I'm dedicating this thread to log my journey of Mods and Care for my E. I will add as many photos and specifics as possible. Any other thread that I got my how too's from or were instrumental in helping me along will get a post linking back here to build in those threads. This will mainly be for my own record keeping of sorts, but thanks for looking and feel free to add any input!

2007 NBP EX FWD 5AT
85452
85453
85454

66336 Miles - E Purchased 4.28.2011 - 2nd Owner
Previous Dealer Service before purchase;
Oil change, Coolant Flush n fill, new wiper refills.

Mods & Accessories
-OEM Roof Rack (Original dealer installed)
-OEM Mudflaps (Original dealer installed)
-Paint Protection (Original dealer installed)
-Recall 2007-2008 Element, Odyssey VSA Modulator - Fixed (so says VIN check)
-Firestone Destination LE tires, stock size - purchased with.
-Element Trunk Space Cover
-Removed front license plate holder
-Joll 'E' Roger Floor Mat
-HD Grill Guard -4.30.11/66k

Maintenance and Care
-Added bottle of Gumout to dealers full tank, had it laying around to help clean a 99 Civic we ended up selling. Figure it can't hurt.
-Cabin Air Filter Change -4.30.11/66k
-Bottom driver side plastic bumper crack fixed -4.30.11/66k

EWWWW! the previous owners must have never done this one, or had a thing for Wookies. Air smells so much better now. This Purolator one has less folds than the OEM and was $18, but I really didn't want to take the time to shop around after seeing it. Thanks to RamblerDan for the how to photos!

85455

I loved the fact that I did this the first weekend of ownership. Set my mind on the right course about future plans and fixed a problem with the bumper that could have gotten worse.


$8 in supplies from Home Depot, have left over zips and paint now too! In hind sight, I would not chose this paint again. 5 coats and still scratches off very easy. Should have clear coated also. I can always do it over :x
85458

Before, can already see some damage has been done.
85456

Nose cover removed. Lost nor Broke any clips, used paint can lid tool idea from the original thread. Great tool! Also pleased to see no signs of front end collision!
85457

Here is the inside of bumper with 5 zip ties... zipped. I chose to do 3 on bottom and 2 top, alternating. I did the bottom first and got them all to line up great. Oops, should have done the tops first since you see those more often. Tops did not line up as great and look kind of wide and oblong from the front. Guess I am doing this again in the future.

Yes, the tails were cut and the excess gutter guard was trimmed and folded in towards the front to catch any rogue stones and it made it look better. Sorry, no photos on the trim . The guard could have fit perfectly fine between the two bumper posts.
85459

Oh great! look what I found, A massive crack running the inside and bottom of the plastic! Fantastic!
85460
85461
I can't really tell if the previous owner ran up a curb, or it is a factory defect since the vertical length of the crack is only on the inside and shows no sign of wear on the outside.

Good thing the old 4runner is not for sale yet. Ran back up to Home Depot and picked up a $4 tube of JB Weld Kwik Pastik. Lucked out with the two clip holes. They held the two side together perfect. Cured for an hour and it feels very sturdy.
85465
85466
OH NO RUST! While the JB cured I gave these bumper mounting brackets a light sanding, alcohol rub down and 3 heavy coats of the BBQ paint. Only spot of rust I've seen yet. It was on all three bars (center not pictured). Has anyone else dealt with this? what did you use to fix? I'm thinking a re-do with some sort of 3M tape might be in order if this paint doesn't hold up.
85467

You're off to a great start and I love the documentation. I will definitely be checking back in as you go along. ;-)

Chief

Alright! lets put it back together! Nuts! I dropped a clip down the side of the radiator and it landed in a bottom support beam. Thank god for skinny, helpful girlfriends!
85468

Over View
85469
^Notice I did not leave the JB white, hit it with the bbq paint and wiped off the excess. Not perfect, but I'll work on cleaning it up more later. I was feeling pretty sun burnt at that point!

Close up
85471


Big thanks to all those before me that carved the path to do this!

While doing the HD Grill Mod, I noticed the remnants of muddy water up where the CAI filter would sit. CAI getting scratched off the list for now!
85472

nice work thanks for sharing :)

Looking good!!!
Keep up the good work!!
Keep up all the mods!!!

Looks good! May the mod bug continue to bit!:lol:

24MPG = 308mi/12.8gal 5/11


I just learned that there is a 24hr to edit rule set globally.... Time to rethink my strategy here...

Screw Aerodynamics (http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showpost.php?p=916783&postcount=226)

Alright! lets put it back together! Nuts! I dropped a clip down the side of the radiator and it landed in a bottom support beam. Thank god for skinny, helpful girlfriends!

yeah, you haven't really worked on your vehicle 'til you've either dropped a clip somewhere you can't reach, or broken a clip.

<grin>

out of curiosity, why do you have a foglight switch but no foglights?

Out of curiosity, what makes you see a fog light switch from that tiny photo? You have however made me run outside and check. No fog light symbol anywhere. :twisted:

out of curiosity, why do you have a foglight switch but no foglights?




That is not a foglight switch. VSA was added on the 2007's and the VSA off switch is located in the spot where the foglight switch would go on 2003-2006 models.

Thanks Lizzurd, Ive seen the previous model fog switch but didn't look far enough to its location. The real question is, REAL of FAKE fog light mods? Time shall tell.

Looking good Sir. 8) Not sure if it's your pictures, but it looks like your passenger side headlight could use a good polishing.

Thanks for the compliments and encouragement so far everyone!

I did the most popular side marker mod today. Had to go to 5 different stores to piece together the parts. Didn't find what I wanted, mainly adhesive lined shrink tube, but settled for the below.

Top splice 5 pack = $4
Butt connectors with solder insides 3 pack = $3
3" black zip ties 100 pack =$2.50
3' 18g black wire @ .35c per foot = $1.05
Electrical tape & wire cutter= Already had.

Time= 1hr, including finally meeting my Neighbor with another 06 NBP E. Tried to turn him onto the EOC, we'll see if he drops by. :030:

This was my first time doing something like this but E-Shen's original thread was soooo helpful that I felt pretty confident.

Photos!

Here is a basic pic of the driverside headlight turn signal wires connected.
85606

Here is everything wrapped up tight. I also wrapped each 1.5' connecting wires in electrical tape since I threaded it through two holes. I chose those holes because they were easy to get to and visible to check up on, and show off my work. Alas, those holes aren't visible in these photos.
85607

Here is the basic wiring set up on the side marker wires. Do not use a lighter to get this solder to melt. I didn't think it would but gave it a shot anyway. I hope I don't regret it. I closed the lone black wire with some electrical tape and a zip tie.
85608
Here we are all wrapped up. I did much cleaner jobs in my opinion on the other side, but this still works!
85609

I forgot who initially posted this most helpful image, but it deserves to get posted one more time.
85610

I will confirm, Both lights flash at the same time when headlights are off. When headlights are on they flash alternately. YEAH I did it!!! :-D

Dude, I have been to other forums and people keep these "journals". I haven't seen too many on here, but it is a awesome idea. Keep it going!

