Paul3637:

I appreciate the cross-talk between forums, but it really isn't necessary. The skinny here is the typical way you've been told {videos}on how difficult the 2GR-FE rear spark plug replacement is and involves 6+ hours of removing things that just shouldn't ever be touched... Well, my method avoids all of this and honestly should become part of the DIY thread.

2 hour easy 2GR-FE Rear Spark Plug Replacement

-Enjoy!

 

Yes - the big cowl you removed in part 3 would definitely make a difference. I did as you did in part 1 & 2 - remove the windshield cowling and wiper motor. Even with that out, it was a bear getting 2/14mm bolts out of a plenum bracket more to the passenger side. Mine '06 Avalon has 224K on the clock and the rear coils have never thrown a code. It's just a matter of time. Your video will make that a lot easier.

Thanks for posting.

 

Link to your Youtube video series was added to the sticky. If you guys know of any other DIYs that belong in there, just let me know!

 

Please correct me if I'm wrong but quickly going through the video, the Camry had 212,000 miles on the original set of plugs?

Other than ignition coils and spark plugs, were there any other material needed, e.g. gaskets etc?

With that many miles, would it be wise to replace the rear bank ignition coils "while you're at it, (replacing the rear plugs)" if they're original, say for preventive maintenance?

 

With that many miles, would it be wise to replace the rear bank ignition coils "while you're at it, (replacing the rear plugs)" if they're original, say for preventive maintenance?

If you can afford it - yes. If not - no problem - do it later when you have the funds. With this new video, it won't take that long. Dealer coils are expensive and after-market versions are prone to fail early.

 

Thanks for the reply MM, I found these coils online.

Genuine OEM New Ignition Coil 90919-A2007

They state they're New Oem Genuine so I'll assume they're Toyota OEM, but remanucatured. price $25.68 free shipping?


OEM New Ignition Coil 90919-A2007 for Toyota Diamond


This one stated new oem Toyota, not remanufactured, price $23.92, free shipping.

 

The first ebay seller you list shows a pic of an A2007 - this is a replacement coil Toyota came out with to fix all of the coil problems they were having with earlier 2nd Gen A2002 coils used in 2GR-FE engines and perhaps other engines by Toyota and possibly other MFGs.

The second ebay seller lists it as an A2007, but the photo shows it to be an A2002 - the original coil used in 2GR-FE engines - the bad one I just mentioned - prone to throwing codes.

As Paul3637 pointed out - Olathe - a legitimate Toyota dealer- wants eighty-something for new coils and the 2 ebay sellers you pointed to want WAY less than that. The 1st guy claims they are rebuilt/reconditioned. Not sure how one does that with an electronic coil. Maybe it's possible, but for what he wants, you can bet the "reconditioning" was done in a low grade Chinese factory.

The 2nd ebay seller says "new" condition. I would ring his bell and ask why his title says A2007 and his photo says A2002 AND ask him to guarantee they are indeed new. It's possible he bought up a bunch of old A2002 stock somewhere, but I would be suspicious of it actually being new and/or end up receiving some hack after-market coil in the mail.

On a side note - my '06 Avalon has 224,000 mils on it. 2 coils have been replaced - both on the easy-to-get-to front. The 4 remaining coils are the original A2002 coils. So - 4 have gone 224,000 miles w/o throwing a code. I woud jump all over brand new A2002 coils, but we are talking "ebay" here. You never know. You could be out $140+ if the 2nd seller is lying.

Good luck.

 

High dollar items sold cheap on EBAY - Counterfeits are rampant

I ran into this before when looking at OEM spark plugs ...... and even GE refrigerator water filters.

OEM Ignition coils coils retail for $109 each. Olathe Toyota parts online discounts them discounts them to $82.

