p00kienrayray

i am now a proud new owner of a 97 4runner! got it on saturday night. its a v6/at sr5 2wd (i know the 4x4 would have been a better choice, but this was what i can afford, and i dont off road, its only a commuter for me).

well i'd like to share some pics, but i dont know how to post them up, so anyone want to post them up for me? i can send the pics to you.

well with that being said, i have some general questions since i dont have an owner's manual. 1st is, what kind of oil should i use? (its @ 70k mi in 90% sunny weather so. cali). ive always used 10w30 on my acura, but my dad's 04 tacoma uses 5w30. 2nd, how many gallons does the tank hold? im trying to figure out the exact mpg. i know it holds more than 14gal. (havent really driven it yet). and 3rd, just for future reference, now that it's @ 70k mi, are there any required services in the near future? and also are there any common problems i should specifically look out for in the 3rd gen's? (you know how the 2nd gen's have that head gasket problem).

well, thats pretty much it for now. any help would be appreciated.

Bob_98SR5

welcome to the forum. where abouts in so cal? there's a few of us from so cal. to answer your questions:

- im 99% sure your 4runner is 5w-30

- 18.5 gal

- required maintenance: well, i have a little task to ask of you which will help you immensely on yotatech. the search feature! click the search feature above and type in the search term "maintenance schedule". you'll see a post that i wrote awhile back w/ a downloadable pdf which shows the recommened intervals and service items.

bob

p00kienrayray

thanks bob, ill go check it out rite now. btw, im in san jacinto(boone dogs) in riverside county, originally from long beach.

lee

its actually 97 3rd gens that have the head gasket problem. you should make sure the recall has been done.

Bob_98SR5

are you pookie..or rayray?

is there any good off-roading out there? i attended UCR and i recall it was mostly desert roads.

anyways, if you ahve trouble finding my post, let me know.

as for the HG recall, if you're not sure, call toyota's customer service #. have your VIN handy. they'll tell you whether or not if it was done or not.

bob

p00kienrayray

really? the 97s have the recall? aww man oh well i work rite next to a toyo dealer so i'll do it tomorrow. it should be no charge rite?
and bob, i found your post and downloaded the service intervals/price sheet. i dont mind the prices, but it looks like the only thing it replaces are oil, fluids and spark plugs, oh well still dont think its too much for a dealer. thanks again. and yea, theres a loooot of dirt roads here which is a reason why my acura wasnt cutting it for me, too many pot holes/dips. everyone and their mamas got lifted trucks here. not much city, just dirt (once you get past riverside of course).

btw, these prices you got are recent rite? and shouldnt change? and would other toyo dealer's prices differ?

Bob_98SR5

recalls are always free.

unless you dont have the time, you should be able to do the oil and the spark plugs by yourself. they are easy jobs. if you decide to replace the spark plug wires, those are goign to be the most expensive of the parts.

send TOR an email and let him know what parts you need. he works for Toyota of Richardson and is a pretty good guy.

Bob

p00kienrayray

i'll most likely just drop it off at the dealer since i work rite next to one. i can have them do it and pick it up after work. i know how to change oil, and ive done spark plugs on my ac, but id rather not get my hands dirty. and the original toyo parts would be a plus.

lee

you should check by calling toyota customer service first though. no point and bringing it in unneccessarily. :pig:

p00kienrayray

naw, but im at work rite now, so i'll just stop by anyways and i also need to make a master key since it didnt come w/ one. anyone know how much a master key costs? and if they make it right there or do they order it?

SLC Punk

What do you mean by a master key? Do you only have the vallet key?

They can make the key using your VIN number. If you are looking for a OEM Plastic-Head key, it will run you around $11.

Check the build date on your 97. The late production 97's were not part of the recall.

p00kienrayray

yea i only had the valet key, but i went to the dealer yesterday and got 2 master keys. as far as the recall, i asked them and they said they wouldnt know b/c they're not hooked up to the rest of the toyo dealers. which is wierd b/c i called the dealer in my city(i live in a different city from where i work) and they said all they need is the vin # and they can look it up for me. well, guess thats what ima do. if they cant there, i'll go to the dealer where i got it in san diego.

p00kienrayray

ok, got good news and bad news. good news is i called my local dealer and they told me i didnt need a hg recall performed on my 97 b/c it didnt call for one.

bad news is that there is a different recall that needs to be done w/ the rear suspension. i tried to ask him for further details, but he couldnt tell me. he said it'll take a couple of hours at least. anyone know about this? i'll find out what this recall is all about tomorrow.

Bob_98SR5

PR,

go to alldata.com and check out all the tsb's on yoru vehicle. its a fairly short list.

then look up a 97 ford explorer's recalls and tsbs and realize how smart you were when you bought that 97 4runner!

bob

p00kienrayray

one word bob: DAAAANG!!!! wow thats a lot. also turns out that the recall im going in for is just for rear seat comfort huh? well as long as theyre paying for it. cool info thanks again bob.

Bob_98SR5

No prob.

Bob