2004 Overhaul and outfitting Thread

[Twowong4words]

Hey folks! I am new to this forum but I recently bought a 2004 Sequoia in pretty rough condition as sort of a "mechanics special". I have been putting a lot of time into overhauling nearly everything on the engine, chassis and interior to bring it back to its former glory as well as adding amenities as the vehicle is going to be my off road/camping rig as well as a more comfortable road trip vehicle for the family. I wanted to make a thread about it mainly as a resource to others who may be doing something similar or in general need to repair something on their own 1st gen Sequoia. Though I am familiar with Toyotas in general and the automotive world as a whole, this will be my first real in depth dive into a 1st generation Sequoia. I hope to keep another old Toyota on the road for as long as possible.

 

[Twowong4words]

Back story:
I bought a rough condition 2004(late 2003) 1st Generation Toyota Sequoia 4WD Limited model mid June. It was salvage title which I assume its because it clearly had the right front lower ball joint failure known to plague high mileage 1st gen Tundra/Sequoias.

It had apox. 255k mi at the time of purchase. The seller attempted to hide the fact that nearly every warning light on the dash was illuminated by pulling bulbs or covering them up with tape. Calling him out on this is why I was able to buy it for cheap. There was a laundry list of other issues I did not know about though until I had already purchased the vehicle and started the overhaul process.

My goal is to basically bring every system back to full functionality as well as improve some systems, add utility, ensure safety and restore the interior and exterior which means i had/have a lot of work ahead of me.

 

[Twowong4words]

First step: Turning on all the dash lights so i could turn them back off.

Bulb check while buying it and none of the control systems lit up so had to replace a bunch of bulbs so i could turn them all off.

For me the ABS/TCS(anti lock brakes/traction control system), SRS(safety restraint system or "airbags") and Check engine lights were all on, even though as stated before they were either hidden or removed. Pulling the cluster is fairly easy. We stock the various small bulbs used in the back of cluster so i changed them all out with working bulbs. In addition the washer fluid, drive and park position indicator lights were burnt out as they are almost always on. Some back lighting lights were also out at the time of removal.


Once this was done, the cluster looked like a Christmas tree. While I was in there I replaced the back lighting bulbs with blue LED blubs. They were brighter and longer lasting(hopefully) than the stock bulbs. Again, bulbs were in stock at the shop.

Here is the blue backlighting.

First the check engine light: P0307 which is a misfire on cylinder 7. It ran way to smooth to have low compression/burnt valves etc so i took the risk buying it. These coil's bodies crack on the part that protrudes into the cylinder. This was indeed the issue. It looked like someone had just done the plugs so im assuming that was their attempt to resolve the problem. I had spare coils sitting around so i put one in and sure enough the intermittent misfire was resolved.

Second thing i tackled was the ABS system MIL.

The C1203 is generic and sets anytime there is an issue with the ABS system OR if you have a check engine code but the C1360 references the two sensors on the bottom of the master brake cylinder.

Part number 89637-0C010 OR 89637-0C020, they are interchangeable as far as i know.​

Aftermarket Sensor on Amazon

The code does not suggest which of the two sensors is the culprit so I ordered two and replaced both at the same time. I think from Toyota they list for $230-$300. Amazon has aftermarket for about $25. Replacing both sensors and clearing the ABS code turned off my ABS light. Almost no fluid comes out of the master cylinder so easy to replace. The sealing surface is the taper on the end of sensor so i assume its a made in china thing that it came with an O ring.

 

[Twowong4words]

It had a coolant leak filling up the valley so it only leaked when i parked it in my drive way. Since the valve covers were leaking as well I went ahead and pulled off the manifold, w/p to cross over pipe and the valve covers to reseal and clean everything.

Before:

After:

Took the chance to degrease everything down to the exhaust manifolds. Ended up changing out all the vac/vent hoses later on. By the way that is where the 4.7L starter is located, in the valley under the intake manifold.

 

[Twowong4words]

While I had it on the lift I noticed the front right shock was leaking and overall the springs where a pretty rough ride. I was able to find a nice set of Bilsteins in our pile of used parts so I went ahead and changed those out.

Leaky Toytechs:

Used Bilsteins:

I'm not really sure what they were taking off of. After changing the strut tower mount they went in with some effort and a pole stand. Nice suspension but they are a little too tall for my liking so I'm probably going to remove them, cut the lower shaft section out, sleeve them and reweld them. Hopefully take off 2 inches. Looks like the previous owner installed new lower control arm bushings already.

 

[Twowong4words]

Replaced all the sway bar end links front and back. Very common source of rattling when hitting bumps.
Also while under the car i realized the right front CV inner shaft was snapped off the joint on the differential side.

The boot on the other side was wide open too so I opted to replace both side CVs but when i went to drain the front differential I unfortunately found a tooth of the spider gear attached to the magnet. The seller had told me the 4wd didnt work right at the time of purchase. I assumed (incorrectly) that it was because the range selector motor was stuck as is common on many 4wd toyota's when the 4wd feature never gets used. It was in fact the front diff. spider gears that broke. I assume this was all related to the lower ball joint failure. So i pulled the front Diff out and tore it down.

Was hoping it was the same style "clamshell" differential as a 4runner/tacoma/ 100 series land cruiser or even the FJ cruiser but sadly this was not the case. I believe its a 7.5" in the front. We had no spare parts so I ordered a used one from LQK. $200. To drive it home that night without the front diff. I had to rip apart the outer CVs, remove the remaining shafts and joints, clean them up and reinstall them into the wheel bearings since you cannot drive a sealed wheel bearing style hub without the CV shaft and nut clamping them together or it will destroy the bearing.

 

[Twowong4words]

While I was waiting for the new front differential I started working on the SRS light. I believe the code was a B0101: Open in squib circuit "D". A very common failure point on high mileage Toyotas is the spiral cable aka the clock spring behind the steering wheel. I was able to source one for $30 on amazon! I would post the link but it was removed days after i purchased it. Part number was 84306-0C021(vehicle year specific). From Toyota your probably gonna pay around 200-300 dollars. Not terribly concerned with mine being made in China as its just a spinning wiring cable. Replaced it and cleared the code but the light did not turn off.

Turns out the ABS module had deployed the airbags during the lower ball joint failure and never been reset. I found one on ebay for 35 dollars which was cheaper then sending it out to have it reflashed. The module is located at the very front of the center console behind that pocket in front of the 4wd gear shifter. After installing the module the light turned off.

 

[Twowong4words]

Side note: i've been using https://www.toyodiy.com/ to look up part numbers. We have a subscription which lets you see the diagrams but even if your don't pay for it, it will still tell you the part number of most components throughout the car if you know the name/can find it.