4,000 Mile Road Trip Prep @ 95k Miles: 2014 LX (2 Viewers)

[04UZJ100]

I am relocating back to the L48 from Alaska for work. Happening sooner than expected as I have only been North for 30 months.

Anyway, I drove the 4Runner up and will be driving my 2014 LX back. I am electing to have the 4Runner shipped this time for more room/general comfort during the drive.

The LX has recently had the following maintenance items done.

- AHC Flush at 75k
- Diff Oil Change at 75K
- New battery 24 months ago

I am thinking of doing the followings myself.

- Front and Rear rotors/pads
- Oil change
- Driveline grease

I am thinking of having the dealer do the following.

- serpentine belt change
- coolant drain/fill

The radiator passes visual inspection - especially where the cracks are known to propagate. Tires have less than 15k miles on them.

At this point - I cannot think of anything else to do or consider......any ideas/thoughts??

Thanks in advance!!

 

[bloc]

Some people will suggest starter but I think the odds of failure are so low in this window it’s not worth the substantial cost.

Your list looks pretty solid. I’m not sure if a radiator can go from good to bad (failure) in 4K, but definitely give it a look every couple of tanks of fuel. During the winter the stresses on it should be much lower than summer, but still something to keep in mind.

 

[04UZJ100]

Some people will suggest starter but I think the odds of failure are so low in this window it’s not worth the substantial cost.

Your list looks pretty solid. I’m not sure if a radiator can go from good to bad (failure) in 4K, but definitely give it a look every couple of tanks of fuel. During the winter the stresses on it should be much lower than summer, but still something to keep in mind.

Thanks for the feedback. I would think the stresses would be higher during the winter seeing that I could be starting the truck in the morning well below 0* since this trip may be happening in the next 6-9 weeks.

Based on my research here - it is not an immediate failure if the hairline cracks are identified prior to failure.

The starter appears to be a roll of the dice.

 

[Sandroad]

Wow, a winter trip from the far north! Your truck will be ready with that PM list. What sort of PM do you need.

 

[99Cruiser]

You could probably wait on the spark plugs. Was the water pump ever changed? That could leave you stranded if it fails. Mine failed on prior owner around 82k miles. You are probably pressed for time so have dealer due oil change, skip the spark plugs, and have them inspect brakes. Wait on brakes if they check out until you get back south.

 

[04UZJ100]

Wow, a winter trip from the far north! Your truck will be ready with that PM list. What sort of PM do you need.

Going to be my Alaskan Malamute and I!

 

[04UZJ100]

You could probably wait on the spark plugs. Was the water pump ever changed? That could leave you stranded if it fails. Mine failed on prior owner around 82k miles.

WP has not been done. Will wait on plugs.

Again...one of those things...how far do you go?

If I was driving my 4Runner with 200k on it, I’d be doing an oil change and replacing the one frozen caliper on it. That’s it.

 

[CruiserFan88]

If you can do brakes and spark plugs you are overqualified for the belt and coolant flush. Save some money man you got those two easy. Belt is minutes and requires only a small Allen wrench or similar to remove by yourself just saying

 

[CruiserFan88]

Come to think about it, I don’t think you really need any tools for the flush either, if you plan on changing the water pump/thermostat later, drain it from the plug at the bottom of radiator fill with water, run car repeat maybe twice, and refill. That should be more then enough to get fresh fluid in there for your trip. Again you got this brah. Leave the engine block drain for the full coolant refresh when you do everything. My .02

 

[bloc]

During winter the thermostat will be open less, which means water within the radiator will stay cooler than in summer. As long as you are above the freezing temp of your coolant, at which point you’d have much larger problems, I don’t see the stresses being higher during winter.

As for coolant flush I’ve been converted to not doing real flushes. If yours isn’t totally horrible or contaminated, it’s better to just drain and fill with fresh stuff. If you use straight water for a flush it is nearly impossible to get it all out, so to some extent it will dilute the brand new coolant you put into the system.

Plus when I did my full coolant flush with water I had hell getting all of the air out of the back of the system. And that mostly came from using low pressure air to force the fresh water out of the back so it wouldn’t dilute the new coolant. At this point I’d much prefer dumping the old stuff and replacing with new, knowing that 95%+ of the volume is brand new and not diluted in any way.

 

[04UZJ100]

Come to think about it, I don’t think you really need any tools for the flush either, if you plan on changing the water pump/thermostat later, drain it from the plug at the bottom of radiator fill with water, run car repeat maybe twice, and refill. That should be more then enough to get fresh fluid in there for your trip. Again you got this brah. Leave the engine block drain for the full coolant refresh when you do everything. My .02

Appreciate it brother.

 

[04UZJ100]

During winter the thermostat will be open less, which means water within the radiator will stay cooler than in summer. As long as you are above the freezing temp of your coolant, at which point you’d have much larger problems, I don’t see the stresses being higher during winter.

As for coolant flush I’ve been converted to not doing real flushes. If yours isn’t totally horrible or contaminated, it’s better to just drain and fill with fresh stuff. If you use straight water for a flush it is nearly impossible to get it all out, so to some extent it will dilute the brand new coolant you put into the system.

Plus when I did my full coolant flush with water I had hell getting all of the air out of the back of the system. And that mostly came from using low pressure air to force the fresh water out of the back so it wouldn’t dilute the new coolant. At this point I’d much prefer dumping the old stuff and replacing with new, knowing that 90%+ of the volume is brand new and not diluted in any way.

I should have clarified. I was going to do a radiator drain and fill. I can repeat it at 120k and continue on with regular drain/fills every 50k thereafter.

 

[nolamule]

Safe travels! I have driven the ALCAN three times but never in winter. I would highly recommend getting road side assistance added to your auto insurance policy if you don’t already have it. My ass was saved big time in the late fall when we had a trailer axel bend due to poor road conditions. After I popped the second spare tire I was stranded. Insurance company towed the trailer about 500 miles to get the axel fixed. Tow cost me $0.79!

 

[04UZJ100]

Safe travels! I have driven the ALCAN three times but never in winter. I would highly recommend getting road side assistance added to your auto insurance policy if you don’t already have it. My ass was saved no g time in the late fall when we had a trailer axel bend due to poor road conditions. After I popped the second spare tire I was stranded. Insurance company towed the trailer about 500 miles to get the axel fixed. Tow cost me $0.79!

All set with StateFarm and AAA

 

[mcgaskins]

I think all you need is one of these:

 

[32cls6speedmt]

I think windshield wipers. Sometimes it is overlooked by some people. I change all of my families vehicles annual with oem wiper inserts.

 

[KLF]

Carry spare wipers and a jug of wiper fluid.

Air filter?
Cabin air filter?
Brake fluid?

 

[OregonLC]

To answer your question more data is needed: Where in AK and BC will you be driving, i.e. how remote? Will you be taking side trips on trail or is it all highway? What is your tolerance for delays? What is your aptitude for performing repairs on the trail? What is your risk tolerance? Would you be more upset if you payed for an expensive tow and dealer repair or if you felt that you overspent on preventative maintenance?

Without that you'll get all kinds of opinions on what others would do that may or may not apply to your specific abilities, route of travel, or concerns.

That said, while I have very adequate mechanical ability I also have low tolerance for road problems and (typically) have little time to spare. So for me avoiding a breakdown is a big deal and I will always err on the side of doing a PM early than a repair later. In the case of your truck, however, I don't see much on your list that would concern me with only 75k on the vehicle. My primary concerns would be coolant (verify it's actually SLCC an not something the PO cheaped out on) and battery. It's likely that the batt is original if a 2014. If so I'd replace it. And do the oil change. It's a 4k trip and my OCI is 5k, so that's a no-brainer. I'd also bring a Noco jump pack. Brake pads can be inspected externally. If >5mm I wouldn't prioritize replacing before you roll.

My biggest concern for that trip would be to sustain life for several days should weather or an accident. Food, shelter, water, heat, protection. I'd approach if from the standpoint that the vehicle was a complete loss and burned and your bug out bag was all that you had. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. I'm assuming you'll come down the Alcan. In that case you'd have help pass by at some regularity. But weather, crashes, landslides, floods, etc. create havoc and in the dead of winter can change an inconvenience into a harsh stay. Or worse. Spare fuel for delays, reroutes, back tracking, and idling would be premium.

Stay safe and post up pics of your trip!

 

[hickuptruck]

I honestly think a 2014 LX with 95k miles would be able to do that trip without any big worry. Just a quick check up before you go and it'll be 110%

 

[Phalen302]

Should not be an issue at all. I just completed 2k journey without any extra maintenance. It has 110k, 2015, everything is still original.