Pontiac Vibe/Toyota Matrix (1st generation), Toyota Corolla,Toyota Celica GT spark plug change

Spark plug replacement for Pontiac Vibe, Toyota Matrix, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Celica

Changing the spark plugs on these models is pretty easy and can be done in an hour or so. If your plugs are old and out of spec, you'll have reduced power and mileage. You may even find it difficult to start a cold engine or experience a rough idle.

This is my documented process so I may repeat in the future. Do this at your own risk!

Schedule

Every 120,000 miles

Applicable Vehicles (1ZZ-FE engine)
2003 - 2008 Pontiac Vibe (base)
2003 - 2008 Toyota Matrix (standard and XR)
2003 - 2008 Toyota Corolla (CE,S, LE)
2000-2005 Toyotal Celica (GT only)

Materials
4 spark plugs (Denso 3324 iridium spark plugs. Double check your owner's manual.)

This vehicle comes with Denso iridium spark plugs from the factory. After removing them after 120k miles, I highly suggest using with the original equiment plugs. As of 2020 these cost about $9 each.

Tools
10 mm socket
5/8 spark plug socket
Extension bar for ratchet
Socket wrench
Flat-head screwdriver
Air compressor air gun (optional)
Torque Wrench (optional, not shown)

Tools for the job

Time
This procedure takes about an hour to ninty minutes to complete.

Procedure

1. Remove engine cover. There are two 10 mm acorn nuts in the center of the cover. The plastic clips at the rear of the cover can be wiggled out with a screwdriver.

Engine Cover
Remove 10 mm acorn nuts (yellow arrow)
Remove plastic clips (green arrow)

2. Inspect under the top of the engine. The center of my engine was full of acorns courtesy of mice. Use compressed air to clean out before proceeding.

Engine with cover removed

3. The next step is to disconnect the wire clips from the ignition coil pack on each spark plug. See pics below to see what we're accomplishing. Push the tab to remove.

Plastic wire clip connecting to ignition coil pack - connected

Plastic wire clip connecting to ignition coil pack - disconnected

3a. Disconnect the wire clip on the furthest left coil pack.

3b. Disconnect the wire clip on the furthest right coil pack.

Further right coil pack disconnected

3c. There is little room to disconnect the middle coil packs. In order to access, we must remove the plastic wiring harness bar behind the plugs. We must remove the 10 mm bolts and it moves out of the way easily.

Remove 10 mm bolt on right side holding wire harness

Note: The nut stuck to the bolt and I unscrewed the entire bolt! This could happen. Nothing is broken. Just screw it back in when done.

Ooops!The entire bolt came out of engine. That's okay. Just screw it back in later.

3d. Remove the left 10 mm nut as shown with the yellow arrow. You already removed the one with the green arrow. Prop the wiring harness out of the way so you can remove the middle two coil pack clips.

Wire harness out of the way and coil pack clips removed.

Note: Pic shows 10 mm bolts for coil pack clips removed. That is the next step.

4. Remove the coil pack 10 mm bolts holding the coil packs in place.

Remove all four 10 mm bolts. Two are highlighted here.

5. Remove the coil packs. Each  should just lift out. Be careful to not drop anything down the spark plug holes!

One ignition coil pack removed

All ignition coil packs removed.

6. Remove and replace each spark plug one at a time. Use your spark plug socket, extension bar, and socket wrench. Make sure you have it set to remove. Lefty loosey!

Removing a plug. MAKE SURE YOU LOOSEN AND NOT TIGHTEN!

7. Pull out the old plug. It should stay in the rubber boot within the spark plug socket.

Spark plug coming out of the engine

8. Place new plug on the spark plug sock. You do not need anti-seize compound if you use Denso or NGK spark plugs. These brands have a coating on their threads. Plus, they are pre-gapped so no adjustment required. Other brands may require smearing anti-seize compound on the threads.

Look at that beautiful new plug!

9. Remove the socket wrench. Screw the spark plug into place using just your hands and the extension bar. You are doing this so you do not cross-thread it.

