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Minor shift bind and squeaky steering wheel mystery
Recently bought an 00 E300 with 117k miles.
This forum has helped me get all the correct fluids and parts so it runs buttery smooth with 6 quarts of new T-IV and amsoil in the PS. The mechanic drove it the other day and said it runs good.
The U140E at 117k miles feels like it’s holding up and likes the new fluid in it. Before the new fluid, shift 2-3 felt a little drawn out with a slight bind when warming up or going uphill. It still feels that way but it got a lot smoother. Does this mean the transmission just needed new fluid or does it mean something may be mechanically wrong but it’s enough to where it can be ok to go for awhile but is on it’s way out.
It also has a squeaky steering wheel. I was talking to a lady who had the same car and she said hers was squeaky aswell. My mechanic said he doesn’t know either. We both know it’s coming from the front of the steering wheel where the driver is, not below or under the hood.
I will try to record a sound but it’s mostly at low speeds when making a you turn or stopping and turning. The sound is rubbing and friction like rubber on glass. It’s close to me where I put my hands.
What oil should I put in the car. I heard this brand is cheap and heard it can be used for the transmission so I was thinking this might be good budget oil for Toyota.
The link below is for the gf6 oil, I didn’t get a compression test so I’m a little worried about that and have no service records and these engines are known for sludge build up.
It needed a new thermostat so hopefully that was caught in time. The timing done was done luckily around 100k miles the previous owner stated it was definitely done. Now it has the long life anti freeze in it, new hoses, pcv valve, fuel filter, belts, all oem. New aftermarket thermostat housing since it broke.
I’m wondering if I could sell it for more now and since I know what to look for maybe snag a LS or something. Below is the link to the oil, the brand and gf6 is why I was curious and I heard it’s cheap and is an alternative to Toyota atf, ect.
The U140E at 117k miles feels like it’s holding up and likes the new fluid in it. Before the new fluid, shift 2-3 felt a little drawn out with a slight bind when warming up or going uphill. It still feels that way but it got a lot smoother. Does this mean the transmission just needed new fluid or does it mean something may be mechanically wrong but it’s enough to where it can be ok to go for awhile but is on it’s way out.
What do you mean by "bound"?
Did you replace the filter as well?
It all depends on the way you drive, road conditions, etc. It will be difficult to say anything without actually experiencing it. If you can barely feel it, and it did get better, just keep an eye on it to see if things will change for now.
Originally Posted by CornPump
It also has a squeaky steering wheel. I was talking to a lady who had the same car and she said hers was squeaky aswell. My mechanic said he doesn’t know either. We both know it’s coming from the front of the steering wheel where the driver is, not below or under the hood.
There could only be two major points to look in the interior - Clock Spring and a Seal for the U-Joint in the firewall. For the seal, simply get some lithium lubricant and cover the shaft, those are known to squeak. Clock spring, here is a thread about it.
Originally Posted by CornPump
What oil should I put in the car. I heard this brand is cheap and heard it can be used for the transmission so I was thinking this might be good budget oil for Toyota.
The link below is for the gf6 oil, I didn’t get a compression test so I’m a little worried about that and have no service records and these engines are known for sludge build up.
Cheap..? I get Mobil1 5W-30 High Mileage at my local Walmart for about $28, and it is a good oil that I can trust. For that brand, I've never heard about it before, so I am not sure how good is it. If you really want something good, go with either Amsoil or Liqui Moly, but this engine will likely not be able to unleash the full potential of those oils, especially if you were to replace it every 4,000 - 5,000 miles, so I personally would stick with something you can find locally, which will make it a lot simpler in the long run.
Also, Toyota sells some nice oil filters for about $6, this is what I usually go with.
Originally Posted by CornPump
I’m wondering if I could sell it for more now and since I know what to look for maybe snag a LS or something. Below is the link to the oil, the brand and gf6 is why I was curious and I heard it’s cheap and is an alternative to Toyota atf, ect.
While you certainly could, you probably shouldn't. This is the car you can now trust for a good while, and for a reasonable price. LS is a nice car, but a lot more complicated than ES, and will likely be a lot more worn, with unpredictable issues popping up once in a while.
