Disclaimer: This post is for entertainment purposes only. I am not responsible if you damage your vehicle or injure yourself if you decide to try anything I do on your own vehicle. If you are unsure on what you are doing please seek out a professional to assist. (I am not a professional mechanic. ) . 

This is what I had been ignoring.

You can see the battery terminal corrosion was getting pretty bad as it was creeping out from under the positive battery cover.

Popping off the cover you can see it was pretty bad.

When I finally got around to taking care of it, I did a little online investigation and read that you can use baking soda and water to neutralize the acid. I decided to give it a try.

So I mixed some baking soda and water together and poured it on the battery. (Of course I was wearing gloves and glasses for protection )

Once I was done cleaning it you can see the metal was in bad shape. Basically I broke the Battery terminal when I tried to remove it to clean it more. The corrosion had really weakened the metal and after I tried to loosen it, it would no longer make good contact. I had no choice but to replace it.

I ended up purchasing my new terminal off amazon HERE (Sorry link removed, but you can search for the part number 90982-05035).  It was nice as they had free one day shipping and was a great price for a factory OEM made by Toyota part. I thought about going with a cheaper model, but decided to stick with OEM.

If you need the part number this is what I used for my 97 4runner. Toyota part number :  90982-05035 One thing to note is this is for a positive terminal. The neg terminal has a different part number.  Here is a picture of it after it arrived.

Now I decided to treat both of my battery terminals with a little coat of No-Ox-Id-A Special compound (Here is a LINK for it in case your interested ) to hopefully prevent this from happening to me in the future. I had used it for industrial battery terminals in the past. You can read the reviews on it. I always found it to be great stuff.

Here it is, the new terminal in place.

Summary

If I had taken better care and prevented the corrosion in the first place I would not need to go through the hassle of buying a new terminal.  I plan to go and check my other cars this weekend and apply a little “no-ox-id a” to their terminals as well.  I will also update my 4runner cheat sheet HERE with the part number for the battery terminals.

In case you need them, or want to check out what I used here are the links:

Toyota Positive Battery Terminal – 90982-05035 (link removed, but if you google the part, you can find it at many dealerships and online merchants)

The post How NOT to treat your battery terminals! appeared first on MyRandomTechBlog.com.

Disclaimer: This article is not instructions on how you should do anything, I am not a professional mechanic, it is for entertainment purposes only. 

4runner P0441

About a week ago the CEL light came on again. Using my OBD2 reader to check it, I found it was the P0441 trouble code again.

I find it really helpful to own my own OBD2 code reader. I just have  a cheap one like you can purchase on amazon or grab at harbor freight. You can also go to some auto stores and they will pull your code for you. My understanding is that most stores will pull the code, but will not clear the code for you.

This P0441 trouble code is for Evaporative Emission System Incorrect Purge flow.  After digging around online I found it could be caused by multiple issues.

• Leak in Evap system
• Loose or faulty gas cap.
• Charcoal canister issues
• Faulty Vacuum switching valve.
• and a few others items.

So first thing I did was check out my engine compartment. I looked at the hoses and did not see any splits and they all looked good. So I decided to look at my gas cap again. My gas cap on my 4runner was not an OEM gas cap but was manufactured by Stant. I looked at the inside and noticed a lot of rust and corrosion on it. You can see it in this picture below.

One of the articles I read mentioned failing to seal properly and I wondered if the area in the back with the spring was corroded enough to prevent a good seal. So rather then take it in to have the system checked out. I decided to try a new gas cap first. I went ahead and went with an original Toyota OEM gas cap, and ordered one off of Amazon that had next day delivery.

New Gas Cap

This is the Toyota OEM gas cap I ordered from Amazon : 77310-35080

The part number was 77310-35080. One thing that was interesting was when I was searching for the part number I found that they changed the part number on 3/98. The newer part number for 4runners after 3/98 appears to be 77310-48020. The gas cap looked the same in the pictures I found, but included some new printing on the cap. It now says “tighten until clicks or malfunction indicator may come on”. Interesting. I am not sure if that was the only change or not.

The new gas cap from Amazon as it showed up. It was in the Toyota packaging inside a box. It was packaged well.

