Toyota Sienna Maintenance and Repair (2003 earlier)

cliffy1

The most common cause of excess wind noise is improper closing of the moonroof. Rward99 again described the proper procedure for closing the roof. The problem most people have is trying to stop the roof when it looks flush from the inside. It isn't closed yet and you will get more noise than you should. When properly closed, the roof looks like it has tilted slightly when viewed from inside the van. Look at it from outside and you will see that it has sealed.

Beyond that, any vehicle with a roof rack will have more interior noise than one without it. Cross winds exaggerate this.

brother52

Thanks for your insights on wind noise. I have no moon roof or luggage rack and have less than 1000 miles on my CE. I will investigate and reveal the cause when it's found. BTW, it occurs at around 60 mph and up. That was a good one about dropping the wife off at the mother in laws. That actually worked for awhile.

danbuerke

We first noticed a squeal from our 2000 Sienna at around 15000 miles. We were told by the dealer that it was a problem with the rear brakes and that it was not a safety hazard - basically "get use to it". Eventually they turned the drum several times. Same problem. We called the Toyota service center. They got involved with the dealer and had the brakes (drums and shoes) replaced. Problem eliminated . . . for 3000 more miles. The noise is back!

Does anyone have any stories of similar experiences and/or a permanent fix?

gunga64

Can all the people in here that don't have transmission problems with there Sienna please respond, In the responce can you state the year, mileage and model type of the Sienna you own.

We need a little encouragement to continue to look at getting a Sienna.

gunga64

Out 1995 Toyotas brakes squeaked from day one . Was told by dealer it was because they use semimatlic brake pads. I however doubt thats true.

1. I would think every new car company used semi pads I don't hear them squealing like a pig.
2. My Corolla requires new pads every 1 1/2 years. Something is wrong with that.

Very very disappointing to hear that the Sienna may have this same problems 6 years later in a different model. Any responces to this would be appreciated.

cliffy1

Your Corolla needs new pads every 1.5 years? Have you given any thought that your driving may be playing a role here? Also, the miles you drive a year and the type of driving you do will impact this. I have a friend who drives like a maniac and owns a '97 Land Cruiser and he changes out his pads every 5000 miles. He is fully aware that this is his fault and it doesn't bother him. Other LC owners go 20K miles without replacing them because their driving habits are different.

smfran

We have a 2000 Sienna LE with 12,000 miles and a smooth as silk transmision.

mrnimmo

Our 94 Camry has the ORIGINAL pads after 130,000 miles. Mostly highway, to be sure, and, frankly, I drive like a granny, but that is incredible still. I've never gotten more than 40-50k on a set of pads before. I'm buying real Toyota pads when (and if?) it ever needs them. I'm told the Siennas are similar to the Camrys, though the increased weight would logically make the pads wear quicker.

dardson1

While not trying to stir up any old issues, I was just roaming around Edmunds and double clicked on the "Engine Sludge?" forum from their top ten list. I've followed this "Sienna Problems" site for some time (since I bought my Sienna in October). To be honest, I've skipped over the sludges posts, thinking it couldn't apply to me as I'm religious about changing oil every 3-4k miles. I read maybe a hundred postings on the "Engine Sludge?" site tonight and did not come to the conclusion that the engine sludge claims were baseless. I did conclude that I would continue having the oil changed often and by the dealer as I have so far. Any thoughts or is this a dead issue here?

gunga64

Your right those engine sludge stories sound off base, they seem to all say same thing I have the records of changing my oil but those darn toyota people wont cover my engine problem even though I have 12k or so. This sounds like bull to me the more I read it. Theres no way they could get away with that kinda statement. If not you would be able to sue them in small claims court at least. This is what I would suggest you do by the way.

mrnimmo

that it is probably a few Dodge, Ford, or Chevy salesmen getting on here alleging that Toyota has sludge problems or claiming that Honda transmissions fail at the rate of 40%. Of course all those Hondas and Toyotas still seem to be on the road with hundreds of thousands of miles on the odometer. And while Ford and Dodge tranny's have been recalled in massive numbers, Hondas have not. While Ford had engine troubles (head gaskets) and were recalled in massive numbers, Toyotas alleged sludge problem engines were not. I guess the Feds and Consumer Reports (and everyone else) are part of the conspiracy to hide Toyota and Honda's problems.

jlewelling

There were several major transmission failures on the Sienna's when they were introduced. This was not a case of frequent failure, but of isolated major (complete) transmission failures at low mileage. In all these cases, Toyota fixed the problem under the warrenty and apparently fixed whatever was wrong in the manufacturing, because the problem was apparently limited to early production lots.

