Toyota Sienna Maintenance and Repair (2003 earlier)

jeprox · May 2002

i believe minivans are still under passenger cars.
i'm not sure about the full-size vans. i have seen full-size vans using light truck tires.

my opinion is: look at the michelin from sears - the top of the line michelin from sears with lifetime warranty. they go on sale every now and then. i believe they are the best deal if you want michelin tires. michelins give a quieter ride, softer ride than those OEM dunlops. this is my experience in my van.

pjksr · May 2002

Check back a bit...you need Vol 2...

jeprox · May 2002

my manual is 1999 repair manual RM657U.
tranny manual - RM326U
wiring diagram - EWD350U
new car featrures - NCF160U

these are the numbers showing for 1999 model.

jj35 · May 2002

My original tires had to be replaced at 20,000 miles. I had only rotated them once at that point, so could not get the replacement done under warranty. I now rotate regularly and they look pretty good with 12,000 on the tires.

thewolverine · May 2002

Thanks for the tire responses!

yufengtsui · May 2002

My new nanny managed to hit the garage door frame with the van and now the right corner of the front bumper is completely dented. Also the right headlight cover is cracked open and needs to be replaced.

Question. Can I pop the bumper from the inside out or am I better off replace it? They are asking 375$ just for the bumper. Adding installation and painting I think it will probably cost me double that. As for the headlight cover, how hard is it to replace it myself? Do I have to get the parts from the dealer?

Thanks.

P.S.
I can't believe it. My first nanny put a huge dent to the back of the van while it has less than 1000 miles on it now this.

jeprox · May 2002

must be nice to have a nanny!

you should be able to just push out the dent on your bumper. it's soft plastic and u can reach in from the back and pop it out. u may have some paint damage that you can touch-up.

for the headlight, if the crack is not that big - you can try using a clear all-weather sealant and seal it up. it's easy to replace but expensive! i doubt you can find used ones coz your model is still fairly new.

goodluck

yufengtsui · May 2002

Jeprox,

Thanks for the tip about the clear all-weather sealant. I will give that a try. Regarding popping out the bumper, I am a bit concerned about the strength of the bumper afterwards. It would be great if I can just pop it out.

Thanks.

--yufeng

jeprox · May 2002

nothing much to worry about with regards to your bumper - as long as the damage or dent is only at the corner.

sienna front and rear bumpers are hollow on the side and corners. this is why it's so easy to have a big dent on the corner! there's a steel beam that runs across from left to right (front and rear). sides and corners are hollow. the bumper is basically just a cover. behind the plastic bumper is a thick piece of foam and then the steel beam.

midnight7 · May 2002

Just had our Sienna into the Toyota dealer for 60,000 mile check this past Monday (note: actual mileage 60,400). This Wednesday (2 days later) my wife is on the interstate in the passing lane, going to pick up our girls from school, and the transmission fails - totally - she was lucky to make it off of the highway.
Service manager informs me today that Toyota will cover the cost of a new transmission $2300 (its remanufactured) but I am on the hook for the labor - about $500. When I protest - I feel this should all be covered under warranty - he says that Toyota is making a 'concession' by covering this because I am out of warranty, yeah by only 400 miles. What leverage do I have? I can make a statement that I will not buy another Toyota - do they care?? Obviously these transmissions have had a problem - my 'google' search proved that. From the research I did on the net last night I see people being asked to pay much more than this - anyone with opinions or suggestions? Thanks in advance

jeprox · May 2002

before you go up against the dealer or toyota, make sure you have all your tranny service receipts ready - in case they ask for it.

personally, i would just pay the labor and leave it at that. coz u are over by 400 miles on your warranty and toyota was nice enough to replace the tranny, i think the $500 is a small price to pay versus the $2300+$500. if toyota had decided to go by the warranty (word for word), they could easily refuse to replace the tranny even if you're only 1 mile over the warranty. in your case, you were over by 400 miles.

you can show them all the articles on the internet about the tranny problems, etc. i dont think it will make any difference. you can maybe consult a lawyer and perhaps go to court but in the end, i think you would be better off paying the $500 labor and get it over with.

just my opinion.
goodluck

deg856 · May 2002

I agree with jeprox. It sucks that the transmission failed right after the warranty expired, but with warranty you're either in or out; there is no half way in or half way out. The warranty is for 60000 miles, not 60001 or 60400; how many miles over is irrelevant from a legal standpoint. With that in mind I think their offer to pay for the replacement unit (at $2300) and have you pay for labor only ($500) is pretty generous since they have every right to bill for the whole thing.

