2008 Toyota Sienna Spark Plug change
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- Опубліковано 3 тра 2014
- Steps to remove 2008 Sienna V6 plugs. Done at 100K miles. Remember to buy top quality Iridium tip mfr. recommended plugs. They last VERY long and you don't want to repeat this job any more frequently than necessary as it is labor intensive and difficult. NOT for the timid.
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First off I want to thank you Del Siegmund for taking the time to post the video. The 2008 Sienna is different from the earlier years so seeing your specific steps up to where the back three spark plugs would have been changed was great. There's some info I want to add to supplement your video to help others working through the problems that will be faced more often as the 2008 gets older. My Sienna at the time of the spark plug change was at 139,000 miles and I had replaced spark plugs and one ignition coil on the front 3 cylinders (#'s 2, 4 & 6) about a month earlier to fix an intermittent missing cylinder. All 6 plugs were close to looking about the same shape when they came out - maybe cylinder 1 looked to be the worse by a small margin.
First off - It's impossible to change those rear spark plugs without removing two nuts and one bolt holding the main wiring harness to brackets in close proximity to the spark plug/ignition coil channels. Also that passenger side rear intake air plenum bracket needs to come off to access cylinder #1's spark plug - BUT - please make sure that the bracket's hole location is marked on the engine block before loosening - wiping the area clean and putting a small dot with a marker where the bolt hole should line up could save hours of fiddling to get the bracket properly lined up again.
For replacing the spark plugs I used two short socket extensions along with the 5/8" spark plug socket (with rubber grommet). I found that I needed to remove/add the extensions coming out and back into the spark plug channels. I used a small pair of pliers to grip the socket assembly while carefully pulling it apart. I didn't want to drop anything behind the engine requiring me to find & fish stuff out that didn't happen to fall to the floor.
When it came time to putting in that pesky passenger rear intake plenum bolt I used a 1/4" short socket extension with the 12mm socket to help me blindly start the bolt in the hole. Now here's the trick I learned the hard way after dropping the bolt a few time behind the engine: I used a small piece of green painters masking tape to tape the edge of the bolt to the socket so it I could concentrate more on starting the bolt than making sure it didn't fall behind the engine. THEN PAY ATTENTION to the angle that the bolt has to go into the intake plenum itself - it's actually angled a bit upwards and out - if you don't make that adjustment you'll never start the bolt. Once you feel the bolt's started keep on turning the short socket extension until the bolt goes in no further and then simply pull on it which breaks the tape and releases the small extension. After that it's easy to turn the remaining socket with one hand until the bolt is all the way in. Finally I used a 12mm racheting wrench coming in directly from the top to finish tightening. It's methodical and actually somewhat quick - I've done it a few times and each time I have that bolt in and tight in under 5 minutes. Oh and another thing - I used that same hold the bolt with tape trick with those two inner 5mm Allen screw head bolts on the intake plenum - if you have one of those bolts fall off it could end up INSIDE the plenum and require disassembly to retrieve (don't ask me how I know this...). Using a small piece of tape gives piece of mind and in all probability saves a lot of hassle.
Another warning to others - there's a vacuum hose that's for your minivan's brake power assist that connects right onto the back of the intake air plenum. That hose doesn't show in Del's video but it's important. Without that hose your brakes will be darn near non-functional and you'll have to remove the wipers and cowl again to fix it. I marked all my hoses and hose connection points with green painters' masking tape with matching numbers but I missed that hose. In total I believe that there's EIGHT hoses to remove. That hose in the back I didn't see and must have come off on its' own when I took off the intake plenum. So beware - be doubly sure you reattach all hoses and electrical plugs.
I used the spark plug change as an opportunity to do several other things: I cleaned the throttle body butterfly valve with throttle body cleaning spray (and a soft cloth) which was just filthy. Then I took off the air filter cover and cleaned the mass airflow sensor with the proper cleaning spray too. Finally I changed the air filter and washed all the parts I took off with warm soapy water. It definitely added time to the job but after 10 years and almost 140,000 miles all that dirt and grime build up would have taken away from the quality of the job and gives you the opportunity to inspect different areas of the engine including the hoses. I must have gone through a roll and a half of paper towel.
Finally one thing that gave me probably more grief overall was the undoing of electrical connections. The video shows how the plugs are SUPPOSED to come off with a quick squeeze of the release lever but almost without fail none of the plugs - including those plugs on the all important rear ignition coils - would not budge. So what I used to address the problem were tiny jeweller flat head screwdrivers to get under the plastic catches and then twist to release while pulling on the plugs. You need to be careful with anything electrical because damage is easily done and hard (if not impossible) to find later.
I wish everyone here that attempts changing their Sienna's spark plugs the best of luck. Take your time if you haven't done it before and take breaks if you need to. If anyone wants to know more just reply and I'll do my best to give what advice I can. Thanks.
Thank You!
I have to stop and take a moment to thank you for this advice. I started my van and my brakes were locked. Reading your comment lead me straight to the issue. The back breaking job was done successfully. Even the stupid hidden bolt is put back in place.
How you send money to you sir. You literally found the issue I had with the brakes the moment I went for a test. They wouldn’t work if I was putting both feet on them hard as hell lol.
😊😊. J j
I'm lol...I by NJ j be be. N
I going to give it a go this week. I’m sure I’ll run into problems.
Wow its been several years and Do It Yourselfers are still getting good info - which is what the video is all about. Summary from several years is that you do this job (whenever) you find yourself already having to dig this far into the engine to begin with and it is time for new plugs (or) you do it when you begin to have issues. If your van is still running great then don't bother changing. Yes, the back 3 plugs are the real reason we all do this job ourselves - as we want 100% proof that all plugs were changed and not just the easy front 3 LOL. Removing just the BACK manifold bolts is the easy way vs. the 100% blind front bolts on the bracket which takes a little experience to do. I've been working backwards with mirrors with my eyes shut for years as a home mechanic (I'm no pro!) so do anything that makes this job easy. Dorks on the internet will tell you that none of this disassembly is necessary but the fact is that there is almost no room in a 2008 Sienna (other years have better access) so flip them the bird. Home mechanics, new learners and even myself need extra space to work. So if you need room to do the job - take off as many parts as you need to access ans see the area you are working in :-). And its true that if you accidentally forget to hook up (anything) you unplugged your van may experience issues. Modern engines are a system not just an engine so take your time and write down what you unhook one by one. Check them back off when you reassemble and you will have success. And if you like your dealership and this scares the heck out of you then give them the business. It's not exactly a walk in the park is it :-)
I love how calm you are the entire way as if your relaxing on a beach. A far cry from watching my old man work on cars and things growing up.
