Welcome to the world of modern vehicle design: Never compromise build
cost for ease of maintenance. I'd hate to be a mechanic for a living
these days.
Bill Babcock
billb@bnj.com
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On Mar 14, 2007, at 6:02 AM, Guyots3@wmconnect.com wrote:
> My humblest apologies for being off topic here, but...
>
> I just had to share this horrible experience!
>
> My '97 Toyota 4Runner SR5, (family vehicle) decided yesterday, (my
> only day
> off this week), that it's starter motor had done enough strating,
> (at 102,000
> miles).
>
> Lots of clicking, not much else.
>
> It happened in a parking lot of a shopping center, (built on an
> Indian burial
> gound, so considered a jinxed place by locals)...
>
> I also had my 16= year old daughter with me, who was bitching that
> her day
> was now ruined, because she couldn't get to the Mall to shop - it
> was all of
> tw
> blocks away!
>
> No comment.
>
> Anyhoo, I called Cingular, with whom I was supposed to have
> breakdown cover
> for the last year, and was informed that I had no such cover on my
> account,
> even though I had asked for it when the account was set-up!
>
> So, I had to call my wife, to come tow me with her '86 Ford
> Econoline camper
> van.
> She borrowed a rather secondhand tow rope from our circuit racer
> neighbour,
> who informed her that towing with a rope was illegal in Oregon?
>
> After an 'interesting' 6 mile tow, to a friend's shop, during which
> the rope
> only snapped one time, (at a busy and dangerous intersection,
> naturally), when
> I very quickly called into play my boy scout knot tying skills...we
> made it,
> without being arrested.
>
> note that automatic SUV's with power braking and power steering,
> are VERY
> tough to brake and steer, without power!
>
> Anyhoo, when my friends saw the ensemble of '86 Econoline towing
> '97 4Runner,
> they responded with "you might be a redneck if", very funny!
>
> We first disconnected the battery, and luckily I had one of those
> handy-dandy
> computer memory keeper thingys that plugs into the cigarette
> lighter - and it
> worked - otherwise I would be paying the local Toyota dealer $45 to
> reset the
> radio code, which I do not have, and yes it does work!
>
> So to remove the starter, Messrs Chiltons encouraged us to
> "disconnect wires,
> unbolt starter and pull forward towards front of vehicle to remove
> from
> vehicle."
>
> Oh yeah?
>
> The front driveshafts were in the way, so that part of the manual
> must be
> referring to the 2WD version.
>
> The starter bolts came out easily enough, as did the heavy wire,
> although the
> plastic clip attaching the small wire is the work of satan himself,
> heat
> hardened due to the proximity of the exhaust, covered in oil/grease/
> dirt and
> designed in the true fashion of the ancient Chinese puzzle, also at
> arms
> length and
> almost inaccesible.
>
> But the real fun was yet to come.
>
> That increasingly heavy, and at arms length, starter motor was not
> coming out
> via any of the very small access holes, at any angle or direction.
>
> We removed the two 'skid plates', still no go, and eventually
> figured out
> that we would have to remove the long thin pipe for the ATF
> dipstick, which
> is,
> (of course), welded to the ATF pan, which cannot itself be removed,
> without
> first draining the ATF and at least half removing the hefty front
> Anti-sway
> bar,
> then disconnecting the pipes to the power steering.
>
> Nice design Toyota, most impressive.
>
> note that the bolts for the anti-sway bar are welded underneath
> with the nuts
> on top, and that the bolts closest to the exhaust downpipe/cat are
> cooked and
> rusted...
>
> One of those had to meet the BFH and then we had to snap it off in the
> bracket, later drilling out the remains, just to remove it.
>
> Now my starter motor is in for a rebuild, and the transmission is
> getting new
> filter and gasket, and the anti-sway bar link on the other side is
> getting
> replaced - we discovered it was in poor condition -
>
> That little lot took roughly 4 hours, and my hands still ache.
>
> Not looking forward to putting it all back together.
>
> I am grateful that we were able to avoid a hefty towing charge and
> dealer
> bills for the work.
>
> I think what really bothers me most is the complete lack of decent
> servicing
> design by Toyota, and the almost useless Chiltons Manual.
>
> Never mind, at least I stil have the '86 Econoline to go to work
> today and
> tomorrow!
>
> Triumph design rules!
>
> Take care out there
>
> Leon<A HREF="http://community.webshots.com/user/vitesse1963";>
>
> http://community.webshots.com/user/vitesse1963</A>
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