While removing the center console unit on my wife’s 2006 Lexus IS350, some parts of the dashboard starting breaking off as any trim or trim removal tools pressed against it. I stumbled upon this moldable glue called Sugru, which would be able to be shaped, textured, and color-matched to the dashboard. Sugru is an RTV one-part moisture curing silicone elastomer that can be molded like a putty into any shape needed.

I finally decided to take a step up from the previous Ebay backup cameras I’ve used, to a better camera and a more refined display system. The Rydeen backup camera and Scion T10015 head unit pairs up nicely. The install was a bit complicated at times, but the seamless operation of the backup camera function makes it all worth it.

I purchased my 2003 Toyota 4Runner on 6/29/2013 for $10,000 with 139k miles on the clock. 5-1/2 years later, I’m happy to still be trekking on with the same car with 240k miles on the clock.

Over the many years of owning my 2003 Toyota 4Runner, I’ve gone through my fair share of windshield wipers. I’ve tried various aftermarket ones made by Bosch, Anco, and Rain-X. Even the OEM wiper blade inserts never worked out for me. Finally, I found the perfect wiper blade replacement for my 4th generation 4Runner!

Adding to my arsenal of newbie car mods on my first car, a ’94 Mazda Protege, I replaced my OEM shift knob several times. Nothing was wrong with my stock shifter, in fact looking back at it now, I think it looked the best out of all of the aftermarket ones I replaced it with. But, I finally got my very first car and I was ready to modify anything that I could get my hands on.

I had a commuter car, but really wanted a car that I would have fun working on. I found this 2nd generation Mazda MX-6 for $800 in non-running condition. After years of working on the car, it was on its 3rd engine and 3rd transmission. This car is how I got my start working on cars.

The car battery in my Toyota 4Runner recently lost its ability to hold a charge. The battery I bought 5 years ago has held up well until earlier this week where I couldn’t start my car anymore. I began to troubleshoot and eventually figured out the battery was the issue. Here’s what I did to troubleshoot and replace the car battery in my 2003 Toyota 4Runner.

The touch screen suddenly stopped working on my Lexus IS350. After realizing a repair with a conductive pen wouldn’t work, I decided to replace the whole digitizer. At only $20 for an aftermarket one online, I thought it was a no brainer.

The center console is not that difficult to remove on a Lexus IS350, but there are a couple things that can make it arduous. First, the vent trim can be tricky, and second, the dashboard can crumble apart if it has had many years of prolonged sunlight exposure.