I've been trying to find a DRL module for the longest time now, sucks that autobarn doesn't sell them anymore.

 

Aaah. And why did you need those to run the drls?? My led drls needed resisitors but that was it. Easy find work great.

Are your drls high beams too??
Because mine are so I need a led that will get brighter with the flip of a switch.

 

No sir,
2004 TL did not have DRL (unless Canadian), our DRL bulb area is actually the "fog" light, which is why it's missing from the bumper like in the newer years. Our bulbs are D2S which perform low and high beam functionality.

 

Love your car. Its so sexxy

 

Thanks, man!

 

See....even the new guys like your TL.

 

Thanks, Steven.

Well, after a tumultuous week of going back and forth in my mind about wanting a truck and to consider selling the TL...I decided I should give her some love and think long and hard about how much I'd miss her.

Have some repairs on the horizon...one of which I tackled Friday night to yesterday...getting the sagging headliner replaced. Took care of that for $80 and I did the labor of uninstall/install myself. Not too shabby! It's not perfect due to the deteriorating foam material but it looks a billion times better.

Next week, I need to tackle why my AC is not blowing cold...too damn hot for that.

Anyway, spent the entire day doing headliner reinstall, cleaning/polishing exhaust, washing including rim barrels...waxing her, cleaning engine bay and door jambs...woolite/soapy water to clean the pillars/sunroof/rear deck and interior clean. It was a long day, but she feels like brand new again.

DSC_2339 by swimex37, on Flickr

DSC_2342 by swimex37, on Flickr

shiny tips!
DSC_2349 by swimex37, on Flickr

cool texture
DSC_2355 by swimex37, on Flickr

all the nooks and crannys
DSC_2359 by swimex37, on Flickr

filthy shit
DSC_2362 by swimex37, on Flickr

DSC_2386 by swimex37, on Flickr

DSC_2390 by swimex37, on Flickr

DSC_2395 by swimex37, on Flickr

DSC_2397 by swimex37, on Flickr

DSC_2405 by swimex37, on Flickr

still loving these advan...
DSC_2417 by swimex37, on Flickr

DSC_2419 by swimex37, on Flickr

DSC_2421 by swimex37, on Flickr

 

I love pics 7 and 8, J.


But, fantastic photoset.

 

So shiny!

I think 9 is my favorite shot.

So you got your headliner replaced or repaired? A new headliner wouldn't have any problems with the foam, would it?

Hopefully the A/C just needs a recharge. Must get a beating in South FL!

How many miles are on it now? Looks great for being 10, 11 years old now.

What made you want a truck?? It's hard to imagine you selling the TL.

 

Gorgeous pictures
I friggen love this car dammit
Why replace headliner?
Yes those look really filthy. Mine were like brand new the time I sold the car

Truck? Really? I love you more now
Raptor?
Silverado?

 

Thank you, my friend...those were my favorites too!
You like that booty, huh? I actually really like the one of the rear wheel alone in front of the doughnut shop.

Well, house purchase on the horizon and the fact that I realize that I have 2 cars that are primadonna's that I can't park anywhere safely and that I have to worry about and that I can't haul anything in really. Just made me think maybe it was time to give up one and get something comfortable and automatic that I can throw home depot runs in. Guess we can continue to manager with the SRX though. It's funny the "needs" we create in our minds. I'm probably going to work something out with this buddy of mine that is a contractor from Colorado, see about maybe borrowing this Silverado work truck he's trying to sell that's just been sitting.

She has just over 105K and is 11 years old as of last month, btw (prod. date).

I appreciate the compliments!
oh Meko...you're awesome.
Thank, man...I love it too.

Well, that's the rub...if I did get a truck, I have two paths...sell TL, get that 2001 Silverado I just mentioned and use the extra cash for house stuff. BUT, we all know I'd regret selling the TL and in 3 months when I'm not going to Home Depot as often, I'll be crying about how I don't love the truck. Alternative is sell my other co-worker's 2002 F250 Diesel...which he cared for impeccably and gets decent MPG...but that would be double the cost. I'm not certain on either front but that's a nice truck. Of course...the last option is to straight up finance a 3 year old one, my Harley Edition F150 or something like that.

Or none of the above!

 

Oh and Aman,
a NEW oem headliner is like $500...no effin way, plus, over time, the oem glue doesn't stand the test of time with the Florida heat. If I'd not removed and had the shop do it all, $220, I was told...instead, I dropped off (they were swamped that day) and picked up 3 hours later and $80 with industrial glue and a perfect match to OEM. Good enough, it still needs to settle...initially when I put fingerprints on it from pressing into place, they stayed but it's evening out already.

I considered Alcantara which would have been 100 more, not matched color and he guaranteed me that it woudln't hold up with the extra material weight. Decided to be practical. Real suede coulda been nice...at $1100 double

 

SO here is the after...before, just picture push pins all over the place where it was sinking...and on the highway with everything open, it would flap. Also, that's why my interior trim pieces are so dirty, I drive everywhere with the windows open so it accumulates the dirt/grime that's in the air.

Also, ignore the sunroof not matching, it's an illusion between the led hue reflecting off the broadway mirror...if you look at the top driver corner that's in a shadow you can see the material is a perfect match.

