So we're all buying Toyotas now 🤔
- Thread starter michaelluscher
- Start date
3 bolts pulls the console out, it's much easier to clean that way
Lots of tokens and kids toys, they must've shoved it through the broken rear cupholder
I'll probably leave the interior mildly disassembled so whoe whoever I pay to detail the interior can be more thorough
The mailman brought injectors!
Friday to Saturday (8 day) from shipped out to returned, quite good turn around
Place your bets, how bad were they
One injector being 33% off optimal, that could do it
Even the best one was 20% off optimal and clean
No wonder it didn't run right
Well packaged, and old parts included for inquiring minds like mine
I lubed all seals with a drop of engine oil, so I didn't roll anything
Cleaned where they seat to the head, snugged everything back down
And it still runs, so it's got that going for it
Cold start is a big improvement, you barely breathe on the key, it's running
No more extra crank or two, then it kinda stumbles into life
It was at a 1/4 tank, so I took it and filled it with fresh
Took it for a blast up and down the highway
It's so much more drivable with the new sway bar links, it don't handle half bad either
Now it still seems to have an issue when slowing down to a stop, the RPMs go a little low, and it idles rough, than it clears up
On throttle and on the highway, it pulls far better than any 281k engine has a right to
Revving it to 4ish grand hot now produces NO SMOKE
Where as before, it looked like I was fogging for mosquitoes
And this is on cheap 5w20 I had laying around
So
for the B12/Kroil piston soak, it did something
Actual oil consumption will be tracked when I can daily drive it
It still needs a brake job, and an inspection
If the P0171 is resolved, after the brake job, it'll earn an honest NYS inspection
I'm heat soaking it in a parking lot now, and it restarted no trouble
It still might need AFR/Oxygen sensors, the fuel pump might still be tired
The coils are still old and mismatched
And there's a small exhaust leak at the flange AFTER both oxygen sensors
But this is progress, I'll take that
LTFT is now 13.2%, which still seems a little high to me, but is a big improvement over 27%+
Big thanks to Hurst injector, they do excellent work at a more than fair price
10/10 would recommend
$90 in total, vs sketchy remans, Chinese knockoffs, or $140+ EACH from the dealer
I will be sending in my Camry injectors when it's down for maintenance
Friday to Saturday (8 day) from shipped out to returned, quite good turn around
Place your bets, how bad were they
One injector being 33% off optimal, that could do it
Even the best one was 20% off optimal and clean
No wonder it didn't run right
Well packaged, and old parts included for inquiring minds like mine
I lubed all seals with a drop of engine oil, so I didn't roll anything
Cleaned where they seat to the head, snugged everything back down
And it still runs, so it's got that going for it
Cold start is a big improvement, you barely breathe on the key, it's running
No more extra crank or two, then it kinda stumbles into life
It was at a 1/4 tank, so I took it and filled it with fresh
Took it for a blast up and down the highway
It's so much more drivable with the new sway bar links, it don't handle half bad either
Now it still seems to have an issue when slowing down to a stop, the RPMs go a little low, and it idles rough, than it clears up
On throttle and on the highway, it pulls far better than any 281k engine has a right to
Revving it to 4ish grand hot now produces NO SMOKE
Where as before, it looked like I was fogging for mosquitoes
And this is on cheap 5w20 I had laying around
So
for the B12/Kroil piston soak, it did something Actual oil consumption will be tracked when I can daily drive it
It still needs a brake job, and an inspection
If the P0171 is resolved, after the brake job, it'll earn an honest NYS inspection
I'm heat soaking it in a parking lot now, and it restarted no trouble
It still might need AFR/Oxygen sensors, the fuel pump might still be tired
The coils are still old and mismatched
And there's a small exhaust leak at the flange AFTER both oxygen sensors
But this is progress, I'll take that
LTFT is now 13.2%, which still seems a little high to me, but is a big improvement over 27%+
Big thanks to Hurst injector, they do excellent work at a more than fair price
10/10 would recommend
$90 in total, vs sketchy remans, Chinese knockoffs, or $140+ EACH from the dealer
I will be sending in my Camry injectors when it's down for maintenance
I am sure LTFT will go down.The mailman brought injectors!