Nice. You are hooked now. There is no going back. The only downside is being deathly afraid of someone t-boning you after you put in all the hours modding!

Yikes, don't even wanna think about that. But the flashing side marker mod should improve my chances!

Picked up the Factory Service Manual $30 Shipped from ebay. This thing is a whopper compared to the Haynes I'm used too. Only thing I think its missing was a recommended mileage maintenance and service interval chart. The whole Maintenance minder system may have replaced that unfortunately. Anyone have any weigh in?

this is an image gallery right?
85735

So here is this weekends mod edition.
23' 1/4"od Bungee from REI @ $.25/ft = $.27


Yeah, so the girl only charged me for one foot plus tax and it went on my left over dividend.... most of there stuff is over priced so I don't feel guilty. West Marina wanted to charge $.99/ft.

I choose 1/4" bungee because I thought it just be all around better. But, the seat loops get real tight after the 2nd and especially the 3rd pass through and it is VERY hard to find decent cord locks to fit. biggest at REI was 3/16" I believe. Zip tied the ends.

I did learn that the front seat has 3 vertical loops while the back has 4 vertical loops because there is no bottom pocket.
85763
85764
85765

Nice job. That's the same pattern I used on my drivers seat. 8)

Here's the line up for Round 1 of my LED conversions. No real reason why I'm doing these first, just kind of struck my eye and made the most sense at the time. All purchased from Superbrightleds.com with REMG 5% coupon code. It really only made USPS FCM free to ship. 3 days from MO to GA.

7443-R45-T
Planning to use this for the third stop light. Got this instead of the 7440 in hopes of increasing brightness and testing it in other locations.

WLED-AHP6
Amber lamps! Clear side markers are on the way. The actual SMD looks half the size of the others.

85844

4210-CWHP6
Both for main dome lights, Cool White.

3022-BHP4
Blue for the map lights. I use a phone GPS, not maps :grin: lets add color!

85845

Here are some before and after shots of the domes. Both on in all shots. Oh and all photos are taken with a Samsung Moment Phone Camera, but you can still see the difference that these LEDs have made.

Dome from Front
85846
85847

Dome Driver Side
85848
85849

Map
85850
85851
Camera was touching ceiling looking down. Blue light in memory of my old blue 4Runner! :roll:
85852

All together now. I'm really liking the Blue to White fade here!
85853
85854
85855

Here is the Clear Side markers installed and the first hand wash. No moisture in the lenses yet. Fingers crossed.

86026
Dealer decals finally removed, can kind of see some ghosting. A wax job should smooth it out next time.
86028
A day later and the EOC license plate frame came in, whoopie!
86052

This was easy, yet frustrating. Did it all in the parking lot while my girl friend was inside, getting ready to go. I knew I had enough time to knock it out :razz:

I looked up the original thread (http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27400&highlight=Both+Dome+Lights+On) and found the wires to connect from the OP, then took drPheta's suggestion and used the blue 3ways I used from the eshen side marker mod. Had it left over so first FREE mod ! :razz:

I popped all three clips off of the side panel. There still just wasn't enough room to work with the green/red so I peeled the electrical tape back just enough. I used a thin screw driver to remover the blocker piece on the splice and popped the wires in, checking them twice. And a third time before crimping it down. I also checked the lights every 1/10" I squeezed the bridge into place. Did not want to cut these wires wrong.
86053
86054

Everything works as it should and as claimed!

I got my hands on a Storage Arm rest from member rdg and decided to upholster it with an old Element Skate shirt I can no longer fit in. I think it turned out well and there are many things I could have done differently and will probably have to do it again once this old cotton shirt finally wears out or gets trashed. But better it then my arm rest!

I disassembled every screw and took the whole thing apart out of curiosity and ease of wrapping the shirt. All photos are from then to putting it back together, just read it backwards to take it apart!? lolwhat?

86090
This is the top lid with the shirt wrapped around it. I tied it in one spot to help hold it together. I would have cut more strips to keep it tighter, especially front to back. The original cover is just stapled all around the rim. I intended to use the screws holding the black plastic inside cover and the lid together to anchor the shirt. The hinges have to be fully removed as these screws get hidden under the inside cover. Once I was happy with how the shirt was stretched and fit I just screwed through the shirt and reattached the hinges.

I suppose if you wanted to add padding or something to make the arm rest higher, this would be a way to slide in under the wrap and make It look seamless.

These colors do not match the inside of my E, but like always, I can redo it with better material later!
86091
Here is the inside lid screwed down tight and lifter handle replaced
86092
And the top side, ELEMENT FOR LIFE! 8)

86094
86095
Ever wondered what made this thing so heavy? This big ole welded steel bucket thats what! Just images from different perspectives.
86096
Ok, now reattach the lid hinges to the inside of the steel bucket.

86097
Its easier if the inside plastic bucket is placed inside to hold the hinges in place, like so. This also shows the final bottom outside cover, steel bucket, inside plastic bucket all screwed together. I took the picture then realized the inside black bucket was over lapping the bottom grey, just popped it back in place.
86098
86099
Voila!

^^I love it!

Great job Sir. I shall award you extra points for creativity and execution.:)

Wow, that is pretty cool. Nice job. I hope it lasts a while before it wears out!

Thanks guys, it has held up pretty good so far. Little loose at the top end but it tucks back in easily, no biggie.

Just came back from a dealership brake system flush. 68700 mi. I thought I needed it because the reservoir fluid was a brownish red, but I had no idea apparently. The new brake fluid is really light yellow, practically clear.... Glad I got it done and it wasn't too expensive. Will be looking to change out the pads and rotors myself in the following months. The DIYs and the service manual should make it a piece of cake.

Just came back from a dealership brake system flush. 687000 mi.

WOW!!! At least we know how has the most mileage on their E!!!

:grin:

Crap. I really do not like this no editing rule... 68700..... good call Az

Crap. I really do not like this no editing rule... 68700..... good call Az

I can, I took care of it. I wanted to make sure I got it right before editing.

Crap. I really do not like this no editing rule.
You can edit your own post, but you're only given a limited amount of time to do so. :-)

This is how I have figured out one way to carry my Mountain bike in the E. The floor mounts of the seat ironically are also mounting my bike seat to the floor. It sits in the groove nice and over all is pretty stable with the bungee up front. Made a dash to target all loaded up and everything stayed in place. Yes, I have a thing for lime green on my bike gear (the wash out "white" on my helmet is lime green also)!
86467

You can also notice the Element t-shirt storage arm rest is holding up nicely!

