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I have come to the conclusion that it will be easier for me to compile all of my posts on the ES350 into a single thread, rather than post them individually, because I tinker with my stuff.
DIY threads will be posted separately.
There are a few rattles that I have noticed in my car, which isn't a surprise considering the age of this car. These include rattles from the dash, the center storage area, the rear deck area, and the caps on the door by the interior door handles.
Today I decided to take care of this piece, as I have noticed it rattles on rough roads and when I tap on it:
To eliminate the rattle, I removed the piece and placed adhesive-back foam weatherstrip on the back of it. The trick is to apply the foam so that you cannot see it when it is reassembled, because that detracts from the looks of the vehicle, and to place enough that the piece is held firmly in place and no longer vibrates. Another thing to consider is that the greater the surface area of the piece foam the more difficult it is to compress, so it is better to use several smaller pieces spread out across the back, rather than sticking a huge piece on the back.
In order to remove the piece, I simply applied pressure to the rear part(the indicated blue circle) which made the front part stick out(indicated by the red circle). I hooked the front part with my finger and pulled it out. This required no tools and no excess pressure, ensuring that nothing was scratched or broken. After placing the foam weatherstrip on it, I assembled it in reverse order of disassembly: I slid the front part in first(there is a hook that needs to go into the front slot) and held it in place while applying pressure to the rear part to secure the rear clips. It will click into place. Test it by tapping on it to see if it vibrates. I repeated this for both front and rear doors and these caps are now completely secure and do not move at all, even when you tap on them. A test drive also showed that they no longer rattle.
Next up will be the rear deck. I shall be ordering mass loaded vinyl in order to cover the doors, rear deck, and trunk.
Rear deck post will be coming.
In the meantime, I am almost at 120,000 miles and it is probably about time to replace the spark plugs. The OEM spark plugs are Denso (3426) FK20HR-11. This will be my next undertaking.
Did you clean the entire engine or just the plastic covers ? i just did my engine with Gunk degreaser and hated the smell, intoxicating for about 2 weeks.
The wipers issues: i like it too in the winter mode all the time since someone lifted the wipers to insert stuffs and scatched the hood upper border. I notice that the wipers cannot be lift in summer mode without scratching the hood border and i don't except that person to know it.
I cleaned all the covers, removed the covers and cleaned the major spots under them, then coated it in 303 Aerospace Protectant. I need to get a brush and Meguiar's D101 to clean the small cracks and crevices on the intake plenum and the engine itself, but most of the engine bay underneath the panels is also clean. It's a royal pain when it's never been done before, but it will only require touch-up work after this.
If you look right behind where the hood latch goes, you can see a small spot that isn't coated and has a small scratch. I tried wiping the scratch with a damp cloth and it removed the 303, so I had to reapply it in that spot. 303 does not like water and mild rubbing, therefore I'm not sure how well it would work if you went hardcore on outside panels that get rained on. But it does not have that gaudy ultra-gloss look or any tackiness. It also didn't attract any dust.
I did a quick pass over the headlights with some plastx and my new DA polisher.
Before:
After:
It's difficult to see in the after photo, because I was able to remove a ton of the surface oxidation, but there is slight yellowing of the clear coat that the polish could not remove(if you look at the clean engine bay photo, it is easier to see). I will be trying it with Megiuar's 105 to see if the more aggressive cut can remove it, but if not I will be breaking out the sandpaper(1,500-2,500 grit) to remove the remainder.
You are definitively handy, more than me. I love your thread. It is nice to see that people do take really care of their cars. Your car is soooo clean, rare to see a front bumper and hood that clean of defects.
How come your headlights so dull ? Mine is a 08 and still clear, than again, i wash my car once a month.
I purchased this car not too long ago, so I'm not sure why they were clouded. I just knew it detracted from the looks of the car and I fixed it. I will be posting a close-up before and after of the headlights after being sanded.
05-16-15, 07:03 PM
My ES350 thread
