2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Scheduled Maintenance Guide

Toyota Maintenance and Repair Support14
Service Agreements and Pre-Paid Maintenance
Extended Service Coverage
Toyota Vehicle Service Agreements provide protection against unexpected repairs
formechanical breakdown of covered components beyond the factory warranty.*
They also protect you from increases in the cost of covered repairs. In addition,
many plans include benefits such as towing, substitute transportation and travel
protection with lodging and meals.
Because they are factory-backed, Toyota Vehicle Service Agreements are accepted
at all Toyota dealerships in the United States and Canada. That means repairs are
made only by factory-trained technicians using Genuine Toyota Parts.
Toyota Financial Services offers several levels of service agreement coverage, each
with a variety of time and mileage options.
**Your Toyota dealer can help you
select the coverage that best meets your needs.
Pre-Paid Maintenance
An excellent way to make sure your Toyota receives the recommended mainte-
nance — and to protect yourself from increases in vehicle service costs — is to
pay for maintenance services in advance.
Toyota Auto Care pre-paid maintenance plans are available for both new and
used vehicles. Benefits include oil-and-filter changes, lubrication of key chassis
parts and a 19-point vehicle inspection at each service interval. In addition, you
receive 24-hour roadside assistance, timed service reminders and a computerized
history of each service visit. The Premium Plan (available for new vehicles) also
includes tire rotations and factory-recommended maintenance at service inter-
vals of 15,000, 30,000 and 45,000 miles.
Toyota Auto Care plans offer two coverage levels as well as several options for
service intervals, time and mileage. Ask your Toyota dealer to help you select
the options that are best for you.
Vehicle service agreements are offered by Toyota Motor Insurance Services, Inc., administered by Toyota
Motor Services Company in certain states. In Florida, offered by Toyota Motor Insurance Company.
Toyota Financial Services is a service mark of Toyota Motor Insurance Services, Inc.*
**

Toyota Maintenance and Repair Support15
Notes

General Maintenance Information16
Determining Your Vehicle’s Maintenance Needs
Determining the Proper Maintenance Interval
Depending on your circumstances, you should obtain maintenance for your
Toyota every 5,000 miles or every 7,500 miles. Follow these guidelines to
determine which interval to use.
5,000-Mile Intervals
Use 5,000-mile intervals if you primarily operate your vehicle under any of
the following conditions:
•Driving on unpaved or dusty roads.
•Towing a trailer or using a car-top carrier.
•Repeated trips of less than five miles in temperatures below freezing.
7,500-Mile Intervals
Use 7,500-mile intervals if you primarily operate your vehicle under conditions
other than those listed above.
Note: If you drive your vehicle under any of the special operating conditions
noted below, you may need to perform specific services at 5,000-mile intervals.
See the 5,000-mile maintenance charts for details.
Special Operating Conditions
In addition to standard maintenance items, the scheduled maintenance log
indicates services that should be performed on vehicles that are driven under
especially demanding conditions. Specific conditions require specific services,
as indicated on the following page. The scheduled maintenance log indicates
at which mileage/time intervals each service should be performed.
You should perform these additional maintenance services if you drive primarily
under any of the conditions noted. If you drive only occasionally under these
conditions, it is not necessary to perform the additional services.

General Maintenance Information17
Determining Your Vehicle’s Maintenance Needs
Driving on Rough, Muddy or Snow-Melted Roads
•Inspect ball joints and dust cover
•Inspect brake linings/drums and brake pads/discs
•Inspect drive shaft boots
•Inspect nuts and bolts on chassis and body
•Inspect steering linkage and boots
•Lubricate propeller shaft and re-torque bolt*
•Re-torque drive shaft bolt*
•Rotate tires
Driving on Salt-Covered Roads
•Lubricate propeller shaft and re-torque bolt*
Driving on Unpaved or Dusty Roads
•Inspect brake linings/drums and brake pads/discs
•Inspect or change engine air filter
•Lubricate propeller shaft and re-torque bolt*
•Replace air conditioning filter*
Extensive Idling or Low-Speed Driving for Long Distances
•Inspect brake linings/drums and brake pads/discs
Towing a Trailer or Using a Camper or Car-Top Carrier
•Inspect brake linings/drums and brake pads/discs
•Inspect nuts and bolts on chassis and body
•Lubricate propeller shaft and re-torque bolt*
•Replace differential oil
•Replace transfer case oil*
•Replace transmission fluid or oil
Applies to selected models. See the scheduled maintenance log for details.*

General Maintenance Information18
Determining Your Vehicle’s Maintenance Needs
Off-Road Maintenance
If you own a Land Cruiser or a four-wheel-drive RAV4, Sequoia, Tacoma, Tundra
or 4Runner, you should check the following items daily whenever you drive off-
road through deep sand, mud or water:
•Brake lines and hoses
•Brake linings/drums and brake pads/discs
•Differential oil
•Drive shaft bearings (Land Cruiser)
•Engine air filter
•Steering linkage and boots
•Transfercase oil
•Transmission fluid or oil
•Wheel bearings (Land Cruiser)
For all four-wheel drive vehicles except RAV4, you should also lubricate the
propeller shafts daily.

