be prepared for hte low to mid teens when it comes to MPG.