What do you mean by "bound"?
Did you replace the filter as well?
It all depends on the way you drive, road conditions, etc. It will be difficult to say anything without actually experiencing it. If you can barely feel it, and it did get better, just keep an eye on it to see if things will change for now.
There could only be two major points to look in the interior - Clock Spring and a Seal for the U-Joint in the firewall. For the seal, simply get some lithium lubricant and cover the shaft, those are known to squeak. Clock spring, here is a thread about it.
Cheap..? I get Mobil1 5W-30 High Mileage at my local Walmart for about $28, and it is a good oil that I can trust. For that brand, I've never heard about it before, so I am not sure how good is it. If you really want something good, go with either Amsoil or Liqui Moly, but this engine will likely not be able to unleash the full potential of those oils, especially if you were to replace it every 4,000 - 5,000 miles, so I personally would stick with something you can find locally, which will make it a lot simpler in the long run.
Also, Toyota sells some nice oil filters for about $6, this is what I usually go with.
While you certainly could, you probably shouldn't. This is the car you can now trust for a good while, and for a reasonable price. LS is a nice car, but a lot more complicated than ES, and will likely be a lot more worn, with unpredictable issues popping up once in a while.
Hope this helps and best of luck!
My mistake, the reason it’s expensive I think is because it’s the newer gf6 oil. The atf from that brand is supposed to be cheap at auto zone like 2 something but I didn’t trust it either cause I never heard of the brand. I used the Toyota T-4 and everything is running good.
I didn’t get the Toyota filter because it was $10 on the site you linked me for the Toyota parts. I ended up being cheap and got 2 denso oil filters from Amazon. Don’t know where they sell oem filters for 6.
I’ll just go with mobile 1 high mileage that sounds like the best choice. And didn’t change the filter yet because we decided it would just get dirty and also it should be ok at 117k so I’m just going to drive it for awhile.
By U-joint seal do you mean the shaft near the pedals that go into the floor at the bottom. I saw videos on you tube of them spraying around there with white lithium grease.
If that’s what you mean I would think that area would be too far away from where the sound is coming from do to the squeak being up front.
I remember the clock spring being mentioned. I’ll read the post.
The steering wheel issue would be nice to fix because I think it’s more than a sound and that there’s friction so the steering wheel isn’t smooth when it makes that sound.
My wheel does sound like it could be where the shaft meets the rubber near the firewall. It looks like an easy fix so I would definitely try this before the clock spring.
I was thinking it could be that but it sounded closer so I kind of ruled out the fix in the video. Although my steering wheel does sound like that so maybe it is that simple of a fix.
My mistake, the reason it’s expensive I think is because it’s the newer gf6 oil. The atf from that brand is supposed to be cheap at auto zone like 2 something but I didn’t trust it either cause I never heard of the brand. I used the Toyota T-4 and everything is running good.
It would probably be for the better if it stays that way..
Originally Posted by CornPump
I didn’t get the Toyota filter because it was $10 on the site you linked me for the Toyota parts. I ended up being cheap and got 2 denso oil filters from Amazon. Don’t know where they sell oem filters for 6.
Really not the place to cheap out. eBay and Amazon are chock-full of counterfeit junk on sale, it is really easy to to get lured by the lower price only to then replace the whole engine, Denso OEM filters already look like counterfeit, so you will never be able to tell them apart. My local dealership sells Toyota filters for $5 with the crush washer conveniently included at the expense of the institution, not sure if others do that as well though, here is where you can get one.
Originally Posted by CornPump
And didn’t change the filter yet because we decided it would just get dirty and also it should be ok at 117k so I’m just going to drive it for awhile.
I don't seem to be following the logic there quite frankly.. If the new filter will get dirty, then the old one is already dirty and in need of replacement, and if the old filter is still fine, then a new one will never hurt. Those filters have foam filtering material, unlike the steel mesh from the olden days, which could be cleaned time and time again, those cannot be cleaned and do get clogged over time, causing some considerable issues, like the ones described in this thread.