After rigging up a 7443 incandescent bulb to fit in a 7440 socket, I now have all red rear lights as LEDS. I previously mentioned trying the 7443-R45-T for the top light. No dice at the time because the extra wires get in the way. Didnt think about it until when i rigged the 7443, but the extra wire can easily be folded back over the other side and ran next to the correct wire. But at $25 a bulb, I didn't want to risk it.

I am now running two 7443-R45-T for the tail lights and a 7440-R18-T for the top third stop light. Here is a photo from the superbrightleds site for the 7440( photo shows wires for a 7443)
86468

I took pictures of before and afters, but the before's look way brighter on photos. :? I can notice more over all illumination of the reflector surfaces in the tail lights. Incandescent gave one source of light per reflector surface, these LEDs give two to three. Hard to put into words but I think its an improvement. Here's just one side with brake light LED just for kicks.
86469


Also had to return two sets of the Amber side markers I got. They didnt have extra solder on the circuit board terminals and were too loose in the socket. They worked if i held them with diagonal pressure, but that's a little hard to drive with. I also didnt like seeing the green in my clear reflectors. Return process went smoothly. Time to look for better ones.


Oh yeah, thanks for the help up above, guys.

nice arm rest u got there... great job on the mod...

Thanks Unlimited, It keeps my elbow pretty happy.

Just changed my Transmission fluid and filter over the weekend @70k mi. I'll post my words and photos on it all in a link to the main thread on this topic, but ill say it again. F*** that filter bracket screw. I so do not want to do that again. But
I feel good about it now that its been done.

http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showpost.php?p=925045&postcount=158

Thanks Unlimited, It keeps my elbow pretty happy.

Just changed my Transmission fluid and filter over the weekend @70k mi. I'll post my words and photos on it all in a link to the main thread on this topic, but ill say it again. F*** that filter bracket screw. I so do not want to do that again. But
I feel good about it now that its been done.

http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showpost.php?p=925045&postcount=158

i changed my tranny filter last year..when i was done i said the same thing..i will never ever change that filter again...it took me 2 hours to change a filter..it only took me an hour to change 4 rotors and all the brake pads..

Great Thread Slobadon.

I just bought an 07 EX and I'll be following your thread for ideas.

After rigging up a 7443 incandescent bulb to fit in a 7440 socket, I now have all red rear lights as LEDS. I previously mentioned trying the 7443-R45-T for the top light. No dice at the time because the extra wires get in the way. Didnt think about it until when i rigged the 7443, but the extra wire can easily be folded back over the other side and ran next to the correct wire. But at $25 a bulb, I didn't want to risk it.

I am now running two 7443-R45-T for the tail lights and a 7440-R18-T for the top third stop light. Here is a photo from the superbrightleds site for the 7440( photo shows wires for a 7443)
86468

I took pictures of before and afters, but the before's look way brighter on photos. :? I can notice more over all illumination of the reflector surfaces in the tail lights. Incandescent gave one source of light per reflector surface, these LEDs give two to three. Hard to put into words but I think its an improvement. Here's just one side with brake light LED just for kicks.
86469


Also had to return two sets of the Amber side markers I got. They didnt have extra solder on the circuit board terminals and were too loose in the socket. They worked if i held them with diagonal pressure, but that's a little hard to drive with. I also didnt like seeing the green in my clear reflectors. Return process went smoothly. Time to look for better ones.


Oh yeah, thanks for the help up above, guys. How does it compare at day time with the old stock bulb?

Glad to see Im not alone in the 2 hr Trans Filter job club...

Welcome Alex! Hey, I have no idea what Im doing, this is my first car I'm putting thought and work into so don't follow everything I do, but take everything this forum has to say into consideration. Frankly, there is a vast wealth of information that folks like us have provided. Take notes, do it your self, and report back!

Good question E_Caus. You are quoting the post about the top light. There is not much difference there in day time. Im still using the stock reflector and housing. I think that if you really want to significantly enhance that top light, it needs to be totally redone. I've thought about mounting one of those LED brake light strips to the top edge of the glass. It sounds like a great way to notify you are braking, but has yet to be done from what I've seen and would take some extra electrical work and finding the right strip. You are obviously considering modding it so give it a go!

I will say that this particular bulb actually creates a blind spot in part of the reflector. Or that's what this set of photos tends to show. The bulb goes in at an angle, and from what I can tell, casts a shadow from the base. Or it could just be how the camera picks it up. My eyes say the whole reflector is bright. I should probably give this a second look. Check out this series of photos at night for your self.
86673
86674
86675

I've thought about mounting one of those LED brake light strips to the top edge of the glass. It sounds like a great way to notify you are braking, but has yet to be done from what I've seen and would take some extra electrical work and finding the right strip.

Member HONDA GHANDI did something like that a few years back.

Here you go.:-)
http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42068

And Eww delivers! I've only begun to understand of the legend of the Hellement, he sold it or something yes?

Wonder if I can add the x9 strips to the left and the right of the stock. Thinking they are LED and take less power it would work if wired right. Oh man, then splicing the flasher wires in similar fashion to the E shen side marker mod to make them turn signals also. (of course there is always the tow hitch harness and led bar method, but that's not eye level on an E) Only real trouble would be finding a way to make it look good behind the panels.... Not any time soon.

Good question E_Caus. You are quoting the post about the top light. There is not much difference there in day time. Im still using the stock reflector and housing. I think that if you really want to significantly enhance that top light, it needs to be totally redone. I've thought about mounting one of those LED brake light strips to the top edge of the glass. It sounds like a great way to notify you are braking, but has yet to be done from what I've seen and would take some extra electrical work and finding the right strip. You are obviously considering modding it so give it a go!

Sorry for not being clear. What I was refering to was the tail light/brake light in daylight. I have modified my 3rd brale light already with LED's.

Member HONDA GHANDI did something like that a few years back.

Here you go.:-)
http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42068

That is a very cool mod. Im surprised I had never seen that before.
Thanks for posting that Eww-an E!!!

E_Caus, well right on! Yes the tail lights are better in the day time. Direct sunlight does not wash out the light from the LED like it does with incandescent. It also fills more of the space in the reflector with more light. Hard to explain but I think its because there is a strip of side by side LEDS to fill in more of the reflector space.

E_Caus, well right on! Yes the tail lights are better in the day time. Direct sunlight does not wash out the light from the LED like it does with incandescent. It also fills more of the space in the reflector with more light. Hard to explain but I think its because there is a strip of side by side LEDS to fill in more of the reflector space.Where did you buy your 7443-R45-T for your tail light/brake light?

