Infamous 3.3! Can’t kill it! Toyota Highlander AWD

[@meastwood274]

My wife’s 2008 highlander hybrid turned 400,000 last week. That was the last year of that motor. They knew it was too good. We Love that vehicle.

[@natlovell122]

That’s the 3.5 not the 3.3 though correct?

[@meastwood274]

@@natlovell122 my wife’s 2008 is the 3.3. That was the last year of 3.3.

[@natlovell122]

@@meastwood274 oh gotcha, looks like you guys got some great life out of the vehicle. How often did you change the timing belt?

[@meastwood274]

@@natlovell122 401250 today. Last change was at 375. It is due soon. Just did spark plugs and valve gaskets. I do those every 75k.

[@natlovell122]

@@meastwood274 thanks for responding. I’m looking into getting either an RX or ES 350 or 330 and can’t decide if I would rather pay a little more for the 3.5 or a little less for the 3.3 and have to deal with the timing belt. I love the looks of the ‘01-‘06 es 330 so would love to find a semi low mileage one and then pay cash. Only thing is here in Ca they’re still $8-12k even with over 100k miles

[@dadtype2339]

I know there will be folks who don't agree with me, and that's fine, but as a Master Mechanic of nearly 40 years, I always apply a tiny half a drop of anti-seize, never had an issue, and when it comes time to remove and replace for service, they come out like a dream. No fears on them snapping or a struggle on epic levels, easy. Do it and see, don't save your breath and enjoy the fear and struggles. And I know I'm not the only Master Mechanic to do that, I also know others that don't. To each their own. That's for reading. Ray, love ya brother you do you, still love your channel and I know you do honest work and honest work is the best work! 👍 ❤️

[@davidsmith9894]

I enjoy watching you do your thing. I am a retired transport category aircraft A&P lead mechanic. I can no longer work due to health, but I enjoy watching you turn wrenches, troubleshoot, diagnose, and fix issues. I became a quick fan a few month ago. You speak the mechanic language fluently.

[@pinwizz69]

Check out Watch Wes Work. I'm subed to both.

[@Mister6]

I own the Australian version of the same year car (called the Kluger here for some reason). It's unbreakable. Take care of the wear and tear components and maintain it regularly and it drives like a new vehicle after nearly 280,000 KMs

[@stephenyaller893]

Great job always love your show. I am 87 yrs old and did some mechanic work when i was younger things were much easer then. Lots of luck and keep the show on.

[@josephhacker6060]

Me being disabled. I learned a lot watching your videos. I love it.

[@scampeezo]

Did anyone notice at 0:09 when Ray hit the unlock button on the key he was carrying the parking lights on the FJ (parked two cars over) lit up? He was able to start the Highlander with the same key.

[@the_unapologetic_patriot]

Look again. There's a footage break and you can clearly see that the keys he uses to start the car are not the same. 1st is fob/key 1 piece, 2nd is separate key and fob.

[@gragra556]

I will have to remember that " EYE CROMETER " that was funny as heck. Anyway it is good to see that your dream of being your own boss has become a reality and your YT channel is growing.

[@realmccoy7503]

tip of the month try heating these plastic clips before trying to unplug them , its plastic so its flexible heated....just do it !!.

[@marquijamison6106]

Genius

[@dt3510]

I know it’s necessary to edit. But when you leave as much as you can . WE LEARN. Yes I have worked on cars. Super modified engines) But IF you can’t learn it’s sad . I need to know stuff. And you’re a great teacher.

[@golferpro1241]

They just changed mine on my 2004 Lexus 3.3 engine. $500. I figured after 21 years it deserved new plugs! 50,000 miles and counting. Runs like a dream.

[@danarozance1773]

Appreciate your shout out to the various tools that streamline your workflow in this repair.

[@johndesaavedra1040]

I'm so glad I bought the base model of this year, model, and color. At 191,000 miles I have changed spark plugs twice and it was a 20 minute job. Interesting to see a car that looks like mine in the shop.

