2001 Toyota Sienna XLE 175,000 miles, running pretty good just a few questions

Are rusty power doors common on these vans?

passenger side sticks sometimes, visible rust



engine: seems a bit sluggish, any common problems?



Interior:

Interior wise everything works, other than the led for the passenger side power door button which flickers on and off (not worth fixing, button still works)

the van has the jbl speakers, the tweeters are blown out, getting those replaced soon, (I work at best buy so i get a good deal on speakers plus install)



front seat passenger side armrest is peeling off of the door, what kind of glue should i use to reattach it?



its approaching 180k, what maintenance needs to be done? Ive gotten it serviced at a toyota dealership (the same one) since new, but now that im paying for the service id rather do the basic stuff myself.



Mods (lol) i know its a van, but hey, I love driving it, its like a living room on wheels



speakers: soon

footwell lighting: installed



running boards: how easy are those to find?

mudguards: were these an oem option? I've seen 1st gen siennas with them

ventshades: getting these next week, ordered from autozone



other stuff: lowering springs: I just want to lower it an inch or so...to improve the handling: Good idea y/N?

Reply 1 : 2001 Toyota Sienna XLE 175,000 miles, running pretty good just a few questions

What do you mean by running boards? The little step things that used to be popular on vans and trucks? They wouldn't be of much use on a Sienna.



Our 210,000 mile Sienna is in super maintenance and cross your fingers mode. It doesn't have any problems and we hope it will hold out for a lot longer. No payment is nice.



I know how you feel about the springs. On a recent trip I noticed that our van would really like some stiffer springs in the back. If I put them in the back it would probably make the front end bob. I guess if I changed the springs it would have to be all the way around.



How new are your shocks and struts. I replaced mine earlier this year when the van had about the same mileage as yours. It made a huge difference. I used KYB parts. The parts were around $500.

Reply 2 : 2001 Toyota Sienna XLE 175,000 miles, running pretty good just a few questions

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black Sunshine What do you mean by running boards? The little step things that used to be popular on vans and trucks? They wouldn't be of much use on a Sienna. Our 210,000 mile Sienna is in super maintenance and cross your fingers mode. It doesn't have any problems and we hope it will hold out for a lot longer. No payment is nice. I know how you feel about the springs. On a recent trip I noticed that our van would really like some stiffer springs in the back. If I put them in the back it would probably make the front end bob. I guess if I changed the springs it would have to be all the way around. How new are your shocks and struts. I replaced mine earlier this year when the van had about the same mileage as yours. It made a huge difference. I used KYB parts. The parts were around $500.

When you replaced your struts and shocks, did you use the gr2's? I plan on working on the suspension this spring/summer. What else should i have replaced while i'm at it? mounts, bushings, etc. my van's got around 155k and i've noticed how hard it rides ever since i picked the avalon.

Reply 3 : 2001 Toyota Sienna XLE 175,000 miles, running pretty good just a few questions

First the van will always be sluggish compared to the Avalon. I've never driven an Avalon but the van is heavier and has a higher center of gravity.



I replaced the struts and shocks. On the struts I also replaced the boots. I didn't do the mounts. Another user on here did it and used Moog parts with the KYBs. I think that I used GR2s because they are the most common for non-performance applications. Although they are sometimes used in entry-level performance applications. I bought my parts from CarQuest and it cost me around $500 maybe even $600. I remember they were pricey. I didn't want to order them because I wanted to do the job quickly.



I haven't done my sway bar bushings. If you replace them you will see more responsive cornering. I just haven't wanted to put down the change for them. If you want it to tighten up real good and last even longer go with polyurethane. The draw back is the possibility of extreme squeaking down the road.

Reply 4 : 2001 Toyota Sienna XLE 175,000 miles, running pretty good just a few questions

I was looking at the kyb gr2s on tirerack. would like to get them done by june. the van just seems to be taking bumps too hard.