Originally Posted by CornPump
By U-joint seal do you mean the shaft near the pedals that go into the floor at the bottom. I saw videos on you tube of them spraying around there with white lithium grease.
If that’s what you mean I would think that area would be too far away from where the sound is coming from do to the squeak being up front.
I remember the clock spring being mentioned. I’ll read the post.
The steering wheel issue would be nice to fix because I think it’s more than a sound and that there’s friction so the steering wheel isn’t smooth when it makes that sound.
Sound can really travel through solid objects in the interior, hence why it is always such a pain to identify interior squeaks, they can be everywhere. Best way to find out would be to simply lubricate that seal and see what happens, it is not that complicated of a procedure..
11355125]It would probably be for the better if it stays that way..
Really not the place to cheap out. eBay and Amazon are chock-full of counterfeit junk on sale, it is really easy to to get lured by the lower price only to then replace the whole engine, Denso OEM filters already look like counterfeit, so you will never be able to tell them apart. My local dealership sells Toyota filters for $5 with the crush washer conveniently included at the expense of the institution, not sure if others do that as well though, here is where you can get one.
I don't seem to be following the logic there quite frankly.. If the new filter will get dirty, then the old one is already dirty and in need of replacement, and if the old filter is still fine, then a new one will never hurt. Those filters have foam filtering material, unlike the steel mesh from the olden days, which could be cleaned time and time again, those cannot be cleaned and do get clogged over time, causing some considerable issues, like the ones described in this thread.
Sound can really travel through solid objects in the interior, hence why it is always such a pain to identify interior squeaks, they can be everywhere. Best way to find out would be to simply lubricate that seal and see what happens, it is not that complicated of a procedure..
Hope this helps and best of luck!
Sorry for late reply, the 00 es300 117k is still running smoothly after the replacement of 6 quarts Toyota t4. It’s good that the new filter didn’t go in because I want to order a new drain plug gasket so all the gaskets are replaced along with the oem pan gasket and filter gasket that I already have for it. Minor things have to be done but adleast is it has all the correct fluids in it now with the long life and t4 directly from the dealership as well as the amsoil in the PS.
I wanted to replace bypass hose 1 with the new hose and clips I got for it along with the other oem stuff but didn’t have funds for the mechanic and didn’t have the knock sensors or upper/lower manifold gaskets. I heard people don’t particularly like the design of how the hose goes through the engine because the mechanic said Toyota did something stupid when it came to that. I’m not sure if it’s only this engine that’s this way or if the other Toyotas are like that as well.
The car runs very good, an ls400 would probably be more to insure as well. I’m paying a pretty decent rate considering the high cost of insurance in my state.
I opened the hood today and to my surprise the backyard mechanic cleaned the engine. I told him to blow things out as he goes and take his time but didn’t know he was going to clean the engine like he did. He put a silver aftermarket coolant cap on it as you can see in the photo which he says is a good one but I’m not sure the difference between oem and aftermarket caps.
To be honest I’m not exactly sure if that cap that’s on there is the oem or if he definitely changed it and if it’s been there when I got the car.
Before cleaning and maintenance with random green coolant in it After cleaning with red Toyota long life
Before After (the mechanic put new nut on it without me knowing the other one was rusted)
The back brakes are gone like you guys said so that’s next on the list. What braking fluid and brand of brakes do you guys think I should I put on it. Need recommendations on aftermarket brake brands because oem discs are around 80 or 90 for one.
Rear brake
Also is it worth it to fluid film for the winter? The front underbody shield is torn where the bolts meet the plastic. It has little body issues like that. The ac condenser is torn up, the ac turns on but the previous owner said it didn’t work. Crazy amount of rock chips on the hood which I used the road rash kit for. The headlights were fogged which I sanded from 320 to 3000 then buff. One platinum edition emblem is missing on the passenger side.
Does anyone know where to get the platinum edition emblems?
For the squeaky wheel I didn’t try the lithium grease yet. I noticed I have a slight raddle which sounds like the muffler. The car runs good with 117k and is surprisingly fast with the V6. The front brakes are semi new and it brakes good even with the back brakes like that. The engine is purring at stop lights while idle and it’s good to know the IAC was cleaned of the debris that was in there and the gasket replaced.