[@waterundertheboard]

Yeah its a super fun feeling, when he did the video on that 2015 highlander with the 2GR-FE, identical to mine. super cool

[@johnweaire3389]

The engineers ? who design these ridiculous layouts should be made to do 6 months servicing them. But why should they, the customer ends up paying for all that faffing around ! Stay with it Ray ! Nil Illegitimus Carborundum.

[@gragra556]

@@johnweaire3389 I would say 6 years in prison would be a better sentence for the miserable cretins.

[@waterundertheboard]

@@johnweaire3389 Yeah its dumb, although on a transversal V6 doing it any other way can some with some engineering curves.... Its not nearly as bad as chrystler's 2.4l 4 cylinder, which dosent have the advantage of being actually reliable, and the intake blocks the entire fucking valve cover, changing valve cover gaskets is a nightmare on a car equipped with this engine (for example the PT Cruiser)

[@SteveB88]

That’s just one of the drawbacks to the V6 motor. Yes, you have more power with a V6 but it’s more work to service. That’s why I like my 4cyl Tacoma. That thing is so easy to work on and I love it.

[@errol6303]

Greetings from across the pond to you Rainman and Mrs wife unit. Have yourselves a great day.

[@dougkelley1266]

I like how you show the real struggles of turning wrenches. Just how hard it can be to get to some fasteners.

[@stevewhiting556]

This is exactly why I don’t want to ever buy a transverse V6 again. If it’s front wheel drive, I’m buying a 4 cyl. To heck with the extra power. Most new 4 cyl cars have plenty of power anyway. I can change all the plugs, wires and valve cover gaskets in my car in 20 minutes. The accessory drive is the only thing that has anything difficult to access and that’s just the nature of front wheel drive.

[@legojenn]

Can confirm. Northerners do like our all wheel drive. We're unlucky if we need the AWD more than two weeks a year. It depends on how good the local municipalities are at clearing snow.

[@kevinbarry71]

Full set of winter tires and all wheel drive is not necessary. And you can stop

[@OTEP1234567891011]

@@kevinbarry71 Lol imagine blanket-summarizing someone else's needs.

[@Jordy-927]

You are not wrong. When I was a kid, everyone drove RWD cars and trucks, and just put sand bags or whatever else weight over the rear wheels in the winter with a good set of studded tires. Now people NEED the $5000 optional AWD because 3 snowflakes could fall over the course of the winter. 😂

[@kevinbarry71]

@@OTEP1234567891011 imagine not knowing what you're talking about. These are not off-road vehicles. Snow tires are all you need. If the snow is too deep all wheel drive won't help you anyway

[@Dude1971Dad]

I will have to think about whether or not to spend the $ for AWD or 4WD next time i buy because in southern NJ we rarely get snow anymore and if we do its one 6" storm every few years....2WD seems to be enough 98% of the time

[@Nick-nm8om]

I worked at a repair shop back in high-school to make some money. The more I watch these videos the more I miss and appreciate the old 70's cars. The most complicated thing in a car back then was the carborator.

[@scissrface2182]

This is supposedly the easier ones

[@dennisanderson4854]

Those are original Toyota spark plugs. They have a white mark on the tip. Good luck at your new shop.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

I have no complaints about you secretly turning the car around, because NOBODY puts Ray-Ray in the corner!

[@RamBo-uu9so]

Our 06 Highlander AWD limited just hit 335k still rolling. I hooked the hot/ cold water to the outside hose, works great. We live next to lake superior. Closest car wash is 30 miles away, if it's working.

[@jilbertb]

The Holiday in Ashland?! 😂

[@RaffiT83]

I don't think I have said this since you opened your own shop, but I'm happy for you doing your own thing. Much success and may every bolt you turn come right out with ease (without snapping) 😂. Thanks for the education and entertainment 👍

[@rayshutsa6690]

Thank you Ray for explaining things in detail. It helps me understand what you're doing and why. Great job as always.

[@RongDuck]

Helps to heat gun tabs like that sometimes.

