Years ago, the speedometer on my 4th Generation 4Runner had been working intermittently; it appeared that the stepper motor had stopped working. I replaced the stepper motor and the speedometer had started working again. About a year later, my speedometer had failed again but this time several of my gauges stopped working. Since stepper motors can be costly, especially if you’re replacing more than one, sometimes it’s more cost-effective to replace the entire instrument cluster.
Replacing the front shocks and coil springs is not difficult to do. However, it’s very important to understand how your front suspension works before doing this. Just like I did, I’d recommend reading guides, watch videos, and do as much research as you can when dealing with compressed springs in a suspension system. Here’s my guide for replacing the front coil springs and shocks using the “No Spring Compressor Method” on the 4th generation Toyota 4Runner.
A little over a year ago, I picked up a 2003 Acura CL Type-S as I was looking for a new project car to work on. I honestly wasn’t even looking for a CL Type-S specifically, but I spotted this one on Craigslist with a 6-speed manual transmission. For those who are familiar with the Acura CL, and the Type-S model in particular, you will know how rare it is to find a CL-S in a manual transmission. It is estimated that there were about 2700 Acura CL Type-S cars ever produced in a 6-speed manual transmission.
There are a variety of reasons for needing to change out rear coils on any car, but there are typically two main reasons for changing them out on the 4Runner. One is to simply replace damaged or worn coils for factory stock coils. The other is to lift the vehicle to a higher ride height. Changing out the rear coils is very easy to do and doesn’t require much time nor tools.
Pretty much every 4th generation Toyota 4Runner owner will find themselves with climate control bulbs that go out. I’ve provided some diagrams together showing what part numbers would be needed depending on whether you have the SR5/Sport or Limited model, as well as what bulbs power what on the center dash. You may choose to replace the bulbs whole (bulb with bulb holder) or you might want to save some money by wiring up bulbs to the existing bulb holders. I’ve shown both methods below as well as the products you’ll need whichever way you choose to proceed with.
If you’ve owned your vehicle for long enough, interior bulbs going out won’t be an uncommon occurrence for you. On my 4th generation Toyota 4Runner, I’ve had my fair share of interior bulbs burn out, but recently half of the climate control LCD screen went out. This is the screen that displays the trip computer, clock, outside temperature, and climate control information. The fix is extremely easy and doesn’t require many tools to replace. Just make sure to order the right part and you can switch the bulb(s) out in less than 5 minutes.
The windshield molding on the IS350 can become brittle over time and start cracking. It may even get as bad as separating from the windshield completely. The right and left molding pieces fit onto the car via five clips on each side of the windshield. The unfortunate thing is the design doesn’t incorporate reusing these clips and therefore if you want to replace the trim pieces, you will likely need to replace the moldings as well as the clips that hold them in place.
I caught a glimpse of the Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) race fairings in that blazing red, white, and blue color scheme and straight up fell in love. Combining these colors and further contrasting it with the gold wheels would be absolutely gnarly. So I started with getting my 2003 Honda CBR600RR’s wheels powder coated gold.
The serpentine belt (a.k.a. the drive belt) plays an important part in running the various pulleys tied to critical components of your vehicle. There aren’t really any specific drive belt change intervals on the Lexus IS350, but it is typically recommended anywhere from every 90k miles to 120k miles. Given that drive belts are very easy to replace and the belt itself costs somewhere between $20 and $30, it’s worth it to be a bit more conservative on your change intervals for this part.