Friday to Saturday (8 day) from shipped out to returned, quite good turn around
Place your bets, how bad were they
View attachment 94096
One injector being 33% off optimal, that could do it
Even the best one was 20% off optimal and clean
No wonder it didn't run right
View attachment 94097
Well packaged, and old parts included for inquiring minds like mine
I lubed all seals with a drop of engine oil, so I didn't roll anything
View attachment 94098
Cleaned where they seat to the head, snugged everything back down
And it still runs, so it's got that going for it
Cold start is a big improvement, you barely breathe on the key, it's running
No more extra crank or two, then it kinda stumbles into life
It was at a 1/4 tank, so I took it and filled it with fresh
Took it for a blast up and down the highway
It's so much more drivable with the new sway bar links, it don't handle half bad either
Now it still seems to have an issue when slowing down to a stop, the RPMs go a little low, and it idles rough, than it clears up
On throttle and on the highway, it pulls far better than any 281k engine has a right to
Revving it to 4ish grand hot now produces NO SMOKE
Where as before, it looked like I was fogging for mosquitoes
And this is on cheap 5w20 I had laying around
So
Actual oil consumption will be tracked when I can daily drive it
It still needs a brake job, and an inspection
If the P0171 is resolved, after the brake job, it'll earn an honest NYS inspection
I'm heat soaking it in a parking lot now, and it restarted no trouble
It still might need AFR/Oxygen sensors, the fuel pump might still be tired
The coils are still old and mismatched
And there's a small exhaust leak at the flange AFTER both oxygen sensors
But this is progress, I'll take that
LTFT is now 13.2%, which still seems a little high to me, but is a big improvement over 27%+
View attachment 94100
Big thanks to Hurst injector, they do excellent work at a more than fair price
10/10 would recommend
$90 in total, vs sketchy remans, Chinese knockoffs, or $140+ EACH from the dealer
I will be sending in my Camry injectors when it's down for maintenance
I too have really enjoyed following this thread. Great pictures and write-ups.
Love seeing what some clever diagnostic and maintenance work, along with some time and elbow grease can do to return dignity to a car that’s been let go.
Please keep it up.
Best of luck to you.
After various posts I've seen online, @The Critic experience with his Corolla, Ivan @ PHAD had a 2GR Rav4 with 400k+ that also was going lean due to restricted injectors
And my experience with this xB, it's now safe to assume a 100k+ Toyota may need injector attention, if running lean
This will become common knowledge, like Ford's purge valves, and Honda's burning valves if you don't keep up with valve adjustments
... another deep exhale
This things getting an inspection ASAP, all the monitors set
And I think some of my idle feel/sound issues are engine mount related
I felt under the passenger side hydraulic mount, and while not leaking, it's an outie when it should be an innie
Use your imagination
Edit:
I cleared the codes when I put it back together
I put 50ish miles on it today, and the LTFT has crept up to 17.9
So while it's much better, it's still not fixed
Next week when it warms up, out comes the smoke machine
I may consider trying that Denso AFR sensor I've got laying around
If that doesn't do it, I'm probably getting out of my depth
How would I even test this fuel pump?
Just assume it's tired @ 281,912?
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Went to the junkyard and cut the fuel line off a scrap car to attach to the pressure gauge. This was for a 2003 Vibe but should be the same for your application. I think it was Scanner Danner on YouTube that actually gave me the idea, couldn't find that example but this one explains it in a similar way. I have the Harbor Freight kit.