Screw the spark plug into place by hand. Notice that there is no socket wrench!

10. Using the socket wrench, tighten so the spark plug washer seats. This is an aluminum engine head, so do not over-tighten. I use my pinky to get it as tight as I can. Then I go an additional quarter turn. If this is your first time, you may opt for a torque wrench. You'll need to research the proper torque spec. I could not find a reliable value on the Internet. Note: Using anti-seize compound could make your spark plug easier to over-tighten with a torque wrench.

11. Push the ignition coil pack onto the plug in the hole. Reinstall the 10 mm bolt to hold the coil pack in place.

12. Repeat steps 6 - 11 for each spark plug.

13. Snap the wiring harness back in place and reinstall hold-down nuts.

Wire harness in place and ready to be bolted down

14. Reinstall the four coil pack wires which we removed in step 3.

Everything is ready to go!

15. Fire up the engine to make sure it works.

16. If engine sounds good, reinstall the engine cover.

Parents' Quick Nintendo 2019 Christmas Guide

Twice in the last few days I have seen frantic parents trying to determine which mobile game system to get for their kid this Christmas. This article will be short and sweet.

These are the Nintendo systems readily available new:

• Nintendo 2DS
• New Nintendo 2DS XL
• Nintendo 3DS and 3DS XL (discontinued so not discussed)
• Nintendo Switch Lite

Overview of the 2DS line:

• Thousands of games dating back to 2004 due to ability to run old DS games (DS was the predecessor to the 2DS and 3DS)
• 2DS is very durable - it's a slab!
• New 2DS XL is clam shell design which protects the screen
• Low price
• Nearing end of production life
• Not many, if any, future new games expected
• The base 2DS cannot play "New Nintendo" labeled games. There are few games with this label. Unfortunately, Minecraft is one of these games.

Note for parents regarding the 3DS: The first thing most people do it turn off the 3-D mode! The 3DS was out prior to to the 2DS. The 2DS is a 3DS with the 3-D mode removed. I wouldn't hesitate buying a 3DS if you can find one.

Now the Switch Lite:

• Game library goes back to 2017
• Only plays Switch games - but none of the Labo construction kits
• Games are still being developed (already thousands available)
• System is much more powerful than the 2DS and 3DS
• Hottest system on the market in 2019
• Nintendo Online is required to play friends on the internet. An annual membership is $20 which is much cheaper than the equivalent Xbox or Playstation service. This service also includes a nice library of old '80s NES and early '90s Super Nintendo games such as Super Mario Bros, Donkey Kong Country, and numerous Zelda titles.
• Suggestion: Buy a case to protect the system
• Suggestion: Buy an SD card to increase storage space

My recommendation:

• Young children who need durability: 2DS (cheap and durable)
• Older children: Switch Lite

What about used:

I have purchased many used mobile Nintendo games systems from individuals and Gamestop.  I have never had an issue. This may be a great way to get a 2DS or 3DS if you are concerned about your kid breaking it. I wouldn't purchase a used Switch Lite this year; the price is almost the same as new!

2008 - 2010 Chrysler Town & Country / Dodge Grand Caravan 4.0L engine air filter change

The engine air filter is easily replaced on these minivan models. Although, if you proceed with a straight-forward process of unlatching the air filter housing on the front and attempting to use brute force to remove the filter, you may break parts.

The following process has more steps than this job requires on other vehicles, but it is really quite easy.

WARNING: Do not do this procedure with a hot engine.

WARNING: Do not do this procedure when it is cold outside (below 40). All the parts are plastic and may break. Unless it is absolutely necessary, wait until a warmer day.

Materials
New air filter if replacing

Tools
None

Time
10 - 15 minutes

Procedure

4.0L engine  with cover

• Remove the engine cover. This is not hard. There are four points connecting the cover to the engine. Lift up of the front half of the cover with hands on both sides. Repeat for the back half.

4.0L engine without cover

• Remove the hose from the right air cleaner housing. It is difficult to pull it straight out. Do not use tools. Place your right hand on the hose and pivot forward and backward - similar to the motion of revving a motorcycle. It should turn a bit as you work it off the case.