Engine Sludge? Somebody is up to something. There may be problems with engine sludge if a van is not maintained properly, but if you do change the oil at appropriate intervals (3-4K), the Sienna Engine (which, by the way is also used in the Camry and the Lexus, and is a beautiful[!!!] engine) will last for a long, long time.

This is a great and dependable minivan.

stealth1969

Jlewelling.. you said 3-4K. Is that what your manual states. Mine sayes 5K for severe and 7.5K for normal. Why do you say 3-4K?

rward99

No matter what the mileage interval is, you should never go more than 12 months without changing your oil. Letting it go more than this is a possible cause of some of these sludge problems.

I have 3 Toyotas, and I change oil at 5K on 2 of them, and annually on the other, since we never go more than 6-7K a year in it. My pickup has 161K, the Camry 73K and the Sienna 20K. All are V-6 and none of them have sludge (or tranmission problems, for that matter).

In fact, I've never had a car develop sludge.

BTW, the Sienna, Camry, and Avalon are built at the Georgetown plant, which also assembles its own engines, V-6 and I-4. The Lexus uses the same design V-6 but it is not assembled in Georgetown.

jlewelling

stealth1969 --True 5K is probably fine (though the dealer says 3K). In my case the van is the prototypical "familiy car"--used for alot of short trips and rarely reaching freeway speeds. My understanding (and this is not saying much) is that such short trips and low operating temperatures can be more likely to result in "sludge" formation. Don't know if that is correct, but for me a 3K intereval is about 4 months.

On the other hand, my 1996 Plymouth Voyager will probably never develop a sludge problem as the oil leaks out completely every 500-750 miles or so.

caylorm

The door latch on the passenger's side sliding door on my 98 Sienna started sticking recently. It takes a few hard pulls on the door handle to open it. Has this been discussed anywhere in this forum? I searched on "door latch" but didn't get much. I read where the Edmunds reviewers experienced the exact same problem but I was wondering if it was more widespread. Thx.

sbrubin

I have been receiving emails and now have read much about this sludge problem. It's scary if it's real! I have a 1998 Sienna with about 45K miles on it. I've always had the oil changed every 3k-4k miles. I've never seen any smoke or any problems. How can I tell if any sludge is building up so I could have it remedied before too much trouble.

Also, is there a pattern with what model year this problem has started? I bought the Sienna because of the reliability of the platform in the Camary / LX300 .

dardson1

if I'm not mistaken, the feds mandated longer oil change intervals 10-15yrs ago....whether or not, when I took my Sienna in to the dealer @ 3000 miles for an oil change, they put a sticker on my windshield showing the next change due @ 6500 miles. Reading the manual, can't imagine many drivers fitting the 7500 mile oil change profile. Severe driving is defined as dusty conditions, towing, short drives, or stop and go driving. That takes in just about everyone but traveling salesmen. I don't care what the book says, 3-4k oil changes are fairly cheap insurance.

dardson1

Go take a look at the Honda Odyssey Problems board. It'll make you glad you chose a Sienna...lol

cliffy1

You can check for sludge by removing the valve cover. This is not a simple procedure for the untrained, but if you are that concerned about it, have your dealer do it and replace the valve cover gasket while they are at it. The gasket is cheap and as long as the have the cover off, they might as well do it.

jlewelling

According to cblake, you don't have to check for sludge as "all Sienna's have sludged and fallen short of the glory of Dodge."

stealth1969

I doubt you will have any problems with sludge if you change you oil every 3K miles. But the manual from Toyota says severe sevice is 5K miles. Granted you can change it more often but why should you have to. Why did the dealer recommend 3K miles? More business (income) for him? Changing it more often costs more, takes more time and makes more waste to be disposed of. Even CR says changing at 3K is not neccesary. Sorry I don't get it.