Superbrightleds.com (http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/store/index.cgi?action=DispPage&Page2Disp=%2Fspecs%2F744x-x45-T.htm)

Need 1 huge favor slobadon. At your convenience, can you take a picture at a distance showing both tail lights with one LED on one side and the incadescent bulb on the other side with tail light on and another picture with the brake lights on. By showing both tail lights with different lighting source, it should show very well which one is better. Thanks a bunch in advance. I do not want to take a plunge and spend $50 without knowing if the LED's are better.

I fully understand and wish I could help out but,

A)My phone camera is not good at properly representing these types of photos.
B) I'd have to pull a front flasher bulb because I don't have anymore spares, and it probably wouldn't show either. I had taken those kinds of photos at night, but the camera picked up the incandescence as brighter. :? The leds are brighter by my eye.

Now these are not going to be holy beacons of light shining out the back alerting the heavens that you are stopping. This is just to me, the easiest way to enhance the light in a plug and play fashion. Its also fun to show people, "hey, have you ever seen a bulb like this?". You can do better by gutting the assembly and rigging all kinds of lights. but that's not plug and play.

V-LEDS.com also has a pair that they claim are brighter, for $79 a pair.

And Eww delivers! I've only begun to understand of the legend of the Hellement, he sold it or something yes?

Wonder if I can add the x9 strips to the left and the right of the stock. Thinking they are LED and take less power it would work if wired right. Oh man, then splicing the flasher wires in similar fashion to the E shen side marker mod to make them turn signals also. (of course there is always the tow hitch harness and led bar method, but that's not eye level on an E) Only real trouble would be finding a way to make it look good behind the panels.... Not any time soon.

Yes, he did sell the Hellement, here's the thread where he mentions it and shows his current ride/project.
http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67987&highlight=hellement

Sure you could add them on the sides of the third brake light, but I'm not sure if that would look as good as a solid strip. :? If you're wanting it to work with your turn signals, then wiring it in with a trailer harness would be the easiest route to go.

That is a very cool mod. Im surprised I had never seen that before.
Thanks for posting that Eww-an E!!!

No problem, you're welcome. :-)

Hey Slobadon, I'm not sure if you've seen the Honda CRV l.e.d. brake light replacement from Ebay on an Element, but here's mine. :-)

http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/6128/1002636b.jpg

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/594/1002635.jpg

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/4583/1002631d.jpg

http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/4339/1002628u.jpg

^^It's l.e.d.s are red, but noted by a few other members who have that same exact one, it's color looks so much better when you remove it's clear lens and replace it with the factory red one. I've had that on my E' since December and I really like how it looks. 8)

hmm, that Honda CRV l.e.d seems to be gone from Ebay. along with most of the cool stuff that used to be on there that I've read about on here. Did you remove your rear wiper?

I agree that the original light and led strip would look funny, I was just imagining out loud!


And sorry again E_Caus, I'd like to help you and everyone thats on the fence about these LEDs out, but I honestly just don't have the right camera for the job. You just gotta risk it like I did, "buy the ticket, take the ride".

hmm, that Honda CRV l.e.d seems to be gone from Ebay. along with most of the cool stuff that used to be on there that I've read about on here. Did you remove your rear wiper?

I agree that the original light and led strip would look funny, I was just imagining out loud!


I just looked for you and if you go on there and search under 09 10 11 Honda CR-V LED 3rd Brake CRV Lamps Lights Rear you should find one.

Yes, I did remove my rear wiper, I installed a reverse/back up camera in it's place.

Here's the thread about it.
http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56239

Eww, that's just disgusting cool, you are the Man!

Eww, that's just disgusting cool, you are the Man!

Why thank you kind Sir. :-)

First Maintenance minder clicked on a little while back, A13. Did the 3, and I noticed that when I bought the vehicle, the oil was only at 80% and they swear they did an oil change, so I let it float because they were a GMC dealer and probably didn't know what to do with the minder.

Went into the Honda dealer to get an Alignment and an oil change because I had a decent coupon, well their alignment machine will be down until Tuesday, so I went ahead and got the oil change and inspection. Declined the rotation until I got measured results. They used the 15400-PLM-A02 filter. Inspection results as follows:

Battery Test: GOOD
Rating:420 CCA FLOODED

Meter image shows 13.03 V, 531 CCA

Tire Condition:
Left Front = 7 32nds Right Front = 11 32nds
Left Rear = 9 32nds Right Rear = 9 32nds

Brake Condition:
Left Front = 6mms Right Front = 6mms
Left Rear = 3mms Right Rear = 2mms

I declined their offer to service the rear pads, but picked up a full set for $70, PN 43022-SCV-A00. I got home and checked the service manual, says the service limit is 1.3mm. I think Im close enough, I do notice they make noise and Im going on a road trip next weekend, Ill do this tomorrow.
I had no idea these were this tiny.
86987

EOC, I have a question and need advice. I skipped the rotation, but my tread wear is all over in the front, and even in the back. What should I do about this? Any possible explanation? Keep in mind I've only had this vehicle for 4kish miles.

Not too bad at all. Took about 2 hours, but I work slow and steady and have NEVER done brakes. The lugs were also very tight... had to borrow a Skyjacker pipe from a neighbor for more leverage.

VERY similar to how the front brakes are replaced in spdrcr5's front brake thread (http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45544). Small differences are the rotor, the pad retainer shape, and the inner pad with wear indicator does not have an anti squeal plate on the rear set. Also the rear has a different spring mechanism, it is clipped into the caliper as opposed to being attached to the brakes. And these rear pads are smaller.

Random Photos!
87010
Right side with caliper and pads removed.

87009
Pad retainers removed and sanded down, these were covered in gunk. All shiny now!

87008
Caliper pins removed and cleaned. The top one (right) is the silver one and the bottom (left) is the greenish one. The silver one also had a few lengthwise notches in them. I made sure not to put them in the wrong hole, but they both twisted freely. The boots were a little tricky at first. I had no idea how they were attached. I very gingerly used a small flat head to hold the boot down and pulled the pin out in a twisting motion.

87007
Here is my method of pushing the caliper piston back in. This is now the left side. Just used a 4" c clamp and an old brake pad as bracing to keep the force even, and not to chip the rim of the piston.

87006
Old, New, Old. There was still some life left, and not yet touching the wear indicators(not shown). But Im glad I did it. Those wear indicators look like they can do some damage on the rotors, don't want to risk it.

Everything is also all greased up. Used CRC Synthetic Caliper grease on the retainers, pins and contact points on the pads themselves. Used CRC Disc brake quiet on the outer pad shims. I've seen this stuff used around here and on youtube.

Everything seems to be working great and the brakes are a touch more responsive. I have a slight and random squeak on the front pads, so I should take them apart and clean them since I have PLENTY of this stuff left over. Another time.

^^Nicely done.

Got my alignment done be for my trip. It corrected some of the left side drift, but as I feared, my two different tread level tires are the main cause of my problem.