San Jose, CA

pjksr · May 2002

Ouch. Try the sealant first. Jeprox is correct that the replacement may be hard to find, since it's new. You may call JCWhitney (check website); they have a replacement assy for '98-'00 Siennas (p/n 47ZX6273B $150), but the lenses were redesigned (for the better) in '01...

jeprox · May 2002

just wanna share my tire/rim experience.

a little over a year ago, i bought a set of mags and intalled it with michelins 205/65-15. i bought used mags, i never buy new mags. looked great and all but it seems like i can hear and feel every bump on the road.

i decided last saturday, once and for all - take those bloody mags off and go back to steel rims! i did and all i can say is wow! the ride is so much quieter and smoother. steering is a bit heavier coz of the bigger size tires. it came originally with 195/70-15. now, i just gotta find a buyer for my mags!

so those of you thinking about buying aftermarket mags, think twice before you do it! try to find the OEM sienna mags. camry mags and avalon mags all fit on the sienna perfectly.

i find that sometimes, certain vehicles just don't like aftermarket parts!

deepan · May 2002

The OEM tire is 20570R15. could i replace it with 21565R15 and will it improve ride/handling.any pros/cons to this statement.

yaman · May 2002

we just replaced our tires (2000 xle)and our OEM's were 21565r15's.What year is your Sienna?

jeprox · May 2002

hmmm, now i'm not sure if i got the 215/65-15 or the 205/65-15!

i cant remember which one i got now. getting old.

i know that my CE came with 195/70-15 and i switched to the same size as the LE/XLE. you can improve handling by installing bigger rims/tires such as 16 or 17inch. u have to make sure that the weight of each wheel/tire combo is roughly equal to your OEM set-up. also, if you use bigger rims -u have to look into low profile tires.

deepan · May 2002

Mine is a 2000 CE and comes with 20570R15. I will keep the 15"rims just curious about the other factores 205 or 215 and 70 vs 65

jeprox · May 2002

going from 205 to 215 wont give u much improvement. going up a size bigger on the rims would be good but vans will always be vans. you will probably see improvement when you turn corners with the bigger rims.

eomckamey · May 2002

For those who might have felt CB was "one Kleenex short of a full box", log onto the following web site. Apparently she helped Toyota owners by her insistence....... Well done!

http://www.autonews.com/article.cms?articleId=39291

Karen_S · May 2002

I'm here to announce the new Toyota Sienna Owners club now available on Edmunds.com Owners Club board. Please stop by and introduce yourself in Meet the Members and let me know how I can help build your club.

I have linked this discussion into that folder, but it will always reside here in Vans.

Looking forward to meeting everyone!

KarenS
Host
Owners Clubs

yufengtsui · May 2002

The bumper was actually pretty hard plastic to pop out. I tried to take the bumper off the van but it seems that is not a easy thing to do either. I am curious if anyone has actually done that.

I reexamine the headlight cover and it turned out even the crack is 2 inches long but if I touch it I dont feel it at all. The outer surface is smooth as if nothing happened. So I don't need the sealant yet, I guess.

dpueron · May 2002

Glad to see that I was not the only person not able to "just push the dent out". Was starting to question my manhood. Tried it last night too (wife hit some object at 3000miles) and had no luck. Don't notice it much and am just going to leave it as I've had est. for repair nearing $1000

jeprox · May 2002

sorry, the bumper is hard plastic. if you cant pop it out with your hands - try using a piece of wood. make sure u wrap the end of the wood with thick towels to prevent damage on the inside (bumper) and hammer the other end of wood to pop out the dent. hopefully it will work. sounds like a cave-man job but it's worth a try and save the money

the crack on your lens may seem nothing but i would suggest that you put a thin layer of sealant anyways. spray water on it to check if the crack did go all the way through.

