What is next for the Toyota 4runner?

LOL yes agreed. I really love my 2020 Limited (the longer I have it the happier I am that I got a Limited instead of the ORP!) and it's 95% what I wanted. If I can just destroy that cell chip, kill PCS and get my dealer to install good OEM LED headlights -- wow, then I'd be at like 98.5%

 

@Singleminded I just now had one of my OEM Halogens go out in my 12' LE. I put some mid priced Sylvania's SilverStar from ChinaMart..ugh Walmart, in there and I was surprised how much better they were. Not LED better, but def noticeable. I don't really need too much light because as I get older the glare kills me in everyday driving situations. What do the new models have for elements these days? They still have the H11?

 

Yeah, up through 2020 you get H11s. I tried Silverstar Ultras and didn't notice much difference. Then I did regular Philips H9s and that was a big improvement. Combined with the OEM LED fogs, it's really quite decent. If I recall right the 2012 has reflectors not projectors, so maybe Silverstars work better in those.

The 2021 models all come with OEM LEDs standard. The lower end models have LED for low beams and halogen for highs. The Limited has LED for both.

PS -- I have yet to see any real reviews or tests on the 2021 LEDs, so the jury's still out on how good they are. As I documented elsewhere on the forum, some OEM LEDs are pretty crappy. So I've got my fingers crossed that these new 4Runner ones are both good and plug and play on the 2020.

 

Another thing to remember is that a lot of inexperienced drivers don’t know how to properly care for a turbocharged vehicle. Most of them just cold start and go. And when they arrive at their destination, hot, just shut down and skip the cool down process.
I’ve never owned a turbo vehicle but driven many 10 wheelers and heavy equipment with turbos.
Equipment down time because of turbo repair was something that I never had to explain to my bosses.

 

True. It could definitely be a contributing factor in the issues with Ford's EB motors.

 

Yep, 60's had two round headlights, and 62's had four rectangular ones. Personally, I think the round headlights look better, so I'd probably swap them to a 60 build like that one. Can't be that tough, eh?

 

Just saw this in the description:

"Front fenders and a front grille from an earlier FJ60 model were fitted, and the body was installed on a 1995 FJ80 frame that has been shortened by 6″ and refinished in black epoxy paint.

 

What’s the proper startup/shutdown process for turbos?

 

Halogen bulbs fade over time. So part of your gain was simply a fresh bulb. But the silverstars are marginally brighter, yes. And whiter due to the blue coating.

 

The Tacoma bothered me most in the 70-80mph speed zones. With a headwind on the interstate it was awful. Not a big deal if you’re doing it for 20 minutes. But on a road trip when you’re driving several hours a day, it was unacceptable to me. I was super bummed because I loved the truck in all other aspects.

There were long road trips where I got 13mpg because it couldn’t hold 5th at 75mph. So bizzare. I can’t even imagine having that engine in the heavier 4runner. It would get worse mpg than the current 4runner on the highway if you surpassed 70mph.

 

I can't say, exactly. But, I've always heard that turbos require warming up before really getting in the gas, and cooling down before shutting the engine off.

In general, it seems like a bad idea to start driving the shit out of a vehicle before it's properly warmed up. But, I have seen people just fire it up and hammer down. I figure this could contribute to early failure. This could explain why some modern turbo vehicles appear less than reliable.

I could be wrong, though.

 

I hear ya, in the mountains I have to keep in “S” mode and in 3rd and 4th to go up and down the hills with traffic. The truck likes to be in the high RPM zone for sure. We get better gas mileage with the T4R too. But the Tacoma is lifted with mud tires so not a surprise.

 

With older FI vehicles this was a case, in particular with shutting the vehicle off due to cutting the cooling oil flow off, and the oil baking and causing damaged to bearings.

With new modern turbo and FI vehicles they have made it so this isn’t necessary due to improved circulation and cooling, as well as improvements in synthetic oils.

Still, just like on a normally aspirated vehicle, you should let it get to normal operating temp before / after aggressive driving.

FI vs NA, doesn’t matter anymore in 99.9999%.

 

That makes sense.

I'm just thinking that the turbos themselves are probably susceptible to early failure due to the habit of driving aggressively before warming up the vehicle. And, turbocharged engines are put under more stress than NA engines, which makes them more prone to early failure due to bad driving habits.

Under normal circumstances, though, there's no reason for a turbocharged engine to be less reliable than an NA engine. I think we agree on this. Like I said, those Cummins diesels are notoriously bulletproof.