Mild update,
The wheels were rusted on, so I loosened the lug nuts and drove around slowly, until a loud bang happened
Now all 4 wheels can be removed at will
That lifting point is getting a bit rusty, but it holds the car 1" off the ground so I could torque the wheel nuts
The brakes seem to have self healed, I'm not sure how
The pedal is now moderately responsive, and the moderate rust on the rotors is getting scrubbed off
I'm not kidding myself, it needs a brake job on principle, but it's no longer unsafe to drive
Press the pedal, you come to a straight (slightly rough) stop
Parking brake now works, holding both sides equally well on a steep hill
On the engine/trans front, all seems to be the same/improving somewhat
I added 4oz of transmission fluid, as depending on where I parked it, it wasn't fully up to the high hot mark on the stick
Hope I didn't overfill
Curse my lack of level ground!
LTFTs fluctuate between 7.8-13.5%
Still a little high for my liking, but much better than 28%
It needs the hydraulic engine mount badly, I suspect that's some of my rattles/idle shake
I'll shop around, and consider some idlers/serpentine belt while I'm in there, as access is far better with the mount removed
Cold starts are now no trouble, starts first try and settles into an appropriate cold fast idle
I got it hot on the highway, sat in line at a Sonic drive thru, parked, ate, for 25 minutes of heat soaking
The hot restart went like this
Still not exactly perfect, but now I can drive it places, and trust that I'll make it home
Idles a bit funny when I stop quickly at a light/sign, I'll have to check Mode 6 misfire data
With the functional brakes, replaced sway bar links, all 4 wheels removable, no CEL, and all but the EVAP monitor set, I feel this vehicle is safe for road use
This Saturday, I'll see if the NYS ever so stringent
inspection agrees with me
If it does, I can actually daily drive this thing, and get the HPL cleaner in, and try it out on my 25 mile commute from hell
MPG is up slightly to 21.21 MPG
Oil consumption after 400 miles is 1/3 down the 1qt markings on the dipstick
No oil leaks/seeps observed
Transmission operation has improved slightly, although first gear whine is still present
Thorough engine degreasing is on the agenda soon
The wheels were rusted on, so I loosened the lug nuts and drove around slowly, until a loud bang happened
Now all 4 wheels can be removed at will
That lifting point is getting a bit rusty, but it holds the car 1" off the ground so I could torque the wheel nuts
The brakes seem to have self healed, I'm not sure how
The pedal is now moderately responsive, and the moderate rust on the rotors is getting scrubbed off
I'm not kidding myself, it needs a brake job on principle, but it's no longer unsafe to drive
Press the pedal, you come to a straight (slightly rough) stop
Parking brake now works, holding both sides equally well on a steep hill
On the engine/trans front, all seems to be the same/improving somewhat
I added 4oz of transmission fluid, as depending on where I parked it, it wasn't fully up to the high hot mark on the stick
Hope I didn't overfill
Curse my lack of level ground!
LTFTs fluctuate between 7.8-13.5%
Still a little high for my liking, but much better than 28%
It needs the hydraulic engine mount badly, I suspect that's some of my rattles/idle shake
I'll shop around, and consider some idlers/serpentine belt while I'm in there, as access is far better with the mount removed
Cold starts are now no trouble, starts first try and settles into an appropriate cold fast idle
I got it hot on the highway, sat in line at a Sonic drive thru, parked, ate, for 25 minutes of heat soaking
The hot restart went like this
Still not exactly perfect, but now I can drive it places, and trust that I'll make it home
Idles a bit funny when I stop quickly at a light/sign, I'll have to check Mode 6 misfire data
With the functional brakes, replaced sway bar links, all 4 wheels removable, no CEL, and all but the EVAP monitor set, I feel this vehicle is safe for road use
This Saturday, I'll see if the NYS ever so stringent
inspection agrees with me If it does, I can actually daily drive this thing, and get the HPL cleaner in, and try it out on my 25 mile commute from hell
MPG is up slightly to 21.21 MPG
Oil consumption after 400 miles is 1/3 down the 1qt markings on the dipstick
No oil leaks/seeps observed
Transmission operation has improved slightly, although first gear whine is still present
Thorough engine degreasing is on the agenda soon
Well that happened, $40 of my hard earned dollars later
Now I can go places that don't have off street parking
$22 again at the car wash got it clean enough that I'm willing to drive it without being depressed
Still need a a thorough interior detail, but it's commutable now
After 850 miles of Milesyn 5w20, oil consumption is as shown
No smoke observed
Last night I took it for a long stretch up and down the NJ Turnpike, to the GWB and Back to Exit 10~
Didn't miss a beat, kept up with traffic (sometimes 85
)Got stuck on the wrong side of a semi and a road closure, that was the longest 10 seconds of WOT in my life
But it revved like a dentist drill, as you'd expect
No warning lights, I'm still not happy with the fuel trims
If LTFT creeps up during extended highway drives, fuel pump getting tired?
