This is an excellent site! Glad I found you guys!

As the title says, I need a good repair manual. I just purchased a near mint 1987 4runner SR5 (4wd, 22re, automatic, pop-up sunroof too!) with 94,000 original miles. Bought it from a friend who had it garaged for the last 3 years (he did take it out occasionally, and put about 5000k on in this time). He bought it from the original owner, a woman who drove it less than about 4000 miles a year, garaged it, and has maintence records. The body is MINT(colorado vehicle & no dents), and the vehicle hasn't leaked a bit of oil on the floor in the past 3 years. EVERYTHING works on this vehicle..back window, air conditioning, altimeter/inclonometer.

I'm planning to use this 19 year old car as a daily driver (at first!) and would like to know if there is anything I should be looking at to fail first. I'm planning on going over the car, replacing any rubber/hoses that have hardened or cracked over the years, change the fluids etc. Anyone with a 1st gen automatic 4runner, what failed first? ..and who makes the best repair manual for this vehicle?

Thanks a bunch!

 

Look on E-Bay or other for a factory manual. Very detailed. Even the same year Toyota pick-up manual would probably be a great help if you can't find your specific model.

 

Techinfo.Toyota.Com
Pay your $10.

Otherwise Haynes > Chilton's.

 

Boy - if Haynes is better than Chilton, the Chilton one must REALLY suck! (can you tell I'm not a big fan of the Haynes Toyota manual?)

 

this one?

 

I agree with tc, the Haynes manual sucks. but no one around here sells the chiltons book! where to find one?

 

I have an 88 with 204k. It was meticulously maintained by the previous owner. Looking through his receipts the first thing to go was the rear power window motor after 11 years of ownership.

Other than that routine maintenance.

 

find a factory manual. The Haynes manual is definitely the bottom of the barrel.

 

I'm a huge believer in the Toyota Factory Service Manuals! They are pricey, but they are SO WELL put together, in terms of the photos and write ups about how to do things!

The only time I've ever had a gripe with mine for my '90 PU was when they failed to mention the access panel in the right front wheel well for replacing the starter! (That would have saved me about an hour of head scratching trying to figure out how to get the damned thing out! LOL!)

Check at the Stevinson Parts Dept. - they usually seem to have the FSMs for a lot of older models. The worst they can do is tell you no!

I'm still new here, myself, but this forum is an unbelievable source of information about our trucks! Just remember the mantra - Search and ye shall find! If you don't find it, then post a question, and the folks around here seem to have a boat load of answers and opinions about everything!

Welcome to a fellow newbie!

 

yea, factory manuals are not perfect, but there the closest thing to it. do what toysrme said, cheapest way. i bought the actually printed versions because i like to have them in hand, but thats me. (if you want the printed, check ebay, i got volume 1,2 and the electrical supplement for 75, and they were basically brand new)

 

Vote for FSM

 

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/show...highlight=fsms
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/show...highlight=fsms
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/show...service+manual
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/show...=repair+manual
for sale...
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/show...=repair+manual

 

i've found that if you're an average mechanic the chilton manual isn't too bad. haynes are terrible in my experience.

if you want to get into stuff like tearing apart t-cases and trannies, and all the little wiring problems toyotas like to have, you cannot beat a FSM.