Hi everyone,
Thanks for putting up a good site.
I am asking for advice on the 4runner.

I am looking at a 2nd gen, 1992 4runner with the 3.0 V6, auto, 4WD, leather, and 170,000 miles.
I am told that it needs new front rotors and that there is a small oil leak (apparently not from the head gaskets).

I have started searching the threads but wondered if you all can offer any tips. I would like to drive it across country to the east coast, so it will be in snow and ice once winter comes around.

Are there any particular problems with this model/model year?
Are there specific things I should look for that tend to occur with this mileage and being 13 years old?

Thanks in advance for all your help!

 

check out the head gasket, see if it falls under the recall and if so if its been done.

 

yup, like chris said, get the vin and call toyota's 1-800#, see if it qualifies for the recalls.. as for the oil leak, might be as simple as a loose oil filter or drain plug (that's what mine was) the owner thought it was the rear main seal, $$$.. so i was quite happy.

if its well taken care of with its maintenance that mileage is nothing on a 3vze (v6) engine, still got lots of life left, mine as 180,000 and still has the hone marks in the cylinders.

only 2 concerns you will have is rust and the headgasket.. and the annoyance with the rear end sagging.

 

you can fix the rear end sag...i did for $134 shipped! best investment so far. check the valve pans for any signs of leakage coming from them. they are doable. i still got a mild leak in mine but after some lucas it seemed to ease up a little. mine is a rear main...all other possibilities ruled out.

 

Thanks for the input guys.

How do you fix the rear sag, new springs?

How about the auto tranny, do they need to be rebuilt after nearly 200k miles, and is this expensive? Should I always stick to Toyota fluids?

thanks,
J

 

dont know about the tranny, but yes, new rear coils. if you do a search on the forum about 4runner sag, you should get more then enough reading about different companies that provide the replacement coils, ome, downey, etc.