Ignition Coil - Toyota (90919-A2007)
List Price: $109.26
You Save: $27.31 (25% off)
Sale Price: $81.95
Part: Ignition Coil
Replaces: 90919-02251, 90919-02255, 90919-A2002, 90919-A2004

https://parts.olathetoyota.com/oem-...mk9ODUxNjEyNTUmcj0xJmE9dG95b3RhJm89Y2FtcnkmeT0yMDA5JnQ9bGUmZT0zLTVsLXY2LWdhcw==

Counterfeit Denso spark plugs
https://www.rav4world.com/forums/99...com/forums/99-4-3-mechanical/283001-how-spot-counterfeit-denso-spark-plugs.html
Counterfeit NKG spark plugs
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=270816&showall=1

The price of a new water filter for my GE refrigerator water dispenser/ice maker is a ridiculous $45. So I go on line for something that costs half as much ... only to find the ones sold on EBAY for about half that are counterfeit ... even some sold on Amazon are counterfeit.

 

Amazon wants $76.42. Even the three "off brands"/"house brands" sold by O'Reilly run $62 to $89 so I would not trust those EBAY sellers at all.

https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Toyo...ie=UTF8&n=15684181&newVehicle=1&s=automotive&vehicleId=1&vehicleType=automotive

https://www.oreillyauto.com/shop/b/ignition---tune-up-16776/ignition-coils-19690/bcbc445c20d7


MasterPro Ignition Ignition Coil
Part #: 2-50099 Line: MPI
Part Fits 2009 Camry
$79.99 Each
Voltage (V): 12 Volt
Number Of Terminals: 4

Import Direct Ignition Coil
Part #: 23-0480 Line: IDI
Part Fits 2009 Camry
$89.99 Each

Standard Intermotor Ignition Coil
Part #: UF487 Line: STI
 Part Fits 2009 Camry
$62.99 Each

 

I got to looking a bit harder at this 2GR-FE Avalon spark plug change thing and realized the video everyone is excited about(I was too until I woke up) is not going to make this task any easier for 2nd Gen Avalon owners. I am not knocking the guy who made it. You see a lot of working room at the rear of his engine once the metal cowling is off and he offers some interesting info.

I went back thru my notes from Jun 2013. That's when I changed sparks plugs in my Avalon. I too removed the metal cowling and it does indeed provide more space, but no where near what you see in the Lexus/Toyota video. There are people who claim you can perform this task w/o removing the metal cowling and/or the air surge tank. If you have a 2GR-FE Avalon(plus many other 2GR-FE models) - do indeed remove these 2 items. you will have the most amount of access space you are going to get and have fewer opportunities to break things. The bottom line is simply this. The 2nd Gen Avalon does not have the same working space in the rear that you see in the Lexus/Toyota video.

To date, the following TN tutorial remains the holy grail for performing a spark plug change on a 2nd Gen Avalon. There is also a 2nd Gen Avalon spark plug change on YT by a guy called Fix It Angel - former Toyota Dealer Tech who puts out a lot of good Toyota How-To's. See that video as well.

https://www.toyotanation.com/forum/...ander-2nd-generation-2008-2013/413790-diy-2gr-fe-v6-spark-plug-replacement.html

 

Third gen vs Second / not enough "payback" on new plugs for me

I got to looking a bit harder at this 2GR-FE Avalon spark plug change thing and realized the video everyone is excited about(I was too until I woke up) is not going to make this task any easier for 2nd Gen Avalon owners. The 2nd Gen Avalon does not have the same working space in the rear that you see in the Lexus/Toyota video...........

............To date, the following TN tutorial remains the holy grail for performing a spark plug change on a 2nd Gen Avalon. There is also a 2nd Gen Avalon spark plug change on YT by a guy called Fix It Angel - former Toyota Dealer Tech who puts out a lot of good Toyota How-To's. See that video as well.

https://www.toyotanation.com/forum/...ander-2nd-generation-2008-2013/413790-diy-2gr-fe-v6-spark-plug-replacement.html

I assume you mean third generation Avalon. The second generation was model years 1999 to 2004 and had the 3.0 L 1MZ-FE V6. The 2GR-fe was first introduced in the USA in 2004 in the model year 2005 Avalon. Rav4 got it for the 2006 model year, Sienna and Camry got it for model year 2007, Highlander got it for model year 2008.

