I was under the car yesterday changing my front brakes, when I noticed excess grease on the frame and A-arms. So now my question is, how much is this going to cost me at the dealership for the front axles both sides? I'm in the process of moving my family to the East, otherwise I'd do it myself.
View 14 RepliesI noticed a little bit of grease splatter on the frame last night when I was changing the running board lights. The grease was coming out from the clamp, no ripped or torn boot.
Maybe one day I'll buy the special clamp and crimping tool but for now I used some silicone tape. It seals to itself and it doesn't leave a sticky residue if removed. If you use this tape make sure you stretch it and pull it really tight as you're wrapping it so it can seal to itself. I used some zip ties just in case.
I was driving along and all of a sudden it felt like the rear suspension was just not there it actually felt like it was bouncing on the frame. then it went away. I recently in the last year had the rear shocks changed with OEM shocks.....
View 14 RepliesCan't find the PCV air inlet hose to the crankcase on a 5.4 3 valve V8 2006 F150. Most PCVs let air in on one bank and out the other bank on a V engine, but this engine has hoses going from BOTH banks valve covers to the intake manifold. The crankcase is under vacuum(8 inches vacuum at dipstick tube, 6 inches at each valve cover). There should be air flow in the crankcase not vacuum. No air is getting in which results in a vacuum in the crankcase.
Once the vacuum builds up enough after a few seconds when the engine is started the engine begins to whistle where air is being sucked in(can't figure out where) at a seal or gasket. If air could get in as it should there wouldn't be a vacuum in the crankcase and the engine wouldn't whistle. Where is the air inlet hose for the PCV system on the 5.4 3 valve V8? It must be clogged or blocked resulting in a vacuum. I can't find the hose and Alldata doesn't show it.
Bought a 2013 FX4 two weeks ago to replace my 94 F150 and got to enjoy it for a whole 10 days before I got rear ended at a stop light. The car hit me doing between 30-40, fast enough to make her airbags go off, and it was hard enought to force the bed to hit the cab. Unfortunately, the damage is more than cosmetic body work. The bottom of the bed is pushed up under the bedliner and the frame is bent in front of where the leaf spring connects. My concern is that the adjuster will want to "fix" the frame and I will be stuck with a lifetime of alignment issues, suspension issues, etc. I know the rear of the frame is not as much an issue as if the front was bent, but I don't know how they could fix it without cutting it and welding in a new piece, and how can I know that the frame is true?
View 14 RepliesDealer told me needed new control arms as the bearings are wearing out. Was quoted a little over $3k. Doesn't really bother me bc it only makes a clicking noise when I apply brakes hard but concerned about safety issue. Surprised a car like this would need new control arms with only 70k miles on it.
View 14 RepliesIve seen this also on some 4runners. Ive had several vehicles many years old with no rust underneath at all and I check today and sure enough, some rust on the rear axle and in front suspension arms. I checked the lexus warranty and it is unclear whether this is covered.
View 14 RepliesI was underneath my car yesterday (09 ES 350, 60k miles) doing an oil change and noticed oil and grease caked to the back of each side of the firewall and running down over the axles. I also found a small pool of transmission fluid in the splash pan beneath the transmission fluid cooler. It appears fluid is escaping past the factory "pinch clamps." .
I plan to replace the pinch clamps with the screw/bolt style adjustable ones. My thoughts are that maybe the WS ATF is too viscous for these pinch clamps, or that maybe under heavy load there's too much pressure for them to withstand leaking/seeping. I'm estimating I may have lost up to 1/3 of a quart up to this point, but can't be for sure. I thought it might be engine oil, but found the back of the engine to be dry and my VVTI return line is metal and not leaking. I'll definitely be checking the fluid level soon, although the car is running and shifting fine.
I bought my 2008 GS 350 in March of this year, got it checked by Lexus of Edison at 70,606 miles (I purchased it at 69,850 miles) and everything was fine. So I went in for my 75,000 mile service and now they're saying that my LF axle is leaking grease from the boot and to replace it with a brand new axle it will cost $1773. Here's a picture from directly underneath the drivers side
View 14 RepliesLast week I had my car visited the dealer due to left rear shock leaked which was replaced under warranty...
This weekend is the first time that I took the car out for a drive... When I got home, I noticed the left rear wheel area is covered with grease... I don't know where it came from... look like brownish goo... I splashed around the inner side of the wheel and also cover part of the rear brake caliper, brake line, and control arms.
What kind of grease is this?? Where is the grease came from???
My GS is all stock... No modification.... Currently has 62K on it.
