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 LKQ. $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.

 

[Twowong4words]

End of the week the front differential showed up from LKQ. Took the time to clean up the axle grease slung all over from the CVs boots being open. Cleaned up the engine below the exhaust manifolds the best I could since all the top end leaks were taking care of. It was all a bit of a mess.

I've seen a few of these high mileage Sequoias suffer from pretty bad rust. The condition of the frame on this one is remarkably clean/rust free. To keep it that way I've been painting the frame and other components with rust inhibitor anytime I remove something /gain access / clean an area. Prepped the new differential by changing the locking actuator over from the old differential since the breather nipple was broken off of the new differential in shipping. Glad I noticed before installing because it looks impossible to do once the differential is installed. Cleaned and painting the new unit, changed the axle seals and installed it along with a new set of CV axles.

Filled it up with gear oil and reinstalled the front drive shaft. I know these come with a factory front skid plate but mine did not have one. I don't plan on going rock crawling or anything but the bottom of the radiator on these trucks is pretty exposed. I was able to find a TRD skid plate off a Tacoma in the parts pile so I pulled out the welder, told my wife i'd be home late and started to fabricate brackets and mount points to attach it to the undercarriage.

If I spend much more time under it looking at the missing D I'll probably end up printing a new one but its out of sight out of mind for now.

 

[Twowong4words]

While I was working on the mechanical stuff on the weekends I was also going through the entire interior after work on the weekdays. Almost all the wood grain panels were faded and had a patina making them look dull. I Removed all the switches and buffed/polished the surfaces with a small hand held buffer.

Panel prior to buffing:

Left side and upper surfaces polished. Right side cup holder area still dull unpolished.

I repeated this process with every wood grain panel in the car including the door control panels, center console, HVAC control panels, etc. While I had the HVAC panels out I tested each light and replaced any that weren't working. Many of the switches and buttons in this vehicle still allow you to disassemble them and replace a burnt out light. All the none replaceable LEDs were ok. About 1/3 of all the replaceable lights throughout all the control panels, instrument cluster and switches were burnt out.(not shown in picture)

Inside rear seat HVAC controller:

Polished and all lights working. The buttons on these panels do not come out easily so I polished them intact and cleaned the compound out after. Mainly on the black switches for the mirror control, seat heaters, etc, you might end up loosing the white writing by doing so.

 

[Twowong4words]

The area with the 4WD range selector was pretty torn up. Media blasted it, adhesion promoter and trim spray paint made it look like new.
Here it is all re assembled:

Its all a bit dusty from the continuous work being performed but clearly looks better then the dull condition prior. I also pulled the entire console assembly out, blew out all the crap underneath it. Completely dissembled the center console(required to get the rear HVAC controls out anyways) wiped down all the plastic trim panels before reassembly.

There is an aftermarket temp gauge on the floor in the picture above. Funny story. I bought the car with the temperature gauge working just fine. While working on the interior it mysteriously stopped working. Drove me nuts not knowing the engine temp so I would drive home with the shop scanner looking at the live data to know the temp. This also confirms the engine temp sensor is working since I could see the value on the scanner live data. On all 4.7L engines there are two sensors for temp. On new models only one sensor is used and the IC(instrument cluster) temp gauge is driven by the ECU(engine control module) I looked for hours at shop manuals, wiring diagrams and forum posts about how the sensor was driven and possible points of failure. The physical link between the ECU and IC is non existent in the literature. In fact the manual suggests the second sensor drives the IC gauge which is just not true. After hours of searching and referencing diagrams I got fed up and just bought an aftermarket gauge. I rethreaded the unused sensor hole and installed the aftermarket sender on the engine, installed the gauge in the car but it was so ugly, placement was down by my knee making it not easy to see while driving and just in general it bugged me the IC gauge did not work. After all that I finally reassembled the center console and front HVAC control panel and suddenly my engine temp gauge started working again!

Turns out the module on the back of the HVAC control panel is the trucks BCM(body control module) and the ECU sends the engine temp gauge in the IC its signal THROUGH the BCM. Nothing else on the dash or elsewhere was inoperative except the temp sensor while I had this panel out for refinishing. Learning moment for me for sure. Slightly disappointed that this connection is not shown or discussed in the wiring diagrams or shop manuals but there it is, if your temp gauge doesn't work and you have the digital odometer style IC, its very well possible your BCM is broken or not hooked up.

 

[BlackSequoia04]

Holy Crap Dude! Slow down and video all of this.
Look I’ve got a 2004 Sequoia in Hawaii and I have to pass a safety inspection every year and I fail if a dashlight is on.
So every year my Hawaii vacation is repair the sequoia, pass the test, and register the car. The tell my wife I love her and am happy to do this; cuz I am: and my life is awesome: and my bro made short videos so the repairs are easy..
So….Bro… take the time to make 2 minute videos about every repair.
By the bye you only needed to clean the brake modules and sensor; not replace them. You’d have known this if you watched my video


Cheers
I love my Sequoia.help me get to 400k miles

 

[Twowong4words]

By the bye you only needed to clean the brake modules and sensor; not replace them. You’d have known this if you watched my video.

Good chance that would work. When I found the aftermarket sensors for $25 on amazon and knowing how much they are from the dealer It was kind of a no brainer even just to find out if they actually worked.

I only have a few things left on the overhaul portion left. Doing interior and modification stuff when I get the time. Just need to find the time to post everything up to date.

 

[BlackSequoia04]

When I was researching the brake pressure sensors I came to the same conclusion; $300 each at Napa but $25 on ebay. I went and bought the aftermarket and have them available just in case the cleaning isn’t enough one day.
Have you replaced the brake booster? Every time I get a brake code one of the possible fixes is to replace the brake booster but it is not a part that I can find new and there does not appear to be a rebuild kit for it. I can find used ones at high prices. I think if the brake booster goes bad I’ll know it because it will take a lot more force than usual to get the SUV to stop.
My current plan in that situation is to drive to the one junkyard on the big island and pull one out of a Tundra or a Sequoia. What would be nice to know is what year, make, and models have a compatible brake booster to my 2004 Sequoia limited. Do you have any thoughts on this?

 

[Twowong4words]

I assume you're talking about the pedal stroke sensor? I read its part of the brake booster but not sure I trust everything I read online. I have access to LKQ which is an automotive dismantler on the mainland. I can get almost anything used but yea, my understanding is they are expensive so i'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

In my experience if the booster fails(not the stroke sensor) it typically causes a vacuum leak for the engine and you get lean codes. Sometimes the master cylinder leaks into the brake booster and that causes issues. Its pretty rare that it causes a heavy pedal in my experience though.