1996–2002 Toyota 4Runner Service & Repair Manual (P/N RM887U)

• Toyota 2002 4Runner repair publication RM887U — a 1,891-page PDF containing 1,872 numbered manual pages plus a 19-page linked index. Its workshop procedures apply to the 2002 model year; this is not a 1996–2002 repair-manual set.
• Covers the 5VZ-FE engine from compression and adjustment checks through timing-belt service, cylinder-head overhaul, separate 2WD/4WD engine removal, cylinder-block teardown, SFI/EVAP diagnosis, cooling and lubrication repair, and starter and generator rebuilding.
• Details A340E and A340F automatic-transmission diagnosis with road, stall, time-lag, line-pressure, and manual-shift tests; valve-body and sensor repair; unit removal and installation; and torque-converter inspection. The VF3AM transfer case receives full disassembly, inspection, and reassembly coverage.
• Includes 2WD/4WD driveline, axle, suspension, brake, and steering work: propeller shafts, front drive shafts and hubs, differential carriers, A.D.D. and differential-locking systems, wheel alignment, the hydraulic brake booster, steering columns, vane pump, and steering gear.
• Provides DTC charts, ECM/ECU terminal tables, circuit inspections, symptom tables, test modes, and calibration procedures for the engine, automatic transmission, ABS/EBD/BA/TRAC/VSC, SRS, cruise control, immobilizer, body control, back-door control, and automatic A/C systems.

Coverage and Repair Depth

RM887U is centered on the 5VZ-FE engine and the 2002 4Runner’s 2WD and 4WD configurations. Engine repair coverage is 5VZ-FE only; no 3RZ-FE chapter is included. The engine sections document removal, disassembly, inspection, component replacement, reassembly, and installation rather than stopping at routine maintenance. Fuel injection, electronic throttle control, EVAP, cooling, lubrication, ignition, starting, and charging are handled in dedicated repair sections.

Transmission scope needs to be read carefully. The A340E/A340F material covers fault isolation, hydraulic and operational testing, on-vehicle valve-body, sensor, seal, parking-pawl, and shift-lock service, plus transmission removal and installation. It does not contain a complete internal A340 teardown and rebuild chapter, and no manual-transmission repair section is included. The VF3AM section is the full transfer overhaul material, covering the oil-pump body, driven sprocket, rear output shaft, input shaft, planetary gear, oil seals, and one-touch 2-4 selector system.

Chassis work includes front-hub and drive-shaft disassembly, front and rear differential-carrier overhaul, rear axle-shaft service, propeller-shaft and spider-bearing repair, and suspension component replacement. Brake coverage extends from front calipers and rear drums to hydraulic-booster disassembly, bleeding, pump/accumulator fault tracing, and wheel-speed sensors. Tilt and non-tilt steering columns, power-steering bleeding, vane-pump rebuilding, and steering-gear teardown are also documented.

Diagnostics, Diagrams, and Factory Data

The diagnostic sections combine DTC charts with pre-checks, parts-location views, ECM/ECU terminal charts, freeze-frame guidance, symptom tables, wiring diagrams, and circuit inspections. The ABS/VSC material adds sensor-signal test modes plus yaw-rate and deceleration-sensor zero-point calibration. Immobilizer registration, body-control diagnosis, and back-door ECU troubleshooting are included.

Representative diagrams include the 5VZ-FE mass-airflow and electronic-throttle circuits, A340 shift-solenoid and line-pressure-control circuits, ABS/VSC wheel-speed and yaw/deceleration-sensor circuits, SRS squib and pretensioner layouts, body/back-door MPX and power-window circuits, and automatic A/C sensor and servomotor circuits. Exploded and component views cover the timing belt, cylinder head and block, valve body, VF3AM transfer assembly, differential carriers, hydraulic brake booster, steering gear, and HVAC units.

Factory reference data is organized by system: torque tables, clearances, inspection and wear limits, approved fluids and capacities, transmission pressure and operating-test data, transfer and differential preload/backlash specifications, wheel-alignment data, brake and steering test values, and electrical checks. The preparation chapters identify Toyota SSTs by part number, including the 09201-10000 valve-guide bushing remover/replacer set, 09213-54015 crankshaft-pulley holding tool, 09992-00095 automatic-transmission oil-pressure gauge set, and 09843-18020 diagnosis check wire.

Manual-Specific Repair Cautions

The timing-belt section warns against bending, twisting, turning the belt inside out, or contaminating it with oil, water, or steam; mishandling can damage the belt and cause premature failure. During differential setup, the pinion nut must not be backed off to reduce preload after the bearing spacer has been crushed. An over-tightened setup requires a new spacer, or bearing preload and gear life can be compromised. The SRS section prohibits resistance testing across an airbag squib because it can trigger deployment; removed modules must be stored with the deployment surface facing upward.

Heavy drivetrain, suspension, hydraulic-brake, refrigerant, and SRS work should be performed with the publication’s lift-point, support, pressure-release, and restraint-system precautions in place. Verify hoist and stand ratings before under-vehicle repair, use approved refrigerant-recovery equipment for A/C work, and isolate the SRS before steering-column or instrument-panel service.

Included Supplemental PDFs

The package also contains the 2001 4Runner owner’s manual OM35768U, two differently named 217-page files carrying the same OM35679U owner-manual publication, and Toyota Audio Component Service Manual SM-1408. The audio supplement identifies a North American 4Runner unit produced after October 2002, Toyota part number 86120-35240, and Fujitsu Ten model 135000-2400B101. It includes specifications, connector views, service extension cables, PC-board schematics, component-side views, and exploded mechanical views. The supplied 30-page audio PDF ends at internal page 28, before the electrical repair-parts section listed in its contents. These supplemental files do not extend RM887U workshop coverage beyond the 2002 model year.