I started with an oil change. Then I set out to replace a wheel stud that was recently broken due to a lug nut being stripped out. Much to my dismay another wheel stud was broken during the wheel removal. I replaced one and didn't have another stud and didn't feel like driving thirty minutes to get another, again. Then I replaced my wipers because they had fallen apart.
Finally I finished up my Sienna session by getting the spotlight I installed two months ago operational.
I don't know if my lug nuts are crumby from being removed and reinstalled so many times after 225,000 miles or if they are being over tightened by my tire shop. I don't know but it bums me out.
I got ready to put the new rear valve cover on , but discovered a small area of sludge that I missed over the last few weeks of cleaning. So it will have to wait til I'm off work. Gotta do a real thorough inspection back there before I put the new cover on. I've just been at it slow a couple hours here and there when I have a chance.
Today the battery light came on and my wife took the Sienna to AutoZone. The diagnosed it as a bad voltage regulator and tried to sell her on for $143 and two days wait time. I thought this was peculiar because every vehicle that I've personally worked on had the regulator built into the alternator. I know this isn't always the case but I've never seen them separated.
I got my car and my tools and some sandwiches and drove on down to where the van was stranded at a supermarket. After just a peek I saw that the regulator was, in fact, built in. I took the dead battery out and took the alternator out. Then I went across the street to the suspect Autozone. I told them that they had told my wife the alternator was bad. They tested it and told me it was bad. I had them look it up and they found that it was under warranty. Now I've got a nice shiny alternator and a dead battery that is charging in my garage. I'll go get the van in a little bit.
At least this ordeal didn't cost me anything but a little bit of lost time at work.
I had a persistent clunk and rattle from the front passenger side. Toyota dealer replaced the lower control arm, that didn't help. Toyota dealer then replaced the sway bar bushing, that didn't help. Well, it increased their income several hundred dollars. Toyota dealer then wanted to replace both struts for umpteen hundred dollars, but I lost faith in them.
Took it to a small shop, one guy, and he pondered and replaced the upper mount for the passenger strut - the thing that has three bolts showing in the engine compartment. Clunk is gone! That cost just under $200.
What would cause that part to fail? The rubber bushing wiggles around and there's clearly been bashing from the stem into the part he replaced.
Took the Sienna to Discount Tire where they rotated my tires for free. I've had the tires for 22,000 miles so far and they have been really great. Discount Tire has rotated them three times now. I don't know about all of their locations but ours has top notch service.
On the down side I've had to replace two wheel studs since the Sienna has been seeing a tire shop regularly for the first time in it's life. The studs only cost $1.69 and take about fifteen minutes to change so I'm not going to cry about it. The old lug nuts were in terrible condition so I replaced all of them on that wheel. Both stud problems were on one wheel. I'm considering replacing all of the lug nuts but I don't want to lay out $25 on them right now.
They're known as Treadquarters here, same people. I've used them for my van tires and my bronco. Their prices are hard to beat. Though, I do just take the tires off when getting new tires and take them in there. I don't like being told I need $800 worth of extra "work" done on it as happened last time I took the whole van in.
I need to check my radiator fans on my sienna, I don't know if they're working. They did not come on the other day, but I only ran it for a short time. I'm gonna try it with the A/C on and if that doesn't work I'll unplug the switch under the radiator to see if they come on. Gonna try it after work if the rain dies off.
I thought that I was done for the day but my door handles that I ordered from RockAuto came. I got a new driver's door interior handle, a new lift gate handle, and a new set of hood prop retainers.
All of the parts are made by Dorman. The interior handle seems to be the same quality as the original. The lift gate handle looks like it will be better. I hope I don't have to mess with it again. The actual handle part that broke on the original handle is metal on this one. That reassured me significantly.
Thanks for the linky Sunshine. I've been paying big bucks for these handles ($80+ each) at the dealership for both front doors. Done it three times already then decided the rear ones can stay without them for now. I'm probably going to buy them now at this place.
I don't remember where I bought my exterior door handles but I've replaced them all. Now the passenger interior door handle is the only one that has not been replaced. One of the sliding door buttons doesn't seem to work either.
Yesterday I ran it for about 10 minutes just to watch the dash for warning lights, none came on. I turned the A/C on full blast and both radiator fans came on so I guess they're O.K. I got bits of oil sludge on the exhaust manifold while the valve covers were off, that stuff is slowly burning off/smoking quite a bit. The radiator has a leak on top, there's a hairline crack that wasn't there before I started the valve cover project. I guess at some point I must have laid something on there or hit it with a tool too hard. It's on the plastic so I'm guessing now I need a new radiator? The coolant is sizzling out of it, not a big leak, but a leak nonetheless.
So today I was toiling away at work and I got a call that my wife had broken down and I needed to go and help her. I left and called her. The Sienna blew a tire on the I-10. She stopped at a Walmart and someone tried to change it for her. I had forgotten to put the lug wrench back in the car after working on it last. So I went in and bought a new one because I only have one between my two cars. Once I got it changed and took it to Discount Tire they said the hole was too big to repair. They replaced the tire for a $20 fee. Not too bad I guess. When they took the damaged tire off they found the piece of metal inside the tire. It was a four or five inch tire weight. It was so big it wasn't surprising that it had flown off of a wheel. Somehow it had gone all the way inside. I guess I've got the rest of the day off now.
I have my sienna 2001 for 2 years already. Besides from the milelage i increased to 126K, followings are also what i did:
1) Fix the vanity mirror light on driver side . Turned out that the plastic leg to turn on the light is broken. I open it up, crazy-glued it it and it worked so far since a year already
2) Fix the broken handle for the back trunk
3) Fix courtesy lights on sliding door . (Wire was broken)
4) Replace the factory radio with mp3 player
5) Replace speakers
6) Installing a 17'' flip down LCD (Pyle). I'll put pictures on this. Pretty nice. I feed in the movies with my Oplay and 15 gigabytes of bluray movies USB harddisk . Got a collection of a more than 3000 movies mkv rip from bluray in all cultures 8-) 8-). It's like driving with blockbuster and a flat screen in the sienna
7) Replacing headlights with XENON super white highlights high/low beams.
8) Replacing fog light with XENON super white fog light bulb
9) Disable the DRT to save the life expectancy of my XENON ballats
10) install blue led in the leg area for both passenger & driver side.
Now, i would like to change the internal yeallow light into bright xenon white interior light . And want to install the AUDI stype LED superbright strip for day light time running light.
Almong all the upgrade, i love the XENON head beams and fog lights, and the 17'' flip down high resolution LCD with my Oplay system of 3000+ movies.
Did i do enough for my sienna yet ?
cheers,
Huy
ps. forgot one more item, i clean the idle valve to fix the issue that my sienna sometimes stop running if putting it in idle as well.
My 2001 Sienna was making a horrible clunk clunk clunk sound from the rear brakes when stopping. From this site I learned it is caused by a build up of brake dust behind the brake shoes. So this weekend I removed both rear tires and brake drums. First I washed out the inside of the drums and let them dry. Then I removed the brake shoes and using brakeclean and a small wire brush I cleaned evey surface I could get to. The shoes looked fine so I replaced everything and so far, no noise. If the sound returns I will renew everything and let you guys know.
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
ToyotaNation.com is an independent Toyota/Lexus enthusiast website. ToyotaNation.com is not sponsored by or in any way affiliated with Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. The Toyota, Lexus and Scion names and logos are trademarks owned by Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.
Rockstar
What did you do to your Sienna today?
Linear Mode