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

Good thorough Work @Rainman Ray's Repairs

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

The half moon puck you are calling it Ray is the Cam Caps @Rainman Ray's Repairs

[@michellericard4850]

I wouldn't go by the front ones because it doesn't mean that the hard to get ones were changed. I've seen car having the original plugs in 15yrs later. Never been changed. Sometimes they only change the easy ones

[@bigjay6743]

Took the words right out of my mouth I have also seen this many times. But I guess if the front ones are bad you know the backones are definitely bad.

[@smalltownMainer]

my niece got me a socket set that has a wobble adapter in it and also a gear wrench set this past Christmas, i have yet to use them but i am glad to have them. she works at the local napa so she gets the employee discount.

[@Sir_Uncle_Ned]

We aussies love our Toyotas. If you ever go on dirt roads, the most common car you will find on them is a Toyota. They are obscenely reliable.

[@steved9397]

I never go by the front plugs the last 3 I did the back plugs were originals the front 3 were like new

[@KeyboardEra]

i usually get those 2 bolts for the intake bracket from the bottom of the car with a really long extension saves a lot of time and fighting, also then you can leave the throttle bottle on the intake and not have to replace the gasket

[@iowasandy]

I use a spray adhesive on the valve cover and gasket to keep them in place.

[@jimflick7564]

I am always amazed at how you so nonchalantly seem to automatically know what bolt goes where, not forgetting any parts, when you reassemble the components after replacing the inner engine problem you are correcting. You must have a tremendous memory.

[@frankcrenshaw7343]

In Southern mn it can snow 5in but the plow clears the street and the end of the driveway has 10-20in got to have 4x4

[@gemeinschaftsgeful]

It's a great idea to put three new coils in the back. I think I'd do OEM coils so the chances would be better they would last a long time and I would save the old back three coils in case ones in the front go bad--- I'd have used but good coils to use and save lots of money in the future.

[@peted5217]

Always on toyota....

[@jcadult101]

I did that, used Denso (oem) and still had one fail on a Sienna. Back one too. 10x worse on the sienna, you can't get to the intake bolts from above.

[@xfhnhhgjbvcfg]

I'd only replace the front lol😊

[@bobhudson6659]

The work required to replace the back coils and plugs now while you are at it versus the cost of them makes it sensible to do so - it is NOT ripping the customer off (as others may claim). Also glad to see you used the mirror to check the seating of the back tappet cover gasket. They are so easy to get wrong when they move only slightly out of the groove. I have never been caught with one leaking after full reassembly - I caught it at the mirror inspection stage. You have not shown it yet but those back inlet manifold supporting nuts/bolts near the firewall are a pain to refit. They really can test your patience/perseverance. Retired mechanic in Land Down Under.

[@xfhnhhgjbvcfg]

@@bobhudson6659 waiting till they actually had a misfire wouldn't be ripping them off either.

[@michiganporter]

Yup here in frostbackistan it's necessary to have four wheel sometimes. Even chains are necessary depending how bad the road is.

[@rayray11939]

I highly recommend Denso coils on Toyotas. My local Napa auto parts carries them and so do some other places I have gotten very used to removing the wiper motor and tray on Toyotas. The first time I changed plugs on my Avalon, I couldn't believe all that had to come off but it's really not that bad and the plugs last 100,000 miles. Power tools really make this job easier. I've reused the intake gasket. All three of my coil connectors broke when I changed the plugs at 120,000. I barely touched them! I put a little silicone on them and never had problem. About a year ago at 220,000 one the rear coils went out. I replaced all three rear coils and did plugs too. I didn't bother putting silicone or a zip tie on the broken connectors. Those connectors fit pretty tight even without the clip. So far so good- fingers crossed

[@nickmalone3143]

Use zip tie trick ...see YT

[@williammcmillan6202]

I like adding a small amount of silicon grease on the rubber to aluminum connections/

[@45AMT]

I've done valve covers on these and the 1MZ-FE 3.0L in the Camrys and Avalons ETC. Valve covers are frequent fliers. Those tube seals can be a pain to remove. Rock hard and don't want to come out.It's also fun fighting that rear wiring harness and trying to get the valve cover in place without moving it.

[@shadetreemech290]

Ditto from my 3.0L Lexus.