The transmission still has that one transition that’s not smooth. If it’s a 4 speed then I assume it can only be when it shifts from 2-3 on hills and on flat ground but only once when it warms up. After warming up shift 2-3 or it might actually be 1-2. It’s smooth on flat terrain and you can feel it got smoother with the new fluid. Idk if the new filter being put in later would make a difference.
Edit: Also I want to say that the thermostat housing that the thermostat goes into cracked during installation which was replaced with an aftermarket part which was only around in $13. It was the upper housing so it’s basically just a metal pipe which I don’t think will make a huge difference between oem and aftermarket.
Is that a Motorad radiator cap? They are known to be junk. If so, please replace it with OEM. I had one on my Sentra which lasted a year or so and it let go while in the summer heat and traffic waiting to cross the GWB. Luckily by turning on the heat I was able to nurse it along and no damage was done, but it was an unnecessarily stressful experience. (Failure point: the thickness and diameter of the gasket were less than OEM.)
That battery clamp nut job looks terrible and speaks volumes about the mechanic; they are only couple of dollars or so at Walmart.
I have the Fluid Film equipment and do all my cars. It works great but not in wheel-spray area. To do a proper job, you have to strip out the door panels, fender liners, plastic rocker covers and so on. In all honesty, no shop will do it to this extent bc it's basically an all day project to do it properly so, DIY.
Is that a Motorad radiator cap? They are known to be junk. If so, please replace it with OEM. I had one on my Sentra which lasted a year or so and it let go while in the summer heat and traffic waiting to cross the GWB. Luckily by turning on the heat I was able to nurse it along and no damage was done, but it was an unnecessarily stressful experience. (Failure point: the thickness and diameter of the gasket were less than OEM.)
That battery clamp nut job looks terrible and speaks volumes about the mechanic; they are only couple of dollars or so at Walmart.
I have the Fluid Film equipment and do all my cars. It works great but not in wheel-spray area. To do a proper job, you have to strip out the door panels, fender liners, plastic rocker covers and so on. In all honesty, no shop will do it to this extent bc it's basically an all day project to do it properly so, DIY.
I’ll double check tomorrow but I think it did say motorad. I was hoping that wasn’t the case. How is the battery nut job bad.
Yeah I would need stuff to do the fluid film right and I don’t even have jack stands. Can I just fluid film the important parts with a couple of cans?
Also a quick question, I got a couple of denso oil filters from Amazon. How do denso filters compare to others and oem I wonder. For oil I’m probably going to end up using mobile 1 high mileage or the purple brand.
Sorry for late reply, the 00 es300 117k is still running smoothly after the replacement of 6 quarts Toyota t4. It’s good that the new filter didn’t go in because I want to order a new drain plug gasket so all the gaskets are replaced along with the oem pan gasket and filter gasket that I already have for it. Minor things have to be done but adleast is it has all the correct fluids in it now with the long life and t4 directly from the dealership as well as the amsoil in the PS.
Perfect.
Originally Posted by CornPump
I wanted to replace bypass hose 1 with the new hose and clips I got for it along with the other oem stuff but didn’t have funds for the mechanic and didn’t have the knock sensors or upper/lower manifold gaskets. I heard people don’t particularly like the design of how the hose goes through the engine because the mechanic said Toyota did something stupid when it came to that. I’m not sure if it’s only this engine that’s this way or if the other Toyotas are like that as well.
Those used to be metal at some point, but then Toyota decided to cheap out and used a rubber one, failure rate compared to a metal line quite literally skyrocketed, which is why they are generally not being regarded as a good decision.
Originally Posted by CornPump
He put a silver aftermarket coolant cap on it as you can see in the photo which he says is a good one but I’m not sure the difference between oem and aftermarket caps.
That cap is there not just to keep the coolant in the system, it is also what regulates the pressure in the system, so it is very important that it is a good one. I wouldn't even come close to it with anything aftermarket really, even used OEM is better in my opinion.
