Pre-purchase Questions

I'm likely to purchase a 1999 Limited with nearly 250k miles. It seems be in good shape, but the service history is mostly unknown. I am leaning toward replacing the timing belt and the water pump out of an abundance of caution. Anything else I should look at closely, or should replace to bring it up to snuff? Especially things that might not be easy to inspect?

 

Obviously you need to drive it around and make sure things that are supposed to work, do work. Ex: 4WD activation (I am assuming it is a 4WD), shifting, steering, braking (normal & anti-lock activation), electrical components, heater, AC, ..., etc.
What about the frame? Have you checked for rust build up?
Engine compression check?
How is the body? Does it sit straight? Extent of existing damages? rust?
Condition of the important fluids: tranny, engine oil, power steering and brake.
Finally get a CARFAX report. The history there may be informative.

 

I'd check all the typical used car stuff, does the AC and heat work, all the lights, horn, stuff like that. Take a look underneath for obvious leaks from the steering system, or axles and differentials, etc. Check the under hood fluids, make sure that they look fairly clean and are full, that's a sign it was taken care of. Something else that could indicate it was well taken care of, the tires. Are they worn, mis-matched, or new but generic? Maybe not taken care of so well. Are they new brand name, like Michelin or BF Goodrich? Tires are so easy to cheap out on, seeing a quality brand name tire would indicate to me that somebody cared about the vehicle.

Even though I probably wouldn't run them on a 4Runner, I always get excited when I see a vehicle in an ad wearing Michelin's, lol.

If you are in an area that gets a lot of moisture and/or uses road salt, definitely spend some time underneath checking out the frame. Bring a hammer and a screwdriver and tap away.

I was going to start to list the places to check, but I realized that from front to rear, you need to check the whole thing. Everything from the front radiator support to the rearmost crossmember is prone to rotting out.

 

When your checking the heating, don't forget to do the rear heater too. Make sure all the dash lights illuminate when you turn the car on. All the windows should work, if the rear windows are slow it's normal but they should move as long as they aren't locked out by the driver. Look at the fuse boxes (there are 2), if you see a ton of fuse taps or any missing fuses ask about them. Any mods should be looked over with a fine comb.

Check the u-joints for play. Put the car into AWD, 4Hi, and 4Lo. If you can, have a mechanic look at the cylinders with a borescope for wear.

Run a carfax, sometimes mechanics will enter in maintenance they did or miles. Even if it doesn't have a crash report, look at the panel gaps, around the headlights, the hood, the fenders, and the rear hatch are the ones to focus on.

And screen shot the listing of the car. Slimy sellers will change the price just before you arrive to inspect it and then gas light you. "It was always $9400, I don't know why you think it was $8900, maybe your thinking of another car".

 

Thank you. This is all very helpful. I was able to check some of these through a trusted intermediary, but I was not able to see the car personally. The seller is a pretty major dealership with a good reputation. Includes a (minimal) warranty on the power train. Is there a standard maintenance thread on this site? Given the lack of information, I will likely have a competent mechanic do the timing belt, water pump, spark plugs and coils. Not sure about the fuel filter, O2 sensors, or radiator. Apparently the radiator in these trucks is a big topic of discussion. The spark plugs look much, much easier than the plugs in my V8 Triton.

 

has all the how-to videos Timmy has made for the 3rd gen 4runner. . This one is old, but good (it's a bit further down). You can find a pdf of the service interval book for your 4runner from Toyota.

While these are informative threads, I rarely use them. Most of the jobs you do will have threads dedicated to them. Some good build threads will have maintenance items with links to other threads the poster found useful or created. But normally just searching for the <name of topic> + 3rd gen 4runner will bring up what you need.

As much as I like this forum, for 3rd gen info the toyota 4runners .org site is better. It's older, more extensive, and has more active 3rd gen users.

Radiator should be replaced if original. Automatic transmissions share the radiator with engine coolant, and with age they sometimes fail allowing the 2 fluids to mix. This is why people get separate coolers for them. Even if it wasn't this arrangement, they are normally original and will fail from age.

Fuel filter is easier on V6 4runners, it is by the frame under the car (driver side). You should use a flare nut wrench, especially if it's rusty. Not difficult to do yourself. I've never seen anyone have problems by not changing them, not urgent.

O2 sensors should only be replaced if you have codes that are potentially cause by them malfunctioning (like a P0420). Otherwise leave it.