I know, I was thinking "This guy is the Mr. Miyagi of mechanics".
well after watching this I will pay my mechanic gladly, that is a lot of work, but definitely the best sienna plug replacement video online, thanks.
Yep. Same here. No way I should attempt this now that I see the madness
Del....I rely on UA-cam for all DIY projects and I have to say that... by far.... yours is the most intuitive and well explained video I have put to task. You really did an outstanding job and I am very grateful that you took the time to make the video. I don't like bringing my cars to garages. There is no way any garage mechanic is going to put those bracket bolts back on. I'll bet good money that says they drop the bolt and leave it where it lies. You saved me a ton of cash and I have the confidence that it was done right. I'm an aircraft mechanic and I know enough about cars to be considered dangerous but I have the tools and I'm used to working blind. The rest is just patience and a good set of instructions. A big thank you.... now let's find the people that designed this and take them out back and...... nevermind.
one more thing... now that my post is on top.... it was already brought up in this thread and I only wish I read all the replies....Here are some good suggestive short cuts: 1) the bracket on the passenger side of the manifold has two bolts.... I suggest only unfastening the lower bolt since this bracket needs to come off anyway and it will facilitate an easier reinstallation. When reinstalling, use a good strong tape to secure the bolt in the socket (gravity will not be working with you) and tape it in such a way that when the threads catch, you can pull the socket away and all the tape comes with it. You don't want the tape sticking to the bolt. 2) unfasten the harness that runs across the underside of the windshield. You can either remove the tape or those little doo-dads come out easily by squeezing the tangs behind the metal.3) on the back three plugs, unbolt the modules and rotate them toward you to disconnect the plugs. These were little M-Fers to remove. 4) test your work prior to reinstalling the windshield tray but you need to remove the module from the drivers side of the tray and connect it to run the car; otherwise, its starts and will shut down within a few seconds.
First, a very BIG Thank You to Del Siegmund. Just did mine, there is no way possible to do it without removing cowl/wiper assembly (I tried). The easiest way is to remove the passenger side bracket bolt at the back and not 'at the manifold' (this is after I spend nearly 4 hours trying to remove the bracket bolt on the intake and giving up and then restarted the job, ofcourse after I received a quote from the dealer, and removed bolt on the other end of the bracket in 15 minutes). This is the second thing you should do after removing the cowl/wiper assembly. If you are successful in removing this bracket bolt , only then you should proceed further with this job , otherwise this job is not for you. To remove that bolt, I used a swivel joint and 12 mm long socket with regular size 3/8 ratchet. You will need a swivel joint( attached to the spark plug socket and normal long extension) also for the back side plug. I also did not disconnected the booster hose at the intake, I disconnected it at the booster so I don't put my hand again on the back of the intake (by this time my hands were all bruised monkeying with the bolts). A second person to hand you the tools will be extremely helpful. You should be quite intimate with car maintenance to do this, the chances to mess things up are very high, including breaking wires to other sensors and missing attaching hoses. Dealer was asking $680 including parts and labor. In their book it was 5 hours labor. You should also clean the throttle body and MAF at the same time. Also hell with it, I did not put that bolt back on the passenger side. I think there is enough support from the driver side and six hex nuts/bolts on the intake manifold. Also, to cover the intake holes, I just used painters blue tape, The gasket on intake manifold and throttle body were just fine so I didnt replace them either. Use the tape on the passenger side intake end(by some sensor) because it has very sharp edges. Good Luck , if you have done it you should be proud, very very proud, if you paid for this job, you should feel smart . Don't do this job in front of kids because you will find yourself using way too colorful language for the engineers who designed the way back plugs are installed and of course the bracket bolt.The plugs looked just fine at 138k, I wouldn't even recommend replacing them probably until 160k or 170k ( but of course I religiously maintained my van).
I was thinking it looks way easier to remove that other bolt for that hidden bracket behind the top intake plenum.
I only replace it when it's broken my car is at 300000km still running good no need to change it .maybe give it to the junk yard at 400000km
Just finished the job, thanks for the video! Those fuel injectors in the back ARE A PAIN!!! My van is a 2007 and I didn't have that second hidden bolt behind the intake manifold addressed in the video. Not sure if that was a special bonus for the 2008 model or if the last person to work on mine disregarded putting it back. Good luck to all those intrepid souls looking to do the same job. I'm sure it's because I'm slow at turning wrenches, but the whole job took me about 4 hours, just fyi. (I also took time to clean some gunk out of the fuel injectors) Thanks again to Del for making the video!
I didn't put mine back. Was secure enough without it. I did put the one on the throttle body side back. With 6 intake bolts torqued down on a piece of plastic. It a be fine without that thing..lol
Thanks for the video @Del Siegmund. Did mine over Thanksgiving break. With a lunch pit stop it was about 5 hours taking my time. Not as bad as I thought honestly. Worst part for me was that rear intake manifold bolt ( I removed the easier lower one) and the many coil connector plugs that just snapped off from age. I used zip ties with a small piece of high temp silicone to take up the "float" of the locking piece under the zip tie. I thought long and hard about replacing the three rear coils, but for nearly $300 in parts ( I tend to stick to OEM for these types of parts) it wasn't worth it even considering the slight hassle of getting back there again to change them. The tube trick for install was great, used that on my two Hondas as well. The less chubby your forearms are, the easier it is to manage that rear manifold hold down bolt :) Needless to say, I am not in that lucky group.