Originally Posted by CornPump
The back brakes are gone like you guys said so that’s next on the list. What’s braking fluid and brand of brakes should I put on it. Need recommendations on aftermarket brake brands because oem discs are around 80 or 90 for one.
The rotors are gone, but the wear looks nice and even, indicating that the pads are good quality and that the calipers are working great, which is a surprise for those, I don't like the design they chose to with on those, but maybe it's just me.
Brake fluid is pretty standard, any good brand will work just fine. I went with Prestone Hi-Temp DOT3 fluid, for no solid reason, mostly because it was the first bottle I saw on the shelf, it does works well though, so no complaints.
I used Raybestos Element3 rotors quite a while back now, no complaints so far, the rust protection coating lasts surprisingly well. For the pads, I tend to go OEM, since they are not that expensive in comparison and I can trust them, but Akebono pads are just as good, if not better. Here would be one of the best places to get those.
Originally Posted by CornPump
The headlights were fogged which I sanded from 320 to 3000 then buff.
Make sure to use some sealant like paint protection film or clear coat, otherwise all that work will go to waste in a few months.
Originally Posted by CornPump
One platinum edition emblem is missing on the passenger side.
Does anyone know where to get the platinum edition emblems?
I keep looking for those for about 3 years now, no dice, those are pretty hard to come by nowadays.
Originally Posted by FromFL
That battery clamp nut job looks terrible and speaks volumes about the mechanic; they are only couple of dollars or so at Walmart.
Well, sometimes to gotta do what you gotta do.. But in all honesty it would make sense to replace the whole wire with a terminal with an OEM one at some point in the future, as more of an aesthetics thing, there is nothing that will cause any significant issues.
Originally Posted by CornPump
Also a quick question, I got a couple of denso oil filters from Amazon. How do denso filters compare to others and oem I wonder. For oil I’m probably going to end up using mobile 1 high mileage or the purple brand.
I am still not entirely convinced you got genuine Denso filters.. Toyota ones go for about the same price at any dealership, just come in and ask for one for a 2000 Camry V6, that's what I've been doing for as long as I can remember. For the oil, Mobil1 would be my pick..
EDIT: Almost forgot - the MAF sensor you have installed in the car, it doesn't look like OEM, did the car come with it or you replaced it at some point? It's not an issue if the car runs fine now, but I would just keep an eye on it.
That coolant cap is 100% trash get rid of it and go OEM before something bad happens. And it will only a matter of time. If possible buy at least 2 cans of Fluid Film and spray down the vulnerable areas and anything that looks rusty but be careful near brake components. Not much else I can add that hasn't already been pointed out but yes that battery terminal is the worst design going.
I saw this in a youtube video of someone showing their 00 es300 and they have the same silver aftermarket cap I have and the other pic is with with the oem cap. So I’ll get the oem cap along with the oil filters from the dealership. The reviews on the denso filters say they are made in China most likely and lower quality probably then the ones made in the other Asian country they are originally made from, I forget where. Or they could be fake all together. They were cheap around 8 for two.
I’m also going to take a photo of my gas cap to double check if it’s oem.
Those used to be metal at some point, but then Toyota decided to cheap out and used a rubber one, failure rate compared to a metal line quite literally skyrocketed, which is why they are generally not being regarded as a good decision.
That cap is there not just to keep the coolant in the system, it is also what regulates the pressure in the system, so it is very important that it is a good one. I wouldn't even come close to it with anything aftermarket really, even used OEM is better in my opinion.
The rotors are gone, but the wear looks nice and even, indicating that the pads are good quality and that the calipers are working great, which is a surprise for those, I don't like the design they chose to with on those, but maybe it's just me.
Brake fluid is pretty standard, any good brand will work just fine. I went with Prestone Hi-Temp DOT3 fluid, for no solid reason, mostly because it was the first bottle I saw on the shelf, it does works well though, so no complaints.
I used Raybestos Element3 rotors quite a while back now, no complaints so far, the rust protection coating lasts surprisingly well. For the pads, I tend to go OEM, since they are not that expensive in comparison and I can trust them, but Akebono pads are just as good, if not better. Here would be one of the best places to get those.