Here's the print out I asked for, yet I have no idea to where these numbers translate to points in the suspension. But it doesn't really look like much was off comparing the before and after numbers.
87283
87284

The two that you need to worry about most are camber and toe.
Toe is easy to adjust on any Honda. Camber on the other hand
is not. You need to purchase a camber kit for the front and one
for the rear to be able to adjust your camber. Here is a pic that
may help:

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc275/2000Silverado4x4/camber_caster_toe.jpg

This give a nice explanation as well:

http://www.goaheadtakethewheel.com/build-repairs-maintenance/vehicle-caster-camber-and-toe-alignment-explained.php

Looking at your before and after for the toe adjustment, it looks like
they fixed the drift. But since your camber is still the same, you will
still experience the tire wear that is not consistent. You are in spec,
but your front left is not wearing the inside of the tire at all. The other
three, especially the rears, are wearing the inside of the tire much faster.
The bad toe on the front right is wearing out your tire funny as well.

Hope this helps.

Oh wow, first official camping trip in the E and it went off perfectly. Except for the swarms of skeeters, and the E kept us protected very nicely!
87287
87285
87286
I had all kinds of bungees and clamps to hold the mosquito net in place, but the Kelty Car tarp provided just enough pressure alone to keep the net tucked in the hatch. We had a fan blowing the citronella candles at us to help keep is protected. No fresh bites for sure, but we woke up feeling like we just smoked a pack of cigs (we don't smoke, anymore) after a concert. Yet there was also a smooth waxy feeling... cant be healthy. It also rained like crazy for about 2 hrs just at bed time so we kept cool. The second night I put the fan inside and on top of the storage armrest blowing out and over us. Much better. We used one of the Coleman SUV air beds on the floor with the seats removed. Worked great and never had to re-inflate. Falling asleep back to back felt like it maximized our sleeping area, since there really is not much as we all know.
87288
87289
Happy Camper

Thanks for the Info and the breakdown AZ, it makes more sense then it did.

I've checked my tires and by feel and look, then seem to be wearing even along the tire. Although the front left is starting to cup. The front right looks like a new tire, has lots more tread. I was thinking that's the main reason for the drift. So by your analysis, are you thinking the tech didn't do his job right in setting everything where it should be? Could he have set it that way to help combat the drift from the different tread levels of the tires?

Tire Condition:
Left Front = 7 32nds Right Front = 11 32nds
Left Rear = 9 32nds Right Rear = 9 32nds


Now taking a look at my handy dandy service manual, I am more confused. states;

Camber= Front= -0°13'
Rear= -1°00'
Caster= Front= 1°50'
Total Toe-in= Front= 0 mm (0 in.)
Rear= 2 mm (0.08 in.)

The two formats are what are throwing me off. Just looking at the degree number, my front is off by .5° and rear .8°. The foot number has me lost....

73700 miles and I've dropped in this aFe Pro Dry S drop in air filter pn 31-10135. I was considering the HKS hybrid foam, but this aFe looked like the more reliable choice besides stock paper. Purchased from AutoAnything. I've found that if you look at stuff on their site, and you have an account with them. They will send you a %off coupon code for the product you were looking at via e-mail the next day.


87756
Open box, Filter in a poly bag and cleaning instructions, aFe power sticker, and a "do not discard filter" sticker in another bag.

87757
There was about 5 random pieces of rubber flashing hanging loose on the filter. On the 9th fold from the left was the largest piece. Very thin translucent grey, the others were just small specs, but I didn't want them there. Overall construction feels sturdy, its got some weight to it.

87758
Held it up to the sun to check for obvious holes. Hopefully this photo will work as a reference for checking up on this as I've seen photos of some Swiss cheese K&N's after use. None found, I'm satisfied.

87759
Stock paper and aFe side x side. Stock is defiantly deeper and the folds are much thicker and tighter.


So far I've only put maybe 60 miles on it, mostly highway. No real sound or performance gains that are noticeable to me or would make someone say WOW. But that's just fine. Main reasons for making this switch were for any MPG gains, and not having to keep buying filters. Both statements will have to prove their worth in time.

^^Nice! aFe makes great filters.

73900 Miles And now she has fresh power steering fluid. I had three bottles of the Coastal for Honda fluid left over from the old civic that, well consumed power steering fluid. Couldn't spot any leaks, but it was going somewhere. That thing was a mess at the end. Anyhow, What I ended up doing used all three bottles exactly. Not a calculated attempt, I just got really lucky.

87776
Here's the basic setup. Used a 1 qt Deerpark water bottle. Fit great in the cavity, with a slight bent angle in it. The narrow mouth held the hose in snug, and was the right height to catch the drips out of the reservoir tube. I used a trusty turkey baster to get the res fluid out first. I rigged up a plastic bag and rubber band apparatus to plug the res return tube. Im sure there are better ways, but this did the trick.

87777
Poured in one bottle of fresh fluid all the way to the top then started the car for about 10 sec. This is what pumped out. Nasty. It goes in blue tinted clear. :shock: Emptied the bottle into a bucket I had then reset the hose in the bottle.

87778
Second bottle in and this pumped out. Vast improvement. I did not turn the wheel while this was going on. Not enough time, it drains the reservoir very fast. This one is kinda bubbly, I probably left the car on a touch too long and it sucked in some air. No big deal. Put the hose back on and filled up with the 3rd bottle. Came right to the upper line.

I test drove it around to Advance to drop off the old fluid and picked up a 4th bottle. They apparently don't take power steering fluid. The res got darker, but no where near where it was. About mid week I'll probably turkey baste out and replace with this fourth bottle and call it good for 50k miles or so.

Now, DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE TO RECYCLE POWER STEERING FLUID AT?

Now, DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE TO RECYCLE POWER STEERING FLUID AT?

Just chug it, it will lube up your insides.:lol:

J/K please don't do that.:-D

I did a quick search for your area and found this list of places.
http://search.earth911.com/?what=Used%20Motor%20Oil&where=ATLANTA,%20GA
^^I didn't go through all of them, but there's a few on there that say they take automotive fluids, so maybe they'll take your power steering fluid.:?

:food005: http://thelowdown.org/Smileys/ldsmileys/disgusted.gif

Ha Ha, It does look like a mean porter.

Good link, but I tried the local Advance and they told me Motor and Trans only. The guys at this one are usually useless. Power steering is not much different than Trans, I may have to go to another one and tell a fib...

^^Yeah, telling a fib might be the only way to get rid of it through those stores. Don't worry I won't tell on you for fibbing.lol:)

Call one of your local dealers and ask if the will take it. Better yet just drive up to the side door of the service department and ask one of the guys if they can dump it for you.

Call one of your local dealers and ask if the will take it. Better yet just drive up to the side door of the service department and ask one of the guys if they can dump it for you.

That's what I do , they ain't exactly jumping over each other , but they don't ignore you . My honda parts guys are outstanding .....