Vaccum leaks are more a factor at idle, no?
It also failed to start again after a severe heat soak, although after a few tries, it did start again
Tach signal was observed, so I suspect it's the same lack of fuel issue it was last time
This is an improvement over last time however, as it did start eventually
Zip tied the OAT sensor back on, surprisingly challenging
A 15 minute idle flush was performed, then some good oil went in
Now with a fresh change, and some of it's drivability problems fixed, I can daily drive it back and forth to work (50+ miles a day)
Oil level starting here
Then we'll mix in the HPL Engine cleaner, see what's what
I bumped it up to 5w30, because I'm revving it somewhat hard on short on ramps/stop and go, and it's high milage
The 2AZ was originally specced for 5w30, let's see if that makes it any better
I doubt it's gonna hurt it at this stage of it's life, and the .2 MPG isn't particularly meaningful to me
Next on the parts list is a hydraulic engine mount, and inspect the belt drive/idlers
Because it's hella loud at idle, clanking and shaking around
Makes stop and go city driving really annoying
My smoke machine is almost back to functional, so I can leak test my intake work, and pinpoint exhaust leaks
Will the burning of baby oil it uses harm MAF/O² sensors?
Reinstalled the engine and exhaust covers
Can't find a decent used one cheap, so this one will have to do
I'll commute with it for another week, let's see what else breaks
I'm still very impressed with the interior roominess for someone as tall and wide as myself
Here it is nose to nose with my work issued '13 Patriot
Which is several inches longer, yet severely uncomfortable, the seat is both too low, and doesn't slide back far enough
Interior packaging
I'll commute with it for another week, let's see what else breaks
I must've manifested too hard
It was running so nicely
I was driving it last night on the highway, full electrical loads (defrost/defog/lights/wipers) having a grand old time
I go to accelerate, the transmission downshifts, no power
Not slipping, not falling out of gear, just no power/torque/response
I exit, take a look at everything, nothing seems amiss
Start heading home, our favorite money light is back on with P0171, with +28% fuel trims
Take it easy getting home
I go to look at it again, now the alternator isn't charging
I cleaned both terminals (+ battery terminal too)
No change
Battery light is on at KOEO, turns off with KOER
***
A multimeter confirms the not charging
Is there a chance this alternator has been intermittently not charging, shorting the fuel pump of the amps it needs
Hell any car wouldn't operate right without proper voltage
It was charging properly at one point, I remember seeing 14v+ idling
Or is this a completely unrelated coincidence?
When I get time, I'll pull the alternator and take it to a parts store for testing
This things really putting up a fight
Edit: checked the service history
The alternator/battery/serpentine belt were all replaced @ a AAA shop on 11/22/2019 w/247k
If it's bad, this POS alternator couldn't make it barely 3 years and 35k miles
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I’m thinking you got a vacuum or exhaust leak somewhere, while Toyota did have an ECU issue with the Corollas of that vintage, I doubt bad caps in a ECU can cause this issue. What’s the reading from the AFS and rear O2s as well as MAF/MAP?
