u/midcenturywisdom

Wanted to share what I found online : 25% off plus whatever dealer discounts , and free shipping on most items over $75 through August 26th. The Southeast Toyota region has jumped the gun on the typical Labor Day sales. I typically wait for the July, September, and December sales for those big orders. Search carefully at all the dealers because each has a discount for typical sales that I have found range from 28-31% (or possibly better)! They are not going to ship bumpers for free, but you can pick them up for the cost of mileage. An example: 43512-0C011 Rotor for the TMU with discount is $63.38 with a 31% dealer discount. Cheers!

I went to my local dealership and picked up a brand new OEM transmission dipstick for my ’97 3.4L automatic 4WD. Background: A couple of nights ago, I was sitting in a parking lot trying to get a clean reading on my fluid level. I spent WAAY too much time fighting with the dipstick getting it back down into the tube. I figured my original stick must have been bent by a previous owner, so I ordered a fresh factory replacement.

Days later, the new part arrived. I immediately pulled out the old one, ready to slide the new one right in.

Sadly, it did not go as I envisioned. The brand new OEM stick wouldn't go in either. It kept binding up.

The Real Problem With the Factory Design

I compared the old and new dipsticks side by side. Everything was exactly the same length, except for a few bent places in the old stick from years of being forced down the tube. I tried gently tweaking and bending the new one to clear the internal curves, and it eventually went in—but something was still completely wrong in "perfect town."

That is when I noticed the real issue: the extra metal below the "COOL" marks is just too long.

The stick has to make a tight turn at the bottom of the tube. That extra unneeded length at the very tip causes it to bind, catch, and twist out of shape every single time. Why do we need to have that extra fight?

The Fix: Engineering a Better "Magic Stick"

I decided to eliminate the problem at the source:

1. The Cut: I broke off the unnecessary unneeded portion right below the lower fluid indicator mark. (Note: This modification does not affect your ability to read the hot or cool fluid levels, as all factory indicator notches remain completely intact.)
2. The Polish: I ground down the new tip to a smooth curve, polished it clean with 1000-grit wet/dry sandpaper, and wiped it down completely.

The Result

I went back to the truck to try again. Wow. It slid all the way down smoothly without having to twist, turn, or force it. It works exactly like it should have been originally designed by Toyota back in ‘96.

I actually bought an extra brand new OEM stick to modify while I had the tools out. If you are living in the LA area and want to buy it off me, DM me and it’s yours. I'm just looking to cover the $42.40 cost of the part (the labor is on me). I'm located in the Santa Clarita area for a local meetup. First come, first served!

Cheers!

Was looking for a window sticker that represented all the options on my ‘97 4Runner SR5 4wd and stumbled across this marked up sticker.

According to an old school dealership salesperson, the mid-to-late 1990s the 4Runner was one of the hottest, most highly demanded SUVs on the market.

Because demand heavily outpaced supply, dealerships frequently slapped on "Toyota Dealer Markup"

Anybody out there that bought one of these new and paid a markup like this?