AgRunner06

As some of you may know, my sister has a '97 4runner (3.4L) that's been having some issues. After removing the belt from the compressor clutch, the vehicle didn't make anymore horrible noises and was drivable. But my dad has been driving it because it has been dieing lately in traffic. Well today it died and didn't start back up. It cranks just fine but still no worky. It got towed down to South Austin to a stealership. I'll probably find out what the problem is tomorrow.

Here's the kicker, NO check engine light. You'd think with OBDII that the vehicle dieing would throw a code. I guess it's about as good as OBDI where it will only throw a code if it's the O2 sensor or if you light the darn thing on fire. (Before I get any replys about the last sentence, I know that OBDI has more codes than that but I haven't seen any of the other ones pop up yet. )

Here's my two theories:
1. Fuel Pump
2. MAF

I'll let you guys know what the problem is when I find out.

This 4runner only has 120K miles on it. If she wanted to be left on the side of the road we would have gotten her a Chevy and saved a little money. That way I could fix it myself without having to pay someone $80-$90 an hour to do it.

So much for Toyota quality...:pat:

Bob_98SR5

AG,

Man, sorry to hear that! It'll be good to hear why it is in that condition. Has your dad or sister been taking care of the maintenance? And have they been regularly servicing it?

Bob

Mike06

Well.... is she the original owner or second (s)??, the way the 4runner was treated in it's "early" years has a lot do with the realibility later on.....

Mike06

FYI, there are other repair shops to take it to...., other than the stealership......

Pretacopower

Aw c'mon, don't talk like that....Toyota ain't perfect. Granted, they are closer to being so than any other company.....

SLC Punk

If it cranks but doesn't start, it would either be the timing belt or the fuel pump.

Since it has been dying, it may be the fuel pump. Does she run it out of gas often (completely dry)? A fuel pump that has no fuel to cool down the motor will not last very long.

hillbilly

The sporadic stalls could have been due to an extremely dirty fuel filter (possibly due to running the tank dry as SLC mentioned). Failure to start may be due to a clogged fuel filter...

If I recall correctly, the manual recommends fuel filter replacement every 60,000 - 80,000 miles.

TDiddy

I agree with the filter or pump being a possibility. The MAF definitely would have thrown a code.

I think Toyota claims the fuel filters are lifetime filters (at least 3rd gen), but alot of people (me included) replace them anyway.

Sac State

hillbilly, your avatar is working on its car, except the engine in a VW bug is in the BACK!:pat:

hillbilly

Yea... I think he was replacing the struts when the hood pinned him.

AgRunner06

I had previously suggested the fuel filter to my dad. He changed it after it wouldn't start back up. He did notice that not very much fuel came out. He said probably between 1/4 and 1/2 cup of gas. That seems like it would be too little. But I could be wrong.

This 4runner was bought with about 98K miles on it. I think we are the third owner but I'm not sure. It was checked out at the dealership before we made the purchase. It was in very good shape and ran and drove well. We've had it for almost 2 years. This past week was when all the problems started with it.

As far as maintenance, I know she has been having the oil changed but that is probably the extent of it. The timing belt was just replaced about 2 months ago.

As far as running out of gas, I'm not sure if she runs it on empty very often.

I called my dad and he said the dealership can't get to it until tomorrow. As soon as I found out the problem I will let you guys know what it is.

Hillbilly, that avatar is pretty funny.

Thanks for the suggestions.

TDiddy

That's not too little an amount of gas to come out, especially if he vented the line (took off the gas cap) before he did it.

Good luck with the stealer.

EDGE

Probably something a trip to AutoZone could fix, even if their are no codes if could still pull a code

Billrunner

Jeez Louise Stop trying to fix it yerself and take in for service, the thing is not a lemon and check engine lights are BS. A good professional mechanic(not necessarily a dealership) who is not a friend of yours or your dad or your girlfriends brother should solve the problem. It could be a sensor problem or distribution problem.
If you had bought a chevy you would be playing backyard mechanic every other month. Yeah chevy engines are strong and they are nice if you are Fred Flintstone and dont need much else like working windows and gauges.
I am not trying to be mean but Toyota bashing on here is sacrilege.
And who knows the history of the car it could have been leased by a drug dealer and driven full throttle to every stop light and oil changed once every year.
Hey I am all for saving a buck but when I want one of my vehicles to run right I will have it taken care of. I only own japanese vehicles cuz they are the most reliable and carefully designed with quality parts and have the best fit and finish.
-Sorry i am cranky-the chevy thing really got to me.

AgRunner06

Here's the verdict:

My dealership here in Bryan screwed up. If you recall, I had the timing belt replaced on the vehicle about 2 months ago. Well apparently the tech working on it didn't tighten a bolt on the harmonic balancer. This caused it to back off the crack and the engine couldn't read the rpms. That's why it wouldn't run.

Damage:
1. Harmonic balance
2. Lower cover
3. Key

All of the above are getting replaced by the dealership in Austin.

I called my dealership here and they talked to the one in Austin. My dealership here is covering all the expenses which totals $767 for parts, labor, and tax. They were really nice and said that everything would be taken care of. I'm glad they didn't give me any trouble. I wouldn't want to get mean.

So that's the story. Maybe my comment about the Chevy thing was a little out of line. I was just annoyed that this Toyota was broken down with only 120K miles on it. This wasn't Toyotas fault so I will retract my statement. There, is everyone happy?

Thanks for all the help and input I got from you guys.

Mulkey

Find an independant garage to fix the Yota. They are working for their reputation. I have less than 3000 miles left on my warranty and the next time I go to the dealership is when I am looking for a new one in about three years.

Fink

Good to hear man!

That's one of the things I like about going to the dealer, they usually back their work up so if that they screw up, they pay up!

Fink

44Runner

After 120k a Chevy wouldn't be broken down, it would be just plain broken.

Billrunner

Yes Very happy

AgRunner06

We got the 4runner back and it runs like a charm.