I have a feeling the AAA shop put in whatever cheap reman AZ/AAP/O’Reilly or the parts house had. Denso alts are usually pretty stout - the things that usually go bad on them are brushes(and oddly enough, Toyota stocks them) or bearings. Remans usually sleeve the slip rings with a cheap sleeve after lathing the solid copper Denso one down and install a cheap VRM. I’d try again with a Denso or Bosch reman or a new Chinese one. The rotating electrical reman business is now dominated by BorgWarner via their Remy buyout and BBB Industries. And all that stuff is “rebuilt” in Mexico or China.
I have a feeling the AAA shop put in whatever cheap reman AZ/AAP/O’Reilly or the parts house had. Denso alts are usually pretty stout - the things that usually go bad on them are brushes(and oddly enough, Toyota stocks them) or bearings. Remans usually sleeve the slip rings with a cheap sleeve after lathing the solid copper Denso one down and install a cheap VRM. I’d try again with a Denso or Bosch reman or a new Chinese one. The rotating electrical reman business is now dominated by BorgWarner via their Remy buyout and BBB Industries. And all that stuff is “rebuilt” in Mexico or China.
Judging by how many of the thumbnail pictures look alike, I agree with that
The FVP reman with the lifetime warranty would've been good @ $100~ after core
The Bosch is $6+ over the Denso, but you get a 2 year warranty vs 1 year
I really don't wanna spend it, but I want it to be no longer suspect
Bosch works out at about $180 after core
The new Remy has the same 2 year warranty, is a little cheaper, and no core
It'd work out about $40 cheaper than the Bosch, for the same warranty
When did parts get this bad, you spend more time comparing and shopping than fixing the **** car
Gave it a light degreasing before disassembly
Found the missing terminal cover and coolant bottle grommet, evidence that someone's been in here before
The engine mount and lower bracket are a PITA to remove, but it opens up some space
Based on the tensioner being spring tensioned vs hydraulic, and the tensioner pulley bolt being normal 14mm, and not the Toyota proprietary tamper head, I suspect it's been replaced at least once
The rear standalone is factory, and after removing it I can see why
It wasn't far away from catastrophic failure IMO
The alternator while dead, was fairly quiet
Both were varying degrees of noisy, I think I found my odd idle sounds
The tensioner spring isn't corroded, and it swings freely, so I'll just get a new pulley
I had some choices language in removing the rear pulley, done by loosening the aluminum bracket it's bolted too off the block, then prying and jimmying it out
You can't just remove the center bolt, no matter how high/low I jacked the engine, there's not enough clearance
So the parts bill is now
Alternator
Tensioner pulley and standalone idler
Hydraulic engine mount
I've already got a new Continental belt
I'll place some orders, and try for reassembly next weekend
Maybe I'll see if I can get AAA to warranty this battery
A new Remy alternator and Continental tensioner pulley is on the way, I'll pick up the big idler and engine mount at the Toyota dealer this week
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Took it to AutoZone for testing, it failed the first time, then passed the second two
Intermittent erratic voltage
Cars don't work right without solid steady voltage
I'm still gonna replace it, but now I'm suspicious
I didn't know reman parts had gotten this bad
I did some further digging, this is a Napa store brand Ultima alternator, reman in Mexico
The internal fan is red, and the OAD pulley is a Litens brand
The belt was a Napa store brand
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- Nov 2, 2021
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I would love a low mileage 1st gen xb for a work wagon. They really are sexy
View attachment 88991
I won this 2009 xB on eBay, I'm gonna go pick it up Friday
281k, warned of grinding brakes and having to add oil
Bring on the piston soak
I got a few cans of on sale B12 chemtool, and a can of Kroil, might let it soak for multiple days
It's an auto, coming from it's first and only owner, and all 4 hub cabs are intact
The service history shows it's been moderately loved over it's 13 years
This will be interesting
As this project will be about keeping costs down, and this vehicle has no specific purpose at this time
Yea-about as a card board box.....