pilot13

The Engine Sludge Topic is really the place for comments and opinions on Sludge, but please permit a word or two in this thread.
The magnitude of discussion on this issue is incredibly huge, compared to a really small number of reported incidents. How what is largely a war of words got that way is beyond me, but two things have become very clear---(1) There aren't very many actual sludge incidents being reported on the net, and (2) Absolutely no substantive evidence has been shown to support claims that Toyota engines are "prone" to sludge.
"A whole bunch of rhetoric, and nothing of much substance" about sums up progress to date!
Anyone concerned about the issue need not worry if they just use common sense about oil change intervals. It seems there are no concerns if a "severe" service schedule is adhered to--and most driving today falls into that category anyway. Call it 3K, or 5K, as long as it's recognized that oil doesn't last forever, there won't be a problem. And guess what, this advice applies to any make of engine!
Someone said that this issue is "More a problem of the mind than anything else". That seems to be true in more ways than one!
Regards,The Pilot.

jj35

I have already posted my engine sludge problem on the Engine Sludge board so won't repeat the problem here. The Owner's Manual recommendation for oil changes on my 2000 Sienna XLE is every 5,000 mi. to 7,500 mi. (please note that my Sienna developed sludge while following these recommendations). Now I have received a letter from my Toyota dealer with the following statement: "The factory recommended service interval for your Sienna is 5,000 miles or 4 months, whichever comes first. Due to extreme local driving conditions ****** Toyota recommends performing service on your vehicle every 3,000 - 5,000 miles."

Is this an official change of the Owner's Manual? Can they do this? I was told when I purchased my vehicle that extreme driving conditions warranting the 5,000 mile oil changes apply to people doing frequent stops and starts, such as a delivery person, or someone who pulls or carries heavy loads. Now, just owning a vehicle in Florida qualifies as extreme?

gunga64

Is the toyota financing a good deal or is it some trick. We went and looked at a toyota last saturday the sales guy said that it was the last day you could get .9% financing. We still decided to wait. He calls me up today(weds) and says they still have the .9% financing, are these guys trustworthy at all. I have found them in a ton of lies now.

pilot13

Reference to oil changes is conspicuously absent from the letter you quote from. Are you just assuming that's what it is, or is the applicable word just "service", meaning bring your car in at 3 to 5K for us to have a look at it?
As well, what difference does it make to change a recommended service interval anyway? It might also mean the manufacturer or dealer is simply trying to do a better job of looking after your car. But that's just speculation--to suggest any motive whatsoever is just pure conjecture, isn't it!

rrdub

I've read the last 200+ posts and haven't seen anything about my problem, but apologize if this has been covered previously. My wife and I receive a substantial electrical shock when we get out of our Sienna and touch the metal door frame to close the door. This is happening in warm (for Seattle), humid weather, as well as colder, dryer weather where I might expect it. (It happens no matter what kind of shoes we're wearing.)

Has anyone else experienced this, and did their dealer have a fix?

lamm9733

Someone has discusssed this before...don't remember when or which Edmund's board. Yes, the Sienna does generate a significant amount of static electricity. I think it is mainly due to the "type" of cloth used on the seats and the seating position. By seating position, I am referring to the height of the seats. Getting out of the Sienna involves sliding off/out of the seat rather "standing up" to get out (as in a sedan with lower seating). This sliding, of course, generates the static charge.

The solution.... Hold onto the edge (metal) of the door, or any where there is some steel/metal, while getting out of the van (prior to your posterior leaving the seat). The charge should then travel right through you without generating the "shock"

cwbeetles

Hi, I have a 2000 Sienna LE. The Engine light keeps coming on. I have taken it to the dealer several times and they order parts, but the light will come on about 100 miles after I leave the dealership. Has anyone been able to solve this problem?

gunga64

If grounding yourself out doesnt work, Don't they have a spray for static guard. You may want to get it and spray it on the floor and seat. This appears to be very minor problem.

mrdetailer

1. I think Toyota is deceptive in their owners manual when they list severe conditions as rare. This lulls people into the longer change intervals.

2. Here are other peoples complaints. The most dominant complaints on the Sienna are wheel vibrations, sliding door issues, and Engine Sludge. Of these only engine sludge requires an engine overhaul or cleaning. 3,000--5,000.

http://carreview.com/reviews/vans_minivans/product_225.shtml

3. My dealer's service deparatment recommends 3,000 mile changes and NO LONGER THAN 5,000. Stick to that schedule.

4. Make sure that you use only API certified oil of the recommended service level (usually SJ)

5. Never change oil youself during the warranty period. If you can't prove oil changes by documentation Toyota doesn't believe that they happenned.

