New 4runner! ...but concerns..

Hey everyone! This is my first post on this forum! I had been just lurking for a while but decided it was finally time to make an account (because I'm in need of some advice - but more on that later)

I purchased a 2018 TRD OR brand new in the summer of '18, and it was the best car I've ever owned. Named her Cicada (is naming cars normal on this forum?) When I found out that the 6th gen was dropping the invincible 4L engine, I started thinking about buying a newer one to last me longer. In hindsight I don't think I necessarily needed to do this, but I just started looking (with no intentions of buying) until a 2022 TRD OR in army green showed up. Checked all the boxes I was looking for and more: newer (less miles), dope color, dope rims, roofrack, better tires, and some really nice tech upgrades in the interior (no more kids complaining when their tablets die on long road trips - back row usb plugs are awesome!) In the end I traded my 2018 in and only had to finance about 10k, not a bad deal!

The very next day I noticed a streak on the inside of the car. And this streak sent me down an insane rabbit hole....



Being that roof leak is my primary concern, I set up an appointment next week with my local toyota dealership to test for any leaks. But then I started reading some horror stories about stuff like galvanic corrosion and headliner removals that I started to investigate how the mounting brackets look and how the wiring is put together.

At this point though, you might be wondering "wait why didn't you do all of that at the time of purchase," and that's a really good question. The truth is, I had no idea how any of this stuff was supposed to look. It worked, and that's as far as my brain took it apparently. My 2018 4Runner had no mods done to it at all, and so I had never really done any research on anything.

Here's what the front passenger-side mounted bracket look like for my roof rack, which is some model of UpTop Overland rack (I think it's a "Bravo"):



and here's the front-driverside bracket:



The back brackets don't have any wiring on them, so I didn't take any pictures of them (and also there's no suspicion of roof leak at those spots, only really the front passenger-side).

I posted these pics on the 4runner subreddit, and also emailed UpTop with this pictures asking if things look okay - in both cases I was told that grounding the side LEDs to the bracket bolt was not a good idea and that I ran the risk of corroding the roof this way. I was advised to run the ground to the engine bay.

So then I thought, okay well how are these wires run to the Trigger six shooter is installed in the engine bay. It looks like they are routed through the weather lining/molding and then down the windshield somehow. Here's the passenger-side lining:






And here's the driver-side lining:





Now, because I was advised about moving the ground for the side LEDs, and also because I'm scared of galvanic corrosion, I decided I just want to remove the entire light system on the roof rack. I don't ever see myself really using it and I'd rather have all the electrical stuff off the roof before I have the dealership for leaks (as insurance in case I create a new one) but here's my main question: how the heck do I do that?

It looks like I need to unscrew one of the bolts on the mounting bracket to remove the grounding wire, then I need to undo the pressure-mounted front-feet of the roof rack so I can get the lining up on that part, but then I can't figure out how this wire gets from the top of the windshield to the engine bay. I don't really want to just pull on it because won't that mess up the seal of the windshield? It's almost like the wire was ran under the windshield when it wasn't even installed, and then the windshield was installed on top of the wire. I can't figure it out. That last pic BTW is the far back of the engine bay. It looks like the wire comes out from the plastic panel where the windshield wipers are.

I'm slowly starting to regret trading in Cicada. She was with me for 6 and a half years with no trouble. I don't know how I got in my head that I needed a newer 4runner to maximize my time driving this awesome truck, but I somehow did and I've got to live with that decision. I think when I get this whole roof rack thing behind me I'll fall in love with this new one (name pending) just as I did with Cicada - I just need to figure it out.

How's that for an introduction? Haha. I'm //gains, and it's nice to meet all of you! If anyone has any questions, comments, or (most appreciated) advice for me, feel free! It would be miraculous if the previous owner was also a member of this forum and could directly walk me through how everything was installed that would be absolutely incredible - but I'm obviously not counting on that unlikely event. In any case, thanks for reading this far, and I'll use this thread as a sort of personal journal to document how things progress.

 

omg the images are so big I don't know how to fix that I'm so sorry!

 

The wiring is likely just tucked behind the rubber seal. Gently pull and see how easily the wire slips around it. I doubt someone would have been dumb enough to glue the windshield over it.

The wiring likely isn't related to any leaking. It's possible the rack is leaking around the mounting brackets but for it to get onto that spot of the door and not be noticeable elsewhere would be odd. I also wouldn't take it to the dealer as they likely won't offer any help and just blame it on the aftermarket rack. I'd run a hose up top and sit inside and watch for leaks. You can drop the headliner down to check which is probably more than they would do. You can also check the floor. You best bet if you're going to pay someone is to find an independent repair place.

 

Just seeing some dirt from the looks of it, maybe a leak. Carfax good? There are drain points to keep clean, welcome to the forum!

 

Welcome!

 

welcome

 

Welcome,

Yup, I would verify there is a leak to worry about first. Is the headliner for carpet wet after washing the car or when it rains?

