I bought my 02' 4runner without maintenance records with 62k miles. Right now im at 83k and i haven't really done much maintenance on it besides front brakes, tires, oil changes. There is nothing wrong at all with the rig.. runs perfect.. but i was wondering if i should take it to the toyota dealer to get the timing belt changed. does anyone have anyone input on this?

thanks for your time,
chris

 

so u dont know if it was changed at the 60k service? just to be sure i would pop off the top timing cover and look and see what it looks like if the belt looks older have to changed or u could just take it in and do it and know u are good for another 60k also when in there do water pump, cam and crank seals , save u time and money of having to redo it all again soon.

 

i agree do the tb if it hasnt been done. and it may look new still when you inspect the timing belt. i pulled mine out at 100k and it still had all the marks on it and looked just like the new one

 

I would doubt very seriously someone would have changed the timing belt at or before 62k miles. Most people dont even change them at the recommended 90k. My ride is a perfect example of that-165k with original timing belt(just bought the truck)
As mentioned, plan on having the timing belt and water pump done soon. Will sure give you a piece of mind too.
Also, do a search on the pink milkshake thing on this forum to see if your model is sucseptable to that. I dont own a 4runner but I have read several threads about that potential problem.
If you have an owners manual, read it and it will help you with recommended service intervals.
Im sure some of the 4runner guys will chime in with some tips for you.

 

Interval on an '02 4Runner V6 is 90K, so don't panic. I chose to wait to do mine until 120K based on the monster thread here on TB mileage. When I did it, I did TB, WP, 'stat, both idlers, accessory belts, and tensioner. Next time, at 240K if all goes well, I'll do cam and crank seals, too. At 120K, all the stuff I took out looked good for a lot more and is ready in my spares box if I need it.

 

Yeah, my belt was done by the previous owner at 86K and I have almost 190K right now. My water pump does not have the swish swish sound yet and everything else on the truck is in great shape.

Now, I do have a new timing belt and water pump ready to rock and roll when that day comes. I want to do idlers and all that too. Things start to sound real funny when idlers start to go. I am almost positive that these are non-interference motors too.

 

Yeah maybe ill wait till it hits 90-100k or so. I called the toyota dealer here in tampa and here is the quote the guy gave me

timing 299
water 360
front seals 260
belts 60
plugs 140

 

plugs 140!!!!!!
and 979 for TB,WP,seals, and belts?? Yikes. Highway robbery even for a stealer.

 

^That's why I did it myself. Exactly why!

 

Yeah, no way I am paying that much money for a dealer to do work that is relatively easy.

 

What ever you do don't take it to the dealer!!!

 

Don't take it to the dealer? I thought they were pretty reliable. I am a little apprehensive about taking it somewhere that doesn't work on 4runners every day.. afraid they might mess it up.

 

As long as you have a torque wrench that reads ft/lb and a decent metric socket set, changing the plugs and belts are pretty simple. Not hard with good tutorials here. Use the search engine.

Others, such as Durk, have changed their TB/H20 pump on their own with success. I have not, so I no comment here.

FL, and the rest of the South, have high dealer rates dependent up location, and the lack of qualified competition from independent shops. Go to Orlando, and I'll bet your quote from a dealer more than likely would be at least $200 cheaper. I bought an Acura years ago in Orlando and saved $3500 on the exact same car with almost the same mileage vs. buying it in Jacksonville.