Part identification 5th Gen

I need a hand in identifying this thing. This is my second fifth generation 4Runner. The cover on my 2014 had a hole for the valve cover labeled "H." My 2020 has the hole over the "eye" that is next to it.

I have removed the cover to expose what I'm talking about.

It looks like an "eye" monitor, such as what you would find in an old school lead acid battery. With the color indicating the condition of the battery acids...

It appears to be part of the air conditioning system, but I cannot say for sure. There is no color in it, but it does look like it's translucent down to some sort of internal workings.

 

Fetzer valve.

 

It's the sight glass for the a/c refrigerant system. When you first turn on the a/c with engine running you'll see bubbles rolling through it(hot gas) , after it runs a minute or 2 it'll clear up (pure liquid).

 

Yep. It's been there on all models.

 

Yepper that is what we watch when recharging the AC unit, For those who know what to look for it can tell us a bit about the health of the AC unit like what we "see" pasting by that little sight glass from a misty fog to Oil going by it is one of the first items to get looked at before hooking up the gauge set besides leak checking

 

Thanks.

My 14 SR5 had a hole in the ABS cover for the H valve, not the window... H is for the high pressure Freon line, I'm guessing.

My next post will be my interesting engine air filter...

 

Now, for my latest conundrum. I've googled the part number and the closest thing I found to it was some sort of BMW reference but that might have just been a random result. This filter looks very much like a Denso/Toyota filter, but without any of the markings.

Intriguing is the pre-filter material.

Since this is certified pre-owned, I was assured that they would only put OEM Toyota parts. I looked through a bunch of pictures of TRD filters and none of them looked like this. Could it be that the part number is an internal replacement part number and that the commercially available number might have a YZZ in it or something?

Even with the pre-filter, it appears that airflow is fine although I haven't monitored it with OBD to see what my fuel/air mix is... With regular driving, I've been getting 21 MPG on this.

 

Someone else could elaborate more but the pre filter was standard on all trucks out of the factory. If you get a made in Japan filter now, you get the pre filter. The made in the USA filter did not come with a pre filter. Both in the same Toyota box. Now I do not know if that changed with the new filter design where the paper element is not as thick but the pictures I have seen includes the pre filter with the genuine Toyota Denso part from Japan.

As for your specific filter, I have not seen that part number before.

 

Thanks! I guess they really used the factory OEM as opposed to the Toyota branded replacement filter! You know how dealership representatives sometimes fib if they don't know the actual facts

Funny, this morning I was watching SpeedKar99's YouTube video on what appeared to be a 2020 TRD Off-Road and that filter had the same number and pre-filter on it. I guess that's just an internal factory part number. I'm just used to Denso putting their name on everything.

Even if manufacturers put something as simple as some sort of a cheesecloth or sheer curtain like material, it would keep those larger particles from getting into the fine filtering area.

Since I use as my main information source the Toyota parts website, they don't have real/correct photos, just line drawings. I had, for a moment, considered it might have been a TRD product.

I appreciate the answer!

Update/edit:
I just went to the national parts website to look for filters and both the factory replacement

$30 17801-38051 Genuine Toyota - FJ CRUISER AIR FILTER NEW - 17801-38051

17801-38051 filter and the semi-generic 17801-YZZ13. The product is not available according to Toyota. Maybe they gave me the Japanese factory one because the generic stuff isn't around...

This is true with a lot of parts from Denso lately. I bought new spark plugs after seeing online they weren't available, I found some old stock sitting at a dealership and they agreed to meet their regular online pricing of $7.67 a piece. The parts guy, who I talk to pretty regularly, says that they're still waiting for some supplies from two years ago. No, I will not go political here 8-D

 

I just recently turned 10K miles and changed the air and cabin filters for the first time. The part number on the cabin filter was the same as the original. But the part number for the air filter was different. At first, I thought maybe the dealer gave me a wrong filter since it didn't match with the part number on the old filter. But no. Toyota had changed/updated the part number. The new filter did fit perfectly. The only obvious difference being the element was not as thick/deep as the old one.

