PCV Valve and Side Mirror

Hello,



This is my first post on the forum.



We bought a 2003 Toyota Sienna recently. The vehicle has almost 160K miles on it.

As far as I can see from the maintenance records, the OCIs were very long (last two OCIs were 10K miles although they said they changed oil every 5K miles before that) with conventional oil and cheap filters. I do not think the previous owner has replaced the PCV valve at all.



I do not know if it has sludge or not. I hope it does not. I changed the oil and filter a few days after I bought the van. I used Mobil 1 5W-30 High Mileage oil and NAPA Gold 1348 filter.



I also got Haynes manual right after purchasing Sienna. I see that it does not cover much, it does not give specific step by step instructions in places I need them.



I want to replace the PCV valve, the manual does not have a photo of the area and the PCV valve itself and does not have step by step instructions. I ordered the Toyota PCV valve. I just need step by step instructions as to how to do it. On my Geo Prizm it is in plain sight and a job that takes a few seconds at most to replace the PCV valve.



I also broke the passenger side mirror backing out of the garage. I have an aftermarket replacement mirror but I have never done this before. Is it an easy job?

Reply 1 : PCV Valve and Side Mirror

I have a 2003 Sienna also.

Here is a link to a folder of pictures of projects that I have done with it.

http://rides.webshots.com/album/5765...navtype=search



One of the first things that I did was to replace the PCV valve.

It is metal, and screws into the rear valve cover.......the 2002 and earlier use the traditional press-in type, but have it in the same location.

The PCV valve location is hard to see.....I tried to show it in one of the first pictures.

Passenger side of the rear valve cover.

Also hard to get to.......easy to replace except that you need a wrench and you can only move the PCV valve a little bit with each turn due to space.



I use a slightly larger oil filter as I show in one of the pictures.

Napa Gold would be a 1516, as it is the same as WIX 51516 (NG is made by WIX).

All the dimensions are the same, except it is slightly longer (more media).



I have a subscription to AlldataDIY for my 2003 Sienna.

I also located a set of GENUINE TOYOTA repair manuals, specific to the 2003 Sienna (2 volumes) plus a GENUINE TOYOTA Electrical manual (1 volume).



I have not messed with the exterior mirrors.

Reply 2 : PCV Valve and Side Mirror

Thank you for the reply, Wiswind.



What kind of wrench should I use for the PCV?



Wix 51516 seems to be much longer than 51348, looking at its picture on rockauto.

How do you manage putting it on and taking it off when changing the oil and filter? Exhaust manifold is restricting access even to the smaller 51348 filter.



I intend to do a drain&refill on the transmission, this time by myself, not at the dealership. They did not know Toyota specified DEXIII as the only ATF for the vehicle. When I said DEXIII, the service advisor said DEXIII is a coolant.He said they use only Toyota ATF whatever that is.



I asked them to replace the PCV valve when I was there, the same person who wrote the order claimed that it is not a maintenance item. I was really disappointed in the knowledge of Toyota dealership service personnel.



Anyway, I got a Hex key set from Menards yesterday.A metric one which has a 10mm in it. Can I do it with this or should I use a hex socket?



As for ATF I am thinking of adding Redline D4 ATF. Would that cause any leaks because it is synthetic? If it does, my other option is Valvoline Maxlife.

Reply 3 : PCV Valve and Side Mirror

Synthetic ATF will not cause leaks.....

I ordered my Redline D4 online through OGRacing......free shipping on orders over $100.

I get my motor oil (Redline) from them as well.

The Mobil 1 oil has a good reputation as well.

The longer 51516 filter fits just fine.....the filter angles only slightly up, no issue with the exhaust manifold.

I have this size on my Sienna right now and do recommend it.

The right size hex key will work for those hex bolts......takes a bit of a twist to get it to move.

I have the hex size and the TOYOTA specified torque specifications in my pictures on webshots

Reply 4 : PCV Valve and Side Mirror

Thanks again Wiswind.

I ordered mine from amazon (same price with ogcracing's) with free shipping too.



I got NPN filters ($3.99) for the next oil change.It seems to be longer than Wix 1348.









How should I apply the specified torque on hex keys?

Reply 5 : PCV Valve and Side Mirror

You would need to use a torque wrench with the proper size bit.

Some people just hand tighten the drain plug.

If you were to remove the pan, using a torque wrench on the pan bolts would be a good idea as it is easy to overtighten them.

Reply 6 : PCV Valve and Side Mirror

These are the photos of my PCV valve:











When I shake it it rattles, not stuck apparently.

How should I interpret the condition of the engine based on the appearance of the PCV valve?