 

welcome

 

If that first pic is related to an actual leak, you should be able to reproduce it under a heavy downpour or at the car wash.

Per the other pics, it looks like this truck spent a lot of time parked outside, so if the leaks were major, there’d probably be more visible signs in the headliner or other areas. Once they pull things out, hopefully they don’t see much b/c not all leaks are created equally.

Funny thing about mods is generally, we all like adding them. And, generally, most of us would prefer to not inherit someone else’s work.

Good luck!

 

I only noticed the streak after a car wash. There are some spots on the headliner that do look dark (might just be dirt), but they are near the passenger-side front seat and not near where the streak was. Carpet was also not wet, but I didn't know about the seatbelt trick until well after the car wash. Hasn't rained here yet since I got the car.

The streaks appeared after a car wash, yeah. Maybe I'm paranoid because of exactly what you mentioned - I didn't install the roof rack so I am not sure how closely the previous owner followed the recommended steps. Having uptop tell me the ground wire shouldn't be hooked up to the rack mounting bracket is reason enough for me to suspect other corner cutting methods were used as well... If I'm being honest with myself though, a roof rack is the one mod I wouldn't trust myself doing without professional help because of how seemingly easy it is to lose the factory nuts under the roof - so had I got my own installed I would have taken it somewhere anyway. Removing the headliner seems like torture if I l lose the factory nuts.

Alright I might try that today. The only issue I'm struggling with now is how I should go about removing the bolts where the ground wires are connected. I think it's okay to remove and put back in without having to reseal anything but I'll have to watch the uptop installation video again to see if loctite is something I should expect. At the same time, though, I really don't want to screw anything up and there's plenty of things I could do wrong, which is why I was thinking the dealership would be the better option for me. Do dealerships not have a good reputation for stuff like this? I figured a dealership would be more knowledgeable with the 4runner than an independently owned shop - though I guess it is a third party rack, so maybe it's an even playing field. I was also thinking it might be more likely the dealer has parts lying around (like a new roof weather lining to hopefully replace the one that's peeling off on my truck). Am I wearing rose-colored glasses with this assumption? hahaha.

In any case, I'll have another look at it today and maybe I'll try a bolt. I guess if I do screw up any seal I'm still getting a leak check on saturday anyway.

Thanks for all the warm welcomes!

 

I don’t think you could assume a dealers has any specialized knowledge regarding something like this. Besides maybe being able to install factory roof racks, due to the fact they have official service manuals. But factory racks have mounts that are probably specifically engineered to manage water with a minimal amount of fuss required to install.

 

I also would not involve a dealer in this. Dealers seem to be able to perform Toyota component replacement and some very basic maintenance.
My dealer tried to blame my Scanguage 2 for a transmission issue caused by a faulty FlexLock solenoid in the tranny valve body.I had to refocus them back to the real issue. I agree they will point to your aftermarket rack and say " not a Toyota problem". And they will not touch it and want you to pay their fees for looking at it.

The streak is no doubt the car wash solutions in their pressure sprays. I have started using only touchless car washes to eliminate the brushes. My passenger mirror got slammed around hard by brushes, after 5 attempts I reassembled it properly. I suggest following the good advice provided here.
Perhaps there is an independent mechanic in your area that does 4runner mods who could help you?

 

Welcome!
One of your pics shows some small stones under the rubber. Maybe a vacuum job and checking the roof vents if you have a moonroof??

 

Oh man, the scanguage strikes again. Another tranny bites the dust ahahahahaha

 

The dealer will not have any special insight on this and probably even less than an independent shop. People often go to independent shops to have these roof racks installed.

Do not use loctite on the bolts. The bolt carriers are delicate. Just unbolt it and reinstall.

The weather stripping isn't peeling off. It's barely held in place from the factory using two little pads of double sided tape. It is also not the source of your leak as they are not design to be watertight and are only there for cosmetic purposes. People even lose them in car washes.

 

I think I'll cancel then. There is a local shop I'll call tomorrow to just redo the wiring and ask if they'll fix my coming part lining. As for checking for leak I'll use the hose idea.

Thanks everyone for the helpful suggestions!

 

Personally, id bring it back to OE as much as possible. Meaning removing everything but the rack.

 

I agree with @CA4runner - all that exposed wiring up top seems like a recipe for disaster down the road. What do these lights accomplish?

 

I freaked out one time because mine had the exact same drip a few weeks after I drove it off the lot. No roof rack, bone stock ORP.

I thought "what the hell could be leaking." I wiped it off and it never came back. I'm going to assume after I opened my door from the car wash somehow or another some soapy drips came down and hit the interior, making me believe that it leaked in.

Hopefully yours is something simple like that!

 

I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest the lights accomplish additional illumination. But that's just a hunch after years of attempting to see in the dark.

 

Looks like the previous owner spilled some milk on the door. Wipe it off and move on with life.

 

Really?