Recent content by mike508

I have a problem with my 2006 idling close to 2000 RPM when it is cold. The primary reason is that when it starts there is no oil in the bearings or cam assemblies for a few seconds. I decided to fix this problem last winter and am just now finding time to document it for others who may be...

Your insurance should cover a replacement if it is pitted enough to cause visibility problems. It doesn't have to be cracked.

There seems to be a lot of confusion on plugs at the dealerships. I was told that I had to use the original plugs and replace every 30,000 and the engine wouldn't run right with platinum or iridium plugs. You mentioned the condition of both Denso and NGK plugs. Did you have both in the...

I cut the bottom out of an oil bottle I saved from the last oil change to use for a funnel so when I am finished I just throw it away so nothing to clean. Mike

On-Line Source Where do you find to buy the crush washers online? All the sources I have found charge $10-12 shipping except Rockauto that is slightly less but doesn't have those for the differential or transfer case?.

Maintenance Light The maintenance light is a good reminder for rotating the tires and not much else. Mike

30K Maintenance Toyota says the plugs need to be replaced to meet the emissions control warranty. Since the gap gets larger with age, the spec is a max of 1.3mm for used plugs and 1.0 to 1.1mm for new plugs. They also say not to adjust the gap for used plugs. The manual says the insulation...

Thanks for the input. I have a V6 with 4WD. I have never changed gear oil on any vehicles I have had in the past but you are right it is not a very high cost item but a bit of a hassle getting it in.

I have an 06 with 30,000 miles and am looking at the maintenance schedule. The book says I need to replace the plugs but this seems awfully soon even if they are not platinum or iridium (the plugs are NGK LFR6C-11). also the dealer says I need to replace both front and rear differentials and...

No, mine is an SR5 without any extra features regarding the air conditioner.

On my 06 I get almost no warm air out of the floor outlet on the driver side compared to the passenger side. I ran the diagnostic tests in the shop manual and it said everything was OK. Maybe this is just the way it is designed. Has anyone else noticed this.

Rotors You don't necessarily need new rotors. You need to go somewhere that can measure the runout with a dial indicator to see if it is within the specification. You probably don't want to tackle the job of replacing them if you are not familiar with the details and have a shop manual with...

Brake Disk Runout According to the shop manual the maximum runout for the front should be less than 0.002 inch for the front and less than 0.0079 for the rear. This is from the 2007 shop manual but shouldn't be any different for yours.

That is a good idea except I would be afraid that any paint would come loose that could cause bad problems. It is asking a lot for paint to stick to the slick surface and withstand the heat and wide temperature changes.

After an oil change with today's less viscous oils it is almost impossible to see on the dipstick. I have found several threads on this subject over time but no real great solution. The suggestions I found were to drill holes in the dipstick, rough it with sandpaper, or wash it with water...