4. Use good oil filters and change them at least every 3,000 miles. Check after each oil change to make sure that the new one is installed.

5. I personally only use synthetic on engines that may potentially have a sludging problem.

Unlike so many other things with Toyota, oil changes cannot be neglected or even stretched. Oil changes are cheap insurance.

yaman

From reading all those postsabout sludge, maybe the best thing to do is to take your car to the dealer where you bought it for all servicing.Assuming you do so every 5k miles they certainly shouldn't be able to claim improper maintenance then.One thing I haven't read is where a sludge problem developed where Toyota had been maintaining the car.

tomlh

I just put on 5000 miles on our 2000 Sienna LE
driving from Portland to Minnesota. The Van drove
flawlessly with no problems at all. My back did
get a little sore after several hours of driving
so I had to add a little lower lumbar support to
solve this. The Van handled the mountain passes
with ease. The last time I drove this route we had our
93 MPV which had difficulty going over some the the passes.
I now have 25000 miles on the van with not one
problem, that is except for the Firestone tire
that had to be replaced after it separated internally and caused the Van to shake. Luckily the Van has a full size spare so we were
able to continue until our next stopover with a Firestone
dealer who replaced the tire.

mrdetailer

My dealer has looked it over, and feels there should not be a problem if I stick with the 3-4000K oil changes. I've done that any way.

It's frankly not a common issue, but a devistating one. Similar to the bad transmission issue. I'm going to service it every 30,000 miles.

Hopefully with the 2 I'll be able to easily get 200,000 miles out of my car without major engine or tranny problems.

dplachta

Please! Just go to the Sludge discussion to spread that crap. Even if you believe in the sludge (I chuckle just writing that), have the guts to take it to that discussion and end it here.

Where is our moderator?

I loved the one response someone made to a sludge proponent, which exposes it for me-- if sludge exists, what is it? A steel and oil combination? Then why would the engine be ok if steel is coming off of it!

stever

Hey, we hosts have been enjoying the sludge posts in here. OK, maybe not. But even our host Mr. Shiftright (another true car nut) is curious (hope you know who doesn't start bombarding him with emails, lol):

 Mr_Shiftright "Engine Sludge?" Jul 6, 2001 3:30pm

Everyone, please take future sludge to the dedicated Engine Sludge? discussion. Thanks!

Steve
Host
Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

pilot13

Hey Steve and Shifty, please permit just one more comment on the sludge issue, then I'm back to the proper Topic--"Engine Sludge."
This concerns the poster's suggestion to visit the Carreview site and check out all the sludge reports for Siennas. So I did.
I counted a total of 92 posts. Only 14 mentioned sludge, and about half of those said it "Had concerns about it", as opposed actually reporting a problem. Most of the other posters said they liked their Siennas.
I'll post more info on this research in the proper Topic, so as not to abuse the privilege of this one last kick at the cat.
Thanks, The Pilot.

sharonq

My 2000 Sienna XLE has been completely problem-free for 25,000 miles EXCEPT that it has developed a very annoying whistling noise that seems to come from somewhere in the vicinity of the right lower corner of the windshield. It is especially pronounced in windy conditions. It starts intermintently at around 70 MPH (slower if it is windy) and becomes constant at around 75. The frequency is about a middle A or so and it sounds exactly like a person whistling. The dealer, naturally, cannot replicate it and has no ideas. Has anyone else had the same problem? I'm planning a long road trip, and it drives me crazy at highway speeds.

cliffy1

Does your van have a moonroof?

sharonq

Yes, my van has a moonroof, but it doesn't seem to be involved. I've tried opening and closing moon roofs and window, adjusting outside mirrors, etc. while rocketing down the highway, and it doesn't make any difference. Nothing feels loose, nothing leaks when it rains.

cliffy1

Here's why I ask. I have this same discussion about once a month and in most cases, the customer has not completely closed the moonroof. The problem lies in the fact that when you close it, the roof looks like it has tilted up. Many customers will try to stop the roof from doing this but have left it slightly cracked in the back. If you have been holding the button down until the roof stops moving, take it to your dealer to have them locate the source of your noise.