Make sure to use some sealant like paint protection film or clear coat, otherwise all that work will go to waste in a few months.
I keep looking for those for about 3 years now, no dice, those are pretty hard to come by nowadays.
Well, sometimes to gotta do what you gotta do.. But in all honesty it would make sense to replace the whole wire with a terminal with an OEM one at some point in the future, as more of an aesthetics thing, there is nothing that will cause any significant issues.
I am still not entirely convinced you got genuine Denso filters.. Toyota ones go for about the same price at any dealership, just come in and ask for one for a 2000 Camry V6, that's what I've been doing for as long as I can remember. For the oil, Mobil1 would be my pick..
EDIT: Almost forgot - the MAF sensor you have installed in the car, it doesn't look like OEM, did the car come with it or you replaced it at some point? It's not an issue if the car runs fine now, but I would just keep an eye on it.
Hope this helps and best of luck!
Originally Posted by LeX2K
That coolant cap is 100% trash get rid of it and go OEM before something bad happens. And it will only a matter of time. If possible buy at least 2 cans of Fluid Film and spray down the vulnerable areas and anything that looks rusty but be careful near brake components. Not much else I can add that hasn't already been pointed out but yes that battery terminal is the worst design going.
That’s true I didn’t notice that about the calipers. The rotors are beat up but I guess the wear is even adleast. Not sure if the oem ones are still on there or not. What brand of calipers should I get. Rock auto sent me a 5% coupon, I saw the coated Element3 for around 30 which is good because I’m on a budget if you say they work well. I didn’t check out the link for the Akebono brakes but I’m curious about them if there better than oem.
So I just need those 3 things for the brake job? The rotors, calipers, and pads. I’ll order the cap, pads, oil filters, and gaskets from the dealership then get the rotors and calipers from either the link or rock auto? And the fluid I guess from Walmart.
What sealant do I get. I tried the 3x clear coat like in the popular you tube videos and it made it really foggy and worse so I had to redo it. The meguiars plasticx is all that’s on the headlights which was used on the buffing pad which was what made it clear.
That’s a shame about the platinum badge being hard to find. They are easy to rip off so I image someone took it awhile ago. The previous owner said it was the drivers side that had the badge missing so he took the one on the passenger side and put it on the drivers side.
You guys can’t see it in the photo but the photo above the photo of the nut job was before when the rusty square nut was on it but you just can’t see it well in the pic. Not sure if that small square nut was the original on there. I guess from what you guys say the nut that’s on there will be ok until I can replace the terminal and wires.
As for the MAF sensor I was totally unaware of it. The previous owner did mention he changed a few sensors and it was one of the things that were done along with the timing belt and front brakes. It might have needed a new sensor and the previous owner cheapened out and went with aftermarket sensors. He also said that he did the sensors himself but had a big bill for the timing belt.
Besides these things the car needs a pair of new tires. The back ones are the ones that were never changed while the front the previous owner said were in decent shape. So not sure if I should get all 4 new tires or just 2. What’s a good place to get tires/alignment done and what’s a good budget brand of tire.
I could get the brakes done before the tires so it’s all knocked out. The only thing is I’m wondering is if it’s worth it to try and replace suspension parts before the alignment. I’m on a budget so maybe something I can change myself then go in for the tires/alignment. I image the suspension and brakes would be a little difficult for a beginner to take on and I don’t have a garage.
As for the fluid film I’m not sure what are the most important parts to spray and how to prep when it comes to that. Besides not doing the brakes and muffler. I wouldn’t beable to get in all the door panels and crevices.
I didn’t check out the link for the Akebono brakes but I’m curious about them if there better than oem.
I believe Akebono is an OEM manufacturer for Toyota, they are being highly regarded as a solid brake manufacturer. Whether they are better - OEM is pretty descent already, while Akebono may utilize some newer technologies, you will not see anything groundbreaking in there..
Originally Posted by CornPump
So I just need those 3 things for the brake job? The rotors, calipers, and pads.
