1995 montero sr reliability
- Thread starter missleone
- Start date
off-roader
Expedition Leader
Sudan beige (lt. gold) were available with a monochrome design.
Thanks off-roader....also any hints as to be able to check or take a peek at the timing belt or would i have to remove the entire timing belt cover to inspect it? The 95 sr's owner states he was told that the previous owner said he changed it but he just might be saying that to make the sale..
off-roader
Expedition Leader
You should be able to see the belt by removing some of the screws from the cover and carefully prying it up slightly.
SoCalMonty
Explorer
For crucial maintenance items like that, ask the PO for a receipt. If they don't have it, it doesn't necessarily mean they are lying - but sometimes you can add this to your list of clues and figure things out yourself. Also, it's common to place a sticker or write in paint pen on the t-belt cover what the mileage was when it was replaced.
I agree, but that also gives me wiggle room to have him come down on his price as well as the 2 rear windows are inop and some dash lights are inop as well and the paint is shot on roof and hood and he's pretty firm on staying around 2400 2500 bucks in price. On the flip side though hes owned a year or so and the monty is bone dry underneith with zero leaks or rust....but hes also aware its the only 95 sr in the state of florida...but clueless when i asked him if he knew what the rear diff lock switch was lol.
My 1997 Montero LS (3.5 Liter SOHC) is hands down the most reliable and cheapest to maintain car I've ever owned. Got it with just over 67k miles, it has now 137K+ and I've literally only have ever done maintenance on the car (brakes, tune ups, timing belt etc), nothing major has broken down, ever. I do hear a slight knock when I first get in the car and turn, I think something's starting to wear in one of the front suspension components, but it hasn't affected driving handling, so I'm waiting until my next oil change to have it looked at and one of the rear window motors is shot, I also do go through a quart of oil about every 800-1100 miles, depends on my driving. But that's a known issue and not serious with these engines.
Should add that for the 67k to about 100k mile mark it was my wife's car and she's utterly terrible with cars, it's truly a testament to how well built these 2nd gens are that it survived 23k+ miles of my wife's driving with nothing more than minor dings, scratches and coffee stains.
Once you go Montero, you never go back
Should add that for the 67k to about 100k mile mark it was my wife's car and she's utterly terrible with cars, it's truly a testament to how well built these 2nd gens are that it survived 23k+ miles of my wife's driving with nothing more than minor dings, scratches and coffee stains.
Once you go Montero, you never go back
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One common engine issue are worn valve stem seals, which can cause oil burning, and usually occur sometime after 100k. If you see grey smoke at the tailpipe on startup, its very possibly the issue. This is expensive to fix, though leaky valve seals have no critical detrimental effect other than increased oil consumption and at worst, accelerated wear on catalytic converters and O2 sensors.
Another known issue is crankbolt failure which is a big mess if it happens. The crankbolt was revised twice, the 3rd version having resolved the design problem. Versions 1 and 2 are prone to snapping. But its easy to fix, just install the updated bolt.
Also common are leaky valve cover gaskets, which while nothing major, are a pain to replace since the top of the engine needs to be removed, and therefore expensive if you're paying a mechanic.
Oh yeah, leaky front/rear cam seals and front crank seal are common repair issues as well. Often leaky cam seals will present as leaky valve covers since the oil leaks tend to follow the same drainage route.
Higher mileage Monteros usually need the following parts replaced, which consist of two separate jobs:
1) spark plugs, plug wires, valve cover gaskets/grommets
2) timing belt, tensioner and idlers, water pump, front/rear cam seals, front crank seal, updated crank bolt
Another known issue is crankbolt failure which is a big mess if it happens. The crankbolt was revised twice, the 3rd version having resolved the design problem. Versions 1 and 2 are prone to snapping. But its easy to fix, just install the updated bolt.
Also common are leaky valve cover gaskets, which while nothing major, are a pain to replace since the top of the engine needs to be removed, and therefore expensive if you're paying a mechanic.
Oh yeah, leaky front/rear cam seals and front crank seal are common repair issues as well. Often leaky cam seals will present as leaky valve covers since the oil leaks tend to follow the same drainage route.
Higher mileage Monteros usually need the following parts replaced, which consist of two separate jobs:
1) spark plugs, plug wires, valve cover gaskets/grommets
2) timing belt, tensioner and idlers, water pump, front/rear cam seals, front crank seal, updated crank bolt
Woodweller
New member
Montero SR crank bolt question
I'm keeping an eye out for a mid '90's SR. I've read a lot of posts about the crank bolt issue. I also noticed there doesn't seem to be a recall for the 3.5 V6 in the SR's, just the four cyls and 3.0V6. Does that mean the 3.5 doesn't have the problem? Is it wise to torque the crank bolt once a year or so to keep it from loosening up? Is it possible to tell if the crank bolt has been replaced by the upgraded one when looking at a used vehicle? What other issues should one look for when appraising SR's? Thanks.
I'm keeping an eye out for a mid '90's SR. I've read a lot of posts about the crank bolt issue. I also noticed there doesn't seem to be a recall for the 3.5 V6 in the SR's, just the four cyls and 3.0V6. Does that mean the 3.5 doesn't have the problem? Is it wise to torque the crank bolt once a year or so to keep it from loosening up? Is it possible to tell if the crank bolt has been replaced by the upgraded one when looking at a used vehicle? What other issues should one look for when appraising SR's? Thanks.
i was looking at 99 pretty hard because of the locker and the gas milage seems to be a bit better then the 95 plus sohc seems to be a little easier to work. that being said i would look at them both and see what one has better maintenance and let that be the deciding factor.
nckwltn
Explorer
I picked up a '99 that needed valve seals. It isn't an expensive job if you DIY, but you'll need the right tool to compress the springs. A set of valve seals is under $50 IIRC. The tool you want you can rent from someone on 4x4wire, for like 50 bucks. It will take you a really long time though. Expect it to be a FULL weekend of wrenching. Will take you an hour just to get the valve covers off ;-), not difficult just time consuming.
I've been out in my stock '99 on some pretty difficult stuff in Death Valley. Everytime, the guys I'm with are utterly impressed at how well the Montero does, and how cheaply I picked it up. I'm out there with guys who have 3-4x into their rigs that I have into mine. I might not be abel to go as fast, have as much suspension travel, or heaps of raw power on tap, but I can do everything they can do.
One thing to think about might be OBD2. I don't know if the earlier models have it. It sure is nice to hook up an ultra gauge and tap into all the onboard computer data
I've been out in my stock '99 on some pretty difficult stuff in Death Valley. Everytime, the guys I'm with are utterly impressed at how well the Montero does, and how cheaply I picked it up. I'm out there with guys who have 3-4x into their rigs that I have into mine. I might not be abel to go as fast, have as much suspension travel, or heaps of raw power on tap, but I can do everything they can do.
One thing to think about might be OBD2. I don't know if the earlier models have it. It sure is nice to hook up an ultra gauge and tap into all the onboard computer data