General Maintenance Information19
Explanation of Maintenance Items
The following descriptions are provided to give you a better understanding of
the maintenance items that should be performed on your vehicle. The scheduled
maintenance log indicates at which mileage/time intervals each item should be
performed. Please note that many maintenance items should be performed only
by a qualified technician.
For further information on maintenance items you can perform yourself,
see the “Vehicle Maintenance and Care” and “Do-It-Yourself Maintenance”
sections of your
Owner’s Manual.
Air Conditioning Filter
Replace at specified intervals.
Automatic Transmission Fluid or Manual Transmission Oil
Replace at specified intervals. When performing inspections, check each com-
ponent for signs of leakage. If you discover any leakage, have it repaired by a
qualified technician immediately.
Ball Joints and Dust Covers
Check the suspension and steering linkage ball joints for looseness and damage.
Check all dust covers for deterioration and damage. Replace any deteriorated or
damaged parts. A qualified technician should perform these operations.
Brake Lines and Hoses
Visually inspect for proper installation. Checkforchafing, cracks, deterioration
and signs of leakage. Replace any deteriorated or damaged parts. A qualified
technician should perform these operations.
Brake Linings/Drums and Brake Pads/Discs
Check the brake linings (shoes) and drums for scoring, burning, fluid leakage,
broken parts and excessive wear. Check the pads for excessive wear and the
discs for runout, excessive wear and fluid leakage. Replace any deteriorated
or damaged parts. A qualified technician should perform these operations.
Charcoal Canister (CA, MA and NY vehicles)
Check for internal damage and clogging. If necessary, clean with compressed air
or replace. A qualified technician should perform these operations.
Differential Oil
Replace at specified intervals. When performing inspections, check each
component for signs of leakage. If you discover any leakage, have it repaired
by a qualified technician immediately.

General Maintenance Information20
Explanation of Maintenance Items
Drive Belts
Inspect for cracks, excessive wearand oiliness. Check the belt tension and
adjust if necessary. Replace the belts if they are damaged.
Drive Shaft Boots
Check the drive shaft boots and clamps forcracks, deterioration and damage.
Replace any deteriorated or damaged parts and, if necessary, repack the grease.
Selected models also require periodic inspection of the drive shaft bolt for proper
torque. A qualified technician should perform these operations.
Engine Air Filter
Replace at specified intervals. When performing inspections, check for damage,
excessive wear and oiliness, and replace if necessary.
Engine Coolant
Drain and flush the cooling system and refill with an ethylene-glycol type
coolant. Inspect the radiator and condenser for leaves, dirt and insects and clean
if necessary. A qualified technician should perform these operations.
Engine Oil and Oil Filter
Replace the oil filter and drain and refill the engine oil at specified intervals.
For recommended oil grade and viscosity, refer to the
Owner’s Manual.
Engine Valve Clearance
Inspect for excessive lifter noise and engine vibration and adjust if necessary.
Aqualified technician should perform this operation.
Exhaust Pipes and Mountings
Visually inspect the exhaust pipes, muffler and hangers for cracks, deterioration
and damage. Start the engine and listen carefully for any exhaust gas leakage.
Tighten connections or replace parts as necessary.
Fuel Lines and Connections, Fuel Tank Band and
Fuel Tank Vapor Vent System Hoses
Visually inspect for corrosion, damage, cracks and loose or leaking connections.
Tighten connections or replace parts as necessary.
Fuel Tank Cap Gasket
Visually inspect for cracks, deterioration and damage and replace if necessary.
Nuts and Bolts on Chassis and Body
Re-tighten the seat-mounting bolts and front/rear suspension member retaining
bolts to specified torque.

General Maintenance Information21
Explanation of Maintenance Items
Propeller Shaft
Lubricate the propeller shaft spiders and slide yokes with lithium-base chassis grease
and the double cardan joint with molybdenum-disulfide lithium-base chassis grease,
and re-torque the bolt. Only a qualified technician should re-torque the bolt.
Radiator Core and Condenser
Inspect for debris and signs of damage. Have any problem repaired immediately
by a qualified technician.
Spark Plugs
Replace at specified intervals. Install newplugs of the same type as originally
equipped. A qualified technician should perform this operation.
Steering Gear Box
Inspect for signs of leakage. If you discover any leakage, have it repaired imme-
diately by a qualified technician.
Steering Linkage and Boots
With the vehicle stopped, check for excessive freeplay in the steering wheel.
Inspect the linkage for bending and damage and the dust boots for deterioration,
cracks and damage. Replace any damaged parts. A qualified technician should
perform these operations.
Timing Belt
Replace every 90,000 miles. A qualified technician should perform this operation.
Tire Rotation
Tires should be rotated according to the instructions in the Owner’s Manual.
When rotating tires, check for damage and uneven wear. Replace if necessary.
TransferCase Oil
Replace at specified intervals. When performing inspections, check for signs of
leakage. If you discoverany leakage, have it repaired by a qualified technician
immediately.
Wheel Bearing and Drive Shaft Bearing Grease
Repack the wheel bearings with wheel bearing grease and the front drive shaft
bearings with molybdenum-disulfide lithium-base chassis grease. A qualified
technician should perform these operations.