RubberCement

I purchased my rig for 2800 dollars. It's an SR5 and has an Xtra cab. It has brand new 33s (or 32s) all terain goodwriches on it. The interior was destroyed; however, my friend who works for toyota gave me seats, carpet, and seatbelts (all for free). Another friend and I put all this in my truck over the weekend. The interior now looks like new. All and all I spent $3007.12 for the truck, and a few things. The rest of the stuff was given.
My friend said the engine was really smooth and didn't have any pings or knocks that are common with that year and motor. The miles read 189,127. The truck has a really straight body, no dents, or rust. With the Smitty bumper on the front and back it looks pretty beefy. I was driving a Cherokee(don't ever buy one), and it was a straight 6. My 22re feels and sounds beefer than my 4.0l cherokee.
I drove the truck home, a nine hour journey from where I purchased it. Getting to know my truck, I found that it loves 3rd gear, hates hills, and gets about 23 miles to the gallon on the open road.
I was totally impressed with the truck(aside from the not liking hills). However, while I was driving the check engine light would come on once in a while. It would then turn off and stay off for a long time (maybe another 200 or so miles). The temp and oil pressure where fine. The first time this happened I pulled over. I spot checked the engine (I have limited knowledge of how things work) but found nothing noticebly wrong, nor heard any difference in the engine. I checked the air filter, and there was a small amount of bugs in the filter (a K&N), but it didn't look filthy.

Here are my questions:

1. Was this a good purchase for the price of 2800?
2. What is the likely canidate of the check engine light?
3. How can I make my truck do better on the hills?
4. Any major recomandations for what I should do with truck as far as lifting, tuning, or other mods?


RubberCement

jimbo74

there are tons of mods you can do

that is a good price, especially if you just bought it and made a 9 hour trip with it, i would be scared to have done that with a truck i didnt know about...

sounds possibly like an 02 sensor is bad, my old explorer did that to me a few times... it ended up storing codes in the computer saying oxygen gas sensor lean and oxygen gas sensor rich, pointing to a bad o2 sensor

as for hills, shift to a lower gear you might want to do regear the axles if they are running stock gears still with 32s or 33s or try adding some power adders, intake, exhuast, maybe a cam.....

SoCal4Running

Your check engine lite is probalbly just a f_cked up O2 sensor, mine does the same thing but I notice it most cruising in 4th gear.

Opening up the exhaust will help with the hills, mainly you will not have to shift as soon/if at all.

Glenn

How to do better on hills? Make sure you go down them instead of uphill! j/k

Sounds like a good deal. As for the check engine light, maybe the O2 sensor is going bad. Do you know how to pull the codes?

jimbo74

hehehe 3 of us think its the 02 sensor

Flamedx4

Sounds like it's time to change the axle gears. The check engine light is probably a sensor - get an 04 sensor, it's twice as good as an 02...

RubberCement

I don't know how to check the codes. How is this done?

AKennedy87

Go to a parts store, Autozone's are here in Mass. They should do it for free.

If not get a pretty lady to do it for you, they will deffinetly do it for free then

RubberCement

Thanks. As a side note: I got into a car accident (not my fault), and my fathers 96 tacoma was totalled. They gave us 9700 for it and offered to let us buy it back last month for $1800. It had 112000 miles on it, and was the 4x4 model. The rear end is totally shot, and the frame bent pretty good. It even snapped one of the motor mounts (I believe). Anyhow, I am thinking of buying the truck back. The tires where really nice, I don't know if they will fit on my 86. Just wondering is the truck worth buying back?

If I do buy it back, what should I do with it?

RubberCement

If anyone is interested I can even post a pictures of the wrecked truck.

AKennedy87

Post Em

RubberCement

RubberCement

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RubberCement

RubberCement

The truck was actually more messed up then these pictures show. The impact was to the truck's rear end at over 60 mph. Needless to say, besides the fact that my shoulder now needs surgery, and I got a major concussion, the truck did a good job of saving lives.

ken.vs.ryu

an engine swap? you can prolly part that sucker out for more than $1800.

RubberCement

What would I wan to swap the engine into. I don't think that I could afford a tacoma body. Plus, when I called around to few junk yards they said that Tacoma get ransacked quickly when they go to the yard. What could you swap the engine into?