What to do when you hit the 300k mile mark....

My '99 is currently sitting at 327k miles. It's gotten to where it just doesn't seem to run very well any more and I'm just not sure what to do. Some days it feels like it has a little more get up and go/power than others, if I turn it off and then back on shortly after it idles way too low, it is not very quiet AT ALL....I can literally hear it running 30 yards (or more) or more away, when accelerating I can hear a clicking noise sometimes (maybe a vacuum leak?) Yeah, it has 327k miles on it, it's not going to run perfect anymore but I don't think it's running as well as it could. I've always tried to keep it well maintained and serviced ever since I've owned it. I've thought about getting it rebuilt but I'm not really sure it needs it. Any suggestions on what I could do?

FWIW, I just replaced the plugs and wires, got a drop in K&N, replaced the throttle position sensor and completely cleaned the throttle body.

 

I bet your truck hasn't had a valve lash adjustment in a long time, if ever. You should compression test each cylinder and pull an oil sample right before it's due for an oil change to get a better idea of the engine's condition. If those test OK, then you should adjust the valve clearance. If you're not a DIYer a shop can do that stuff for pretty cheap. Lots cheaper than rebuilding an engine that may not need it, anyway.

 

To my knowledge that's never been done...and I doubt a shop would do that with out me asking. I'll look into that for sure because the thought has crossed my mind that it has been loosing compression.

What about replacing injectors? It's still using the originals.

 

That's a possibility, too. You can pull them out and clean them, there are lots of videos on youtube that show how to do it. If your check engine light is on there could be a code for a bad injector if you plug in a code reader. That would even tell you which cylinder it is on. If there are no codes, that's where my knowledge of troubleshooting gas engine injectors ends.

 

for the idle clean the idle air control valve.

 

I'l try that also!

any more tips/ideas on what to do?

 

How much do you like your truck?

You could re-build the motor for about $3000, or buy a brand new Toyota for around $30,000 .

Doing the re-build yourself may not cost more than $900 for parts and supplies.

 

It's not how much I like my truck, it's what I can afford If it were my choice, I would upgrade to a new (to me) tacoma. But when you're a college student, the options are limited.