Your link to sweeneyp's "holly grail" spark plug guide seems right on target. Everything he does to his Highlander seems meticulous and flawless. He indicates he changed the plugs at 85K miles as a "preventative" measure.

Since I'd have to pay the dealer almost $500 for new plugs and "back three" coil packs on my 09V6 Camry, what I've learned from this thread is that there is not enough "payback" to merit spending that kind of money on my ten year old 2GR-FE fine with 111K on the clock. I am not changing the plugs unless the engine "throws a code or misfires." Over the past year, I've seen a long term drop of 1 mpg which I attribute to plug deterioration. MPG history using only top tier gas and 90% city driving (at sea level, mostly level ground, light traffic):

2008 to 2012: 28 mpg using premium when it cost 20 cents a gallon more than regular ($.20/$4.00 =5%)
2013? to March 2016: 26 mpg using regular after gas stations started charging 50 to 60 cents per gallon more for premium.
March 2016 thru about 2017 25 mpg when I put on a pair of worthless Michelin Premier tires.
2018: In the 24 MPG range consistently.

So anyway, let's assume there is a 10% MPG advantage to replacing plugs:
9,000 miles per year/24 mpg = 375 gallons x $3/gallon = $1,125
So potential savings of just over $100 per year.

Conclusion: If you're a DIY guy, go for it. If not ... wait it out.

 

Quick question... there seems to be a lot of comments about second gen Avalon. Does this series have the 2gr-fe? My tutorial is specific to that engine. I also do not own an Avalon, and strictly advised attempting this approach as it does not interfere with the intake or throttle body.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

The Avalon uses the same engine that is in your YT videos - 2GR-FE. Quite a few other Toyota's used it as well:

https://dustrunnersauto.com/2gr-fe/

I think you were able to suggest that the TB and Plenum could remain in place because the Camry you showed had significantly more room to move around in(rear bank) once all of the cowling was off the car. I might be inclined to leave those 2 sections on if My Avalon had all of the room I saw in your video.

Unfortunately - it does not. There are people who claim they've done 2nd Gen Avalon spark plug changes with the plenum in place. There's a YT video done by a dealer tech called "dailydriven" on YT. He leaves ALL of the cowling in place, but removes the plenum and TB. How he does this is beyond me. The large metal cowling is a huge hindrance in my opinion, along with the TB and Plenum.

I've done a spark plug change on my '06 Avalon and will say I could not have gotten thru it w/o removing the Cowling as was done in your videos AND also remove the TB and Plenum.

If one can do this task on a 2nd Gen Avalon removing less than what I have, then more power to them.

 

05 avalon with 226K and just did 2nd plug change and first coil change on all cylinders. however, can't understand the video comment about not being able to "afford" 3 additional coils. for the money that it cost to purchase the vehicle and every other expense in life and decades of wages, along with the fact that you want to maximize efficiencies and get the very most out of every mile... but for those that are really tight on cash, just pick up a part-time job for 1 week even at $15/hr. then take care of the coils for the last time - its the old axiom, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, changing all 6 coils in my opinion is smart money and peace of mind.

dont get me wrong, i'm very tight with the buck, probably more than the guy who "can't afford" 3 more coils. i'm a very careful and resourceful consumer with everything and i used this source for my coils, check it out, (https://www.1aauto.com/ignition-coil/i/1aerk00115?f=506214&y=2005) they come with a limited lifetime warranty - code for we'll replace it for free as long as YOU dont damage it upon installation + most any defective parts issues. in fact, when the 6 coils arrived, 1 had the gasket that was not properly seated, so i called and they sent a free replacement, no questions, no charge, no shipping cost.

what prompted the coil change was the "P" code on #6, and i'm glad i changed all because the benefits are exponential. better gas mileage, 32 highway at 70MPH, 25 city (versus 28 & 21) with careful acceleration, quieter idling, smoother running, rapid and immediately responsive acceleration, improved shifting from gear to gear, but the most amazing was when i turned off car for the evening... before, the hood was always warm and i just took it for normal on a car with 200K+ miles, and now, not even a hint of warmth - i couldn't believe it, i kept feeling the entire hood, maybe someone can explain the DRAMATIC heat reduction of the hood just from a simple plug/coil change.