Yeah, I wanted to try the Honda Dealer, But they were closed by the time I got done on Sunday. Have to check them out for sure now.

^^I commend you Sir. for going out of your way to properly dispose of your power steering fluid. You're a good egg.:)

Thanks Eww, I think environmental responsibly is crucial when so much goes to waste as it is.

Power steering fluid dump success! Forgot to update when I dumped it a while back, for what its worth, here's how it went, enjoy. :detective:

::Pulled up to a local Pepboys, right up to the service bay and got a dude's attention::

Me: Yo dude, excuse me, do you guys take used transmission fluid for recycling?

Dude 1: Uh, no. only motor oil.

Me: Oh really? Damn, then, you guys don't change out transmission fluid here?

Dude 1: Well, see, we only have the Motor oil drum here. We do transmission work in the lower shop and its locked up for the night. And there's an alarm.

Me: Oh I gotcha, so you know somewhere close to here that would take it?

Dude 1: Uh, maybe try Jiffy lube or somewhere like that.

Me: Good call, thanks man.

::Pulled car around front to pick up a replacement bulb, while inside Dude 2 spots me::

Dude 2: Hey there, can I help you with anything?

Me: No, I know what I need, thanks.

Dude 2: Ok, Let me know if you have any questions, even off color ones!

::I get to thinking, off color eh? Trans fluid is usually reddish, and my power steering fluid is not...::

Me: Actually yes! I've been trying to find a place to take my used transmission fluid, do you guys take it?

Dude 2: Yes.

Me: Its in my car, can I go get it and give it to you?

Dude 2: Sure.

::Grab my bulbs, drop on counter, get fluid, drop on counter. Then proceed to hear Dude 2's rant about why Obama shouldn't be president :twisted: ::

I know, I told the fib. Moral of the story, it's all about who you talk to!

Thanks Eww, I think environmental responsibly is crucial when so much goes to waste as it is.
You're welcome, I just call it as I see it.;-)

I agree so much does go to waste and although it may take someone a little bit longer, or have them go out of their way, it's the right thing to do and certainly worth doing.

Interesting story. :-)

First time I've take the front bumper off since installing the HD Grill Guard. To my suprise, the grating was too low and was scratching the paint off the bumber beam. This first photo is after I wiped it clean. To fix this, I cleaned, light sanded, cleaned, then gave three heavy coats of the BBQ paint I used earlier. Also, I cut multiple 2 inch long sections in the gutter guard and folded them in better. The bent metal held its place, and the bumper trim piece has clips that I tucked into for a press fit, second photo.
87927
87928
87929
I also found it funny that these bulky bumper looking protrusions actually have a function, It's to hold junk that bounces off the front of the grill guard and flies in through my gaps on the side! :grin:

Plasti Dip time!

I wasn't going to do this until I had everything I wanted to put in the front end before I took the bumper off again. But, I needed something to do today.

You all know the drill, $6 can of black Pastidip for black emblems and grill. 4 coats total. It really was as easy as everyone says on here, mostly* pulls away and breaks clean at edges.
87930
87931
87932
87933
87936
87935

*mostly I say, because while pulling the blue tape off of the top edge of the grill, a 4 inch section didn't want to break free and left loose rubber wiggles. I cleaned that up by running another strip of tape, hitting it heavy with the Plasti dip then pulling the tape off while still wet. Repeat. Didn't blend away all of the wiggles, but it did seal up the loose edge. Have to keep an eye on it.

87937
87938
87939
87940

The way it should have came stock!

Nice job on everything the grill looks especially nice.Does the PlastiDip spray fairly smooth or with a sort of texture to it ?

The way it should have came stock!

But what would you done today if your E had come stock like that?:-)

Thanks! There is texture to it, not much though. It looks more bumpy than it feels. I think it works with the Element because it has the unpainted textured plastic panels. To make it as smooth as possible, its important to get full coverage on the coats. Spray enough evenly to make it look wet all over. I think most of the bumps people get are from stopping a spray pass in the middle of the piece they are working on, or a random tiny bubble patch that seem to pop up.

But what would you done today if your E had come stock like that?:-)
Would have gotten a jump start on cleaning up my front brakes.

Good news bad news. I took the front brake pads apart to try to fix a noise issue. The brakes would make a rubbing sound just as the car came to its final stop. And other random times. I sanded, scrapped, cleaned, greased and applied brake quiet to all spots I though needed it, and then some. Took it for a test drive and no funky sounds. I just can't hear when I come to a complete stop now. I'll live with that!

Now for the bad news, inside of the driver side rotor is developing 2 small ring grooves not a big deal yet, but both side caliper dust boots are torn. NOOO. replacing those was not in my plan. For now, I shot them with brake cleaner and then glopped on the brake grease around the tare. Enjoy these photos of it! :x

87952
87953

I have absolutely loved this thread from the very beginning!

Chief

Thanks Raider!

More bad news update, The noise came back 3 days later. I have 3 guesses as to why its back.

Part of the noise is coming from the rotor having grooves in it. I lightly sanded it and the pad (the pad was sanded totally smooth by eye and touch), but I guess the groove has come back and is rubbing funny and causing the noise.

The obvious, the blown dust boots.

Not OEM/Quality pads. When doing the clean up, there were no shims and the piston and caliper prongs had put wear marks in the pads already. I just looked through the brake job thread and saw the shims. Not sure how I over looked that at the time. The pads have no markings or visible part numbers on them to identify. There is still plenty of life left on them.

Looks like Im in for a full front brake replacement, Calipers, Rotors and pads once the pads wear down.... or something bad happens. I hope its not the latter. I tested the rotor screws, they are tight, Im scared! ha!

77723 mile dealer oil change- still haven't gotten back into the habit of doing this myself.

Picked up and dropped in the Target table cargo shelf mod. I like it. Plan to take it camping this weekend. I'll be driving with the seats out... I think i'll need the seats in to keep the table in place unless I rig something up. Im going to freeze my arse. :holsnowman1:

Target table does fit very nice, although a tad short on the edges. Might have to look into the pipe insulation on the edges.

28 degree F in the Morning on that camping at Raven Falls, Georgia. I found a great solution for opening the doors with out modding the back hatch.
http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/ff348/Cadillus_photos/kayak%20fishing%20setup/carabiner_bungee.jpg
I love these Carabiner bungees, Great for everything, I've got all lengths. No service on my phone out there so I didnt take photos, but basic idea is hook it between the front door handle and the same side bottom floor hook. I attached two bungees together so that there was no resting tension on the door handle and enough drooping room to still get out. Pull the bungee, door pops, push then open suicide door. It's a maneuver for sure, but better then climbing over the seats.