[@gwgrote5]

@Radio Rescue: Is it worth replacing the valve covers/gaskets on a Lexus? I just searched the cost and it is approx. $4K (USD). I have a Lexus IS 250 w/ 108K miles. I'm fixing all the things that go wrong (maintenance) on a Lexus with 100K miles. I'm guessing if I was faced with the repair Ray is doing, I should trade the car.

[@jayabbott7564]

Thank you Rain man and wife unit for helping me get through a boring day at the office!

[@tony-ps4qw]

Nice job- having come from the great white north i used to periodically spray a rust sealer spray underneath it will slow down the "crustiness" that Eric O is used to!

[@josephpeluchette191]

I bought my wife a highlander very impressed. With this car and the video

[@ponycar351w]

Ray, you're exactly right. Up in the "Frozen North" 4 wheel or all wheel drive is almost a necessity.

[@stevewhiting556]

I owned exactly 1 rear wheel drive car when I lived up north. It was mothballed for 5-6 months of the year. Ever try to drive a Mustang Cobra with summer tires through 8 inches of snow? Damn lake effect snow got me over at a buddy’s house one fine November day. It was sunny when I left and sunny the whole time I was there. I got halfway home and hit a blizzard out of nowhere. Luckily the snow band was only a couple miles wide and I was out of it rather quickly, but it was parked until April after that. I put it away from Halloween to Easter. Everything else was front or 4/all wheel drive before and after that. And ALWAYS run whatever you have through a car wash with an undercarriage wash every week.

[@golferpro1241]

It definitely helps even in NY. I only buy AWD or 4WD.

[@awesomenolan234]

I've actually done this job with a hybrid and you don't have to remove the cowl. The rear bracket bolts are still a pain but you can still access them the same way.

[@brenttaylor1548]

Good day to you Ray time for my morning coffee watching Ray make magic

[@calvinevans8305]

13:51 Master Yoda. " Do or do not, there is no try." Lol

[@lorenhunt1461]

No apologies for not seeing behind the manifold. A very realistic picture of what it takes working in the blind. Great job as always sticking with it

[@quicksilver8180]

Sad to not see your little intro the last couple videos. Always a good laugh

[@mattbrown5511]

Ray, you do what you know what works. It is the internet. There are always going to be trolls and lowlifes that just want to bring others down. You are a great man and a good mechanic. Many more of us support you than want to tear you down. Be well.

[@Rhaspun]

Yes. Many people think their two cents is the right and only way of doing things.

[@PandaMan02]

gotta be careful inspecting brake pads from the north, had one recently where the outsides were both 8mm, one of the inside pads was less than 1mm before metal on metal.

[@juliusminklei7846]

Lol clean cut at the start of the video when you accidentally grabbed the FJ cruiser keys and got in the unlocked highlander

[@uptownsamcv]

my parents gave me their 2005 3MZ Sienna that was running rough, after ruling out plugs and a coil in #6 it ended up needing an injector on #6. it has 505,000 miles and still runs great. they let all the little issues pile up until it sat for a few years and they didn't want ti anymore. I also had to do engine mounts, control arms, cv axles, wheel bearings, struts , shocks, outer tie rods, brakes all around, and both O2 sensors on the rear bank.

[@emurry8448]

40:10 insert Mandalorian reference "this is the way" 😂

[@donwilson6965]

Enjoyed that .. Nice to see a job well done .. and it was the fastest 45 min I have spent in a long time. Thank you.

[@colchronic]

It's not just the ignition coil connectors that break it's also the fuel injector connectors and some other odds and ends and it's not just with Toyota but also with Honda I've realized as well and it's because of heat cycles and the type of plastic that they use they use phenolic plastic just like plastic radiators over a long period of time with many many heat cycles they just become brittle no matter what you try to do you cannot keep them from breaking eventually the connectors will get so bad that the connector themselves will start to break

[@Thestargazer56]

My wife had a "simiular" Highlander (2WD) got rid of it at "tree-hundred and fiddy" thousand + miles. It needed about $6,000 worth of front end rebuilding and the interior was dry rotting. Never need any repairs at all up to that point.