goodluck.

dpueron · May 2002

Jeprox, I tried that too actually managed to get a crow bar in there still no luck. I am not to mechanically inclined so I think I'll stop my attempts and go back to reading Cosmopolitan. You are right that this repair should be an easy job. Maybe if you had one of those big area heaters like a giant space heater and put it next to the bumper..... I'd start my van on fire.

rudy2000 · May 2002

"go back to reading Cosmopolitan"

Yeah, there is a sink full of dirty dishes too. Rudy

jasdmw · May 2002

I once removed one of these in my '92 Caravan. A body shop recommended I heat up the plastic first. Used a hair dryer. Softened up the plastic just enough to make it plyable and it worked quite well. Didn't need to exert much force at all to make it pop out. If you are going to do this, be careful not to overheat the plastic, though. It may discolor.

thewolverine · May 2002

For our bumper dent a few years ago the dealer pushed it back using a hot air gun to heat and make pliable - I've heard of other folk letting it sit in the sun on a hot day or using a hair dryer and then trying.

BTW dealer did me a favor and did it gratis but then again he already had plenty of our $ - said he normally charges around $20 for this 'common repair item'.

deg856 · May 2002

I wonder if the mag wheels you got, along with the tire size change, resulted in the wrong dimensions (such as off-set) for the Sienna and threw off the geometry of the suspension. Normally mag wheels are lighter than steel wheels, and all other things being equal the lower un-sprung weight with mag wheels should allow the suspension to work better.

Did the ride become quieter and smoother by changing the wheels alone, or did you change the tires along with the wheels recently?

By the way, for model year 2001, Sienna's tires are either 205/70R15 (rated 1499 lb.) standard, or 215/65R15 (rated 1510 lb.) for XLEs.

San Jose, CA

deg856 · May 2002

I wish the name of this board could be changed from Sienna "Problems" to Sienna "maintenance and repair", or Sienna "maintenance, repair and problems". A lot of the stuff being discussed here are obviously not problems.

San Jose, CA

jeprox · May 2002

i now have the OEM steel rims and one size bigger tires (same as LE/XLE). it feels that it's smoother now and quieter compared to the mags.

stever · May 2002

The last time I changed a topic name, the discussion wouldn't show up in search anymore (that bug is being swatted). Your post reminds me of an old saying - domestic cars need repair; foreign makes only need maintenance.

I guess it's a good thing that a "problems" discussion isn't full of them.

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

yufengtsui · May 2002

I can't take the bumper off so end up driving it to the body shop. The guy was super nice and he popped the bumper out in 15 minutes. No charge!
He did heat the bumper up with a heater (looks like a big hair dryer) for 10 minutes before he tried to pop it out. I gave him 20$ beer money.

The result is pretty good. I only see some scratches and some white spots due to the bending. I am very happy!

Thanks everyone here for the help.

--yufeng

davemm · May 2002

I was sitting in the back of my 2002 Sienna waiting for rain to let up. And pulled on the middle seat belt (right near the rear of the driver's sliding door). The webing portion came out of the pillar area and was wet for about two feet. Water is entering somewhere. Through slider or wheel well, my guess.

Any ideas? I'll report to dealer.

thewolverine · May 2002

That's where it gets wet if you don't close the sunroof properly - I assume that's not your problem right?

davemm · May 2002

No the sun roof was shut. The seat belt webbing was wet on the portions that is INSIDE of the plastic side wall covering. It was wet were it is spooled up, not on the portion that was exposed.

koko164 · May 2002

The 215/65/15 were an option on the "LE" and
came with the alum rims also. I have them on my 2000 LE. If I didn't order it that way it would of come with the 205's.

infidel · May 2002

Can anyone tell me where the fuel filter is located on the 2001 Sienna? I just bought a fuel filter yesterday( $24.00 dollars, Ouch!), and I was wondering where its located on the vehicle. Also, does anyone know the recommended miles for replacement? Mine has 15,000 on the odometer, and it seems like thats about right.

jeprox · May 2002

the filter is below and sort of to the back of the battery.