 

I am glad that other people also change their air filters at 10,000 miles. I've gotten grief from way too many people as those generic Fram filter boxes say 20,000 or 30,000 miles on them.

If I'm in the position where I can't get a filter with the pre-filter pad on it, I will just take it off, wash it and dry it and adhere it to the replacement filter. That pre-filter might change my attitude and change it every 15,000 miles or something... Every third oil change is easy to remember... Since I am in Southern California near the ocean for most of my driving, we're relatively dust free. The filters usually show exhaust soot and not dirt, per se.

How did your original filter look? What type of environment are you in?

 

"How did your original filter look? What type of environment are you in?"

I live in the Mid-West, St. Louis, MO area. When I removed the original air filter, it didn't look bad at all. Just the normal dust/dirt scenario. In fact, it was still good enough that I could take an air hose to it and used it for another 5K miles, IMO. The cabin filter was a different story. Definitely needed changed.
This was both one year to the month and 10K miles from new. The air filter could have easily gone 15K, but the cabin filter no. On my previous 10' FJ Cruiser I would change the air filter at 15K and the cabin filter once a year.
But I retired this past January 01, and will put less than 10K a year on the odo. So I thought it just easier to remember every May to change both air and cabin filters, wiper blades, oil/filter, Krown Rust Proofing update all at the same month each year. Easy to remember. LOL

 

Doesn’t apply here but fun fact from my VW Master Technician days, cars that were cold weather equipped had a “snow screen” in the ducting leading to the intake, anything with the snow screen got an air filter with the pre filter layer.

 

The OEM air filters as delivered with a new vehicle are

$30 Genuine Toyota - FJ CRUISER AIR FILTER NEW - 17801-38051

17801-38051 which have a foam pre-filter tacked on for supposed better large grit capture. Some people specifically search for these online since most dealers don’t carry them.

What I read somewhere about the air filter was that it’s a world standard filter as shipped from Japan. With a foam pre-filter for extra gritty sandy places like the Middle East and Australia, etc.
Americans don’t need it so much to get to the mall. LOL. So there’s a 17801-YZZ13 non-foam version.

Although you can still the foam version from legit Toyota suppliers online. If you order from Amazon you will probably get the non-foam version, even though they list the 17801-38051.

For my latest engine air filter change I used the Purolator One A36122. It looks almost exactly like the OEM one, same larger size, with the foam pre-filter.

 

https://parts.toyota.com/p/Toyota_2021_4Runner-Offroad/Air-Filter/63024046/1780138051.html

 

Not as much a "what is it," but why the difference???

I believe (don't know if I recall correctly) the cleaner, shallower one, is from a 2019 TRD Off-Road. The deeper, dirtier one is off a 2020 TRD Off-Road.

It appears all the mounting holes are the same.

I like the idea behind the 2019 model, it introduces air underneath the engine more towards the front where the 2020 model introduces the airflow about 4" further back on the center scoop and maybe 2" further back on the small side scoop.

 

One on the right is for a KDSS equipped model, the other is for one without KDSS. Yes they will both bolt up to a non-KDSS version, but the shorter sided one will only work on a KDSS model without interference. Depending on which model you have will determine which one you should use.

 

Thank you very much for your expertise! I've joined a new church, the 4Runner Generation!

Yeah I was given that KDSS cover as a takeoff. He also gave me brake pads and rotors with very little wear on them...

I may install it just because it appears to have a better air flow, I'll think about it. I don't have the KDSS even though I've got the manual four-wheel shift, the terrain dial and the crawl adjustment...

Thanks again!

PS Both of them had the same number stamped into the plates too.

 

I was vacuuming the backseat of my 2020 OR, I was using a high powered vacuum and a crevice tool to go down in every nook and cranny of the cutouts from the floor covering... These could have been things that were left behind by the previous drivers of the car, they look like the rubber grommets from a PC fan. But, considering that they were in the area of the fuel pump and all, just curious if this is something Toyota uses and where it generally is.

 

Back to the filter for a second.....

One thing I didn't see mentioned is the YZZ version (although thinner and not including the pre-filter) does have more pleats.