yuan_chen

Hi, All

I have a 2001 Sienna XLE with 5000 miles on it. Last weekend, I noticed that the luggage compartment Light stopped working. Also I found that when I open the back door the back ceiling light did not light up. Also If I use the remote control and open the back door the van locked itself in a few seconds. This leads me to believe that the
security system thinks that the backup was not open (even it was), this explains why the ceiling light did not come out when the door was open. I was trying to locate the light switch like the one on the side door. I could not find one. Does anyone know where is the open/close door switch? I believe some how the switch is stuck at close position?

Thanks in advance.

Yuan

bielser

I have a 1998 Sienna with about 65000 miles on it. The sliding doors are now beginning to make rattling noises. Is anyone else experiencing the same problems?

jasdmw

My '01 XLE is also making a noise in the windshield area. Dealer couldn't find it, of course. Mine seemed to be in center at the bottom of the windshield. Yes I have the sunroof and I know how to close it. However, when driving with it open, I can hear the noise, leading me to believe it's in the upper windshield vicinity. Sounds like something flapping very rapidly in the breeze.

jasdmw

Just installed a Hidden Hitch class 3 hitch on the weekend. Installation is a snap, about 20 minutes tops and should be similar for any manufacturer. Nice to see Toyota installed 6 weld nuts in the chassis.

However, this hitch (part number 87638) allows the muffler to rattle up against it. I have an installation guide from their web site and noticed they have added 2 prongs from which to install the factory muffler hanger. Mentioned that the '01 has a slightly longer exhaust system that prior years. My hitch (built Feb 7/01) doesn't have those prongs. Question to anyone out there, have you installed this hitch with the prongs? Has it solved the rattle problem? Has it lowered the muffler? Has anyone installed a Drawtite or Reese hitch? Do those hitches have a muffler clearance issue?

Thanks;

inky

I moved the roof rails to farthest rear position. Worked for me.
INKY

beckp

Sorry to post this late, just catching up. I have a '98 XLE with 56,000 miles on it and no transmition problems. I live in MD and it get's driven everyday between 50-60 miles on back roads and 50-60 mph speeds. I have felt at time that the tranny was hestitant at times but I think most of that is being in OD mode on slow twisting roads.

I would recommend the Sienna to anyone and will probably get another one if we are still in the Van market when the time comes. Is it perfect? No but what vehicle is. Is it overpriced? Yes but what vehicle isn't.

holycow1

Ok, I went to the dealership and drove a Sienna LE that just came off the truck. The road just outside the dealership is 45 MPH and looks like most roads in Michigan. You would actually think our roads are in route for aircraft bombing training runs by the looks of them. Oh well, we hit 60 MPH down a smooth patch on this road in between lights to see if we could get any noise, nadda. The Sienna was quiet and you could faintly hear the motor rev up as we speed on accelerating faster than traffic. The bottom line was this vehicle was nice, real nice.

So my question....

Are the torque convertors and sludging oil problems fixed in this model?

I own a 1985 Toyota Pickup and 2000 Toyota Echo that have no problems. I perform the maintenance on these vehicles and they have performed flawlessly. I was curious to owners of Sienna(s) and their history now in the 2001 and upcoming 2002 model years.

Thanks in advance!

stealth1969

I'm not going to tell you to buy one or not. But if you do buy one, I would recommend having the dealer perform the scheduled maintenance. If you just want to do the maintneance yourself, keep very good records and all receipts. Use a good quality synthetic oil, look at the synthetic oil discussion in Maintenance and Repair for a good information about oil and filters. Buy the oil at the time to change it, don't stock up on oil or filters because the receipts won't agree with the dates of your oil changes. Be sure to keep the receipts. It seems Toyota does not like receipts from anyone except Toyota dealers. Incase I wasn't clear: Keep the receipts and good records. The advantage about the dealer doing the oil changes is they and you should both have records on when the4 maintenance was done and should make it easier for you should a problem arise later. Hopfully, you will have no problems. Follow my advise or not, this is experience speaking.

smfran

My 2000 LE is performing flawlessly. No sludge or transmission problems. My dealer performs the scheduled maintenance and we love the van.