Sunday, February 2, 2014
Tutorial on Replacing the Thermostat of a Toyota Tacoma
The thermostat in your Toyota Tacoma is an essential part of the trucks engine cooling system. The thermostat expands when the coolant in your engine becomes too hot, opening a valve that allows much more coolant to circulate through the system. The increase in coolant flowing through the radiator brings down the overall fluid temperature, and as a result, your trucks engine continues to operate within the optimal engine temperature. When the thermostat is no longer working properly, the engine overheats and the thermostat needs to be replaced.
Instructions
- 1
Remove the lower radiator hose by unscrewing the clamps and pulling off the hose.
2Unscrew the two bolts on top of the thermostat.
3Remove the thermostat and the gasket from the water pump.
4Clean the thermostat housing, removing any dirt and leftover gasket pieces.
5Line up the valve on the new thermostat with the point on the inlet, and place the new thermostat and gasket into the thermostat housing.
6Screw the two bolts you removed earlier back into place.
7Reattach the lower radiator hose and clamp it into place.
8Top off the radiator with fresh coolant.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
How to Replace the Spark Plugs in a 2001 Toyota Tacoma
The spark plugs on the 2001 Toyota Tacoma motor are designed to supply the spark needed to the combustion chamber during the combustion process. The spark ignites the gas fumes and causes the combustion which in return causes the piston to move up and down. When the engine is running, the coil sends the electrical current to the spark plugs that causes the plugs to spark. Over time the spark plus will begin to corrode around the spark base causing the plugs to misfire. Once this happens, change the spark plugs out immediately for maximum engine performance.
Instructions
- 1
Open the hood and locate the row of spark plugs on the driver side and passenger side of the engine. The 2001 Toyota Tacoma comes with basic spark plug wires on the driver side of the engine and ignition coil plugs on the passenger side of the engine. Start replacing the spark plugs on the driver side of the engine.
2Pull the first spark plug wire off of the driver side spark plug closest to the front of the vehicle. Insert the deep-well socket and the six-inch extension onto the spark plug. Lock the ratchet onto the extension and turn the ratchet counter clockwise to loosen the spark plug. Remove the ratchet and finish unscrewing the plug with your fingers. Pull the spark plug out of the hole and discard it.
3Screw the new spark plug into the hole with your hand until it stops turning. Continue to tighten the spark plug another half-turn with the ratchet, extension and socket to properly tighten the plug. Push the spark plug wire over the new spark plug until it locks on to the end of the plug. Move to the other driver side spark plugs and repeat the same process for replacing the plugs one plug at a time.
4Move to the passenger side of the engine and unscrew the top of the ignition coil wire from the first spark plug closest to the front of the vehicle with your hand. Pull the wire off of the spark plug and insert the spark plug socket, extension and ratchet onto the plug. Turn the ratchet counter clockwise to loosen the plug. Remove the ratchet from the plug and finish unscrewing the plug with your hand. Pull the plug out of the hole and discard it.
5Screw the new spark plug into the hole until it stops turning. Finish tightening the plug by turning the plug another half-turn with the ratchet, extension and socket. Push the ignition coil wire back onto the top of the spark plug wire and screw the top of the coil wire onto the spark plug clockwise until the end of the coil wire is tightened to the top of the spark plug. Move to the other passenger side spark plugs and repeat the same process for replacing the spark plugs one plug at a time.
6Inspect all of the plugs and plug wires to ensure that all of the plug wires are securely attached to each spark plug. Crank the vehicle for about thirty seconds to test the operation of the new spark plugs. The engine should be running smoothly with the new spark plugs in place.
Friday, September 6, 2013
How to Check the Engine Light on a 2000 Tacoma
The Tacoma is a compact pickup truck that Toyota has been manufacturing since 1995. You can read the codes pertaining to the "Check Engine" light on your 2000 Toyota Tacoma. The On-Board Diagnostics II (OBD II) computer receives trouble codes from various sensors positioned throughout the vehicle. It alerts you to any trouble codes pertaining to the emissions system or engine by illuminating the "Check Engine" light on your instrument panel. You can read these codes using an OBD II code reader. This computerized hand-held device can be purchased from any auto parts retailer. This is an easy job that should take about 10 minutes to complete.
Instructions
- 1
Find the DLC port on the drivers side dashboard under the steering column. Plug the connective end of the OBD II scan tool into this port. You may have to rotate it to make it fit. Make sure you dont force it in or it may bend the pins inside.
2Put the key into the ignition and turn it to the "On/Off" position. This powers on most scan tools. If not, find the power switch on the scan tool and turn it on.
3Select the "Read Codes" command on the scan tool. Wait for the scan tool to display the codes. Write the codes on a piece of paper and look up their meaning in the scan tools manual.
4Unplug the scan tool and turn off the vehicle. Have the necessary repairs made according to the codes diagnosis.