 

I must say that I looked at a few of the pics and didn’t read any of the words that were in the descriptions.
I can’t afford it so why read anymore. And thanks for the clarification.
Years ago back in CA., a co-worker brought in his neighbor’s FJ-60, with a CA. compliant 5.3 Vortec swap.
Under the hood, it looked overly complicated just like the factory 6 popper. At the time, I was trying to sell all 3 of my old Land Cruisers and didn’t have the money to buy another project. House and family came first.

 

Headlights are a super easy install

 

I think the truth may be somewhere in the middle. Turbos aren't that relevant to the start up and shut down procedure of the motor itself, due to modern engine tech and synthetic oil. But the issue is less that the turbo is heating the crap out of your engine (though neither is that a complete non issue) and more that the turbo itself is hot as f and shutting down can impede its own cooling. After all, they're typically cooled with an intercooler that relies on air. Thus hood scoops (you know, real ones, not like on the 4Runner lol) or placing the intercooler just behind the front grill, near the radiator.

All that said, it hardly seems to be the case that modern turbo engines are a big problem in the real world. Yes, all else being equal, it's an added component with moving parts etc., so it certainly ain't contributing to mechanical simplicity and reliability. But fear of turbo failure is probably overblown most of the time.

I don't like em myself, especially in a sports car, and they seem to exist in part to inflate EPA MPG numbers without real world MPG improvements. But they're a pretty cheap way of getting some good grunt out of a small motor, especially down low in the rev range.

 

Right. I think we're on the same page.

I have no concerns about reliability and turbos. I hope the next 4runner has the turbo 3.5, but I'm not counting on it.

They can improve power and fuel economy. It depends on how you drive, though. People probably beat the piss out of the EB F150's and then bitch about not getting the estimated fuel economy.

I can't think of a motor I'd rather have in a sports car than a 1jz or 2jz, personally. What's not to like about a small straight 6 making 700 (or more) reliable horsepower?

 

Lol, I’d never criticize anyone for liking turbos. The most impressive engine I’ve owned was a BMW turbo 3.0. Lots of HP and torque, incredibly linear power delivery with virtually zero sense of lag, tons of umph low in the rev range, and decent MPG given all that performance.

The turbo 2.0 in my GTI was pretty impressive too.

I just prefer the character of a good NA. No engine ever made me smile as much as the classic BMW in line six of the pre-turbo 3 Series. That sound! The silky zing to redline! That was truly a mechanical thing of beauty.

 

Oh, yeah! I think we had this conversation before!

And, there's definitely something cool about a good NA motor. I really did enjoy my slow-ass '85 Supra! It sounded beautiful!

 

Ah yes, it did seem familiar

I think we also talked about my dad's 85 Supra. It was slow by today's standards but back then I thought it was a freakin Porsche!* Damn did I love that car.


*In fact, it was about as fast as the 944 of the day. Not that I wouldn't have preferred the 944 all in all, but the Sup was a heck of a thing for the price.

 

I still miss mine! Boy, did I get the tickets in that thing!

 

A ticket in my dad's is what pushed me over the points limit and into a suspended license (and fines and mandatory driver training and ultimately court and...) Ah, those were the days....

 

Haha! If I could get back the money from all of the tickets, and reinstating my license, I could buy another Supra!

 

Don't want to throw this thread even farther off course, but can't resist mentioning that one day in '86 I took that Supra on a run of over 200 miles -- all on roads with 50 or 55 mph limits or less, including through the congested Washington DC Beltway -- and averaged 80.5 mph. That was very naughty of me.

 

Ahh, the best threads always stray off topic!

That took some courage to maintain that speed! My dumbest moment, aside from doing a burnout in front if a cop, was burying the speedometer (135 MPH) in a 55, at night. It actually felt very comfortable at that speed.

 

Whoa! Seems we can both be grateful that we -- and those around us -- survived our youths!

 

True! Sometimes I'm grateful that I was always broke and couldn't afford a fast car!

 

This is going to sound terribly elitist of me (I confess!) but I've alway felt that, as a moral matter if not a legal one (or as a matter of law enforcement discretion), high performance cars should allow for higher speeds. The braking, cornering and overall handling ability of my BMW M235 was sooooo far ahead of the average car that triple digit speeds were often entirely reasonable. That car was more stable, more maneuverable and more stoppable at those speeds than a lot of cars at 60. Awhile back a bunch of us piled on a forum member who talked about doing 105 in his 4Runner, and I was one of them. I feel bad about having been a scold then. But really, 105 in a 4Runner is like 160 in some other cars.

 

I definitely agree that some cars are safer at high speed than others. That said, I was the guy who got clocked at 98 in my 4runner. I don't believe the 4runner is designed to go that fast, especially for a long period of time. However, it feels surprisingly comfortable cruising at 85. Not that I recommend driving it that fast.