I thought we just agreed that your calipers do look like they are in very nice shape.. At least for right now, you do not need to replace those, but do make sure that all the rubber is intact when you will go to do the job, if not, Toyota sells OEM repair kit for those calipers, which is a lot better than anything aftermarket out there, Part Number is 04479-33110.
Originally Posted by CornPump
I’ll order the cap, pads, oil filters, and gaskets from the dealership then get the rotors and calipers from either the link or rock auto? And the fluid I guess from Walmart.
Just wait before you go chasing after the calipers, there is not real point to it, at least at the moment. Even if the rubber will be torn, a rebuild kit is cheaper and will last a good while longer than aftermarket rubber. Everything else sounds about right.
Originally Posted by CornPump
What sealant do I get. I tried the 3x clear coat like in the popular you tube videos and it made it really foggy and worse so I had to redo it. The meguiars plasticx is all that’s on the headlights which was used on the buffing pad which was what make it clear.
You need to have quality 2K clear coat on the lights. Since you are only doing the headlights, it would make sense to get a Spraymax Headlight Clear, which is a clear coat specifically designed for headlights, though you have to wear a respirator on this one.
Originally Posted by CornPump
That’s a shame about the platinum badge being hard to find. They are easy to rip off so I image someone took it awhile ago. The previous owner said it was really the drivers side which was missing so he took the one one the passenger side and put it on the drivers side.
Interesting.. I am missing both anyways, so you are the one who got off easy.
Originally Posted by CornPump
You guys can’t see it in the photo but the photo above the photo of the nut job was before when the rusty square nut was on it but you just can’t see it well in the pic. Not sure if that small square nut was the original on there. I guess from what you guys say the nut that’s on there will be ok until I can replace the terminal and wires.
The whole Ground wire is not OEM, and it would be nice to replace it all with OEM setup at some point. Part Number for the terminal is 90982-06022, and here is a link to a wire, it is held by 2 bolts, easy enough to replace.
Originally Posted by CornPump
As for the MAF sensor I was totally unaware of it. The previous owner did mention he changed a few sensors and it was one of the things that were done along with the timing belt and front brakes.
Nothing major, just another thing to keep an eye for, see if you can find a low mileage used OEM unit, which will be a lot better.
Originally Posted by CornPump
Besides these things the car needs a pair of new tires. The back ones are the ones that were never changed while the front the previous owner said were in decent shape. So not sure if I should get all 4 new tires or just 2. What’s a good place to get tires/alignment done and what’s a good budget brand of tire.
I've heard a lot of good things about General Tires, General Altimax RT43 in particular. Whether to replace 2 or 4 tires, depends on whether you can afford replacing all 4, doing it all at once can save some hassle over time, and if you rotate the tires regularly, they will last a lot longer. Make sure to do an alignment before you get new tires, just to make sure that the car won't start mangling your new tires.
As for the place, I tend to go to Tires Plus for this, I do like their approach to things. When I had one of the inner tie rods wear out, one shop refused to do an alignment, stating that it is one of the Outer tie rods that's bad, and they also refused to show me the damage. Then I went to Tires Plus and this time they lifted a car for me and showed the damage, saying they can try to do an alignment, but they won't guarantee anything. Depending on how long you plan to keep the car, you may as well get a lifetime service.
Originally Posted by CornPump
I could get the brakes done before the tires so it’s all knocked out. The only thing is I’m wondering is if it’s worth it to try and replace suspension parts before the alignment. I’m on a budget so maybe something I can change myself then go in for the tires/alignment. I image the suspension and brakes would be a little difficult for a beginner to take on and I don’t have a garage.
Depends on whether there is really anything in need of a replacement. One way to check is to go for a free courtesy checks that some shops offer, they will be able to tell whether all the vital components are safe. Other thing is that if you go for the alignment and there is an issue with suspension, they will let you know about it, and won't charge for the alignment. Suspension in those cars is pretty simple, there is not much to wreck in there, even for a beginner, the only concern is rear control arms - the bolt that goes through the rear knuckle loves seizing up for good, which may be a heck of a hassle to take out.
09-01-22, 10:43 AM
Minor shift bind and squeaky steering wheel mystery