Did this today. Thanks so much for the video! Technically, I found this to be relatively easy, but I took my time and noted everything I took apart. That 12mm bolt on the rear passenger side of the plenum SUCKED! I used an articulating extension on a 1/4" ratchet and blindly mated it. Took me 6 hours total but I also had to run to Sears for a ratchet extension and took breaks. Triple checked all disconnected items as reconnected and fired her up! No codes and runs smooth! Saved about $400. Thanks again!
I did it successfully, thanks to your detail video, able to get the manifold support bracket out with a 12 mm craftsman open wrench, pretty much guaranteed damage one or two of the plastic connector clips, I had one connector's wires pulled, took 2 days get wire color code Identified and solder back. Got be extreme cautious and patient while pulling those plastic connectors out, they are fragile.
definitely doable with DIY mechanical skill
Just did this job on my 2009 Sienna. This video helped me tremendously. Thanks. I used factory direct coils and Bosch double Iridium plugs. I reinstalled the rear manifold bracket upside down by mistake and had to remove it. It was twice as hard to remove when reinstalled incorrectly lol..Thanks again for a good video. Hope to drive this van into the eons.
Just finished my 2006 Highlander. Same thing but no cowl/washer removal 6-hour job! Can do it in 4 hours now, maybe??? I used a cheapo $35 BOROSCOPE from amazon it helped a lot!!!! My Sienna was next but this now I'm taking to dealer. I know I would break every plastic part I touch. $395 of overtime work down the sparkplug tubes. The only advantage to doing this job was I was able to visually inspect every piston and valve. Do a wet compression test. Also, I was able to spray WD40 and CRC cleaner directly on problem areas and get rid of a lot of soot. You are a brave soul my friend! Thanks!
You have done a very slow and refined video. I like tech people who are slow. This gives everyone the ability to remember how to do this job. To me it's a very easy job. It's just a common sense job. No electronics to diagnose. its a very easy job. You did a fabulous job of teaching everyone how to do this job. You're a great teacher. I love your slow teaching method. It's what everyone needs to learn from you. teach slow and clear. Thanks!!!!!!
Thank you so much for this video. A few of comments.
*the plastic cowling removal isn't documented too well. There are fingers that slide up under the glass so when you pop out the clips on the front these will slide down and out. The two side fender to cowl seals also have a "plug" that fits into holes on each side of the cowling.
*The tubing idea is absolutely great. I used a 3/8" air compressor hose but it worked great and made starting the new plug very easy.
*I also found the magnet helpful to remove the old plugs, i just disassembled the extension, then the socket (not plug socket as you mentioned), and then the plug. Rather easy.
*I found removal of the dreaded surge tank stay #1 bolts not too bad and yes you need to remove the entire bracket. It was putting it back in that was horrible. I ended up starting the top bolt, setting the surge tank, and then starting the other stay bolt. Since it was more of a vertical drop i think it was easier. It was still a blind install and very tough.
*I also disconnected the wire harness bolts, one on top of the motor, one on the belt side and those along the back. It allowed flexibility when trying to gain access to those areas along the back of the motor.
*Just like Chris Burkley mentioned, i did the exact same thing. I wanted to test it before getting everything back together. However, there is a plug off the cowl that has to be plugged in or it won't run. Spent several hours trying to diagnose this knowing that it was an issue with something not being plugged or a ground that came loose. When i started the car it ran for a second then quit (code C1241 Low Battery Positive voltage or Abnormally High Battery Positive Voltage). Everything else checked fine until i saw this laying on the floor. Duh! Should have paid more attention to the comments.
*I also didn't remove the throttle body completely. I just removed from the surge tank and laid aside.
All in all this was very informative as the Service Manual is vague on the actual disassembly so i was prepared as i got into the mess. I spent about 6 hours total not including the additional hours trying to figure out why my car wouldn't run.
Best and most helpful comments to date are the tip to consider only removing the passenger intake manifold bolt at the far back passenger side, keeping the bracket alignment correct when replacing (although with it attached it was a bit of a puzzle getting it out.) Most bizarre comments to date are those offering genius tips on how to do it better and easier on a different vehicle like a Highlander LOL! The challenge with the Van is there is precious little room to work. There are also those who state it can be done without removing (any) of the wipers or trim to make more room (uh, and I'm assuming NOT damaging anything else trying to remove the intake and not boogering the plugs working so blind with even less room :-). Please post the video of that happening on a 2008 Sienna as we would all benefit from seeing that happen - it (would) definitely save some steps - and be cool to watch. But please do it on the same model van otherwise you are probably not helping anybody.
To make your life easier once you get that blind bolt off, I removed its bracket (it has to be loosened anyways to get to the leftmost plug) and used a hack saw to cut out the top part of the topmost round bracket hole. This allows you to insert that blind bolt onto the manifold and then slide it over the modified bracket before tightening it down. I struggled to get the bolt on without making the adjustment.
im about to do this job at home. To be honest that blind bolt is the most worrisome to me. Have you noticed any negative issues to using the hacksaw on the bracket? If not, then i may very well use a hacksaw when i do this.
Is it even necessary to reinstall that particular bolt? Seems like it would be fine without it
@@NOS8008 I ended up trading in the old Sienna and am 90,000 miles away from a plug change on the newer one. Wish I could remember about that bolt but it's long lost, along with the old Sienna, may she ramble on wherever she is.
Thank you for this video. Just got done changing plugs and coils. Never be finished without you. Fantastic job!
Del -- Thanks for the Video, it helped a lot! - I just replaced two knock sensors on an 04 Sienna. Same basic procedures as you outlined, just one more layer of removing the intake manifold. Likewise the tough part of the job was getting the plenum off - on the Sienna there were several bolts to deal with. Using basic tools it took a combination of removing the accessible upper bolts and the lower bolts on the engine block. It took me all day! Next time I am paying a mechanic - they cite about 3.5 hours of labor to replace two knock sensors. IMO its worth it! I learned a lot and felt like I gained more respect for mechanics that deal with these challenges daily. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with us DIYers.