Remove this hose by twisting forward and backward

• On the air cleaner housing push in the two plastic retaining clips. The front should pop up.

Push clip away to release the front of are cleaner housing. Picture shows when step is complete.

• Three plastic tabs on the cover hold the back part in position. Slide the cover toward you. The filter should be exposed.



Air filter needing replaced!

• Pull out the air filter element and inspect.

• Replace with the new air filter element if necessary.
• Slide air cleaner cover tabs back into the rear of the bottom of the cover. The three tabs should be in their seats.
• The front should now line up so you may push the top down. You should hear both plastic tabs snap into place.
• Reattach the hose on top of the air cleaner housing. It should just push on.
• Replace the engine cover. Align the plastic studs with the holes on the cover. Push down firmly above each one to make sure it secured.

  

  Underside of engine cover. Make sure to align these locations with studs on engine.

Note: Do not skip using the engine cover. It does help insulate the hood slightly to keep the paint from discoloring.

Pontiac Vibe/Toyota Matrix (1st generation), Toyota Corolla complete coolant flush

We purchased a used Vibe several years ago. Without knowing the vehicle's history we decided to do all the major maintenance items that may have not been completed in this nine year old vehicle.

Coolant is a touchy subject on the Pontiac Vibe forums. The engine is a Toyota engine and comes with Toyota red coolant from the factory. Unfortunately the Vibe's owners manual say to use orange DexCool - standard GM fare. The two are not compatible. Query DexCool in your favorite search engine and you're bound to find it nickamed "DeathCool!"

I had a shop flush the system and they used a Shell universal coolant. I believe it was yellow.

Five years have passed and it's time for a flush again. When I pulled some coolant from the radiator there were black floaters in there!  This doesn't need flushed - it needs SUPER FLUSHED!

Note: This is what I did with my vehicle for documentation purposes. I'm not responsible for your vehicle or your safety.

Applicable Vehicles (1ZZ-FE engine)
2003 - 2008 Pontiac Vibe (base)
2003 - 2008 Toyota Matrix (standard and XR)
2003 - 2008 Toyota Corolla (CE,S, LE)

Materials
Cooling system cleaner
4 gallons distilled water
2 gallons concentrated coolant (not 50/50 fix)
Optional:Hydrometer to measure coolant effectiveness
Time: This process took me an afternoon to complete

Materials for the job

Coolant choice: I'd recommend using the Toyota recommended concentrated coolant. I didn't because I wasn't sure that I would get the system 100% clean. I used a brand claiming to be compatible with all coolant types.

Tools
Funnel for adding coolant that will fit radiator neck
Drain pan to catch drained coolant (minimum 6 quart capacity)

The capacity of the cooling system is 6.9 quarts. Draining the radiator will eliminate half. The idea is to remove all the coolant and replace with distilled water. This will take several cycles through the process. Once we do our final drain we will add concentrated coolant. This will net a 50/50 ratio.

NOTE: Only do these steps on a cold engine! You do not want to get burned by the coolant or vehicle parts.
ANOTHER NOTE: Coolant is deadly! Do not store it where kids can get access to it. Clean up any spills. It will kill any animal that drinks it.
YET ANOTHER NOTE:Coolant spilled on paint will discolor or remove it. Keep some water and a towel nearby just in case.

Drain Procedure

• Place your drain pan under the radiator drain hole. Below is an action shot showing coolant dripping from the radiator. If you are in front of the car facing the engine it will be located on the extreme right side of the radiator.

Drain location under vehicle

• Find and turn the drain cock valve. From above the radiator you can reach the valve with your hand. It is on the back right side. It should be finger tight and not require any tools. You don't need to remove it totally. Coolant should start draining from bottom of the radiator. Note: Should it break and you can't loosen it, you can remove the lower radiator hose.

Location of the drain cock from above

Drain cock removed

• Let it drain. It may take a good ten minutes. Many recommend removing the radiator cap to speed the process. I prefer to leave it on so suction will drain the coolant overflow tank.