[@SR-ml4dn]

Hi Ray, thanks for all the interesting videos. I was thinking if it could help to spay some plastic/vinyl refresener on the plastic connector and also apply some heat from a heatblower to soften up the plastic before open the clip.

[@dragonflytoo]

Thank you Ray. You are the sanity in an insane world.

[@michaellawrence6677]

He doesn’t bleed while working on these cars. That’s not normal…

[@abyssalsoul6216]

To secure the harness to the coil I dab a bit of silicone (rtv) over the connectors and let it dry thorougly. The problem I find with zip ties is that they get brittle and break from the heat. Even without any securing measures the connector is really tight when they are seated properly. I conducted an experiment and deliberately left one unsecured and never had an issue. Replacement harnesses are available if you wanna go that route.

[@lessparks7802]

It's Spring Training Ray! I think she wanted you to bunt the runner into scoring position...

[@jimtownsend7899]

As I have this issue now with my grandson's 04 Solara, this is why I have a mechanic. So he can do the things I really don't want to/don't have time to do. Could I do it? Sure. Does it cost me more to have Bob do it for me? Yeah, but the guy's got to make a living.

[@didiersavard6809]

Here AWD or 4WD + real winter tires is the best. Winter tires are mandatory. No hill in city , 2wd is ok, but if you need to travel, AWD is better, even on highway. But then i live closer to the north pole then Florida, New-York, Toronto, Montreal and Quebec city.

[@eeassa]

Thats why the dealer charges $600 to change the spark plugs on this thing.

[@DYLANTRIES]

I agree 100% on the plugs, just visually see if they are way out in any way of not then they are close eough

[@Saladon89]

Same car as my pops, only got 90k miles on it. same color too. has a noisy original alternator but still works well

[@kymw7833]

My god Ray it's not surprising the labour cost in what was once a simple spark plug change the engineers DEFINATELY aren't friends of mechanics ,but it does make good viewing for all of us thanks mate Kym Adelaide

[@frankbaber5849]

Inspection mirror and flash light work wonders for peace of mine on the back side of valve cover.

[@speedygonzales9090]

DID ANYONE NOTICE... that when Ray activated the remote key to unlock the car he was going to work on, the other Toyota on the right hand side of the screen unlocked as well ??? that's funny...

[@bullbutter9699]

Zip tie wiring harness out of the way, and a couple strategic drops of super glue to hold gasket.Been there a time or two.

[@denniscummiskey5547]

Recently changed rear plugs on 2013 Highlander and had same problem with connectors breaking. I found they can easily be replaced with new connectors by popping out each individual wire from old and placing them one by one in new connector, works like a charm but does take a lot of patience.

[@peterparsons7141]

A whole nother language with words for everything! Krazy !

[@RamBo-uu9so]

Went to Marquette,MI . Its a college town. Most autos you see are AwD Toyotas, Subaru and Hondas.

[@donw3912]

Step by step detail is a good thing...as we know it's all in the details:-) A great part 1 Ray🙂

[@DIY-AutoMech]

Thank you for posting this video. My plan is to replace spark plugs and valve cover gaskets on my '06 Highlander Ltd in 2 months or so. Yah, getting access to the rear plugs is a PITA with those intake brackets bolts. Took me 2 days to work on my '05 Sienna last year - had to remove the cowl. 😮‍💨

[@jcadult101]

40:10 replace the rear coils but save them to replace if one of the front one's fail. Simple to get the front ones.

[@tomcrotty1498]

Zip ties are probably the best method. Nobody likes goop when disassembly. Good job Ray. Nothing wrong with higher end coils but I prefer Denso.

[@keithvaughan6042]

Another excellent video Ray. I enjoy the way you take us along for the ride. Like Saturday evenings working on a car with a good friend. Thanks Ray.

[@rainhanger]

Thanks Ray. I have the hybrid version of this Highlander, you dont need to remove the wipers cowl to reach the intake. Lexus RX350 they try to hide everything under plastic covers, to make it look better for the eye. molte grazie in Italian.

[@jonric777]

This was a work of art. Talent.

[@rodneychapman1506]

All right now I can finish watching this video in the morning while I have my breakfast and coffee !!!