You sir are a GOD, thank you so much for saving my family $400+, did it this weekend and life is good.
Wow! Great video! You did an amazing job performing a step-by-step process. Must have watched this video 20 times. Judging by over 161K views you have saved Sienna owners hundreds of thousands of dollars! Great picture and sound quality too!
Thanks for your video and your detailed presentation of the process. I especially appreciated how you pointed out all the bolts to be removed and your up close photography of the rear bank of cylinders. Your description of the blind bolts and the difficult angles required to access the rear plugs put be off for a couple of years. My 2007 Sienna has 165,000 miles on it and the plugs were eroded to .50 in gap, .07 inch over spec. Accessing the blind bolts wasn't so bad. I've done that kind of thing before. I used a spark plug socket, a universal joint, and an extension to get the rear plugs out. Those three slipped right in. I then attached the ratchet. The hardest part was removing the existing plugs. Carbon had accumulated on the threads requiring a lot of force to remove them. I sprayed some silicone down the plug holes and that helped. I worked the plugs back and forth a little to free them up. I removed the wires from the coils on the front and the release tab on every one broke. For the rear coils I left them plugged in. There was enough wire to allow them to be removed and set aside. Reassembly was easy. Overall this was a lot of work but not that bad. Got to pay attention to all the hoses and electric connectors but they want to go back where they came from.
I just saw this video. I was pleasantly surprised to see the use of the rubber hose for spark plug installation. As a retired ASE mechanic, I have used this trick for years when working on Aluminum heads. Not one cross thread incident yet.
Del, you're the man. Found your video when searching for r/r VVT solenoid valve for - you guessed it Bank #1 exhaust. Figured I'd do plugs, OCV, clean MAF sensor and throttle body at the same time. Even hoped to have enough time to mouse proof the intakes (ran out of time and energy). Everything went as you and others had posted. Fired it back up and had a rise-and-fall to the idle. Thought it might have to relearn sensors so took it for a spin and immediately it went into limp mode. I'm think OS, 9:00 pm, the wife expects all to ride to church in the morning and we've got no wheels. Went back through my head what did I forget to reconnect? Bingo, the electrical connection to the throttle body. Quick few minutes undo air-box, hook up TB connection and I'm back on the road. Obnoxious ticking is gone; idle is sewing machine smooth; and netted almost 4 more MPG on quick drive to town. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Saved, I don't know how much in the job alone and now future fuel miles.
Great video that saved me an extra day of cussing at Toyota. At couple things that helped me:
- I could not get at that top bolt on the rear bracket on the manifold and found it easier to remove the lower bolt on that bracket.
- Unclipping the wire bundle that runs across the top of the manifold and tying it up helps with access.
- The connector clips going to the spark plug sockets are poorly designed and it was easier to pull the socket out of the well before unclipping the rear ones.
Thanks for doing this.
Jeff - great recommends - all very true. to add to your suggestions, when reinstalling the lower bolt on that rear bracket, since you are working against gravity, I taped the bolt onto the socket using hockey tape and taped it in such a way that when I pulled away, all of the tape came with the socket and didn't stay on the bolt. That was a true M-F'er.
This is the best and most detailed video for these V6 Toyota Engines, Well Done sir. I have a 2009 Camry XLE and this is about the same. Also I love how you marked the hoses so you can tell where they go later, very professional. However, now that I watched, I can see why my local mechanic shop wanted $450 to replace the plugs on the Camry, well worth it for sure.
Solid thanks for your service.
I was too afraid of tearing those two stuck-on coolant lines (12:22), so I opted instead to take the throttle body off the manifold (4x 10mm bolts @ 12:47). New throttle body gasket when reassembling, just in case. After 120 K miles, the pillar on my back #1 plug's ground electrode was half worn down, but the other 5 still looked fine. Much appreciated.
Thank you, Del. Well and thoughtfully done. Knowing what to expect is an immense help
Thank you sir for this video, just finished up last night (knock on wood, no error codes so far). It took me 5 hours to do in a span of 2 days, I took my time... did not want to break my back and knees doing this with beer breaks. I removed 3 spark plugs that were out of spec, 2 with less than .04 and 1 with almost .05. Could not have done it without your video, big thanks again.
Just finished this job yesterday. No joke on that back left bolt! Got it off just fine. Putting it back on felt like a miracle. Our teenage son was the one to get it done.
I am shocked by the difficulty of replacing these plugs. I really miss my Corolla!
Thanks for your video! I just finished replacing the spark plugs from my 2011 Toyota sienna. Dealer wanted $550. I bought the oem Iridium spark plugs for $70 and installed them myself and thanks to your video I struggled half as much. The hardest part for me was putting back all the bolts from the back. Jeez..
My partner's toyota sienna 2008 check engine light, VSC, and TRAC OFF lights came on this past weekend - went to Autozone to get the CPU checked, and it was code P305 cylinder #5 misfiring. I had replaced ignition coils 2, 4, and 6 on this van before due to another engine code coming up (same series of lights though) and remember telling myself I was lucky it wasn't one of the coils in the back - was not so lucky this time! I watched your video as a guide and it made this job go so smoothly. I made sure I had that telescoping magnet and the vacuum tubing (I work as a Lab Engineer so I had plenty of that on had). I replaced all the ignition coils and spark plugs back there because as the video states, it is a real pain in the ass to get back there and there is very little room to work. There are also many different hoses that need to be disconnected so make sure you mark them as he suggests. Anyway my first time doing this repair was a success thanks to this video. Don't let the anyone else tell you different, this guy knows what he's talking about!
thanks Del! Did this yesterday and it was a piece of cake because I watched this video first. At 116k the old plugs definitely needed to be replaced!
Wow just got done changing the #5 coil in the back and your video saved me many hours. Thanks for posting this for everyone doing this job.