In this picture below I show my new OEM gas cap and the old gas cap side by side. Looks like the Toyota version will not corrode as easily.

Just a pic after swapping the gas cap out.

Summary

Well.. That’s about it. So far after swapping out the gas cap I have not seen the Check Engine light again.  I will update this post if it shows back up and ends up being caused by something different.

Also if anyone knows if there is a difference between the part number 77310-35080 and 77310-48020 besides the printed text hit me up on facebook at the link in the upper right corner and let me know. I am really curious and could not find anything online about it. The 48020 model was 3 bucks cheaper, and if I knew for sure it would work, I would have picked that one to save a couple bucks.

Here are some links below for the gas cap and an OBD2 reader kinda like the one I own in the picture. Also a link to a Bluetooth reader that is even cheaper and you can pull codes on your phone. I also have a Bluetooth reader and its pretty cool to use with an app like Torque.

Links:

77310-35080
Cheap OBD2 Reader

The post 4Runner P0441 Check Engine Light appeared first on MyRandomTechBlog.com.

I wish I would have done it earlier as it was really an easy fix. I thought I would post a couple pictures to show how I did it. It was really easy to remove the old and insert the new one without taking apart the dash. On a side note my 4runner is at 281,000 miles and still running strong.

Disclaimer: This post is for entertainment purposes only. If you are unsure how to do this you should seek professional assistance. I am not a professional mechanic. 

Ok, now that the disclaimer is taken care of 🙂

I ordered mine on Ebay as I did not initially see them on Amazon. But that was really because my Amazon search did not include the part number (55620-35050). Amazon does indeed carry them if you search for that part number last I checked.

Here is my broken 4runner cupholder.

I actually had popped in the new one, then realized I should probably snap a few pictures to share, so I put the old one back in for these pictures and example. It is really just a couple minute job. But you will see some scratches by the clips on the new one and that is why.

If you look at the image you can see the cupholder has a couple tabs that need to be released to pull out the old one.

To accomplish this you just need a thin tool to insert above the cupholder to release the clips. This could be a putty knife or what I used was a ruler that was about 1/16″ thick. First I released the right side by inserting the ruler and pulling on the old cupholder.

Then I inserted the ruler on the left side and pulled. The cupholder then released and came out.

Once the old cupholder was removed, I was able to just push in the new one.

I was really surprised at how easy it was. Hopefully this new one lasts 280,000 miles as well.

Hope you find this useful. It’s really nice having my cupholder back.

The post Installing dashboard cupholder in 98 4runner. (55620-35050) appeared first on MyRandomTechBlog.com.

I just had to replace the bulb in my 97 Toyota 4runner heater panel, so decided to snap a few pics of how I did it. Now just a warning. I have tried some local bulbs from the retail store in the shifter area and they did not fit. they were just slightly to large. So in turn I ended up going to the dealership to purchase them.

Disclaimer: I am not responsible if you try to fix yours yourself. If you are unsure how to do it you should seek a professional.  You may injure yourself or 4runner if you do not know what you are doing. This is not an instructional post on how to do it safely. This post is for entertainment purposes only. 

These were pricier at the dealership over generic bulbs, but again, the generic bulbs I tried were slightly to big. After getting them from the dealer I now have the part number (90981-11018) and found you can also find them on Amazon here.

First remove the knobs.

With the knobs removed, use a spudger type tool to insert into the panel and pull to pry it out from one side.

Now pry the other side. 

Front panel removed.

Next is to remove the plastic light diffuser.

Push back on the clip on the left side and pull at the same time to release the left side.

Now we have access to the light bulb. To remove it pull straight out.

Now we need to remove the little green plastic cover.

Put the cover on the new bulb and plug in the new bulb to test it before putting everything back together.

Now its just the reverse of what we did earlier.

Your done! I hope this helped you out. I was also looking into replacing these with LED bulbs. was thinking they may last a little longer. If I do that I will update this post. But I think I would want to do all the bulbs at once so they all look the same.

BTW – The 4runner now has over 280,000 miles 🙂 What a reliable vehicle it has been. I don’t think I will ever get rid of it.

The post Replacing Dashboard Heater light bulb in Toyota 4runner appeared first on MyRandomTechBlog.com.