[@qwertyuiop3838]

Welcome to dork city! Haha.This guy is GREAT! GREAT! GREAT! A real show where I actually learn a bit! Whooda thunkit?!! Seriously, Ray is a bit a sunshine on a cloudy day.

[@livingdeadbtu]

15:40 "I know you guys can't see what I am doing here" That's OK, I can't see what I am doing either!!!!

[@chadfield376]

Good video as always, I have a 2005 Highlander 2 FWD with 180k, fixing to do the same maintenance plus timing belt; the other “while you are there” maintenance items in addition to what you just did would be PCV valve, clean MAF & IAC valve and that engine will be ready for another 100k mi😊

[@jnhudspeath]

Nope those dots mean its the original plugs Amd made me aware of that I love both of y’all’s channels

[@zeuswinston5004]

Ray Lexus and Toyota original plugs have a letter stamped on the top of the plug. I believe I saw it when you removed 1st plug. Oem Replacements won’t have it

[@razamataz7254]

Awesome video I think I would have also changed the washer seals under valve cover bolts as well

[@truthislam6481]

@29:23 The Wife Unit is cleaning her shades with the classic belly rub!

[@rustednutzrepair398]

had to pause the vid...and im sure you know this, but for the air intake a lil spritz of PB or WD or whatever right where ya first put the pick under while your trying to get it to come off helps a ton. FYI i DO NOT miss workin on east coast rigs!!!

[@jamesvanzijl4348]

Good work Ray !

[@mikehudick7074]

Articulated / telescoping mirrors are handy for checking the condition/position of valve cover gaskets that are hard to check otherwise!

[@thomasauto4862]

The front coils fail first because of the radiator fan blowing hot air onto the front of the engine in city driving and highway hot air while on the highway. When I pulled my intake off (2005 highlander) I replaced all of the coils with TRQ brand, between the plugs and coil, it made a big difference in performance.

[@TurboTimsWorld]

Ray you must have been part of my conversation at work this week, The apprentice was told by the boss to fit a set of plugs and set the gap??? I actually quoted you before you before you posted it ! "they are preset use your eyecrometer" LOL I did spend a few mins just showing him and also checking the gaps with an undersize feeler to prove it and also promising him I would show him on an old school set of plugs, LOL. points and conducers and strobe up the dizzy next week please ! xx

[@PatClifford]

thanks for making hard jobs easier, i loveyour videos, Pat Tasmania Australia

[@russelbaird5499]

I like 2-3 part videos . I learn more .from you . Thanks .

[@robertpirisky8678]

Ray, did you notice the FJ's lights blinked when you pushed the key fob😂

[@atomicforcegaming2867]

0:06 LMAO Ray got the wrong key and tried to hide the fail ! The FJ was blinking when he hit the key hahaha! We see you trying to be sneaky Ray.

[@RuthlessMindset68]

Hi Ray. Just a thought on the coil clips breaking. What about hitting them briefly with a heat gun. Should return some flexibility, not perfect but might help!

[@MickayG]

Too late... the plasticizer is completely gone out of the plastic.

[@iallreadyknowsunshine57]

Wd-40 on them and soak for 10 minutes,it helps to reduce the brittleness of the plastic clips.

[@vancity2349]

Ray the title is perfect…did you ever see the Top Gear episode when tried to kill one of these… its hilarious

[@mickylevy1780]

Hi Ray great video as always just a thought when putting a rocker cover gasket on have you ever tried using zip ties they hold gasket in place and makes it much easier to put a bolt in then just cut the ties off. But you being such a good mechanic i guess you already knew of this idea..... watching from across the pond in good old blighty.

[@warrenhall829]

gday ray. a few years ago i was working on a toyota camery with the same engine. a small alloy tube under the intake manifold was leaking. to get at it i had to take the manifold off. problem was the hex stud in the centre stripped out so i could not remove it. all i could do was put a lot of sillicone sealer in the hole. it lasted 6 months before the man sold it to the wreckers..

[@ryanwelch4284]

I don't even take the electric off, I just pull the front boots off cause of the heat issue with the old plastic