Excellent technical video with very good explanations and illustrations. I would not have the patience to do this job. This is a job for professionals such as yourself. I recently change my spark plugs in my 67 Olds. I’m older now ( I own this car since new almost) and it took 30 minutes with a coffee and bathroom brake in the middle. I’ll pay the $500 reluctantly. Your video clearly showed the detail steps that must be performed prior to the removal of the spark plugs. It is labor intensive. Good luck and good health.
Very well done. Even holding the camera while "driving" ;-). You're right, very little info exists for Siennas on what is a common, albeit involved, periodic maintenance operation. I'm about to step into the plug remove/replace operation with a Gen 3 (2011) Sienna and know a little better what to expect. Very very helpful--thanks for making the time to create this informative video!
This is why I had the mechanic do this job, They Charged us $462.66 we had a knocking sound I was fearful was a valve but , that knocking has seemed to go away after this repair.
Thank you for this post .
Your advice was invaluable. Thank you! Besides that really difficult to get to bolt, the only other issue I encountered was getting some of the wire connectors to come loose. The dealer wanted $550 to replace one coil, and $770 for three. I may have had the dealer do it but they didn't have availability for several days out. I did the 3 back coils and all 6 plugs for a little over $300. It took about 6 hours in all and my wife's van is back in service with very little downtime. I hope the new coils go 164,000 miles like the first ones did.
Mines at 175000 and it’s time to replace them all. I did valve #2 a couple years ago, but I don’t think I’ll be so lucky this time. What a shitty design
Del: your video is excellent as I have a 2004 Sienna too. I could not remove the 12 mm bolt that was attached behind the plastic manifold . Alternatively I lifted up the plastic manifold 5 inches up to make room to reach the spark plugs. Mission finally accomplished.
Awesome video it helped a lot. My sister has a 2008 Sienna with 200,000 plus miles that needed the #1 and #3 ignition coils replaced. Of course they are the ones on the backside by the firewall, never the easy ones to get to. She ordered 6 replacement coils and iridium plugs. She always puts ALOT miles on her vehicles ☺
Luckily our brother helped us because he is more of a DIY auto mechanic than us. At 16:40 you mentioned that hard to get 12mm bolt that you have to blindly work on. Yes it was not easy and all three of us dubbed that bolt the "Bitch Bolt" We used a regular 12mm wrench like somebody else posted and loosened it a hair at a time. The wench had a small angle on the box end and we slid the wrench between that wire bundle and the bracket that the darn "Bitch Bolt" is secured to. It wasn't easy going back on either. We got the job done all 6 coils and plugs.
Yes a proper 5/8 spark plug socket with the rubber insert and a universal joint and the long extension thingy from the ratchet to the universal joint and socket is needed. My brother used his 5/8 Craftsmen long extension spark plug socket with a universal joint already attached at the socket end.
This will be my third time taking apart the top of the motor in order to access the back 3 plugs and coil packs on my 2008 Sienna. Believe me, I find renewed appreciation for your video each time! My tips are this: the space is so limited between the firewall, wiring harness and valve cover that you should have enough different size extensions so that you can size exactly to fit the valve cover plug-well. In the video, the rubber tubing or vacuum line over the end of the plug can provide a flexible extension to make putting the plug in easier - this should be practiced/perfected on the front 3 plugs so that it can be done with just a very few inches of clearance. The strong magnet that can retrieve the loosened plug or the socket if it comes off the extension should be tested before taking the motor all apart. Now with 160,000 miles on the van, the connectors are all dried and crunchy - be extremely careful when pushing the wiring harness aside to get at the coil packs. I made the mistake of pulling the wire out of the camshaft sensor and had to source the exact connector and then solder the wires together on the back of the motor - not fun.
Another viewer gave the hint of using a wrench to get the dreaded driver’s side rear intake manifold bracket bolt off. A ratcheting wrench might be easiest to use. Still another viewer gave a tip to hacksaw the top half of the bracket so that the bolt could be inserted in the manifold and fitted to the open slot bracket upon replacement - this comment is genius and I will try it this weekend.
This job is difficult but not impossible - 5 hrs is a reasonable quote but tool up exactly as suggested in quotes given that your socket+extension simply will not fit between the motor and firewall and the wiring harness will be in the way all the time. Also not that this is 2008 Sienna - if you watch a video on an earlier year this job is easier by far. 2008 I believe has a different motor and there is less clearance behind the engine.
Thank you for this video! I also have an 08 Sienna, and I spent half a day trying to locate that elusive, pain-in-the-rear, blind bolt you mentioned, that locked down the left half of the manifold. Turns out, mine doesn't have one! I figured I'd take out the Allen bolts in the middle of the manifold first, then try to locate any further resistance. But the manifold came right up, and I don't even have the bracket the bolt attaches to. Very odd.
Either way, thanks a ton! A better video couldn't be made. Congratulations, you got yourself a new subscriber!
when he gets to the part about the difficult bolt that needs to be removed in order to get the intake manifold off, don't do it. there is a bolt about three inches behind it that is easy to get to, and you need that bracket to come off anyway in order to get the coil pack for that plug out.
Yes, that what I did. And I cut the bracket on order to put the screw first. Check my video.
ua-cam.com/video/urKkKH7tR24/v-deo.html
8 years later I have this car and I'm at the last part of your video you magically changed the three in the back hahaha wow this is difficult
Thank you Sir for posting this video. I am so glad that I watched this video. Now I am ready for the battle that is ahead! The information about that hidden bolt alone is worth a million dollars. I never would have found it. GOD BLESS YOU!
Great video, I really appreciate you making the film and sharing this information.
Thanks so much!
PS your auto parts store will recommend the right iridium plug Toyota recommends - they come pre-gapped and iridium tipped plugs are not meant to be bent and played with for gapping like other plugs. Be careful installing so you don't accidentally drop the plug and change the gap and resist the temptation to be cheap. This job is too hard to waste time on cheap plugs for sure.
Always go oem if possible. Even if other plugs might work, I wouldn't risk it.
