Recent content by marques

Semi-stupid question, but (with the truck off) if you raise both front wheels off the ground, do they turn freely (one forward, the other backwards because of the open differential), or are they hard to turn like the brakes are binding? They should turn relatively easily. Same question for the...

I had an almost completely clogged nozzle, but was able to unblock it/clean it up and now sprays normal. But it did involve getting a small thin wire in there, pushing it in and out and moving it around to clear whatever was blocking it.

Why? I’m not sure you gain anything and will make the truck a lot less stable, rolling more in the corners, etc.

Yes, i’m also scratching my head. Did the M6 bolts (65 in-lbs torque spec) get torqued to > 14 ft-lbs?! That would pretty much guarantee they snap by being overtorqued by 3x. I like to torque the M6 pan bolts in stages. Go all the way around just finger tight, then go all the way around at...

Thank you very much for this write up. It helped a lot to fix the mirror in my ‘13 LX. I was able to just replace the folding motor and reuse everything else but the 22-pin white plug housing. The old one was destroyed in the process of de-pinning it, but there was a new one in the kit, so no...

It’s not hard. Just somewhat tedious and time consuming. And you have to deal with the exhaust air injection valves, which can be a PITA due to limited access (especially if you don’t have small hands). There are a few threads and write ups on the subject (search “valley coolant leak”). Plan on...

Maybe the rear caliper slider pins are sticking and binding a little?

How bad is the coolant leak (how often do you need to top off the coolant)? These leaks can be very slow and go on for years before they become a real problem. You could kick the can down the road for now and just keep an eye on it. Doesn’t look like you’re getting any discounts for the...

About the truck not starting after the oil change, that must be a coincidence and most likely unrelated. Clean and retighten the battery terminals and measure the voltage to make sure it’s properly charged (and charge it if a little low).

Sorry, I can’t visualize how the oil filter housing could have just “popped off” if it was installed correctly. It’s threaded on several complete turns. If it actually popped off like you say, it mustn’t have had any threads actually engaged and it must have had the threads simply jammed against...

And about the question of when to flush the brake fluid, it should be a function of time (every two years or so), regardless of whether you’re changing any pads or not.

I have never opened any bleed nipples when changing any pads and have never had any issues whatsoever. And I’ve changed a lot of pads in my life. I think the one exception would be if the brake fluid had been grossly neglected (not changed ever in 15+ years), in which case I would simply flush...

I've also seen really bad vacuum leaks in the block (hardened front crank seal) resulting in the PCV system working overtime sucking oil-saturated fumes into the intake, resulting in lots of smoke upon startup every now and then. Eventually the vacuum (and oil!) leak got so bad the engine...

It may just be hardened/worn valve seals. Typically not a big deal and you just get a small puff of smoke every now and then when you start the engine. But it can get worse and result in more smoke more often, combined with higher oil consumption.

How does the oil look at the tip of the dipstick? The brake booster is electric. There is no vacuum diaphragm. It's not brake fluid.