BowTied

THe DC1s look best - unless your rig is black or tan/gold then teh kinigs look good too.

Thanks for the comments Slick Crossing the chains is primarily to catch the hitch if it becomes disconnected - reduction of swaying in that event is also a benefit. I have never twisted my chains, I guess I have been lucky that I didn't need to... I am sure any official recommendation would be against this - while I don't think it would actually weaken anything, in the event the hitch came apart the chain could untwist allowing the hitch to drop farther which is undesirable. If they are too long, I recommend getting them sized correctly. Things I forgot - if buying a used trailer or building your own, ensure the safety chains (must have 2, at least in my juristiction) are properly sized/rated for the load being towed. Check with your local office of the MTO, DMV or whatever organization polices this for the correct sizing for your load - regulations change, don't trust the 15 year old trailer you just bought is up to code. Chains should have a device that prevents them from coming accidentally unhooked. I have seen many trailers where the safety chains are connected with S hooks - not the ideal situation anymore. A rated clasp or closeable chain link would be better. I believe 5th wheel hitches do not require safety chains, but check with your local authority. Electrical harnesses - I have towed enough other people's home built trailers to know that not everyone understands the conventions for wiring different connectors. When I install a harness on my tow vechile, I use weather proof quick connects (with di-electric grease) on each wire in the harness a few inches from the trailer harness connection point. This saves your butt if you connect to someone else's trailer and your left turn signal lights up the right signal on the trailer, just swap those quick connects until everything works properly! Older trailer? grease those wheel bearings and check their condition! Bearing buddies (dust caps with a built in grease nipple) are worth the investment I think. Ensure the load is evenly distributed on your trailer and it is not overloaded - uneven load distribution/overloading can cause swaying and undue wear on wheel bearings. The weight bias should be slight on the trailer hitch (not exceeding the rated tongue wieght capacity) a negative weight bias on the hitch is bad, could aid in the hitch disconnecting. My hitches have a latch for a lock so the trailer cannot be removed from the hitch. At least put a bolt and nut through this, it helps ensure the hitch doesn't pop off - a lock might keep your trailer on your truck while at a rest stop too. Loose items must be tarped/strapped down, this is law in many juristicitons. You cannot have people in a trailer. You can tow only one trailer at a time unless you are using a commercial vehicle, and I am sure there are special rules around that. There are more things to learn when towing a car on a flatbed trailer, such as vehicle orientation, loading steps, and cross chaining but I am not as familiar with that. Good luck!

My 02 needed a module for the trailer lights - this is due to the signal and brakes not being the same circuit like the trailer would be. Towing: When towing, do not use OD. A trans cooler is a good idea. Is this a 2 wheel dolly? I have used one of those that strapped the towed vehicle tires down. Double check those straps before leaving and check those straps 3 times again in the first several miles after going around some turns as thing settle in. Give yourself a lot of extra braking room. Don't speed. Double check the trailer lights, all of them. Make sure you have your trailer ownership with you. Double check your trailer chains and hitch. Make sure the hitch ball is the correct size for the trailer hitch. Cross the safety chains when you connect them. Lube the hitch ball. Check trailer tire pressure and condition. At every stop for gas etc. do a full walk around and double check all chains, straps, and the hitch. Got a spare trailer tire? You'll need the correct tire iron/jack too. Turn the radio down, your ears will alert you to something going wrong.... of course, always keep an eye on your mirrors. If something does seem wrong, don't brake violently if possible, pull over as soon as it is safe to do so and check things out. 5 extra minutes could save a lot of greif. Practice backing up - if inexperienced, make sure to have a compentent spotter. That's from the top of my head, maybe others will add in something too.....

Yes, it is corrosive to metal.

congrats!!!!! You are lucky, buy a lottery ticket quick!

That's good, easy to fix. Do not use the caulking that smells like vinegar (like the bathroom caulking) - use RTV like you would use on an oil pan or similar.

Do you find there is more headroom in the burb? I love my 02LE, but my old Jimmy has way more room for the driver and front passenger..... nice rides, g/l with the sale.

Let's see, crap mileage - .1 = still crap. :D Good point though, I had not thought of that. At $4.73/gal for 87, every bit counts!!!