Friend, you did a service to humanity when you created this video, as far as I'm concerned. Thank you for taking the time to do this. I really appreciate it. I attempted to change the plugs 75k ago, and gave up. Your video gave me the courage. I just got it done today for the first time, a little shy of the 200k mark. Thanks again.
I've been avoiding this job for years. Van is at 180,000 miles on the original plugs and just too risky for long trips to not deal with this. Really though, I was *IMPRESSED* with how little wear there was on the plugs at 180,000 miles. They would not pass for new, but I probably would have let it go to 200,000 if I had known how well the factory Denso's wear. My dealership quoted $350 or so a few years ago for this job. Dealership prices are never *ever* a "that's all?" thing so I was highly skeptical they'd change the rear plugs and given how well the original plugs wear, I'd bet at least half the older vans driving around have brand new front plugs and factory original rears.
Did this job yesterday. That blind bolt was a pain! After an hour of trying to get it off, my wife came home from the store and did it in 5 minutes! I’m a big guy, so my hands didn’t fit very well.
Once I was everything was out, I removed the bracket that bolt goes through. I attached the top of the bracket to the intake, not snugged down. Was pretty easy to reach the bottom bolt to reinstall the bracket.
Great video. Toyota dealership quoted 1,400 for the job last week. I did it for $250 in parts and a half days time.
I guess I know what I’m doing next sunday
Thank you Mr. Siegmund for taking the time to create this video. Thank you Lord for prompting me to think I better check a video before I start tearing this thing apart. I knew I shoulda sprung for that Tahoe...
Thanks very much for this video. I was able to get that terrible 12mm bolt after watching this! Not saying I put it back when I finished.
Just wanted to say thanks for posting this up. Saved me like $700 at the dealer and a whole lot of misery from trying to go by just the Haynes guide. Haynes is sketchy on the details for this job. Keep up the good work!
I did this job today! And wow. Those back ones are a trick. I used a swivel and 2 shorter extensions and a spark plug socket with the rubber grabber. Have to put the ratchet together piece by piece going in. Then disassemble the ratchet as you come out with the plug. It's very tight. I unbolted that wire harness so I could move it to give some room. Wasn't fun. Did coils too so hopefully don't have to face that one again for a while. It's a job and it takes a little time and lots of patience.
Learn from my mistake! Had to do this again for a failed coil on cylinder 5, I should have replaced them all when I did the plugs. This time I replaced all the coil back there (1,3,5). Thanks again to your video.
I love how calm you are. and thank you so much for the this awesome video
Thank you for making this video. My 2007 Sienna has 124K and is running smooth. Now I know why Toyota wants $550 plus tax to change these plugs. I do not think I would have the patience to complete this job but with your step by step guide I may take it on but only if my van is running rough.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for the video, it was immensely helpful! I even came back to it when I was trying to figure out how to route some of the hoses. No kidding, that passenger side plenum bolt SUCKS! The combination of the angle, the tight space, and the wiring harness make for a difficult extraction. I ended up not installing that bolt when I was putting everything back together. I will update this comment if I have any problems down the road. There's another bolt on the driver's side, and those rear bolts don't mate the surfaces of the plenum and intake manifold, so I think it will survive. If you're going to this job, give yourself plenty of time, this took me about 8 hours PLUS two trips to the parts store. In addition to the OEM Denso spark plugs, buy a plenum gasket, throttle body gasket, throttle body spray cleaner, and anti-seize. My 1/4 inch swivel head ratchet was the most useful, along with a good assortment of extensions. Almost everything was either 10mm or 12mm, and my swivel socket adapter was helpful for the driver's side plenum bolt. I ended up using a swivel head ratcheting wrench, a regular wrench, an then a regular socket on a very short extension to get that the passenger's side plenum bolt.
Thank you for making this video with all the how to's on the clips.
Thank you Del ! If not for your awesome video. I would never haven been able to locate the Oil Control Valve on my 08 Sienna !! Thank You !!! I am very much a novice but like to do what I can to keep money in my pocket instead of my mechanic. Thanks again...Great video !
Thanks man just enough detail without wasting time.
Thank Mr. Del Siegmund very much. This video is really helpful. Especially showing the size of a wrench tool used for the bolt right after manifold (closed to passenger side). Every move is about the patience. Finally, I got it done for my 2007 sienna limited on 123,996 miles.
Thank you for all that well explained job tutorial!
I have a 3.5 L 2009 Sienna. My purpose for watching this video was to change my ignition Coils and spark plugs.
That impossible bolt you mention at 16:44 holds a bracket at its bottom and thi bracket is attached to the engine , not the Intake Manifold, and you don't need to remove it.
The bracket has another bolt on top that hold wires and this top bolt and wires you can remove for the sake of space. I realized all of this after I removed the Intake Manifold and got my "ah" moment.
I followed your video all the way until I got to that to that bolt at the bottom of the bracket, which is impossible to remove, but also not necessary to remove.
I found all of this out by going to another video of a guy changing his spark plugs.
LOL 😆, I spent 2 hours at that "impossible bolt" and in the end it is not necessary to remove , beware to others!
I am really grateful for your video nonetheless, everything else in the process was flawless and smooth! Thanks a million buddy!
Ed can you explain more about this bracket and hidden bolt? I am having a tough time trying to remove it
@@mikemerida4440 What year is your sienna? Mine is a 3.5 L 2009, and in this model you don't have to remove this "impossible " bolt that hold the bracket at its bottom, however you do remove the wires the bracket is holding (on its top).
You realize all of this after you remove the Intake manifold.
@@edwarddorville9973 mine is a 2008 with 268k miles. Love this van and want to keep it on the road for a few more miles.
Very patient Mechanic.Kudos to you.
Thank you so much for putting this together and sharing it with the world! It helped a lot. Take care👍
BTW. I used a Dual Flexible Ratchet from Harbor Freight for the pain-in-the-ass bolts. It helped, but still super difficult to get to!.
Nice work. Very impressive video and clever ideas with the magnet and tubing.
I used a piece of duct tape at the top of my spark plug socket and it worked fine with a 6-inch extension.. Then you can drop the plug and socket directly into hole.