• After ten minutes, open the radiator cap.

Left up arrow: radiator cap
Down arrow: overflow hose connection point
Right up arrow: Overflow tank fill location

• Once the coolant slows to a drip, tighten the drain cock with your fingers. No tools!

• If there is coolant in the overflow tank you'll need to drain it. Pull the hose off the side of the radiator filler neck by pulling to the right. It can be tough to remove the first time. Don't use tools. There's plastic in there!

Remove hose by pulling right

• Move the drain pan under the left side of the radiator. Get the overflow hose lower than the bottom of the tank so it drains. Reattach when complete.

• If you see crud on your radiator cap, clean it off with water. If there is any in the filler neck area, clean it off best with a paper or shop towel. The picture below was after the third flush. My system was filthy!

This just ain't right!

Congratulations! You successfully drained half the coolant system.

Refill Procedure

• Double check that the drain cock is screwed in tightly and the overflow tank hose is connected.

• If this is the first time through the refill procedure, pour the radiator cleaned in now and then add the distilled water.

• If this is your final refill, use concentrated coolant instead of water. Note: Be careful of any spilled coolant. Clean it up ASAP.

• Using your funnel, fill the radiator with distilled water (or coolant). Squeeze the upper radiator hose on the right to help expel trapped air. You should be able to get about 3 quarts in the system.

Use funnel to assist pouring in water

Squeeze this hose to burp system periodically

Note: I skipped filling the overflow tank. As coolant warms it expands so there is no need for the radiator to pull from this tank yet.

• Start the car with  the radiator cap off. Put your heater on the hottest setting and turn the fan on low speed. We want to flush the heater core, too. Water may spill out. Keep an eye on it and add water to it as needed. You will see air bubbles expelled.

• Let is run for at least ten minutes. Afterward turn off the car and reinstall the radiator cap. I like to drive the car for another ten minutes. This will help mix everything in the cooling system.
• You now need to let the car cool down. You will need to wait anywhere between one to three hours. The idea is to not burn yourself.

Since this is a SUPER FLUSH. Repeat the Drain Procedure and the Refill Procedure. I did this four times in order to get clean water out of the system.

At the end of all the flushes I used just shy of one gallon of coolant and three gallons of distilled water.

Overflow Tank Fill
The overflow tank needs a 50/50 mix added to it. The simplest way to do this is take one of your water jugs and get it half full of distilled water. Add coolant to fill the jug. Put the cap on it and shake. Be careful that the lid doesn't pop off. Pour this mix into one of the empty coolant bottles. Do yourself a favor and label this bottle as 50/50 mix and include today's date.

Pour this mix into your overflow tank so that it is above LOW and below MAX.

Checking Coolant
Let the vehicle sit until it is cold - three hours. Check the level at the radiator cap. Add your coolant mix as needed. Also check your overflow tank to make sure it's above LOW.

Check it a week later, too.

You'll also want to check how well the coolant protects. You'll need a hydrometer to measure. These are available at auto parts or even Walmart for a few bucks.

Hydrometer

Just remove the radiator cap, squeeze the bulb on the hydrometer, place it in the coolant, suck it up until full. If it's difficult to get enough coolant in the tool, squeeze the upper right radiator hose while the hydrometer sucks in the coolant. Don't squeeze out so much that it spills.

You typically want the pointer to raise until it hits -34 degrees F - depending upon where you live.

I hope this guide helps.

The Case for Physical Media

Samsung has announced that they will stop selling Blu-ray Disc players in the US. Samsung to Stop Selling BD Players in US

While this news probably means little to most, I'm sad to see this happening. Is this the first step in the demise of owning your own copy of your favorite movie? Perhaps.

While I enjoy streaming services such as Netflix or Amazon Prime and love that I can access more content than I would every watch, I still prefer to own a physical copy of the movie.

Physical media has a permanence you do not get with these services. Without fail near the end of each month there are many articles posted about what's leaving Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Hulu. Some shows create such an uproar that the service even has to reconsider letting it's license expire. This is such the case with Friends on Netflix. Friends Uproar on Netflix

There are many advantages to physical media.

