So I have had my 06 Scion xB for about 2 weeks now and I already want to tweak it out a little. I have been reading a lot on the forum and I just have a few questions.

1. how hard is it to put in a after market cold air intake?
2. does changing all the fluids too synthetic really help? and should I do it now or wait till they need to be changed?
3. does changing the spark plugs really make a huge difference? should I do it now or wait?
4. does using higher octane gas help?
5. I want to get bigger tires.. does that make a difference? I am thinking 17".
6. how hard is it to change the pully?

This forum is amazing! I love it and I love my first new car!

Thanks guys.

 

1. not hard at all lol about 10 minutes
2.i dont have concret proof but i think id dose but wait till after your break in period
3. not really not till u need to. i changed mine to iridium at 4000 miles and i like how its running
4. no higher octane dose nothing if u wanna see for your self run the car till empty then fill up with high octane and you will see no diffrance
5. bigger tires look great i have 18" it dose make it ride a lil stiffer but i would sugest changing the shocks and struts with monroe sensatrack for a smother ride but the struts will lower your front a 1/2 inch
6. i have dont this yet but i have read its really easy but i seen alot of post latly about it not being good so u can be your own judge

 

thinking about it now for a cold air maby 25 is more realistik i done a couiple already so it seems so fast i would sugest a short ram intake it still dose pull in cold air from the fender

 

Ahhh--you are seeking the mysterys of life. Or at least the mysterys of ScionLife. The questions you ask have been well debated on the forums. Do a search on each topic and you will find hotly contested debates on all the subjects you ask. My answers:
No
Yes (doesnt matter)
Yes (but maybe not what is intended)
No!
Yes (lots)
dont know

Have fun with your ride!!!

 

1. Short RAM/Cold air intake is a fun mod. Good for small HP gain and pedal feel
2. If you have a 5-speed, the fluid is already synthetic. Replace at 30,000 with MT-90. See DIY threads that show the trany drain and fill. Did mine, feels like a new trany. Motor oil? Read the many threads about that. I use 10W30 every 5000 miles.
3. I put in HALO's at 30,000. They last 100,000. Iridiums are popular, see threads.
4. No gains with high octaine, read the many threads, all views are posted.
5. Wheels? Just follow your heart, or wallet, just don't buy from the dealer.
6. Perrin Pully mod sounds great, I am looking into this myself, so I will search the engine section for pully threads. They say slight increase in power.

However, you MUST install a CABIN AIR FILTER in your empty CABIN AIR FILTER TRAY that is behind your glovebox. Scion does not provide this filter. They will sell you one for $22. Buy one from any parts store for $12 or make one yourself after reading the thread in the TECH section called 'Fabricate your own CABIN AIR FILTER' and see photos of how to pop out your glovebox to acess tray.

 

awesome

thanks for the info guys!

 

Everything these guys have told you is true.


^ you Kill me!

 

does using 10w-30 void the factory warranty since it calls for 5w-30? i know its fine but you never know what lengths a stealership will go to void your warranty so they get more money

 

I would think not, but why WOULD you?

 

because 10w-30 is ALOT easier to come by and i order alot of AMSOIL 10w-30 for people and i just like the way all my cars run with it. Guess it would take some lengths for someone to analyze an oil if something happened. im not worried about its functioning in the motor im just worried that IF something went wrong with the engine they would try and blame that when it would have nothing to do with it

 

Mucho thanks for posting this!

 

With great power comes great responsibility, and with larger wheels come a needed drop!

 

1. Pretty straightforward for a short ram model
2. Wait. Let it break in before switching to synthetic engine oil.
3. Wait. Pull the stock plugs to make sure they're gapped correctly. Platinum and iridium plugs are designed for extended life, improved performance is largely wishful thinking on a new engine...
4. The manual calls for 87 octane, which is midgrade around here. running 85 octane can reduce power because the knock sensor can retard the timing, while premium won't really help anything...
5. You'll want to keep the tire diameter approx the same, so larger rims means lower profile tires- harsher ride, and less resistance to pothole damage.
6. Dunno- haven't bothered.

The best single mod, imho, is a progress rear swaybar. Easy, if you're mechanically inclined at all, and have basic tools, with a very positive effect on handling. They should all have it straight from the factory. The TRD bar is near identical, and some claim that the Whiteline is actually better. Hard to find, however, and not as clean an installation...

 

First off welcome to the site and nice to have another Tennesseean on board.

1. cold air intake slightly more involved than short ram but not much longer.

2. Only eng. oil has synthetic choices. Trans must use Toyota Tech IV which is a synthetic blend already. For oil wait till after 1K and go with Mobil 1 and always use Toyota filters at 5K intervals

3. Using NGK Irridiums gapped to .044 improved my mpgs. by 2-3.

4. No not at all. Basically just throwing money away.

5. 17's are great size. Still decent ride and nice looks. Go with tire size of 205/45/17 and rim size of 17X7 with a 40 to 42mm offset for zero rubbing issues and speedo will still be accurate.

6. Pully won't do much unless you have a stick and even then it just revs faster but you loose the inertia of the stock pully so I don't see the point.

For smoother ride quality you will want to loose the rear stock shocks in favor of Monroe #5987. One of the best first mods you can do!!!!

Congrats and hope I get to meet ya at one of the Scikotic meets in Nashville in the coming months.

 

Welcome to Tennssee scion life, one more added to the very few. One day we might have a crowd.