Engine: 5VZ-FE V6 3.4L

Brake Fluid : DOT 3

Power steering Fluid: 0.9qt Dexron III ATF.

Transmission: A340F
Dexron III ATF
15ft/lbs Drain plug
Dry Fill = 10.8qt
Drain + Fill = 2.1qt

Fuel Tank: 18.5 Gallon

Chassis Grease:  NLGI No 2 Lithium Based Chassis Grease

Coolant : I used the Toyota Red stuff for my new radiator (Not pre-mixed). People seem to have differing opinions on what is best. I prefer not to mix brands.

OIL Change

Engine OIL : 5w30
Capacity: 5.5qt w/Filter
Filter Part Number : 90915-YZZG1
Drain Plug =  My notes said 29ft/lbs (But I have seen as low as 20ft/lbs online)

Transfer Case : VF3AM
GL5 75W-90 Gear Oil.
1.3qt Drain and fill
27 ft/lbs

Front Diff:
GL5 75W – 90 hypoid gear oil
1.2qt Drain and fill
Fill Plug 29ft/lbs
Drain Plug 48 ft/lbs

Rear Diff:
GL5 75W-90 hypoid gear oil
2.6qt Drain and Fill
36ft/lbs

Spark Plugs:
NIPPONDENSO K16TR11
NGK BKR5EKB11
Spark Plug Gap : 1.1mm (.043 inches)

Instrument cluster bulb:
Part Number : 90981-11018 (Charged 4.99 at dealership) Tried a couple different name brands from autopart stores and they were slightly to big. I have had bulbs to replace in the shifter area to be able to see the PRNDL at night. Behind the heater panel and in the dash. But I do have over 280,000 miles now, so I cant complain.

Radiator : This is the Radiator I bought to replace mine after searching forums.
Koyorad A1998
While technically my radiator was not bad yet, I was reading horror stories about the “Strawberry milkshake”. Basically the Radiator also cools the transmission fluid. And some people have experienced a situation with the coolant and the transmission fluid mixing and which can cause transmission troubles. Since I had a LOT of miles on my 4runner, I figured it was worth it to go ahead and swap out for a new one.  More of a preventive maintenance.  Another alternative would be run a separate transmission cooler.

Center Dash Cup Holder : Mine broke , I just swapped it out with one from Ebay… I will find the part number and put it on here. Cost was 55.00 , I did not check the dealership.  It was an easy swap. Just used a putty knife for the install. You insert the putty knife on the top to push down on a clip and it pulls right out. Wish I had taken a picture.

The post Toyota 4Runner Cheat Sheet appeared first on MyRandomTechBlog.com.

I have had this weird issue for a while with a ticking sound that would come and go in my 97 4runner. The sound was coming from my front center vents and did not increase with the engine RPM’s. I would hear it randomly at low and medium fan speeds. It was not super loud, but would still bug me when it would happen. It sounded like I had a leaf or something stuck in the vent. I would adjust the fan play with the vent and push around on the dash to no avail. If I adjusted the speed of the fan it might clear up for a bit, but would always come back. Turns out it was being caused by the heater blower motor.  It was a really easy fix (If you don’t mind spending money on a new blower motor).  You may be able to take the bad one apart and figure out the cause, but for the price (~45 dollars) it was just worth it for me to swap it out.

Here is a link to the part I used, my 4runner is a 97′:
TYC 700061 Toyota 4 Runner Replacement Front Blower Assembly

I am not a professional mechanic. This is not advice for what to do in your situation. This is just explaining how I fixed the issue on my 4runner. I will not be held responsible for any issues that may arise if you decide to replace yours yourself.

I found the swap super easy to do. The fan assembly is under the passenger side of the dash. I just removed the passenger side kick panel. Then it was just 3 bolts on the motor and a power connector to remove. It drops right out and you swap it with the new one.  Before buying a new one you may want to inspect it for debris and see if you can fix the issue first. It took an 8mm socket for the 3 bolts but as you can see in the picture you could also use a torx screwdriver.  Here is a pic of the new one in place. I wish I would have swapped this a while ago as I cant believe how long I listened to that little clicking noise.

Hope someone finds this helpful.

The post How to fix ticking sound from vents on 4Runner. appeared first on MyRandomTechBlog.com.