My 4Runner came without the rear heat option and I have a 99+ console for a rear heat model... I was just wondering how involved it is to run the heating lines to the firewall and such, I've never seen a model with rear heat in person before. Thanks!

 

NOt too sure if its that much different but I had a Gen 2 that did not come with rear heat but got all the parts from another gen 2 in a wrecking yard and it was interesting getting the hard piping installed. Not too difficult but you are gonna need to see what it looks like installed. A wrecking yard is your best place to check and if the engine has been pulled makes is soooo much easier to pull it out. Like I said was a real 'trick' getting back in but it can be done. You will need the hard piping, jumper hoses but those could be made, all the cross over connectors, plumbing from the donor truck, the heater coils and blower motor as well as the console. That blower is what takes up all the space. Most of it is pretty straight forward once you get the hard pipe installed. Most all of the heater tubing and connections will just replace installed heater/coolant hoses installed.

 

if you wanted to, i could buy bob's console w/o rear heat, and swap you straight ups for the one with heat. heck, i'd even throw in a couple bucks for all the shipping! what'd you say?

 

That's kind of what I thought would have to happen! I might go bug the toyota service guy to see what help he can give. I appreciate the help though!

 

Let me think about that, I might take you up on it. Is your console oak in color and 99+? I'm at a crossroads: it's been below zero a few days, and while I'd like the help of rear heat I also think it would be complete hell pulling parts from the junkyard that are under snow with near frostbit hands. Let me get back to you.

 

I had my carpet up when I laid down some sound deadening material. Don't know if this helps, but here's a few pics of my rear heater blower and tubes coming off of it. Sorry, but I don't have any pics of the floor pan before I installed the sound deadening stuff, but there's no difference:

This pic's small, but you get the idea:



Larger Pic:



Another Pic:



Notice the small vent on the floor for the right rear passenger:


The vent for the left rear passenger, is located at the bottom left rear corner of that middle console:



IMO, the amount of time involved, energy and money spent to add rear heat out weighs the advantages of having it. Granted I don't haul a lot of passengers around all the time either that need the rear heat, but it's definitely an option I could live without in my 4Runner. I also live where it's only cold for about 1 month out of the year, so my rear heat is rarely used. Personally, I'd rather have the extra space under the passenger seat, instead of a blower fan taking up all the room.

 

hey rockslide, how well does that dynamat style stuff work? Did you remove your door panels and put it in there too?

by the way, I would much rather have the room under my passenger seat for an amp. The rear heater never gets used.

 

I got this stuff at McCaster-Carr. So far I've only done the the entire floor board, cargo area and rear hatch. I still need to do the doors and roof, but that's a project for another day . However, after doing just the floor, I was amazed how much quiter it was. Passengers even comment on how quite the ride is now. Definitely worth it.

Check out my profile in my sig for more pics and more of an explanation of what I used.

 

This might be easier: http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...70_21030_21030

 

If you are interested, i still have all the parts except the center console for rear heat, including heater box, lines, etc etc.

I parted out a 99 4Runner, and I kept all those parts.

Make me an offer, and I'll get you a shipped quote! then you wont have to try and pull it in the freezing cold, and it can be shipped straight to you!

 

Just my two cents.....

Both my '88 and my '99 have rear heat. My '88 puts out 10 times the air flow compaired to my '99 (no BS there). I'm really not that impressed with the amount of air that comes out of my rear heater in my '99 plus it only comes out on one side (on the '88 there is about a 5"x1" slot for the air to blast out of which covers both sides and the middle). I'm working on selling my 88 right now or I'd take it apart and look at it. But if you were going to go through the work of upgrading a 3rd gen with rear heat, I would at least talk to someone with or look at a 1st gen yourself. Maybe somehow combine the two if it can be done??? I don't know what makes the '88 so much hotter with that much more air, but I'm telling you, you need to find out. Winter time in Alaska, and I love that heater in my '88. Again, I haven't looked at the heater in my 88, but it seems to heat up a lot faster then my front heater. Could it be electric heat? I guess I could test that theory by just turning the key and turning the rear heat on without starting the truck. If it heats up, I would know....

 

He has an idea I was thinking about for my '88 before I got my '99. Last winter I picked up a small electric heater that I wired into a switch and mounted it under the dash (my thinking is it would help heat up the cab faster, and maintain the heat when I jump out and run into the store for 5 min.). Before I found my '99, I was thinking of getting a larger one and mounting it in the very back. Wiring it up several ways. Either wire controls for it up on the dash, or run a plug all the way to the front of the truck and plug it in with my block heater. So on those cold morning, I can flip a switch in my place an it turns that heater on. 30 min. later the inside would be much warmer for me to climb in. Now you can do the best of both worlds and have both controls in the dash so you can have it on when you're driving if you need it, and the ability to plug it in like your block heater. Only thing you have to remember is 12V while your driving and 120V when you have it plugged in (I'm pretty sure I didn't have to remind you of that, but I'm just covering the bases).

That would be easier to do, and be more efficient I think.

 

I never use the rear heat. is basically just a fan that sucks the air from the front area and blows it to the rear feet on the passenger side. dont waste your time... it sounds cool though.."I have rear heat".. maybe i shoult put that in my sig after the "ECT button".....

 

The second gens actually have a rear heater core inside the center console (don't leave a chocolate bar in the arm rest), with its own temperature control.

 

first and second gens both had heater cores under the center console. third gens moved to under the seat.

I had rear hear in my 90 4runner, and I loved it. Heat from the front doesn't adaquetly make it to the rear, so it makes for a great way to keep your passengers warm when cold. I wish my 1st gens had rear heat, but alas not even my fully optioned 89 has it.

 

I love it on my 91. Especially when it blows up from between the seat and door, warming my left side. Very nice in the cold. Keeps the back windows sorta defrosted, too.