later, i also dropped the trans pan to change the filter and clear any debris and metal shaving on the magnets then filled with 4qt of the recommended WS fluid, but ironically, after my "restraint of trade" conversation regarding toyota NOT listing an equivalent fluid in the manuel, my local toyota dealership guy said that they use the valvoline product for their needs. i still purchased the WS product. (because of my 1 week PT job, LOL!) why not use valvoline? i just had greater confidence in the reward of the WS over the risk of the valvoline product, $12 more in product versus thinking that if something goes wrong i have the confidence to rule out the trans fluid, but i'd be interested in opinions/experience/use of an equivalent trans fluid...

finally, i've dropped in a pic of the removal of most all of the significant parts for a clean plug/coil change (a 4 hour job vs. a 3 hour job); and also for the satisfaction of reviewing any parts for which i can diagnose and replace something that is worn/damaged or may become worn in the near term, and so i changed the manifold gasket as a preventative maintenance issue. glad it did...

additionally, i noticed that one of the 4 long screws that held the throttle body in place; that over time and vibration, one of them was broken and not tightly securing the unit, so i just drilled through the same spot and anchored it down with a 3" screw and bolt, hope the pic is useful and "let's go places"

 

05 avalon with 226K and just did 2nd plug change and first coil change on all cylinders. however, can't understand the video comment about not being able to "afford" 3 additional coils. for the money that it cost to purchase the vehicle and every other expense in life and decades of wages, along with the fact that you want to maximize efficiencies and get the very most out of every mile... but for those that are really tight on cash, just pick up a part-time job for 1 week even at $15/hr. then take care of the coils for the last time - its the old axiom, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, changing all 6 coils in my opinion is smart money and peace of mind.

I know this reply is dated, but maybe you didn't notice I was doing 2 CARS! Naturally, if I just had one to do, the SIX OEM coils I did buy would have sufficed, but instead, I split them up 3X per car in the rear bank. This was the most logical approach at the time as the front coils are SUPER EASY to swap out. Also, because of the low fail rate on the coils, it was economically proper to just do the tough section at the time and replace the low cost Denso Iridium Plugs up front. And yes, since OEM coils are roughly $60+ each, I would only go with OEM for the rear bank. Now I have six used coils dated and ready to rock if/when the time comes one up front fails. Maybe I'll just get new coils up front too. Who knows... :smile:0Regardless, the point of these videos was to demonstrate Rear Swap. Everything else regarding this job is just too easy to even mention let alone provide a DIY...

 

Yes - my mistake - meant 3rd Gen Avalon. I must have been thinking about my "2nd" Gen Tacoma.

 

You make solid points here. If I had done this swap at roughly 100K, the economies of scale [price vs. lost MPG] would have balanced out nearly perfectly. However, like most people here with the 2GR-FE engine, seeing the procedure on Youtube pretty much resulted in a 'drive until it dies' attitude as all that work would either be DIY + expensive or PAY TO PLAY + even more expensive.
My method did none of the internal parts cleaning of which may have given your experience a much better outcome. Over the years, I have inspected my intakes and they don't appear to need additional cleaning. Even my EGR hose up front is clean as a whistle. I might be the 1% here, but so far, everything operates as it should and I surpassed 100K YEARS AGO...
It's more likely owners would have upgraded their ride when the clock hit 100K+ as most uneducated consumers still believe the media fed brainwashing that cars start to fall apart after 100K and oil changes should never be longer than 3-5K miles... This may have been true 20 years ago, but no way valid on modern Aluminum engines...

On that note here's my stable:
2007 Camry V6 @ 2GR-FE 245K ODO

2011 Camry V6 @ 2GR-FE 155K ODO

2011 Lexus GS350 AWD 2GR-FSE @ 110K ODO

-- all running 2GR's and still run like the day they were made. I can't account for anyone who has the 4-banger, but this 2GR-FE is a completely different animal.