PM at 100K?

[brelandt]

I work as a mid level mechanic for Firestone, so I can change the parts myself.
I have a 2004 Tacoma PreRunner with 96K. I drive 160 miles each day to and from work. The miles have really added up.
I can not have my truck take a dump on me so I want to start r&r parts before they cause a problem but I don't make enough money to change everything at the same time.
I have only changed the 1st bank O2, plugs, evap VSV, front brake, brake fluid and coolant thus far. Should I go ahead and just start replacing the bank 2 O2, Alternator, starter, Radiator...etc...now?
Might sound odd coming from a mid level mechanic, but I am just starting out and I am not above the advise of others.
If this was your truck how would you handle it?

 

[PandaBear]

I don't think anything can suddenly break after 100k. O2 may throw you a CEL and plugs may reduce fuel economy, but other than a snapped timing belt or an abruptly burst radiator and coolant hoses (very rare these days).

 

[jmsjags]

you should really look into transferring to a firestone closer to you. or is that not an option? would save you a lot of $

 

[Sayjac]

I agree with Panda. Example, had the air/fuel ratio sensor (upstream) throw a code recently on an 01 Tacoma 3.4L Prerunner. Engine still ran great, ordered the part from Amazon normal shippping and installed it when I got to it. The sensor just wore out.

Guess you have to use some common sense and your comfort level, but I wouldn't just start replacing expensive parts like radiators and alternators. fwiw, still have oe of both on my 01 taco.

 

[beast3300]

Originally Posted By: brelandt
I work as a mid level mechanic for Firestone, so I can change the parts myself.
I have a 2004 Tacoma PreRunner with 96K. I drive 160 miles each day to and from work. The miles have really added up.
I can not have my truck take a dump on me so I want to start r&r parts before they cause a problem but I don't make enough money to change everything at the same time.
I have only changed the 1st bank O2, plugs, evap VSV, front brake, brake fluid and coolant thus far. Should I go ahead and just start replacing the bank 2 O2, Alternator, starter, Radiator...etc...now?
Might sound odd coming from a mid level mechanic, but I am just starting out and I am not above the advise of others.
If this was your truck how would you handle it?



Stop in the name of love. Oh sorry that was not what...anyway. Don't replace stuff just to replace stuff. Maintenance stuff I say yes, random parts I say no.

yes:
Spark plugs, wires, primary O2 sensors (pre-cat), fluids and lubes.

no:
Anything else that isn't broken. Radiator, driveshafts, lightbulbs, etc.

 

[brelandt]

LOL! I suppose after seeing many and I do mean many cars a week come into my shop broke the panic starts to set in!
As far as a transfer....out of the question for now but I am planning to rent a room near by work. Fremont, CA is either too expensive (safe) or too ghetto (my budget allows) for what I can afford at the moment.
I mostly see BMW, M-B, and civic, accords, camry, but only 2 tacomas.

 

[01rangerxl]

You don't need to replace any of those things as preventive maintenance. Replace them as needed if they fail.

O2 sensors will trigger a CEL when they go. It's not something you need to fix on the side of the road, so just wait for the CEL. If the radiator isn't corroded or damaged, you don't need to replace it. A radiator can last the life of the car if the cooling system is well maintained and it doesn't get damaged. You can't prevent the kinds of things that cause a radiator to develop a sudden major leak. No need to replace the starter or alternator either unless they show signs of problems.

A Scangauge is a good investment. It lets you keep an eye on a lot of things that have a major influence on the longevity of a vehicle. I'd consider spending your money there instead of replacing parts that could still last 300K+ miles and a couple decades.

On my truck, I replace fluids and some filters more often than is probably necessary, but I don't replace hard parts unless they are broken. The OEM stuff is pretty good, you want to keep it.

 

[PandaBear]

Dublin to Fremont is a very short commute. I wouldn't worry about that distance at all.

Why did you replace the bank 1 O2 sensor? Was it bad? Did you fail smog or almost fail smog at low speed?

 

[Vikas]

Only thing which I would replace in this case would be those items which are KNOWN to die on your model and give no warning whatsoever. For example, if you do research and found that PreRunner alternator only lasts for 100K (VERY VERY UNLIKELY) then you could replace it with a new genuine OEM alternator (lots of $$$) but proactively putting a cheap aftermarket in place of working OEM would be brain dead.

 

[Quest]

I'm with most of the respondents here: no need to change out parts for the sake of just changing parts, knowing full well that unless these things suffered from severe neglect (i.e. leave a dead battery inside a car and let your alternator to work extra hard until burns out, etc.)

Just drive and be happy.

Q.

 

[Old Mustang Guy]

When my 01 Escape hit 100k I did belts, hoses and water pump along with the coolant flush. I'll probably do the same at 200k in a year or so. Does anyone else worry about old water pumps?

 

[hattaresguy]

Why throw your money away chasing after problems that don't exist?


Leave it alone, keep up on maintenance, keep an eye on everything and just drive it. 100k miles is nothing.


The OE starter you replace could have had 150k miles of life in it, the rebuilt you replace it with might fail in 25k.

Invest in a good AAA membership and a charged cell phone, if it breaks have it towed. Not the end of the world.

 

[brelandt]

pandabear....had to move to patterson.......the O2 threw a code at 45k miles and I drove with it for another 20K.
Forgot to mention I had to replace the power steering pump because the front seal went out shortly after I bought the truck new in Jan of 2004. Since then I have been washing the engine off when the steering fluid got heavy. Which means my alternator was subjected to degreaser and water at least once a week for 8 years. I think that is what killed my Evap VSV as it had lots of rust around it.
My control arm bushings are squeaking pretty loud and is getting to the point where I'm realigning the front once a month now. got bushings on order. Trucks had a had life for sure.

 

[PandaBear]

Patterson is indeed very far because of the traffic as well. If the power steering pump was fixed is there a particular reason why you are still hosing the engine bay once a week?

 

[hattaresguy]

I'd suggest not washing your engine so much. OTOH its a testament to the quality of Toyota's electrical connections.

 

[brelandt]

No haven't hosed down the engine since after installing the new pump. But for the last 6 months before the leak was getting worse due to the high miles I was driving. To be safe I bought new belts and pulleys.