J.

had to tape the insulation back into place
DSC_2360 by swimex37, on Flickr

ready for take off! reinstall!
DSC_2361 by swimex37, on Flickr

and there she is
DSC_2423 by swimex37, on Flickr

see, here is what i meant...
DSC_2424 by swimex37, on Flickr

fine, fine automobile...happy 11th birthday, babe.
DSC_2428 by swimex37, on Flickr

big sister, little sister
DSC_2430 by swimex37, on Flickr

I never get tired of staring at this combo...and look at that bow kuhhhhhhhhhh
DSC_2431 by swimex37, on Flickr

 

Love all of the new shots man.

I've been too busy this weekend to wash mines and get some new shots. I no longer have the quad tips went back to the stock base tips.

As for the truck, you could always rent the ones Home Depot has when you need it.

 

ain't that the truth, Will...

 

Well done!

 

 

Damnnn that Vtec is clean lol

Love all the new shots
Headliner looks new again

 

Muy importante, my friends...I try and tackle things as they come up...but I'd put off doing the headliner until my wife pushed me to. She's like, jeez babe...with as nice as you like to keep the car that doesn't bother you? I said, NOPE, I don't look up! The cracked dash, on the hand...

 

lol I thought you already fixed that.

 

I did! Almost immediately!

 

Have you thought about doing a vinyl overlay on the silver accents on your steering wheel? CF or just tinted like 50% would look great. To me the wheel is the only thing stuck in the past.

 

Wow. Car looks gorgeous. What did you do to clean the engine bay?

 

not at all, man...hmmm...I don't feel that way thought and I hate vinyl with a passion now...

 

Great shots, J! Glad you got that headliner replaced!

Also, do you not wash the barrels every time you wash the wheels?

 

Fk no, I don't...that's nuts...then again, mine aren't white

But thank you, sir!

 

Haha that's what I thought On top of being white, they're so open!

You're welcome!! I need to get back in the groove of the TL, taking pics, washing it, and taking better care of it.

 

Always clean the barrel during a rim job.

And Austin, yes, you do.

 

 

I like mine chocolate coated

 

That's what she said.

 

unfortunately, that's definitely not what she said...ATM, all day!

 

Looks amazing J, love them Advans. I say keep the TL. It already know you'll regret selling it.

I completely understand where you are coming from tho in terms of having a car to take on errands and to crappy destinations/crowded parking lots. We take the wife's car most of the time on trips like that.

 

Found one solution!

Sell the TL for a good price if you can.
I am serious
Then go buy a 2003 WRX wagon for around 3k. Mod it with the money you saved from selling the TL

And there you go. Wagon. No need for truck.......... kind of

 

But then I'd immediately turn into a bull dyke!





Kurt, you hit the nail on the head! I do sometimes feel stupid for having 2 cars that I don't like leaving anywhere...but you're absolutely right.

 

^^^ It's OK, J-it just shows how much you care about those 2 cars.

 

Thanks, Steven...
So, another successful trip to my old dealership...those guys are effing awesome.

So, this week...I have tackled some serious repairs and it re-invigorated my desire to stay up on my maintenance and keeping this car looking relatively clean and relevant for years to come. It's funny how many things seem like such huge tasks until you roll up your sleeves and get them fixed.

List this week:
the sh*tty AC synthetic refrigerant I put into the system, was sucked out yesterday and new oil/dye and 2 cans of the good stuff was put in. AC is freezing cold now. (schrader valves were also swapped out on the high/low side because I think that's where it was leaking).

Headliner replaced

Drive side seatbelt retraction mechanism replaced...it had gotten to the point where the belt was feeling stiff and dirty, even after cleaning it...and then I'd have to hand feed it back into the b pillar when I'd get out of the car.

So happy!

DSC_2485 by swimex37, on Flickr

DSC_2486 by swimex37, on Flickr

DSC_2515 by swimex37, on Flickr

 

Headliner replacement a diy? I noticed mine sagging last week

 

Well, 1/2 and 1/2...I removed it myself...but given that I guessed (and was right) that the over the counter 3M spray adhesive wouldn't stand the test of time nor the ability to buy the right type of material easily, I took it to an upholstery shop. Got it back 3 hours later at a cost of $80 (instead of $220 if I had let them keep the car and do the labor).

Give yourself about an hour to remove it...and 2 to put it back in. I took my sweet time and cleaned up all the pillars with woolite/water/soap and took my time...I also took the extra time using compressed air to clear out my sunroof drains.

I noticed in heavy rain sometimes I'd get a drop of water from where the headliner meets the top of A pillar...did a test with my hose and figured out that if you put a lot of water, it goes over this little lip (from inside sunroof area when open) that has a spongelike dam...if it goes over it, it ends up inside the car. If it persists in the future, I'll come up with a rubber barrier I'd adhere with rtv silicone.

 

Also, I mentioned before, but I wanted to do suede or alcantara but the guy told me it would be $100 more AND he could almost guarantee it'd fall again in this Florida heat. SO I stuck with closest OEM match. In hindsight, I'm glad I did...I'm glad everything still matches.

DSC_2339 by swimex37, on Flickr

DSC_2362 by swimex37, on Flickr

DSC_2423 by swimex37, on Flickr