Thank you, this will help greatly. Don't know why there are trolls giving you negative.
I'm sure the video can be improved but overall, what you provide with this video will speed things up for all of us. Keep up the good work.
Amazing. Thank you for filming and documenting this.
Jeff brings up a GREAT point that the (very) difficult bracket behind the intake manifold has two bolts, one to the manifold and one to what is either the engine block or another bracket. You may find it much easier to remove the other bolt. Just be careful pulling the intake out as it will still have the bracket attached. This is about a 375$ to $400 dollar job at a dealership plugs included and they are not cheap. Given the difficulty of getting the intake off, don't beat yourself up if you take it to the dealership. If you've done several of them you get good at them but this will be hard if this is your first time. This is NOT your grandfathers spark plug swap for sure. I don't intend to do this again until another 100K miles or 10 years.
Hmmm...the service manual for my 2007 Sienna says the change is done at 120,000 or 12 years. Is it really different for the 2008? To be honest, I have 265,000 miles on my Sienna and still have the original plugs.
Great video. Just finished a spark plug replacement for my 2009 sienna using this video. Thanks for the tip on the rear brackets holding the exhaust manifold. I had a heck of time getting it back on but finally attached it to the manifold then bolted the bracket into the engine block.
thank you i used an Open End Ratcheting Combination Wrench for the back bolt on the passenger side worked well. thank you again
Thanks so much for this. Made the job much easier.
Ya know this could have been a hideous job but having you to walk me through it saved me a lot of grief. Big thanks!
I got lucky and found the bolt at the end of that passenger side rear bracket first. I do think that was easier than what you went though, if nothing else I could use the firewall for leverage to get the bolt to break loose. Cut my wrist to shreds though against some rough plastic piece on the intake. Could have been worse.
Thanks again.
I highly recommend that you also replace the ignition coils when you do the plugs. At least the rear coils. We have a 2009 and all 3 front coils failed between 90 and 110k miles. Seems to be a common failure with the 2007-09 engine.
So I found a slightly different angle to getting the rear intake manifold bolt off. At the 17:23 mark, you are pushing your left arm over the off white harness. That thing scrapped up my forearms pretty good. I actually put my left arm underneath the bracket at about 7 o’clock whereas you approached it at 10 o’clock (again looking at 17:23 in the video. That angle put me on a really good spot to feel the bolt. This was after two days of frustration and I actually went band bought a Ridgid Inspection Camera (snake camera) and that helped me dial things in better. The bolt also seems to be canted about 45 degrees towards the firewall so once I figured that out it helped me seat the socket better. I finally got it!
Doing this job tomorrow. Thanks for the video.
Outstanding video! No cool (i.e., headache-inducing special effects or wiz-bang music), just facts and advice. I thought the same when I saw the bracket associated with the bolt-from-hell - but in your case everything was blind, so I think most of us would have done it the difficult way. Nice work!
As I noted below, I do worry about whether the dealer would change out that hardware if I paid them. Maybe one idea, if somehow possible, is to put markings on the original coils...but of course that requires access...
I was gonna buy this van, hell no after seeing this. I work on my cars and I’m not gonna waste my time like this.
AMEN!!!
Don't skip buying this van because of the work involved to change plugs. I've had 2009 model for 11 years now. Absolutely no issues other than water pump. Which is also a pain to replace btw. Toyota makes a great product and in my opinion is less problematic than any other brand; parts are cheap. But you are right, getting to them when an issue is problematic.
Its a great van, do this job once and with everything else such as coils, only use denso parts / oem so u never have to do it again. Also do anything else there, clean throttle body, etc.
Great video. I played/paused it as I went. I took the 12mm bolt on the passenger backside off the block (lot easier). I also took a vacuum hose by the master cylinder instead of off the backside of throttle body.
I was able to tackle in 3 hours. Reassembly was pretty fast.
Thanks again,
Norm
Like the close up shots. Thank you for sharing. God bless.
Thanks all for the kind words. There was a question about how long it should or would take, or what a normal dealership charge would be. I really cannot answer because I had to somewhat carefully videotape at the same time to allow others to follow along (you know how useless some videos can be and I didn't want to be one of them :-). I think it is best to leave it at this, that there are hours of time involved for the home mechanic who does this once of twice a decade depending on how often they feel like doing the work. Having watched this video probably shortens the time considerably but this is not a fast job especially if you are being extra careful (as you should.) It is not a quick job for the dealership either if they want to avoid breaking other stuff while they work and genuine Toyota parts are high quality and not cheap either. So if you are not a home mechanic you should not feel bad at all about paying the dealership charges at their hourly rate plus parts. Toyota mechanics typically know their stuff and most importantly when the work is done your auto will run right or they will fix it. If you are the home mechanic and want to give it a go- then I hope the video helps a lot. I was tired when it was done, my back was sore and in 10 more years I may very well say heck with this and kindly pay the dealership whatever they want LOL..........(but sadly, I probably won't). Maybe cars will be better then and all we will have to do is swap out a super battery. Wouldn't that be nice........
dealership charges 460 dollars which includes the part lol I had asked my friend he works for the dealership
I paid $600 for a local shop to do it (Southern California, South Orange County prices). Even then, after watching your video, I consider that money well spent. :-) Contrast that to me taking less than an hour to replace 4 spark plugs on a 2001 Volvo S40 with a total parts cost of $25 for NGK Iridium spark plugs.
In Seattle toyota dillership asked 1050$.
thank you for the video, incredible encouragement and detail
This is an incredible video. Great job!! A big thank you for your effort! Any advice for putting it all back together? Thanks again for the vid!!
Nice video. Very helpful.
One tip. Remove the bracket on the miserable passenger side 12mm bolt holding the rear of manifold and not the bolt on the manifold. Much easier.
Tried clear tubing to pre tread plug but successful with just socket without rubber grommet. Magnet a life saver.
Recommend a flexible shaft one.....broke 2 telescopic ones.
Also a good idea to change the 3 rear ignition coils while removing original ones.