filter usually gets changed around 96,000kms or so, which is around 30,000 miles. your owners manual should state the mileage.

barbz · May 2002

Does anyone know when the new anti sludge parts will be available at the dealers for the Sienna?

thewolverine · May 2002

Well hopefully the dealer can identify and solve -

Please share the cause when you find out so others can benefit. Good Luck with your problem.

thewolverine · May 2002

Why are you posting this question again when you already got (and acknowledged) Cliffy's response on 5/3 in the "Engine Sludge/Oil Gelling--Toyota's Customer Response" board?

pjksr · May 2002

Jeprox, unless I missed something, isn't the fuel filter considered by Toyota to be a "lifetime part?" And isn't it with the fuel pump, INSIDE the fuel tank? (2002 model). Or is there another, secondary filter, not mentioned in the Repair Manual, similar to the proper procedure for draining the transaxle?

stever · May 2002

I don't think any "retrofitting" is going to happen for engines in 2001 models, which I think is Barbz's question. Barbz will have to contact Toyota if the 8 year warranty isn't enough. The info is here:

tmsusa1 "Engine Sludge/Oil Gelling--Toyota's Customer Response" May 3, 2002 3:17pm

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

jeprox · May 2002

as far as i know the fuel filter is not inside the tank. the fuel pump, i'm NOT 100% sure if it's inside or outside.

i'm 100% sure though that the fuel filter sits just below the battery and a sort of to the rear. mine is a 1999 model. i haven't looked in the shop manual but i would assume that from 1998 to 2002, it would be the same.

also, i've never heard of the fuel filter considered as a "lifetime part". as a general rule, fuel filters, timing belt, platinum plugs, radiator hoses and a few other parts gets replaced at 96,000kms - give or take a few kms. most of these parts are fairly cheap to buy and not too hard to replace. i've followed this rule for all my cars and i've never had any breakdowns on the road.

pjksr · May 2002

Jeprox,

Checked my Sienna and Repair Manual. Yes, there is a filter on the line, right near the air filter, like you say, easily replaced. Also, there's a green "port," labelled EVAP system on that line. In the Repair Manual, there's a filter with the fuel pump at the tank, called the "fuel pump filter"; therefore, 2 filters.

I read the fuel filter "lifetime part" claim on the Toyota.com FAQ site. They say:

"The fuel filter is typically not a scheduled maintenance item and only requires replacement if necessary. Please consult with your local Toyota dealership for additional information concerning fuel filter maintenance."

This must refer to the "fuel pump" filter.

jeprox · May 2002

well... you learn something new everyday.

today, i learned there's 2 fuel filters.

thanks for the info.

pjksr · May 2002

What considerations are there in changing that fuel filter? Do we need to de-pressurize the fuel line? Can we expect a drainage of gasoline when we d/c the hoses?

Should we transfer this discussion to those "new boards" in the owners' club?

jeprox · May 2002

what i did before with my corolla, i removed the gas cap and pressed on that metal flap and release little bit of pressure. be careful coz u can get burned!

as you remove the line, gas will start to come out so u have to be ready with a plug to shut off the gas. what i did was i wrapped the gas line with thick towel and used a vice grip to stop the gas flow.

speaking of gas and pressure - please be advised, dont use your cell phone while filling up your tank at the gas station! there have been reports of fire/explosion at gas stations due to the microwave from cell phones while filling up gas. gas stations now in our areas have this sign of no cell phones allowed while filling up gas, plastered everywhere!

deepan · May 2002

this is a general question about the colour of oil. my parents visted me over the weekend and because of the sludge paranoia i took a look and found the oil to be dark brown. Its a 2000 Camry (4 cyl) and has 25k. The oil was changed in March and since then the car has about 3k kms on it mostly highway (2* 850km round trips). I have a 2000 sienna and due to diligent chking of the oil have never seen it this dark. I also have a 87 camry and the oil hasnt been dark. any reason for the colour of the oil. The oil has been changed every 4-5 months within the 6K specs. The oil appears to be "thick". this was the case before the March oil change as well and at that time didnt pay too much attention. the Car runs fine.

Toyota Sienna Maintenance and Repair (2003 earlier)

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