One of the most common interior issues that plague the 2nd generation Acura CL (years 2000-2003) is the separation of the arm rest on both the driver side and passenger side doors. At the time of this writing, these cars are approximately two decades old and the age and wear will have taken its toll. The glue that holds door to the plastic switch trim ends up separating and looks something like this.
On the second generation Acura CL (and many other Acura & Honda models), the SRS light may come on and stay illuminated on the dashboard. If you want to resolve the error codes, the only way is to fix the issue that is triggering the SRS code(s) and then reset the SRS light. This usually means replacing the seat buckle that is throwing the code (front driver’s side, front passenger’s side, or either side’s rear seat.) Then, an Acura dealership will be able to reset the SRS diagnostic trouble code. If you own a special OBDII scan tool that can reset SRS codes, you can use that to reset the SRS light.
For the Acura CL including the Type-S (model years 2000-2003), it is recommended that the cabin air filter be changed out every 24 months, or every 30,000 miles—whichever comes first. This is the same replacement interval as the engine air filter, so it may make sense to do them both at the same time.
A very simple maintenance item you can do on your 2nd generation Acura CL (including Type-S models) is to replace the engine air filter. This applies to model years 2000-2003. Acura also calls the engine air filter the air cleaner element and recommends replacing it every 30,000 miles or 24 months, whichever comes first. Changing the engine air filter is incredibly easy on this car and takes 5 minutes to do.
The 2nd generation Acura CL utilizes a remote key fob to gain entry into the vehicle. There are times when you may have lost a remote key fob, or need to program an extra one. However, if you do this through the dealership, you may end up paying $100 or more for the remote and for them to program it for you. But, it is possible for you to program your own remote key fob.
One very common issue on the 4th generation Toyota 4Runner is an oil leak that occurs at the front corner of the passenger side valve cover. Changing out the valve cover gaskets on both passenger and driver sides can be a bigger job, but mainly because it can be a bit overwhelming with the amount of parts you need to disconnect or remove. Therefore, it’s very important to be organized when removing parts and to document everything you take apart. Photos along the way help tremendously in guiding you to put everything back in the right order. I hope this guide helps you if you need to replace the valve cover gaskets on your 4.0L V6 (1GRE-FE) 4th Generation Toyota 4Runner.
One of the most common encounters that you’ll have when you start increasing the size of your wheels and tires is the front tires rubbing on the fender liner of your 4Runner. The rubbing will normally occur when your wheel is turned full-lock to the left or to the right. Since there are countless different combinations of wheels, tires, and lifts, everyone will experience something different. This guide will outline the steps it takes to do a fender liner mod so that you can eliminate the front tires rub.
Cleaning the throttle body on a 4th generation Toyota 4Runner (1GRE-FE 4.0L V6 engine) is not a difficult job. It requires removal of the air intake and air filter housing to gain access to the throttle body. You should also consider replacing the throttle body gasket since you will already have access to it.
The Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor is a device that is located at the air intake, which measures how much air is coming into the engine and then tells the vehicle how much fuel it needs to inject. Over time, the MAF sensor can become dirty and require cleaning. Since the sensor on these vehicles utilizes an extremely delicate “hot wire”, used to measure air flow, it cannot be cleaned with regular cleaners or even brake cleaner. A mass air flow sensor cleaner is required to safely clean the hot wire.