I'll just drop a disclaimer for anyone reading.... *I take NO responsibility for broken door handle levers! *

My sister got me a matching set of floor mats finally. Matches the interior color very well, good fit, and comfy on the feet. Durability....ehh..... the eyes have a tendency to fall out.
88676

Now that It's the time of the year for me to use the winsheild defogers, I did the ultra easy and so helpful manual AC compressor switch mod sequence as explained here (http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17192)

Just put in a pair of Aftermarket SC style tail lights. Got them from ebay for $120 shipped. Probably my most expensive mod. They are Eagle Eyes brand and I think they did a great job on them. Cant tell any difference on the front light side, but the backs look different. Could be an SC/EX-LX difference, but I doubt it. All of the bulb plugs went in and turned to lock just right, except the driver side turn signal. Had to use a pair of pliers for better grip to turn it to lock. It was over cast today so I couldn't tell if they help with the sun washing out the bulbs because of the full chrome. At least that was my main motivation in doing this. Yes, my photos suck. Got a new Samsung Epic 4G touch, but it almost looks worse then my old camera phone, oh well. Photos!

Box with part number.
88977
molded MFG labeling.
88978
Before/After
88983
88984
Before/After
88981
88982

Side by side... SC on passenger side.
88985
Before/After...
88986
88987
Those finger prints really highlight the dirt!

88988
88989
88990
88991
88992
88993

Is that smoked look achieved from a darker chrome bezel inside the housing? Or an actual smoked lens? Or perhaps a combo of both...

The inside is a darker chrome. I would like to compare these SC aftermarkets next to SC OEMs. Im thinking the OEMs might be darker.

Took advantage of this great weather and did my most intensive detail on the E yet. 3.5 hours is nothing to some of you for detailing, but its the most I've ever done on a car! Used the Turtle Wax ICE wash, then Polish, then a Meguires Tire shine. This ICE polish really is great stuff to work with. Did it as the box says and easy on easy off. I've seen some people say to actually do it in full sun around 70 degrees. The bay I was at was full shade and 60 max. Any water drops picked up from panel seams will give a haze, but are easy to buff out. We'll see how good the plastic and paint stays fresh looking. This paint does has a lot of crap going on with it, and the clear coat could use a serious fix. This will do for now. PHOTOS!
89152

89153

89154

89155
Any other Eagle Scouts in the house?
89156

89157

Nice job! Looking good.

OOPS! Missed a spot! Oh well, its a good example of before and after Turtle wax ICE polish at least. Can sort of be seen above, so see below for close up.

A $7.55 Impulse Ebay buy got me a pair of these high speed shock/strut tower covers. They are basically a very cheap black vinyl cap used for random packaging. I used to order these for work, they are like 2 cents a piece, if that :oops: They are a very snug fit though, and hide the rusted bolts. I did hit them with a little rustez, hopefully this makes changing out these parts easier when its time.

89379

Then I got to thinking, "Hey I have something like this in my warehouse now". BOOM! Red shock tower covers! I know you are jealous! These actually have a slightly larger ID, but fit snug over the blacks. I'll be keeping just the blacks on.

89380

Now, My advice to get this look, is to look up a company like www.mocap.com . Ask them for 2 sales samples, and they should ship them out for FREE!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^
You really have a lot of free time at work ........... At first I thought it was a WIX oil filter screwed on ...... That's another thought .........
Good job

Free time at work... busted!

Today I FINALLY got in my T10/T15 "7W" CREE LED Projector reverse lights, $12 ebay. They took the slowest boat from China. I say "7w" because that's what the listing says, but Im pretty sure they are 5w. They are Great. Much brighter. Much cooler to the touch, in the side by side shot, when I went to go swap out the passenger side bulb, the outer lens was very warm, not so on the other side with the LED. The Projector effect does leave a very bright white quarter sized spot light on the tail light lens. I really need to get some cool white license plate bulbs now, they really don't match now. Here's the photos I took.

Bottle cap for size comparison
89453
About 2ft away, Then arms reach with camera against car. Before and After.
89454

89456

89457

89458

89459

Odd timing, one of my 7443 Led red tail lights just half shorted out. A full panel of the 6 chip sides no longer works. E-mailed Superbrightleds.com about a replacement and they got back to me the next day with exchange instructions and told me about a 2 yr warranty. A win for buying through superbrightleds over ebay.

Just dropped in the ever popular Polk Audio DB651s speakers into the front doors. Speakers $53 shipped New open box ebay, and the 72-7800 Metra Honda harness for $5 shipped ebay. Only thing about the install I have to say that hasn't been said here multiple times is to make sure the harness adapters are tight on the terminals. One popped of while screwing it in, turned on the radio.... no sound.... I had that horrible "you've been duped on ebay" feeling. took them out and found one wire dangling. replugged and crimped and now they BOTH sound great. The other plug came crimped closed, used my knife to pry it open just enough. I used the rubber gasket things also, why not.

Photos!

89544

89545

89546

89547

89548

89556

Finally installed OEM fog lights. Bought the kits in October and just haven't had a good warm, sunny weekend to do it until now. Got the 05-06 EX/LX OEM kit for $57 shipped ebay, and the 07-08 SC OEM kit for $60 shipped ebay. Mixed and matched said EX/LX lights and their harness with SC under-dash harness and switch.

First Step, REMOVE EVERYTHING! (OK, for those paying attention, this photo has the fog light harness installed and dangling)
89566

To cut the holes I picked up one of these hand saws. Some people say that the plastic really gums up the teeth, so I bought extras. Total $9.90, but didn't even need the spares, the gummed up plastic was removed easily with a little rubbing. It was pretty messy and I wont lie, my cuts look ragged. I cut a smaller area on the second hole, but that was harder as I had to cut through thicker plastic, but it does look better. I'll probably pick up the South Coast Accessories Fog light inserts to hide my slop job and the extra top hole for the removal screw access.
89561

89562
The rest, I followed to the "T" the Honda instructions for the 07-08 EX/LX. And like everyone else f, capital F step number 29; "Locate the 3-pin connector blue-taped to the vehicle harness". If it wasn't for all the trail blazers on the EOC, I would have never figured out to remove the sub-woofer enclosure. Also, I probably did about 6 horizontal 180's under my steering wheel. Weee.

Clearing the headlights, 250 in the oven for 8 min on a damp towel. The inner part of the passenger side lens is cloudy. I pried the whole lens off of that one to try and clean it. No go, probably made it worse. Driver side, I pried it open just enough to pull the amber reflector out with a pair of needle nose. After removing I "used the force", like e-shen, to seal it back up with the aid of vice grips. I worked fast and they were still pretty warm. Put them back in the oven same time and temp, pulled out and "used the force" again then ran the vice grip around until there was no more tightening movement.

End results, Day and Night.

89572
89565

All said and done, these are the parts left over. After taking the photo I found another bag of zip ties, never a bad thing to have laying around.
89564

Nice install. I need to take my front fascia off to polish my headlights and fogs. They are scratched to hell.