Thanks for the tips guys. So I should be able to go to a wrecker and pull a deflector and bolt it on IF the deflector mounts with the hinges. Weird that the LEs are less likely to get them - anyone know why? A cleaner look? Or was a rear wiper optional above the deflector? That GTO deflector looks neat but looks like it is two-sided taped to the paint, right? Not sure if I want that..... Is there any reason to NOT want a deflector? I thought it would help keep the rear window cleaner, but I don't want to add to problems. Is the QX4 deflector the same (I assume so, but want to verify). thx

My 02 LE has no rear wind deflector on the tail gate. Why is that? Was it optional? Anyway, are they hard to add? Is it bolt on, what is involved? I did a search but didn't find the answers... TIA

Sounds like a Choke to me.

good info above. Always disconnect negative first and reconnect negative last.

What 87 said. You tested the plug and the wire for spark? I had one time a dead plug, weird I know. good luck, hope it is minor...

My 02LE has ~112k kms (70k miles). Hardly uses any oil at all. I note it seems to get dirty faster than I thought it might, but it is used primarily around the city on short trips (this is the family vehicle my wife drives it mostly). Other than me loc-titing the power valve screws (some of you may have seen my post here on that) the engine has not been apart that I know of. I do notice that not being exactly on level ground makes a big difference in checking oil level. My lane is a slight incline and the oil always appear low (facing downhill), but I check it at the shop before I change the oil and it has not been lower than like 7/8s of full yet - and I never over fill. Is it possible that the trick oil catch can you have installed in your PCV line is ading a back pressure that the engine doesn't like? Have you done a compression test to see if it is rings or valves or neither? Are you using synthetic? Some engines simply use a bit more oil. As long as your plugs are not fouling, I would not worry too much about it unless it gets worse.

how many miles? I bet u-joints.

I started out looking for a 2000-2003 4Runner, found afterward the pathy was very comparable for a lot less money - and that the VQ was on the Wards Top 10 Engine list for several years running (granted I was still find out about the power valve screws). I also considered a LR Disco, but had a number of people steer me away from due to the replacement part cost. I never did verify that personally, but had enough people tell that it made me wonder - in the end my wife did not like the looks of them so we avoided those. For in town driving I don't notice a difference between 87 octane and 89 in our 2002LE - it runs just fine. The VQ does not require premium fuel, it is only recommended for maximum performance. We run 89 usually. All mode - I like it a lot, but I don't do off-roading like you are planning. I believe that all-mode vechiles either do not or are highly unlikely to come equipped with a LSD, at least teh LEs don't I believe. LEs, at least 02+ I think, come with side impact air bags and fog lights and some other crap like leather seats.

Just a stab in the dark, any vacuum lines accidently left disconnected?

Yup ok, I am thinking a cap rotor and wires are in order and that will solve the problem.... I would also bet the plugs are the same age and I'd suggest doing those too. Let us know if that fixed the problem...

I had an old Pontiac that would quick like that when it over heated... if your gauges are out or order, do you know for sure you are not overheating? I doubt that is it, just thinking outloud. With an older truck with that many miles, it could be a few things. Does it do this more when it is raining/wet? Check plug wires for cracks (bend the wire and look closely). Look also for corrosion/worn distributor / rotor. Check also that the 12V supply wire to your distributor /coil is in good condition. At this age of vehicle it may be prudent to check important wires, hose clamps and bolts front to back for reliability's sake....

Thanks for the head up on the TSB, I think I have found it here: http://www.fnd4pth.com/R50/TSB/NTB03-011.pdf

Sorry about your luck we have all been there at one time or another..... You didn't mention vehicle details/mileage, sorry I missed your other post. Fuel pump was my first thought as I started reading your post. Next time it stalls, turn the key on without starting wait 2 seconds and turn key off, repeat twice. If it starts and runs for at least a little bit, it could be the fuel pump (or regulator?). I assume it doesn't sputter when it dies? It could also be a plugged up fuel filter, I would replace that regardless if you are not certain how old it is. Are you getting a check engine light? If so what are the codes?

Thanks!!! I hadn't gotten a lot of response to this post, thought maybe I had made too small or too big of a post. Glad it helped someone! Thanks for info on the MT trans engines, great info.

Great post! Thanks for kind comments on my write up. I am new pathy owner and myself didn't know there was a difference in the engines based on MT/AT, cool to know!!!!

Do you notice and vibration on accleration or decelerations (without brakes)? What about in 4wd vs 2wd? Just trying to rule out u-joints/cv-joints.

I have seen this in different transmissions... sometimes the gears just don't line up - try shifting it into 3rd then back into 1st. If that doesn't help, you may need to adjust something, perhpas the throwout bearing isn't fully releasing?