I have a 2010 RX450h and live in Minnesota where it is hard to hand wash my car. The darn car washes tend to catch the front of my license plate frame and bend it and the license. I have tried several different plate frames and none worked. Minnesota plates are now the thin, non-stamped plates so they are very flimsy.
I even tried putting a plastic plate behind the license to make it more rigid but that failed too.
I have just checked my oil and it would seem that the garage who serviced it last have overfilled it with oil (idiots). This was performed 3000 miles ago before I bought it, not by my specialist, its a 3.2. The dip stick has a hatched area and I would say the level is about half and inch above that, above the bent bit. There is (misleadingly) a line running across the dipstick at that point and that has maybe mislead a mechanic.
I'm intending to drain off the excess before I drive it again but am worried as it's been like this for some time. Has it done any damage, the engine seems ok, is there anything I can check?
Would be very interested in any fixes known for an annoying, recurring drivers side window/upper door frame rattle in my 2008 ES 350, occurs when going over bumps, uneven roads, or sometimes with just normal driving. Intermittent, but very common. Have had dealer address this and they replaced the "glass run" on that side, but rattle returned within a few days. Will try some silicon spray to dampen it, but seems like there is some flaw when the window is full up to door frame that produces this ticking rattle- can eliminate it by lowering the window an inch so that it does not insert into door frame.
View 7 Replies2010 wagon is doing great as my daily commuter and a long distance hauler for my wife and two kids on weekends, but I'd love to cut down on the floatiness and fore-aft body motion over swells. I put Bilstein HDs and a rear stabilizer bar (really a torsion beam stiffener) on my old 2000 wagon and left the springs stock after I'd read on these boards the idea that the B5 was under-dampened, and though the changes were big improvement and good compromise. People seem to like to touring cup kit, but I don't particularly want to drop the car and would like to preserve as much of the ride quality as possible.
View 6 RepliesJust got bad news hours ago...frame not safe ?
View 2 RepliesHad to replace my primary O2 sensor recently. I got the sensor straight from VW and it comes with all sorts of clips and whatnot. Looking for a picture of how the wiring is supposed to be routed and what I'm supposed to do with all of the plastic clip pieces?
View 2 RepliesI'm wanting to grease the center spline on my drive shaft. I got the 4 bolts off with a 12mm 16 point boxed in wrench but can't get the drive shaft loose from the rea rend. I don't blindly want to go beating it out of the yoke with a hammer to try to knock it loose (but I will if I have to). What am I missing to get this shaft out?
View 3 RepliesI was washing my 2004 F-250 today and I looked down by the front passenger wheel well and I noticed a small chuck missing from the bottom of the frame. The other side in the same spot doesn't have it and at the spot in question, I noticed some sort of crack had been welded before. I never had any of that done to the truck. What about getting it fixed? get it fixed right away or keep an eye out for cracks. so far its just that hole and what looks like a welded crack above. everything else seems fine. I know a repair would be inexpensive and easy just to weld a steel or titanium plate on the spot.
View 11 RepliesI am going to start on the control arms on my 04 V6 Solara this afternoon since the bushings are beyond gone.I have done control arms on my 98 corolla but i didnt have to deal with the stupid motor mounts being in the way.I have done a search and it seems(if i have this right)that i need to
1.Remove Dog Bone
2.Loosen right and left side motor mounts but dont remove the bolts.
3.Jack up the engine just enough to get a wrench on the hidden bolts on each side.
Am i missing anything?I already have the Mevotech control arms with new ball joints already attached.I plan on renting a ball joint removal tool from autozone.
I have Bluewater adjustable control arms, they have been on the car for about 22 months, and for the last few weeks they have been squeaking and creaking like a bastard, over any imperfection in the road.
We had the car up on the lift, and twisted the control arms, and it's definitely coming from there. I'm not the best mechanic in the world, pretty far from it, so is there a way to remedy this without replacing them? It sounds like I'm fornicating in a 1986 Caprice every time I hit a bump.
I have been told by a couple of mechanics that the bushings on the lower control arms on my 95 Camry are worn. They recommend replacement of the lower control arms and ball joints.Is this a repair I can do myself? I have reasonable mechanical competency. I figure that I will have to rent a tool at the auto parts store for the ball joint, remove a few nuts and bolts, and bring the car in for an alignment once I get the parts installed.Now my wife is adamantly against me doing this myself. She thinks that I am going to mess this up, the parts will fail at high speeds, and I will die in a fiery crash. She apparently has more confidence in the repair shop grease monkey than her engineer husband. So is she right? Is this a repair which is best left to the shop?
View 7 Replies