Thanks. You just reminded me Zombie, I added fog light protection film to the fogs about 2 months ago before installing them, Headlight Armor PN MA-HN010F-C. Pretty simple kit. Didn't come with the squeegee talked about in the instructions but I have those kinds of things handy. The material is plenty thick. They came out very smooth and clear. At first they were crazy bubbled, but they have all worked themselves out. Only con is that I don't think they really cover enough of the lens. Leaves just under a half centimeter uncovered around the edge.

89593


This is the culprit to my cloudy head light. The white mess came off easily with a microfiber, but its baked on the head light lens. Looks like a sloppy job of that bulb grease stuff, but I have no clue.
89594

^^Damn! I think someone may have taken the term bulb grease a little too literally.:)

Did the leather steering wheel swap today. Real easy and fun. My Post on the Sticky thread; http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showpost.php?p=950817&postcount=137

89640

I've just about had it with turn signal bulbs. Getting rid of the amber reflectors looks great, but flashing amber has been a pain in the arse and I'm just never satisfied.

I Picked up some 7443 7W Cree projector LED bulbs off eBay from 3Bspec. Well, one of the convex projectors was crooked on the inside, then the LED burnt out. Had to escalate it on eBay to get my money back. They aren't cheap, but were less then my brake light LEDs. The Cree's were plenty bright at night, and decent in day. Here's what I had to send eBay. Watch out for this if you go this route.
89759
I did the flasher scratcher mod (http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72398&highlight=led+conversion) and it DID fix the Hyper flash. But now with incandescent, I have a sightly faster flash then normal. (I'd be willing to swap out with anyone local)


For whatever reason, I went against what everyone has said and got 7443 and 168 in the chromed amber. I thought the 7443 were sold in pairs, they are not. For about $8 a piece they are not worth it. I even bought the same branded bulbs off amazon hoping they would look the same.
89760

NOPE the 168 are a lighter amber, while the 7443 are a darker amber. Enjoy these night time photos. We'll see if I post day time photos. I doubt they will even show up honestly. These things are NOT bright. The clear bulbs without reflectors were like flashlights in front and to the side of my car. Can't see them now from the drivers seat.
89761
89762
89763
Maybe this will convince me to add amber 5050 LED strips to the front. But I don't think that will look clean.

Just installed the Black Stitching Leather Automatic Select Knob, Shifter. Got a great deal on $37 shipped plus tax from the local dealer. VERY EASY, only thing that wasn't included in the instructions that should be mentioned is that after the two screws are out and you pull up to pull off the knob, is to keep a thumb on the shift lock button. Its spring loaded and shot across my lap and hit the door. That was the only bit of excitement to install it! Matches my Leather Pilot wheel now, the set is complete!
89924
89925

i love it looks great

Shift knob looks great! I have that same one on my E and I really like it. Did you add some thread lock to the two hold down screws?

Thanks, I did not Ew. If it gets wiggly I'll run out and pick up a tube. The threads are super short so as soon as it's noticed I'll run out. But I got it pretty tight, and its easy to get at if a problem should arise.

Thanks, I did not Ew. If it gets wiggly I'll run out and pick up a tube. The threads are super short so as soon as it's noticed I'll run out. But I got it pretty tight, and its easy to get at if a problem should arise.

You're welcome. :-)

I applied some to mine only because I noticed how loose the screws were when I did the swap and since it was listed in the instructions, I figured why not.

Here's what I used.

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/7369/1004734l.jpg

^^Good stuff.

Just dropped in the ever popular Polk Audio DB651s speakers into the front doors. Speakers $53 shipped New open box ebay, and the 72-7800 Metra Honda harness for $5 shipped ebay. Only thing about the install I have to say that hasn't been said here multiple times is to make sure the harness adapters are tight on the terminals. One popped of while screwing it in, turned on the radio.... no sound.... I had that horrible "you've been duped on ebay" feeling. took them out and found one wire dangling. replugged and crimped and now they BOTH sound great. The other plug came crimped closed, used my knife to pry it open just enough. I used the rubber gasket things also, why not.

Photos!

89544

89545

89546

89547

89548

89556

who did you get those from on ebay?? i just had my left front speaker went out (blown) and i've been wanting to replace it. how does it sound better, equal, or worse than factory??

Burtch, Some random dude that only had the one. Best start a fresh search. Im still hunting for a good deal on the slightly larger DB651.

I still have the stock front set, hows $10 plus shipping for the set to tide you over until you source a potential total upgrade sound? 8)

DB651s in just the front is already hands down better then stock. Im sure they would be even better with a proper full upgrade. I plan to keep the stock radio as long as I can to deter theft. Around here they even steal early 90's honda radios with tape decks if you park in the wrong corner of the lot. Ask me how I know.

This sticky thread (http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2516&highlight=db651) is pretty good for possible replacement options.

So I'm almost at my first year of Element ownership. This has been by far the most, anything besides hopeless repairs, love I have given a car yet. Im not quite there but for the purposes of this post, I've put 17400 miles (@ 83736) and will probably hit 18000 in a full year. That is a scary thought now that I think about it.

Anyway, to treat the E I did a Valve adjustment, New Valve cover gasket set, New spark plugs, Oil change and a wash and Turtle wax ICE polish. My first DIY change at that. Details as follows.

Gasket set 12030-RAA-A01 $43
NGK IZFR6K11 Plugs x4 $38
HondaBond HT $11
Mobile 1 5w20 Full synth $27 a case, used 5 full bottles. (Costco deal, got 2 more cases :-D )
Honda Oil Filter 15400-PLM-A01 $40 case of 6 filters with washer

All of the intakes were still nice and in the mid range so we left them alone, the exhaust were super tight. Couldn't get the .010 in them so we just set them all to .013. The cold start vibration is significantly less, can only feel a slight vibration in the steering wheel instead of the whole car. Lets see how long it lasts!

Oh and also blew out the aFe air filter and put air in the tires, I spoil this car :razz:

I tossed my buddy a little bit of cash, gave him the craftsmen angled feeler gauges I got, and helped him demolish a wall in his home and help frame the new wall. All in all a good event. His skills and huge tool collection, Valve adjustment with photos thread (http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8768) and the Honda service manual made this a smooth operation with no surprises.

Photos!
90015

90016

90017

Just got my Blackstone oil analysis report in. It speaks for itself I suppose, "Nice!". I'm happy! This was running Honda dealer basic oil. Will be interesting to see if there is any change in titanium on the next oil change as Im running Mobile 1 full syn now.
90201
90200

That's awesome man. I have about 1500miles until my next oil change. I'm going to be sending in a sample to see how mine is doing. Hopefully as good as yours.

The comments section of your report is pretty cool :grin: