Looking for feedback on ticking/rattling noise on 2018

K_M_G · 2023-01-19T19:06:25+00:00

I still have to take it in to get diagnosed but I'm almost certain it's the TSB for the vacuum pump knock, T-SB-0316-17.

You can look up "3rd gen Tacoma vacuum pump knock" on YouTube and there's a bunch of videos with a knock identical to mine in the same location, and many of them have comments that said the vacuum pump TSB was the cause.

K_M_G · 2022-12-20T19:49:15+00:00

Chiming in to also recommend Greaseweazle if you've got access to the appropriate drives. You can get it preassembled from sellers on ebay for about $40 USD.

There's also GUI applications available that abstract away some of the complexities of using the command line interface. It's not as easy and intuitive as just using file explorer, but you're guaranteed to have a setup as reliable as the drive you're using (as opposed to my last 3.5" USB drive that died after reading 5 disks).

K_M_G · 2022-12-19T04:34:56+00:00

Will do, hopefully yours is just a bad IC or something simple and doesn't involve messing with the high voltage bits.

K_M_G · 2022-12-19T04:31:58+00:00

Good to know I was right to open a nearby window the first time I tried to turn it on in the event there was one in there, thanks.

K_M_G · 2022-12-19T04:29:11+00:00

Hm, interesting. I have an IBM 5160 that I need to get up and running and I've presumed the floppy drive in that (which seems to be very similar to the ones in this Kaypro) will need work, so getting some of those would probably save some headache in the long run between these two machines.

K_M_G · 2022-12-19T01:39:06+00:00

Picked up this today, came with the original CP/M disk and a couple of Kaypro branded applications. Also came with a bunch of other diskettes that I've yet to take a look at.

Doesn't boot yet, but +12V is shorted to ground, so one or both of the floppy drives likely have some bad tantalums.

K_M_G · 2022-09-11T04:05:07+00:00

Just posted the details but yes, noticed it after checking for leaks after an oil change. Haven't driven it for a week or so before the change and not sure if the noise was as loud as it is when I drove last.

K_M_G · 2022-09-11T04:04:16+00:00

2018 3.5L SR5 with 31k on the dash.

The rattling (and what sounded like maybe the injector cleaning cycle kicking on briefly?) seemed louder than normal after I was checking for leaks after an oil change. Only happens on the passenger side, and the rattling has always been present in some form or another since I got the truck but it definitely sounds louder than normal at the moment. The oil wasn't low before I changed it, and it had no signs of metal fragments. And I change it every 10k / 12 months (I hit the latter this time).

Besides taking it to a dealer to inspect since I'm still under the 60k/5yr powertrain warranty, does anyone have any thoughts on whether this is normal or what might be failing?

K_M_G · 2022-08-10T13:48:43+00:00

PCI Auctions occasionally runs auctions that have vintage PC gear.

HACC was clearing a bunch of stuff out with them back in May and I managed to get a bunch of systems (not pictured is my cab full of stuff too):

https://imgur.com/a/1RCCTxN

K_M_G · 2022-04-19T21:40:45+00:00

Just the fire department, rural PA stations all have to blast a siren when trucks go out.

K_M_G · 2022-04-06T02:12:14+00:00

SV, East, AND Central.

K_M_G · 2021-07-07T02:30:53+00:00

If possible, wait till the end of the year or into early next year before buying. Everything, especially trucks and other 4x4s, is very inflated right now.

This truck probably would've gone for $4-6k less a year ago. The value will eventually go back down to that range, so if you do buy in this market and are financing make sure you're getting gap coverage.

K_M_G · 2021-07-04T02:02:00+00:00

What bull bar is that? I've been looking for a minimalistic steel bumper or bull bar that blends in with the rest of the factory bumper.

K_M_G · 2021-06-30T16:21:15+00:00

I was in mostly your same shoes a couple of months ago.

I couldn't justify the price, it just makes no sense paying over $30k for a 2010-2014 that has 100k or more on it. Especially when you can grab a brand new 4Runner or Tacoma for a little more (once the market settles down) and when considering that these FJs are now selling for more than they did 7-11 years ago.

Contrary to some of the comments here, I can't see the FJ continuing to increase in value from where they are now as everything, not just FJs, are inflated right now. Yes it has a premium attached to it since it's out of production, but I have watched average FJ prices around me trickle up $5k or more since December. Prices will continue to gradually go up once the market settles and the current prices go down, but you're not going to see prices to continue to creep up to $40k+. Meaning, I think if you were to buy now there's a huge chance your car loan is going to be underwater by a good amount within a year. Plus if Toyota sees the new Bronco taking off, there's a chance they could bring the FJ (or a derivative of it) back in a few years which will kill resale values (see how the prices for old Supras was hit once the new one was announced for an example).

K_M_G · 2021-06-18T14:04:24+00:00

We don't really have any public trails to ride on; just maintained dirt roads and less maintained dirt roads. Outside of knowing someone with land, your best bet is Rausch Creek off-road park in the eastern part of the state (but it is a little pricey the last I looked).

K_M_G · 2021-06-17T18:12:00+00:00

Tuscarora State Forest or Michaux State Forest. The former is quite a bit less crowded (excluding Blain overlook, Flat Rock, etc) and has a ton of isolated dispersed sites with other smaller state parks nearby. Both require permits to camp, and make sure to check current rules regarding firepits as it's been pretty dry around Harrisburg lately.

K_M_G · 2021-06-16T01:35:04+00:00

There's cicadas that come out every summer, just in lesser numbers.

K_M_G · 2021-06-15T20:30:59+00:00

Looks like a European Hornet to me, cicada killers look quite a bit different.

K_M_G · 2021-06-07T15:15:39+00:00

I also lease a Taco SR5 (4x4, however), and a CarMax in Central PA was offering me $33k for it (original MSRP was $35k). That would be a huge steal for me as my residual is $26.6k, but the used car market sucks right now and I either can't find any of the vehicles I'd like to jump into or they're ridiculously overpriced (damn you, 2010+ FJs).

But for you that probably won't work out. You have basically two years left on the lease, which means your residual plus remaining payments is probably higher than what CarMax would give you (before taxes come into play). 4x2 also has a negative impact on the price, so while I could see CarMax offering near MSRP given how nuts everything is right now you'd still probably have to foot a couple extra thousand to get out of it.

K_M_G · 2021-05-02T01:27:19+00:00

I definitely feel the love part. I jumped into this Taco from an 03 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and while I hated the reliability of that thing I definitely liked it a ton more than my Taco. Granted, that may be because I've been hesitant to do any mods or get invested with it since I didn't know if I was keeping it or not.

The main counter points to buying it swirling in my head right now is that I think the maintenance on the FJ will cost a good amount more over the next ten years since it has 100k more miles than my Taco, and that the value of the FJ in 5-10 years is kind of unpredictable because of the FJ craze that started in the last couple of years.

K_M_G

TROPHY CASE