Would love to meet and punch in the face the Toyota engine designer. You can join me if you like. Insane design
Getting only 20 miles per gallon with AWD version.
Thanks again. You saved me the $1,100 tuneup fee Long Island Toyota wanted to charge me.
Absolutely fantastic video.
Nice tip! I found that bolt today while doing mine but I quit for the night. Thanks for letting me know the angle, size, and use a small socket. I will give it a try tomorrow with the 1/4 ratchet! That is the only thing stopping for the night... well that, a fire, and a cold beer.
Success!... almost finished now thanks man!
The best video explaining 👍👍👍
I love this video. Thank you very much
Mr. Siegmund,
With regard to the 2008 Toyota Sienna Spark Plug change, how did you replace the cowl with the rubber at the bottom of the windshield?
I found your video extremely helpful in performing a major tuneup on my 2004 Toyota Sienna. I am unable to replace the rubber on the cowl at the bottom of the windshield however. How did you tackle that portion of the job? Thank you.
this helped me a lot thank you for your time
I might add that even the wires/plugs for the wipers/stuff on wiper tray need to be plugged in for the car to run. I changed my plugs no problem but I was so eager to hear it run that I tried to start it before I put the wiper tray etc back in. There were 3 wiper tray items that did not seem to have anything to do w engine that were unplugged. The car would not run. I took every thing apart 3 times looking for mistakes. Plugged the wiper stuff in on a hunch and yaaaay
Ch
Chris.... I did the same thing. Car started... ran for about 4 seconds and then quit. The module attached to the lower end of the tray (right side when looking at engine) is the module that needs to be plugged in for the car to run. It is a good idea to "test" run before reinstalling the windshield tray (and attached parts) because if somethings not right, you just saved yourself from having to undo all that nonsense. This project is already a goat rope so why make it worse. Two nuts unscrew the power supply (module) from the rack. Just remove it and plug it in and you should be able to run without installing the windshield tray and the rest.
Excellent video! Thank you Sir.
A few more people have stated you can do it without removing any extra parts like the wipers and the cowling on the 2008 Sienna - yet none have posted video (hmmm....) and several have said they tried that route and failed - as I expected. Maybe others are talking about other model years which always makes me shake my head LOL. Even when you do take off the cowling you will still be saying to yourself (wow this IS a tight space still). Take a breath, its really not that difficult to remove the cowling and wipers it gives you a TON more room to fuss and wrench which you probably will need. Just make sure you plug your wipers back in as your Sienna will not run right if the wipers are not plugged back in. Validated that myself and another post as well. Electrics are a pain yes? Others have suggested or implied that you don't need to change the plugs at all yet at high miles etc. This work I've done is pure preventative maintenance and yes you may make it to well over 200K especially if you are a long distance driver and your van is a few years newer. So if your van is still running great and you don't want to do the job right now then wait until you have a miss etc. A miss will not kill your van, it just always seems to happen on a long vacation trip or some other inopportune time. My personal paranoia is trying to remove a plug that has been in the block for too long and finding it has become a permanent fused part of the motor. Probably unfounded paranoia on my part but again this is preventative maintenance type work, and recommended by Toyota etc. to replace plugs so I do it.
Nope... I have a 2007 and I watched a video on a 2006 and it did not have the rear manifold bolt. I found it and then came back in searching for a video to remove it. That is how I stumbled on your video. I came back out this morning and yes I can reach and feel it but I can't move my arm so I had to stop go back and remove the wipers and cowl was able to reach in there easily and get my 1/4 ratchet with extended socket and got it off in 5 minutes. (mine was very easy to break then just used my fingers)
The 3.0 Liter without VVTi and the metal intake can do the job without taking the intake off. The plastic intake is larger. All 3.3.liter will have the plastic intake.
Around 16:35 Del Siegmund talks about a relatively short bolt with a 12mm head. There are 2 on the backside of the air surge tank(manifold). The one he's talking about is on the passenger side. As mentioned, this bolt will be a show stopper for some people and in my opinion, this is the hardest part of the whole project. Putting it back in I used a wrench - turning just a hair at a time. Took quite awhile. The 12mm on the drivers side is not as difficult compared to it's brother on the passenger side.I would also say to ignore people who tell you they have changed plugs on a 2GR-FE engine w/o removing the air surge tank(manifold). How anyone has done that is a mystery to me and in trying to go that route, you are going to greatly increase your chances of breaking one or all 3 of the electrical connectors on the backside. Removing the large plastic/metal shrouds back by the windshield is also imperative. It's not hard. Don't be intimidated by the wiper motor.Also - the electrical connections on the coil connectors are easy to break. spray with silicone first to clean. If you break one, you can use self-fusing tape to secure the connector upon reassembly. This videos is a great tool. If you want a text write-up with photos - go to toyotanation.com - Highlander 2nd Gen section. Search for a post by member sweeneyp. It's titled "DIY 2GR-FE V6 Spark Plug Replacement".If you think changing plugs on this motor is hard - wait 'til you have to change out the water pump.
Great video. It helped me out alot! When putting everything back together the left stud for the intake broke while tightening. Does anyone know if the stud will come out and if I can get a replacement?
Good demonstration, thank you for that
Since that difficult bracket is going to need to come out anyway in order to get to the left most spark plug, It makes sense to take off that end instead. It is slightly easier to remove and just as important, easier to reinstall when you are putting things back together. The alignment of the bracket doesn't get altered if you do it this way.
I have a question, what is the thread and length of the 4 bolts at the front of the intake that bolts it to the manifold?. The bolts require a hex tool to remove them.
Holy $hit ...what an epic PITA to get to the back side of that engine. After seeing the difficulty .... It's going to cost a fortune to replace the coil pack on cylinder 1. The computer spit out code PO301. Our sienna is also a 2008 with over 280,000 miles on it. The cost may put strip the market value of the van by the time mechanic gets done. 🤣🤣 Regardless of my issue great video and thanks for the education.
Thank you for this video
I could not have done this with out this video. But it still sucked balls to do.