• No compression in sound or picture - streaming needs compressed in order to deliver content
• No license agreement with the streaming services - you own it for the life of the physical medium
• You can lend to friends
• You are not dependent upon an Internet Service Provider
• Privacy - your viewing habits are not monetized for the streaming services's gain

The same argument applies to video games. I collect the physical copies of games I have purchased going back to my beloved Atari. The importance of physical media was driven home by two events late last year:

Activision shuts down Guitar Hero Live servers, spawning lawsuit

Nintendo Wii Shop shuts down

And don't forget music albums! We used to buy the entire album to get that one single. Online definitely has lower price, but at what cost? What about songs that aren't singles? Today they'd be simply lost rarities. Back in the day the entire album contained a complete cohesive package - including incredible artwork. Some had hidden gems that could have been singles. For example Boston's first album gets radio play today. Guns 'N Roses' Appetite for Destruction album is another example. Those albums had a few singles, but over the years most of the songs on those albums have become classic rock staples.

Nothing lasts forever, but with physical media and working hardware you can be the master of your content.

Improving the NES Classic or SNES Classic

I had a difficult time deciding whether to get the NES Classic (Nintendo Entertainment System Classic) or the SNES Classic (Super NES Classic.)  I ended up with both and I'm glad I did.

There is one major short-coming with these mini-consoles.  The controller cords are just too short!

Today (February 2019) I picked up two twin packs of SNES Classic extension cords from Best Buy. These are Insignia brand and work perfectly. They are being clearanced out at $4.99 each! Each extension cord is six foot long.

I bought two sets. I then daisy-chained the two together. Bingo! I can now sit an additional twelve feet away from the console.  Hello couch!

FAQ:
Can I use SNES Classic extension cords for the NES Classic?  Yes.

Can I use an SNES Classic controller on the NES Classic? Yes.

Do they work on an original '80s NES or '90s SNES? No.

If you haven't picked up one of these mini-consoles, hurry!  They are no longer manufactured. Nintendo must have been tired of printing money. I have found that the SNES Classic is much harder to find than the NES Classic. Beware online, though. I've seen some weird overseas versions of it that may not be legit - even on Amazon!

Both consoles allow you to save games in progress - up to four per games. The SNES Classic even has a rewind feature. This makes games like Earthbound so much more enjoyable. When you die, rewind and continue.

Game on!

Cleaning a cast iron skillet

What is the serving size of bacon? It could be 12 ounces. Or it could be 16 ounces! It's whatever the size of the package is!

Last year I got a Lodge 12 inch cast iron skillet as a gift. I'm pretty much convinced that no swine is safe now that I have this tool in my possession.

Beware if this is your first cast iron skillet.....

The handle will be hot.  With great power comes great responsibility. After decades of using pots and pans with insulated handles, its very easy to grab it without thinking.  Bad idea! When you have such cookware, prepare to have a towel or oven mitt handy.  Just don't put it too close to the burner!

Rust is cast iron's mortal enemy. The only way to fight rust is to keep it clean and coated. And like a Mogwai, keep it away from water! (Well, except when cleaning it.)

Here is my cleaning procedure. It should be done immediately after removing the food before the skillet cools down.

1. Clear the sink - preferably the side without a garbage disposal
2. Turn on the hot water until it is piping hot
3. Pick up that towel for the handle
4. Put the skillet in the water at an angle which will create steam and send some of the gunk down the drain
5. Use a wooden spatula to knock the crunchy bits out of the skillet and pour the remaining grease down the drain 
6. Remove from the water and place on a safe, non-meltable surface
7. Dab it dry (or beware of gremlins)
8. Let the water run for a minute to make sure your plumbing stays clean
9. Put a dab of shortening in the skillet and spread it around while it melts - cover the whole surface area including the inner sides

The shortening will protect the skillet from rust. Notice I didn't use soap to clean it out. The steam should be sufficient.

In the unlikely event of leftover, uncooked bacon, return to the fridge for another day.

And remember: NEVER FEED AFTER MIDNIGHT!